Vitamin Supplements

wizzybeth

What, if any, do you take?

I hear from two different camps... Supplements are an important part of a diet... Or they create expensive pee and nothing else.

Currently, I take a fish oil supplement because I do have difficulty getting enough fat every day and this helps a little. I also take a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement because I have a history of rheumatoid arthritis in my family and I do not want to suffer like my grandfather did. I also take magnesium because I understand it can help with depression and anxiety. In addition I take a calcium plus vitamin D supplement as well as a multivitamin.

I have no idea if these are actually doing anything for me or not. I feel good about taking them... Until it starts gnawing at me... And I just throwing money away and peeing it down the toilet?

jflongo

Just curious, what do you mean you can't get enough fat every day? How many grams of fat are you trying to get? Eating eggs, olive oil, etc, can easily get you enough fat.

wizzybeth

I always come up short on my fat. I eat eggs a couple of times a week usually but not everyday. I could put a teaspoon or two of olive oil on some things but not everything I eat everyday is conducive to having olive oil with it

abirdintherain

I only take vitamins if I'm eating strictly plant-based, which I don't plan on doing again. I wouldn't taken them regularly unless my doctor advised it. This is why yearly physicals and blood work are important - you can see if you're deficient and then fix it, otherwise, it's not worth the expense and the constant forgetfulness and worry if I forgot to take my vitamins, in my opinion.

With that said, I do very occasionally take supplements for anxiety/depression when I'm feeling quite hard-pressed dealing with it, but I imagine the effects are more of a placebo effect than truly helping. Either way, I'll take the help. But not everyday, because they cost an arm and a leg.

jgnatca

I’ve had the gastric bypass which comes with known absorption problems. Besides a women’s multivitamin I take extra Folic Acid, Calcium Citrate, and Vitamin D.

Until my iron levels started coming back normal I took an iron supplement too. It is possible to take too much iron so only take it if you are deficient.

Nearly everyone in the northern hemisphere is deficient in vitamin D. Calcium and Vitamin D are commonly taken together.

I figure women of childbearing age should take Folic Acid to prevent a certain birth defect.

From what I read the jury is still out on how helpful glucosamine is for joints and a daily dose has not been worked out yet.

I think magnesium supplementation is overblown.

Fish oil is good for Omega 3’s but I hear it is better taken up from the fatty fish itself. If you need dietary fat simply add a little cooking oil to your salad dressing, butter to your bread or have an appetizer of olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

lemurcat12

I take D in the winter. Beyond that, when eating mostly plant-based I take B12 and DHA/EPA. When eating meat I tend to eat a lot of fatty fish, so don't bother with DHA/EPA (which is what's in fish oil) and also don't bother with B12.

I briefly took a multi (before I started supplementing specific things) and it upset my stomach and I eat a pretty balanced, nutrient-dense diet, so I dropped it. Don't think it hurts, I just would always try to go with food when possible (because, as AnnPT has outlined elsewhere, I think that micros are only the specific benefits we've identified but many foods that tend to have positive correlations with good health results probably have other benefits, so I think diet is more significant than supplements unless you have a diagnosed deficiency). That said, I'm clearly not anti supplement.

jgnatca

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3309636/

From this article I would conclude that supplementation is good to support a known deficiency but otherwise it does no good.

liaalyn

You will pee out extra vitamins either way, but my advice would be to take it if you can feel its doing something beneficial. I take a few supplements everyday and I can tell they are working. I take an aloe based multivitamin that helps absorb better as well. Do what makes you feel good but pay close attention to quality as well so you're not wasting money!

tinkerbellang83

I take a MultiVitamin, Cod Liver Oil & Evening Primrose Oil and Glucosamine.

• Multivit tends to help me a bit with mood since moving back from extremely warmer climes I get a bit bummed out here and the Vit D & B perks me up. I am not great at eating as much fruit and veg as I should some days too.
• Cod Liver Oil/Evening Primrose Oil combi I find helps with my PMS
• Glucosamine, as a preventative measure really, family has a lot of Osteopirosis and I had a few back problems the last few years so although there's not a whole lot of research on it, figure it can't do any harm and I am not suffering any side effects.

Aside from that I occasionally take a Magnesium supplement and/or Melatonin to help with sleeping issues.

RejsGirl

I take Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Magnesium, Biotin, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, zinc & just started taking Selenium. Many doctors point of view is vitamins don't work and it is indeed "expensive pee", which is understood, especially when it comes from the monetary/financial aspect of it all.

I have proof they work in a couple instances. I read a lot and did my research. I recommend taking vitamins, but I know that many people are skeptical and feel like it's a waste of money. I'd start taking what you feel you could benefit from and if you see no change in a month's time or once the bottle is gone, don't re-buy.

Good luck!

Azercord

I see my multivitamin like a reserve parachute. With my diet I probably don't need it and probably won't ever BUT if I do it is there and it will fill in the gaps without me ever knowing. It is easy for me to remember to take and easy on my stomach and not that much money so it works for me. My hope is that I'm just peeing it all out because my diet is that awesome but I doubt it.

wizzybeth

Yes I figure if I am eating enough foods to meet my macro requirements chances are pretty good that I am eating enough nutrients. However I do not always eat enough vegetables especially this time of year.

mimsywhimsy

B12, vegan D3 and omega 3, K2, biotin, vitamin E, and on days I don't get enough, calcium and iron.

kimny72

wizzybeth wrote: »

What, if any, do you take?

I hear from two different camps... Supplements are an important part of a diet... Or they create expensive pee and nothing else.

Currently, I take a fish oil supplement because I do have difficulty getting enough fat every day and this helps a little. I also take a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement because I have a history of rheumatoid arthritis in my family and I do not want to suffer like my grandfather did. I also take magnesium because I understand it can help with depression and anxiety. In addition I take a calcium plus vitamin D supplement as well as a multivitamin.

I have no idea if these are actually doing anything for me or not. I feel good about taking them... Until it starts gnawing at me... And I just throwing money away and peeing it down the toilet?

I also take fish oil, and a calcium/D/Magnesium supplement. I do think there have been some warnings to not overdo the calcium, but the one I take only gives you like 25% of the RDA, so I figure it's topping up the tank. I am fair skinned and know from bloodwork my body does a crappy job of getting vit D so I need to supplement.

I also have arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in my family, but have heard conflicting things on glucosamine and chondroitin so I haven't taken it yet. I haven't heard it can harm, so if it makes you feel like your doing something and it isn't terribly expensive I don't see the harm, other than the possible peeing it away.

I stopped taking a multi as I do eat a pretty balanced diet, and I found that not taking one makes me more mindful of getting nutrition from food, which I think is a good thing . It's like the multi gave me a possibly false sense of security. I honestly think the multi is a waste, especially if you are taking targeted supplements for the stuff you believe you need help with. Maybe only take the multi in the winter when you are eating less veggies and see if that eases the "I'm wasting $" feeling enough?

Lizardybits

I hate taking supplements, and can barely remember to take my prescribed medications. But I do it anyhow, because my body is bad at absorbing magnesium and potassium (so bad that it's sent me to the ER on one occasion). They are horrible giant supplements, but doctor's orders.

I also take zinc when I remember during flu season because I catch *everything* but I eat enough vitamin C to not worry about that one.

OldHobo

I take one multivitamin/mineral, Kroger - Complete Men 50+ Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement, with my morning blood pressure and statin pills. Not a fan of supplements but I figure this one probably isn't doing any harm at least. Recently started looking more closely at micronutrients through another food diary. Without that general supplement, I wouldn't be hitting RDA of a lot of stuff.

Hoping to outgrow the need for the prescriptions.

msbridgetteanne

I take iron and vitamin D supplements. Double iron, in fact, on doctor's orders, because my body just does not want to retain it.

brznhabits

I no longer take daily supplements. I used to take a multi, b-complex, fish-oil, etc. A few years ago I ran out and, coincidence or not, it helped jump start some more weight loss. Nowadays I try to target specific needs as well as balanced micros with food. For example, I target antioxidants and the other compounds found in blueberries and leafy greens.

I think I'm better at targeting my nutrition needs without supplements, including when I need sunshine :-)

That said, I don't have any major pre-dispositions or known health issues. I'm not ruling out daily supplements in the future but right now they aren't for me. That said, non-daily, along with diet adjustments, I take Lysine (shingles) and vitamin/immune boosters for colds (tinctures, airborne, etc.).

MonaRaeHill

I think the reason peeps say they are a waste of money (much like homeopathics), is because of the way they took them.

Taking multi-vitamins ARE a waste of money, especially the calcium/magnesium combos', because they cancel each other out. One should take calcium and magnesium 6-8 hours apart from each other, if the benefits are important.

Same with D's, E's, & A's. Do NOT take with Calcium and/or magnesium, but DO take them with C's, to help with absorption.........I have taken the Emergen- Cs for years!

I have both heard, and experienced, that B2 vites, can prevent migraines, BUT they must be taken at Therapeutic levels, for several months, b4 one will see the result. I have always taken enough B' vites, to turn my urine pretty colors (how you know you're getting enough). Especially since I have trouble with most of the foods that good quality B's, are in. (Rice, Oatmeal, Breads, Pastas, Whole grains, etc.)

Taking supplements knowledgeably, is a LOT of work, research, listening to your body, recordkeeping to see if/when/where the supplements are helping......etc. etc.. Which is why peeps probably get fed up with them and blame them for something that is a user-error.

They do the same thing with Homeopathics, btw. I have a friend who has taken them wrong for years, and wonders why they aren't working........AND she pays her Naturopath quite a lot of money, too. Every time she says to me: "My Naturopath never told me that!", it drives me nuts. Most homeopathics AND naturopathic solutions to a problem, take months of dedicated commitment, to resolve it. We don't get sick overnight and we won't heal from 'Natural' solutions, overnight, either! Best to take things for prevention, and to support the way our body works, from the inside BEFORE getting sick.

And b4 any of you jump the gun, I WAS headed for a masters in Wellness and Alternative Medicine, b4 my botched surgery, and I have researched supplements extensively, as that was going to be my thesis...........

Hope this helps and yea, don't waste your money on Multi's. You DO just pee those out. What the body can't use, it tries to get rid of...........

wizzybeth

OMG my head hurts. LOL. I will have to pay more attention to this -as I have been taking them all around breakfast time.

Thanks for the insight

counting_kilojoules

Despite being very pale and living in a sunny part of the world, I don't manage to get enough vitamin D so I take that and I get dangerously low levels of vitamin B12 so I take that one as well. Otherwise I don't bother.

MichelleSilverleaf

MonaRaeHill wrote: »

They do the same thing with Homeopathics, btw. I have a friend who has taken them wrong for years, and wonders why they aren't working........AND she pays her Naturopath quite a lot of money, too. Every time she says to me: "My Naturopath never told me that!", it drives me nuts. Most homeopathics AND naturopathic solutions to a problem, take months of dedicated commitment, to resolve it. We don't get sick overnight and we won't heal from 'Natural' solutions, overnight, either! Best to take things for prevention, and to support the way our body works, from the inside BEFORE getting sick.

That's because the vast majority of naturopaths have a crap education. Most can't tell their patients this or that because odds are they don't know it either. And those months of taking expensive unregulated supplements likely aren't doing anything either, because it's entirely possible and far more likely that the problem eventually cleared up on its own.

ruqayyahsmum

I have malabsoption
I take a multivitamin twice a day as per doctors instructions
I take a calcium/vitamin d suppliment as I was seriously deficient last year when blood work was done, I was also on iron as I was anemic but off that now
I have 12 weekly bow injections as I'm unable to absorb it via diet

CSARdiver

When they say this they are likely talking about multivitamins, which are likely unnecessary unless you have a diagnosed deficiency.

There's a good deal of data supporting fish oil as the Western diet is typically lacking Omega3s. Glucosamine / chondroitin has some solid supporting data as well. I take both of these as I know my diet is lacking and it's a cheap risk mitigator.

MegaMooseEsq

CSARdiver wrote: »

When they say this they are likely talking about multivitamins, which are likely unnecessary unless you have a diagnosed deficiency.

There's a good deal of data supporting fish oil as the Western diet is typically lacking Omega3s. Glucosamine / chondroitin has some solid supporting data as well. I take both of these as I know my diet is lacking and it's a cheap risk mitigator.

This is what I've heard as well. That said, given that this discussion is happening on a board largely focused on weight-loss, I think it's important to note that the "they're just expensive pee" answer would be correct if the question was "do vitamins and supplements help with weight loss?"

cwolfman13

I take vitamin D3...diagnosed deficiency without it

Salmon fish oil...I typically eat quite a bit of fish, but not a lot of tuna and salmon about once per week...lots of cod and shrimp

Dr Best Magnesium 100% chelated...a suggestion from my trainer for some regular cramping issues I had going on.

CSARdiver

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

CSARdiver wrote: »

When they say this they are likely talking about multivitamins, which are likely unnecessary unless you have a diagnosed deficiency.

There's a good deal of data supporting fish oil as the Western diet is typically lacking Omega3s. Glucosamine / chondroitin has some solid supporting data as well. I take both of these as I know my diet is lacking and it's a cheap risk mitigator.

This is what I've heard as well. That said, given that this discussion is happening on a board largely focused on weight-loss, I think it's important to note that the "they're just expensive pee" answer would be correct if the question was "do vitamins and supplements help with weight loss?"

Excellent clarification. Supplements have no primary impact on weight loss. It may have a secondary impact if nutrition aids exercise which aids your caloric output.

rianneonamission

I base it on micronutrients lacking in MFP. Normally I lack in iron and Vit A, so take those. However, have had a lot of Vit A in my diet today so will skip it. Also take omega 3 tablets simply because I don’t eat enough oily fish.

I need to get some Vit D tabs just because I’m struggling with the lack of sunshine a bit.

So yes, track to see what you lack and go from there, because otherwise you do end up with expensive pee.

OldHobo

I enjoy MFP forums as much for the unintended irony as anything else. Folks discussing hipster protein and other expensive supplements ad nauseam while congratulating themselves on being so much wiser than somebody who spends a few cents on a One-A-Day type multi-vitamin.

kimny72

OldHobo wrote: »

I enjoy MFP forums as much for the unintended irony as anything else. Folks discussing hipster protein and other expensive supplements ad nauseam while congratulating themselves on being so much wiser than somebody who spends a few cents on a One-A-Day type multi-vitamin.

To be fair, we are saying here that there is no reason to supplement something you don't know you're falling short on. And that's exactly what I've seen in threads about protein powders - they're a waste if you are already getting enough protein in your food. In fact, i learned here that if you are eating enough protein, protein powder just gives you expensive pee. Have you seen differently?

Having said that, it's easier to tell from just logging here if you are short on protein, as opposed to vitamins which you really need bloodwork to tell the story.

What expensive supplements do you see being positively discussed here in the forums?

wizzybeth

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

CSARdiver wrote: »

When they say this they are likely talking about multivitamins, which are likely unnecessary unless you have a diagnosed deficiency.

There's a good deal of data supporting fish oil as the Western diet is typically lacking Omega3s. Glucosamine / chondroitin has some solid supporting data as well. I take both of these as I know my diet is lacking and it's a cheap risk mitigator.

This is what I've heard as well. That said, given that this discussion is happening on a board largely focused on weight-loss, I think it's important to note that the "they're just expensive pee" answer would be correct if the question was "do vitamins and supplements help with weight loss?"

Well I'm not taking them for weight loss but for general health.