Vitamins/Minerals/Supplements - Which Do You Take?

issystclaire
issystclaire Posts: 113 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering what anyone else's regime is with supplements?

I take on a daily basis:

multi-vitamin
iron (I am anemic, and do also try to eat iron rich foods)
skin, hair and nail supplement (have had issues with slow hair growth and brittle nails in the past, but the supplements are really starting to help)

I also drink various herbal teas (on their own, no sweetners, no honey, etc) once a day, sometimes twice.

And when I am ill I take extra ammounts of echinacea, zinc and vitamin c.

That is it at the moment, though I used to take my omega oils every day as well and think I would like to start back on these.

What do you do take and why?
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Replies

  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I take a lot of vitamins some of which include:

    Daily multi with niacin
    D3
    Calcium
    Omega 3 with DHA and EPA
    CoQ10
    Endothelial defense
    Super Zeanthin (eyes)
    Low dose aspirin
    Super Bio-Curcumin
    DHEA

    And a bunch of others. The reason why I take them is simple: Although I have a healthy, well balanced diet there is no way that I can ever get all the vital nutrients that my body needs through food alone. I have also found with the vitamins that I take that I rarely get colds and when I do now all I have to do is take one day of rest and I'm fine. In the past, before I was supplementing, it would sometimes take weeks for me to shake a cold.
  • issystclaire
    issystclaire Posts: 113 Member
    I was recently ill as well (last month). I took extra doses of vits as well as some I don't usually take - olive leaf complex, green powder, etc. I took doses of this along with my usual ill vits and otc meds about 4 times a day, each day. I got well so much quicker than I ever have! (by the 3rd day I was almost all the way better, in the past it has taken me at least a week)

    I agree with taking supplements to make sure you get all the vital nutrition your body needs to function properly. I sometimes feel though, that maybe I go overboard with the ammt of "pills" I take in a day, but I guess these supplements are better than chemical pills in my old age due to health issues!
  • annehart00
    annehart00 Posts: 42
    I am not good at taking vitamins, so I try to eat my nutrients. I can't get them all, so I take (when I remember) B12 (sublingual), D, and iron. I also take a probiotic because I just came off from CIPRO after e. coli issues - some studies show probiotics in yogurt don't make it past the stomach. Since tracking my meals it looks like I'll have to take potassium also.
  • issystclaire
    issystclaire Posts: 113 Member
    I take birth control as well, and I do so in the mornings, so I have trained myself to take my supplements at the same time (after I eat my breakfast). I also use one of those pill sorter things, and put my vits into each day's slot at the start of the week. That way each day, I just flip it open, pour them out and pop them in - easy peasy. Maybe you could try something similar?
  • sarahisme18
    sarahisme18 Posts: 574 Member
    Oh man.... I take a few different things that are actually tailored to my skin problems (acne!!!).

    I take Women's Symmetry multivitamin (found in the organic section)
    + DIM supplement for hormone balance (extracts from cuciferous [sp?] veggies like broccoli)
    + Vitamin D (I live the Pacific NW)
    + Armour Thyroid for slight hypothyroidism

    I also add whey protein to my post-workout shake. Helps me get more protein as a vegetarian!
  • rubberbiscuit
    rubberbiscuit Posts: 128
    I take:
    Multi-vitamin
    Calcium w/D twice a day

    Other than the various meds I'm on, that's it. My doctor has a list of what I take and she thinks it's sufficient.

    I was anemic when I was younger, so I understand what you're going through. I felt like doo-doo, weak, no energy, pale and sickly looking. It took years to get my iron levels up to normal. Good luck and follow your doctors advice.
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    I take B12 daily.
    as for others, MFP actually helps me determine the vitamins i should take: calcium magnesium with vitamin d if my calcium count is low, potassium, vitamin C etc.

    when i am sick, i take extra vitamin C and Zinc.

    i was taking iron, as i am anemic as well, but realized the pills they gave me are about 400% of my recommended daily intake which is ridiculous, so I've just been consciously trying to eat more iron throughout the day and taking a multivitamin to supplement.

    Edit: oh and omega 3-6-9 supplements as well =)
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    Multi-vitamin ( i take a brand "shaklee" )

    Im on a prescription Vitamin D - 50,000 units.

    That's it until November 1st, when I add in an additional Vitamin C.

    :drinker: <-- thats me taking my pills. LOL

    ** edited because i forgot to add my "why" my vitamin D is low because i have extreme social anxiety & i dont leave home very much, so i dont get any sunlight, even when i go outside for a bit each day.. so i have to stay on the prescription for the D.

    The multi & C in the winter is because its good for me, and I also have COPD, so keeping my immuse system up is really good.

    Did you know that Vitamin D is good to assist in losing weight? If you dont take a suppliment, it might be good to try. It also gives you energy! :smile:

    (Make sure you arent using cheap vitamins. They can do more harm than good. Do you need a $50 vitamin? No. However, ask your doctor to prescribe you a prenatal, or a vitamin thats not full of crap. This stuff on the shelf at CVS or Walmart is a bunch of junk.)
  • laurencareyRD
    laurencareyRD Posts: 5 Member
    Hands down...
    Nutrametrix Isotonic vitamins... 96% absorption in 5-8 minutes... Can't beat it...

    Next time you are in CVS check the ingredients in one of the vitamins - you will be shocked!
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    Oh man.... I take a few different things that are actually tailored to my skin problems (acne!!!).

    I take Women's Symmetry multivitamin (found in the organic section)
    + DIM supplement for hormone balance (extracts from cuciferous [sp?] veggies like broccoli)
    + Vitamin D (I live the Pacific NW)
    + Armour Thyroid for slight hypothyroidism

    I also add whey protein to my post-workout shake. Helps me get more protein as a vegetarian!
    Is armour thyroid a prescription or can you pick it up along with your other vitamins?
    a slight hypothyroidism turned up on one of my blood tests and although it disappeared the next time i was tested, i have a lot of the symptoms so i'd be interested in trying something mild!
  • tyrantduck
    tyrantduck Posts: 387 Member
    i take two vita-crave gummies for adults per day, two green tea extract capsules, and then my daily meds which consist of Xanax and Effexor. i'm thinking of picking up some B12 to give myself a bit more of a boost of energy.
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    B12 does make a difference!
    I would recommend getting the B complex in liquid form as it is more easily absorbed by your system than the standard hard vitamins.

    right now i have the gummies lol =)
  • Briteblu
    Briteblu Posts: 71
    Right now:
    Iron supplement- 65mg
    Women's Multi-Vitamin

    Need to take more but not sure which ones
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    I simply try to eat 80% raw fruits and veggies every day and a product called Juice Plus+ which is just more fruits and veggies. I try and deliver key antioxidants and other phytonutrients that will be absorbed in my body. I look for F&V that reduce oxidative stress, supports my healthy immune system, protects my DNA (aging), and promotes cardiovascular wellness.
  • Jem_Girl
    Jem_Girl Posts: 102 Member
    skin, hair and nail supplement (have had issues with slow hair growth and brittle nails in the past, but the supplements are really starting to help)
    What do you take for these? I've noticed my nails starting to be less strong and even in the last few years, but the doctors I've asked haven't been really helpful. Yeah, so the ridges in my nails aren't the type that indicate any deficiency, but it's still annoying and makes them weaker!

    I take a multivitamin with iron added in as I've been borderline anemic for a long time and one of my docs finally decided to track it with periodic blood work to see if it improves. He thinks it may be affecting my energy levels.
    I was taking Vitamin C each day for a while both for its own benefits and the added iron absorption, but I've gotten lazy with it.

    Other than my prescribed meds, that's all I take on a daily basis. I've been considering adding in Omega-3 after reading in several places that it's better for most people to have a balanced amount of omega fatty acids but that western diets tend to result in higher omega-6 levels which become out of balance w/ omega-3. I've also wondered if I should be taking a calcium supplement since apparently Depo-Provera (which I love) sucks it right out of your bones.
  • bridgelene
    bridgelene Posts: 358 Member
    Non-supplements: Atenolol & HCTZ.

    Supplements: B12 a lot of the time (as long as I don't forget) as I have a history pernicious anemia. I've done injections, but by this point I generally can get away with sublingual tabs.

    Melatonin for a few nights when I have trouble sleeping.

    Zicam (which I think is zinc?) and Vitamin C when I'm getting sick.

    I also should take fish oil (due to family history of things, my mom's doctor has told her to take it and suggested that it would be wise if I did as well), and a multivitamin on a regular basis but I HATE swallowing a bunch of pills, so I go through phases where I get the bug up my butt to take them, and others phases where I just cannot stomach swallowing a thousand pills.

    *edit to add* I have noticed since starting using MFP that my iron intake is REALLY low so I'm considering that as well.
  • annehart00
    annehart00 Posts: 42
    I take birth control as well, and I do so in the mornings, so I have trained myself to take my supplements at the same time (after I eat my breakfast). I also use one of those pill sorter things, and put my vits into each day's slot at the start of the week. That way each day, I just flip it open, pour them out and pop them in - easy peasy. Maybe you could try something similar?

    Thanks! I did try that but I seem to be a creature of unhabit. :)
  • RenewedRunner
    RenewedRunner Posts: 423 Member
    I take New Chapter Organic Multi Vitamin
    and an extra iron pill (I have severe anemia issues)

    edit: The New Chapter vitamin I can actually take on an empty stomach. It is great. I have had some major GI issues in the past with cheap/crappy vitamins.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I take:

    -Multivitamin just as a sort of insurance policy on reduced calories.

    -Krill Oil for the Omega 3s, as I don't eat much fish. I like fish, I'm just not good at cooking it myself so don't get enough.

    -Vitamin D as virtually no one in the northern hemisphere gets enough.
  • issystclaire
    issystclaire Posts: 113 Member
    skin, hair and nail supplement (have had issues with slow hair growth and brittle nails in the past, but the supplements are really starting to help)
    What do you take for these?


    I live in the UK and go to Holland and Barrett for all my supplements (if you don't know, they have all natural, good quality products). I take a supplement that is literally called "hair, skin and nails" and also biotin. Did a bunch of research on biotin - it is the chemical that is naturally produced by your body that promotes healthy hair and nail growth.

    If you do take it though, you have to take it alongside another B vitamin (B12 or B complex are the best), or, a hair, skin and nail one as they already have b vits or biotin in them. I know you can get biotin in the states as well, bc I watched lots of videos on youtube with girls in the states talking about it.

    The best thing about biotin as well, is that you don't have to worry about toxicity levels, as if you do take too much, your body will get rid of it naturally, through urination. Hope this helps!

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