Supplements

No...unless you count protein powder in occasional smoothies.

The supplement industry as a whole is rife with problems. Of course, some brands are better than others but studies have shown that a huge percentage of supplements don't contain what the labels claim, may contain other "ingredients" that may have their own side effects, and could even illegally contain pharmaceutical-grade drugs that are supposed to only be available by prescription, just to name a few of the issues.

If you are eating a wide variety of foods without excluding any food groups, you "should" be getting all of the nutrients that you need. If you are exercising at a high level, you could be depleting some of them more so than others.

Multivitamins can help replace some of what people aren't getting from their diet, but they are likely to also be overdoing those that you don't actually need.

My advice is to get tested to see if you actually have any deficiencies before adding a supplement, and then only supplementing those that you actually need - and to try to increase levels through what you eat as well.

Otherwise, moderation would be the key. Just about every supplement out there can be taken to excess and many of them have their own side effects, be it from the supplement itself, or from the source of the nutrient originally.

A couple of examples of production problems.

Kelp supplements for iodine contain pollutants from the water in which the kelp was growing, such as high levels of arsenic. Side effects can include the kidney and thyroid issues from the iodine itself, or digestive and cognitive issues from the toxins in the kelp.

Our demand for omega 3 supplements is causing the population of a species of small fish called the Menhaden to be overfished to such and extreme that their numbers have plummeted in really scary ways, 88% in the past 25 years. This is a one of those fish that is food for just about every larger fish in the Chesapeake bay area which means that we're not only losing menhaden, but all of the other fish up and down the Atlantic coast as well. I'd much rather be able to buy and cook a piece of flounder, grouper, herring, snapper, or sea bass than have an over processed supplement added to my breakfast cereal.

If you google "unapproved pharmaceuticals and supplements" you'll get a whole list of products that google won't even link you to because of legal issues. Add the word "news" to that search and you'll find news reports of supplement products being seized and companies being shut down because of controlled substances ending up in their supplement products, many of those being targeted at the weight loss consumer.

So before taking supplements or even buying some fortified foods, I'd do more research and see if you really want to go there.

I take fish oil but that's it, and honestly I forget it more often than I take it.

Fish Oil
MultiVit
Vitamin D
Creatine

That's it for me. I know MultiVitamins are a controversial topic, but I don't rely on them to hit my micros, more of a cheap failsafe while I am in a deficit.

For supplement info I strongly recommend Examine.com A great (and free) site that lets you search for any (or at least most) supplements.

From their site:

Examine.com is an independent encyclopedia on supplementation and nutrition. We are not affiliated in any way with any supplement company.

Founded in early 2011, we have one goal - to be the unbiased source for supplements and nutrition. We have spent thousands of hours collating the latest scientific research.

This site is run by editors who examine primary research. Users are encouraged to submit corrections and any research we may have missed.

Although I do eat a fairly well-rounded diet, I do continue to take a multivitamin. I have seen that some studies show that they have little to no benefit, however, I will continue to take one until there is more concrete evidence. I figure that at worst, I am simply wasting my money.

From time to time, I do experiment with supplements. I have taken:

Folic Acid for Metabolism Support - Didn't notice a difference, so I stopped taking them

Acai Berry Supplements for Skin - Acne seemed to get better while taking, but they are fairly expensive

Cranberry Supplements for UTI - These work. I had a re-occurring UTI for months until I started taking these. I am not taking them any longer, but I will if I ever have that problem agIN.

Fiber Supplements - These work, but I only use them if I feel I am not eating well. Usually only after a day of low nutritional value.

30 Day Diet Supplements (Lychee Fruit, African Mango, Raspberry Ketones, Caffeine) - These are good quality, all natural supplements. I have noticed increased energy, but no weight loss benefits. Likely due to caffeine.

I admit I take a whole pile of supplements, probably as a way to ward off taking worse things, like statins and bone replacement drugs in the near future.

I take a women's multivitamin daily that has calcium because I can't assume I'm going to get all my nutrients every day. I think these studies that say vitamins are worthless might mean they are worthless if you have a perfect diet, but we don't all have perfect diets every day. For instance, yesterday I was busy all day teaching and had a night meeting and didn't eat a single vegetable.

I also take fish oil daily and a B complex with niacin for cholesterol, as well as a baby aspirin If I don't eat dairy, I'll also take an additional calcium supplement to get up to the 1200 mg required for my age, but if I have a yogurt or milk, then I skip that. I've been taking glucosamine for years for joint pain, but my husband says that studies show it's worthless; however, I bought two bottles a while ago, so I'm taking it until it's used up since it doesn't seem to have side effects.

We can complain about the supplement industry, but big pharma would rather have me shell out hundreds a month for stains and Boniva than a hundred every 6-9 months to restock my vitamin supply.

I take SAMe. I take it to help level out my moods. And if I forget it for a few days... I sure do notice a difference. SAMe + regular exercise + eating veggies = a happy Sherri. I've also started taking a B complex. I read somewhere the B's are good for mood, too. And they are water soluble, so you just pee out the excess.