Supplements

I take 2 supplements, which were recommended by my doctor to combat specific health problems/ward off future deficiency.

I take a B complex vitamin with folic acid, b6,b12 etc... and a multi with iron.

I drink smartmix by Zija www.syfz.myzija.com

1 men's multivitamin (for general health)
1 D3 1000IU (MD diagnosed as vitamin deficient)
1 Cinnamon 500mg (to assist in controlling blood pressure)
2 Potassium Gluconate 595 mg (not enough Potassium in my diet. still not enough to meet daily RDA)

Centrum Silver, Vitamin D, and Magnesium. I sometimes add protein powder because I can never get enough.

melnorwich wrote: »

I'm interested to know what vitamins and minerals people take regularly, why you take them and if you think that they have an impact.

I have a bit of a guilt thing about supplements. I'm not sure if they work or are a waste of my hard earned cash or even if they do more harm than good, particularly as I grow and eat plenty of fruit and veggies.

I regularly take:
Bassetts daily energiser pastilles (vits Bs, C and E) to keep my bottom off the sofa
Chromium (to control sugar cravings)
Magnesium (because sulphites give me migraines but magnesium counteracts this)
5-htp (to aid poor sleeping and because I think it acts as an SRRI - although sometimes I just have a few nairns biscuits before bed for the tryptophan)
Combined omega 3, 6 and 9 (because good fats kickstart burning fat and help concentration)
sometimes vitamin D in the winter (due to lack of sunshine)
Sometimes iron (because I'm a girl)

I also drink herbal teas, particularly a liver detox one (to combat my panda eyes) and green tea and sometimes I chuck a scoop of protein powder into my smoothies.

I think the 5HTP/oat biscuits and magnesium work well. I'm not sure about the rest.

wow... serious question, how much does your pee and sweat smell like? cuz all of that can't be healthy.

there is not one thing there that can't be gotten from natural means. now, don't make me out to be attacking here and promoting an all natural lifestyle. i started taking vitamin D less than a month ago. my doctor recommended it because my lab work came back Vitamin D deficient. i'm a triathlete, and run and bike outside a lot, but i guess with my indoor work and homelife, it's not enough.

Bassetts daily energizer
eggs for vitamin B, peppers, oranges and leafy greens for vitamin E, seeds and nuts for vitamin E, coffee for an energy boost.

chromium
there are natural ways to control sugar cravings, but most people agree that the best way is to actually give in a little. combine a little dark chocolate with some almonds and a banana for a great afternoon pick me up.

5-htp
regular exercise and healthy eating is the best way to get a good sleeping schedule. go to bed earlier and don't watch tv in bed if that is what you do. read instead.


Combined omega 3, 6 and 9
eat more fish like salmon and herring

iron
red meat and poultry and leafy greens are great sources of it


try and incorporate more of the stuff above, and take out some of those vitamins. your body is probably exerting all of the excess through your pores and urine and waste.

kleineseinhorn wrote: »

I take iron and b vitamins, because I eat mostly vegetarian and struggled with low hb levels my whole life.

I also take a "hair/skin" supplement with zinc and biotin, because I think it helps my hair grow faster :disagree:

And I recently started using protein powder, because I have a hard time reaching my protein goal only with food.

Yes this. All this.

I've just finished taking a college nutrition course last semester that I passed with flying colors. One of the main takeaways from that class was that supplements are not good for you. Mega-doses for many things can cause health issues and the only time that supplements are helpful are when you are deficient in the vitamins/mineral that they provide.

It is much better to eat a well-balanced diet with a wide variety of foods than it is to supplement.

That being said, I have a severe vitamin-D deficiency due to the side-effects of a medication that I have to continue taking. Therefore, I take a prescribed mega-dose of vitamin D once a week. My doctor continues to monitor my vitamin D levels every 3 months in order to ensure that I don't go overboard.

TL;DR? You're wasting your time and money with supplements. Eat a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods and get some blood work done to make sure you're not deficient in anything.

I was wondering if I'm wasting my money. I spend a bloody fortune on supplements

If you look deeper into nutrition, our RDAs are incredibly low and are nowhere near what the values should be for optimal nutrition. While it is certainly desirable to get everything you need from food, even the best planned diets do not make it possible to get optimal levels of everything daily, especially if you are restricting calories. As long as you are not over-doing it and are choosing quality supplements, I think they can be of great benefit.