Vitamin D supplements/Fish Oil?

kenzienal
kenzienal Posts: 205 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have always had a Vitamin D deficiency, thanks to great genes and pale skin.

Recently was recommended to start taking fish oil, but just read online that mercury levels can be high in fish oil. Not totally sure of the truth behind this.

I have never taken either of these supplements. Does anyone have recommendations or experience with either?

Currently I am only taking Hyaluronic Acid for my joint issues.

I have tried a thermogenic "fat burner" called Afralean, but saw absolutely nothing from that. I didn't believe anything would happen from it either, just fell for a gimmick that my boyfriend insisted I try, lol.

I am certainly not a supplement person, but I also don't want to ignore deficiencies, especially while trying to shed some weight.

Anyone with a Vitamin D deficiency notice any difference after started on a supplement?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    salmon oil or krill oil
  • Unknown
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  • AtlasDidShrugs
    AtlasDidShrugs Posts: 11 Member
    I come from a pasty tribe myself and I don't get outside as much as I should, but I've kept my Vitamin D levels up through a multivitamin pack on a consistent basis. Fish oil - I take Vitamin Shoppe's small tabs to help with inflammation. Good price there and no fishy burps at all.
  • kenzienal
    kenzienal Posts: 205 Member
    Okay so next stupid question..

    Is there a one pill covers it all type thing? Vitamin D and fish oil?

    I use to take One a Day Women's but ran out and have yet to get a new bottle. I'm not really good with self medicating. I always try to fight the headache before caving in and taking ibprofen
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2017
    I take Vitamin D in the winter, since my doctor thinks most people in northern climates are probably in need of some D supplementation then, and I figured it couldn't hurt. I used to supplement fish oil but stopped because I normally eat a lot of fatty fish anyway, and I am bad at remembering to take supplements and don't really like to.

    There are algae versions for vegans too.

    Mercury should not be a problem, but for other reasons it's important to choose carefully where you get the fish oil. Here's a good article: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/22/whats-in-your-fish-oil-supplements/?_r=0

    All the fish oil I've seen is just it, and since source matters, I would be skeptical of some everything plus fish oil even if it existed.
  • AtlasDidShrugs
    AtlasDidShrugs Posts: 11 Member
    kenzienal wrote: »
    Okay so next stupid question..

    Is there a one pill covers it all type thing? Vitamin D and fish oil?

    I use to take One a Day Women's but ran out and have yet to get a new bottle. I'm not really good with self medicating. I always try to fight the headache before caving in and taking ibprofen

    https://www.iherb.com/pr/Nature-s-Bounty-Fish-Oil-D3-90-Softgels/32418?gclid=CLLu-bSygdMCFY08gQodrOsLSQ
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    kenzienal wrote: »
    Okay so next stupid question..

    Is there a one pill covers it all type thing? Vitamin D and fish oil?

    I use to take One a Day Women's but ran out and have yet to get a new bottle. I'm not really good with self medicating. I always try to fight the headache before caving in and taking ibprofen

    Not that I'm aware of. I'm D deficient so I take 5,000 IU of D3 daily. I don't take fish oil because I already eat fish pretty much every day. When I did supplement omega 3 I used krill oil because it was the only one that didn't taste like anything.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    I noticed a huge difference when I began taking Vit D3. HUGE. It virtually stopped my depression.

    As far as fish oil, why not just eat fish a couple times a week? It's good lean protein, and you don't need it every day.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    I take vitamin D because my orthopedic doctor suggested it. Apparently calcium supplements are better absorbed when taken with vitamin D. I have really bad arthritis so I need to take both of those.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    I supplement with Vitamin D. I didn't really notice a difference, but it is a proven need.

  • 143tobe
    143tobe Posts: 620 Member
    Actually, according to some articles I've read, the highest prevalence of low vitamin D levels are among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks. I did have mine checked after finding out my mom was deficient and she lives in sunny southern California. So yes, I was also very deficient and the Vitamin D supplements have helped tremendously. Night and day. Like the person above said...it virtually stopped my depression too and just my whole general well being. Can't speak for the Fish oils. I always buy them but am too afraid to take them because I hate how fish smells and I'm afraid of fish burps. I eat a lot of nuts and flax seeds and chia seeds...but I think taking a fish supplement couldn't hurt. I just need to be brave enough to do it.
  • marelthu
    marelthu Posts: 184 Member
    My doctor has me take 1,000 mg of Vitamin D all year round.
  • croftie4
    croftie4 Posts: 221 Member
    Fish oil my doc said don't buy off the shelf he said buy a 90% EPA omega 3 oil supplement sourced from anchovies. I also take Vit D and my mood was completely lifted after 2 months.

    I buy both online and stock up when special offers come up.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I'm vitamin D deficient and I take 50,000 ml a week, which comes out to about 7000 per day. Most daily vitamins with 100% RDA of vitamin D have about 500 I think.

    Anyway, I feel a TON better with the supplement. my energy is coming back,you skin isn't covered in eczema, my eyes don't have dark circles, and my hair isn't falling out.
  • sammyjo0218
    sammyjo0218 Posts: 108 Member
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/118775-brands-mercuryfree-fish-oil/ this should help put your mind at ease. If you don't eat seafood or get enough in your diet then fish oil can be beneficial. Glucosamine is great for joints. Calcium and vitamin c,d. Be consistent with multivitamins. When I was pregnant and nursing I used one a day prenatals with dha and it was good even after nursing I used it for a while. Fish oil and dha are different so it depends on your needs.
  • samfday
    samfday Posts: 8 Member
    I take vitamin D daily now and it's made a huge difference. I was worried because I was getting very tired, and my doctor did blood tests and diagnosed a Vitamin D deficiency. They prescribed weekly 50,000 IU tablets for a couple of months until I got back to normal levels and now I just take 25.0µg daily supplements to keep on the level.

    I've got my bounce back now and it's been hugely beneficial to my daily life as I now have the energy to cook a proper meal in the evenings and take a walk or do a workout after work.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,206 Member
    If you're vitamin D deficient, get on a supplement. It's being linked to more and more scary health outcomes, it's nothing to mess with, and you can't get it from food. When I'm vitamin D deficient, my hair falls out. I also have other health issues which may be linked to ongoing deficiency.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,271 Member
    Sharon_C wrote: »
    I take vitamin D because my orthopedic doctor suggested it. Apparently calcium supplements are better absorbed when taken with vitamin D. I have really bad arthritis so I need to take both of those.


    This is correct.

    Many people with osteoporosis take VitaminD/ calcium combination supplement.
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    It might be a placebo effect or something but I notice a change in my mood if I go days without my D3 drops.
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
    edited April 2017
    I take a multivitamin, B12, D3, and Omega-3 everyday. I use vitafusion gummies because regular vitamins (pills). The Omega-3 uses anchovies and sardines so I'm not concerned with the mercury. I have noticed since I started taking the supplements l have more energy and feel better.

    I never liked taking vitamins but the gummies are like starting my day with candy. I don't want to get out of bed but if I do I get gummies! And they don't upset my stomach but let's focus on the important part they taste like candy and make me happy first thing in the morning.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    If 'fish oil' is going to have worrisome levels of mercury in it, it will be due to the source fish being high up the food chain. Krill are at the bottom of the food chain. Krill oil is more costly and less mercury hazard.
  • KosmosKitten
    KosmosKitten Posts: 10,476 Member
    I'm not a supplement person either, but it was recommended by my doctor late last year that I start taking D3 after he had some tests run and discovered that I was quite deficient.

    It took awhile, but I notice now that I am not nearly as tired as I used to be, my anxiety has gone down (some) and that I'm generally not as irritable or depressed as I used to be.

    P.S. I live in sunny SoCal (plenty of sunlight here) and was still super-deficient. It could be placebo effect, but honestly? I had no expectations and merely took it to get the doctor off my back, lol.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Rebecca0224 wrote: »
    ...I never liked taking vitamins but the gummies are like starting my day with candy. I don't want to get out of bed but if I do I get gummies! And they don't upset my stomach but let's focus on the important part they taste like candy and make me happy first thing in the morning.

    It sounds so ridiculous and childish, but...TRUTH! :D
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    Rebecca0224 wrote: »
    ...I never liked taking vitamins but the gummies are like starting my day with candy. I don't want to get out of bed but if I do I get gummies! And they don't upset my stomach but let's focus on the important part they taste like candy and make me happy first thing in the morning.

    It sounds so ridiculous and childish, but...TRUTH! :D

    It is so ridiculous and childish but now I take vitamins everyday and feel better and hopefully next time I have labs all my levels are normal. Life is to stressful we should all be ridiculous and childish a few minutes a day lol.
  • missanglang
    missanglang Posts: 22 Member
    I.take vit D. I noticed a huge change in my feelings of depression or just wanting to lay around and do nothing. Vit b12 as well affects your mood swings. Dr told me to take that because levels were low. Metformin affects vit b absorption so that was my problem. He said fish oil or fat would help with vit d absorption so if you are very strict with fats and take vit d it's not a bad idea. Not to mention the benefits of fish oil alone. I take vitamins in the morning and iron and metformin at night. Iron is one my Dr said to not take with other vitamins. So many of our bodies problems is vitamin deficiency, I'm glad my Dr helped me understand which supplements were what I needed and how to take them. I recommend taking to your Dr or nutritionist about what is best to heal your body.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
    I actually take both. I have a vitamin D deficiency, and when I hit 30 my skin dried out a lot. These are the two I take, the fish oil is really tasty and it does come in different flavors. The lemon one tastes like icing.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGCBGZQ/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1491322223&sr=sr-1&keywords=sports+research+d3&th=1

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGCBGZQ/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1491322223&sr=sr-1&keywords=sports+research+d3&th=1
  • kenzienal
    kenzienal Posts: 205 Member
    edited April 2017
    I just ordered Viva Naturals Vitamin D3 - 5000 IU to take daily. I always feel lethargic, have mild depression/anxiety and just want to always lay around, so hopefully this helps!

    Once I have my yearly exam in May, I may add Fish Oil to the mix also, if the Doctor recommends.

    Thanks for all the input!

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