Vitamin supplements and weight loss?
Racheljeancox
Posts: 22 Member
How important is taking your daily vitamins in relation to losing weight?
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Replies
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Completely irrelevant.12
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People that NEED to take vitamins are ones who DON'T supply them in their food intake. And usually that's someone on an EXTREME calorie deficit.
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Interesting! How many of you think that food is as nutritious as it use to be? There are several reports that the food we eat (the healthy stuff; that comes from the earth) is NOT as nutritious as it use to be. Foods that should be offering us the abundance of vitamins and minerals aren't because of the soils and conditions they are being grown in now days. So if our bodies aren't even getting enough vitamins from the food it should be, and we are constantly putting other toxins (food, air, skin products) into our bodies, how should we expect our bodies to release something toxic like unwanted and unhealthy fat?17
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I'm take a woman's multi, pro biotic, fish.oil, pre workout and an immune boost.... My partner and I nickname it our pharmacy...2
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If you are worried you aren't getting enough of something it's best to get blood work done. Too much of a vitamin can have negative impacts on your health.
Our bodies process "toxins" just fine like they always have. A vitamin isn't going to help that. Water might, but only if you don't get enough. You don't give your body enough credit.8 -
Well, during famine (a regular occurrence before the Green Revolution) people would eat anything barely edible. This might include grass, leaves, bark, and shoe leather. That sort of desperation diet could result in deficiencies.
Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) suffered digestive issues due to trouble getting enough to eat during the occupation through WW2.
Nowadays our shelves are stocked and a varied diet is fairly easy to put together.1 -
Racheljeancox wrote: »Interesting! How many of you think that food is as nutritious as it use to be? There are several reports that the food we eat (the healthy stuff; that comes from the earth) is NOT as nutritious as it use to be. Foods that should be offering us the abundance of vitamins and minerals aren't because of the soils and conditions they are being grown in now days. So if our bodies aren't even getting enough vitamins from the food it should be, and we are constantly putting other toxins (food, air, skin products) into our bodies, how should we expect our bodies to release something toxic like unwanted and unhealthy fat?
Fat in and of itself is not toxic - storing fat is a normal physiological process in reaction to a caloric surplus.
Our other organs, such as skin, kidneys, lymphatic system, and colon help us excrete or serve as a barrier to toxic substances. Having too much fat can negatively influence our organs and overall health, as it will begin to be stored around and even inside organs which can cause liver, heart, etc problems. We will burn fat in a deficit because our bodies will continue to require fuel to run our basic bodily functions and our extra daily activity. This is absolutely proven.
Most of us really do get enough vitamins from the food we eat, particularly if we are eating a varied diet. Some people commonly struggle with b12, vitamin d, calcium or iron intake and a supplement may be appropriate. It is always worth getting blood testing done prior to starting to supplement - what you fear you might be low in may be a non-issue, or you might be surprised by a deficiency you did not expect.
From what reading I've done, the change in nutrient content of our foods has been overstated by many. Yes, due to soil depletion and different breeds our veggies are likely to have less of certain vitamins/minerals than in the past, but they still are good sources and that should not be discounted or eliminated on that basis. See: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/ Our foods still do offer an abundance of nutrients that aid our health, but maybe not as much.
The whole idea of toxins is really overblown in a lot of "health" and "wellness" content out there. Our bodies have excellent systems in place to maintain homeostasis and to defend against toxic substances.9 -
Racheljeancox wrote: »Interesting! How many of you think that food is as nutritious as it use to be? There are several reports that the food we eat (the healthy stuff; that comes from the earth) is NOT as nutritious as it use to be. Foods that should be offering us the abundance of vitamins and minerals aren't because of the soils and conditions they are being grown in now days. So if our bodies aren't even getting enough vitamins from the food it should be, and we are constantly putting other toxins (food, air, skin products) into our bodies, how should we expect our bodies to release something toxic like unwanted and unhealthy fat?
If soil conditions were truly poor, farmers would have terrible yields as a result. Every farmer worth their farmland monitors their soil health every year, is always testing it and doing everything they can to provide nutrients, keep nutrients and most importantly prevent soil erosion as much as possible. That means cover crops, rotating crops, all sorts of things. It just doesn't make financial sense or practical sense not to ensure one's farmland is as healthy as possible.
Body knows how to drop fat just fine in a deficit. And unless you're ingesting some garbage like collodial silver, your liver is handling unwanted stuff just fine.11 -
Let's just say that the whole "toxin" and "toxic release" is pseudoscience since if the body were really inundated with "toxins", no amount of vitamins or food/drink mixture would save us from demise. If you were "poisoned", you'd need immediate medical health. Don't believe all the hype you read.Racheljeancox wrote: »Interesting! How many of you think that food is as nutritious as it use to be? There are several reports that the food we eat (the healthy stuff; that comes from the earth) is NOT as nutritious as it use to be. Foods that should be offering us the abundance of vitamins and minerals aren't because of the soils and conditions they are being grown in now days. So if our bodies aren't even getting enough vitamins from the food it should be, and we are constantly putting other toxins (food, air, skin products) into our bodies, how should we expect our bodies to release something toxic like unwanted and unhealthy fat?
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Racheljeancox wrote: »Interesting! How many of you think that food is as nutritious as it use to be? There are several reports that the food we eat (the healthy stuff; that comes from the earth) is NOT as nutritious as it use to be.
I don't think you can make generalized comparisons like that, and I certainly think that nutrient dense foods like vegetables and fruits, for example, are adequately nutritious and that they (and other foods that supply nutrients) are on average much more available to us and in a much greater variety than most times in the past. I'm reasonably sure that my diet contains more nutrients than my various great-great-whatever grandparents in the 1880s, for example, and they mostly lived on farms.we are constantly putting other toxins (food, air, skin products) into our bodies
I wonder where this toxin theory of weight comes from? Because it takes responsibility off things like eating too much or being sedentary? Not focusing on you, but it's obviously really popular right now.
I really don't think the body wash I use is going to make me fat.
More significantly, since you mention air, in some ways the enviroment we live in is a lot cleaner than at other times, like the '70s (pre Clean Air Act/Clean Water Act, when things like smog and acid rain were problems in the US, lead was more common, and things like asbestos, various other environmental toxins that we've since been cleaning up, rivers catching on fire, so on). But forget that, how about urban parts of the UK in the middle and later Victorian Age? Yet lots of extremely thin people there. Malnuourished, of course, but not fat. Generally malnourishment makes people thin.how should we expect our bodies to release something toxic like unwanted and unhealthy fat?
Why would one have anything to do with the other? I genuinely do not understand this. Fat is stored energy, basically (that has other negative effects if store in too great quantities, yes). It's not a toxin that the body perceives as such and seeks to remove. If so, we wouldn't store it as we do. What makes fat easy to accumulate is that the body perceives it as a good thing to have energy on hand.
Anyway, I don't think daily vitamins are important to losing weight, but I don't think they hurt. I did not take a multi when I was losing, but I supplemented D in the winter (and I eat lots of fatty fish or I'd take fish oil or a vegan option made from algae).4 -
I'm a bit disappointed in the people who think vitamins are irrelevant/unnecessary. There are actual illnesses that are proven to affect people's vitamin levels.
For example, I have iron-deficiency anemia because my small intestine doesn't absorb nutrients properly due to celiac disease (an uncommon condition). Without iron, the body won't produce enough red blood cells which are needed to carry oxygen to your organs to function. ie if I don't take my iron supplement, my organs will literally shut down and I can die. It's an illness that has no cure, all you can do is manage the symptoms. We discovered this when I had dangerously low blood pressure and could no longer walk more than ten minutes without passing out.
My overall point is if you suspect a vitamin deficiency, talk to your doctor. It's more likely that your diet lacks something as opposed to an illness (but it's best to test and be certain before assuming). If you *don't* have an illness affecting it (usually digestive illnesses like Crohn's or celiac) then vitamins can be useful to keep vitamin levels stable while you adjust your diet, but you should always consult a doctor before starting.6 -
The point is that there is no Vitamin that will aid or accelerate weight loss.
It's the deficit (what we don't eat) that aids weight loss.
There's no pill, no panacea.
For health and nutrition, I do get my blood levels checked and I do take a variety of vitamins and minerals.4 -
Angel49kitty wrote: »I'm a bit disappointed in the people who think vitamins are irrelevant/unnecessary. There are actual illnesses that are proven to affect people's vitamin levels.
For example, I have iron-deficiency anemia because my small intestine doesn't absorb nutrients properly due to celiac disease (an uncommon condition). Without iron, the body won't produce enough red blood cells which are needed to carry oxygen to your organs to function. ie if I don't take my iron supplement, my organs will literally shut down and I can die. It's an illness that has no cure, all you can do is manage the symptoms. We discovered this when I had dangerously low blood pressure and could no longer walk more than ten minutes without passing out.
My overall point is if you suspect a vitamin deficiency, talk to your doctor. It's more likely that your diet lacks something as opposed to an illness (but it's best to test and be certain before assuming). If you *don't* have an illness affecting it (usually digestive illnesses like Crohn's or celiac) then vitamins can be useful to keep vitamin levels stable while you adjust your diet, but you should always consult a doctor before starting.
People have simply said that they are irrelevant to weight loss. I don't think anyone is advocating having a deficiency or saying you'll be fine if you do.6 -
They are unnecessary for the GENERAL PUBLIC, if they are eating a balanced diet. People that have deficiencies due to health or illness issues may need supplementation.Angel49kitty wrote: »I'm a bit disappointed in the people who think vitamins are irrelevant/unnecessary. There are actual illnesses that are proven to affect people's vitamin levels.
So obviously what you have to do is much different than a person looking to use supplements to lose weight. Yours is to have normal function and without them, you can't. Different circumstance.For example, I have iron-deficiency anemia because my small intestine doesn't absorb nutrients properly due to celiac disease (an uncommon condition). Without iron, the body won't produce enough red blood cells which are needed to carry oxygen to your organs to function. ie if I don't take my iron supplement, my organs will literally shut down and I can die. It's an illness that has no cure, all you can do is manage the symptoms. We discovered this when I had dangerously low blood pressure and could no longer walk more than ten minutes without passing out.
My overall point is if you suspect a vitamin deficiency, talk to your doctor. It's more likely that your diet lacks something as opposed to an illness (but it's best to test and be certain before assuming). If you *don't* have an illness affecting it (usually digestive illnesses like Crohn's or celiac) then vitamins can be useful to keep vitamin levels stable while you adjust your diet, but you should always consult a doctor before starting.
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Alatariel75 wrote: »
People have simply said that they are irrelevant to weight loss. I don't think anyone is advocating having a deficiency or saying you'll be fine if you do.So obviously what you have to do is much different than a person looking to use supplements to lose weight. Yours is to have normal function and without them, you can't. Different circumstance.
Oh shoot, sorry, I must have misread the posts! Thanks for correcting me.
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So, vitamins are not a direct part of the "weight" question. With "direct" being the key word.
Calories are a huge part of that question (weight). And, as we all know from our macro tracking, Proteins and Carbs and Fats consumed all add up to the number of calories taken in. So, macro-nutrients are what we mostly track.
Vitamins and minerals are part of the micro-nutrient side of this question. Now, how do we get micro-nutrients? Generally speaking - in a perfect world - from our nutrition. So, from what we eat. In a perfect world, there would be no need for multi-vitamins. Because we would all get everything that we need - both macro- and micro-nutrient wise - from our nutrition.
However, generally speaking - we do not focus on the micro-nutrient side of things. It is very possible that a lot of us have deficiencies in vitamin and mineral intake. Do I have any data from any studies to reference? No....I do not at the moment.
I strongly recommend - generally speaking - the everyone take a good multi-vitamin. Especially people over 40 (of which I am one). Generally speaking!
But, best to have blood work done to identify any deficiencies and then attempt to correct any found deficiency from a nutritional perspective. So, if you are found to be lacking in iron, eat more spinach! And make sure - for the iron deficiency situation - to include Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 (ascorbic acid helps the body to better absorb the iron)......
Food will almost always be a better way than taking a multi-vitamin. Not necessarily easier, just better.
Assuming that there are no health considerations (and several of those considerations have been addressed here) taking a multi-vitamin or not has no direct effect on weight loss. Short term!2 -
I don't think my vitamin/mineral deficiencies have to do with declining soil conditions or Big Agriculture.
I do think they are the result of me not eating enough of those certain foods and some kind of absorption issue my doctors are trying to figure out.
Vitamins do not contribute to weight loss. However, there are some deficiencies which can effect energy levels and less activity can translate to fewer calories out. Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and iron can all lead to fatigue when you don't have enough.
If you're not sure if your levels are adequate, ask your doctor for blood tests to determine that.0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »So, if you are found to be lacking in iron, eat more spinach! And make sure - for the iron deficiency situation - to include Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 (ascorbic acid helps the body to better absorb the iron)......
Food will almost always be a better way than taking a multi-vitamin. Not necessarily easier, just better.
Assuming that there are no health considerations (and several of those considerations have been addressed here) taking a multi-vitamin or not has no direct effect on weight loss. Short term!
Iron from vegetable sources is not as readily absorbed by the body as that from animals sources. Unless you're a vegetarian, go for the meat. And do take that Vitamin C to help it absorb. Spinach has a lot of Vitamin C--so you can get a bit of a two-fer. But avoid the glass of milk, as calcium and iron compete with resources for absorption.
Signed,
Chronically Anemic2 -
Unless you have a diagnosed deficiency - completely irrelevant.
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So UPDATE: Since I began my health journey back in July, I began taking Optimal level supplements...I have been able to finally lose 20 lbs which I was struggling to lose. After doing research, if your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs, it will be harder to lose weight. Foods do not have the same nutrients they did many years ago...the soils are depleted and chemicals are toxic. I feel SO much better now that I have been taking supplements.22
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Racheljeancox wrote: »How important is taking your daily vitamins in relation to losing weight?
Note -- OP is asking about losing weight. Also, OP does not say she has a health condition.
A multi vitamin is irrelevant to weight loss.
Obviously, some kind of supplementation might be relevant to health. A deficiency is an obvious example, but for others supplementing with, say, iron could be very bad for them. I take some supplements (not a multi) tailored to my diet and climate. I don't think it makes a difference to weight loss at all. (I didn't take any when losing weight and lost just fine.)1 -
Racheljeancox wrote: »So UPDATE: Since I began my health journey back in July, I began taking Optimal level supplements...I have been able to finally lose 20 lbs which I was struggling to lose. After doing research, if your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs, it will be harder to lose weight. Foods do not have the same nutrients they did many years ago...the soils are depleted and chemicals are toxic. I feel SO much better now that I have been taking supplements.
Could you share some of the sources for your research? This runs counter to my understanding of how the body processes fuel, so I'd be interested to see them.4 -
Racheljeancox wrote: »So UPDATE: Since I began my health journey back in July, I began taking Optimal level supplements...I have been able to finally lose 20 lbs which I was struggling to lose. After doing research, if your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs, it will be harder to lose weight. Foods do not have the same nutrients they did many years ago...the soils are depleted and chemicals are toxic. I feel SO much better now that I have been taking supplements.
I would be interested in knowing your height, current weight, activity level and the number of calories you are eating.1 -
Racheljeancox wrote: »So UPDATE: Since I began my health journey back in July, I began taking Optimal level supplements...I have been able to finally lose 20 lbs which I was struggling to lose. After doing research, if your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs, it will be harder to lose weight. Foods do not have the same nutrients they did many years ago...the soils are depleted and chemicals are toxic. I feel SO much better now that I have been taking supplements.
According to your before and after weight-loss bloodwork, which exact nutrients were you actually deficient in that supplementing made it possible for you to finally lose the weight?4 -
Anecdotal, so take this with a grain of salt. I had bloodwork done after struggling hard to lose weight besides consistent healthy deficits, exercise, and a mostly clean diet. It revealed I was essentially depleted in iodine, which does effect metabolism. I have added seaweed to my diet, and in under 2 months things started to turn around.
Food is a better source of vitamins, but when food is not available or your caloric restrictions are too tight, vitamins are not completely useless. But get bloodwork done and see where you have a deficiency- do not self diagnose or you will wind up wasting money.0 -
samanthaholze wrote: »Anecdotal, so take this with a grain of salt. I had bloodwork done after struggling hard to lose weight besides consistent healthy deficits, exercise, and a mostly clean diet. It revealed I was essentially depleted in iodine, which does effect metabolism. I have added seaweed to my diet, and in under 2 months things started to turn around.
Food is a better source of vitamins, but when food is not available or your caloric restrictions are too tight, vitamins are not completely useless. But get bloodwork done and see where you have a deficiency- do not self diagnose or you will wind up wasting money.
Why didn't you just use iodized salt in your diet?1 -
YvetteK2015 wrote: »samanthaholze wrote: »Anecdotal, so take this with a grain of salt. I had bloodwork done after struggling hard to lose weight besides consistent healthy deficits, exercise, and a mostly clean diet. It revealed I was essentially depleted in iodine, which does effect metabolism. I have added seaweed to my diet, and in under 2 months things started to turn around.
Food is a better source of vitamins, but when food is not available or your caloric restrictions are too tight, vitamins are not completely useless. But get bloodwork done and see where you have a deficiency- do not self diagnose or you will wind up wasting money.
Why didn't you just use iodized salt in your diet?
Indeed.. That's why Mortons Et al include it. It was discovered that diets were deficient...
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