Value in vitamin and mineral supplements

[eytonxav]

There has been a lot of debate and studies recently that dished the taking of supplements, concluding they are of little value. I think we have kicked this topic around on this forum as well with both believers and non-believers. This article implies, not to be so fast in accepting that supplements are of little value.
Nutrition experts: Debate over value of vitamin, mineral supplements is far from over -- ScienceDaily

 

[donheff]

I don't know what to make of the debate. I eat almost no vegetables so I take a multivitamin. Does it help? No idea but I hope I leach out a few mics of essential chemicals that I should be getting from spinach and sprouts.

 

[zinger1457]

During my annual physical last year my Vitamin D level was low so started taking a supplement. Re-checked it last month and Vitamin D levels were back to normal. I didn't have any symptoms with the low levels so can't say it made me feel any better (or worse). Along with Vitamin D I continue to take a multivitamin and magnesium supplement which I started when I turned 50.

 

[robnplunder]

Both Glucosamine and Collagen were effective for me. I still take them 4 - 5 times a week. With others, I don't have any evidence (real, or anecdotal) that they helped me.

 

[bmcgonig]

I have taken multivitamin on and off over my lifetime and I have never noticed a difference whether I take them or not. I usually buy them when I read an article saying that I should..then I run out and forget about it. I also got a sub normal vitamin d test, and started to take Vit D supplements during the winter. My impression is that since then I don't get colds anymore. Could be my imagination though.

 

[CoolChange]

For whatever it is worth, I used to take a multi; but, now I just track my diet to make sure I get enough micro nutrients without too much fat or too many calories. It honestly is not that hard for me to stick to a nutritious diet when I am alone; but, when I travel or entertain, my fat and calorie consumption increase.

My guess is that a multi likely helps offset a bit of the deficiencies in the typical American diet (like mine in and shortly after undergrad); but, I decided long ago that getting my nutrition from food was a much better proposition and worth the bit of extra effort.

I am still working on getting enough fish in my diet; so, I do take fish oil supplements on those days without significant oily fish. Although, I do wonder if that is wasted money and effort.

 

[Mulligan]

For whatever it is worth, I used to take a multi; but, now I just track my diet to make sure I get enough micro nutrients without too much fat or too many calories. It honestly is not that hard for me to stick to a nutritious diet when I am alone; but, when I travel or entertain, my fat and calorie consumption increase.

My guess is that a multi likely helps offset a bit of the deficiencies in the typical American diet (like mine in and shortly after undergrad); but, I decided long ago that getting my nutrition from food was a much better proposition and worth the bit of extra effort.

I am still working on getting enough fish in my diet; so, I do take fish oil supplements on those days without significant oily fish. Although, I do wonder if that is wasted money and effort.

I take krill oil supplement and wonder of I am wasting my money too. I do not eat any fish. My grandmother was a big believer in supplements and lived to be 95.


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[AllDone]

I take krill oil supplement and wonder of I am wasting my money too. I do not eat any fish. My grandmother was a big believer in supplements and lived to be 95.

My grandmother believed in tobacco and rum and coke and lived to be 98.

Krill oil costs quite a bit more than fish oil per unit of EPA/DHA. It's not clear that fish oil makes up for not eating fish, though.

 

[DayDreaming]

I've been taking vitamin D and fish oil tablets for a while, but starting to wonder: do I really want to keep doing this every day for the rest of my life? That could be another 40 years. I think I'll focus more on eating healthy - a wide variety of vegetables and more fish - that's something I can probably keep doing the rest of my life.

 

[Mulligan]

My grandmother believed in tobacco and rum and coke and lived to be 98.



Krill oil costs quite a bit more than fish oil per unit of EPA/DHA. It's not clear that fish oil makes up for not eating fish, though.

I did it because the exposure to the mercury from fish is less I am told. My doctor told me if I was to use fish oil I should only use the pharmaceutical type. I'm not paying that much for fish oil.


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[AllDone]

I did it because the exposure to the mercury from fish is less I am told. My doctor told me if I was to use fish oil I should only use the pharmaceutical type. I'm not paying that much for fish oil.

I think it was Consumer Reports that looked at fish oil a few years ago and found no contamination in any brand and it is about a third the price of the Krill oil. OTOH, even the expensive stuff doesn't make that big an impact on the budget. My husband likes to take it, so I buy his at Trader Joe's.

 

[Mulligan]

I think it was Consumer Reports that looked at fish oil a few years ago and found no contamination in any brand and it is about a third the price of the Krill oil. OTOH, even the expensive stuff doesn't make that big an impact on the budget. My husband likes to take it, so I buy his at Trader Joe's.

My Doc was trying to steer me to take Lovaza which is prescription fish oil which was when I checked back then about $60 a month. He all but told me I would die from mercury poisoning and no regulatory controls. He is a good doctor, but I'm not as into prescriptions as he is.


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[mountaintosea]

I take a magnesium pill when my legs cramp at night or my toes cramp. It works. I also found out not all magnesium is the same.

 

[Lisa99]

I did some comprehensive blood testing last February that included tests that my doctor had never offered me. The testing included a consultation with a nutritionist. Because of the tests I'm now taking selective supplements including fish oil, D3, a B complex, and magesium glycinate.

The nutritionist's philosophy was that multi-vitamin isn't a good value but supplements for documented deficiencies is. I'll be retesting in August to see if they're making any difference.

 

[lynxville]

I am skeptical of studies, who's doing them, how good are they, who paid for the study, and how many people did they study and how long.

Coffee good for you, then bad, now good.
Red wine bad and now 2 a day is good.
Butter bad for you margarine good, now butter not so bad.
Cigarettes good for soar throat, now very bad for you.
Eggs bad for you, now not too bad.
Don't swim after eating for two hours, I always new that was bs.

You go from one extreme to another, a person doesn't know what to believe. Moderation
is my motto. Vitamins can't hurt in moderation so why not?

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

A gastroenterologist once advised me to take folic acid and flaxseed oil (this was just after a mild colitis flareup) on the theory that it would discourage colon cancer. I still take the folic acid from time to time (I found the flaxseed oil to be disgusting) but I usually forget.

 

[eytonxav]

The nutritionist's philosophy was that multi-vitamin isn't a good value but supplements for documented deficiencies is. I'll be retesting in August to see if they're making any difference.

+1 Your blood tells all, provided they test you for typical deficiencies and this is basically the approach I take.

My cholesterol was high even with a statin, so I added fish oil and phytosterols that lowered it significantly. D3 was low, so supplemented with that and increased that # significantly. On one side, my hip bone neck had a density issue, so I supplement with calcium which is improving that issue. At one time I took a multi, but have stopped.

The back and forth on these various studies is somewhat comical, so I guess it really comes down to pick your poison

 

[martyb]

I don't know what to make of the debate. I eat almost no vegetables so I take a multivitamin. Does it help? No idea but I hope I leach out a few mics of essential chemicals that I should be getting from spinach and sprouts.

I thought my wife was the only one.....she eats basically NO vegetables. Drives me bat-**** crazy sometimes, but at least she does take vitamins. Personally, I LOVE most veggies, and so I'm the only one at home eating them at pretty much every meal. I don't remember the last veggie of any kind she ate. I'm not kidding.

 

[eytonxav]

I thought my wife was the only one.....she eats basically NO vegetables. Drives me bat-**** crazy sometimes, but at least she does take vitamins. Personally, I LOVE most veggies, and so I'm the only one at home eating them at pretty much every meal. I don't remember the last veggie of any kind she ate. I'm not kidding.

DS does this also unless it's corn or mushrooms. Drives me and DW BS crazy as well.

 

[springnr]

Liver, D3 & K2, Magnesium

My multivitamin is liver, Mmm.
As we age our ability to convert sun rays to D3 diminishes, K2 & D3 synergy.
Magnesium, because of soil depletion, crops grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals.

Omega 3 fats are fragile and turn rancid easily causing harmful inflammation instead of beneficial effects. You can break open a capsule to check/smell test.

 

[Nemo2]

I thought my wife was the only one.....she eats basically NO vegetables. Drives me bat-**** crazy sometimes, but at least she does take vitamins. Personally, I LOVE most veggies, and so I'm the only one at home eating them at pretty much every meal. I don't remember the last veggie of any kind she ate. I'm not kidding.

(As a vegetable eater) I'm having a difficult time envisioning a meal (other than breakfast) without them....does she just eat meat?

 

[heeyy_joe]

I take a magnesium pill when my legs cramp at night or my toes cramp. It works. I also found out not all magnesium is the same.

I found that trace mineral tablets helped relieve my nighttime leg cramps.

 

[Lakedog]

I found that trace mineral tablets helped relieve my nighttime leg cramps.

I take a multi-vitamin, and the only obvious positive is that it seems to alleviate leg cramps at night. When I go longer periods (2-3 months) without taking a multi, I frequently have leg cramps.

 

[Lisa99]

Magnesium, because of soil depletion, crops grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals.

We also get much less magnesium because so many of us use water filters. Our reverse osmosis filter leaves virtually no minerals.

 

[TromboneAl]

I've been skeptical but we can afford it, so I take a multi, C, D, and Mg. I used to get some heart palpitations every day. I started Mg and they stopped after two days. I was skeptical so I stopped the Mg and they came back. So I always take that. Just had a physical and my Vit D level was 44--I get a lot of sun.

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