What supplements do you take? Benefits?

[Koolau]

CholestOff - doc wanted to put me on Lipitor statins this summer. I said No, I'll try a diet change plus some natural plant sterols/stanols. Its been 3 months so I'm about due for some blood work to see if my approach has worked. FYI, 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese has the same cholesterol as a 1" cube of cheddar (30mg).
Fish Oil - For the heart. While I live in the Great PNW, I don't really like the taste of salmon.

It's true that many people can lower cholesterol through diet, but not all. WE make our own cholesterol and sometimes that's the real issue that statins can help us deal with.

 

[Koolau]

The topic of vitamins and supplements is, unfortunately, complicated. There are two primary problems.

First, many mineral supplements come in different forms, which can have large effects on how well the body absorbs them.

Take magnesium for example. Elemental magnesium is what your body needs, but the many different forms of magnesium you can actually take - oxide, carbonate, malate, citrate, glycinate, etc. - are all absorbed differently. Research studies on magnesium in food and supplements show it is absorbed by the body somewhere in the range of 4 - 50%, so at best you're getting half of what your taking metabolized into your blood stream.

The second issue is the dose. To be effective, most supplements normally have a minimum effective dose. The results of taking a supplement are more akin (not exact) to a step function where once the effective dose is reached "results happen", versus the commonly believed (but usually wrong) idea that if you take 20% of the min effective dose you get a 20% improvement. This is also true for many pharmaceutical drugs as well and one of the things determined in drug trials.

Continuing with the magnesium example, a rule of thumb for magnesium dosage is somewhere in the range of 3 - 4.5mg/lb, or approximately 600-900 mg per day for a 200 lb person. The above multivitamin label only contains 50mg of an unknown type of magnesium, which is typical for most mass market multivitamins sold in the US.

Of course, most folks get their daily dose though food, so there should (typically) be no need to take a "pill" with the full daily required dose. I'm sure there are exceptions, but for "normally functioning" bodies, supplements can be relatively minimal. IF there is some diagnosed issue (low "whatever") certainly a doctor can tell you to take a certain amount of "whatever." Otherwise, there's probably no reason other than for "insurance." "Insurance" levels might well be the "50mg" rather than the 600 mg level.

 

[Happy30]

Vitamin D
Collagen - Vital Proteins

I used to take a lot more but the science seems to be out on if it is a benefit or not. I have read so many conflicting articles. It is frustrating!

 

[urn2bfree]

Randomized study of 3500 over 60 shows cognitive benefits from MVI

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/06/your-memory-might-benefit-from-a-multivitamin/

 

[FloridaJim57]

Multivitamin, Iron (I am borderline anemic), biotin, folic acid, Vit D, Calcium, Magnesium, Lecithin granules, brewers yeast powder, whey protein, red yeast rice capsules, zinc

 

[FloridaJim57]

CholestOff - doc wanted to put me on Lipitor statins this summer. I said No, I'll try a diet change plus some natural plant sterols/stanols. Its been 3 months so I'm about due for some blood work to see if my approach has worked. FYI, 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese has the same cholesterol as a 1" cube of cheddar (30mg).
Fish Oil - For the heart. While I live in the Great PNW, I don't really like the taste of salmon.

Try Red Yeast Rice capsules to lower cholesterol, worked wonders for me. Niacin can also work but buy the no flush type.

 

[crashdox]

D (D3) via multivitamin, low-dose aspirin (not sure I really need it, Dr just put me on it again), K2 (MQ-7) - good articles out there about it helping calcium stuff esp heart (with D3). Other meds

 

[tenant13]

I occasionally do a full on blood test for all vitamins and microelements. If something is low I look for the supplement. Like folic acid (B6) lately.

I stopped supplementing myself with alcohol and completely rid myself of the arthritic pain in my neck! I thought I’d have to live with it forever.

 

[PointBreeze]

Yeast, malt and hops. Taken with water.

Benefits unclear. More investigation needed.

Several years ago I read a study that claimed that hoppy beer helped strengthen bones. I love a hoppy NEIPA

 

[Momcpa]

Tried the Red Yeast Rice on the advice of my doctor. Took it for a year with NO change to my cholesterol levels.........still too high.

 

[meleana]

Multivitamin for women over 55; D3 1000;

And a little calcium citrate only because I had spine surgery.

 

[Carmen]

Ever try Grounding?

This is something I heard of recently. It’s called grounding or earthing. It’s very good for blood pressure and inflammation to name a few. Might allow a person to improve health so supplements or meds aren’t needed. Worth a try because it’s very simple. Just walk outside barefooted. My husband and I tried it and his blood pressure dropped right away. He checked it before and during. My fingers which are always sore from arthritis improved after a couple of days doing it.
[Mod Edit]

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Calcium + D3 (osteoporosis)
Magnesium and riboflavin (migraine - it works! 400 mg of each daily)
Fish oil
Iron + Vit. C

All of the above per the doctor. I also take the NAC precursor, hoping for a long and healthy life. The research was promising and I've been taking it for years. Who knows?

My cardiologist told me to take CoQ-10 if I experience palpitations, which are rare for me.

 

[rayvt]

The above multivitamin label only contains 50mg of an unknown type of magnesium

It's not unknown, just not printed on the label. It is magnesium oxide, the cheapest formulation and the least useful.

D3+K2
B12 1000mcg
Magnesium Glycinate (the best and most expensive formulation)
Low-dose aspirin
Zinc Quercetin (Zinc in your cells attack viruses. Quercetin helps the zinc get into your cells.)

 

[jimmyz]

Stopped 3 grams fish oil a few months ago. AFIB possible issues with taking. Eat fish 1 or 2 X a week eat walnuts so get plenty of omega 3 in diet. Had been taking fish oil for 20 + years and 2 episodes of AFIB. Could that have been my trigger? I don't know but thinking from the readings on over the counter fish oil its just nasty swill in a pill, from many cardiologists now. I will take D3 2000 every 3rd day. Coq10 since on a Statin. Just keep moving keep weight down be happy. Was a baby aspirin for years but off when AFIB a year + ago and was put on eliquis. Now no AFIB 1+ year and no eliquis last 2 weeks, fingers crossed AFIB stays away. Ist episode was 12 years ago then 13 months ago. So only twice in 13 + years. 67 now so. Doc says if AFIB start the blood thinner.

 

[jollystomper]

Sticking my nose in: Be certain your doc knows about your Iron pills and approves - and monitors. My doc told me NOT to take Iron pills, even though my Hgb was a bit low (not below established norm) and I, too, was occasionally rejected for blood donations. YMMV

Thanks. All of the supplements I take are based my doctors recommendations, and a blood test is part of my annual physical.

 

[Koolau]

Thanks. All of the supplements I take are based my doctors recommendations, and a blood test is part of my annual physical.

YES! We pay our docs a small fortune, don't we? Probably better loop them into what we're taking and be sure they approve - otherwise, get a new doc.

 

[ychuck46]

Multivitamin, Calcium, Fish Oil, CoQ10, Biotin, and Glucosamine/Chondroitin.

I cut the vitamins in half, one week at time, taking one half vitamin in the AM and another half after dinner. Read to do that since our bodies secrete out much of the multivite if it isn't needed at that time, so spreading it out helped. Been using the Gluco/Chon combo for about 25 years. Was going for a black belt in karate back then and some of the top people in the dojo swore by it to keep their knees going. After a lifetime of basketball, karate and running I am still going at 70; not sure if it helped or not but a small price to pay in my eyes.

I used to take the 81mg aspirin every day but unless you have a heart problem, which I don't, it could cause more problems than it is worth. That one got knocked out. Not sure if I want to cut out any others since I am in better shape than the vast majority my age, so why tinker.

 

[Tracer]

Fish oil
L-Citrulline (helps at the gym and in the bedroom )
Vitamin D3
Resveratrol (antioxidant, anti-aging)
Folic Acid
Men's Multi-vitamin
Fiber gummies (Helps digestion. Gall bladder was removed recently)

 

[Morricol61]

I take Magnesium daily in addition to Vit D.

 

[JBTX]

K2
D3
B complex/b12 (alternate)
Magnesium
Nattokinase
CoQ10

None recommended by Dr. I’ve never been much of a believer in supplements, but after a higher than desired CAC score I figured I’d try a few things (along with prescribed statin)

I took plant sterols for a while, they do work, but I stopped when I read there is some (limited) evidence they may cause arterial build up.

 

[Turbo29]

Yeast, malt and hops. Taken with water.

Benefits unclear. More investigation needed.

You used to be able to get your vitamin D with it.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Orange Triad plus Greens.
Fish Oil.
Ashwaghanda.
Inositol.

 

[becca]

I probably take too many.

AM -
one scoop of Vital Proteins collagen in my coffee
Costco Mature Multi
Probiotic
Vitamin D
Vitamin K2
Fish Oil
Niaminicde (recommended by my dermatologist to prevent basal cell carcinoma)
Sambucus Elderberry (in fall/winter)

PM -
Niaminicide
Biotin
Magnesium Glycinate

 

[PappaChris]

^^^^^ Interesting. I would have assumed that aspirin on an empty stomach would increase the chance of hurting the stomach lining. Not the case, eh?

Used to take a baby aspirin (81mg) everyday but read a study that question the usefulness after age 60. Potentially more harm than good. I would check with your physician.