Health Discussions

I really don't know either. I think eating right would be the best plan, but I don't.

I try to rem to take a general multi vit and also like vit C and E. With E, I also put it in bath water when anyone has skin irritations. It seems very healing used that way. Break the capsule open (-: which should go without saying I guess but ya never know.

I did take one sup that messed up my uhm system. I'll just keep that vague - female thing. Doc said it had testosterone in there. OK for some. Too much for my system.

So - be careful when playing with naturals and herbals.

Yes, I believe that they help.  They certainly aren't the answer for all health issues.  That being said, in chemistry lab back in college, we looked at how much calcium was actually in one of those giant tablets they sell.  I think it was something like 10%.  Made me a bit leery of spending loads of money on lots of specific supplements.

I believe in them when I'm sick, but I don't go taking them as an everyday thing.  Usually when I'm sick I'll start taking Vitamin B and C and I do think I feel better quicker than if I don't take these.  It makes sense that it works - because Juice and Fruit make you feel better when you are sick so it's kind of like taking a quick shot of Juice when you take a pill like that.

As for other vitamins, I wouldn't start taking anything daily unless I was advised to.  I figure I get enough of my daily values from my Mutlivitamin and from what I eat, so unless my doctor tells me I'm lacking on something I'm not going to take any other pills on a daily basis.

The right vitamin at the right time can do absolute wonders.  Co Q 10 is amazing for the heart.  Vitamin E is very good but take d not dl which is not natural.  Get a very good all natural vitamin.  I take a higher dose at first.  You can maintain with smaller doses after your body gets the ones that it is in need of.  It also helps to do different doses at different times, sometimes not taking them at all.  Your body tends to get accustomed to a regular dose and pee them out.  I could write books about what vitamins and supplements have helped me, mine and my pets when needed.  Be careful to not take huge amount for long periods of times.  I think constant over dosing can be hard on the kidneys.  Also you must be careful to take vitamins in proper doses in relationship to each other or your body may go into overdrive to get a balance and remove good nutrients while trying to flush out the vitamin you have overdosed on.  I don't sell Shaklee but you can learn from Shaklee folks about the proper relationships of vitamins to each other and get the right balances.  One problem I think lots of people do is take way too much calcium in relationship to magnesium, boron other bone nutrients and cause their bodies to have calcium overload which is not good.

vitamin supplement is still "supplement". But the healty eating style is the most key success to human. I am consuming certain vitamin supplement and also consume natural food instead of junk food. We should know the weakness of ourbody so that we can complete the lack and reduce the over one. It encorage us to be wise to our daily intake food since nowadays we have found unproper food or instant. It's challenge us to be nourished as well.

Hi, I graudated from University of Alberta with a degree in Human Nutrition. Our class survey indicates that almost everyone from nutrition program takes multivitamins and other supplements. I think it is the right choice if you are taking the right kind. Maybe I am bias because I am already in the field.　I am currently a nutrition consultant for heart disease prevention and treatment. If anyone needs help, give me a call. 1-866-291-9211. Also check out my website:http://www.charismatichealth.com/nuco.html

Hi, I found out that, that what you buy in the store doesn't mean that is what you are taking. They use sand and paper as fillers (I know two nurses and a pharmacstics) And when I asked if it was true, they said yes anything could be in the over the counter vitamins. I have been trying to learn as much as I can about health and wellness along with being green. There are plenty of things that surprise me. Certain plastic (which was published in USA today or Parade) magazine said some of the plastic gets into the food or drink and it doesn't mean you are heating them up. You have to check the numbers on the bottom of the container, some are worse then others. Back to over the counter vitamins some even contain Lead!! Great. Just what we all need to help keep us grounded. I might be a little bias also, because I deal with vitamins and nutrition and everything, I mean everything is checked. What it says is in them, it's in them. The company has been around for a long time over 54 years.  I don't know if you like Dr. Oz but I believe he said we even need some supplements, we don't get everything we need from food. Times are different now, the traveling of food, etc., wax. But that is just my opininion. So yes, supplements are needed, even if you eat right. Just be careful, I'm not saying all vitamins are like that, but they are few inbetween.

Hi Did you get all the answers on this subject? I wrote on the discussion board. I'm a supplement taker myself, and the kind I take really help. But two doctors have proof of the results. They are amazed at my progress, actually shocked. If you have anymore questions about this subject feel free to respond back. I know you asked this question awhile back, just been busy with work and all. Redoing my daughter's room, a Mom's work is never done. Hope to help or answer any questions if you still are wondering. Have a great day.

I take 1500 mgs of Niacin per day for cholesterol and I have the lab results to prove that it works!  I was leery of statins (and they are expensive), so I suggested to my Dr. that I try Niacin.  My Triglycerides dropped from 136 to 73 and my total cholesterol from 269 to 222 in 3 months.  I also take flax seeds and either eat something with vinegar (such as dill pickles) or just drink an ounce of vinegar a day.  I take other supplements such as cinnamon that has helped me keep my sugar down as well...

YES!! Some supplements work--NO DOUBT!!

Seeing this topic come back up reminded me of something my mom just told me recently.  She heard a doctor interview about this once and he basically said that people who take these have "the most expensive pee" ... meaning they don't get much out of it and it just goes right through them.  

He went on to say that unless your doctor TOLD you to take a supplement, you really probably don't need to. He said the problem with many people is they decide they need supplements based on news stories, etc, and end up wasting their money on supplements that their body doesn't really need.  So while i still take the occasional dose of B or C when I'm sick, I still won't buy into all the hype of other supplements unless my doctor tells me I am lacking something.

The problem with supplements (and I am a taker of too many to count) is that in order to really know you would have to clone yourself. For ex. a dr. might say wow you are doing great - maybe it is the supplements but there is no way to know if you would be doing better without them. Having said that my dr. told me to take niacin which is unusual I think for a physician. I think Evening Primrose has helped among other but again there is no way I can definitively say yes.

I take a multi with calcium daily. I hear that taking fat soluable vitamins in too high a dose can hurt you. My triglycerides were slightly elevated in my last labs, so my Dr. recommended some fish oil. New labs in 4 months, I'll see if it worked then.

I believe that vitamin supplements work. The problem with vitamins is that most people do not take them properly. I'm not a medical professional, but I have been to several nutritionists who have explained the health benefits associated with vitamin supplements. Obviously, the advantages and disadvantages regarding supplements vary person to person, but I must say that I have seen some amazing results with Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin, and Nails vitamins. 

Therefore, I don't agree that humans only "poop" and "pee" vitamins. They can really be net beneficial. I guess the hardest part is finding the right multivitamin. Talking to a healthcare professional might steer you in the right direction. Best of luck!

Yes.  Recently I went through a very distressful time with my son.  I started loosing my hair in excessive amounts.  By 2 weeks I had lost 1/2 of my hair which is at my waist.  I purchased a product from the website mitamins . com and within a few days my hair loss decreased to a near stop.  Also, the blood pressure compound has worked for my husbands stress induced increase in pressure.

Some products work for some people.  I have had good results from many compounded vit/min/neutrc/biotan etc.  Go to www. mitamins . com.  They compound the vitamins you design.

Hi,

Even if you eat right, you still may be lacking in some form of vitamin. I have had my share of bloodwork done. And being in the northern states most people are lacking vitamin D3, because of the winter time. I heard most north of the mason/dixie line (?) are. Days being shorter, not enough sunshine which is how we get it. There are good vitamins/supp. out there and some aren't what they say they are.  Like everything, do your homework. I know I did, learned alot. Some very surprising, mainly through nurses, doctors, pharmacist and keeping up with the news.

I think to sum up your points... basically don't just go buy a supplement because you heard a news story about it.  My doctor has yet to tell me that I'm lacking anything, therefore I don't take anything extra.

As for the person who was losing your hair, I can see why vitamins would help when you have something wrong with you.  My problem with vitamins is that many people feel 100% fine, their doctor says they are fine, yet they insist on trying every new supplement on the market.  If you feel good and your doctor says you are good, why would you take something additional?

I think...yes and no.

I have to take potassium supplements because, for some reason. I am deficient in it. If I didn't take the supplements, I could go into heart failure. I was having terrible heart palps, racing heart episodes, and other things and had no idea why. All of my heart tests came back fine but I still had the symptoms. Finally it was discovered that I was deficient in potassium and have taken Rx supplements ever since, My heart is fine now. No more craziness. My levels are normal.

Same happened with Vitamin D. For some reason I was very deficient. I take 4000Iu a day by doctor's orders and I am now in the normal range.

However, mega dosing just to mega dose, I feel is wasteful and could be dangerous. People used to load up on vitamin E and it turns out it's dangerous at high levels. Several others have proven to be harmful. If a "normal" person took the amount of potassium I take, they could have heart issues. (Too much or too little affects the heart.)

I think a simple multi if you feel you don't eat well and, for women, a calcium supplement if you don't drink milk or eat dairy is plenty. I do strongly believe the multi should have Vitamin D in it - 1000Iu would be great but it's usually only 400IU.

Omega3 is also really beneficial for cholesterol levels and other things and we generally can't eat enough fish to get what we need. I take one gel cap a day and my cholesterol is normal. My entire family has very high cholesterol so I'm hoping to ward that off or delay it as long as possible and believe Omega3/Fish oil really helps. Again, my doctor told me to take it or I wouldn't have.

But I really don't believe that taking high priced supplements with many times the RDA is effective or healthy. Very few people eat so little that they are deficient in most vitamins and minerals. A blood test or two will tell you if you need anything to supplement your diet. I think that's the safest way to go. Or a simple multi and an Omega3 would probably be more than enough for more people to stay sufficient in vitamins and minerals.

I never notice a difference when I take vitamins and when I don't in my overall well being. Just the potassium which is VERY obvious when I am low.

Thanks for sharing patty :)  It makes me feel better about my stance of only taking something if I have to!  I tend to try to get my vitamins through food.  I love milk and dairy products and think I get a lot of Vitamin D.  Also, love those bananas :)  So far I've not heard I'm lacking anything, and that's even with me not eating meat!  So perhaps I make up for it in my diet, or perhaps I'm just lucky.  Either way, I don't listen to those scare stories about how we all need this or that.  

Hi vivasuzi,

I don't mean buying them because they are on the news or ads. I mean their was a health story on our local news, they have Health Reports which helps you understand vitamins, or shots. What people have had problems with recalls, etc.,. Some vitamins contain lead, vitamins you buy at stores. There are no FDA people watching what goes into them. And I know some health care people, they will give me straight answers, I trust in them. And they trust in me. I do not name, names. That's what I ment by my one comment. I agree, if you are not lacking, you feel you eat healthy enough....YOU GO GIRL! I give you credit. Alot of people do not sit down and eat enough of everything, or always on the go. I'm one of those, my job is not typical. I'm always going at work, I have to make myself take a break, eat something. Mainly a quick bite, then back to work. So I know I do not get all the nutrients I need through food. Everyone is different.  :)

Really tough question to answer.  Honestly some do and some are a waste of money.  A good example is Vitamin B-12.  In pill form they are virtually worthless.  but a sublingual tablet is easily absorbed.

Then there's the issue of efficacy of the particular brand.  Since they are not regulated to any degree by the FDA, you never know if you're getting what the manufacturer says you're getting in either quality or quantity.  Do your homework.

I used to take them daily. Now, I just take a multi-vitamin daily and others when I feel the need.

Well I would like to prescribe you one lunch break and a few other breaks every day :)  You need them for your health!  Anyway, I focus on eating things each day to try and make sure I'm getting the right nutrients b/c, like Rudi says, you have to do your homework to see if a supplement is even worth it or not.  I'd rather not do my homework.

Now i don't go and make sure I have x fruits and x veggies and x glasses of milk a day, but I try to have an overall balance on that in general.  I try to make a habit of eating certain foods to the point that I don't have to think about it.  Sometimes a few days or a week will go by where we are out of milk, and I will crave it after a few days.  It helps that I like yogurt, cottage cheese and (of course) ice cream :)

Anyway, when you make yourself take a break, try to make it a little longer than a quick bite.  It's not just about the eating, it's about giving your brain a rest.  We all need that.

I heard something on TV a few months back (not that it's true just because I heard it, of course), but someone had done a study where they looked into what was in porta-potties.  What they found the most of was undigested multivitamins.  First of all, what would possess someone to look through portajohns is beyond me...  So if you get one that dissolves well, my guess would be that there are definite benefits for your system, especially if you are deficient in something.

I also believe that our bodies usually know what we need and they'll take what they need and reject what they don't.  I get sick to my stomach if I take a vitamins that has high amounts of iron...when my doctor did blood work, I do not have an iron deficiency, so I think my body rejects the added iron because it knows it doesn't need it. 

That being said, I am taking a prenatal vitamins because we're trying to start a family, and my doctor advised starting to take one with folic acid to prevent birth defects. 

Thank You for the prescribing me a lunch break and a few other breaks. But my job is not your normal type of job. I have to be on the gooo. So sometimes easier said then done. I know I need to for my health, take the breaks, and eat better. Knowing I don't, I do take the Multi-vitamins, and at one point I had to get extra Mag. & Vit. D3 (that was doctors orders). I still take the Multi, my Mag. is back to normal, so no more extra on that. Whew! I do have more energy taking my vitamins so I can't say they do not help. I'm not one to take extra C, then let me see E, etc.,. I love yogurt, and soy milk and of course cheese. Cottage cheese, never tried..just always wondered what are those chunks? and Blue cheese...how do you know if it's bad?  lol....  :)  I try and take breaks, and I do know when my body really needs it. I have done my homework, and I have learned alot. I read up on things...Like when WebMD use to give you more information, I read up on prescription that was given to my hubby, I didn't like what it had to say..I told him to go read on it...he didn't like it either...so he decided not to take it....I'll say within the next two weeks they took it off the market...I like to be informed about what I put in myself, what I drink out of...etc., This was before my close call. And I do what I do for my family, and people I care about. And sometimes (although I'm getting better) I still put myself on the back burner, and put others first. I'm learning. :)

Saw Palmetto has worked for me. Like many men my age, urination can be a problem. I was waking up at night. First, I trtied a prescription med, Flomax, but that had REALLY bad side effects. With the Saw Palmetto, things have been better and I sleep many nights.

 

On other supplements, I'm not so sure. I was trying to lower cholesterol with supplements and they didn't help much. On the other hand, I ramped up my fish oil and the result was lower triglicerides and cholesterol.

 

So, I guess, the answer is sometimes.

 

martyforu said…

I am a supplement taker myself...and I buy them at the healthfood store.so I know they are of quality...I noticed I do spend quite a bit on this one or that one...adds up!  and I can honestly say...I don't know if they make a difference in my health or not..

I did try that Airborne stuff {it's not even all that natural} it nipped whatever I was coming down with by the next day......

ya think maybe we just 'poop' or 'pee' them out ?

---

I neither believe or disbelieve that vitamin supplements work. I've taken multi-vitamin pills and they've neither helped nor hindered; I've had good physical exams and good blood tests no matter if I take them or not.

You may have heard of the book, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. It is a New York Times #1 Bestseller and a fabulous book on healthy eating. He basically says that we should be the "kind" of people who take supplements. People who take supplements are generally healthier, but that does not mean it is the supplements that do it. The demographics of people who purchase and use supplements generally shows that they are better educated, are of higher class, and take better care of their bodies in general, than do people who don't. So by simply educating yourself in what is best for your body and by taking care of it through a balanced diet with variety and moderation, and by exercising ideally 6 days a week, you can kill most of those illnesses without spending the extra money on supplements. Read his book if you get a chance. And you might read Younger Next Year at the same time. The combination is life changing.

I am highly anemic and am suppost to take iron pills but I don't. I've even been at a Wic Appointment and been told to have someone pick me up immediately and go to the hospital which I did. I had 2 blood transfusions and Vitamin B shots in my hiney for 2 days. I was told to take Centrum I think, all those vitamins combined but I don't. I don't care and I know how stupid I am I just don't like to take pills all the time and will not do it. I do take Vitamin B sometimes to give me a pick me up and it does work. You can ALSO get the Vitamin Gum from CVS its great!!!

I use Emergen-C when I start feeling sick. Right now I have the makings for a cold but it hasn't blown up. I believe it is because I am taking drinkable vitamins.