Do you take vitamin supplements?

Josiah09 said:
Given the latitude where you live I would certainly test your Vitamin D level (25-hydroxy vitamin D test) and as a post menopausal woman you should want to have a reading above 40 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
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I take 5000 units D3 a day due to deficiency.. My level was a paltry 17 last time.. I was retested last week and I am waiting for the results.
 

Don M. said:
I order my Lutein from Swanson Vitamins, online. I take the 6mg. pill, and it is quite inexpensive...I think it runs about $4 for 100 pills...3 bottles for about $15, with shipping, is almost a years supply. I get the fish oil and daily vitamins from either Dollar General or Walmart, and my yearly "supplement" costs are less than $50...a small price to pay to maintain good health.
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Good to know because the chain stores here are expensive. The fish oil is never a problem.
 
Josiah09 said:
For you fish oil takers (and I'm one) be sure you buy a top quality brand. Fish oil turns rancid quickly and rancid (oxidized) fish oil caps are much worse than taking nothing. I store my fish oil in the frig until I take it. I wouldn't buy fish oil from Walmart or Dollar Gerneral.
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I often wonder about those 250 pill bottles. I also wonder about those who take it verbatim 3 times a day. I've found one a day is good for me sometimes supplementing with cod liver oil at a different time or switching off on occasion. Also fish oils were on a list of do not take medications and vitamins prior to surgery since it's considered a blood thinner for pre op purposes.
 

WhatInThe said:
Good to know because the chain stores here are expensive. The fish oil is never a problem.
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My eye doctor says that most people can only absorb about 6mg of Lutein...anything more just goes to waste. There are several lutein supplements in the stores...mostly in combination with many other ingredients, and priced accordingly..usually quite high...Ocuvite, Preservision, to name just a couple. They really offer nothing of value over a simple Lutein pill, and I see no sense in padding the corporate bottom line if I don't have to.
 
I took B12 for a while for peripheral neuropathy, didn't see any improvement. I've experimented with Boswellia and Curcumin in hopes of lessening some 'neural' pain, but no noticeable results. I do eat fruit and veggies daily, drink 2 L water every day. I avoid salt, sugar and fat, as much as possible.
 
Josiah09 said:
For you fish oil takers (and I'm one) be sure you buy a top quality brand. Fish oil turns rancid quickly and rancid (oxidized) fish oil caps are much worse than taking nothing. I store my fish oil in the frig until I take it. I wouldn't buy fish oil from Walmart or Dollar Gerneral.
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I use NOW brand liquid lemon flavored fish oil, it's not too expensive and it's the preferred triglyceride form. It's available online in larger bottles. Another is Nutrigold softgels, but those are more expensive. I won't use cheap fish oils, I agree, best kept in the fridge.

http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Nutritional-Oils/Fish-Omega-3-Krill-Oils/M041371.htm



Quote:
(from Fortifeye.com)Two types of readily available omega three fish oils are ethyl ester and triglyceride

The natural triglyceride form of fish oil should go thru molecular distillation to purify the oils. A typical natural triglyceride form of fish oil will have a concentration of about 180 EPA and 120 DHA.

The synthetic ethyl ester version uses ethanol in the distillation and concentration process during transesterification to produce a higher concentration of EPA and DHA.

During this process the natural triglyceride backbone is replaced with an ethyl ester backbone. This produces a fairly pure and highly concentrated omega three fish oil. This concentrated form of fish oil can obtain 450 EPA and 300 DHA in one capsule.

In order to convert the ethyl ester back to the more natural triglyceride form, one more step of transesterification must be done to replace the ethyl ester based backbone with a triglyceride backbone the way it occurs naturally in ocean fish.

Many fish oil companies will not go that extra step due to cost! It is almost 50% more expensive to go through this final step to convert the synthetic ethyl ester fish oil back to more natural triglyceride based fish oil.

Almost all of the leading authorities on omega three fish oil will agree that the triglyceride form is more stable and bioavailable over the cheaper synthetic ethyl ester version. Most patients using this triglyceride form of fish oil will have fewer problems with burp back of the nasty fish taste common to some fish oils.

Ethanol is a free radical and ethanol can potentially cause free radical damage in the body. The amount of ethanol in this form of fish oil is relatively low (.1%-.5%) but certain groups of populations should be avoiding ethanol completely.

You can do a quick test at home to see what type of fish oil you have. If fish oil eats thru a Styrofoam cup in thirty minutes or less, this may be related to the ethanol content.

Spend a little extra money and ensure you are getting the most concentrated bioavailable form of fish oil, and take only triglyceride based fish oil. If it doesn't say natural triglyceride or TG form, then it is probably ethyl ester based.

Certain European countries like Denmark do not allow the sale of ethyl ester fish oil over the counter, only the triglyceride form. Ethyl ester fish oil in these countries is controlled with prescription. The overall cost per absorption ratio makes the concentrated triglyceride form of fish oil a better value than the ethyl ester version.
 
WhatInThe said:
I want to take Lutein but I find it one of the more expensive vitamins or supplement out there sometimes averaging $10 for 30. I heard good things about it for years. I do take fish oil though.
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There's a lot of benefits to Lutein besides the eyes too, like skin and heart. This is what I've been using, buying it at a local vitamin store. It costs around $13 for 60 softgels, but you can probably find better deals online.










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I'm definitely in the wrong job. I should be selling vitamin supplements! Till then, I'll stick to my view that (unless you have a health issue that requires supplements) a healthy diet will supply all that you need. I suspect that many people would benefit from exercise and the advice of a dietician , rather than looking for a quick fix by popping pills.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I'm definitely in the wrong job. I should be selling vitamin supplements! Till then, I'll stick to my view that (unless you have a health issue that requires supplements) a healthy diet will supply all that you need. I suspect that many people would benefit from exercise and the advice of a dietician , rather than looking for a quick fix by popping pills.
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I agree.
 
I agree too, Capt. I don't take any medications or supplements except on rare occasions when I have a specific need. Ergo, If constipated I'll opt for prunes or other high fiber food before I resort to MOM or such.
 
Capt Lightning said:
Unless you have a specific medical need, I think that if you eat a sensible, healthy diet, you will get all the vitamins, minerals etc.. that you need. But, if you've got money to waste........
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I think I've heard that the soil is so repleted that our food grows in that we aren't getting enough of the vitamins and minerals from simply eating. Any thoughts on that?
 
I have a garden too and I add, add, add but most folks are relying on supermarket stuff. I wonder if there's ever been a study on changes over the past 20-30 years on those foods?

I also take supplements but not to excess, and I do eat very healthy. I'm determined to drop dead in my tracks unexpectedly so that when people hear, they'll all exclaim in wonderment "she looked so healthy and good! I'm amazed that she died! What a surprise!" So I'm covering all my bases.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I use NOW brand liquid lemon flavored fish oil, it's not too expensive and it's the preferred triglyceride form. It's available online in larger bottles. Another is Nutrigold softgels, but those are more expensive. I won't use cheap fish oils, I agree, best kept in the fridge.

http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Nutritional-Oils/Fish-Omega-3-Krill-Oils/M041371.htm



Quote:
(from Fortifeye.com)Two types of readily available omega three fish oils are ethyl ester and triglyceride

The natural triglyceride form of fish oil should go thru molecular distillation to purify the oils. A typical natural triglyceride form of fish oil will have a concentration of about 180 EPA and 120 DHA.

The synthetic ethyl ester version uses ethanol in the distillation and concentration process during transesterification to produce a higher concentration of EPA and DHA.

During this process the natural triglyceride backbone is replaced with an ethyl ester backbone. This produces a fairly pure and highly concentrated omega three fish oil. This concentrated form of fish oil can obtain 450 EPA and 300 DHA in one capsule.

In order to convert the ethyl ester back to the more natural triglyceride form, one more step of transesterification must be done to replace the ethyl ester based backbone with a triglyceride backbone the way it occurs naturally in ocean fish.

Many fish oil companies will not go that extra step due to cost! It is almost 50% more expensive to go through this final step to convert the synthetic ethyl ester fish oil back to more natural triglyceride based fish oil.

Almost all of the leading authorities on omega three fish oil will agree that the triglyceride form is more stable and bioavailable over the cheaper synthetic ethyl ester version. Most patients using this triglyceride form of fish oil will have fewer problems with burp back of the nasty fish taste common to some fish oils.

Ethanol is a free radical and ethanol can potentially cause free radical damage in the body. The amount of ethanol in this form of fish oil is relatively low (.1%-.5%) but certain groups of populations should be avoiding ethanol completely.

You can do a quick test at home to see what type of fish oil you have. If fish oil eats thru a Styrofoam cup in thirty minutes or less, this may be related to the ethanol content.

Spend a little extra money and ensure you are getting the most concentrated bioavailable form of fish oil, and take only triglyceride based fish oil. If it doesn't say natural triglyceride or TG form, then it is probably ethyl ester based.

Certain European countries like Denmark do not allow the sale of ethyl ester fish oil over the counter, only the triglyceride form. Ethyl ester fish oil in these countries is controlled with prescription. The overall cost per absorption ratio makes the concentrated triglyceride form of fish oil a better value than the ethyl ester version.
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Thanks, for this info, SeaBreeze, I will check it out.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I'm definitely in the wrong job. I should be selling vitamin supplements! Till then, I'll stick to my view that (unless you have a health issue that requires supplements) a healthy diet will supply all that you need. I suspect that many people would benefit from exercise and the advice of a dietician , rather than looking for a quick fix by popping pills.
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There is NO substitute for a proper diet, and a steady routine of exercise. However, an increasing number of people seem to have forgotten that...as witnessed by our rising epidemic of Obesity, and all its Side Effects. I look at taking a couple of supplements as a bit of "insurance" against future ailments. Far too many people let their health go to pot, then become hooked on expensive Prescription Drugs in an attempt to undo years of neglecting their health. There is a lot of truth in that old saying of "An Ounce of Prevention is Worth more than a Pound of Cure".
 
Don M. said:
There is NO substitute for a proper diet, and a steady routine of exercise. However, an increasing number of people seem to have forgotten that...as witnessed by our rising epidemic of Obesity, and all its Side Effects. I look at taking a couple of supplements as a bit of "insurance" against future ailments. Far too many people let their health go to pot, then become hooked on expensive Prescription Drugs in an attempt to undo years of neglecting their health. There is a lot of truth in that old saying of "An Ounce of Prevention is Worth more than a Pound of Cure".
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I agree.. No point in guessing if your diet is complete in all vitamins and minerals. AND it's harmless if you stick to the water soluble vitamins.. You cannot OD on them and the excess will be pee'd right out. More care, however is to be taken with the Fat soluble.. A D E K. Those can be stored up and could create problems. I never supplement those except for my MD monitored D3 levels.
 
I'm in pretty good shape for my age, and I've shed 30 lbs. of "city fat" since moving to the country...but there is still the possibility of Not getting all the necessary nutrients from food...so a couple of basic daily vitamins is always a good idea...IMO. It can't hurt, and if it keeps me from falling into the Prescription Drug Trap, the minor expense is well worth it.
 
I was concerned about my calcium and vitamin B12. Those were normal. It was my vitamin D that was pretty low. I started taking vitamins again and sometimes vitamin D. I get the childrens chewable from the health food store. They are easy on my stomach.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I'm definitely in the wrong job. I should be selling vitamin supplements! Till then, I'll stick to my view that (unless you have a health issue that requires supplements) a healthy diet will supply all that you need. I suspect that many people would benefit from exercise and the advice of a dietician , rather than looking for a quick fix by popping pills.
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I agree there are problems with false expectation, over and/or misuse of vitamins as with anything else. But one can run into the same problems with diet as one can with a vitamin & quality. There are similar absorption issues. You could eat the recommended diet but certain combinations of food might prevent nutrient absorption. There could be quality issues such as soil or even chemical treatment issues in vegetables. There are also quantity issues. To actually absorb or get the mega or concentrated dose some vitamins work best at would require larger quantities of food. That could include gallons with an s of milk or orange juice. There are fitness types that eat at least six chicken breasts a day and others who have a glass of protein in addition to regular meals. There are also logistical issues because especially those who work or are busy are also away away from a kitchen or ideal food preparation setting.

Again I'll be first to agree there are abuse,over use and false expectation issues with vitamins but vitamins & supplements aren't necessarily about immediate results except for some water soluble supplements. I'd high doubt you could find a serious worker outer or athlete that isn't taking some kind of legal supplement and that's because they probably have an affect no matter how minimal.
 
I have taken herbs since 1977 when I first started learning about them. I get most of the vitamins I need from various herbs but I do take Calc/mag/D3/K2. When I take Dr Scultzes Superfood Plus, which is an organic green drink, I don't bother to take as many of the herbs or vitamins.

My husband take Turmeric but I don't as it bothers my gall bladder.
 
QS, I also take the same supplements as you. I am thinking of taking CO Q10. Is this a waste of money? Is there anyone who has scientific info of what seniors should take, or avoid? I don't always eat healthy. I dislike cooking.
 

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