Do you take Vitamins?

[moderate libertarian]

Do you take Vitamins and believe in their efficacy?

I tend to take a Centrum tablet as a supplement when working out regularly, otherwise don't. Not sure of their efficacy.

 

[low preference guy]

no, but i try to eat nutritive foods and get sun exposure to produce vitamin d.

it's not the same thing. eating an orange has more benefits than consuming vitamin c. don't have the link right now.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Yes, a multivitamin. Supplements will only be of significant value to you if you have a healthy (alkaline) ph balance. Get some ph paper and test yourself. LPG is right that getting vitamins from food is even better than from supplements.

 

[moderate libertarian]

no, but i try to eat nutritive foods and get sun exposure to produce vitamin d.

it's not the same thing. eating an orange has more benefits than consuming vitamin c. don't have the link right now.

I was thinking along same lines too, nutrients from fresh wholesome foods are the sure bet.

 

[moderate libertarian]

Yes, a multivitamin. Supplements will only be of significant value to you if you have a healthy (alkaline) ph balance. Get some ph paper and test yourself. LPG is right that getting vitamins from food is even better than from supplements.

Interesting info. Where do you get ph paper from, it's DIY type supply you can get from local pharmacy?

 

[freeforall]

generally, i would say on occasion, but i'm pregnant and taking them daily currently. i usually have a tsp or two of apple cider vinegar with water most mornings and just take supplements when i need them. i think this pregnancy would have me completely wiped out if i didn't take them, but i feel pretty good generally if i don't forget them.

 

[trey4sports]

yup. One-a-Day Men's health formula.

 

[low preference guy]

I was thinking along same lines too, nutrients from fresh wholesome foods are the sure bet.

if i recall correctly vitamin c works well when there are other nutrients available, which the fruits with vitamin c tend to have. so you don't get the same effect with the pills. there was a study recently which said old people who consume vitamins are more likely to die sooner.

Are Supplements Killing You? The Problem With Vitamins, Minerals

VITAMIN E RAISES PROSTATE CANCER RISK

The study examined the effect of taking 14 individual supplements and also a multivitamin. The researchers concluded that women who took any of six supplements or a multivitamin had a slightly higher risk of death over the study period:

Multivitamins were associated with a 2.4 percent higher risk of earlier death
Vitamin B6 gave a 4.1 percent higher risk
Folic acid gave a 5.9 percent higher risk
Iron gave a 3.9 percent higher risk
Magnesium gave a 3.6 percent higher risk
Zinc gave a 3 percent higher risk
Copper gave an 18 percent higher risk
Calcium gave a 3.8 percent lower risk of deat

Consumption of excess vitamin D causes atrial fibrillation

so it might be a good idea to get it from the sun...

 

[Sola_Fide]

Men's multi mineral (zinc, magnesium, calcium, D)
Creatine
Protein (the nasty brand from Wal Mart...I've grown to like the taste).

 

[trey4sports]

if i recall correctly vitamin c works well when there are other nutrients available, which the fruits with vitamin c tend to have. so you don't get the same effect with the pills. there was a study recently which said old people who consume vitamins are more likely to die sooner.



Consumption of excess vitamin D causes atrial fibrillation

so it might be a good idea to get it from the sun...

yeah i saw that study as well. There are a lot of different factors that could come into play. Personally, I'd rather be vit. D deficient than baking in the sun. I think the negatives outweigh the positives in that regard.

 

[moderate libertarian]

generally, i would say on occasion, but i'm pregnant and taking them daily currently. i usually have a tsp or two of apple cider vinegar with water most mornings and just take supplements when i need them. i think this pregnancy would have me completely wiped out if i didn't take them, but i feel pretty good generally if i don't forget them.

I thought when pregnant, women tend to eat every food in sight to ensure balanced nutrients

J/K. Vitamins in your case would be good insurance I think.

 

[freeforall]

I thought when pregnant, women tend to eat every food in sight to ensure balanced nutrients

J/K. Vitamins in your case would be good insurance I think.

i do that too! lately though, i get really uncomfortable if i eat too much.

 

[low preference guy]

yeah i saw that study as well. There are a lot of different factors that could come into play. Personally, I'd rather be vit. D deficient than baking in the sun. I think the negatives outweigh the positives in that regard.

if you have light skin and live in florida or something 7 minutes every other day is probably enough. i'm not a doctor, just based on my reading from the internet.

an alternative is to take the pills but check your blood levels frequently to not overdose. i think the people in the study overdose.

 

[moderate libertarian]

if i recall correctly vitamin c works well when there are other nutrients available, which the fruits with vitamin c tend to have. so you don't get the same effect with the pills. there was a study recently which said old people who consume vitamins are more likely to die sooner.



Consumption of excess vitamin D causes atrial fibrillation

so it might be a good idea to get it from the sun...

Useful info.

On Sun Vitamin D, I have wondered before if you have to be in direct sunlight or indirect light in a room from windows counts too. I can't stand direct sun for more than few minutes unless its really cold weather. And that's rare in FL.

 

[low preference guy]

Useful info.

On Sun Vitamin D, I have wondered before if you have to be in direct sunlight or indirect light in a room from windows counts too. I can't stand direct sun for more than few minutes unless its really cold weather. And that's rare in FL.

glass blocks UVB which is essential to create vitamin D. there is a calculator made my norwegian scientists that gives you recommendations based on the data you enter, such as where you live and your skin.

Calculated Ultraviolet Exposure Levels for a Healthy Vitamin D Status

from the calculator it seems that 7 minutes in the sun every other day is enough if you have light skin and live in a sunny place.

 

[Keith and stuff]

Calculated Ultraviolet Exposure Levels for a Healthy Vitamin D Status

Recommended UV exposure of face, hands and arms at least every other day to obtain sufficient vitamin D, equivalent of 25 micrograms vitamin D, if no dietary vitamin D is available:

minimum recommended exposure time (hours:minutes)
0:48

It depends who you are, where you are, what time it is, what the weather is and so on.

Around Dec 24th it will be this for me:

minimum recommended exposure time (hours:minutes)
0:53

It looks like it makes sense for me to take some Vitamin D during the winter where I live.

 

[MelissaWV]

It depends on what you mean by "vitamins."

If you mean only "Vitamin _____," then no, I don't take any. If you mean any supplements or little magic pills, yes, I do take some.

I take cinnamon pills for my blood sugar, and milk thistle for liver function. These are not things I'd normally get in my diet.

 

[donnay]

Consumption of excess vitamin D causes atrial fibrillation

so it might be a good idea to get it from the sun...

That study didn't say much. Is that Vitamin D3 or Vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is what we are supposed to supplement with. Vitamin D2 is bad and really should not be consumed by humans.

I take 5,000 IU's of D3 daily. I haven't suffered colds and flu for a few years since I started supplementing with D3. Most people are D deficient anyway--even people that live in Florida. You need to have the summer sun, and it should be overhead (15 - 20 minutes) to get the good amount of Vitamin D levels you need.

To know if you are deficient, you should have some blood work done, specifically asking to know your D levels.

Here is some articles to read about Vitamin D deficiencies: http://www.naturalnews.com/vitamin_D_deficiency.html

 

[donnay]

I try to eat nutritiously and well balanced, but I do supplement with Magnesium oil (topically), Vitamin D3 (subligual), C0Q10 (veg caps), Iodine (liquid) and spirulina (veg caps).

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Interesting info. Where do you get ph paper from, it's DIY type supply you can get from local pharmacy?

You can get them from any vitamin shop/health food store in my experience. They're very simple to use and helpful when planning your diet/lifestyle. The strips are about 1/8" x 2". The results are instantaneous. You can test using saliva or urine (urine being the more accurate of them). The strip will change color after exposure to saliva/urine. Compare it to the color chat on the box to determine your alkalinity/acidity. HTH. (btw, a box will contain several dozen strips, so don't worry about making an error on the first try)
This is what a typical container looks like: