Do you take vitamins or supplements?

A person would be unlikely to get all of the nutrients he needed in an ordinary day's food, e.g. the omega-3 fats in your flax seed oil.

I take a multi-vitamin and calcium w/vitamin D. My diet's not the best so I need to make sure I'm not missing out. I take calcium because there's a family history of osteoporosis.

I just looked at my mulitvitamin and though calcium is the first ingredient listed the vitamin only supplies 16% of the RDA of calcium.

I wonder if I should add additional calcium?

It would be interesting to calculate the amount of food one would have to eat to get the RDA of each vitamin and mineral. I'll bet it's a lot of food.

i take a multivitamin and extra b-12. i read on another thread here that b-12 can help combat fatigue and since i am forever tired (gave up caffine-dont recommend it) i needed something. it seems to be helping somewhat, not falling asleep at my desk anymore...

I sometimes take a multivitamin, but not every day.

I researched calcium recently. Some government source recommended 1000 mg/day for women under 50. A cup of milk has about 300 mg, and a cup of yogurt has 475. (I can't remember cheese.) I try for three servings of dairy daily and figure I've got that covered. If I have time tonight, I'll try to find links for those numbers...

Megadoses of most vitamins and minerals are toxic; check this list, column for "overdose":
http://www.changingshape.com/resources/references/vmchart.asp

I take a multivite/mineral as well as calcium plus D, a couple fish oil tablets, and glucosamine chrondroitin (sp?).

The GC helps my achy joints as does the fish oil (omegas), which also lowered my cholesterol.

Multi viatmins are good, you can always use a boost in most of your vitamins and minerals; supplements are only good if you are deficient in them. I too asked my doctor about B12 and B6 as I heard taking BC pills depeletes your levels. My doctor told me that it is unnecessary for almost everyone since very few people are actually deficient. It's the mentality that it helps that is actually doing the work....mind over matter if you will, the placebo effect. It won't hurt you though so don't worry.

dragon, I had to go look up an "Overstimulated Girl" column for a supplement I thought about trying but haven't so far:

SUPPLEMENT OF THE MONTH: Proendorphin

What it is: A fine-tuned smart cocktail featuring B vitamins, the amino acid taurine, laboratory-enhanced ginseng, and a mix of neuroamino acids described as "brain polishers."

Provenance: Developed to help athletes train harder and recover faster. Stimulates the release of endorphins, the neurotransmitter responsible for "runner's high." Also lowers cortisol, a tissue-damaging hormone the body pumps out under stress.

What it claims to do: Increase mental awareness, energy, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity while decreasing lactic-acid buildup in muscles.

But does it deliver? Sweet Jesus, yes. Within minutes of mixing the Tang-colored powder with water and drinking it, I have the desire to complete every task I've been avoiding for the past several months and do sets of push-ups in between. It's a nicely amped feeling, with none of the jittery highs and jolting lows of less-refined stimulants like caffeine or guarana. Later, I kick ass in a two-hour swim practice.

Side effects: First-time users might get a niacin flush, a hot, prickly sensation on the skin. Suffer through; this one-time reaction simply means that your body really needs those B vitamins. The second side effect is longer-lived: a total, almost infantilizing dependency on the two-dollar-per-pack powder.

Off-label use: Best hangover cure ever.


Good to know the numbers on that dairy, mac11. I usually get plentyof dairy so I'm probably okay.

folic acid, one-a-day, potassium, and calicum when I remember

I drink orange juice almost every day. Otherwise, I take a 81mg aspirin every day with the blessings of my physician.

I'll be sure to check that out HofT - I've heard that some weird things can happen with too much of any certain vitamin.

Hmmm.

I used to take fish oil and then I changed to flax seed oil but I cannot remember why!

I have a friend that insists it's all a money munching placebo effect.

I'm not exactly of the school that swears by them but I do know that my iron levels are "amazing" (according to the Red Cross) but I eat a lot of spinach and that is a good source of iron.

Everything I take (mnetioned) was at the suggestion of my gut and colon doctor

Your vitamin can't easily supply the RDA of calcium, since a large amount of it is needed.

The action of B-complex vitamins is synergistic - that is, they work in concert, and by taking much more of one, you can actually induce deficiencies in the others. They should always be taken in balance. Use the RDA as a guide to what constitutes balance.

husker, I've heard and my wife told me about the dangers of calcium. Here's an article I found on the web that might interest you. http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/science/mar03.html

I take every day a multi-vitamin and extra Calcium.

ground-up oyster shells

oyster calcium isn't any good.