Hi

Do you take vitimins/multimitimins on a regular basis?

Which type do you take?

Thanks

YES: I take Multibionta (a multivitimin) daily. I only just started taking them so cant say whether they are working yet or not.

Yes I take multi vits and iron every day, not sure what they do but anyway they do no harm :D

I don't take a vit supplement as such, instead I make sure I eat a healthy balanced diet. I do take specific herbs and supplements depending on how I'm feeling though. We have a cupboard full of them! E.g Magnesium is useful after a heavy night out.

I got some Boots own brand multi-vitamins for healthy hair, skin and nails. My skin has been much better when taking them. I stopped for a few weeks and it started to get worse again and my nails were weaker too.

I try to eat a well balanced diet, but the difference the vitamins make must mean i'm not doing as well as I should be ?

I take a multivitamin and multimineral daily, along with a dispersible vitamin C tablet, a calcium supplement (I became post menopausal at 32 and am likely to have bone density issues later on in life so this is medically advised), glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM and evening primrose oil to help my eczema.

When I was ill the hospital saw how much blood I lost and asked me how I managed not to be anaemic after such regular large blood loss. After finding out what I take they said 'ah, well that explains it then' and advised me to continue for as long as I can afford it.

I used to take a standard multivitamin everyday and I can say that it did make a difference to how I felt. I felt more awake, more energetic and lively. It did take some time for it to kick in though.

My mother used to give me them as a kid and I grew up without many illnesses. Whilst most of the kids were off with numerous coughs, colds and viruses I managed to avoid most of them. Whether this had anything to do with the vitamins or not I can't say.

I did start giving them to my kids until I read somewhere that children taking a multivitamin everyday may eventually suffers effects from too much vitamin A (i think it was that) so I stopped giving them to them.

I have been thinking recently of going back on them with winter approaching so soon.

I take loads of Vits, minerals and similar and have done for years.

Holland & Barret 'Super One'
1g Vit C
MSM, Chondroitin, Glucosamine
Cod liver oil
Garlic


All less than the Upper Safe Limit (USL) but many times RDA. I believe they do me some good, I hammer my body with all sorts of different activities and stresses and whilst I cant prove it, I believe they make sure I dont lack anything, allowing me to perform and recover as well as possible.

I'm wary there may be some long term effects so and I regularly research this possibility, up to now I've only found benefits. Current thinking is that as long as your less than USL the worst you're doing is literally wee'ing your money away. Just make sure you drink enough water.

http://www.seven-seas.com/multibionta/products/advanced-formula

Thats what i take. What do you think?

For good quality multivits available on the "high street" Solgar are really good company to look out for. I love their women's formula as it has great levels of Magnesium and the B vitamins necessary to combat the stresses and strains of modern living!!

You'll find with the formulas that start adding lots of "extras" like probiotics, then the doses can become quite small and therefore not as effective.

If people find that taking supplements are not helping them, then they are possibly simply taking the wrong ones, their digestive system is not optimised for absorption or the brand they take is a poor quality containing the vitamins/ minerals in forms that are not readily absorbed by the body. Also a lot of products are full of cheap "fillers".

Great that people are boosting themselves!!

Hi

Has anyone tried 5-HTP (it's supposed to help seratonin levels). I was thinking about trying it but it's quite expensive so I wondered if anyone had any opinions??

Sancocho

BBC have an article stating evidence that Glucosamine and Chondroitin are not significantly beneficial.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11330747

I'm really surprised, of all the supplements I take, the mobility ones are the ones I see the biggest benefit from. I literally can hear the difference in my joints when I run up stairs.

Its never clear cut, could be the cod liver oil doing me all the good, or my diet is skewed so the supplements do help me, but not the test group??

BBC have an article stating evidence that Glucosamine and Chondroitin are not significantly beneficial.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11330747

I'm really surprised, of all the supplements I take, the mobility ones are the ones I see the biggest benefit from. I literally can hear the difference in my joints when I run up stairs.

Its never clear cut, could be the cod liver oil doing me all the good, or my diet is skewed so the supplements do help me, but not the test group??

I don't believe that article personally. They don't mention enough details about the research for one. In what quantities, how long was it taken for? What concentration? What were the tests? It reads like it came from the Daily Mail. It also doesn't mention MSM which is strange as it is usually used alongside Gluc and Chondrotin.

If I were you, I would continue taking them if it helps you. I did so much research myself about the 3 Gluc, MSM and Chondrotin - not for me but for my horse. All I know is that she is no longer in pain with arthritis since taking these and she doesn't even know she is taking them!

YES: I take Multibionta (a multivitimin) daily. I only just started taking them so cant say whether they are working yet or not.

Same as me, i started taking them two weeks tomorrow, cant say i have felt any different to be honest.

Yes I take a foodstate multi-vitamin recommended by my doctor -who, happily is also a trained homeopath. I take it in conjunction with an immunity supporting product. This regime has really helped me to get stronger and deal (up to now!) with some ongoing problems without chemical intervention.

I'd recommend the charitable organisation Cytoplan for anyone interested in this kind of dietary supplementation and health information -they produce a range of well-researched pamphlets on several common health issues which are available for free.

I don't take a vit supplement as such, instead I make sure I eat a healthy balanced diet.

Have just read this and would like to point out that there's growing concern that, due to mineral depletion of much of the soil in which our crops are grown and pollution,that even fresh produce doesn't contain the nutrients that it should -and used to in the past.

I' a bit cynical about vitamin tablets, if you eat a decent diet you should get all the RDA.

However as long as the doses are correct they don't do any harm so even if it is just the placebo effect they are doing some good to your welbeing :)

Second vote for the Solgar brand. I take their vitamin b complex with vitamin c tablets and they really sort my mood levels out. Negligible PMT, am prone to depression and the odd panic attack if i forget to take them and i'm run down or overtired and these vits seem to knock all that on the head. Usually within a day or too. Brill!

As regards supplements.. my mum is a real believer in vits and minerals and alternative stuff, she takes all manner of weird things, but if i look as good as she does when i'm her age then sign me up! I'm quite lazy though, i believe that if you're not getting enough of something then your body will tell you i.e. lack of magnesium crave green veg, potassium bananas, protein a big old steak or some fish or eggs or sommat.

I also loosely kind of believe in yin/yang food balancing diets. I'm prone to eating a protein light, yin, diet. So i try and remedy it by snacking on a boiled egg or roasted sweet potatoes and when i'm disciplined with it i feel instantly better and my body naturally stabilises.

Also interestingly for those reprobates amongst us that drink and smoke (myself included) smoking apparently is very yang (rooty plants e.g. tobacco tend to be yang) while drinking is very yin, hence the urge to do smoke more when you're drinking!

:)

I' a bit cynical about vitamin tablets, if you eat a decent diet you should get all the RDA.

However as long as the doses are correct they don't do any harm so even if it is just the placebo effect they are doing some good to your welbeing :)

the exception to this is vitamin D, which we mostly absorb through the skin after exposure to sunlight. I was told by an endocrinologist (hormone doctor) that a significant percentage of the sheffield population is deficient in vit D by the end of winter, and without vit D you cannot absorb the calcium in your food however much you have. So while a balanced diet should provide most of what we need vitamin D is a useful supplement for many of the local population and particularly for those with darker skin, or those who dress in a way that covers all the skin, eg female islamic dress, those with hypersensitive skin etc.

also, how many of us really do get a balanced diet, all the time?
I think supplements have their place but would urge anyone with existing medical conditions or who take regular "standard" medicines to discuss the supplements they wish to take with a doctor, as many can interact with prescription drugs and some of these interactions can be quite dangerous.

the exception to this is vitamin D, which we mostly absorb through the skin after exposure to sunlight. I was told by an endocrinologist (hormone doctor) that a significant percentage of the sheffield population is deficient in vit D by the end of winter, and without vit D you cannot absorb the calcium in your food however much you have. So while a balanced diet should provide most of what we need vitamin D is a useful supplement for many of the local population and particularly for those with darker skin, or those who dress in a way that covers all the skin, eg female islamic dress, those with hypersensitive skin etc.



I took a vitamin D supplement all through last winter for this reason. I will probably do the same again this year as I missed all thee colds and flus going around so it must have helped I'm sure.

I've just started taking iron tablets, which also contain vitamin C, to help with my low energy, as well as Holland & Barretts B-100 which is a vitamin B complex that is supposed to helps slow release the energy from your food to keep your energy levels up for longer. I'm so busy these days that I need as much help as I can get to stay on my feet. Some days I'm lucky if I've got time to get one meal in all day so I hope the vitamins do what they're supposed to :?.

I bought one, but never eat

This is a great resource (http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/) with easy to follow diagram and links to evidence sources.