What Supplements do you take

[sporkydork]

I used to have a brain fog and couldn't remember quite a few details about things. I chalked this to the perils of growing older, till a chance mention with my doctor led me to check my Vitamin D and B12 levels. It turned out I was really deficient and needed booster injections to stabilize my levels and then top it off with small dose tablets to maintain them. This despite me having moved to the south from Mumbai and being exposed to sun throughout the day.

I have turned vegetarian since the last 12 years which led to the drop in the vitamin levels. My doctor has recommended a multivitamin tablet and a b-complex tablet daily to maintain my levels. The brain fog took over 6 months to disappear and I will have to take the tablets for the rest of my life. I got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2011 (nearly 14 years now) which alas complicates issues - the blood sugar levels are under control and my last Hb1AC was 5.7. I would advise confirming with a healthcare professional as regards to calcium and magnesium supplements - they can sometimes lead to kidney stones in people. I got them after using D-Protein powder and it was a painful lesson.

Unfortunately the diabetes meds have screwed up my liver (NAFLD) despite me being a teetotaler. I was on the Vitamin D3 60000 IU tabs for a while before they were tapered off. Fluctuating vitamin levels is no joke and I am happy members here are very diligent about their health.

The vitamin prescribed to me has the following composition: Methylcobalamin 1500 mcg. + Alpha Lipoeic Acid 100 mg. + Folic Acid 1.5 mg + Benfotiamine 10 mg. + Pyridoxine HCL

 

[adizz]

I've been using Vit D and OMEGA 3 for over a year.

I'm trying out Magnesium and zinc from Naturaltein along with multivit from Supradyn. Planning to do this for 60 days to see if there's a difference. I've been super exhausted in the morning over the last 4-6 months which is why I decided to do this.

 

[DigitalDude]

Why

In short,
Modern day food is horribly inadequate in nutrition, even good healthy food. Our digestive abilities are less than adequate now. Also some nutrients in high doses turn out to be very good to combat same modern lifestyle issues eg. magnesium+vit B1 for stress. Then, many herbs are good for periodic use... for gut cleansing etc

Folic Acid 1.5 mg
Pyridoxine HCL

These two forms are bad for us. Instead of folic acid, consider methyl folate and instead of pyridoxine hcl consider P-5-P.

If possible, get a consultation from a functional medicine doc.

 

[bssunilreddy]

Vitamin B12 & Cod Liver Oil tabs. Sometimes Vitamin D3 tabs. For the whole family of 5.

 

[sporkydork]

These two forms are bad for us. Instead of folic acid, consider methyl folate and instead of pyridoxine hcl consider P-5-P.

If possible, get a consultation from a functional medicine doc.

My doctor has a MBBS, MD, DNB degree in internal medicine. I am under his care since 2006. Which specialist do you reckon I see?

 

[ibose]

Damn, I did not realize I was in the company of so many illustrious eggcellent "doctors". I really should unsubscribe from this thread.

 

[kage]

Damn, I did not realize I was in the company of so many illustrious eggcellent "doctors". I really should unsubscribe from this thread.

Why the sarcasm?
No one is recommending you anything.
We are just sharing what we take (many of us under supervision from specialists).

 

[ibose]

Why the sarcasm?
No one is recommending you anything.
We are just sharing what we take (many of us under supervision from specialists).

Because it makes no sense in sharing all this. In fact it would be prudent for everyone to just talk to their own doctor rather than reading or writing anything here.
You see the act of "just sharing" may lead someone to self medicate or self supplement thinking if it works for him then it should work for me. And that can have serious consequences.
Besides, I don't ever take my health or medical recommendations from Interweb. Do you ?

 

[Simar]

Because it makes no sense in sharing all this. In fact it would be prudent for everyone to just talk to their own doctor rather than reading or writing anything here.
You see the act of "just sharing" may lead someone to self medicate or self supplement thinking if it works for him then it should work for me. And that can have serious consequences.
Besides, I don't ever take my health or medical recommendations from Interweb. Do you ?

Blanket discouragement of all such discussion feels a bit heavy-handed. I think there’s value in people sharing their experiences, as long as it’s clear that it’s not medical advice. These discussions can help others become more informed and ask better questions when they talk to a doctor.

A great example in this thread was someone mentioning a severe B12 deficiency but being hesitant about the suggested injections. Someone pointed out how avoiding treatment could cause serious neurological damage, and that might genuinely help them reconsider and avoid a significant health issue.

TL;DR: None of this is meant to be medical advice. Curiosity and caution can coexist. And hopefully, we’re all intelligent adults capable of making wise decisions.

 

[kage]

Because it makes no sense in sharing all this. In fact it would be prudent for everyone to just talk to their own doctor rather than reading or writing anything here.
You see the act of "just sharing" may lead someone to self medicate or self supplement thinking if it works for him then it should work for me. And that can have serious consequences.
Besides, I don't ever take my health or medical recommendations from Interweb. Do you ?

No one said you should.

Threads like these might just make someone aware about the essentials they may be lacking due to their diet. They can then get their bloodwork done to confirm this and consult a doctor accordingly.

Some things like omegas don't even show up in bloodwork. Without discussions like these, there's a very low chance someone is going to come across this on their own.

And essential supplements like these aren't usually talked about with doctors until their deficiencies cause a major problem. And by that time it may be too late. Better for someone to come across something like this and discuss it with a specialist so that it can be caught early.

Besides, nutrition supplementation isn't like allopathic medicine. It's fairly standard and it's easy to just take a note of your diet and look up established RDAs and see what you might be lacking.

Finally, I don't understand what you're doing in this thread if you don't agree with the premise of it. Many of us love to share what we take and know about what we might be lacking. If you don't, that's alright, but you shouldn't come in here and discourage others for it.

 

[ibose]

None of this is meant to be medical advice. Curiosity and caution can coexist. And hopefully, we’re all intelligent adults capable of making wise decisions.

Finally, I don't understand what you're doing in this thread if you don't agree with the premise of it. Many of us love to share what we take and know about what we might be lacking. If you don't, that's alright, but you shouldn't come in here and discourage others for it.

I discourage it for the reason I already stated above. Unfortunately I don't share your optimism and hope on the intelligence part. You guys may not realize it but there is already a huge crisis of self medication and self supplements. And that all excludes medical supervision and just blindly following write-ups like these. And when they end up in the hospital, it's too late.
Moreover the fact that you all think that nutritional supplements is easy gives me pause. The human body is different for each one of you and anything you consume has an impact.
But anyways, please go ahead - share your medical history and supplements/prescription in all their glory. I am out of here.

 

[kage]

Moreover the fact that you all think that nutritional supplements is easy gives me pause. The human body is different for each one of you and anything you consume has an impact.

Vitamins and minerals have similar expressions in all humans.

Otherwise your cereal wouldn't be fortified with them. Nor your milk with calcium, nor your salt with iodine etc.

They are called 'nutritional supplements' for a reason. If they had varied expression, they would be labelled as such, and would be behind prescriptions.

As long as people are follow the RDAs, nothing disastrous is going to happen. And for water soluble vitamins (B and C), even that isn't a problem (you just pee out the excess).

Some supplements do interact with medicines (absorption modulators), but people taking those kinds of medicines are already informed about this before the dosage starts (people taking medicines should generally be careful of supplementation. Always consult your doctor before doing so).

 

[YeAhx]

I avoid taking supplements because you never know if you really need them until you get tested for them and result comes out as deficient. Instead I eat variety of fruits and make fruit chaat once in a while for my whole family. I wouldn't call myself "healthy" but I'm not sick or weak either. If you are described prescribed supplements by a doctor than that's alright because there must a reason there but if you are consuming them just for the sake of it then you should wonder just how much beneficial they are to you because vitamins can take some time before actually showing effects and that can be days or weeks from when you first start taking them and due to placebo effect you would be thinking they are working while being oblivious to the fact you didn't really need them.
TLDR: Eat variety of food (wash them properly first) and take supplements that you really need for example if you are a gym goer you might need extra protein and calcium.

 

[ibose]

Always consult your doctor before doing so

+1000, I agree to only this point in the entire thread.
And I leave this from an authoritative source for all the other stuff mentioned here -

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/is-there-really-any-benefit-to-multivitamins

Otherwise your cereal wouldn't be fortified with them. Nor your milk with calcium, nor your salt with iodine etc.

You fell for that marketing ploy ? Please do not take that fortified crap. You are much better off eating the normal stuff.
You eat healthy and balanced diet and you fulfill your dietary requirements. Exceptions include those who have disorders where their bodies cannot process specific nutrients which eventually show up as deficiency symptoms. There is no need of supplements unless prescribed by the doctor.

 

[kage]

And I leave this from an authoritative source for all the other stuff mentioned here -
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hea.../is-there-really-any-benefit-to-multivitamins

You eat healthy and you fulfill your dietary requirements.

Most people in this thread (including me, if you'd go back and reference my post) are taking supplements because either their diet is restricted (vegetarians), or have lifestyle issues (no sun / darker skin), or have problems show up in their bloodwork.
Taking supplements just for the sake of taking them is worthless, no one is arguing that. And ofcourse a full diet is best.
But if someone has dietary or lifestyle restrictions, then there is a need to take them.

Please do not fall for that fortified crap.

Certain fortifications are absolutely crucial (e.g. Iodine).
And many fortifications are also mandatory by law.
Here's a list of India's (Table 1): https://www.researchgate.net/public...ON_A_NUTRITIONAL_MANAGEMENT_STRATEGY_IN_INDIA

If it were crap, the government wouldn't mandate it (and it's not just India, almost every country has some mandatory food fortifications for a reason).

Besides, the point was that you said human bodies have different expressions to vitamins and minerals because everybody is different.
What I wanted to emphasize was that if it were so, fortified foods would be illegal.

 

[YeAhx]

You fell for that marketing ploy ? Please do not take that fortified crap. You are much better off eating the normal stuff.
You eat healthy and balanced diet and you fulfill your dietary requirements. Exceptions include those who have disorders where their bodies cannot process specific nutrients which eventually show up as deficiency symptoms. There is no need of supplements unless prescribed by the doctor.

Pretty much this. The only thing I agree and accept that was needed to be added to products was iodine in salt because people in poorer areas were highly iodine-deficient before it. They had a very simple staple food diet which didn't have enough iodine in it and were suffering because of that. Middle and upper class citizens probably don't need it anymore so they can go for Sendha Namak instead, same for those who get their iodine from other sources. Everything else being added to products and marketed is just for the show. Sure you get the added vitamins and minerals but you most probably don't need them in the first place. This reminds me of one of the shorts from Foodpharmer where he showed how these brands advertises their products with "rich in vitamin C" and while that is indeed the case that they are rich in vitamin C and fulfil RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) but forget to mention the fact just how easy it is to fulfil it naturally, if you have drank Nimbu pani (water with lemon juice) or if you have eaten an orange you have already fulfiled your RDA of vitamin C. It's that easy. Heck if you have eaten any of the vitamin C rich fruit or vegetable you most likely got enough Vitamin C and remember you don't need exact amount of vitamins everyday, your body can go by for some time before it functions get affected.

 

[kage]

Middle and upper class citizens probably don't need it anymore so they can go for Sendha Namak instead, same for those who get their iodine from other sources.

DO NOT do this.
Please.

Iodine sources in nature are quite few, and the only adequate sources are seafood.
Dairy is not a good source since it only has iodine if the cow was given iodine supplements (which we cannot depend on).

So unless you're having seafood daily, DO NOT remove Iodized salt (or other iodine fortified foods like some breads) from your intake.

As for your other points, yes, commercial fortification is non-essential.
But legally mandatory fortification? Well, it's mandatory for a reason.
So let's not dismiss all of it.
I posted a link to India's mandatory fortifications in a comment above if you want to take a look at it.

 

[ibose]

Certain fortifications are absolutely crucial (e.g. Iodine).

Pretty much what has been stated by @YeAhx above

the government wouldn't mandate it

They mandated Iodine at a time when there was IDD and Goitre. What is the status now ?
In fact some even say that Tata lobbied for banning non-iodized salt so that they could create a monopoly.
Any food fortification is targeted specifically towards malnutrition and even then that mandate has questionable motives (read lobbying) instead of public health -

The Fortification Fallout: Examining India's Controversial Nutrition Strategy - FFOODS Spectrum

The subject of mandatory or compulsory food fortification in India, has gained traction and become controversial in recent times. India’s position of 107 out of 121 on the Global Hunger Index 2022 has highlighted the prevalence of child malnutrition, nutrition deficiency, and hunger crisis in...

nuffoodsspectrum.in

 

[YeAhx]

DO NOT do this.
Please.

Iodine sources in nature are quite few, and the only adequate sources are seafood.
Dairy is not a good source since it only has iodine if the cow was given iodine supplements (which we cannot depend on).

So unless you're having seafood daily, DO NOT remove Iodized salt (or other iodine fortified foods like some breads) from your intake.

As for your other points, yes, commercial fortification is non-essential.
But legally mandatory fortification? Well, it's mandatory for a reason.
So let's not dismiss all of it.
I posted a link to India's mandatory fortifications in a comment above if you want to take a look at it.

This is something I have talked with my family and they prefer Sendha Namak over regular iodine-ized salt but figured that was okay since we consume milk and eggs on daily basis. Like 1-1.5 litre of milk and 3-4 eggs everyday. I'm no doctor so I googled and it says milk and eggs do contain iodine in them. Anyway just for a piece of mind I will have a talk again and maybe we can come to an arrangement (50-50 Sendha namak and regular salt maybe? lol).
My point was people in poorer areas didn't even have that for them, They were living on staple food and nothing else so of course they were susceptible to iodine deficiency.

In fact some even say that Tata lobbied for banning non-iodized salt so that they could create a monopoly.

Wouldnt any salt manufacturer/seller be able to add iodine in it? Sure it's more complex than just making table salt and selling them but should have been easy for companies with a few chemist in it. Also salt isn't exactly a money maker so I don't see the point of Tata trying to monopolise it back then.

 

[kage]

I'm no doctor so I googled and it says milk and eggs do contain iodine in them.

Eggs yes (forgot about this in my earlier comment, 5 everyday for RDA), but milk is debatable as I mentioned in my comment above.
So yes if you can fulfill your iodine requirements from seafood and eggs then by all means!
But quite a lot of folks here in India are vegetarian, and your initial comment did not mention any diet (just that middle and upper class food has iodine in it, so fortification is unnecessary), which could have mislead many people reading it.

maybe we can come to an arrangement (50-50 Sendha namak and regular salt maybe? lol).

That's reasonable.
We do the same here (iodized salt in cooking, sendha for topups lol).

Pretty much what has been stated by @YeAhx above

And I have stated some crucial information in my reply to him, including how Iodine is not common in nature, and is almost negligible in vegetarian foods.
Did you skip reading that?

They mandated Iodine at a time when there was IDD and Goitre. What is the status now ?

Goitre is a nutritional deficiency.
It can happen to anyone at any age.
It makes no sense to remove that mandate.
If it is stopped, products wouldn't be fortified, and without it if you do not eat sufficient seafood or eggs, you will develop a deficiency and hence eventually goitre.

In fact some even say that Tata lobbied for banning non-iodized salt so that they could create a monopoly.
Any food fortification is targeted specifically towards malnutrition

Pretty much what @YeAhx said above.

Also, India isn't the only country with mandatory fortifications.
It is not only for the malnourished.

And again, the fortification point was brought forward because you said vitamins and minerals affect everybody differently.
I said if it were so, food fortifications would be illegal.
That's it.
We can go about discussing whether it is right or wrong, and it's fine to have your own opinions about it, but that is not what the topic of discussion was.

The point was, supplementation does not cause problems as long it is within RDA, no matter the person.
And while you may not agree with it, for some it is crucial to take them (because of the reasons I've already mentioned).