Vitamine pills.

[Harry]

Do you use them as a additional next to your normal food, and if, what sort of vitamines, brand names.
Or are you dead set against them, and don't see the necessity of using them. Pro or Contra.
I am curious!
I am using Multi Vitamine pills, C's  and Calcium Nitrate capsules, plus Omega III pills, all from the US brand name Solgar.

[Keemun]

Presently, I am taking a multivitamin and Korean (Panax) Ginseng daily.

[MN Dave]

My wife gives me some kind of vitamin each morning. Not sure what it is. The woman could poison me easily for all the attention I pay.

[Keemun]

My wife gives me some kind of vitamin each morning. Not sure what it is. The woman could poison me easily for all the attention I pay.

It's probably an anti-aphrodisiac. 

[Harry]

It's probably an anti-aphrodisiac. 

Yeah he probably needs it!

[MN Dave]

[head-case]

Do you use them as a additional next to your normal food, and if, what sort of vitamines, brand names.
Or are you dead set against them, and don't see the necessity of using them. Pro or Contra.
I am curious!
I am using Multi Vitamine pills, C's  and Calcium Nitrate capsules, plus Omega III pills, all from the US brand name Solgar.

My philosophy is that a varied diet is best.  I'm reluctant to experiment on myself by consuming a few more or less arbitrarily chosen nutrients or supplements in extremely large quantities.

[Harry]

My philosophy is that a varied diet is best.  I'm reluctant to experiment on myself by consuming a few more or less arbitrarily chosen nutrients or supplements in extremely large quantities.

Not if you are on a diet!
Presently you need to eat at least 2000 calories to get all the vitamines in you need in one day.
(I eat maximal 800 calories a day.)
And often the vitamines are of a bad quality.
So you always keep small shortages in your supply of vitamines, and it is proven without doubt, that the damage due to long exposure at having minimal vitamines shortage is massive.
What I take is a small quantity of pills, and in no way am I excessive.

[head-case]

I would like to know what would motivate someone to try to live on 800 calories per day!

Not if you are on a diet!
Presently you need to eat at least 2000 calories to get all the vitamines in you need in one day.
(I eat maximal 800 calories a day.)
And often the vitamines are of a bad quality.
So you always keep small shortages in your supply of vitamines, and it is proven without doubt, that the damage due to long exposure at having minimal vitamines shortage is massive.
What I take is a small quantity of pills, and in no way am I excessive.

[MN Dave]

I've heard it's dangerous to go below 1,200 calories. Maybe Harry's made a typo.

[head-case]

I've heard it's dangerous to go below 1,200 calories. Maybe Harry's made a typo.

Yes, maybe he's on the American diet and is doing 8000 calories a day.  It's hard to get the required nutrients on that regime, because to sustain that caloric intake you have to restrict yourself almost entirely to Big Macs and Slurpees.

[Harry]

I would like to know what would motivate someone to try to live on 800 calories per day!

I am not trying, I do it for almost 6 months.
Lets say there was a medical necessity.

[Harry]

I've heard it's dangerous to go below 1,200 calories. Maybe Harry's made a typo.

Not dangerous at all, I am under medical care.
And I do workout most of the days too, and am not overweight.
Athough I need to loose a few pounds.

[orbital]

I don't think two bodies are alike. My calorie intake is probably between 1000-1200 calories a day, that's how its been for years now. Although my family tells me to stuff it up a bit  every doctor that I have seen told me to not listen to anyone about my weight, and that as long as I have a balanced nutrition, being skinny is not a medical concern at all. All my vitals are fine (except for a slight iron deficiency).

As for vitamin pills, I don't take any. They clearly overload your kidneys.  I have tried a few supplements but I can't say I've seen very positive effects from any of them. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit and nuts/legumes instead.

[Lady Chatterley]

As for vitamin pills, I don't take any. They clearly overload your kidneys.  I have tried a few supplements but I can't say I've seen very positive effects from any of them. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit and nuts/legumes instead.

I think it is right to try to get all your nutrients from real foods if possible however I do take Vit C every day (thank you Linus Pauling) and D plus calcium and magnesium .I take plant enzymes to help with the digestion and 50 million live bacteria grown in milk(this is helpful as one grows older).I am a celiac and do not eat gluten so any processed food is forbidden.I eat  beef,chicken, fish ,greens,lots of veg and rice.I bake breads made with rice,chickpea,corn,soy,and amaranth flour.I like red wine but drink mostly mint tea.It's always a good idea to treat your body nicely you want to avoid ailments at all costs.

[head-case]

This seems relevant, from the BBC world service:

Vitamins 'may shorten your life'

Research has suggested vitamin supplements do not extend life and could even lead to a premature death.

A review of 67 studies found "no convincing evidence" that antioxidant supplements cut the risk of dying.

Scientists at Copenhagen University said vitamins A and E could interfere with the body's natural defences.

"Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase mortality," according to the review by the respected Cochrane Collaboration.

The research involved selecting various studies from 817 on beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium which the team felt were the most likely to fairly reflect the benefits of the supplements.

It has been thought that these supplements may be able to prevent damage to the body's tissues called "oxidative stress" by eliminating the molecules called "free radicals" which are said to cause it.

This damage has been implicated in several major diseases including cancer and heart disease.

'Just eat well'

The trials involved 233,000 people who were either sick or were healthy and taking supplements for disease prevention.

   
VITAL VITAMIN FACTS
Vitamin A: Found in? Oily fish, eggs and liver; Good for? Thought to boost immune system, and help skin, sight and sperm formation
Vitamin C: Found in? Many fruit and vegetables; Good for? Helps heal wounds and assists the body in absorbing iron, may boost the immune system
Vitamin E: Found in? Vegetable oils, seeds and nuts; Good for? May help boost circulation and keep elderly people active
Beta-carotene: Found in? Vegetables that are reddish-orange in colour; Good for? May boost vision and keep the mind sharp
Selenium: Found in? Butter, nuts, liver and fish; Good for? May boost the immune system
How many take vitamins? Between 10-20% of people in the West
How much is the global market worth? About $2.5bn (£1.3bn)

After various factors were taken into account and a further 20 studies excluded, the researchers linked vitamin A supplements to a 16% increased risk of dying, beta-carotene to a 7% increased risk and vitamin E to a 4% increased risk.

Vitamin C did not appear to have any effect one way or the other, and the team said more work was needed into this supplement - as well as into selenium.

In conclusion, "we found no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention," they said.

It was unclear exactly why the supplements could have this effect, but the team speculated that they could interfere with how the body works: beta-carotene, for instance, is thought to change the way a body uses fats.

The Department of Health said people should try to get the vitamins they need from their diet, and avoid taking large doses of supplements - a market which is worth over £330m in the UK.

"There is a need to exercise caution in the use of high doses of purified supplements of vitamins, including antioxidant vitamins, and minerals," a spokesperson said.

"Their impact on long-term health may not have been fully established and they cannot be assumed to be without risk."

A 'stitch-up'

But the Health Supplements Information Service, which is funded by the association which represents those who sell supplements, said many people were simply not able to get everything they needed from their diet.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Dr Rosemary Leonard's advice on vitamins

"For the millions who are not able to do that, vitamins can be a useful supplement and they should not stop taking them," said spokeswoman Pamela Mason.

Another nutritionist who has formulated supplements described the review as a "stitch-up" and only reviewed studies which examined the effect they had on reducing mortality, rather than other advantages.

"Antioxidants are not meant to be magic bullets and should not be expected to undo a lifetime of unhealthy habits," said Patrick Holford.

"But when used properly, in combination with eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables, getting plenty of exercise and not smoking, antioxidant supplements can play an important role in maintaining and promoting overall health."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7349980.stm

[greg]

Check this out:


Bought this from GNC...... just one has tons of different vitamins, some being 1400% daily value. The guy said take two a day, and it'll increase my concentration, energy for working out, and helps you get to sleep better and wake up quicker. He recommended it for other stuff since he used to take it and loved it.
So I've tried it yesterday and do notice that I've felt more awake, but I'll have to see how it is long-term. The whole bottle lasts a month. The taste of the pills, though, is some of the most disgusting-tasting things I've ever tasted!

[MN Dave]

The majority of stuff those nutrition stores sell is crap IMO. Just try to eat right. Use the nutrition pyramid.

[greg]

The majority of stuff those nutrition stores sell is crap IMO. Just try to eat right. Use the nutrition pyramid.

If I don't notice an overall effect for a whole month, I'm not going to waste my money on another one. 

[EmpNapoleon]

I am taking "Hard Nutrition" Vitamin Packs.  They are about 40 dollars with tax (lasting a month), but my parents are middle-class.  MMA fighters use them, but anyone else can also use them.

http://www.hardnutrition.com/