Do you take vitamins? why?

[themarquis]

I always thought you "should" take a multivitamin because it would help your health in some way. Every once in a while in my life, I convince myself to take a daily vitamin, but usually it only lasts for a week or two!

Recently I read some articles, though, that say that there have been a ton of studies to figure out how vitamins help people, and they don't!!
(from the new york times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/the-vitamin-problem/)

I guess most of them don't seem to do anything, and a few (vitamins E and A, I think) actually increase mortality rates!!!!

So how about you? Do you take vitamins? Why? Would you stop if you were convinced that this research is correct?

 

[harleyquinn]

Yep, because I'm pregnant.

When I'm not pregnant I do take an iron supplement, because I have Restless Leg Syndrome and it really helps!

I took a multi-vitamin for a while and it did increase my energy, but then it started making me nauseous.

 

[JessicaR]

I was just reading about that yesterday! Pretty interesting.

I’m puzzled why the public in general ignores the results of well-done trials,” said Dr. Eric Klein, national study coordinator for the prostate cancer trial and chairman of the Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute. “The public’s belief in the benefits of vitamins and nutrients is not supported by the available scientific data.”

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsvitamins17-nws,0,2827415.story

That said, I don't take vitamins but my MIL is fanatical.

 

[themarquis]

Yep, because I'm pregnant.
.

lol ... I SUPPOSE that's OK, then

I know there are plenty of medical reasons to take a multivitamin or specific vitamin -- I had to take iron for a while for anemia (iron is gross!!!! it's probably what was in your multivitamin that made you nauseous!).

It's interesting, though, that the idea of everyone "having to" take vitamins when they don't have a medical reason has really taken hold among the general public. I know I got the idea from my mom, who thinks you can't be healthy without one!

 

[Hoodie]

Right now I do because I'm pregnant as well.

I do take a multi when I'm not pregnant, basically because my diet sucks. I have to be careful which one I take though, as I'm allergic to sulfur and a lot of them use sulfur compounds.

I've started making DH take them as well - his diet is worse than mine! I can tell when he's stopped taking them. He suddenly starts complaining about certain things. Two days back on the vitamins and everything gets better.

If you have a proper diet, you really don't need them.

 

[HelenePA]

Yes because I'm breastfeeding..

 

[AnnaS]

I take them for a few weeks and then forget/stop for a few months. When I do take them, I take Calcium w/D, B12, Vitamin D and Omega 3.

I do mix a tablespoon of flaxseed in my cereal/oatmeal daily though.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I always thought you "should" take a multivitamin because it would help your health in some way. Every once in a while in my life, I convince myself to take a daily vitamin, but usually it only lasts for a week or two!

Recently I read some articles, though, that say that there have been a ton of studies to figure out how vitamins help people, and they don't!!
(from the new york times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/the-vitamin-problem/)

I guess most of them don't seem to do anything, and a few (vitamins E and A, I think) actually increase mortality rates!!!!

So how about you? Do you take vitamins? Why? Would you stop if you were convinced that this research is correct?

There are four fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E and K. I think you meant A & D for toxicity - they are toxic if taken in very high levels - not the levels found in your ordinary multivitamin. E & K can be toxic, too, just not as much as A & D. eta: Your water-soluble vitamins (Bs and C) can be toxic, but you have to take exceedingly high amounts of them for that happen.

I take a multivitamin because I don't eat a super well-balanced diet...there is so much I can't eat.

I do not take giant doses of vitamins.

Your body takes the vitamins it needs and does one of two things with the rest: Puts them into storage or sends them out of the body. There is no reason to take giant doses of any vitamin unless you have some deficiency. And taking the giant doses won't help you, anyway.

This is why all those stupid products like "Airborne" don't work. They simply cannot work.

If you eat a well-balanced diet, there is no reason (short of deficiency) to take any sort of vitamin/mineral. But trying to convince Americans of that...might as well try to convince them that they don't need to clean their colons or that stickers on your feet won't cure cancer (or whatever the feet-stickers claim to cure.)

 

[PeterPan09]

I take them because I hate vegetables. I'm good with getting fruit in my diet, but I struggle getting more than one serving of veggies a day. I figure the multi helps me get what I'm missing there.

I also take calcium, fish oil and vitamin C supplements because my MD said that they would help.

 

[BillSears]

Personally I think the study isn't studying why I take vitamins.

From the study:

"Women who took multivitamins, however, weren't any more likely to ward off a diagnosis of breast, ovarian, lung, stomach, bladder, kidney, colorectal or endometrial cancer than were women who didn't take multivitamins. Nor were multivitamins in general helpful in preventing heart attacks, strokes, blood clots or reducing the risk of death from any cause during the study period."

So what they are studying is heart attacks, cancer and other life threatening issues. But did they didn't track the overall day to day health issues. Catching colds, UTIs(I take cranberry and vitamin C), energy, joint pain and many other little things that vitamins might effect.

 

[harleyquinn]

Personally I think the study isn't studying why I take vitamins.

From the study:

"Women who took multivitamins, however, weren't any more likely to ward off a diagnosis of breast, ovarian, lung, stomach, bladder, kidney, colorectal or endometrial cancer than were women who didn't take multivitamins. Nor were multivitamins in general helpful in preventing heart attacks, strokes, blood clots or reducing the risk of death from any cause during the study period."

So what they are studying is heart attacks, cancer and other life threatening issues. But did they didn't track the overall day to day health issues. Catching colds, UTIs(I take cranberry and vitamin C), energy, joint pain and many other little things that vitamins might effect.

That's a very good point!

 

[themarquis]

There are four fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E and K. I think you meant A & D for toxicity - they are toxic if taken in very high levels - not the levels found in your ordinary multivitamin. E & K can be toxic, too, just not as much as A & D. eta: Your water-soluble vitamins (Bs and C) can be toxic, but you have to take exceedingly high amounts of them for that happen.

(from the article) "In 2007, The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed mortality rates in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements. In 47 trials of 181,000 participants, the rate was 5 percent higher among the antioxidant users. The main culprits were vitamin A, beta carotene and vitamin E; vitamin C and selenium seemed to have no meaningful effect."

You're right that there are some potentially toxic vitamins! I was referring to the study where even "non toxic" normal doses of A, beta carotene, and E basically ended up killing people (at least as suggested by the study).

Your body takes the vitamins it needs and does one of two things with the rest: Puts them into storage or sends them out of the body. There is no reason to take giant doses of any vitamin unless you have some deficiency. And taking the giant doses won't help you, anyway.

This is why all those stupid products like "Airborne" don't work. They simply cannot work.

ITA. I saw something recently about how some of those "immune boosting" products like Airborne and Emergen-C can have doses of certain vitamins in the toxic range if you take them as directed (in addition to the fact that the product is mostly going to be flushed out of your body, as you point out).

If you eat a well-balanced diet, there is no reason (short of deficiency) to take any sort of vitamin/mineral. But trying to convince Americans of that...might as well try to convince them that they don't need to clean their colons or that stickers on your feet won't cure cancer (or whatever the feet-stickers claim to cure.)

Well, you've got a point there about the stickers and whatnot. . It is surprising to me, though, that vitamins are such a huge industry (compared to the more fringe stuff like colon cleansing) and so much a part of the "standard", mainstream view of health these days (not even considered "crunchy" at all!)

 

[DMickey28]

Hoodie - I'd be interested in knowing which vitamin you take. My DH is also allergic to Sulfur and he could use a vitamin.

I do take Pre-natals and a BComplex vitamin. We are trying to have another baby so that is the main reason. I usually take the pre-natal all the time though. I am going to continue the BComplex as well because I have noticed that it really helps to maintain my moods and stress level!!

 

[themarquis]

Personally I think the study isn't studying why I take vitamins.

From the study:

"Women who took multivitamins, however, weren't any more likely to ward off a diagnosis of breast, ovarian, lung, stomach, bladder, kidney, colorectal or endometrial cancer than were women who didn't take multivitamins. Nor were multivitamins in general helpful in preventing heart attacks, strokes, blood clots or reducing the risk of death from any cause during the study period."

So what they are studying is heart attacks, cancer and other life threatening issues. But did they didn't track the overall day to day health issues. Catching colds, UTIs(I take cranberry and vitamin C), energy, joint pain and many other little things that vitamins might effect.

Yes, it's true, but most of those things have been studied, too, and there haven't (to my knowledge) been any findings that suggest a benefit (from a multi). This was just a summary article.

There are some exceptions, though. I know that Vitamin D is starting to show some really good results in clinical trials. Calcium is well demonstrated to be beneficial for osteoporosis. Fish oil (omega 3) is beneficial for some conditions and may be linked to better overall health. The list goes on ...

I didn't mean to generalize to all vitamins or all supplements....

 

[Darsa]

I take a multi-vitamin because I know I don't eat enough foods that have the vitamins I'm supposed to have. I also take a B-complex because my doctor suggested that it might ease someo f the horrific cramping I have once a month.

I truly feel better taking the vitamins; whether it's mental or not, I dunno, but I'll take what I can get!

 

[Christine]

I never thought of vitamins as "keeping me healthy" although I guess that's what the ultimate goal is. I think a vitamin should be taken when you think you have shortfalls in your diet.

I'm pretty sure that I don't eat right most of the time, plus I think the quality of our food has really declined due to most of it not being locally grown and eaten fresh. So, in these cases, a multivitamin probably fills in the gaps.

Obviously I am deficient in some things as I have been anemic (iron deficient type) and also recently found to be vitamin D deficient. Of course, neither of these deficiencies were caused by poor diet.

 

[PeterPan09]

Yes, it's true, but most of those things have been studied, too, and there haven't (to my knowledge) been any findings that suggest a benefit (from a multi). This was just a summary article.

There are some exceptions, though. I know that Vitamin D is starting to show some really good results in clinical trials. Calcium is well demonstrated to be beneficial for osteoporosis. Fish oil (omega 3) is beneficial for some conditions and may be linked to better overall health. The list goes on ...

I didn't mean to generalize to all vitamins or all supplements....

Those are the reasons I take the supplements I take. My MD felt that there was enough evidence that they would help, and not enough that taking the recommended dose would hurt in any way.

 

[Hoodie]

Hoodie - I'd be interested in knowing which vitamin you take. My DH is also allergic to Sulfur and he could use a vitamin.

I do take Pre-natals and a BComplex vitamin. We are trying to have another baby so that is the main reason. I usually take the pre-natal all the time though. I am going to continue the BComplex as well because I have noticed that it really helps to maintain my moods and stress level!!

I've found the generics tend to NOT have sulfur compounds. I've had good luck with both CVS generic and Target generics.

I always check the label before I get a bottle, just in case they've changed the formula. It can take a while to get through the list, but start with the generics!

 

[Cool-Beans]

(from the article) "In 2007, The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed mortality rates in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements. In 47 trials of 181,000 participants, the rate was 5 percent higher among the antioxidant users. The main culprits were vitamin A, beta carotene and vitamin E; vitamin C and selenium seemed to have no meaningful effect."

You're right that there are some potentially toxic vitamins! I was referring to the study where even "non toxic" normal doses of A, beta carotene, and E basically ended up killing people (at least as suggested by the study).



ITA. I saw something recently about how some of those "immune boosting" products like Airborne and Emergen-C can have doses of certain vitamins in the toxic range if you take them as directed (in addition to the fact that the product is mostly going to be flushed out of your body, as you point out).



Well, you've got a point there about the stickers and whatnot. . It is surprising to me, though, that vitamins are such a huge industry (compared to the more fringe stuff like colon cleansing) and so much a part of the "standard", mainstream view of health these days (not even considered "crunchy" at all!)

I didn't read the JAMA article and I won't. I didn't like nutrition in nursing school and I still don't. I'm a big one for calling in a Nutrition person, lol.

But "supplement" doesn't necessarily mean your typical multivitamin (e.g. Centrum.) It may very well mean a supplement of some particular vitamin. Denise Austin (God love her) pushed C & E - she was, I'm sure, paid for that by NatureMade or whatever the name of the vitamin company she pushed was. Centrum and its ilk have lower doses of vitamins/minerals that the supplements of one particular drug.

Vitamin C is like the #1 vitamin that Americans think helps them. Most think it helps them avoid colds, but there are other things it is said to avoid. It doesn't. Study after study shows that. But don't tell it to Joe Schmoe in the vitamin aisle.

The reason the companies who push its use do so is that vitamin C isn't stored in the body at all. The body takes what it needs and the rest is just peed right out. You'd have to work at it to poison yourself with vitamin C. So, they can give higher levels of that and people think it is doing them good...and it all gets peed out, so no lawsuits for toxicity.

In any event, A & D are your bigger vitamins for toxicity. Then E and K. Coming in at a distant third are your Bs and C.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I've begun to take more vitamins and supplements in the past few months as I have fibromyalgia and a terrible diet. I'm working on the diet thing too

I really think taking magnesium has helped with some of the symptoms and I can tell when I don't take my B12 in the morning.

As for just a regular old multivitamin, we probably wouldn't need them if we ate right ...