Do You Take Supplements?
There’s lots of debate about whether or not women should be taking supplements—especially multivitamins. Prevention did an awesome story a while ago asking that very question, and they came to the conclusion that women probably do not need to take multis(!). Other recent research has called into question whether or not we should all be dosing ourselves with D and calcium, too. (Jury is still out on those ones.)
So we want to know: Do you take supplements? And if you do, what do you take it for?
We can keep the answers simple (or not—go crazy if you want). Here, I’ll go first:
Omega-3: I take this every day without fail, for skin, mood, hair, and hormone balance.
Folic acid: No, I’m not trying to get pregnant! I take it for other reasons I don’t want to talk about, and I do so religiously.
That’s it! I used to take D but stopped. I also used to take E and A, and stopped those too. Your turn. What do you take?
I’ve generally taken some sort of supplement throughout my adult life, but am committed to getting most of what I need through food (for example, lots of leafy greens and a couple tablespoons of flax meal each day go a long way). That said, perimenopause brought with it greater need for certain things. I take calcium and iron on alternate days, B complex every other day, and the rest every day.
calcium/magnesium: for my old bones, obviously ; )
iron: started this after several cycles of getting a period every two weeks, now I’m back to normal (for me)
B complex: helps with energy levels especially on my heavier exercise days
E: started after having scalp itch, seems to help (but I also changed to all clean hair products)
Ginkgo: for memory/focus, really helps with fuzzy brain
D: major boost for immune system
turmeric/bromelain: anti-inflammatory
remifemin (black cohosh): herbal remedy for my whacky hormones (works!!)
I take supplements based on evidence for need in women my age/circumstances, and most importantly based on what my body is telling me. If I had my younger days to live over again, I think I’d stick with getting all I need from healthy food, but still take D. You just can’t get enough D from sunlight during much of the year where I live.
Nothing! I used to take a multi, iron, calcium, and omega-3 oils. And then the more I started reading about supplements and how they might not be necessary, I plugged my average daily diet into one of those nutritional calculator tools and saw that I was getting everything I needed. I don’t restrict any food groups from my diet (and have a pretty balanced diet overall, except my chiropractor just told me I was “a touch too yin,” whatevs), which probably helps with that.
Omega-3 is the only one that I’d take again, if my lifestyle changed. (And when I travel, I do take a multi because I can’t necessarily have my go-tos that keep me healthy.) As is, I eat omega-3-rich fish several times a week, and have flaxseeds or chia seeds every day, so I’m getting what I need. I’ve noticed my PMS getting worse with age so I may try to up my intake to help with that, using the oil supplement.
I started to take lysine when I’m under stress because I’m prone to fever blisters, and a lysine-arginine imbalance can trigger them. And then, a week after I started taking lysine, I got one, thus strengthening my resolve to not take anything!
As a vegan, I need to take something, and feel more comfortable taking one multivitamin a day and one omega 3 than a lot of random pills. Seeing as how I live in Holland (too far from the equator for the sun to give me adequate vitamin D), I’d have to take 4 pills a day if I’d take everything separate.
I find that if I skip the multivitamin for about a week I get cravings for cheese. Maybe it’s psychological, but it’s made me very strict in taking it.
Magnesium is necessary because of active sport so as not to cramp. Anyways, I feel very comfortable with my multi-vitamin, it’s a natural one from vegetables, and I eat very well, but that B12 and D, there’s nothing to be done about that (if I want to be able to live with myself morally).
I take my omega 3’s and vitamin D for their protective qualities.
I’m not a huge fan of supplements, but as a vegetarian-almost-vegan, I feel like I need something. So I take Linseed/Flax seed oil and Green Vibrance. I also take vitamin D and calcium/magnesium, because I was found to be severely deficient and was likely having other issues due to that deficiency!
Sometimes I take milk thistle, and will probably go on and off of different herbal supplements as I learn more.
I take a multi, fish oil, and some Vitamin D, because I try to avoid exposure to carcinogenic UV rays, and I can’t eat salmon every meal.
I always take naturally sourced whole food vitamins. Why spend all this cash on clean beauty products for my outside, and then take synthetic vitamins filled with preservatives for my inside? It’s really surprising what kinds of ingredients you’ll find on a bottle of synthetic vitamins. I’ve even found titanium dioxide which is not something I’d like to ingest regularly, even in small amounts.
I’m also looking into taking a naturally sourced calcium supplement, because however much I try, I never seem to get enough calcium in my diet. (I confess, I’m picky. I don’t like cheese or dairy or soy milk, and I can only eat so much broccoli a day.) As with anything else you buy, it’s important to read the ingredients label. Nothing else written on the bottle really has any value.
When I remember, I take:
- omega 3, 6 & 9
- multivitamin
- Trying Estrosmart (Lorna Vanderhaeghe) for acne that I’ve had far too long
I eat well and am active. We’ll see how the above goes with regards to my skin. I’ve made myself a goal not to buy supplements that I can otherwise get from food.
I take a multivitamin. I stopped taking it for a while, but then I got a weird metallic taste in my mouth due to being zinc-deficient. I am making a conscious effort now to eat a more balanced diet, since I obviously wasn’t getting enough zinc in my diet. (I also donate blood every time I am eligible, maybe that contributed to the deficiency)
I take magnesium to help my digestive system (best thing I’ve ever used, even better than Pearl pro-biotics). And a B-12 tablet. I started taking the B-12 for energy and then realized after taking it for a few months it was working wonders on my metabolisim.
I actually really believe in supplements, especially if you are deficient (even when eating healthy and staying active – which i do on both counts). I try to find the most “clean” supplements I can – mostly from the co-op.
I take:
a multi-vitamin (high in B’s and calcium)
fish oil (heart & mood)
D (mood)
iron (i am anemic)
a skin & memory mix (CoQ10, DMAE, MSM, ALA)
probiotic
I really feel like a pill popper after reading the posts before me. I take Zyrtec at bedtime for my allergies and also Biotin for my very fine, thin hair [hoping to keep it as long as possible-maternal genetics are not so good in the hair department :o( ]. In the morning I take a multi, red yeast rice (cholesterol LDL is getting borderline, vit. D (my DR. just started me on that one) , and coQ10(my own doing-I heard it was a good thing…)
morning: i take fish oils, flax (i grind myself), tumeric, vit d,
at night: i take a small dose of melatonin to keep me from waking in a panic attack at 3am and 1 pill of triphala (organic india brand) to sooth my digestion.
I take a multi and a flaxseed oil every night. The multi because I’m nursing, and the flaxseed to help my oh-so-dry eyeballs. It’s made a big difference! Probably isn’t hurting my cholesterol or whatever, either.
I take lots: a food-based multivitamin, calcium, iron, evening primrose (heard this was good for skin), B Complex (on a gluten-free diet, I notice when I forget to take this), Fish Oil (good for pretty much everything, it seems :), and a probiotic. My regular life is so busy that I don’t really have time to cook during the week, and I could be better about cooking on the weekends to prepare for this, but I’ve yet to really figure this out. I envy all of you who have the planning skills to eat a good diet! :)
I take a lot of supplements but most importanly I take Raw Omega 3 – Fatty Acis,
Alpha Lipoid Acid, Green Tea Extracts, CoQ10, Vit D in 1000, B-Complex
http://contessalaville.blogspot.com/2011/03/no-more-dirty-looksrediscovering-your.html
I reluctantly and haphazardly take calcium/magnesium/zinc, because of osteoporosis in my family. However, they make me feel ill, so if I forget to take them, (which is the norm), I don’t make it up. I do worry about that though. I try to get enough calcium in my diet and I live in a sunny one-climate state, so Vitamin D isn’t a problem. I just do not see the benefit of taking any isolated compound. I believe that foods provide the proper combination of vitamins, minerals and other elements to make them most effective to the body.
I was taking omega-3 and that was it, but sine being pregnant I am now taking a prenatal multi with DHA.
I used to take multivitamins, but stopped when I heard that it increases the risk of cancer. Now I’m taking B-vitamin complex to balance my hormones. I don’t take omega-3 pills since I’m vegetarian, but I do take flax seed oil every morning. I’ve done it for such a long time that I can’t even remember why, but since omega-3 is good for us I see no reason to stop. I also take zinc pills since my body of some reason can’t use the zinc in food. Weird, but since I started to take 30 mg zinc each day the white spots on my nails has disappeared.
I just started taking Vitamin D every day because I live way up north and we rarely see the sun so it helps with the S.A.D. and I read that it’s supposedly helpful for athletic pursuits and I’m testing that idea since I easily fall in the extremely active category. I don’t generally believe in supplements, and I take the vit. D under protest. ♥
I take multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin c during flu and cold season, and often additional calcium. but a multivitamin can increase your risk of cancer?? yikes. I may stop.
Due to the fact that I have malabsorption (from years of misdiagnosed Celiac Disease), I take quite a few; all are based in deficiency, so I don’t take them haphazardly. I take a Basic Nutrients, Vit D, amino acid blend, physphatidylserine, Vit. B, Probiotics, Magnesium, Lysine, K2, Curcumin, Bioperine, Chlorella, Acetyl-Carnitine, and a big tablespoon of Cod Liver Oil twice a day. So, it sounds like a lot, but I’m only “getting” about 48% of what I take in, so it is definitely a necessity and I am a completely different person because of these! When you are pushing 50, you want to be sure to have what your system needs…not just what the RDA states (that is basically a standard established to only prevent rickets…so it is the bare minimum!).
Comagirl: Have you tried taking you Ca/Mg at night just before bedtime? I absolutely cannot stomach calcium supplements at any other time but I can usually get though the nausea they produce if I’m asleep.
Finally saw someone chime in with Chlorella! I’m surprised to not see it more often. I take Chlorella, a thyroid supportive mix (since I’m subclinical but still at low levels), D, B12, C, calcium/magnesium, amino acid blend, probiotics, and niacin if I’ve been feeling blue. I probably don’t need the D at all given that I work outside in Florida…
I used to take multi-vitamins daily…mostly because my sister who was taking college classes to become a doctor convinced me that I needed them. Now that she’s in med school, for Osteopathy which is a more hollistic approach to medicine, she is focusing on homeopathic medicine and I haven’t heard her rants (as well intentioned as they were) about taking vitamins as much as I used to. Well, I stopped believing in the need for supplements after reading a lot of studies about how it’s a huge money market (and after reading the China Study) and if you eat a balanced diet you can get everything you need. I’m a vegetarian (lactose intolerant at that) so I avoid dairy, probably not as much as I should, but most people probably think I would need supplements.
The only thing I take occasionally is a Vitamin D supplement because after living 2 years in London, I came back and got some routine blood tests and my vitamin D levels were deficient (go figure) where as everything else was fine.
I’ve never noticed a difference in energy, appearance, memory, metabolism, etc. when I take multi-vitamins. I personally feel like they’re unnecessary as a daily routine unless you have an actual deficiency. But just as long as you eat colorful meals (which will ensure a lot of vitamins) and you exercise…you’re good to go. Sorry, I went crazy.
I’m post-cancer so my needs are a bit different. My thyroid is failing from the radiation treatments, which causes anemia, and my lymphatic system isn’t in great shape from the cancer. If I forget my supplements I just feel like kaka. I try to eat good but that’s not always possible so if I do supplements I know I’m getting what I need.
I take omega 3’s, a whole food based multivitamin, extra B complex, vitamin C, vitamin D (I’m not supposed to be out in the sun, it’s a hard balance to make), loads of iron, and synthetic thyroid.
I’m currently down to just fish oil.
I used to take a handful of various vitamins every day. I now only take a B-12 supplement and a vitamin D in the winter. I try to get all of my vitamins in my daily diet.
500mg of ascorbic acid (vit C), because I can’t remember the last time I had a fruit this winter (I live in Canada, and we import just about all fruit except really crappy cooking apples, and the prices can be quite high at times).
I take a multi-vitamin, a Vitamin C, a Calcium and a cranberry supplement in the morning, and another couple of cranberry supplements in the evening.
Whenever I’ve stopped taking the multis, I start getting hangnails, so there’s obviously something I’m missing in my regular diet. The cranberry supplements are because I’m very prone to urinary tract infections, and taking them keeps those at bay (they’re a godsend, really).
The Calcium is at the doctor’s suggestion, and I had a good reason when I started taking the C, but now I can’t remember what it was….. might have to research that again.
I do indeed:
Garden of Life Multi
Resveratrol (along with Sunflower Lechitin for better absorption)
Tyrosine
Hyaluronic Acid
Milk Thistle
Maca Root
Green Tea Extract
B-Complex
Krill Oil (reportedly better than Fish Oil)
2 tablespoons of Udo’s Oil
I used to take a green/proteins powder but I started on green smoothies so I don’t take it every day anymore :)
Hi,
I am a student naturopath. I have done a lot of research concerning supplements and most of the experts I trust take the basic three:
1) Multivitamin- generally look for one that is two to three tablets a day for two reasons. One- calcium and magnesium in particular are very bulky minerals so you will undoubtedly not get enough from just taking a one a day supplement. Also, it’s best to take divided doses of B vitamins, instead of taking your daily dose all at once, so you absorb more in smaller amounts.
2) Immune formula: containing extra vitamin C and zinc. Mine also has elderberry too, which is wonderful for stopping any kind of virus- taken regularly it can prevent cold sores permanently!! (I’ve had my hubby on it and he hasn’t had one for 9 years!!) This kind of thing is great to take whenever you feel like you’re coming down with something. I don’t think either of us has been sick for more than a day because we always dose up on it. The one I take is Patrick Holford ImmuneC- it’s amazing!!
3) Essential Omega fatty acid supplement- let’s face it it’s difficult to get enough. If you have PMT make sure you’re getting enough of an omega-6 fatty acid called GLA. (it’s also great for eczema and dry skin, a natural anti-inflammatory, but you also need Omega-3 with it for it to work most effectively, so take a supplement that has a good balance of omega3 and omega-6 fats!
I also take,
Extra Antioxidants- a balanced complex is best as opposed to just taking a lot of one antioxidant as certain antioxidants actually recycle other antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals from UV light, pollution, chemicals, cigarette smoke etc… and keep you looking young!
Additionally, I take a green food supplement for a boost from time to time called Clean Greens, it’s great for a detox and full of enzymes, trace minerals and vitamins.
Obviously, these are just the basics for people who generally have good health. If you have particular health concerns, you can add other supplements on top of this.
Happy pill-popping!!
I am actually really trying to figure out the best route to go with regards to supplements- I am a 27 year old and currently have no medical insurance. This has become a problem because I am beginning to suspect that I may have a hormonal imbalance and need to have testing done, but can’t. :-/
I used to take a prenatal multi vitamin because my hubby and I have been ttc for quite a while now, but after a MC last year, I stopped the pills. However, like I said- I’m now trying to figure out a mixture of supplements that might help balance my hormones. It’s been suggested that I start Black Cohosh and Evening Primrose oil for hormonal reasons (but I’m hesitant to start them since I’ve also been told that it’s extremely important to take those only after your “AF” arrives bc it can cause MCs. Since my cycle is so umpredictable- I am afraid to misjudge the right tim to take these supplements.
I have also considered the flax seed oil because I have eczema and have heard that this can help with that…
So what does everyone think????? After some of the research I’ve done, I am seriously considering going with Flaxseed oil, a B-Complex ( also said to balance hormones, right?) and maybe ONE of the others (primrose oil or cohosh)
Anyone have good advice for me?? Help is appreciated- thanks ;-)
I take a multi and a fish oil. I think one really has to worry about Vitamin D. I live in southern AZ, am outside all the time, and was tested to be Vitamin D deficient! Apparently, sun exposure with sunscreen doesn’t do any good. So now I sit outside and bare my arms and legs 20 minutes per week. My doctor says that should be sufficient.
No – Really – the Lady Soma Cranberry Concentrate Pills changed my life. I would get extremely painful UTIs at least once every couple of months. That meant doctor’s visits and urine cultures, and antibiotics. Nobody wants to take that many antibiotics!!
I tried the Lady Soma brand Cranberry pills (since they are just made for women) rather than go on prophylaxis and they work! I don’t know how, but they do. I take one in the morning and one in the afternoon and stay at hydrated as possible, and I have been UTI free! Definitely worth the money.