Vitamin Supplement Advice (Not Melaleucea Sales Pitches Please)

I have a somewhat healthy diet, but I still take vitamins, by direction of my doctor to keep things in balance:

I take a multivitamin every other day (some of the regular multivitamins have plenty of stuff in them we don't need every day) and supplement with an extra dose of Calcium in place of my multivitamin on the days off.

So in the mornings I take either a multivitamin or a 500mg Calcium (since the body can only absorb 500mg of Calcium at a time) along with a Vitamin-C, Magnesium (aids in Calcium absorption), and Vitamin-D (I'm fair skinned and can't stay in sun too long so these help me).

In the evenings I take another 500mg Calcium and another Vitamin-D.
I know it seems like a lot of pills - it's 6 every day, but it's my routine and it's helped improve my mood and if I end up skipping a few days (vacation or whatever) sometimes I feel a little off.

Anyway, hope this helps!

Vitamin D3, Fish Oils (we use Nordic Naturals Pro-DHA), B-complex and Calcium (citrate). Plus a balanced diet full of fruits and veggies and low in sugar and processed foods. I would look into seeing a Naturopath or Nutritionist for further guidance.

The best quality/bang for your buck is a multi made from a whole food source. I'll give you a link that explains bioavailability, and why many supplements end up going right through your digestive tract without being absorbed or utilized: http://products.mercola.com/whole-foods-multivitamin/ Feel free to ignore the ad that is on that website. You can just read the info and find something at your local natural foods store that is whole food based. Keep in mind that just because the bottle has all the vitamins you're looking for, in the quantities you're looking for does not mean that your body will actually utilize those nutrients. Using a high quality product is important.

The two additional supplements I would recommend based on my own experience is Krill oil (for high quality essential fatty acids) and possibly Vitamin D. You should have your vit. D level checked w/the doctor first. Most of us are deficient or borderline, and it is important on so many levels.
Regular fish oil capsules can go rancid before you even purchase them, and can actually be bad for you for that reason, that's why I mentioned krill oil. It is more stable.

If your Vit. D level is normal then you can take a probiotic as your second supplement. Probiotics, from what I've read (and from my own experience) can help your GI tract absorb and utilize nutrients better, contribute to overall immunity and can help keep you regular.

I'm not a doctor or a pharmacist, but frankly there is no guarantee that a doctor or pharmacist would be knowledgable about the best quality supplements (and I'm not knockin' doctors or pharmacists! Docs have way bigger fish to fry!!) Also wanted to mention that even some alternative medicine choices stand up to scientific scrutiny. Some of the "scientifically proven" products that you see advertised are "studied" by the very people who stand to profit from sales. Better to educate yourself about how the body works, how nutrients work in concert with one another to constantly rebuild bone, muscle, blood vessels, nerve coverings, joints, etc. and from there you will see why things like bioavailability, and correct ratio of different types of fats are more important than the numbers of milligrams on the side of the bottle. It's amazing how we can literally rebuild the healthy bodies we want (to a certain extent; genetics certainly have a say) by improving our nutrition. If you want some good book recommendations I'm happy to help, just message me.

I am very interested in integrative medicine and a holistic approach to wellness.

That being said, if I had to pick ONE vitamin/supplement that I wouldn't want to live without it would be a good B-complex. I particularly like one from a company called "Country Life" (name sounds hokey but I've liked their products so far). My next "wouldn't live without" is Vitamin D3.

Sometimes I will try something from Whole Foods (because they have an excellent return policy) and if I really like it I will replenish with an order from I-Herb.com (typically much cheaper). I also enjoy reading I-Herb's customer reviews (I usually start with the lowest ratings).

I'm not a fan of multi-vitamins (prefer a targeted approach).

Good luck.

PS: I'm not a pharmacist or MD! :)

Oh, I love how you poised your question.......

I'd highly recommend visiting websites like ACOG.org (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology), Heart.org (American Heart Association), etc. to see what the current medical guidelines are.

Generally, I prefer to stick with those that are Rx only. My reason has to do with overhearing a conversation between a Nurse Practitioner and her staff at lunch one day (I used to be in pharmaceutical sales and have a degree in biology).

She wanted an Rx for a prenatal vitamin, not because she was pregnant, but because the Rx products have much more consistently monitored safety/effectiveness standards, and the consistency/quality of ingredients must remain closely within guidelines. One of our local pharmacies offers prenatal vitamins free (Rx). For over 2 years, I've paid $0 for an Rx grade prenatal vitamin.

Another issue is that most vitamins are marketed heavily but don't necessarily have to prove their product works as indicated. So, for instance, Calcium can only be absorbed by the human body 500 mg at a time. Purchasing a 1000mg tablet is a complete waste of your money. I don't know why companies manufacturer them because it's physiologically impossible to absorb.

A good pharmacist can steer you in a good direction. My Oncologist is OK with me being on a prenatal.....as long as I take some kind of multivitamin.

I take Oligo multivitamins and calcium supplements. I have personally seen a difference in my energy level and overall well-being since I started with them. Because they allow for maximum absorption your body actually gets more vitamins/minerals than with other leading brands and have all you need. Also, they not only increase but also reduce the free radicals in your body. Both of these statements have been scientifically proven.

My mom is a dietitian. I have asked her this same question (basically) and she says to take a multivitamin daily, make sure you're getting enough calcium, use olive oil (mono-unsaturated fats, omega threes), eat a balanced diet with fish once a week and eat fruits and veggies of all colors. If you do that, you'll have no need for any extra supplements.

Things like "brain health" and "Weight control" etc, are invented by MARKETERS. Don't fall for it. Many cultures with no vitamin industry have produced healthy people because of a balance diet.

I am a PhD scientist and university professor (not a nurse, MD or pharmacist). The only time I have taken vitamins is when I know that there is a chance of a deficiency in my diet (like when I was pregnant or anemic). I firmly believe that unless you are doing something out of the ordinary (like dieting, or doing something metabolically strenuous like pregnancy or copious excercise) your diet should have enough depth to get all of the nutrients we need. Unlike 50 years ago, we can get fresh fruits and veg all times of the year, regardless of where we live we have access to meats and fish and other healthy proteins. I know that I can do a medline search and find scientific reasons for taking this or that supplement- however you can also get every nutrient you need directly from your diet. I spend more time shopping for and preparing non-processed nutritious foods and then don't have to worry about how to supplement.
good luck navigating all of this advice and the myriad of choices out there.

Fish oils are extremely important for everyone. Women should most likely be taking calcium supplements along with Vitamin D to help absorb it. I won't bore you with details, I'm one of those "alternative medicine" people that don't take medicines at all. My husband is a chiropractor and we've always taken supplements. Everything we take is scientifically proven and I suggest you don't take anything that's not!
Good luck!

Dear L.:

If you want to hear the facts, you may want to go to www.anatomystery.com and ask your question there. They are staffed with every known title of doctor you could think of.

Kim

I do not know what multi-vitamins you are taking, but most of what you will find in the grocery stores etc do not have a good absorption rate. I used to think all were the same, but for the last year have switched to a different multi-vitamin and call tell a HUGE difference. Vitamins are not required to have their solubility on their labels. I found out that most of them have less than a 10% absorption rate and they basically cristalized and were flushed out with so little going in to my system. These that I take now are 85% absorpable and I buy them online. The difference is these have something which makes the vitamins high absorpable because they have a binding agent which makes them be like you are eating that fruit or veggie. I am in my 40's and have so much more energy now than I ever have. The company is so sure of their vitamins that they say if after trying the vitamins for 90 days you don't notice a difference then they will refund your money.

I, too, take the Oligo multivitamins and at 64-years old, I am up at 7am and to bed at midnight. My day is full of energy to do all I need to accomplish. There is a huge difference in how I used to feel and how I feel now. The scientific evidence is there and I love my Oligo vitamin/mineral complex. As a test, I put my vitamins and some I had left of others in their own separate container of water. In 25 minutes my Oligo vitamin was completely dissolved and the ones I took in the past, still had not completely dissolved the next day. As a matter of fact one of the old ones was still trying 2 days later. And no they were not passed their ‘best used by date’.

There are very few companies with the scientific evidence to support a product, so I go with research, evidence and proof.

It's interesting that you don't want a sales pitch, but you are watching sales pitches on TV and you see it's confusing! Wellness is the next trillion dollar industry because the baby boomers are aging and because all of us are deficient in our diets. It's interesting that some people still say you can get what you need from your diet if you eat "right" - we have an abundance of fresh food year round, yet we are experiencing epidemic rates of diet-related diseases! The American Medical Association said in 2002 that everyone must supplement because our diets are deficient! Our soils are depleted, foods are artificially treated to make them look big and ripe while they are lacking in nutrients, and even "fresh" foods are picked weeks before and shipped for thousands of miles.

The AMA also said that LIQUID supplements are the best. Any dietician or physician who doesn't know this is not up on the research. And this is NOT new news! Most pills are not absorbed fully - there have been extensive news reports of undigested pills in the water supply, sewage treatment filters, septic tanks, etc. To test what you're taking, put a vitamin pill in a dish of white vinegar. Set the timer for 20 minutes. If there is still a portion of the solid pill, then that's what you didn't absorb if you put it in your stomach. Now, what DID you absorb? Just the coating (which contains wax or shellac to help it pop out of the mold during manufacture)?? Or actual vitamins? If some, which ones?

By trying to choose an individual nutrient (e.g. vitamin C, calcium), we are doing the exact opposite of what nature intended, which is that nutrients work TOGETHER in the body. Taking just one doesn't work if you aren't taking the other things that vitamin needs to be able to function.

So you need a liquid supplement that is totally balanced, that is absorbed into your cells within 20 minutes. You need to be sure it is manufactured in the US, and ideally has a US government patent to ensure that it is unique, safe and effective.

You are asking to hear from physicians - but ask them how many nutrition courses they had in medical school. The good ones will honestly tell you "zero" or "one but it was an elective". Their information comes from the pharmaceutical sales reps - talk about sales pitches! Their job is to sell sell sell drugs to the physicians, which treat symptoms but not the underlying cause. The result is the commercials you see - a pill for this, a pill for that.

Doesn't it make more sense to prevent the problem than to treat its symptom? That's why we're in the mess of everyone on pills - which make a lot of money for the manufacturer but don't really help the consumer all that much.

Please DON'T throw in a couple more pills - you will run the risk of getting too much of one thing and making yourself worse. Synthetic or natural, same story. People wind up in the hospital with problems because they are trying to dose themselves. Your best bet is to work with a comprehensive program from a food science company, one with proven results and clinical trials to prove their products' efficacy, and with strong customer support to help you. And they should offer a money-back guarantee.