Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I love to research alternative health supplements, natural cures, super foods, etc. But the more I research, the more overwhelmed I feel. There are probably at least a thousand of these that are recommended to eat or take every day. How can we keep track of them all, let alone have time in a day to take them all? Every single day I learn of another one. If I were to take everything they say, my days would be spent doing nothing but that and I would be in debt, as most of it is expensive. How do you decide what to try? Do you just rotate through a few each day?
What do you eat? The best way to get vitamins and minerals is through food. If you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables you do not even need a multivitamin. If there are food groups you dislike or avoid, then the multi might be a good idea. Choose one that has the USP label, indicating the contents have been verified by an independent lab. If you are concerned about a specific deficiency then talk to your doctor about getting tested for it, such as vitamin D.
Herbal supplements are not regulated, so you never know what you are getting when you buy one in the US. They may or may not contain what the label says is in the package, and there may be ingredients in them that are not disclosed on the label.
The Linus Pauling Institute is a good source for information on micronutrients.
You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on supplements. You only need to take what you actually need. I spend $50 every few months on supplements and I am an older person. The brands I buy may be more expensive but I compensate for that by getting them cheaper online. They were all recommended by doctors whom I trust and they are reputable brands. Yes, some MD's do know about supplements.
Doctors can test you for deficiencies. You may have to look up the correct form of the supplement online because most doctors don't know. They can't know everything.
Don't fall for the advertising sites. Just find out what you need to take and take it. Read about possible negative effects from taking too much--and use your brain to determine which sites are trying to sell you something and which sites are actually neutral and telling the truth. Do a lot of research, don't be lazy about this. Be skeptical.
Most people probably could use a well balanced multi even though the studies say you don't. It's because most people don't eat perfect diets. A lot of people drink soda and that depletes certain nutrients. People drink too much caffeine, depleting calcium and magnesium. We take prescription medications that sometimes deplete certain nutrients. Our food supply isn't that great unless we are eating all organic and perfectly balanced without any artificial additives. A multivitamin from a reputable company usually won't harm you and it can help you.
Older people need zinc--and I had a dr give me zinc for immunity when I had a long term illness many years ago. Also, vitamin B12 for older people. Fish oil is good for inflammation despite any "studies" that say it isn't. Look it up for yourself. I got off cortisone shots by taking fish oil and the dr said it was because my pain was from inflammation. Most people are deficient in vitamin D3. Most people are deficient in magnesium and we've had several threads on the best forms of magnesium to take--helps with cramps, nerves, sleep, etc.
Only take what you need. Sometimes you can find a decent nutritionist to help you or a doctor who is well informed and will test you and recommend some supplements if you need them.
For the most part, I am anti-doctors and anti-multivitamins...I get all my information from alternative sources, such as herbalists, holistic health experts, shamans, and firsthand accounts. I have had a bunch of tests done recently that show I am in perfect health. So it's kinda hard to start with what I need when I don't have any problems right now. I just want to prevent everything, hence my obsession with wanting to take everything that prevents everything, lol
For the most part, I am anti-doctors and anti-multivitamins...I get all my information from alternative sources, such as herbalists, holistic health experts, shamans, and firsthand accounts. I have had a bunch of tests done recently that show I am in perfect health. So it's kinda hard to start with what I need when I don't have any problems right now. I just want to prevent everything, hence my obsession with wanting to take everything that prevents everything, lol
In that case, don't stress about it. You're doing fine! I don't know how you can know what you want to prevent. Maybe if you look at the health of your parents or other family members you can make an educated guess at what you should be looking to prevent.
Although few and far between, there are MDs who are knowledgeable about nutrition. I've only had a couple of them in my lifetime but they were for magnesium, zinc, and now even regular MDs are for D3.
When they test you for magnesium and calcium, make sure they test for these minerals WITHIN the CELL, not in the blood. That's how I was tested but I'm not sure that all MDs know about this. My MD was furious when the lab came back with magnesium and calcium from the blood, as it is almost always normal in the blood. That's about all I can say. I try to take notice of any new health issues as they crop up and then I do my research and also probably visit a good MD for tests, if available. Nutritionists have been helpful too.
I have found the best results from MDs who have some knowledge of "alternative" medicine in addition to what they learned in school. I've been fortunate to have lived in an area that is forward thinking in that respect. Some of the herbs are probably very good but you have to be careful and you need to know what you are trying to do in order to know what to take! You can't prevent everything, although it would be ideal.
edited: I just wanted to add that my best MD/nutritionist/alternative people said to eat a lot of dark leafy greens. Eat them every day. "Green heals" is what one doctor used to say. Probiotics too, she used to say--and she recommended seaweeds for iodine. Miso soup for the probiotics and the seaweed in it for the iodine--make your own at home.
She also recommended real pickles, not what you would buy in the grocery store. She took a great interest in Chinese medicine too. A good acupuncturist can diagnose and find weak spots and treat you for them before anything gets worse. That's another road to take.
Last edited by in_newengland; 07-22-2018 at 09:32 PM..
I guess I should have clarified I didn't mean supplements as in multivitamins, I meant things like apple cider vinegar, iodine, Chinese medicine (mushrooms, ginseng, etc.), green foods like spirulina etc.
Well, I've worked with ACV off and on for years and have a bottle in the refrig as I'm not using it now.
I take Iosol iodine for breast tissues and tissues for the total body.
I've looked at Ginseng over the years for a depression I had but found it can elevate blood pressure, but then I finally found the problem was hypoT. Long 10 yrs of depression and it was thyroid.
I've used spirulina at a couple times but couldn't get into it.
At almost 80, I've tried a lot and considering my advanced years, am pretty healthy.
I'm not wild about today's doctors, had a great D.O. and he worked into his 90's and finally left his work and then died in late 90's.
My downfall was a botched/sloppy hip replacement when I was 72, and that's caused me so much grief for the last 8 yrs.
But I'm glad to have supplements...and as I said earlier, mentioned my favorite.
I love to research alternative health supplements, natural cures, super foods, etc. But the more I research, the more overwhelmed I feel. There are probably at least a thousand of these that are recommended to eat or take every day. How can we keep track of them all, let alone have time in a day to take them all? Every single day I learn of another one. If I were to take everything they say, my days would be spent doing nothing but that and I would be in debt, as most of it is expensive. How do you decide what to try? Do you just rotate through a few each day?
Very easy go to Amazon, choose top selling supplements, and view which ones everyone is buying. Then view other too selling lists and compare them.
That should give you an excellent idea of the phony from the fake.
How to decide which to choose? You don’t. The reviews and rankings will tell you what to choose. You only want to buy the stuff that will reach your goals. For me that’s whey protein, creatine, multi-vitamins, and some BCAAs. That’s it.
And if you are counting on foods, I'd do my best to buy organics. I buy organic vegetables, grass fed meats and when I can organic beef.
GMO's are a concern now..A friend is telling me about the online summit series on GMO's she's tuned into.
And I'm certainly not a fan of ingesting fluoride which is added to the majority of tap waters in the U.S. These are big issues if you want to keep a healthy body.
In that case, don't stress about it. You're doing fine! I don't know how you can know what you want to prevent. Maybe if you look at the health of your parents or other family members you can make an educated guess at what you should be looking to prevent.
Although few and far between, there are MDs who are knowledgeable about nutrition. I've only had a couple of them in my lifetime but they were for magnesium, zinc, and now even regular MDs are for D3.
When they test you for magnesium and calcium, make sure they test for these minerals WITHIN the CELL, not in the blood. That's how I was tested but I'm not sure that all MDs know about this. My MD was furious when the lab came back with magnesium and calcium from the blood, as it is almost always normal in the blood. That's about all I can say. I try to take notice of any new health issues as they crop up and then I do my research and also probably visit a good MD for tests, if available. Nutritionists have been helpful too.
I have found the best results from MDs who have some knowledge of "alternative" medicine in addition to what they learned in school. I've been fortunate to have lived in an area that is forward thinking in that respect. Some of the herbs are probably very good but you have to be careful and you need to know what you are trying to do in order to know what to take! You can't prevent everything, although it would be ideal.
edited: I just wanted to add that my best MD/nutritionist/alternative people said to eat a lot of dark leafy greens. Eat them every day. "Green heals" is what one doctor used to say. Probiotics too, she used to say--and she recommended seaweeds for iodine. Miso soup for the probiotics and the seaweed in it for the iodine--make your own at home.
She also recommended real pickles, not what you would buy in the grocery store. She took a great interest in Chinese medicine too. A good acupuncturist can diagnose and find weak spots and treat you for them before anything gets worse. That's another road to take.
I know it's hard to predict what medical issues you will have, other than to go by your parents...my mom is 73 and in perfect health too so that's good, but my dad had a heart attack without knowing it (called a silent heart attack) but he didn't die until about 6 or 7 years later as a result of all the medications they gave him from the heart issue! My blood pressure is normal and I have very little stress in my life and I eat healthier than my dad ever did so I am not worried about that so much. I just want to stay healthy enough to function independently and not become dependent on medications that just create a snowball effect of one issue after another.
I already am taking iodine, I HATE seaweed though and anything that tastes like the ocean, lol so I just take it in liquid form, a few drops into my water and you can't taste anything. I drink kefir occasionally, for probiotics. Curious about real pickles, I didn't know there was such a thing other than the kind you buy in a grocery store!
Very easy go to Amazon, choose top selling supplements, and view which ones everyone is buying. Then view other too selling lists and compare them.
That should give you an excellent idea of the phony from the fake.
How to decide which to choose? You don’t. The reviews and rankings will tell you what to choose. You only want to buy the stuff that will reach your goals. For me that’s whey protein, creatine, multi-vitamins, and some BCAAs. That’s it.
I'm kinda skeptical about the Amazon crowd, lol They tend to be impulse shoppers who just buy what is mainstream and what everyone else says to buy. The kind of places I buy stuff are small locally owned health food stores, or online through a company that is certified organic or from a place that might be the only source of the stuff. It isn't so much that I don't know what to buy, it's that there is TOO much out there to buy, I can't afford it all and couldn't even have time in a day to eat/ingest it all.
And if you are counting on foods, I'd do my best to buy organics. I buy organic vegetables, grass fed meats and when I can organic beef.
GMO's are a concern now..A friend is telling me about the online summit series on GMO's she's tuned into.
And I'm certainly not a fan of ingesting fluoride which is added to the majority of tap waters in the U.S. These are big issues if you want to keep a healthy body.
Oh for sure! I try to always buy organic, and from farmers markets. I really wish I could afford one of those fancy water filters, I even heard bottled water has flouride in it, so you can't escape it unless you have a reverse osmosis machine and all those things cost at least a few hundred dollars.
I'm kinda skeptical about the Amazon crowd, lol They tend to be impulse shoppers who just buy what is mainstream and what everyone else says to buy. The kind of places I buy stuff are small locally owned health food stores, or online through a company that is certified organic or from a place that might be the only source of the stuff. It isn't so much that I don't know what to buy, it's that there is TOO much out there to buy, I can't afford it all and couldn't even have time in a day to eat/ingest it all.
This may be true in some cases but not always, I think only a small percentage of reviews on Amazon are not genuine and/or biased. There are reviews on many other sites as well. I would rather do the research online and yes, that includes reviews to make a more informed decision. It's not the same if you go by the recommendation of one or a small group of people. As far as there being too much, why worry about? Just address any issues you are personally having and if there are none, then so be it. There are supplements for mental health as well as physical health.
As far as vitamins and minerals, ideally we should be getting that from food. It doesn't always work out that way.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
