Multivitamin without iron because you don't need the iron when you are over 50. Right now, 50,000 units of Vit D once a week (prescription) because my D was so low. Be sure to have your VitD checked if you have not - they are finding some major connections to health issues because of low D. That is all my doc has me on. DH also takes Omega-3 for his heart, because he won't eat fish.

Les, I have been hearing alot about vitamin D deficiency. Because we spend so much time outdoors, I don't think mine could be low - but I am going to have it checked next physical, because now I am curious!

Now to the original question, I don't take vitamins routinely. I'm under 50 and have discussed this with our doctor. I do eat a well balanced diet, don't have low iron, etc. I should probably consider taking calcium, but I don't as of now. During flu/cold season, hubby and I do usually take an all B with C formula - as a boost to our immunity.

I don't like taking meds/pills either and am very healthy at this point, so until my doc recommends otherwise, I'll probably continue as I am.

tina

I take a multi vitamin 3 times a day (that's what the dosage is) and (2) Optimal EFAs Caps which is a blend of fish oil, flax seed oil, borage oil everyday.

I've read that you should choose a comprehensive multivitamin that has at least 100% of the daily value (DV) or reference daily intake (RDI). Start slowly because they may upset your stomach. Start with half the recommended amount and space the out during the day after meals. Increase as tolerated but don't go over the 100% DV.

I've also read you should take a high quality omega-3 fat daily.

I've yet to take any phytonutrient powders but that's something I would like to start. I definitly don't eat enough fruit and veggies (I think it's 5 to 13 servings a day) and the powder are the substances that give them their color, flavor, smell, and natural disease resistance.

I think it's very important to at least take a multi vitamin. The soil isn't what it used to be years ago. Eating organice is better but it can also be expensive. My sister and BIL will argue that but IMO, it's expensive.

According to a lot of research, taking a multi vitamin is not necessarily good for you. There is no strong evidence that people who take vitamin pills are healthier, and apparently there can be some downsides to getting vitamins in pill form rather than from the food you eat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Reader's Digest article on vitamins

Carol, I could be wrong but it seems I read not too long ago that Foilac Acid in higher amounts aren't good for us.

I do know that some vitamins like A can be extremely harmful to us.

Double the water soluble vitamins but not the others.

I really need to start taking vitamins for energy. My dh is dedicated to taking his and he's full of energy!

Like most other things, mega dosing on vitamins/herbs is bad. IMO, quality is very important. Like politics and religion, vitamins can be highly debated as well.

Not a vitamin fan. I try to eat right and get my exercise. The problem with vitamins, they aren't regulated. The amount of vitamin A, etc. in one pill may well be different than the amount of vitamin A, etc. in the next pill.

Dr Dean O'dell's parents used to manufacture vitamins. That he is anti-vitamins is telling, IMO. YMMV, of course.

My sister is huge into vitamins and has been for decades. I've never met an unhealthier person in my life. She'd do better to just eat a healthy diet, IMO. She is afraid to gain an ounce. At 4'11", she weights 80 pounds. She'll eat radishes breakfast, lunch and dinner and take vitamins. Oye. (I realize she isn't the average person who takes vitamins.)

Carole - I was reading up on this after your post. While I do prefer to get my vitamins from my diet, I was reading about Folic Acid and found that sometimes manmade can be better! The dose you listed does not appear to be to high.

I have a doctor's appt. next month and am going to ask about the folic acid and also vitamin D.

tina

Here is a link that might be useful: folic acid

I may look into taking some of these that he suggests and looking into the book Sheesharee recommended.

I don't drink alot of milk, but do eat cheese and broccoli and other calcium foods, but I worry about my bones a bit.

My Dad has clogged arteries and blood pressure issues, so I may also start taking a baby aspirin every day - does anyone do that?

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Oz recommendations by age

Aspirin is not always the right choice for women, and you should never start taking aspirin without checking with your doctor. Aspirin is a drug, and can have serious side effects.

If you have concerns about your calcium intake and bone density, particularly if you are over 50, post-menopausal, have a family history of osteoporosis or have a personal history of broken bones as an adult, or are taking medications like steriods over a long period, consider asking your doc about a bone mineral density scan. They are simple, quick and a good way to get an idea of where you are, and start working on issues that you may have.

I journal my food intake daily and know that I get over 100% of my calcium, A, C and D. However, I still take a bunch of pills:
- One multi-vitamin for women with iron, calcium, zinc & folic acid,
- 1300mg Omega-3 (heart health),
- 3000mg Glucosamine & 1500mg Chondroitin (joint health - I workout a lot and my stiffness has improved immensely)
- 320mg Saw Palmetto & 2500mcg Biotin (hair health)
- 76mg Niacin (Reduce Cholesterol & improve workouts)

I've never felt better in my life. Of course that's probably because I've lost 140 lbs., workout about 14 hours a week and have the resting heart rate of an athlete. However, not only do I journal what I eat, I journal how I feel physically and I can see an improvement when I start taking supplements. I just started taking the Niacin and right now I have a rash around my neck (part of what they call the "Niacin flush"). It's supposed to go away after a week or so but if it doesn't go away, I'll stop taking it. Which is too bad because my energy level is through the roof.

I take a pre-natal vitamin every evening as I'm still part time nursing (once a day), but since I started taking pre-natal vitamins before even getting pg (tried for a while), I've not been sick nearly as much as I used to so at my yearly I'm going to ask the doc about continue taking the pre-natal even when I stop nursing. Also going to ask my endocronologist about it since I have type 1 diabetes which before pre-natals meant I got everything that went around.

kellyeng, does the niacin give you energy? I would like to check into that!

Ah, glucosamine and chondroitin. My pharmacist swears by it, my family doc suggested I give it a try, as he said it works well for some. Unfortunately, I was not one of the people. Took it for three months and it made no difference at all. I was so disappointed.

Great job on getting so healthy, Kellyeng!

Ollies, yes the niacin gives me tons of energy and I'm happy to report my rash is gone!

Les, that's too bad because the G&C has been great for my day-after workout soreness & stiffness. Thanks for the compliment, it has been a long hard road but well worth it!

Be careful in taking over the RDA of a vitamin. From what I read the RDA of niacin is 15 - 20 mg. It IS a B vitamin (B3) and the b vitamins are known for energy (many people take b12 shots).

Anyway, Kelly - wow! Your weight loss is quite an accomplishment! What type diet did you follow? Biotin is good for your nails too isn't it? Can you tell a difference there?

tina

Les917 - you might want to do some reading about Cetyl Myristoleate. My BIL saw tremendous improvement using it. And I am using the canine formula on an older dog with good results. I buy it directly from the manufacturer's website:
http://www.myristin.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Myristin

Niacin flush can scare the cr@p out of you if you aren't expecting it! It happened to me when I took a supplement that I didn't realize had niacin in it.

Flushing is a warm, tingling, itching feeling of the skin accompanied by redness of the skin. It occurs most commonly in the face and the trunk, although it can occur from head to toe. Flush can be extremely uncomfortable and may be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, chills, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, and even fainting.
Niacin causes flushing by dilating (expanding) the blood vessels on the surface of the skin. Although this side effect of niacin is harmless, it is often severe enough for people to stop taking niacin.

Here is a link that might be useful: Niacin flush info

Yes to what Terriks just said! About 6 years ago I took a single Niacin pill. It sounded like a good idea at the time.

I went into major panic mode. I felt like I was going to pass out, extreme flush, etc. I was at work and just tried to stay calm in my office and it went away eventually. At the time I actually wondered if I was going to end up at the hospital. It is in the multivitamin I take but I haven't had any problems with that. I'll never take another individual pill again. Of course not everyone has that bad of a reaction.

About niacin, how soon after taking did the flush appear? And, did it appear as soon as you took the first, or was is a couple of days after taking a niacin pill? I am wondering what to expect when if I do take it.

The flush occurs within minutes. I remember taking this particular supplement, then getting on my treadmill. I had to get off and take a cool shower, it was that strong. The entire episode was over within an hour or so. It was like a mega hot flash, for those of you familiar with those.
They do make "non flushing" niacin, and I believe that your body can get used to the niacin. I know that it is supposed to be good for lowering cholesterol.

Anyway, Kelly - wow! Your weight loss is quite an accomplishment! What type diet did you follow? Biotin is good for your nails too isn't it? Can you tell a difference there?

Tina, I first started on Weight Watchers and exercise but even though I had wonderful success I decided that I wanted to know more about the calories and nutrients I was putting into my body. I switched to using an online journal (myfooddiary.com) that gives me more detailed info including what percent of my calories are coming from fat/carbs/protein. I'm doing some serious weight lifting and need to keep my protein up to 30-35%. My total calories that I eat everyday is based on my resting metabolic rate and the calories I burn through working out. If I have a light workout day I eat fewer calories. When I'm really on top of things and meeting my daily goals I can easily lose 2.5 to 3lbs per week.

Biotin is great for nails and hair as well as boosting the metabolism. I have a hypothyroid and starting taking medication a year ago and my hair fell out badly. It's still not back to the way it was but is a little thicker.

Yes, the niacin reaction is immediate. I don't get the hot flash feeling or flushing (which is weird because I am very fair and flush very easily). My rash is/was a ring around my neck and slightly raised. It took a little over a week to go away.

I take glucosamine chondroitin and a fish oil pill. I should take a multivitamin, but I find that I tend to get a bit "backed up" from them, so I've stopped. I know I'm not getting everything from my diet though, so I should probably do something.

RE: the baby aspirin. I did it for a while based on a family history of early heart disease. Not sure how old you are, but for me (in my late 30s), it made my periods absolutely hellacious -- every month, I thought I was going to to bleed to death. Doc said it was a normal side effect because aspirin thins the blood, but I couldn't take it anymore (I was leaking through my clothing on a daily basis) so I stopped.

Only thing I know about niacin is that you shouldn't take it if you have rosacea. It takes your already dilated blood vessels and dilates them further.

It is hard to know what to do with new studies coming out all the time. Below is a link to some studies on Folic Acid that say it is actually not good for you.

I do think as some mentioned it is good to get your D level tested. I didnt want to go to the doctor for it and found a place that did if for you for a fee via mail. It is called http://www.grassrootshealth.net/daction - they have increased the fee by $20 since I had it done. I am happy to say that even though I don't go in the sun (I have had Melanoma) my level was fine. It really is about how your body processes it, not just how much sun you get. My father has been tired for years and I urged him to get tested. His was severely low. His Dr was shocked and had never thought of testing a male.

Congratulations Kellyeng. That IS quite an accomplishment. You must be so thrilled. I am curious if you don't mind sharing, how old are you?

I take Dr. Furhmans vitamins and take a Multi, OsteoSun (D and calcium), and I am going to add the DHA supplement as soon as I get the chance to place an order. I am running low on vitamins.

Here is a link that might be useful: more info on folic acid