Vitamins & Supplements
 

morning all!

I was wondering if anyone took any vitamins or supplements out there. I've been getting some weird cravings as of late (like, um cheddar cheese and not being able to satiate it) and just started taking:

a daily multi-vitamin
Glucomannan root (fiber)
cinnamon

The last two are new to me and while I am taking them to help with some digestion issues I have, I've also heard both are good for weight-loss (not a magic pill mind you - I know those don't exist :lol3:). the Glucomannan, if you take before a meal, is fiber so it makes you feel full. The cinnamon, supposedly, helps your fat metabolism. Again, taking both to help alleviate my other issues but aiding in my weight loss with good diet (yay SB) and exercise wouldn't hurt me.

What kinds of supplements and vitamins do you take? Have you ever taken the ones I mention above?

I started experimenting with cinnamon a few weeks ago. I've read a lot of research that claims it can help regulate blood sugar. I'm trying to tweak it to control my crazy, late afternoon eating binges. I'm adjusting the timing and think it might be helping but it will definitely take a few more weeks to know for sure. Other than that all I take is Vit. D per my doctor's instruction. You could count the chia seed that I add to my breakfast every day. Same rationale as your fiber supplement, just a different form.

I just read some interesting research about vitamins and supplements yesterday. They are finding that we take way too many (not a surprise knowing some of my friends). There might be a connection to lowered life expectancy with some. I'm waiting to read more studies. I track everything in FitDay so watch my percentages closely. I'm able to get everything I need, other than the D, from my food, definitely my preference.

Very good to know Cyn! I don't track anymore but may start using sparkpeople again for it.

I thought that any additional vitamins and minerals are just removed from our bodies via the bathroom? I wonder how it would cause lower life expectancy? Interestingly scary. Glad to hear about the cinnamon. I've actually been craving EVERYTHING cinnamon lately!

DW takes 2 Vitamin D pills (she calls them Sunshine pills) to aid with her depression in the winter as well as Osteoporosis that runs in her family.

It's the whole fat soluble vs. water soluble thing. I think our bodies can just excrete the water soluble but not the fat soluble? Any medical types want to correct/clarify that because I'm sure it's not that simple. The research listed iron as a possible problem but I've also read similar concerns with E.

I think everyone should be taking a Vitamin D supplement. Ask your Dr. to test your Vitamin D level. You don't know how much to supplement unless you know what your level is, and most of us are quite deficient, so the recommended amounts are way too low. I was told by my Dr. that my level of 34 was OK. After researching it, I found out that 50-80 is optimal for good health and the Vitamin D experts suggest taking 1000 Units for every 25# of body weight to raise the level to optimum. After supplementing with 1000 Units/day, I was only able to get it up in the 40's. I started using 5000 Units and finally have my level in the 60's. Lots of research is pointing to Vitamin D as one of the most important supplements you can take. We are now supplementing newborns where I work to improve immune health.

I also take Calcium Citrate & Magnesium for bone health and recently started taking K2 (new research indicates K2 is vital for strong bones). I take a high grade liquid Fish Oil supplement too.

I rarely take my multivitamin and feel like I get plenty of vitamins from the huge amounts of produce I eat. Women my age aren't recommended to take Iron anymore, so I use one without it.

I too had a very low vitamin D level(14!) he gave me 50,000 units to take once a week for 4 weeks, and I did that and felt better. I take 5000 units/week. I was freaked out at first that he would give me such a high dose... I actually just started taking the Vitamin D again this fall because this was the time that I went in last year and I am pretty sure it has to do with my seasonal depression(self diagnosed, but each year this time I start to feel this way!) anyway- the vitamin d seems to help so I am starting to take it again.

I also think that it is bad to take too many supplements. I believe that the things we need are best eaten in their natural form. I think that phyto-nutrients help our bodies take these things in and make them work to our bodies advantage and I think sometimes taking too much of one thing can lead to deficiency in another. (Im confusing myself here trying to write this-lol)

BUT, I take a multi vitamin called Alive! without added iron.
They recommend taking 3/day and I usually take 2. I really think I feel better when taking these and they don't make me nauseous like some vitamins have in the past. They give me lots of energy throughout the day and they have fruits, veggies, mushrooms, etc in them so they aren't just straight vitamins.

Thanks Anne, I was hoping you would see this thread and respond :)

I take a multivitamin and have recently added coenzyme q-10. I don't remember what it does but had read that people on statins should supplement and when I asked my doctor she said "probably." I had my D tested once and it was fine but now I wonder what the level was. Dr. Oz mentions many supplements on his show for various things, lots to help with metabolism and cravings. Cinnamon is supposed to also lower cholesterol. I hate swallowing pills or I might actually take more supplements!

I take cinnamon, too! I read that it was good for women with PCOS, also because it regulates insulin. But I just mix mine in with hot water (like a cinnamon tea)
I usually take flaxseed, vitamin B, a hair & skin vitamin called Dermavit and cod oil. But yesterday my Dr. told me not to take so many. He said that sometimes taking too many vitamins can cause you to become hungrier and eat more than you need to. He said to stick with the Dermavits and try not to take much more.

I take green tea & blueberry extracts, vitamin D, and a DHA-heavy omega-3 supplement.

I think that most of us are well-nourished enough with fortified foods that we're not vitamin deficient enough to require multivitamin supplementation. The big exception, of course, is vitamin D, especially at my high latitude (where its estimated that 90+% of us are vitamin D deficient). I'm not a fish eater, which is why I add the fish-derived omega-3 supplement (ground flax will give you omega-3s, but really isn't a great source of the key DHA). I take the green tea and blueberry extracts for possible antioxidant effects. Not a lot of good evidence behind them, though.

I take cinnamon and cayenne and it seems to not only help keep my blood sugar stable but also lowers my cholesterol.

I also take a daily multi, plus Vit D, C, and Lysine (for my immune system).

I am going to back to school to become a dietitian and cant wait to figure all this stuff out! In my current nutrition class, i've learned that what fat soluble means is that you need fat in your diet in order for the vitamins to absorbed and water soluble needs water to be absorbed. I personally feel like eating a variety of foods is the best way to get most of the vitamins you need. Of course, some people have dietary restrictions (vegetarians, etc) that make it more difficult to get all their nutrients. But taking in too much of something can also be harmful... some vitamins have toxicity levels and some vitamins interfere with absorption of other vitamins...

I take a multi vitamin, vitamin d, a b complex and biotin. Prob too much but I feel great and knock on wood but have warded off the sickies for a year now!

I may be one of those excessive supplement people.
I take what I call my cocktail Cinnamon & Chromium for blood sugar control. I've been taking these together for 4 weeks now after each meal and I have no after meal crash or cravings. This could also be attributed to SBD but I started taking them 2 weeks before I started SBD and they still helped.
I take Iron 2x a day as I'm extremely anemic (Dr's orders)
Biotin (for my hair :-))
and Maca Root (helps my mood, regulates my hormones & gives me a boost of energy)

I tried the Glucomannan a couple of years ago and it didn't work for me AT ALL! I actually felt hungrier on the days I took it lol.