Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with supplements

+ vitamins - minerals , please?

3mendo — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:50:34 -0800

O Hive Mind, I love my vitamins, but i'd like my calcium in a separate installment because of kidney risk factors and a previous history of urinating small bricks. Can you suggest products that - you not being a doctor notwithstanding - are appropriate for me? Bonus points if they are mail orderable from within euroland. TIA

How do I optimize bio-availability and absorption of nutritional supplements?

jerwilkins — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:06:22 -0800

How do I optimize bio-availability and absorption of nutritional supplements? [(figure I'll cross-post this at ImmInst, but you guys are rather sharp so couldn't hurt to break in the new MetaFilter account :)] Question regarding bioavailability and absorption of supplements across a multi-factor spread Factors:
* Fasted state
* Positive nutrient interaction (e.g., take with fats, take with other compounds, take alone)
* Negative nutrient interaction (i.e., Don't take with X)
* Before/after weight training

Longevity supplement regimen:
* 500mg trans-resveratrol
* 3g EPA/DHA fish oil
* 1g Krill oil
* 4000 IU Vitamin D3
* Multivitamin (Biolife)

Fitness supplement regimen:
* Stinging Nettle Root
* Zinc Magnesium Calcium Complex
* Creatine monohydrate
* BCAAs

Anything off the top? Would love if there were a good wiki recommendation on nutraceutical optimization and interactions, but so far haven't found anything.

I need advice on vitamins and supplements.

Ponderance — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:04:22 -0800

The vitamin/ supplement aisle of Whole Foods scares the hell out of me, I'd like some advice please! Okay, so, you are not my nutritionist or doctor, but hopefully someone can help clear up a few things, or point me to something that does.

So I am deep in the throes of getting healthy (see prior question -http://ask.metafilter.com/122702/Help-a-vegetarian-lose-weight). I was at whole foods yesterday and stopped in their vitamin aisle, and was overwhelmed at all of the stuff that they sell, and my cynical self thinks “How much of this herbal/vitamin stuff is real, and how much is snake oil crap” and despite that I bought some flax oil, as I keep hearing about how great fish oil is, but I don’t eat fish, and I’ve been told that flax oil is a close second.

Also, I’ve been convinced that I should be taking creatine as I don’t get any, not eating meat and all. So I bought a bottle of that which seemed awfully expensive.

SO, what, you may ask, is my question. Here it is in 3 parts:

What is a well reasoned, legitimate resource that details the pluses and minuses of vitamins and supplements?

What supplements, herbal products, etc, from your experience, are useful/helpful?

What should a 37 year old, type A, vegetarian, trying to lose weight, and be healthier, be taking?

Another lovely part of coming off an SNRI...

gursky — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:03:42 -0800

How long do I need to wait after weaning off of my antidepressants before I can start taking vitamins/supplements for depression? I've been Googling and reading old threads on antidepressants for over an hour (a very exciting Friday night, I know) but can't find a specific answer.

You are not a/my doctor, but my psychiatrist just moved and I won't meet my new psychiatrist for two more weeks. I don't have a family doctor right now. I'm hoping someone with experience can enlighten me about the necessary length of time between meds.

Under my doctor's supervision, I weaned myself off Wellbutrin over 3 weeks - I have been off it entirely now for 1 week. I weaned myself off Effexor over 5 weeks, and have not taken it for 2 days. I know that 2 days of being off Effexor is not a very long time. I am still experiencing those pesky withdrawal symptoms (brain zaps, depersonalization, dizziness) even though I went off of it slowly. (To clarify: I went off both because neither worked, and my health plan runs out very soon - no need to keep taking them if they don't work.)

After reading a lot about vitamins and supplements, and after becoming frustrated with the trial-and-error routine of trying several different antidepressants, I have decided to try some natural remedies. I will discuss these with my new psychiatrist.

My question is: how long should I wait before I start taking 5-HTP and a B-Complex supplement?

Everything I can find on the internet says not to take 5-HTP while taking antidepressants, but I can't find any information on how long I need to wait before starting it. The woman at the health food store didn't know much about 5-HTP and antidepressant interactions.

So - yes, I will be discussing this with my doctor - has anyone gone from antidepressants to natural supplements? How long did you wait in between? What is a safe amount of time?

Help me fix my antibiotic-shredded stomach!

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:26:32 -0800

How do you fix a stomach blitzed by antibiotics? I just got out of the hospital, where I was on an IV drip of crazy strong antibiotics for three days (for a kidney infection). They also made me take a bunch of mineral supplements (magnesium and potassium mostly) that shred my stomach under the best of conditions. And while I was there, they didn't let me eat for almost 48 hours because they kept doing CAT scans to check the progress in my stupid kidneys.

So- I'm coming off of almost two days of a totally empty stomach, the good bacteria balance in my stomach is totally destroyed, and all the mineral supps have just added to the problem. Every time I try to eat my stomach just clenches up in pain that comes in waves and almost doubles me over.

I have talked to my doc about this and he said to take acidophilis pills, which I am, and I'm also guzzling yogurt. But it's been two days now and I've yet to see any improvement, and I'm freaking starving. Can anyone recommend any other OTC meds or supplements or foods that I can take to quickly rebuild my, for lack of a better word, ecosystem?

Thanks in advance!

Help me get my crazies under control without scary/expensive prescription meds!

faeuboulanger — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:24:07 -0800

Niacin as an anxiety/depression treatment? I've been having some mild-moderate anxiety issues lately and I think it's getting to the point where I am not quite as in control as I would like to be. However, I'm not interested in (and can't afford) taking prescription meds or going to a professional. I also don't really think it's necessary at this point. I'm a generally stable person--I've just fallen into a bit of a rut and need a little help getting out of it. I've heard Niacin can work wonders at helping to tame depression and anxiety and I was wondering if anyone knows any more about this, has tips and suggestions, or personal experience/anecdotes?

"5 hour energy" product does more than keep me awake

Niomi — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:14:59 -0800

Lately I find myself using 5 hour energy product even when I'm not drowsy as it sees to significantly improve my ability to focus and socialize. Are there dietary supplements available that will give me the same effect in a more reliable manner? Is this safe? Will my body build a resistance to it? I started using this product to adjust to third shift serving. Now that my sleep schedule has adjusted to the difficulty that working these hours can create, I find myself using it even more frequently. I am more comfortable socializing and better at it, I'm happier to work and I work harder, I am much less likely to forget that you asked for extra napkins with your meal. The energy drinks at $4 a bottle are a little expensive to use once a work day never mind multiple times a day. Plus, as advertised, they only work for five hours. A page from the website (http://www.5hourenergy.com/ingredients.asp) suggests that a chemical called Citicoline may be responsible for increased mental facilities but some googling (admittedly my google-fu is pretty weak) doesn't turn up any way to take this as a dietary supplement. Caffeine may be part of the answer but using coffee or tea has not been nearly as effective as use of this product.

In a search of previous questions on energy drinks and similar problems with focus I read a lot of people advising that cutting out the drink entirely would result in more energy in the long-term. There are also a lot of people that suggest AD(H)D as a cause of this problem. These aren't the answers I'm looking for. If you want more information on the specific sorts of problems this product helps me with, there's a more detailed question in my profile from several months ago.

tea, calcium, stones

parallax7d — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:16:20 -0800

Will drinking 4 cups a day of green tea, and taking calcium supplements with it give me kidney stones? From what I understand, most kidney stones are caused by oxalate (some in green tea) and calcium combining. But there is much confusion on the nets on this topic.

Where do "health" supplement companies get their ingredients from?

wolfkult — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:02:36 -0800

Where do "health" supplement companies get their ingredients from? I'm sure they don't produce it on their own, where do they get it from? I'm assuming most companies buy (in bulk) from the same pool of companies.

I'm talking about things like whey protein powder, amino acids, green tea extract, creatine, anything that is sold at GNC/VitaminShoppe.

(It seems like this would be something Tim Ferris has written about but I can't find it.)

What do I need to know about creatine?

Who_Am_I — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:27:39 -0800

I bought a bottle of creatine powder and I want to know how to use it properly. I'd like to hear your advice/experiences. I'm doing weights 2-3 times a week, full-body workouts each time. After my workout I have a protein shake with milk, and my only supplement is fish oil for Omega3.

Should I just take the creatine on days that I work out? Can I take it afterwards with my protein shake?

I'm 5'10" and ~145lbs. (and slowly rising), how much should I be taking at a time?

Do I take a certain amount per day/week forever, or do I do "cycles"?

I'm a vegetarian, do I need to take that into account?

I know I need to drink "a lot" of water, how much is a lot? I drink about 1 liter a day right now, as well as a few cups of tea.

I've seen a few people say that they suffered permanent kidney damage from using this stuff(!), are they mis-attributing their problem or overdosing, or is this a real risk for a normal user? I recently had a physical, all my functions (kidney etc.) and levels are in normal ranges.

Is there anything else I should be aware of? Side affects? Dangers?

Vitamin Blecchh

granted — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:48:33 -0800

Recommendations for a Vitamin B-Complex supplement that won't make me want to vomit? I have for many years tried to incorporate Vitamin B supplements into my diet, but they taste so awful that I feel nauseated for several hours after I take one. I've never actually puked one up (THANK GOD) but unless it's a developing embryo in the far-off future I'd prefer to avoid all sources of daily morning nausea. I was taking the tablet form for awhile, then switched to capsules, and both suck. Know you of a less vile form? Unfortunately it has to be unsweetened, too.

A Superb Cat Supplement. Where?

watercarrier — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:48:25 -0800

CatFilter: What is the absolutely best vitamin/mineral/enzyme supplement available for cats? I want to get something that I don't have to worry about the manufacturer's supplies sources and/or ethics. It has to have all the trace elements, vitamins, minerals that ordinarily would be provided by an excellently balanced and nutritious diet which unfortunately I am not able to provide 100% of the time and this will keep us/them covered in those in-between times.

Digestive enzyme tablets, any good?

Tarn — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:49:35 -0800

I take tablets of digestive enzymes daily. Am I wasting my time and money? For years I've been taking a tablet of digestive enzymes after a meal of complex foodstuffs. The tablets contain Pancreatin, Papain, Bromelain, Cellulase, Lipase, Protease, Pepsin, Amylase, Ox Bile and Betaine Hydrochloride. I know that these enzymes work at different stages of the digestive process, but the tablets sit in the stomach along with the food. Do these enzyme tablets do much good?

Supplements? I need energy, want to feel good!

sidartha — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:33:28 -0800

After years of junk food, weight gain and not caring about my health, I'm trying to start living healthier. Can anyone suggest some good supplements. I really just want to have energy, be healthy and feel good. Below are my stats and a few of my ailments. A few details:
* 32 years old
* 6' tall, 225lbs, so I'm getting chubby (I used to be a toothpick)
* I take a good multi-vitamin daily
* Quit smoking about 18 months ago
* I drink at least 1 Diet Coke a day (cut back from 3-4)
* We only eat out about 2 times a week
* I eat 1 yogurt (Activia) and 1 nutrigrain bar for breakfast
* For lunch I eat a low-fat meat sandwich on whole grain bread with some chips and a small desert
* Dinner usually consists of a meat, pasta/starch and something green
* I drink a good amount of (filtered) water
* I am pretty sedentary but know I need to workout

Mild ailments
* I have some mild anxiety and take Paxil
* I suffer from chronic nasal congestion
* Because of the congestion, I have sleep apnea and require a CPAP
* Recently I have been not-so-regular
* I feel tired, all day most days

Basically, I am clueless about supplements. Do I need protien? Do I need Juice Plus? Grass/Veggie supplements?

Any suggestions?

healthy ears

parallax7d — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:32:23 -0800

Are there any supplements or foods that are healthy for ears? Not the outer flappy cartilage part, the inner workings part.

Help me take my supplements correctly!

TheDude — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:51:45 -0800

I'm new to workout supplements and need some advice on how/when to take Creatine, Protein, and H-blocker(carnosine). So I've been working out fairly consistently for about 2 years now...I say fairly because it seems as soon as I make some headway I stop going and bounce right back to my pre-gym state - but I'm trying to have another go at it.

In Nov/Dec of 07 I seemed to have reached a point where my increased muscle mass had put my metabolism in a state where I was burning more calories to maintain my metabolism than I was taking in (a first for me :) ). At that time I was really only having one protein shake after working out (about 4-5x a week) and some creatine (about 3x less that what the manf recommended) before workouts maybe twice a week.

For whatever reason I stopped going to the gym for the month of January, and immediately put on 15lbs and lost some strength. So now I want to have another go at it.

I recently read about something called H-Blocker (carnosine synthesizers) ...to quote, "The newly formulated H-Blocker features a brand new class of agents (carnosine synthesizers) that are designed to drastically affect the muscular contraction, fullness, workload capacity, and growth of fast-twitch muscle fibers."

So now, my question to all you great MeFi folk, is how do I do this? I think both the creatine and the carnosine say to take them 30-45min before the workout - and I assume I'd still have my protein shake right after, but I'm a little bit worried about any interactions these three might have. Anyone have any advice??

thanks!!

Which protein supplement?

LouMac — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:21:58 -0800

What protein powders I should use for my morning smoothies? I've recently started eating healthier and exercising (yay Crossfit!), but I want to know what protein supplement powder I should be using. Mostly, it will be for smoothies and the occasional scoop in my oatmeal.

I've read these two threads on smoothies and protein, but I was wondering which actual product the Green recommends, and why. As always, less expensive is better.

Lots of questions about calcium

otherwordlyglow — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:09:54 -0800

What the best formula for Calcium supplements? I'm trying to get at least 1000 milligrams of calcium every day both through dairy products and calcium supplements but I'm confused about the best way of taking calcium. I'm 40 and pregnant. First of all calcium comes in lots of different forms (cal citrate, liquid cal, cal carbonate......). I seem to recall hearing the calcium from coral wasn't a good idea because of impurities but what about all the rest? Do some absorb better?

And then there's the accompanying supplements. Quite often, calcium is mixed with Vitamin D which I guess helps with absorption but if I'm already taking a multivitamin with plenty of Vitamin D, can I skip it? I usually take calcium in the morning and the multi at night so the Vitamin D isn't taken at the same time but I know D is fat soluble so it'll get stored so i don't need to take it at the exact same time as the calcium, right? I'd like to avoid taking too much D, if possible. Other calcium comes with magnesium and does that do the same thing for absorption?

And if I want to take 1000 mg entirely as a supplement (if I know I haven't been having enough dairy lately), should I take it all at once or stagger it? Somewhere I read something about your body not being able to absorb more than 500 mg at once.

Help me have strong bones!

Pascal's wager for mercury homeopathy?

meijusa — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 05:59:19 -0800

just got some amalgam tooth fillings removed, do I really need the (homeopathic) selenium and zinc my dentist prescribed to get the mercury out of my system? Thing is, I just don't believe in homeopathy and asked a pharmacist about a regular supplement, but she didn't think that would be necessary. So, what should I take? Nothing? Supplements? Homeopathic sugar pills?

Colitis dietary supplement

bluesky43 — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:45:32 -0800

With a recent diagnosis of mild colitis, I am pursuing some alternative treatments. One of these is a supplement called Germinated Barley Foodstuff, but I have been unable to find it for purchase after extensive google searches. Any MeFi expertise out there?

What supplements to run farther, faster, longer?

IndigoJones — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:01:46 -0800

Ingestible supplements for long distance running that are safe, effective, and not intrinsically disgusting? Tried GU yesterday for the first and last time, fails me on the third requirement, even with masses of water. Gatorade has high fructose corn syrup, thus, no way. Too many other offerings smack of charlatanism or dubious science (though they may be fine, just hammered by cheesy graphics), and I would prefer to stay on the right side of the law. Besides bananas, what do you find works?

Thanks in advance.

How do I start a vitamin regimen?

yakuza — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:39:59 -0800

How do I start a vitamin regimen besides a one-a-day? I was at my local CVS the other day, and looking through their enormous selection of vitamins. I don't take vitamins every day, and I'm wondering a few things. If people swear by their vitamins, what other supplements they take (like fish oil) and what brands are recommended or what do I look for?

How can I reduce my PMS mood swings?

christinetheslp — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:36:59 -0800

PMSfilter: Help me get off the emotional rollercoaster! Every month I seem to go through the emotional wringer. I have several days of increasing irritability, followed by one day of anger, and then a day or two of depression and guilt over the way I've treated people. What I hate is that while I can avoid my friends and family during the worst of it, I can't avoid my husband and he bears the brunt of my bad mood. He's pretty tolerant, but I know it's not fun for him (come to think of it, it's not fun for me either).

I'm on birth control pills already, and diet (more fruit, less salt and caffiene) and exercise seem to help with the physical cramps but not the emotionality. I've read about supplements such as evening primrose oil, calcium, and chaste tree berry, but I haven't found many studies, or testemonials that weren't from websites selling the stuff.

So now I'm asking you, do you have any ways to cope with PMS-related emotionality? Does anyone have any personal experience with supplements or other dietary changes?

Thanks!

Fish Oil Pills - Once a Day or Three times a Day

mmascolino — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 20:47:52 -0800

I've started to take Fish Oil pills and wonder about the prescribed guidelines. The directions say to take one pill three times a day (they are 1000mg's each BTW). It would be far more easy for me to take three at a time. Will I do any harm or will my body not be able to absorb all the goodness if I take them at once?

What the *@#! is NADH?

youthenrage — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:45:46 -0800

What is NADH, does it work, is it safe to use? I'm working a job where I sit in front of a computer all day. I'm supposed to be doing work all day, but I'm almost always lured into clicking through random crap on the internet. I came across this post on boingboing today (http://makezine.com/pub/tool/NADH) but couldn't find a lot of information about NADH on wikipedia, and my google searches bring up mostly online health store/pharmacy type sites. Anybody have any experience with this stuff or can tell me how it works?