take all the supplements!

[scrubbyfish]

This one seems extra weird. Maybe I'll be the only one who opts in.

I rearranged my tiny house's minimalist kitchen the other day and STILL managed to find at least nine containers of supplements! Some I bought as needed, but never finished. Some I got in one of those "subscription gift box" things.

I have now gathered them all together in one section on the top shelf of my fridge. I am going to work through all of each container, one container at a time, until they're all gone. (If any are "off" I can chuck them.)

It helped already, because at a store today I briefly considered another, then remembered my new fridge section!

Has anyone else bought too many vitamins/supplements/etc and not used 'em up? Welcome to my Gauntlet club.

[Anatidae V]

I have indeed done this! My body needed a boost, so I bought several types and only tried one before settling on an iron/Multi supplement that I've been taking since then. I'm on a round of medicine to clear something up, but starting next week I'm all up for working my way through my supplements - or at least, trying each version! I have vitamin D in both a fizzy drink and chocolate chewy lolly option, for instance, and it would be good to know which one I prefer.

[Amesenator]

Yes, this has happened to me as well. The nutritionist I work with has a cupboard where she stores 'extras' that can be provided at no cost to patients on limited incomes who would otherwise have trouble affording supplements. I took a bunch of the unused supplements I had to be used for this purpose.

[sis]

Oh I like this one!  I'll be joining in.  We are moving soon so I am trying to get through as much stuff as possible before we go!

[GuitarStv]

If you're not getting the vitamins and minerals from your diet, you need to fix your diet.  Nutrients that come from natural food sources are typically better absorbed into the body than the stuff that comes in pill form anyway.  For the vast majority of people, taking supplements regularly is akin to pumping air into a tire with a hole in it.

Save your money, stop buying stuff that you don't need, learn to eat properly.

[OmahaSteph]

*ignores the unsolicited advice*^

I have some probiotics that I'm working through, plus some Vitamin D I take in the winter and some Echinacea I take at the first signs of a cold. I'm working through the probiotics but will probably save the others for this fall and winter (and with school starting back up soon, I'm sure I'll be going through the Echinacea very soon).

[RetiredAt63]

I need to remember to take my Vitamin D and calcium (doctor's orders, bone scan showed OK but not great density).  And the probiotics. And the kelp drops (low thyroid in my family, and my diet is not high in iodine).

[FrugalShrew]

I am going to join the team in taking all my supplements, with a bit of a twist. I'm actually low on a couple of vitamins & minerals (as per a blood test from the doctor), so I have a host of supplements I'm supposed to be taking, but I find it hard to take so many pills a day. I think I finally have a pretty good system worked out (stock up a 7-day pill container for the week, then each day empty that day's pills into a little dish so I can take them throughout the day and not all at once). But it will be motivating to know that others here are diligently taking their supplements, too :)

[LifeHappens]

I have a protein powder addiction abundance. I commit to finishing up what I have before ordering more (even when I run out of chocolate and am left with yucky vanilla!).

[scrubbyfish]

If you're not getting the vitamins and minerals from your diet, you need to fix your diet.  Nutrients that come from natural food sources are typically better absorbed into the body than the stuff that comes in pill form anyway.  For the vast majority of people, taking supplements regularly is akin to pumping air into a tire with a hole in it.

Save your money, stop buying stuff that you don't need, learn to eat properly.

I bet everyone here knows that, GuitarStv :)

And also knows that some supplements do help some people in some matters, such that it's okay to use some.

I'm the gunghoiest about diet than anyone I know!

[scrubbyfish]

I'm starting with a one I received "free" in a gift box subscription and liked too much to release. Stinging nettle, brewers yeast, millet, zinc. Nice!

Three a day, so it will take a while.

I like that I'm not allowed to buy (or receive) any more supplements until I've shown I will take them, lol.

[scrubbyfish]

Story: Once upon a time, I decided to finish up a bottle of something I'd decided was a piece of crap, clearly just water. I had paid too much for it to pour it down the drain, so I drank it. In a subsequent burst of energy, I ran many kilometers to my sister's house, where I proceeded to chat very excitedly with her. And then, suddenly, charged to her bathroom where I began to vomit profusely. My sister called poison control, who had never heard of the stuff. I told her to call a health practitioner, who laughed and said that while the immediate effects would indeed be terrible, they would be short lived.

Moral: Don't do that.

Take as directed by bottle or practitioner; don't just glug anything to get it gone. Even if it's "clearly just [expensive] water."

[scrubbyfish]

Finished one bottle! Whew!

It had come free in a subscription gift box, and I really liked its foods (all food, in a bottle), so I wanted to use it. Extra nutrition is always good, but at two weeks + I saw no effect, so I won't get it again.

Moving on to: Omega 3. Bought for my kid on pediatrician's repeated recommendation. Kid won't take the fat capsules. It's good for me, too, though. It will take me almost 30 days.

So far, this challenge has: pushed me to take two pills most days, eliminated one bottle from my collection, prevented me from buying the next one that caught my eye.

[scrubbyfish]

Moving on to: Omega 3.

Nope. Expired last November, and there seems to be consensus that in Omega 3 fish oils, expired really IS expired. Recommendation is to buy maximum one month's supply at a time.

Moving on to: Kids Immune Booster (whole food concentrate plus vitamins, minerals). 45 days.

[FrugalShrew]

I still haven't been taking everything I should be taking daily. I am going to try creating a pretty little chart for the month where I can check off each supplement that I take each day. I love checking things off. Plus, if I don't check something off, it will be recorded and I will have to face it.

Scrubby -- your story about taking the expensive water was kinda scary. Glad there was no permanent harm!

[scrubbyfish]

Moving on to: Kids Immune Booster (whole food concentrate plus vitamins, minerals). 45 days.

Done, in far fewer than 45 days. This is due to two factors:
1. When my kid saw me taking them, he finally started too! (All other promptings had had no effect, hence the stored amount.)
2. A horrid illness was going around the community and I felt it start in us, so I ramped up our amounts. (No sickness.)

Moving on to: Bio-Strath (baker's yeast).

[moof]

I weened myself off everything years ago.  All the research that kept popping up followed the same trend, no positive value, possible negative value.  I keep the diet rich in fruit and veg and call it good.  So until I actually have a deficiency I will stick with a broad diet and frequent exercise.

As that say, take a pill and instead of 7 days, your cold will only last a week.

[scrubbyfish]

As that say, take a pill and instead of 7 days, your cold will only last a week.

;)

I know it's hard for some folks to accept that others have different experiences, whether that be with hoarding/decluttering, releasing unwanted weight, responding to supplements, increasing income, decreasing expenses, or what have you.

This thread is intended more for people who benefit from specific supplements for their specific body/being but have stored them rather than taken them. No worries at all if a person hasn't responded to supplements, chooses to take none, etc. Equally valid!

For those whose bodies do respond positively to specific supports—whether as a result of deficiency, higher biological need, limited access to whole food, etc—this thread is available for encouragement and focus.

[sis]

This just popped up again in my show replies to your posts.  A good reminder to keep going with the supplements.  I've been taking my multivitamin maybe 30% of the time.  I need to start taking my iron daily now that I'm getting back into marathon training.  Last year I became borderline anemic during training and that sucked.  I actually was so exhausted that I went to the doctor and got blood drawn because I thought I was sick (and it wasn't going away).

[RetiredAt63]

I weened myself off everything years ago.  All the research that kept popping up followed the same trend, no positive value, possible negative value.  I keep the diet rich in fruit and veg and call it good.  So until I actually have a deficiency I will stick with a broad diet and frequent exercise.

As that say, take a pill and instead of 7 days, your cold will only last a week.

If you are fine without them, great.  But there can be many reasons that a diet cannot meet nutritional needs.  Please do not generalize from your own experience to everyone.

Let me use myself as an example, I had a bone mineral density scan this summer and my bones are not as dense as my doctor would like (and at 66 as a fair-skinned woman I am in the fairly high risk group for bone density issues).  I can make Vitamin D in the summer, but from roughly October to April I cannot make my own Vitamin D.  Even if I were willing to expose skin in -20C weather, there is not enough of the necessary UV rays to start Vitamin D formation in my skin. I have to get it somehow.  This is nothing new, historically northern populations ate a lot of cold-water fish that did have lots of Vitamin D in their livers, and more recently people took cod liver oil.  Now I can take my vitamin D in a variety of forms.  Of course without adequate vitamin D children don't get osteoporosis, they get rickets.  This was common in early industrial Britain where factory children rarely saw daylight.  And when they grew up the young women often died in childbirth because their pelvic girdles were not properly formed because of the rickets.

Individual variation is nothing new.  Dog nutritionists have found that the northern breeds need more zinc.  No-one (that I know of) knows why.  Actually people who smoke need more zinc, they use it more than non-smokers and run out faster.  People who have to take NSAIDs regularly, say for arthritis, need more B12 and CoEnzyme Q, because again they use more of it than people who do not take NSAIDs regularly.

[Anatidae V]

I've been taking sustagen for the folate. Tasty chocolate flavour, I mix it with yoghurt and milk to keep my weight up. I have some iron that I've been avoiding, so I'm on that once I get back from a week of holiday - I need to get a blood test to check my levels then as well. I've been so exhausted I haven't had the energy to try a new supplement, which sounds a bit silly but I get anxiety from trying new things. Hoping to add the vit D that's been sitting in my cupboard after my holiday as well - I have a fizzy tablet and chewable chocolate option to choose from.

I weened myself off everything years ago.  All the research that kept popping up followed the same trend, no positive value, possible negative value.  I keep the diet rich in fruit and veg and call it good.  So until I actually have a deficiency I will stick with a broad diet and frequent exercise.

As that say, take a pill and instead of 7 days, your cold will only last a week.

I'm glad you don't have any deficiencies! That's awesome for your body :) hoping mine will resolve after I finish my stash.

[scrubbyfish]

I'm so happy to see people caring for their bodies so mindfully and intelligently!

Like many, my kid and I rely on food first (salmon for oils, kale for calcium, etc).

For reasons detailed by RetiredAt63, the pediatrician wanted my kid to take Vit D. As a preemie, he also ended up severely iron deficient, and his ped did blood tests before, during, and after supplementation. Ped was THRILLED with his fast turnaround on a food-centered one. I required the same until I took a year to revamp every aspect of my diet. Current ped would really like him to take the fish oils but, as is obvious by this thread, we've both been terrible at taking things daily.

Friends have had awesome responses to different Bs (3, 12 usually) for neurological symptoms such as OCD and depression.

I'm ridiculously healthy these days, as is my kid, and I'm so grateful to the information we have re: food, food-sourced supplements, and other supplements. Like, REALLY grateful that folks figured this stuff out for our benefit!

[oldtoyota]

If you're not getting the vitamins and minerals from your diet, you need to fix your diet.  Nutrients that come from natural food sources are typically better absorbed into the body than the stuff that comes in pill form anyway.  For the vast majority of people, taking supplements regularly is akin to pumping air into a tire with a hole in it.

Save your money, stop buying stuff that you don't need, learn to eat properly.

You don't sound like a dietician.

I eat a stellar diet and my body could not process the nutrients. Due to a genetic reason, my body had trouble making an important element (not sure what to call it without giving too much detail). I take that as a supplement and, as I address the genetic problem, my body will probably take over making the element on its own.

And most people do not get enough vitamin D, so most people need to take that and do not. I noticed a huge difference in how I felt once I started taking it. It's also hard to get potassium through diet.

If you have certain genetic conditions, it can be impossible to get enough of the vitamin Bs.

So it's not always a matter of just eating better, though that certainly helps.

[oldtoyota]

This one seems extra weird. Maybe I'll be the only one who opts in.

I rearranged my tiny house's minimalist kitchen the other day and STILL managed to find at least nine containers of supplements! Some I bought as needed, but never finished. Some I got in one of those "subscription gift box" things.

I have now gathered them all together in one section on the top shelf of my fridge. I am going to work through all of each container, one container at a time, until they're all gone. (If any are "off" I can chuck them.)

It helped already, because at a store today I briefly considered another, then remembered my new fridge section!

Has anyone else bought too many vitamins/supplements/etc and not used 'em up? Welcome to my Gauntlet club.

I have. Sometimes, they don't agree with me and then I end up with partial bottles. =-(

Kudos for figuring out a way to organize your supplements so you know what you have!

[scrubbyfish]

Sometimes, they don't agree with me and then I end up with partial bottles. =-(

I've had great success returning those ones for full refund. I usually manage to do that within the regular receipt return deadline, so that's ticketyboo, but at least once I've done so with no receipt, up to a year later! Got over $60 back (maybe up to double that? I forget. I remember begging them to give me less money but they wouldn't, lol).

So, if anyone has any they can't use, consider checking out whether refund is an option. Where that's not an option, I like the idea upthread of donating stuff to others who can use them even if opened.

[oldtoyota]

Sometimes, they don't agree with me and then I end up with partial bottles. =-(

I've had great success returning those ones for full refund. I usually manage to do that within the regular receipt return deadline, so that's ticketyboo, but at least once I've done so with no receipt, up to a year later! Got over $60 back (maybe up to double that? I forget. I remember begging them to give me less money but they wouldn't, lol).

So, if anyone has any they can't use, consider checking out whether refund is an option. Where that's not an option, I like the idea upthread of donating stuff to others who can use them even if opened.

I buy from Amazon and never thought about returning them. Seems like a pain but it could definitely be worth it!

Great idea. =-)

[GuitarStv]

If you're not getting the vitamins and minerals from your diet, you need to fix your diet.  Nutrients that come from natural food sources are typically better absorbed into the body than the stuff that comes in pill form anyway.  For the vast majority of people, taking supplements regularly is akin to pumping air into a tire with a hole in it.

Save your money, stop buying stuff that you don't need, learn to eat properly.

You don't sound like a dietician.

I eat a stellar diet and my body could not process the nutrients. Due to a genetic reason, my body had trouble making an important element (not sure what to call it without giving too much detail). I take that as a supplement and, as I address the genetic problem, my body will probably take over making the element on its own.

And most people do not get enough vitamin D, so most people need to take that and do not. I noticed a huge difference in how I felt once I started taking it. It's also hard to get potassium through diet.

If you have certain genetic conditions, it can be impossible to get enough of the vitamin Bs.

So it's not always a matter of just eating better, though that certainly helps.

Absolutely, if you have a genetic abnormality that prevents normal absorption of nutrients and your doctor tells you that you need to supplement . . . do it!  These conditions are not particularly common though.  (Hence the second last sentence of my previous post.)

I'm not sure why you're having difficulty getting potassium through your healthy diet . . . it's found in beans, leafy greens, potatoes, squash, yogurt, fish, avocados, bananas, etc.  Vitamin D is similarly easy to find in fish, milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, etc. so you just eat more of these foods during the winter than you would during the summer.

[RetiredAt63]

Vitamin D is not all that abundant in food (see http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-D.aspx) because it is fat soluble.  If the food has not or little fat, that means it cannot hold much vitamin D.  If someone has issues with dairy, that cuts down one source.  If someone has elevated needs of a nutrient, for whatever reason, they may not be able to get enough of that nutrient without very careful dietary management.  Smokers who quit smoking find that food tastes so much better.  That is because their taste buds were damaged from zinc shortages and now that they are not smoking they are not using all their zinc intake and their taste buds can regenerate - so there is one obvious shortage.

Anyway, this thread is not a discussion of whether or not we need them, it is a discussion on how to make sure we somehow get the nutrition we need, whatever our needs are.

And for fun, our skin takes about 72 hours to go from sun exposure to vitamin D absorption (as we make it from our skin oils) so this means no soap to wash off the skin oils.  That was fine when people didn't use much soap for washing (they could swim, but baths were what? once a week or in earlier times once a month or once a year).  So these days I get my sun exposure and I just rinse my arms and legs (and yes areas that need soap get soap).  I am actually finding my skin is happier with this.   ;-)

[scrubbyfish]

Anyway, this thread is not a discussion of whether or not we need them, it is a discussion on how to make sure we somehow get the nutrition we need, whatever our needs are.

...or, more specifically, encouragement to take any supplements for which personal need/benefit has been indicated :)

And for fun, our skin takes about 72 hours to go from sun exposure to vitamin D absorption (as we make it from our skin oils) so this means no soap to wash off the skin oils.  That was fine when people didn't use much soap for washing (they could swim, but baths were what? once a week or in earlier times once a month or once a year).  So these days I get my sun exposure and I just rinse my arms and legs (and yes areas that need soap get soap).  I am actually finding my skin is happier with this.   ;-)

Very interesting!!

So much of lifestyle/culture creates additional nuances/variables, yes. One location on the planet, too, creates some around Vit D. Health folks in Canada, the further north the moreso, keep working hard on this piece, but it's not getting out very far.

[GuitarStv]

And for fun, our skin takes about 72 hours to go from sun exposure to vitamin D absorption (as we make it from our skin oils) so this means no soap to wash off the skin oils.  That was fine when people didn't use much soap for washing (they could swim, but baths were what? once a week or in earlier times once a month or once a year).  So these days I get my sun exposure and I just rinse my arms and legs (and yes areas that need soap get soap).  I am actually finding my skin is happier with this.   ;-)

Huh.  This is an interesting point.  It takes very little time for your body to synthesize enough vitamin D after exposure to sunlight, but I've got no idea what the absorption rates are through your skin (and couldn't find an answer online).

[RetiredAt63]

I read the 72 hours somewhere, don't remember where. An online (University) article pointed out that our ability to synthesize the vitamn D precursor is poorer as we age, because we have less of the precursor chemical.  Since I am aging that makes perfect sense that my vitamin D is a bit less than it should be.  Also I usually use sunscreen since I am in the second to highest risk category for burning.  The other weird thing about skin (at least my skin, and others have noted it, but I don't know of any formal studies)) is that since I went low carb and animal fats, and cut way back on plant oils, I sunburn a lot less.  I didn't burn as a kid unless I was truly stupid, and that was my diet then as well. In between I ate plant oils and healthy whole grains and burned.

[scrubbyfish]

...since I went low carb and animal fats, and cut way back on plant oils, I sunburn a lot less.

I've heard exactly this from a lot of people who made that transition. (I'm a touch darker, so I've rarely burned in any case.)

[Anatidae V]

I tried my Peach- flavoured b-vitamins fizzy drink. It was awful. Since I have to take these vitamins somehow, I've bought a tablet version since I can crush and chew, and no matter how icky it tastes, it's over much quicker.

[scrubbyfish]

Smart, anatidaev! I too find the form can make or break the bank at my house. Getting the right one can make all the difference in whether my son or I take any given item. Liquid is usually best for him and me.

[LifeHappens]

Done with all the whey protein. Now I have two vegan protein containers left. I also have some amino acids I'll try to use up this month.

[scrubbyfish]

Ah, LifeHappens, I envy you! I'm really struggling to complete my (happy) yeast tablets.

However, the challenge is continuing to stop me from purchasing any more! Not til I've taken what I've already bought!!

Thanks for the update :)

[LifeHappens]

Yes, it is tough. I really struggle with flavor fatigue with my protein powders. It's how I end up with several at a time.