Vitamins

I have been taking various supplements for about a year now. Initially to try and get rid of dreadful and continuous mouth ulcers. It worked relatively well than I realized that I had in fact a gluten intolerance and the result of the change in my diet has been considerable, with achy joints, stomach pain, unpleasant gut stuff, grotty skin and tiredness clearing well. So clearly my gut was not absorbing nutrients that sorted all those things out.

With regard to nasty colds and viruses, I keep away from crowds particularly shops - I have my shopping delivered it works well.

There is no proof (despite a lot of scientific investigation) that taking vitamin supplements prevents colds or anything else. That's why the labels say vague things like "supports the healthy function of..." - because more direct claims would be illegal without any evidence.

My personal view is that we don't get enough Vitamin D in this country - particularly if we cover up and avoid sunbathing. So I take a cod liver oil capsule a day through the winter. Whether this prevents colds or not I don't know. But it seems to have many functions in the body which are only beginning to be understood.

I know they worked for me. I believe that where someone's system has been compromised the doctors will recommend supplements, also supplements are useful for vegans and veggies so there is further evidence of their efficacy

They won't prevent colds etc. Avoidance is imo the best and hand washing

JessM you are right about Vitamin D. NHS recommendation is that all over 65 should take it. DH was also recommended to take it by endocrinologist to help with misery and general moodiness. Our GP and local pharmacist also endorsed this advice.
Until this point I always thought that vitamin supplements just produced expensive urine, but am now a convert to vitamin D at least.

Yes - when you think that we evolved to make the stuff in our skin, while walking around without clothes. And then as H. sapiens moved north, people evolved pale skin to enable them to make it in lower light conditions. I think it's an important substance. Endocrinologists see it as a hormone-like substance. In the immune cells of the body there are lots of receptors which are specific to Vitamin D molecules - there must be a reason for this. You don't put a letter box in your door unless you are expecting mail.
Older people make it more slowly in sunlight - and we may also be less likely to sunbathe with large areas of skin on display.
I look forward to more research. And when I look back, I'm grateful for that NHS cod liver oil we were given as kids.

Vitamin D enables the absorption of calcium, so women 'of a certain age', who are more at risk of osteoporosis, should consider a Vit D supplement. I have to take combined calcium and Vit D tablets daily because the steroids I also have to take are damaging to bones. Can't win!

I have been on a Vit D supplement as prescribed by my rheumatologist for about a year and I do think my back pain is a little less severe but it could be wishful thinking.

Anyway as I embark on the NY diet I thought I would buy some multivits today in Boots Centrium for over 50s looked good EXCEPT for men it was on special offer at £2.84 and for Women at full price £12.30 (or thereabouts). Didn't buy any.

Vitamin D has definitely helped the myalgia in my limbs. The pain used to be constant.Now it is much more sporadic.

I love my vitamins and minerals

Yes vitamin D has been talked about for quite some time now. It is suggested that it implicated in preventing all sorts of things.

I've been on Vit D for 6 months as my levels were abnormally low. Now they've climbed up again I do feel less lethargic.

Well resisted teetime all those fancy multivitamins are a con.

I have read elsewhere that Biotin is good for thickening hair and nails. I have just started taking it. I'll see what happens, I expect it will take a couple of months to see if there is any difference.

x

Take Vit D and other supplements (vitamins and minerals) as advised by a nutritionist and also a rheumatologist. Fortunately they agreed. grin]. All I can say is I felt a whole lot worse when I stopped taking them for a while. Think it's important to buy from a reputable supplier.

Glad you checked with your rheumatologist. Some nutritionists have funny ideas. There was a Which mystery shopper report on them a couple of years ago.

Just saw a programme today where they said vitamin supplements were not a replacement for a good diet but obviously are needed in some situations.

I take vitamin D, one a day chewy ones from Boots. This far north, (i.e. UK) the sun isn't strong enough from end of September to March/April for our skin to make enough/any over the winter and the dire warnings about sun exposure scare many people. If, like me, you are on your own, sunbathing at home and holidays in the sun have lost their appeal and are expensive too. A daily supplement is easy and affordable for me.

In theory that is right ajanela

Some circumstances might include ageing - where your body becomes less efficient at absorbing vitamins etc from your food, just at the time you really need them too.

Also some of our food does not contain the same level of nutrients that it should as soils and grasslands are depleted, less animals grazing naturally, and so on.

Drinking tea with your meal can hinder absorption of some vitamins. And iron is absorbed better if the meal also contains Vit C.

It's all quite complicated.

My personal view is that we don't get enough Vitamin D in this country - particularly if we cover up and avoid sunbathing.
Yes, I agree, we do have low levels of Vitamin D, and we haven't had a particularly good summer to top it up in the natural way. It's striking the balance between getting enough Vit D and avoiding too much sun.

DD has recommended something called proflavanol. I may try some, because I was just getting over a cold and ear infection and now have been sneezing again this evening [grr]
I do take a good multivitamin sometimes but must admit I haven't lately - perhaps two colds in succession is the result!

Teetime I think the vitamins for men would be fine for women in the short-term at least if you wanted to take them - they may vary a bit but perhaps it is just like the painkillers for joint pain, period pain, headache etc! However, some are just a waste of money.

People who have coeliac disease (undiagnosed) may not have been absorbing nutrients from food; after diagnosis the villi in the intestine could well grow back eventually and nutrient absorption should return to normal but supplements and vitamins could help as levels would have been depleted in the body.

So how can you say that some vitamins are okay but taking others is just a waste of money?
Surely if one is acceptable, all are as they all do different things.

Thank you for all your input. I do eat quite a varied diet and excercise a lot. I have bought some multivitamins & cod liver oil capsules and will see how it goes.

If I could find the link I could put it on showing how some brands are more effective than others, some less than 10% effective.
You get what you pay for in a lot of cases.

Of course, it could be subjective and I think it was an American site.

My DH was advised by the hospital and an optician to take one Lutein tablet each day for his age related macro degeneration and I take one a day as well. We both have a multi-vitamin tablet with gingko biloba each day - the gingko biloba is supposed to keep the brain active. We have very few colds so they could be working. Incidentally, I buy my vitamins on line from ZipVit and they are much cheaper than Boots or Holland and Barrett.