vitamins and supplements do you partake and do they make a difference?

An interesting link Jalima - many of the points in it have already been raised in this thread, such as poor soil quality degrading the nutrient level of our foods, but it's better to have all the issues there in one short, succinct piece.

It's the far soluble vitamins that can build up in the body (and especially in the liver of polar bears DD!!) these include Vits A, E & D.

Which is why you should never eat polar bear liver. (Useless fact of the day.)

Some vitamins are excreted if taken in excess, others build up to what could be dangerous levels if taken in excess, eg vitamin A

I hadn't realised that the RDA was actually the minimum amount deemed necessary.

That's very interesting, Jalima. So in fact we are possibly not taking whatever supplements we take in high enough doses!

Thanks Anya
I eat quite a lot from that list apart from whole grains and trying to keep off the chocolate at the moment.

Of course, the recommended daily amounts vary from country to country anyway.
www.preventive-health-guide.com/rda.html

Too much of anything is not good for you.
That's what too much means.

Ana just had another thunk!

If you took 2 Ca tablets, that's giving you 100% of your daily needs. So if you were also eating cheese, or yoghurt, milk, etc as well then you'd possibly be having too much Ca. Sound like your GP's well informed.

Jalima High magnesium foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, dark chocolate, and more. The current daily value (DV) for magnesium is 400mg.

DD I didn't think this was an 'arguement' either, more of a discussion . Ana's GP has told her to do exactly what I've decided to do.

It's true that most calcium supplements contain, pro rata, too much Vit D. I think the current thinking, from informed GPs, is to supplement part of your Ca but get the rest from diet, especially cheese, yoghurt and non-dairy sources.

Jalima my tablets do not contain any Mg.

Do your calcium tablets contain magnesium too?

I'm interested because I know that magnesium lowers blood pressure and prevents cramps but I haven't found any magnesium tablets in this country without them being in a combination with calcium (a higher amount than magnesium) and vit D.

You are right about GPs, they are not nutritionists and often know less than a well-informed patient about diet.

I'm not arguing with you Anya. I'm just interested. I tend to ignore most advice to take supplements, because I think most of them are a con. I asked my GP and dietician (the one I see for diabetes) about Vitamin D, because I read that supplements are recommended. I even bought a bottle of them, which is now languishing in my bathroom cabinet. Both said that it wasn't necessary. They know what I eat (LCHF) and said I was almost certainly getting enough from my diet and I'm not in a high risk group. It was the dietician who warned me about VitD toxicity and told me about blood calcium. I'll have rethink if I ever start having problems with bones and muscles.

(by which I meant that I have friends who are taking two and are surprised and concerned that I'm only on one!)

And yet two is the standard dose - locally it's only my GP's practice which recommends only one tablet.

I agree if you don't need something then don't take it DD and excessive anything (even water) is harmful. There is always a danger that calcium may not be directed to build new bone and can, obviously via the blood, end up in soft tissue such as arteries, breast, etc..I do take another supplement which helps direct calcium to the bones.

Ana I suspect your GP is concerned about the D3 content of your Adcal tablet if you took two. That's exactly why I only take 50% of my recommended dose (4) of my tablets. Two tablets give me 33% of my daily Ca requirement but 80% of my D3. That's more than enough Vit D and why I gradually ease off as Spring approaches and take none in summer.

I know they're not specialists Anya, but I don't have obvious symptoms of any vitamin or mineral deficiency, so I guess she would actually be negligent to prescribe them. Excessive Vitamin D intake can cause a high level of blood calcium, which is harmful. My kidney and liver function are tested regularly as part of my diabetes treatment.

I'm not unduly worried about lack of vitamins or minerals. I guess if I were, I'd find out how much a private test would cost.

You're probably already getting calcium from your diet. I expect you can Google 'too much calcium' but I know too much isn't very good for you.

The Adcal-D3 tablets I take contain 600mg of calcium and 10mc Vit D3 so if I took 2 of them daily I'd be ingesting 1,200 mg of calcium, which is the rda for women aged 50-70.

Trouble is, I can't remember why my GP said they advise taking only one daily - but I'm sure it was something to do with heart disease...

Interesting, Anya! The advice I was given was three years ago so yours is obviously more up to date. I suppose people spend much less time out of doors nowadays, as we dont travel on foot as we used to, and many people don't have gardens either.

My feelings DD is that GPs are not specialists when it comes to diet especially. They receive very little training on this. I take the advice of the experts I saw this summer.

I eat plenty of oily fish and eggs, and some liver. I certainly wouldn't recommend 'copious' amounts, that's plain silly, when good supplements are available. I don't ingest 'too much' as I'm careful about my supplementation, as this thread shows. If I took the recommended dose of Ca tablets my D3 intake would be 200% of RDA, which is why I only take half that and prefer my Ca to be upped through diet.

Though I do take your point that some people could easily overdo supplements if they weren't very careful.

I asked my GP about taking Vitamin D, because I'd read the same advice. Her advice was that as I eat copious amounts of oily fish, liver and eggs, that I probably didn't need to take a supplement. I also spend quite a bit of time outdoors, even in Winter. Apparently, too much Vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis (ironically), heart and kidney problems. I'm not really in danger of a calcium shortage either. I asked about being tested, but the GP looked a bit horrified and said I really didn't need it. I'm wondering now if she was worried about her budget.

NOT what I was told by the consultant just this year Sue

Here is the latest advice from NHS website

"The new advice from PHE is that adults and children over the age of one should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10mcg of vitamin D, particularly during autumn and winter.
People who have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency are being advised to take a supplement all year round.
SACN's review concluded that these at-risk groups include people whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun, like those in care homes, or people who cover their skin when they are outside.
People with dark skin, from African, African-Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds, may also not get enough vitamin D from sunlight in the summer. They should consider taking a supplement all year round as well."

I was told at the bone clinic that regarding Vit D, you get enough of it by exposing your face and hands to the sun for 20 minutes a day, five times a week, between May & September. Your body stores it well so it isn't necessary to take supplements in winter.

However, geography makes a difference! I live in the northern reaches of Scotland and people here have more need to supplements than those who live in sunnier climes.

Are women more careful about using sunscreen?

I have to nag DH who hates using it.

A nurse once told me that the blood test for Vit D deficiency is expensive and so is not randomly given.Also I wonder why more women have this deficiency than men?