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angie_nrs

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I've never been one to take many supplements b/c I thought eating a balanced diet would provide all the vitamins and nutrients that I would need. However, as I'm getting older with more aches and pains, I'm reconsidering that stance. I think our food supply has been manipulated to the point of containing very few of our needed nutrients. Pasturization has also stripped natural foods of their goodness. Eating food out of my own garden makes me feel good, but we have a limited growing season and I don't usually harvest enough to can. I'm also not blessed with a green thumb, but I'm getting better at it every year. Still, I feel there are things my body needs that I'm not getting enough of. I'll get this discussion started.....

I take 500mg of Magnesium occasionally. I take it if I have a headache as it usually seems to help. I also take it as a headache preventative on a Friday or Saturday night so I don't feel like crap the next day.:drink buddy: It also keeps the digestive system moving, so if I ever have a constipation problem, Mg is my solution. It works for me every time, especially if combined with coffee. I will also take it if I have eye twitches or heart palpatations. It really works well for me on that front since Mg helps with neuromuscular transmission. I don't bother with the really expensive brands. The cheap ones that typically go on a BOGO sale at the local box store work fine for me.

What do you take for supplements and why? Where do you buy them? Do they really make a difference for you?
 
Because of cfs my energy levels are extremely low, with a host of other issues. My point is… I’m very sensitive to any changes in my diet including supplements. They really help me, I can tell the difference if I skip something for a couple days. I take a good multiV and fiber (which is made from plantain, always found that amusing). I also take magnesium, lysine and vitamin D.

That said… I’m very leery of ‘supplements’ in general. Especially capsules, many of which are made in china. They sit in warehouses, ships on the ocean, by the time they get to a store shelf they’ve lost much of their potency. Quality is a big issue with them, I take great care in researching any supplement. I find every detail of it’s history before getting to the store.

On the plus side… the fda classifies plant medicines as food supplements, most in tincture form. In my experience these tend to be much better in quality than herbal capsules. These days I have an arsenal of tinctures (supplements) that take care of small health issues and large ones. Most of these I harvest and make myself which are off the charts better than anything from a store.

In my experience supplements from a store have to be judged individually. Lots of worthless ones out there, some are very helpful... as usual, the devil is in the details.
 
I take a multivitamin that has at least 14mg of zinc. Two doctors told me that level (or more) was essential to help protect against Covid and other flu.
In addition:
5,000 iu's of D-3, recommended by my primary care doc. Also helps protect against Covid.
B-12 for my peripheral neuropathy pain. I'm also prescribed generic Lyrica for this.
Asian ginseng for general feelings of well being.
25 mg or so of iron - I am historically slightly anemic, and it is also helping to rebuild my hemoglobin and RBC since my latest hospitalization for bleeding peptic ulcers. This is ordered by the internist that treated my ulcers on more than one occasion.
Fish oil to help with my triglycerides and cholesterol.

Not only are most or all supplements made in China, so are most or all prescription medications.
 
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I take D3, B Complex, and Zinc, daily. Can I tell a difference? No, but my doctor says it is a good idea to take them. Most of the time I get them from Wal Mart.
 
AM: L-LYSINE, B complex, zinc (it's a catalyst for lysine), Apple Cider Vinegar (good for the heart and blood). PM: senior multivitamin, milk thistle (protects the liver from beer), quertecin, resveratrol (both for an issue I have), probiotic with enzymes! Most I order from Swanson!!
 
For the last month I have been taking an array of supplements from Natures Sunshine, the wife swears by them and I needed to do something because my last labs indicated my kidneys were not doing well. I will be doing blood work in 2 weeks will know more then. I only take 1 of each a day and it has me making a neon stream if you know what I mean.... the wife takes a LOT more than I do and I don't think she needs it, but she has lived 5 years longer than the Doctors expected and they can't explain it.... I tend to be more in line with I'm only going to take the minimum I need to get the job done....
 
I take a senior women’s daily multivitamin, 1000 mg Vit D, 500 mg Vit C, and a multi strain probiotic geared for women. I added the probiotic just a few weeks ago. I’ve always had gut issues and it seems to helping.

A lot of people are always asking the pharmacist at work about different supplements and her reply is always, “talk to your MD, buy a bottle and try it. If you feel better or it helps with your labs keep doing it. If you don’t feel better stop wasting your money.”
 
15,000 i.u. of D3 daily, my last D level was 104, I rarely get sick.
2400 Mg Red Yeast Rice for high cholesterol
1,000 Mg of L-Lysine because Pearl told me to.
1,500 Mg magnesium for bowel control. Bonus, eliminated pedal edema.
CoQ10 300 Mg because my cardiologist said to.
ALA 1200 Mg reduce neuropathy. I was taking half the amount before my stroke.
Melatonin 5 Mg for sleep and to reduce effects of flu.
 
Centrum Mens silver 50+
I take the Costco branded generic version of the above.

Also,
Vitamin C 1000mg
Vitamin D3 125mg (5000 I.U.)
Fish Oil
Glucosamine

I can't say I feel better, or worse, when I take all this. But I take it anyway. Due to my wife's (N.P.) recommendation. Never go against the wife's recommendations. You would need more than supplements to fix that error.
 
When I worked at the airport I saw a scan of a huge box that was full of bottles of pills.
I asked a TSA guy what was that about and he said almost every flight to Vietnam had several boxes like that.
Apparently vitamins and supplements were hard to get and expensive there so when someone went back to visit they would take as much as they could.
On international flights people are allowed to check stuff weighing 70 pounds. That is a lot of pills.
No idea about current situations.
 
Immunity support one a day vitamin, those have the stuff in it I want like zinc and iodine which not all have and not so much of the stuff I eat plenty of
Prescription magnesium for my heart
THC ( does that count as supplement?) for anxiety and sleeping

Backlash: I have a friend from China in Florida that used to take suitcases full of supplements and personal hygiene products to her relatives in China. She told me anything made in China for the US is way better than anything made in China for the Chinese. That's pretty sad
 
When I worked at the airport I saw a scan of a huge box that was full of bottles of pills.
I asked a TSA guy what was that about and he said almost every flight to Vietnam had several boxes like that.
Apparently vitamins and supplements were hard to get and expensive there so when someone went back to visit they would take as much as they could.
On international flights people are allowed to check stuff weighing 70 pounds. That is a lot of pills.
No idea about current situations.
They still do. I have a friend who is vietnamese and she always accumulates a box to bring home with her.
 
AM: L-LYSINE, B complex, zinc (it's a catalyst for lysine), Apple Cider Vinegar (good for the heart and blood). PM: senior multivitamin, milk thistle (protects the liver from beer), quertecin, resveratrol (both for an issue I have), probiotic with enzymes! Most I order from Swanson!!
Oh, and turmeric (pm). Also, cinnamon, honey, and coconut oil in my coffee!!
 
A couple of testosterone boosters,
Vitamin C
Lysine
Niacin
Thiamin
Various Bs
Raw honey
Capsaicin
Iron.
In the spring I take black molasses and white Sulfur and brewer's yeast shots.
 
I used to take about five supplements before I changed my diet last January. I don't want to sound like an annoying broken record, but flipping the mantra upside from low fat and high carb to high fat and low carb was truly a godsend.

The immediate benefits were better sleep, much less noticeable inflammation (I thought those aches from shoulder, hip and back were "just getting old"), more energy and leveling mood. And my blood test markers went from trouble brewing in fatty liver, high triglycerides, and high blood glucose. In three months those markers all returned to normal! Incredible. Food is more powerful than medicine! " shhh! Don't let big pharma hear that? "

Sorry for the repetition. Keep hoping at least one person is ready for the message?

Nowadays I still take three supplements : Apple cider vinegar, magnesium glycinate, and vitamin D3.

ACV: because I'm not a spring chicken anymore and with age stomach acidity declines. And there's a myriad of other positive benefits. I'm lucky enough to live close to fruit land where Fairchild brand is fresh and available.

Magnesium glycinate. The cheaper stuff can cause loose stool. Without the twice daily supplement, I get gnarly muscle cramps lifting weights, yoga stretches, or during sleep. Also noticeable quality of sleep improvement with it.

Vitamin D3. Because I am dark complected? I went years suffering from seasonal affected disorder, despite my propensity of mostly being outdoors. Discovered a cheap and easy vitamin d3 keeps the dark clouds away!

No longer need: multivitamin, fish oil, or zinc supplements...
 
1,000 Mg of L-Lysine because Pearl told me to.
:LOL: I expected that reply from Magus.

Pearl is going to have to post the myiaid of reasons WHY she takes the L-lysine, as there are several.

I take ACV gummies in the summer so the skeeters don't bite and the ticks stay away. I know I should take the ACV with mother, but I just don't like it. Blech!

I order many of my supplements from Swanson. Their prices are usually better than the store. They also carry a lot of different brands to choose from which is a plus. It's also nice to see reviews, but Amazon has more complete reviews so I go there to see those. Swanson also has lots of sales and coupon codes.

I used to take about five supplements before I changed my diet last January. I don't want to sound like an annoying broken record, but flipping the mantra upside from low fat and high carb to high fat and low carb was truly a godsend.
I agree. When hubby and I were eating low carb we were feeling much better and shed some weight. We just had a conversation about this and now that Labor Day is over we are going to clean up our diet. That means more meal planning, which falls on me. I'm not good at that in the summer, which means we eat more junk and less good stuff. It really does make a huge difference.
 
Summer is a better eating time due to fresher availability of produce. Makes it easier to go lightly on meat.
I try to use herbs as supplements more than vitamins and minerals. When I’ve needed an increase in certain areas I’ll use vitamins. Lately Vitamin D. Had been using a good multivitamin but ran out. When there’s a buy one get one free deal I buy.
 
Ok gang, here we go....... L-LYSINE!!! It's an amino acid, a building block for proteins. It helps produce antibodies, hormones, and enzymes. It keeps your cells filled with proteins, will not let spike proteins enter your cells=no virus can enter your cells. It's also an anti bacterium!! It allows your body to produce its own collagen, for your hair, skin, nails, and joints. Promotes wound healing. Also helps your body absorb calcium more productively. Slows lean muscle breakdown that comes with aging. Balances blood glucose levels and blood pressure. Also helps with anxiety!! That's all I have off of the top of my head. Please enjoy your L-LYSINE everyone, your body will thank you!!
 
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