Vitamin or no Vitamin?

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irishScott

Lifer
Oct 10, 2006
21,562
3
0
Originally posted by: Wnh5001
i figure it can't hurt it take it, and to whoever asked how many times it should be taken, i believe i read somewhere that your body can only take a certain amount of vitamins daily therefore you should follow the directions and its usually once daily i believe.

That, and it IS possible to overdose on most vitamins.

I mentioned Vitamin A in an earlier post, but to add to the list, Vitamin B6 is also easy to overdose and guys should not take anything with Iron in it.

In the case of B6, one study showed that people who took 50 mg supplements daily over the course of 10 years suffered severe dementia. I think the UK's equivalent of the NIH (can't remember the acronym), set the safe upper limi at 10 mg daily from supplements.

That said, this only applies to supplements. It is virtually impossible to overdose on anything naturally.

Note: Fortified Cereals are not natural sources.

Iron has also been linked to various neurological disorders (decades later) in men when taken via supplements. Men recycle 90% of their iron, and the rest is easily obtained through practically any diet. Women, on the other hand, bleed on a regular basis, and thus need to replenish their supply.
 

techgamer

Senior member
Sep 19, 2007
570
0
0
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: Wnh5001
i figure it can't hurt it take it, and to whoever asked how many times it should be taken, i believe i read somewhere that your body can only take a certain amount of vitamins daily therefore you should follow the directions and its usually once daily i believe.

That, and it IS possible to overdose on most vitamins.

I mentioned Vitamin A in an earlier post, but to add to the list, Vitamin B6 is also easy to overdose and guys should not take anything with Iron in it.

In the case of B6, one study showed that people who took 50 mg supplements daily over the course of 10 years suffered severe dementia. I think the UK's equivalent of the NIH (can't remember the acronym), set the safe upper limi at 10 mg daily from supplements.

That said, this only applies to supplements. It is virtually impossible to overdose on anything naturally.

Note: Fortified Cereals are not natural sources.

Iron has also been linked to various neurological disorders (decades later) in men when taken via supplements. Men recycle 90% of their iron, and the rest is easily obtained through practically any diet. Women, on the other hand, bleed on a regular basis, and thus need to replenish their supply.

GNC Mega Men vitamin products do not have iron in them

 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Actually for women when they are pregnant it has been shown to reduce birth defects. While being pregnant you can also be healthy.

Of course i remember a show that had a bunch of doctors saying most people get no shown good effect from vitimans, yet they all took one. :)
[/quote]

Prenatal vitamins are super heavy on folic acid which is a huge building block of fetal nerveous systems. They are also loaded up with iron so that they don't go anemic as well as calcium for maintaining bone density. They also frequently have a mild stool softener in them since one of the biggest complaints about pregnant women is constipation.

A woman growing a human being in them are under a bit more of a nutritional demand than your typical person.

If you eat a healthy and balanced diet, I really see no need for them (outside of specific health reasons).
 

onlyCOpunk

Platinum Member
May 25, 2003
2,532
1
0
I've lived off of Emergenc's for the past couple of years. I like them, and I can't remember the last time I had a cold.
 

EGGO

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2004
5,504
1
0
I have noticed that I don't feel as dizzy when I stand up after taking the GNC's Mega Men Sport.
 

sash1

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2001
8,896
1
0
i take GNC's Mega Men Sport. my only complaint is i suck at swallowing huge-ass pills and it's kinda big (though smaller than some other pills i've seen other people take)
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

You can't get everything from your diet unless you eat 6 hours a day with a perfect diet. Admitantly, you do have to do your research and figure out what's and overdose and what isn't (I put about 7 hours into multivitamins alone), but once you find one that meets most of the criteria, it certainly can't hurt.

Also, there's a reason multivitamins haven't shown any "conclusive" benefit. Quality multivitamins haven't been around that long. Vitamin deficiency can have long-term effects that take place decades later. Better safe than sorry.
That's cutting it pretty damn close, especially since there are no meaningful studies showing that healthy people really benefit from a multi in the first place.


Actually for women when they are pregnant it has been shown to reduce birth defects. While being pregnant you can also be healthy.


Of course i remember a show that had a bunch of doctors saying most people get no shown good effect from vitimans, yet they all took one. :)
Folic acid for women who will or are pregnant has been shown to benefit and is recommended by physicians.

I am the same as zedtom. I have been reading about and taking vitamins for a decade but just wonder really what the point was. Haven't we had enough time that we should know if it's of real benefit or not?

Iron has also been linked to various neurological disorders (decades later) in men when taken via supplements.

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
1,503
136
Originally posted by: Skoorb

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
That's why it's best not to rely on supplements as "insurance", but get your vitamins from food. Obviously even foods have some risk, but a lot less especially if you follow the motto of "nothing in excess" and eat a variety of healthy foods. Unless you have a condition that requires vitamin supplementation, most likely only the manufacturer of the vitamin supplement is benefiting from your supplement use. Any experienced benefit for healthy people on normal diets is probably psychosomatic.
 

techgamer

Senior member
Sep 19, 2007
570
0
0
Originally posted by: Crono
Originally posted by: Skoorb

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
That's why it's best not to rely on supplements as "insurance", but get your vitamins from food. Obviously even foods have some risk, but a lot less especially if you follow the motto of "nothing in excess" and eat a variety of healthy foods. Unless you have a condition that requires vitamin supplementation, most likely only the manufacturer of the vitamin supplement is benefiting from your supplement use. Any experienced benefit for healthy people on normal diets is probably psychosomatic.

Ok, say someone wants to eat the right food and enough of the right food to get all required vitamins what would you have to eat?
 

sash1

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2001
8,896
1
0
Originally posted by: techgamer
Originally posted by: Crono
Originally posted by: Skoorb

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
That's why it's best not to rely on supplements as "insurance", but get your vitamins from food. Obviously even foods have some risk, but a lot less especially if you follow the motto of "nothing in excess" and eat a variety of healthy foods. Unless you have a condition that requires vitamin supplementation, most likely only the manufacturer of the vitamin supplement is benefiting from your supplement use. Any experienced benefit for healthy people on normal diets is probably psychosomatic.

Ok, say someone wants to eat the right food and enough of the right food to get all required vitamins what would you have to eat?

follow this food pyramid
 

irishScott

Lifer
Oct 10, 2006
21,562
3
0
Originally posted by: Crono
Originally posted by: Skoorb

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
That's why it's best not to rely on supplements as "insurance", but get your vitamins from food. Obviously even foods have some risk, but a lot less especially if you follow the motto of "nothing in excess" and eat a variety of healthy foods. Unless you have a condition that requires vitamin supplementation, most likely only the manufacturer of the vitamin supplement is benefiting from your supplement use. Any experienced benefit for healthy people on normal diets is probably psychosomatic.

Ok, let's take one of the proven nutrition standards: 1200 mg of calcium per day is widely considered to be the optimal amount for proper bone density, among other things. Show me some foods that will supply that naturally (nothing fortified), and that won't require hours of eating/drinking.

Also, for the record Folic acid is absorbed better through supplements than naturally in most cases.
 

ubercaffeinated

Platinum Member
Dec 1, 2002
2,130
0
71
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: Crono
Originally posted by: Skoorb

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
That's why it's best not to rely on supplements as "insurance", but get your vitamins from food. Obviously even foods have some risk, but a lot less especially if you follow the motto of "nothing in excess" and eat a variety of healthy foods. Unless you have a condition that requires vitamin supplementation, most likely only the manufacturer of the vitamin supplement is benefiting from your supplement use. Any experienced benefit for healthy people on normal diets is probably psychosomatic.

Ok, let's take one of the proven nutrition standards: 1200 mg of calcium per day is widely considered to be the optimal amount for proper bone density, among other things. Show me some foods that will supply that naturally (nothing fortified), and that won't require hours of eating/drinking.

Also, for the record Folic acid is absorbed better through supplements than naturally in most cases.

calcium is damn important as we start to get older and lose bone density. but calcium is useless without vitamin d. make sure you get enough of both. the amount calcium we need to reduce bone density loss is a lot more than we can get from simply vit d + calcium enriched foods. i'm not gonna pull numbers out of my ass because i'm studying for finals and can't remember anything else right now. also make sure all the shit we take is actually bioavailable so we don't piss it out.

 

irishScott

Lifer
Oct 10, 2006
21,562
3
0
Originally posted by: makoto00
Originally posted by: irishScott
Originally posted by: Crono
Originally posted by: Skoorb

True. And yet men used to take it. I wonder what other "surprises" are in our current supplement regimens that we don't yet know about?
That's why it's best not to rely on supplements as "insurance", but get your vitamins from food. Obviously even foods have some risk, but a lot less especially if you follow the motto of "nothing in excess" and eat a variety of healthy foods. Unless you have a condition that requires vitamin supplementation, most likely only the manufacturer of the vitamin supplement is benefiting from your supplement use. Any experienced benefit for healthy people on normal diets is probably psychosomatic.

Ok, let's take one of the proven nutrition standards: 1200 mg of calcium per day is widely considered to be the optimal amount for proper bone density, among other things. Show me some foods that will supply that naturally (nothing fortified), and that won't require hours of eating/drinking.

Also, for the record Folic acid is absorbed better through supplements than naturally in most cases.

calcium is damn important as we start to get older and lose bone density. but calcium is useless without vitamin d. make sure you get enough of both. the amount calcium we need to reduce bone density loss is a lot more than we can get from simply vit d + calcium enriched foods. i'm not gonna pull numbers out of my ass because i'm studying for finals and can't remember anything else right now. also make sure all the shit we take is actually bioavailable so we don't piss it out.

I know, and my calcium supplement has Vitamin D and Magnesium in it. My point was that it's practically impossible to get the optimal amount of certain Vitamins/Minerals from food alone.