Vitamins and supplements..

[Just1moreq]

I've been listening to a pod cast this morning and it was talking abiug pre and pro biotics which led me down a vitamins and supplements rabbit hole on the interweb

Anyone knowledgeable about what is useful / good to take?

If it helps, I'm over 40, very anemic and overweight!!

What might be good for general health?

I took a multivitamin for ages, and then I heard that they can do more harm than good if you already eat a balanced diet.

Probiotics like kefir, kimchi, fermented foods generally have proven benefits.

I believe that biotic supplements are only beneficial after food poisoning or a course of antibiotics. I could be wrong.

if you're anaemic, then iron supplements would be the obvious choice - assume you're already on them though!

Yeah, I take an iron suppliment. Gave up with tablets and now take liquid iron.

Ive been seeing alot abiug the benifits of magnesium for women. Mind you there is so much conflicting information

Yep, MN loves magnesium more than life itself. I've seen it recommended on here so many times, and did end up buying some eventually. I only take a third of the RDA as don't want to risk overdoing it. I think it helps a bit with feeling more calm...? Could just be the placebo effect though.

The mumsnet version of the fountain of youth?

I take quite a eww supplements but that is because I have had part of my bowel resected and don't absorb nutrients too well.

I am reluctant generally to recommend most supplements without blood tests as there is no benefit to taking something you don't need. As a caveat to that though, I do suggest getting a copy of your blood results and checking levels against the healthy range as, even if you are within normal limits, if you are close to the lower end then there are benefits to raising levels to optimum.

Vitamin D and vitamin B12 are 2 specific vitamins where it definitely pays to be at least mid range if not above.

The reason for magnesium being a useful supplement is because of intensive farming reducing the amount of it in farm produce. But as with most things it pays to do your own research - especially as magnesium comes in so many different guises and some are definitely more beneficial than others (as well as more tolerable on the digestion. I have found magnesium has eased anxiety and improved my sleep patterns. I now wake far less in the night and when I do wake I find it easier to get back to sleep but it won't necessarily help everyone,

Look at chelated iron, also called gentle iron. If you're very anaemic the sachets won't be enough and the chelate doesn't cause digestive issues and is more easily absorbed and has less of an oxidant effect.