Do vitamins actually work?

[morbidd]

Hello all,

I'm currently ill with some sort of flu (have been testing for covid but negative), and it's got me thinking I need to look after myself more.

I certainly will look at a better diet and exercise but wondered if vitamin supplements actually worked for people?

If so, what people took and what effect they had on them?

Thank you

I mean, this just isn’t true. There are supplements like vitamin C, which, as it is water soluble and not stored in the body, is excreted once you have enough in a day. However, this happens only once your body has enough – ie not ‘before they can do anything’ – and is just one specific vitamin.

I think it’s good that people are mindful of what’s worth bothering with and what’s not, but writing off every supplement in one stroke is just as lazy and misguided as believing every marketing claim you read.

One thing I think it is worth taking note of is what supplements are combined with. This is because less effective (but more obscure) supplements are often combined with well-evidenced supplements to support efficacy claims and justify an unnecessary price tag.

IIRC, glucosamine (which, if i’m thinking of the right supplement, has limited evidence of concrete benefits) is often combined with vitamin D (lots of good evidence behind it) and clever wording then used to suggest the glucosamine yields results that it doesn’t.

@RiaOverTheRainbow That's an oversimplification or deliberate obfuscation

No one thinks a vitamin can make you immune to anything

But Vitamin C is shown to be vital to immune health and immune health is literally what makes us immune to viruses

It's quite difficult to not get more than your body can deal with unless you're quite restrictive with food, or have a chronic health condition like pernicious anaemia (i bolded that bit because people often argue with examples of their diseases and why they need to take vitamins).

• *the industry has done a fantastic job of elevating these single chemicals amongst the millions within edible plants to god status. The biggest, most robust meta analyses of the question is, however, that they make zero difference to health. Vitamin D is the most recently hyped and whilst its true that deficiency is a bit rife, it isn't the miracle cure for all ailments it's ascribed to being. In fact, the most robust studies into some of the B vitamins actually show an increased risk of death and heart disease in those who supplement with them.

@SkiingIsHeaven which ones do you take please?

I take the following - recommended by a nutritionist

vegan omega 3
sea buckthorn oil
urinary track probiotic
general probiotic
active b12

Oh also Vit D

My understanding is that taking supplemental vitamins won't do anything, unless you're actually deficient in that vitamin, in which case it probably will make quite a significant difference. I know when I have been prescribed iron, after a couple of days I noticed my energy increase quite significantly. I hadn't even realised how tired I was until I did that!

The power of suggestion and the placebo effect of buying into something that is promising miracles is very seductive, though.

Sometimes with supplements you’re laying down health for the future. For example, the urinary tract probiotics I take make me feel better by helping prevent cystitis, if you see what I mean.

Yes, some supplements work. I take Alpha lipoic acid and NAC as well as a high strength Omega and vit D which all help my various conditions massively

I know my bp meds can affect magnesium potassium iron and zinc levels. So I always eat a potassium rich diet and supplement with the others.

Do you have a citation for that?

It depends what you're depleted in, whether you're taking them with the right co-factors and if they are bio available.
Also gut health comes into it a lot.

There are things that help in general. For example if I had a cold I would ensure I was taking magnesium, a couple grams vitamin c and zinc. I'd also have plenty of fluids and a little nettle tea, which is a natural anti histamine.
The only thing I take regularly is magnesium.

Anyone who wants to take Vitamin C, please look at the ingredients…
If it says Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), please think again, and research ascorbic acid.
From what I’ve read, ascorbic acid is only one part of Vitamin C, and I’ve also read it’s not advisable, so if you are going to supplement with Vitamin C, do make sure you get one that’s the whole thing.

Not wishing to hijack OP's thread but those of you who take magnesium what type do you take please? I'm a bit confused about the different types (oxide, citrate etc).

I think a targeted approach is best as we are all different.

Everyone needs Vitamin D in the northern hemisphere. Some more than others but we should all be supplementing.

Then it’s personal. I am often low on iron so take Spatone. I don’t sleep well so take Magnesium. I take Aswahanga for anxiety/stress.

What someone else needs is different which is why I don’t think a multivitamin in general is the best idea.

There are charts which show what they are most likely to do.
I've just switched from a glycinate to a mix of malate, citrate and glycinate. The total elemental magnesium is much higher so I'm interested to see whether it makes a difference with my migraines.

For aches and pains I find applying it topically much better.

I take L-Threonate for brain fog

I take magnesium (forget which one) as I have suspected endo, and calcium as I'm intolerant to dairy (not just lactose).

Also Vit D in the winter.

Vitamins work-if you are deficient. Which you are unlikely to be if you eat a reasonable diet. It's quite hard to be vitamin deficient-with the exception in cloudy countries of Vitamin D and Viramin K in babies. Generally, they just give you very expensive pee.

I take magnesium oxide. 500 mg. Admittedly higher than usual recommended levels but I sleep really well if I take it 9pm I get a solid 8 hours sleep.

I know it is frowned upon to take the oxide form but I don't mind it's slightly laxative effect as my blood pressure meds make me slightly constipated so it is fine for me.

It might not be for everyone. I buy Lindens brand and it is c £8 lasts 3 months.

Interesting belief since I have been prescribed vitamins twice, iron for anemia and vitamin D. Both times vitamins brought up the levels to acceptable limits. And I was just told to go get OTC brands.

Thanks All for the magnesium advice.

I've recently started taking Vitamin D in spray form (one squirt inside mouth each day) and it's proper perked me up. I'm not getting enough sunlight this summer and I thought it was worth a punt!

I take vitamin C through the winter, and vitamin D all year. I am rarely ill.

Just he aware that not all magnesium supplements are created equally.

The one most commonly sold in pharmacies is magnesium oxide which is the one less well absorbed by the body.

Others are/include magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate and magnesium citrate. They all help with different functions in the body. So decide what you need it for and choose the correct one.

You can take two different sorts eg one in the morning amd one in the evening depending on what you need it for 👍🏻

I take magnesium malate.