To ask what supplements you take, what for and does it work?

[Sugarbeach]

I don't know what exactly is not quite right with my health, something related to candida and hypothyroid, stress and general fatigue .....anyway, I currently take a multi vitamin, vitamin B, milk thistle, caprylic acid, fish oil capsules and coconut oil....bit of a stab in the dark but I believe it does something because I feel worse when I stop taking them.

What do you take, what for, does it work and how did you decide on what to take?

Magnesium - to stop me grinding my teeth. I think it helps.

also Evening Primrose, Vit B complex, and I alternate a Hair with a Skin Supplement.

B6, also to prevent infanticide and mariticide (had to look it up ). Am not writing this from Parkhurst so it obviously works.
Vit D when I remember in the winter.

I take a multi vitamin (on the basis it can't hurt!) fish oils (good ones, have read repeatedly that cheap ones are a waste of time), agnus castus (saved my life, I was a proper raging unreasonable banshee with pmt and it has helped x 1,000,000) and matcha powder (definitely improves energy levels over the day, and skin).

Pregnancy multivitamin and omega 3. The omega 3 is amazing at keeping my poor dry skin under control and I read it can help with depression. It also helps with my poor memory so overall I think it's a wonder drug!
Before I got pregnant I took a high dose magnesium supplement which really helped my mood swings.
I would reccomend a probiotic for the candida symptoms though - I have a Yakult and it really helps my digestive system!

Left to my own devices I would take nothing.

Dh leaves out the following with a glass of water:

Multi vitamin
Probiotic
Omega 3 oil

The probiotic is because he is concerned about candida with a Western high carb diet. We have a very healthy diet by the way but giving up carbs is a massive deal. We'll probably low carb when the dc are a bit older.

DP (who is a physiologist and sports and exercise researcher) swears by high does Vit D and Omega 3

My biologist dh has always maintained that taking supplements is useless but I ignored him. I threw all supplements in the bin last year when several foreign papers I read independently stated that taking supplements is mostly harmless, very rarely beneficial (I think Vit D is an exception) and can actually be harmful.

I tend to keep this to myself in rl, though. I know how people love their supplements. I just wish it wasn't such a multi million £££ industry and people researched it a bit more.

Cod liver oil, Evening primrose oil and multivitamins with iron.
I don't know if they work because I never stop taking them.

SentimentalKat - I tend to agree with you.

I have to say though, my fingernails are amazing at the moment, I have only been taking the stuff listed up thread for a few weeks.

Last time my nails were as this strong and shiny was when pregnant (and taking Pregnacare).

The biggest studies on the effects of A, C and E (ie "antioxidant") supplements showed a small negative effect so I steer clear of generic multi-vits.

I take a multivitamin/mineral and 5000 IUs of vitamin D each day. The vitamin D has really picked my mood up after I started coming down with SAD at the end of October. I feel loads better now. I give it to dh and the dcs have lower doses.

I take a multi vitamin, spa tone for iron levels and valerian complex for mood. I tell myself they work.

Codliver oil (for joints, Im pretty sure it works). EPO for PMT definitely helps.

Yes wasn't it the antioxidant trial that was stopped early because more people actually died in the treatment group compared to the control group?

My mum has a similar list of health issues to you. She swears by coconut oil. She has also noticed her energy levels improve since taking iodine, although I would seek advice before you start taking it as I am hypothyroid and it doesn't seem to agree with me. It also might help if you can get something to support your adrenal function as poor functioning adrenals are closely linked to thyroid problems.

I tell myself they work. And that is why they work. The placebo effect is amazing. People know about it but are unaware how incredible it is. Read up on it, it is a powerful effect. It works by proxy (children and animals), it works even when you know it is a placebo!