Am I the only middle aged woman NOT using supplements?

[PoliteSquid]

Away on a weekend with friends and the conversation was constantly turning to supplements… probiotic powders, protein, creatin, bone broth and so many more!!!!
I’m no paragon of health but WTF? Where has all this come from? I can’t afford the prices mentioned, but I am starting to wonder if I’m the odd one out for not using any supplements at all!!

I take nothing. No supplements, no medication.
I have the same bafflement with the menopause/hrt bandwagon.
I think most unnecessary supplements cause more harm than good

HRT is a lifesaver (literally) for many women. I finally slept for the first time in 5 years. And nice to know my bones are protected. (And all the other benefits). It’s not a ‘bandwagon’ - women have been denied hormones for years and less still take it than before that heavily flawed WHI study was published.

It’s ok to take nothing. And definitely to not spend money on supplements you don’t need. But quit with the ‘bafflement’ - it’s so smug. You are baffled that women take medication that makes them feel better? Some women were suicidal before HRT..it can save marriages…

I take quite a lot I guess.

Symprove (due to gut issues which are now much improved so I just take a half dose)
Omega 3s (this is the important one as I don't eat oily fish or much fish at all)
Beetroot
A daily multivitamin
An iron tablet every 3 days or so
I add collagen and creatine to porridge but don't have it every day

And you need sunscreen as well.

what was the point of this thread
people are not going to be persuaded if that was the sneaky intention.

If your gonna take any, take them after eating for maximum effect.

I'm happy to accept all the good things being on the hrt bandwagon helps with. Both immediate and longterm.

Agree. When I was banging my head against a wall as my head felt like it was going to explode with the pressure I was only too glad to jump on the HRT bandwagon.

I suffer from migraines so I take Coenzyme Q10, vitamin B2 and magnesium for that. Also take vitamin C and D for immune system. Recently started collagen as in peri and muscles and joints are getting very stiff. Also just restarted omega 3 fish oil for this. Also take whey protein as easy extra protein. Taken other things in the past (e.g. iron and B12) but trying to cut costs a bit!

Bandwagon? How utterly ignorant you sound

I take quite a few things, I’m 43 and struggling with some peri symptoms (mainly anxiety, insomnia and mood swings) so doing my best with it! I also have underactive thyroid and anxiety-based SAD.

Multivitamin
Evening primrose oil
Vitamin D all year round
Collagen powder
and I’ve just ordered Magnesium Glycinate to add in.

Are you taking Levothyroxine?

I don’t buy any supplements but I do spend money on high quality food. I buy local meat from the butcher and local veg from an organic farm shop. I grow quite a lot of fruit and salad. I also bake my own bread with stoneground flour. Puddings are a rare treat and we have no sugary snacks in the house. I reckon we have all the nutrients we need in our diet.

You can’t get enough vitamin D from the diet. So a good diet will not provide sufficient vitamin D…

And since it's only available from the sun between end of April and end of August (in the UK) you can't get it year round without supplementation.

I was feeling the same about the collagen I took for years then my 67 year old friend walked in looking like she’d had Botox. Turns out she had been taking Wild Nutrition collagen. I switched to it and am 2 weeks in and already stunned by the difference in my skin. So not all collagen is created equal. Define worth checking out.

I also take vit D year round, high dose C, multi vit, B vits and omega (all by Pure Encapsulations). And iron.

Last time I was sick was a cold 2 1/2 years ago. Before that was Covid back in 2021. I very rarely get any sort of bug and my DH and DD who also take high quality supplements and vit D year round are the same.

A lot of women with periods simply can’t get enough iron (and often B12) from their diet either. Iron tablets are necessary for me with endometriosis!

Yes that’s what I’ve been saying. No idea why people have not got this memo!

ALOT of the fancy supplements that drown our feeds are just underdosed dust. So many are just not worth it unless you know you are deficient in something or are battling an actual health issue.. I do take a few though, cause I'm old 😅

Yes I’ve been taking it since I was diagnosed about 7 years ago. On 100mcg daily at the moment.

Same!

I’m 73 and the only supplement I have ever taken is vitamin D as suggested by my doctor 2 years ago .
other than type 2 diabetes I am perfectly healthy and as far as I am concerned all these supplements are a money making con . Anything that you ingest that your body doesn’t need just gets filtered by your kidneys and passed out in your urine. Total waste of money .

Prompted by this thread I've ordered some creatine 🤣

Pretty sure this is the opposite of what this thread intended sorry OP.

I do take a lot of supplements (iron, B vits, Vit D, magnesium, collagen, protein) and I've been thinking about dropping the collagen just to see if I notice.

I understand creatine has some actual scientific proof behind it.

Like anything it’s a matter of do your research and decide for yourself. Whether you take loads of supplements or none at all; it’s not a competition. I hate it when people use phrases like ‘hrt bandwagon’ like taking it is some kind of failure. You do you and let your friends do the same.

Why do so many people think they're the only person to do or not do something?
If it helps theres probably not a single thing in the world that someone is the 'only' person to do or not do.