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!!

Look people can not take all other supplements and feel heathy. But do not ignore the government advice to supplement with Vitamin D in the winter.

I use Glowwa hair food (meno). I now get no breakage and hardly any loss. I started using it after getting my colour done again in a salon. I can see the difference in thickness. I occasionally take gummies with iron and folic acid in, because I can run a bit low. I wasn't given HRT when I should have been, so my hair suffered. My skin and nails have improved. My DD has noticed a difference after putting turmeric in her morning smoothie. She hasn't been sick over winter.

I take Vit D when I remember. Making sure I get some daily sun now the weather’s good. I didn't realise how important Vit D is for your brain health until I came up as slightly deficient in a blood test.

I am 49 and don’t take anything at all and never have. Have gone through the menopause fine, and am strong and fit and don’t feel like I need anything. I exercise daily, don’t ache, am thin and I eat really well and get outside for at least an hour a day, usually longer.
What happens if you’re lacking in vitamin D?!

Can contribute to dementia.

Yep, vitamin D massively helps my mood in winter and it also helps my anxiety.

Low vitamin D is linked to a whole host of diseases. I guess the mechanism isn’t known but the studies are there. It’s a hormone that helps immune function so I guess that’s the link. Also low vitamin D would contribute to brittle bones, muscle weakness, fatigue. Low levels also linked to dementia. It’s helpful for mood.

It’s really important to have good levels.

I'm 48 and very much in peri. I take a soluable multivitamin, cod liver oil with added vit D, creatine and collagen pepitide powder everyday. If i feel tired or have a bad period i'll take spatone for iron and vit B complex. I want to avoid muscle and bone density loss, and any deficiencies which can lead to tiredness or low immunity.

If you do take protien and creatine you HAVE to be doing regular exercize for it to have any effect.

I take none, I’m not getting any symptoms and I’m probably post menopause though hard to say because I have a mirina. Could be speaking too soon but my mum had no issues so perhaps I got lucky genes

YANBU. I’m 40 and I don’t take any supplements. I do walk, swim, garden, spend time outside, eat relatively healthily and ensure I get plenty of sleep though.

I care more about what I breathe in and what I absorb through my skin. Eating healthily and getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine mitigates the need for supplements IMO.

If you take a look at the recent Royal College of Physicians report on air quality (including healthy indoor air) and the impact that stale or polluted air has on health, then people might care less about supplements and more about living in healthy buildings and healthy cities.

What we eat is a tiny part of the equation on what keeps us healthy later in life.

I only take Vitamin D. If you take collagen your body will only use it where it needs it the most, and that’s not necessarily on your skin. I eat plenty of protein but do add bone broth to some meals for flavour primarily.

Eating healthily and getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine mitigates the need for supplements IMO.

A basic google would tell you that this is incorrect.

I take nutirian geeks lionsmane and found that has made a huge difference to brain fog. I also take a marine collegen powder supplement and again, think it makes a difference to my skin. That's it though.

I do but I target specifically where I am deficient or don’t have ‘optimal’ levels. I get private bloods done by Thriva every so often and tweak accordingly.

It has made an enormous difference to my health. As soon as I got my iron, Vit D, B12 and folate levels up to where they should be (NOT the NHS cut offs as they are too low) I have more energy now than I did ten years ago.

It depends what effect you want them to have.

I know the feeling re pills!

do you take the prebiotics as a pill too or is it in food stuff too?

noted re tic tacs being more useful than collagen

I take one tablet of Calcium with Zinc and Magnesium, and another for Vitamin D. I have very low Vit D, so need to take it. I was taking B12 as it was low, but it's above normal now, so have stopped. I have some aches and pains, and word salad (use one word, mean another!) issues so have just started collagen for former and Gingko Bilboa for the latter. Not sure if those help yet. I tend to take things I am deficient or low in. I do Vitamin profiles with private blood tests. I am not on HRT yet.

I’m early 40s and take iron (known deficiency) and Vitamin D. I take magnesium glycinate before bed due to TMJ issues.

From time to time I take creatine as well.

Collagen, electrolytes etc daily seems like a massive waste of money.

Also, any supplement in gummy format is a total waste of time as dosing is so inaccurate. The supplements are sprayed on the outside of the sweetie and generally when tested will return a wildly different amount of vitamin/supplement compared to the label.

I take a generic multi vitamin sometimes, mainly in winter for vitamin D etc and for iron & b vits as I have a tendency to anaemia

I don't take any of this collagen and creatine stuff. I make bone broth for soup regularly anyway and I eat meat & fish so have plenty of creatine in my diet. I'm not a body builder.

I love this …. “Expensive wee”. I’m late fifties, eat really well and don’t take any supplements. People who are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals may be advised to take a supplement, however I think those who are not may just be more susceptible to the marketing of the ever growing wellness industry.

Expensive urine for the best part.

Vitamin D [not a vitamin but a hormone] is produced by sunshine, can you get out into the sun more and that would help sort that out ?
That aside, I'd be interested to know how many peeps have been advised by a hcp ti take these supplements or is it marketing that has won them over with some having a placebo effect?

Some of us can be out on sunshine and still need vit d supplments