
Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take? - wesley
I would be interested in knowing what vitamin supplements you all take and why (Include the brand name).<p>I currently take: 
- Centrum multivitamin
- Now foods vitamin D3 (2000IU)<p>I also just bought the Now foods omega 3 supplement. It smells rancid. I'm probably going to throw it away. Does anyone know of a good, purified brand? (Preferrably something that uses d-gamma and d-delta forms of vitamin E to prevent oxidation/rancidity)
======
rarrrrrr
I've been studying health and exercising with an Olympic trainer for years.

First, nearly all vitamins sold at CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Walmart, etc. are
cheaply manufactured. Don't even bother. These are also the vitamins
pharmaceutical companies study when they wish to discredit the healthfulness
of vitamins in general.

Next, health requires diet, exercise, and supplementation for nutrients that
can't easily be found in our modern food supply. Supplements alone won't do
it.

That said, the best quality supplement companies I'm aware of are (in
descending order for price and quality) Wellness Resources, the Life Extension
Foundation, and Vitacost. Prepare yourself for sticker shock. The best protein
supplements I know of (fermented or sprouted brown rice base, no animal or soy
sources) are from SunWarrior and Boku Superfood.

The supplements I use are mostly plants, and include chlorella, spirulina,
tumeric + black pepper, CoQ10, resveratrol, and LEF's Mix Tab vitamins (9 per
day; a wide range of things are included.)

I also include flax oil, maca root, and pure chocolate directly in meals,
along with an abundance of colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, and
occasional good quality meats.

Previous comments on supplements and diet:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1007392>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=829701>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=726914>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=585575>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=516538>

~~~
Tichy
What is the difference in the "cheap" supplements and the ones you recommend?
Cheaply manufactured doesn't imply that they are bad/worse.

~~~
rarrrrrr
There are a thousand low level details in the answer to this question; I'll
try to cover some of the basics.

A high end vitamin tries very hard to package nutrients from actual food
sources (i.e. extracts and concentrations of something you would really eat)
instead of just cramming in raw materials. This tends to mean that the
bioavailability (i.e. how much you actually absorb instead of just pass
through) is much better. For example, sourcing calcium from ground up oyster
shells provides plenty of the mineral, but the absorption rate is terrible.
Much research goes into finding the best bioavailable forms.

In general, the ingredients are significantly better quality. Packaging B12 as
cyanocobalamin may cost 1/10th as much as hydroxlcobalamin, but isn't nearly
as good for us.

The ingredients are plentiful. The FDA's recommended daily allowance numbers
are WAY off in most cases. For example, my multivitamin packages over 3000% of
vitamin C, and over 8000% of B1.

Finally, a high end multivitamin includes a huge range of stuff beyond just
the basics. For example, look at the ingredients list for the LEF Mix Tabs.
It's 4 pages long in my browser. If you're curious, I suggest Google or Google
Scholar around for the specific chemical forms of all the vitamins and
minerals mentioned.

------
chipsy
Dear naysayers: It's straightforward enough to take supplements at breakfast
and then build on that with later meals. And it's actually quite a lot of fun
to experiment with something fundamental to well-being.

I currently take a multivitamin, Omega 3, 600mg calcium + 400 IU Vit D, plus
6000IU of D separately, and variable amounts of whey protein. The multi is an
all-arounder, the Omega 3 is for perceived brain power benefits. I go for a
lot of Vit D because it's just been amazing for mood, confidence, general
well-being, and I started with the calcium to complement it. The whey protein
is used to keep me on the straight-and-narrow with the rest of my diet, by
controlling hunger in a form which offers few obvious downsides.

As far as brands go, I typically get supplements either from Trader Joe's or
from CVS. I don't really pay much attention to which ones I'm using as I
haven't seen a quality difference yet. I've been going through some Omega 3
from Trader Joe's for ages, no problems with it. For the whey I'm currently
using "Designer Whey." I don't know if I'll stick with it; every protein brand
seems way different.

~~~
Tichy
If you say experiment, do you protocol and measure your results?

------
cas
There is a lot of scientific research that shows that a balanced diet is all
that is required to provide all the vitamins the body requires and that
supplements at best are a waste of money and at worst in large doses can cause
harm.

The only exception would be for people that have specific conditions that a
doctor suggests supplements for.

Edit: I though i would add one example i read recently about Omega 3 that
really stands out:
[http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627601.400-omega3-fi...](http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627601.400-omega3-fishy-
claims-for-fish-oil.html)

~~~
seshagiric
Isn't the point of taking of supplements that you cannot easily arrange a
'balanced diet'?

~~~
zecg
Yes, but it's actually easier than people think. You don't have to make a
science of it or measure doses, just ditch flavor enhancers and avoid
preservatives, read the labels on stuff you buy (yes, time-consuming at first,
but you'll have to do it less and less as you gain experience), favor fresh
produce over junk food and get lots of sunshine.

~~~
ekanes
I think your attitude is right-on, but you proceeded to list as "easy" a bunch
of things people find hard. ;)

(You might not, but many do...)

~~~
zecg
Well, what I'm saying is that the practice is easy once you muster the will.
Sadly, many people realize how easy it is after a disease forces them to
change their behavior.

------
SlowOnTheUptake
Why do you take vitamin supplements?

I don't take them and would only do so if I had some reason to think I was
deficient in them and then only the the particular vitamins in which I was
deficient.

------
Erwin
Just vitamin D -- deficiency (if you're not getting enough by being out in the
sun) may cause all sorts of mild but strange nervous system symptoms, like
passing numbness in various parts of your body and weak muscles (unfortunately
these are also symptoms for anything from brain cancer, Lyme disease to
Multiple Sclerosis, so I recommend seeing your doctor before spending too much
time on Wikipedia).

------
rosejn
If you are younger than 40 and in good health you should focus on a varied
diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables rather than supplements. They will
provide the vitamins and minerals you need while also providing lots of anti-
oxidants and micro-nutrients which help fight cancer, and help to make better
use of the standard vitamins. If you search around you will find numerous
reports of daily use of supplements causing higher instances of cancer. It
probably couldn't hurt to take a multi-vitamin sporadically just to make sure
you get everything, but the focus should be on your diet and exercise. In
terms of omegas, start throwing flax-see oil or ground seeds on your cereal in
the morning. It's the best (and possibly only) non-animal source for the
stuff, and it also provides you with a lot of fiber.

------
graugrau
If you want an easy way to add more greens to your diet, try a green smoothie.
Just blend together a bunch of frozen spinach+banana+apple (my default), or
spinach+banana+frozen blueberries (tastes chocolatey for some reason...), or
whatever combo of leafy greens+fruit you want. It tastes awesome, and it makes
it super easy to get a pound or more of greens every day.

Has anyone actually felt noticeably different when going healthier, though? Or
is it more a long-term thing? I went from a pretty average lifestyle (macaroni
and cheese everyday, and no exercise except walking everywhere) to a super
healthy one a couple years ago, but I can't say I feel any different. [Though
I haven't been objectively measuring myself in any way.]

------
ahk
Kirkland's fish oil/omega-3 (this one is good enough for me, no issues)

Now/Carlsson's vit D3 (2000IU)

LEF's magnesium, taurine and super-k (vit. k1 + k2)

GNC's creatine monohydrate

I take these on and off or cyclically (some are bad combinations). I'm
thinking of getting a multivitamin, but most of them have their own
shortcomings.

------
gte910h
If you want omega 3, it's far easier to get it by eating 1> Grass fed beef
(Didn't you know? Our beef is only missing Omega 3 because we feed them corn
instead of grass) 2> Fish, 3> Flaxseed (or flaxseed oil)

It quickly goes rancid out of food, (and hell,we keep flax oil and flax seeds
in the fridge). Every pill of it is going to be rancid most likely.

Uncle Sam's Cereal (which I believe was the inspiration for the SNL skit
"Colon Blow", is full of flax):
[http://www.usmillsinc.com/usmills/productview_description.ph...](http://www.usmillsinc.com/usmills/productview_description.php?id=124&back=UH0JJ1IiBjpXPVc9VjxVJFR9AXMGMgA3BCUENQBuVChWJAg7UyAIZlAxUiZRNlE9VjQHOwBk)
(manuf website, sold in many grocery stores).

------
WesleyJohnson
I'm a terribly picky eater. So terrible in fact, that there is a single green
vegetable I'll consume and zero fruits. Sure, I'll eat things comprised of
processed vegies (love me some pizza), but I won't sit down and eat a tomato,
pees, bananas, etc. Okay, I eat potato's too, but that's a stretch.

So while I haven't done any research on the matter, I'd say it's pretty
conclusive I don't get a good portion of nutrients I probably need or at the
very least would benefit from.

That said, I take a "one a day" men's vitamin and then a single 1000mg Vitamin
C supplement. Maybe I'm doing more harm than good? I'm not sure.

~~~
jgrahamc
At the risk of sounding like someone's mother: snap out of that ridiculous
picky eater nonsense. Unless you've got an actual medical condition that
prevents you from eating certain foods you are likely doing yourself a hell of
a lot of harm by only eating processed food. And spending your $ on
supplements isn't going to make up for all the complex stuff in vegetables and
fruits that you are missing.

~~~
WesleyJohnson
I don't really understand why people consider this "nonsense"? I agree with
you that suppliments don't come close to doing what a natrually balanced diet
would do for me, but why do people who aren't picky eaters think this is
something that can just be "snapped out of"?

Few people I know like or would willingly consume anything put in front of
them. Surely there is something out there you wouldn't eat, don't like, etc.
Why is it so hard to imagine that there are people out there (like me) who
don't just have this adversion to eating a few things, but rather quite a few?

I'll finish by saying that in the interest of health, I most certainly should
be forcing myself to eat things I don't particularly care for or even find
downright disgusting. However, to assume that the reason I don't eat such
things is nonsense isn't a fair assesment in my opinion.

~~~
Luc
As a rule of thumb, by just repeatedly eating the food you don't like, you
will get used to it and learn to like it. This is all it takes - just eat
spinach 10 times, and you'll learn to like spinach. It's likely you'll prefer
it prepared this way rather than that way, but your tastes will change.

I like to make it easier on myself by putting lots of pepper or chilli sauce
on the food, until I am used to the taste.

By the way, this is how culinary schools work (at least here in Belgium). The
kids arrive when they're 14 and need to learn to appreciate all kinds of food,
so the rule is that they need to finish their plate, no exceptions.

~~~
dalore
You can't generalize like that. I seriously can't eat vegetables. It's the
texture and not the taste. I can eat them when they have been puréed and mixed
into my food and I don't know about it. But if I try to eat something and I
feel the "crunch" of vegetables, my throat will close up.

It's been noted that people with Aspergers sometimes have a problem with
certain food textures. So this could be a manifestation of that.

~~~
Luc
Sorry, I'm just trying to be encouraging and to challenge the belief that
there is no way out of this situation. It's fun to hack the brain, and to
submit your lower brain systems to the will of your conscious brain. The short
term may be hard and painful, but in the long term you'll feel better for it.
It's not that different from studying hard or exercising.

This is my humble opinion, and your mileage may vary...

------
JangoSteve
I've been somewhat weary of taking supplemental vitamins ever since reading
this study that indicates taking supplemental antioxidents may "undo" some of
the benefits of exercise: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8043456.stm>

Of course there are always going to be new studies suggesting this and warning
against that, but it's just a constant reminder that no one really has a full
understanding of what the hell is going on in our bodies. And that makes me
hesitate to spend a bunch of money on man-made supplements.

------
retube
As far as I understand, the vast majority of vitamin supplements have no
independently demonstrated or scientifically evaluated benefit whatsoever. In
fact, many supplements have been shown to do more harm than good. They are
basically a huge con. Eating a balanced diet of meat, fish, staple
cereals/crops, vegetables and fruit is the best thing you can do for yourself.

The _only_ supplement I am aware of that genuinely has a benefit is Folic
Acid, which pregnant and planning-on-getting pregnant women should take. This
is available free on the NHS.

------
miri
Vitamin B12 and folic acid, relatively large doses to prevent recurrence of
deficiency, since regular dietary intake wasn't enough. Brand doesn't matter,
since it's prescription-only. Non-vitamin supplements is Omega-3 if I haven't
eaten much fatty fish lately, and fairly low doses of haem iron to keep my
ferritin where it is.

I see no reason to take any other supplements, as my diet is fairly balanced,
lots of vegetables, fairly good amount of fish (but could be better). I take
enough pills already as it is due to chronic illness.

Besides, there's so much NONSENSE out there. NO, large doses of Vitamin C will
not help for a cold. It will give you the runs, and harm your kidneys in the
long run, but you're wasting your money. Get out in the sun in summer, eat vit
D-rich foods in winter if you live in places such as Norway like I do, and
otherwise take it easy. Eat vegetables, try to eat less processed food,
remember that vit B12 only comes from animal sources (milk, eggs, meat -
spirulina does NOT contain B12) and you should be good.

------
iamgabeaudick
Lyle McDonald has a comprehensive two-part post on supplements (specifically
for athletes, but applicable to all) on his blog, Body Recomposition. Here's
part 1: [http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/supplements-
par...](http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/supplements-part-1.html).
And part 2: [http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/supplements-
par...](http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/supplements-part-2.html).
Lyle's a good bro.

Martin Berkhan, of Lean Gains, has also written on supplements, though geared
more for bodybuilders. Here's the link:
[http://leangains.blogspot.com/2010/01/supplements-you-
might-...](http://leangains.blogspot.com/2010/01/supplements-you-might-
actually-find_09.html). Both "gurus" are legit.

------
terra_t
Purified Omega-3 1000 mg, 4000 IU Vitamin D, 100 mg CoQ10, 1000 mg Calcium,
800 mg Magnesium; thinking seriously of capping up KCl and taking that too...
idiots that kill themselves with potassium overdoses mean you have to pay
prescription prices for what ought to cost a few pennies a day.

------
jgrahamc
None

------
sirsean
I take Damage Control Master Formula from Primal Nutrition; in the last six
months I've lost about 30 pounds, find myself considerably less hungry than I
used to be, and have a lot more energy than I did before. (That all may also
be related to the fact that I switched to a high-protein/low-carbs diet at the
same time.)

Primal Nutrition also offers Omega 3 supplements, which I also take. I have
not had the rancidity problem.

It's all pretty expensive, though.

------
ssharp
I take an Omega 3 pill (not picky here, I've gotten these from Whole Foods,
GNC, WalMart, Walgreens, wherever) and Centrum Men's every morning. I also
usually eat a protein bar for breakfast. On lifting days, I drink a Gold
Standard Whey (GNC) shake w/ skim milk. On cardio days, I don't take
additional supplements. If I'm doing intense cardio, I'll drink a glass of
Accelerade (think Gatorade w/ added protein) after.

------
noelchurchill
Check out Healthforce Vitamineral Greens! They are composed of real foods,
they are raw, and easily assimilated by your body. No vitamin supplements
needed when you get the nutrients directly from the real food source!
<http://www.healthforce.com/>

------
patrickk
Does anyone have anyone any feedback on Juice Plus? I took it for a month and
didn't notice any difference and energy levels or boosted immune system.

I've heard conflicting reports - some say it's all full of bullshit studies by
the manufacturer claiming all sorts of benefits and others swear by it.

------
ruang
Magnesium. When I went on a low carb diet, I wasn't getting enough, and the
muscles in my face were starting to twitch. I googled and found out it was
caused by a lack of magnesium. Once I started taking the magensium
supplements, the twitching was gone in hours.

------
fbru02
While we are at the subject ... Has anyone had experience or insight on detox
programs ? I'm currenlty eyeing this one : <http://www.cleanprogram.com/>
Comments will be appreciated.

------
vlado
My candidate-mother-in-law (as she likes to call herself) says artificial
vitamins are bad. Vitamins and minerals in the form of pills get fully
absorbed by the body, even if they are not needed in such big quantities at
the moment.

Examples: If you bring more calcium in the body it can subside in kydneys in
the form of sand-particles.

If you bring more vitamin D into the body, the body starts to pull out calcium
from the bones and sends it to the kidneys and to the heart-muscle.

She's a pediatrician and а homoeopath and feeds us (my girlfriend and me) with
blue-green-algae additives, because they contain all the stuff in it's natural
form, so the organism can take whatever it needs out of it and excrete the
rest.

Her supplier of choice is AquaSource (a multi-level-marketing company), but
there are many other companies that offer similar stuff.

Sorry for my ("medical") english, had a gard time translating it from my
native language.

~~~
dalore
I got told me quite the opposite, from people with actual medical degrees.
That multivitamin supplements aren't all that useful since the body tends to
not absorb much of it and excretes it. It's better to get the vitamins from
your food.

If vitamins get fully absorbed why is my piss bright green when I take a
multivitamin?

~~~
hga
Have you tried to take the vitamin _with_ food?

Me, I split my "One A Day" type vitamin/mineral pill into two and take one
half with breakfast and lunch. I avoid dinner for minerals to give any excess
the best chance of getting excreted during the day when I'm pushing a lot more
water though my kidneys.

As for your problem ... are you sure that's not just some dye in the pill? I
don't know of anything that would be "bright green" that you'd likely be
taking.

~~~
dalore
I've tried various vitamin pills in different countries. All the same.

Now I just eat lots of different fruit. No more supplements unless my doctor
prescribes.

------
zecg
None. I try for lots of sunshine all year round, eat fruits & nuts & veggies
and live scoby-produced foods - I have a pet kombucha that produces fizzy
health in potable form.

------
uuid
Most important: Folic acid (B9).

Apparently has strong correlation with IQ. Makes me wake up instantly in the
morning. Less tired. Better concentration.

Don't take more than ~400mg /day.

~~~
hga
With all the suplimentation going on limiting it to 400 mcg ( _NOT_ mg) is
going to be hard.

The key is to limit it to 1,000 mcg/1 mg; above that the symptoms of
pernicious anemia (Vitamin B12 problems) can be masked until you've gotten
irreversible nerve damage.

------
jokull
Tablespoon of cod liver oil from a big bottle (Lýsi). <http://www.lysi.eu/>

------
rradu
Daily multivitamin from Costco. Got a 500-pill tub for like $10.

I eat well, but making sure I get enough of what's necessary doesn't hurt.

------
wyclif
What do you all say about Vitamin C? Specific brands? What about issues like
absorbtion?

~~~
kilian
I've heard good things about fresh oranges. They're tasty, too.

------
Ixiaus
<http://www.intramax.org/>

------
lleger
Mega Men Sport by GNC. It's the best I've found.

------
kilian
instead of extra vitamins, I just eat less carbs. Same effect ;)

~~~
rradu
Not at all. Vitamins are something you need to take in. Eating less of
anything won't give you more vitamins.

------
wendroid
Vegetables

~~~
Kilimanjaro
and fruits!

~~~
wendroid
and legumes (they fix nitrogen too!)

You think carbon dioxide is bad news, wait until you find out about what all
the nitrogen we introduce to the ecosystem does.

#timebomb

------
hga
WRT to omega 3 supplementation (which I think is a good idea to balance out
the surplus we get post-WWII of omega 6 fatty acids due to the shift to
vegetable oils) I recommend Nordic Naturals. I buy half a years supply at a
time (to avoid excessive heat or cold in shipping and to get a volume
discount) and they maintain their freshness.

If you detect any rancidity you need to find another source.

For what it's worth, I too take essentially what you're taking: a private
label knock off of the Centrum mature multivitamin (unless you're a
menstruating woman you probably don't need iron supplementation and it can be
harmful) and a fair amount of Vitamin D3, which I will be adjusting based on
blood tests to figure out what's right for me.

------
zackattack
i take an efa pill (omega 3, flax, omega 6, omega 9, etc.) maybe placebo but i
feel it enhances the quality of my dreams.

