How do YOU feel about vitamins/supplements? There are many conflicting articles about the potential health benefits/dangers of vitamins. Also, if in favor, what vitamins/supplements do you take and why?

Vitamins are very important. Your brain is full of the toxic aftermath of your injury.

All of the anti-oxidants are good. also the B's. Some folic acid, Omega 3's, D3, the minerals, etc.

This has been discussed at length. Do a search on this forum for vitamins.

Vitamins and supplements need to become a long term/lifetime regimen. the benefits are very slow in coming.

My best to you.

Thank you Mark. I picked up a b-complex with vitamin c. I will be taking it daily in combination with DHA and a Multivitamin. Let me know your thoughts. It contains:

pdv - percent daily value

Vitamin C 150mg 250pdv
Thiamin 5mg 333pdv
Riboflavin 5mg 294pdv
Niacin 50mg 250pdv
Vitamin B6 5mg 250pdv
Folate 200mcg 50pdv
Vitamin B12 38mcg 625pdv
Biotin 15mcg 5pdv
Pantothenic Acid 25mg 250pdv

The supplements I have been taking are:

B-complex 100
Algal DHA (900 mg)
D3 (2,000 units)
Acetyl-l-carnitine (500 mg)

I subjectively feel that these have been very helpful, but I suppose it could also be placebo effect. Frankly, at this point, I don't care if it's a real effect or placebo effect as long as I feel better.

Eowyn's regimen is a great start.

lindberg's regimen is very weak.

A B-50 complex or B-100 complex is a good start. It is a somewhat standard complex of 50mgs (B-50) or 100 mgs (B-100) of most B's and 100 or 50 mcg's of B-12.

I take a pack of vitamins I get at Costco. It is called "Daily Multi Pack." I add a B-50 and 250 mcg of B-12, 100 mgs of B-6, 100 mgs of C, 250mgs of niacin, calcium, magnesium, and a few others.

I have been on this regimen for most of 30 years. It was prescribed by a MD when I was in a highly symptomatic state. My wife can tell when I have missed a few days. My demeanor changes.

Some people do a more intense regimen by spreading the supplements over the day. The nutrition forum has some info about this idea. I take it all at once after breakfast.

How is my regimen "very weak"? It seems like you have a very condescending attitude towards me.

Hi lindberg,

I didn't think he was condescending at all. You asked his opinion, and he gave it.

Your B complex does appear very weak compared to many. I take a B-100 complex (which is kind of "middle of the road" - there are also B-50, B-150, and a host of other B-complexes). By comparison to yours, mine has:

Thiamin 100 mg
Riboflavin 100 mg
Niacin 100 mg
Vitamin B6 100 mg
Folate 400 mcg
Vitamin B12 100 mcg
Biotin 100 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 100 mg

and some brands/complexes are even higher still in some of these.

I take additional:
B-12 5000 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 1000 mg
Vitamin C 1000 mg (more when stressed and/or feel something coming on)
Vitamin D 1000 iu (took 10,000 iu when I was tested low)
Vitamin E 400 - 800 iu

I also take a good multi with minerals, and several other supplements particular to my own conditions/needs.

Those % daily values they give are often old, out of date, and/or irrelevant for people with different conditions/needs, so I found it helpful to learn something about everything I take, and adjust accordingly. Some vitamins can safely be taken in huge quantities; others cannot, and as you say, can be detrimental. Some people may also have problems with absorption of some vitamins without even knowing it, so larger quantities may be in order. Of course the best way to get any/all vitamins is by proper diet & exercise, which gets tougher all the time in this culture/day & age.

There's a lot of good information on all of this in the Vitamins & Supplements forum, as well as in some sub-forums and "Stickys" in other forums, depending on whatever else you may have.

Doc

1,666pcd of vitamin c?

Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset.* Some reports claim that* prolonged overdose of vitamin C can lead to birth defects, genetic mutation, kidney stones, oxidative stress and cancer, but these are not commonly accepted right now.

It's very, very unnatural to be taking such high quantities of vitamins in my opinion. You must have the most expensive urine in the world.

A healthy diet is way more important. Food is the means your body is designed to accept vitamins from, and in smaller quantities for a reason.

Yes, I said that.

Studies & claims can be found to support just about any argument/position one wants to take; it comes down to the veracity/reputation of the source, the science behind it, and what/who you choose to believe.

Folks here are quite knowledgable from years of research and experience, so again, I urge you to read what's in those pages, and ask any specific questions there.

No-one here has criticized you. We've just made observations that your B-complex is on the lightweight side of the range of what people are taking. What I take is kind of in the middle. Whether it's enough depends on what medical conditions you may have, what your levels are, and probably most importantly, how you feel.

Best Wishes,

Doc

Vitamin C is often taken to what ius called "bowel tolerance." That means one takes increasing doses until they start to have loose bowels. they then reduce their dose to proper bowel function.

An easy way to tell if you are peeing out vitamin C is by the color of your urine. Bright yellow urine contains vitamin C. You will notice that the same dose will not always show up ones urine. This is an example of how the body needs more vitamin C some days that others. Stress gobbles up vitamin C. Good health allows your body to expel some.

B-12 can be measured in blood as can folate. Many do not absorb B-12 well so they need the individually specific supplement.

As Dr Smith said, vitamins have been studied for years. My father was on a strong vitamin regimen since his early 30's. He passed away at 80 due to a neurological injury but with a very healthy body otherwise.

The Big Pharma's try to discount vitamins because they prefer to sell patented drugs to treat the same maladies. But lets not get into that controversy.