Hey all,

I have a few quick questions about my vitamin/supplement regimen. I didn't want to put this post in the sticky because it is my own personal regimen and questions.

So for the past few months I have been on the following regimen:
3,000 mg of fish oil - Kirkland brand
1,000 iu of D3 - Kirkland brand (I was on 2,000 iu daily but after getting bloodwork done my doctor recommended I cut back so I don't go into toxic levels, even though I was in range)
500 mg of magnesum oxide - Nature Made
200 mg of B2 riboflavin- Nature's Bounty
1000 mcg of B-12 (as cyanocobalamin) every other day (again I was taking it daily but after bloodwork saw I was too high so cut it back to every other day)
B-50 Complex- Nature's Bounty
Kirkland Multivitamin

I have now learned (through the vitamin sticky) that I am taking the wrong Magnesium and B-12.
I am going to switch to methyl B-12 1000 mcgs - Jarrow Formula
m
Questions I have:
1. Magnesium- I am going to switch my magnesium but I do not know which suffix to take or how much of it I should be taking. I saw MrsD's post about magnesium and it seems magnesium malate might be the best option for me since I have a lot of muscle pain in my neck, but the only dosage options I see on amazon are 625 mg or 1250 mg. So how much magnesium should I take and is this the right kind?

2. Multivitamin- I was going to switch from Kirkland multi to GNC megawomen like Mark said to, but their is 1,300 iu of Vitamin D in there and since I already take 1,000 iu a day, according to my doc this would be too much. So should I cut out the D3 and just take the GNC multi? Or should I leave my 1,000 iu D3/ Kirkland combo (kirkland has only 400 iu of D3)

3. Other vitamins- I have avoided adding Vitamins C and E and Calcium because I feel I eat so well, but it looks like I should still be adding it. How much of those should I take daily? Also is Niacin necessary? I really hate the flush...

4. I also listed all of the brands of my vitamins/supplements because I do not know if I am using good brands. There are just so many out there and it is hard to do all the research since I have trouble reading. Should I avoid any of the ones I have listed?

5. Also, Mark... you mentioned moderrate natural sugars. Does this mean limiting fruits and vegetables? Because I eat A LOT.

Any advice is MUCH appreciated (Mark, MrsD, anyone!). It is overwhelming all of the research that needs to go into all of this, and I refuse to take meds, so I want to make these vitamins and supplements count. Thanks y'all!

There is about 150mg of elemental magnesium in 1000mg of magnesium malate.

You could also do magnesium chloride delayed release... called SlowMag. One of these twice a day.

The general rule is that 1000IU of D3 raises your blood level by 10 pts. If you know your test results you can figure how much to
use to get you to 50, which is the bottom of the new suggested range.

Instead of a B-50, you might find B-Right works better. It has some activated forms of the B's in it and is a bit lower in dose.

http://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formula...ywords=b-right

I know Mark likes the Niacin, but I don't think you need high doses of this. There is a non-flush form of Niacin in the B-Right and B-complex. That is usually enough for most people.

Some doctors use the minimum blood level of a vitamin as the recommended level. B-12 minimum level is 350 to 400 pgms/mL, depending on the chart used. Most brain nutrition knowledgeable doctors recommend the upper level of 1000 pgms/mL.

I have had 2 MD's recommend the niacin. The no-flush version is fine except it does not provide the cardiovascular benefit, just the nervous system benefit. The niacin flush has a health value. It is great at detoxifying the skin cells. It can help heal wind burn and light sun burn. Sure, it can be uncomfortable for 10 minutes but I consider that equivalent to taking bad tasting medicine.

Regarding sugars, I was meaning moderating sugar added foods. Most of us need our occasional treats. A natural sugar sweetened treat is better than a high fructose corn sweetened treat or an artificially sweetened treat. I like my daily piece of dark chocolate. Only 80 calories and it satisfies the need for the sweet flavor. But, I limit sweetened treats to 200 calories.

I get most of my vitamins from Vitacost and like the house brand. They often have BOGO sales. I stock up with a 3 month or longer supply. I use their cal-mag, B-12, Vit C, 5-HTP, L-Theanine, fish oil, and many others. I have not found a need for the expensive brands. I read labels and some have some poor formulations/additives so I don't see a need to spend the extra money.

The anti-oxidants, C and E, are good because they help reduce oxidative stress There are no negatives to taking 400 iu's of E and 1000 mgs of C daily. An easy way to tell if you are getting more C than you need is the color or your urine. Excess C will cause urine to be bright yellow. If it is a normal yellow, the vit C is being used. Over dosing on vit C causes loose stools but it usually takes 8000 to 10,000 mgs or more daily to even start to reach than level. We routinely take 3000 daily during cold and flu season at the first sign of any issues.

These vitamins are not a cure all but have been very helpful to many plus by maintaining better general health, the brain is under less stress. I have not had a cold in over a decade and the flu in over 2 decades. And, I do not get flu shots. I've had 12 to 18 hours of sniffles and congestion but never a full blown cold. More likely allergies. I have not taken allergy meds in 2 decades. I used to need prescription allergy meds. I started on this regimen about 34 years ago.

So, for me, the efforts and even flush are well worth it.