Discussions

Remember seeing a TV documentary a few years back that said vitamins were basically useless and that there was nothing in them that would make a significant difference to improving your health . I have never taken them personally and I was wondering if anyone has had some good experiences with them and can recommend a good brand ?

of B12 you will see how important some vitamins are for supplementation.

With the soil being stripped of a broad band of nutrients and then "fertilized" with only three, that carrot does not have the same food value it used to have. For this reason, supplements may be needed. I prefer to spend the money on quality carrots (and vegetables in general) that were grown in compost fertilized fields. The better taste means they have more nutrients.  
 
The best way is to judge for yourself and not rely on a comedian or television doctor. Learn to listen to what your body is telling you. For example, I found out that I need additional vitamin C, but not the tablets as my body thinks those are too acidic and will not absorb it properly. Instead, I have a buffered (less acidic, more "bioavailable") version in powder form. By adding it to my water that I sip throughout the day, there is a continual supply of Vitamin C rather than the overdose in the morning that is flushed from the system by noon. This has greatly reduced my asthma symptoms and what I thought was a heart problem. If I do not drink enough water, I require additional puffs of steroids. Is supplementing with Symbycort any better than supplementing with Vitamin C?  
 
Spirilina is what single cell anemones absorb from the algae to help it grow and divide. If I have a couple of tablets every morning, my nails grown healthy and there are fewer chips and cracks. If my nails are this healthy, then the rest of the cells in my body should also have the same level of health. It takes three days for my nails to deteriorate if I run out or forget to take this supplement.  
 
I do not take a multi vitamin because my needs for the various vitamins differs from day to day. In the spring, I increase the Grape Seed Extract to reduce my allergies to the pollen that starts flying around. But I do not need it during the other times of the year. If I get a sun burn, I increase the number of Vitamin E capsules I take at night. (Vitamin E will surround iron and destroy both so do not take them at the same time.)  
 
I believe that many mental health issues could be partially resolved with a Vitamin B shot. Your body needs Vitamin B in order for it to pull Vitamin B out of the food as it is digested. This vitamin is responsible for brain function, the part that decides that another drink is essential for example. A Vitamin B shot has proven to greatly increase the success of a recovering alcoholic. I wonder if Post Partum Depression is also a symptom of Vitamin B deficiency after the body has been drained to produce the second or subsequent child. Another way to get Vitamin B into the blood is by holding the supplement under the tongue. I have a liquid version that I take every morning, increasing it on days when I have been feeling depressed or fatigued.  
 
A study was done with Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and a combination of these two.

Skinny Moon said "Remember seeing a TV documentary a few years back that said vitamins were basically useless and that there was nothing in them that would make a significant difference to improving your health . I have never taken them personally and I was wondering if anyone has had some good experiences with them and can recommend a good brand ? "

Well your question is a little vague. Which vitamins are you talking about there are a lot!  
 
Multi vitamins are pretty much useless. If you eat a proper balanced diet you are already getting most of them from your food.  
 
Vitamin D is important for strong bones and is not available through foods so that one is not necessary useless.  
 
Probiotics, antioxidants, vitamin C are all a waste. Many studies show vitamin C doesn't protect you from colds etc like everyone says. Eat some strawberries if you want some C. It has also been said in studies that excess vit C causes kidney stones.  
 
Folic acid is good if you are pregnant or want to become prego.

Like others have said, vitamins are only useful if you're deficient, such as in iron or b12. Folate is useful in pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects and mid-line defects like cleft palate, vitamin D is important for breastfed babies in our climate.  
 
If you're concerned about getting enough nutrients, just eat across the food groups. I suggest Michael Pollan's philosophy - eat [real] food, not too much, mostly plants.  
 
Although this entire thread is reminding me of an episode of Big Bang Theory.  
 

certain vitamins do work. As said above-try being B12 deficient and see how you function. vitamin D is beneficial if you are not getting any sun or if you need calcium supplement. If you are perfectly healthy and have no condition that causes a need for extra of certain vitamins or minerals then taking vitamins will not benefit you.

If you're concerned about if you should or shouldn't be taking Vitamins you can speak to you Doctor about them. Many folks require and use vitamin supplements/pres:criptions daily. Just to offer you some information here are some of the more common vitamins many Doctors prescribe, Nurses administer, folks take daily/weekly/monthly.  
 
Calcium Carbonate is often prescribed to folks that have high phosphate levels in their blood.  
 
Vitamin D helps absorb Calcium from the gastrointestinal tract for folks that have low levels of parathyroid hormones.  
 
Omega 3,6,9 is often used as a supplement for additional fatty acids as our bodies cannot produce Omega 3 and Omega 6 and needs to be ingested. These fatty acids help our immune system, brain development and can help regulate blood pressure.  
 
Many folks have Vitamin B12 deficiencies where their body cannot absorb the B12 (people with gastritis, anemia etc.) these folks require B12 injections or tablets. Vitamin B12 helps the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.  
 
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) taken by women trying to conceive and women who are pregnant. This vitamin is important for synthesis of DNA/repair, helps aid of fatigue/forgetfulness.  
 
Vitamin C is often taken to help breakdown the protein in urine for diabetics. People with heart related illness take this vitamin to help prevent hardening of their arteries. Vitamin C helps certain medications work longer like Nitroglycerin (used for chest pain).  
 
Iron is used for chronic kidney disease patients and iron deficiency anemia.

We'll give these to people going through alcohol withdrawal to prevent/reduce chance of wernicke's syndrome. Sometimes Thiamine is IV for a few days.  
 
Depends on the vitamins, the disease, the reason, the lab, and the expected result.  
 
We can think of low sodium, and then giving IV Sodium 0.9% to raise the level as Sodium is most abundant extracellular cation in the body required for many important functions.  
Potassium is the major intracellular cation, required for many functions, and when this is low, we use Potassium to raise the levels within your body system by evaluating your blood work.  
 
People that are on potassium wasting diuretics, would require a a replacement, some people may receive K-dur, or Potassium Chloride....  
 
Sometimes too people have loose bowels and this can waste electrolytes in the body which may require vitamins and electrolytes.  
 
Vitamin C, CoQ10, Vit A, Garlic can all thin your blood and throw your platlets out of whack, further excess vitamin c can lead to kidney stones.  
 
Excessive Potassium can put you at risk for clots.  
 
There is also discussion of acidiphilohilus being prone to increase risk of C-diff in post-op patients, however can be found to be of benefit in other gastrointestinal problems.  
 
So again - It depends on the purpose, the disease, the expected result, the prescribed intention, the effects experienced, the blood work, the nutritional quality of the person, as well as adherence to said regimen.  
 
There are many more functions and processes, that are involved when selecting a vitamin and the best bet, is to seek a health care provider to discuss your thoughts and concerns about use of vitamins within your health plan and to be assessed for the need for same.  
 
The consequences of taking vitamins in excess can be devastating. Please always consult a health care practitioner prior to use to discuss benefits or harm of taking same.

I believe they help you if they are quality supplements and you find out from a nutritionist/homeopath/naturopath which ones you actually need. No one has money to throw away, so you might as well find out what you really need. If you are short B12, talk to your GP about getting you a pres:cription for a B12 shot.

If you do already have a deficiency, and that is evident by a obvious health condition, then it is good to get something, but not necessarily a supplement. Foods can generally give you what you need, contrary to medical/naturopath (or the like) opinion.  
 
As someone mentioned, if they (veggies & meats alike) are grown properly, not forced and whatnot, they will develop a more balanced vitamin/mineral composition in the more time they have to grow...and they will have a more complex flavor.  
 
I had carpal tunnel. Vitamin B6 helped with that.  
 
I had a few other issues. I have taken magnesium oil (sprayed on my skin) for those. I no longer have most of those issues.  
 
I have trouble with some other things...bone broth, made properly, gives vitamin & mineral support as well as collagen and so on.  
 
Herbs are great! Look at dandelion or nettles for example. They have a lot of things that our body can use. There are many more examples of this out there. Search for a list of what foods/herbs contain highest amounts of ____. You will probably find what you are looking for. Maybe you can throw them in your easy to make broth!  
 
Often, foods will have not only what you need, but other things that work with this vitamin/mineral to help your body use it in the best way.  
 
There is adequate vitamin D available in foods, contrary to popular propaganda. Raw milk from grass fed cattle has plenty, for example, but unless you have a cow, most people don't have access to that (right there might be a cause of a supposed deficiency). Getting sun in the day (not always using sunscreen) also helps. Natural as could be!  
 
Not all Dr's tests are 100% accurate either. Often it is best just to "listen to your body" and research carefully and thoroughly. If what you find isn't enough for your particular condition...then try a doctor.

I am a strong believer that everything we need can be found in the food we eat, and the environment around us, IF done properly. Lots of our foods now are not even close to what they used to be:missing a lot of nutrients and filled with a lot of garbage.... I also think that this younger generation isn't being taught how to cook a well balanced meal. I am part of that younger generation, I didn't even know how to make spaghetti when I moved out, never mind try and figure out how to eat balanced and healthy.... I honestly don't think that us eating garbage and then taking a "pill" will help much or anything. That's my opinion anyway

I find that statement so odd. I mean yes, soil depletion is an issue in many regions but if it were really that bad the plants wouldn't grow. If the plants don't have enough nutrients they won't survive, so the fact that the plants even exist means clearly they have enough, therefore will contain enough micronutrients.  
 
The biggest issue, IMO, is that we don't eat the variety that we need, and that we're biologically adapted for. Since the advent of agriculture, we've reduced the variety in our diet dramatically, from hundreds if not thousands of items/species to a mere few dozen on average. At most, maybe a hundred, and those would be people who eat a really good diverse range of fruits/vegetables, seeds/nuts and non-wheat grains. Honestly, vegans probably tend to have better health not because of the exclusion of animal products but because of the inclusion of more variety via plants-based foods, on average.  
 
We evolved as hunter-gathers, and as such during foraging we would eat what we found, and because our local was always moving we always had different sources and selection. Sometimes only a few bites here and there, but the effects were cumulative. We got a broad range of nutrition from many sources, and it varied hugely from day to day and season to season.  
 
Think now about the typical standard diet - most grain is wheat and corn (sometimes rice), we might have dairy, maybe a dozen different fruits or vegetables during the day (if that), a few nuts or seeds, maybe some eggs or meat. That's pretty much it. You might cover 2 dozen different species in a day, and then you'll eat the same thing tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. How much does your shopping list actually vary? How many different things do you in fact buy in the store?  
 
Taking a multivitamin pill doesn't fix the underlying problem. Taking specific supplements to fix certain shortages helps, but the bioavailability is terrible in most of them - an iron supplement, for example, your body can only absorb about 10% of the iron in it. Compare that to heme iron in a piece of meat - it's better at 25% or so. Added iron in baby formula is absorbed only at about 10%, but iron in breastmilk pushes 75% because of bioavailablility, so even the very low amounts are used much more effectively.  
 
It's the variety in our diets that really determines whether or not we meet our nutritional needs.

Here is a free option, anyone in Manitoba can call Dial a Dietitian 1-877-830-2892 to speak with a dietitian for free! they are great for nutrition and health info and provide unbiased evidence-based information/guidance.  
 
They can give you further direction on how to pick a supplement and what to look for or whether it is necessary to supplement.  
 
Best would be to have your labs tested to see if you are deficient but for certain population groups or depending on your health status certain ones may be beneficial

can eat as healthy as you want and if you have certain conditions-ypu still will not get enough of certain nutrients from the food you eat. If you have pernicious anemia for I stance-ypur body cannot absorb B12 through the intestines. Eat all the B12 rich foods you can and you will still need Vitamin B12 injections.