This thread is dedicated to vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, engery drinks, teas, and any foods with "curative" properties.

Sooooo.....

What are you taking? What are you considering supplementing your diet with? What have you tried that turned out to be a waste of money? What do you recommend to your fellow orgers?

A friend turned me on to dong quai tea to aid with menstrual cramps and mood swings.

I like Vitamin Water even though its filled with sugar (roughly 26-30 grams per bottle). Just can't stand regular water unless its Smart Water or Dasani. All that other stuff taste nasty and dirt-like.

Papaya enzyme is my best friend because my tummy is sensitive. I take it with each meal, when I can remember, and I've no troubles afterward.

There's an herbalist not far from my work who claims that injecting garlic extract into your veins will boost your immune system and rumor has it he's garnered quite a few HIV+ patients. I can only imagine what else he's telling them.

It only makes your urine darker and your wallet more empty.

Better eat some more fruit&vegetables if you want to eat healthy.

I've read that you can only get so much of nutrients from food and that supplements are becoming more necessary as our environment becomes more toxic. Lots of fruits and veggies have pesticides on them or you have to eat large quantities to get what your body truly needs. Plus not everyone has access to wide variety of foods; some places don't grow certain fruits or nuts that would be beneficial to one's diet.

i heard Apple Cider Vinegar works wonders for the skin and digestive system

i tried it on my skin and it indeed clears up acne but it takes a long time to work

HotGritz said:

I've read that you can only get so much of nutrients from food and that supplements are becoming more necessary as our environment becomes more toxic. Lots of fruits and veggies have pesticides on them or you have to eat large quantities to get what your body truly needs. Plus not everyone has access to wide variety of foods; some places don't grow certain fruits or nuts that would be beneficial to one's diet.

wow u learn something new everyday

but i take those one day adult gummys ..yum

formallypickles said:

HotGritz said:

I've read that you can only get so much of nutrients from food and that supplements are becoming more necessary as our environment becomes more toxic. Lots of fruits and veggies have pesticides on them or you have to eat large quantities to get what your body truly needs. Plus not everyone has access to wide variety of foods; some places don't grow certain fruits or nuts that would be beneficial to one's diet.

wow u learn something new everyday

but i take those one day adult gummys ..yum

taste like candy better than M&Ms

I have been taking a spoonfull of pure cod liver oil last thing at night for the past six months for my joints. I find that im not so stiff in the morning (wink) you know what i mean

Joyinrepatition said:

I have been taking a spoonfull of pure cod liver oil last thing at night for the past six months for my joints. I find that im not so stiff in the morning (wink) you know what i mean

I don't imagine it tastes very good. Does the cod liver oil come flavored?

HotGritz said:

Joyinrepatition said:

I have been taking a spoonfull of pure cod liver oil last thing at night for the past six months for my joints. I find that im not so stiff in the morning (wink) you know what i mean

I don't imagine it tastes very good. Does the cod liver oil come flavored?

it tastes like plasticine , i dont think it does come flavored.

Joyinrepatition said:

HotGritz said:

I don't imagine it tastes very good. Does the cod liver oil come flavored?

it tastes like plasticine , i dont think it does come flavored.

The benefits of Cod Liver Oil can be found in general fish oil supplements. You can get them in pill form or liquid. I currently take Fish Oil Supplements. There are a lot of scientific studies that supports Fish Oil.

What's the difference between Flax and Fish oil with regard to health benefits? They are both good for the heart and metabolism right?

i generally like to use some eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog. kind of perks me up in the morning

XxAxX said:

i generally like to use some eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog. kind of perks me up in the morning

You forgot Milk of Magenta and Earl Grey butter...it's good for your teeth.

HotGritz said:

What's the difference between Flax and Fish oil with regard to health benefits? They are both good for the heart and metabolism right?

Flaxseed contains a nutrient called ALA. Fish Oil contains two nutrients called EPA and DHA. EPA/DHA have been shown to have quite a lot of positives effects. Your body can convert the ALA in Flaxseed to EPA/DHA, but the effeciency of the conversion differs from person to person. Diabetics can't convert ALA very well so they are left with a small amount of DHA/EPA. For them, it is better to take Fish Oil. Either way, flaxseed and fish oil both have benefits for the heart and metabolism.

[Edited 5/18/11 17:10pm]

Shawnt27 said:

HotGritz said:

What's the difference between Flax and Fish oil with regard to health benefits? They are both good for the heart and metabolism right?

Flaxseed contains a nutrient called ALA. Fish Oil contains two nutrients called EPA and DHA. EPA/DHA have been shown to have quite a lot of positives effects. Your body can convert the ALA in Flaxseed to EPA/DHA, but the effeciency of the conversion differs from person to person. Diabetics can't convert ALA very well so they are left with a small amount of DHA/EPA. For them, it is better to take Fish Oil. Either way, flaxseed and fish oil both have benefits for the heart and metabolism.

[Edited 5/18/11 17:10pm]

Wow I didn't know that.

So basically, I should just go with the fish oil? But do we need the ALA nutrient or is EPA and DHA sufficient?

HotGritz said:

Shawnt27 said:

Flaxseed contains a nutrient called ALA. Fish Oil contains two nutrients called EPA and DHA. EPA/DHA have been shown to have quite a lot of positives effects. Your body can convert the ALA in Flaxseed to EPA/DHA, but the effeciency of the conversion differs from person to person. Diabetics can't convert ALA very well so they are left with a small amount of DHA/EPA. For them, it is better to take Fish Oil. Either way, flaxseed and fish oil both have benefits for the heart and metabolism.

[Edited 5/18/11 17:10pm]

Wow I didn't know that.

So basically, I should just go with the fish oil? But do we need the ALA nutrient or is EPA and DHA sufficient?

ALA and EPA/DHA essentially do the same things. EPA/DHA just do it at a much greater level. Most studies recommend that you take fish oil over flaxseed.

HotGritz said:

I've read that you can only get so much of nutrients from food and that supplements are becoming more necessary as our environment becomes more toxic. Lots of fruits and veggies have pesticides on them or you have to eat large quantities to get what your body truly needs. Plus not everyone has access to wide variety of foods; some places don't grow certain fruits or nuts that would be beneficial to one's diet.

Nonsense, getting more nutrients doesn't compensate the toxics you get from your food/enviroment.

Besides it isn't that hard to get a nice variety of foods, if they don't sell grapefruits buy oranges.

The only supplement for me.

Multivitamin

Omega 3

Saw Palmetto

Joyinrepatition said:

HotGritz said:

I don't imagine it tastes very good. Does the cod liver oil come flavored?

it tastes like plasticine , i dont think it does come flavored.

It most certainly does (come flavored). Carlson's Lemon-flavored Cod Liver Oil is awesome...

[img:$uid]http://www.seacoast.com/images/optimized/CL_Cod%20liver%20oil-300x0.jpg[/img:$uid]

Shawnt27 said:

Joyinrepatition said:

it tastes like plasticine , i dont think it does come flavored.

The benefits of Cod Liver Oil can be found in general fish oil supplements. You can get them in pill form or liquid. I currently take Fish Oil Supplements. There are a lot of scientific studies that supports Fish Oil.

Not entirely. Cod liver oil is also a natural source of vitamins A and D - which is not found in regular fish oil.

I take 400 mg of magnesium, 5000 IU of vitamin D3 (in winter - 2000 IU in the summer), n-acetyl-cysteine (in the winter), Gamma E (in summer), and a thyroid support vitamin (which is basically a souped-up B-complex).

This is the one i take. i cant be doing with those little capsules, you'd have to take about six to get the same effect as a spoonfull.And in liquid form it's half the price..

[img:$uid]http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc1/Joyinrepatition/b49d18ea.jpg[/img:$uid]...

I read somewhere that the body doesn't absorb vitimans and minerals and such from suppliments nearly as well as it does from natural sources. I've been trying to get more Omega -3s and all that good shit into my diet lately but...I've been taking the natural route ....eating more fish, spranklin' flax seed on stuff, more friuts, more veggies. I feed my chickens flax seed now too...cause they pass on the omegas to the eggs.

been trying to help my dogs bad skin out with more omegas too....I think it's working.

Shorty said:

I read somewhere that the body doesn't absorb vitimans and minerals and such from suppliments nearly as well as it does from natural sources. I've been trying to get more Omega -3s and all that good shit into my diet lately but...I've been taking the natural route ....eating more fish, spranklin' flax seed on stuff, more friuts, more veggies. I feed my chickens flax seed now too...cause they pass on the omegas to the eggs.

been trying to help my dogs bad skin out with more omegas too....I think it's working.

That's true. But cod liver oil is a natural source of omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamins A and D.

Some things are very difficult to get enough of from food. Magnesium, for instance. Most of the vegetables and grains you'd expect to get this from are grown in soil that has been depleted of magnesium - which is why I take a supplement. Taking it with taurine helps with absorption.

N-acetyl-cysteine, which I take as an immune booster in the winter, is a glutathione precursor. Glutathione is found most abundantly in parsley. But honestly - how much parsley can a person eat? Especially if they don't like it (which I don't).

I take vitamin D because I'm deficient - and was told to take 5000 IU/day by my doctor.

Yes, it is always best to get vitamins from your food - if you can. But sometimes, that just isn't enough.

thread

I take Zinc supplements to keep me hair resplendent.

I've been taking this stuff called ON Essential Amino Energy. I've taken energy drinks in the past and I've always experienced side effects. Not with this, however. It's amazing! It gets me thru some pretty intense cardio workouts and I'm not tired afterwards like I usually am. It, along with 4000 mg of B-12, gives me energy during the day. Before I started drinking this stuff, I was always so sluggish and cloudy during the day. It's like $25 a can (and the can ain't that big) but it has been so worth the benefits I've been experiencing.

[Edited 5/20/11 9:59am]

A family friend swears Olive Leaf Extract (liquid form) eradicated her Herpes with no long-term effects or recurrences. She's gained the confidence to get married to a nice guy this summer.

StonedImmaculate said:

The only supplement for me.

Seriously, though. I saw a hematologist today because I was told I had a folate deficiency and was prescribed folic acid and Vitamin D. Both were perscriptions, but the Vitamin D I take one pill a week. The perscription was only for 4 pills, but I had to pay $12.00 for 4 fuckin pills! That's $3.00 a damn pill! I wish I had known that before I filled the perscription. I would have asked the pharmacist how I could get the same dosage over the damn counter.

[Edited 5/20/11 12:21pm]