What supplements do you take?
Ohcirrej
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What supplements do you take?
Hi all,
I'm just looking for a bit of a discussion about supplements, vitamins and alike that people take.
Yesterday I got into a bit of an interesting discussion with a shop assistant in GNC (Good Nutrition Company - a "health food" shop) regarding the vast variety of supplements available in the store. You name it, you can buy a supplement for it. However, I did ask her how many of these supplements were actually the same thing marketed under a different name (eg guarana has the same characteristics as caffeine). Sheepishly, she admitted there were quite a few. We also talked about the possibility of a person taking several supplements that contained a ingredient in all of them, thus increasing the actual dosage a person was ingesting per day (Vitamin C is a great example of this!). Her reply was "Like anything, people should be conscious of what they are putting in their bodies, and should fully understand the components of a supplement or supplements they are taking. If in doubt they should ask."
Of course you have to say this is sound advice. But, I know when I met my wife she was taking a multi-vitamin daily, as well as iron and vitamin c supplemts. We added it up and she was taking 1500mg of Vitamin C daily, and 125 mg of iron daily as well. I guess it's easily done?
Anybody got any thoughts?
I'm just looking for a bit of a discussion about supplements, vitamins and alike that people take.
Yesterday I got into a bit of an interesting discussion with a shop assistant in GNC (Good Nutrition Company - a "health food" shop) regarding the vast variety of supplements available in the store. You name it, you can buy a supplement for it. However, I did ask her how many of these supplements were actually the same thing marketed under a different name (eg guarana has the same characteristics as caffeine). Sheepishly, she admitted there were quite a few. We also talked about the possibility of a person taking several supplements that contained a ingredient in all of them, thus increasing the actual dosage a person was ingesting per day (Vitamin C is a great example of this!). Her reply was "Like anything, people should be conscious of what they are putting in their bodies, and should fully understand the components of a supplement or supplements they are taking. If in doubt they should ask."
Of course you have to say this is sound advice. But, I know when I met my wife she was taking a multi-vitamin daily, as well as iron and vitamin c supplemts. We added it up and she was taking 1500mg of Vitamin C daily, and 125 mg of iron daily as well. I guess it's easily done?
Anybody got any thoughts?
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The discussion about the pros and cons of supplements can be as useful as the debate whether high or low wings are better for training and similar recurring subjects.
Fact is that there is no evidence that taking anything more than the RDA is good for your health and wellbeing. The amount of additives that some people advocate using can certainly be detrimental to your health.
As with most things in life moderation is the key to longlivety. The notion that people can make up a crap diet and unhealthy way off life by popping some pills is obviously a phallacy.
FD
BTW you never did explain why a sore throat needs 2 ambulances
Fact is that there is no evidence that taking anything more than the RDA is good for your health and wellbeing. The amount of additives that some people advocate using can certainly be detrimental to your health.
As with most things in life moderation is the key to longlivety. The notion that people can make up a crap diet and unhealthy way off life by popping some pills is obviously a phallacy.
FD
BTW you never did explain why a sore throat needs 2 ambulances
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Flight Diet
The only time,as aircrew,you are truly in charge of your nutrition is when you are at home.I have found supplements are in valuable.Flying destroys lots of crucial minerals and vitamins in your system:magnesuim and zinc to name two.
Flaxseed oil provides essential fatty acids(EFAs)in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 and 9.
A can of tuna at 3 in the morning is much better than getting stuck into a chocolate bar or crisps from the mini bar.
Melantonin I have found invaluable.Taking 3 mg an hour before bed(when i am at home)has eliminated nearly all the affects of jetlag.I have been using it for about 6 years with no side effects.
My age means I have a blood test every year and with the help of antioxidants and multi vitamin and mineral supplements everything so far is AOK
I am not apportioning my rude health entirely to supplements but they do help to a certain extent in overcoming the enormously detrimental affects of intercontinental flying.
See a doctor/naturopath to determine your bodys requirements
BTW Water is the most important supplement for anyone spending most of their lives in an aluminium cylinder
Flaxseed oil provides essential fatty acids(EFAs)in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 and 9.
A can of tuna at 3 in the morning is much better than getting stuck into a chocolate bar or crisps from the mini bar.
Melantonin I have found invaluable.Taking 3 mg an hour before bed(when i am at home)has eliminated nearly all the affects of jetlag.I have been using it for about 6 years with no side effects.
My age means I have a blood test every year and with the help of antioxidants and multi vitamin and mineral supplements everything so far is AOK
I am not apportioning my rude health entirely to supplements but they do help to a certain extent in overcoming the enormously detrimental affects of intercontinental flying.
See a doctor/naturopath to determine your bodys requirements
BTW Water is the most important supplement for anyone spending most of their lives in an aluminium cylinder
Ohcirrej
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Hi FD
That was exactly my point. I wonder how many people have a "crap diet" and put all their faith in pills they self-administer from having cruised the various sections of a health shop. And don't get me started on those weight loss pills, fat shredders and carb blockers that are starting to pop up everywhere ( they can do wonders for your digestive system and bowels).
Being a shift worker, there are times my diet wouldn't be described as balanced or healthy. But I was amazed at what this girl had to say about the different things I (according to her) should be taking. And as I said before, one or two of them had very similar components (word is shift workers require natural stimulants such as Guarana, Yerba Mate, Ginseng and other yummy sounding things).
Funnily enough, she never mentioned a nice plate of veggies or a salad.
That was exactly my point. I wonder how many people have a "crap diet" and put all their faith in pills they self-administer from having cruised the various sections of a health shop. And don't get me started on those weight loss pills, fat shredders and carb blockers that are starting to pop up everywhere ( they can do wonders for your digestive system and bowels).
Being a shift worker, there are times my diet wouldn't be described as balanced or healthy. But I was amazed at what this girl had to say about the different things I (according to her) should be taking. And as I said before, one or two of them had very similar components (word is shift workers require natural stimulants such as Guarana, Yerba Mate, Ginseng and other yummy sounding things).
Funnily enough, she never mentioned a nice plate of veggies or a salad.
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Jerricho
If you want to GNC, it was a good decision. If you do not do any heavy physical work or training, then simply use the Mega Men supplement. It's all vitamins and essentials and specifically designed for people with a busy lifestyle. Bad Medecine may have something to add to this. I have taken the product for 3 months now and it is good.
Cheers
WLM
If you want to GNC, it was a good decision. If you do not do any heavy physical work or training, then simply use the Mega Men supplement. It's all vitamins and essentials and specifically designed for people with a busy lifestyle. Bad Medecine may have something to add to this. I have taken the product for 3 months now and it is good.
Cheers
WLM
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Found this on RDA's. I agree with Flyin Dutch that you need a good diet, but 33 heads of spinich for optimal nutrition is a little too healthy for me; I'II take a good supplement instead.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA):
Research studies reveal standards of recommended daily allowance (RDA) have absolutely nothing to do with chronic degenerative diseases. RDA were developed to avoid what are known as acute deficiency diseases like scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C), rickets (deficiency of vitamin D), and pellagra (deficiency of niacin). In other words, if you consumed the RDAs for vitamin C, vitamin D, and niacin, you would not develop any of these illnesses.
Admittedly, the RDA have done their job how many people do you know suffer from these diseases? RDA first developed in the 1920 and 1930. The list of nutrients included in the RDAs grew over the next two decades and in the early 1950s, the definition of RDAs expanded to include the amounts of ntrients needed for normal growth and development. Despite the fact that RDAs have proved useful, most physicians and laypeople tend to assign more meaning to RDA standards than they should.
After researching medical literature on the topic of oxidative stress and the amount of nutrients needed to prevent it, I found the optimal levels of nutrients known to provide health benefits are significantly greater those suggested by RDA levels. For example, the optimal level of vitamin E is 400 IU. The RDA is only 30 IU. That being the case, you may consider eating 400 IU of vitamin E. You would only need to eat 33 heads of spinach, or 27 pounds of butter; 80 avocados will do, or an alternative 5 pounds of wheat germ each and every day to obtain that level of vitamin E.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA):
Research studies reveal standards of recommended daily allowance (RDA) have absolutely nothing to do with chronic degenerative diseases. RDA were developed to avoid what are known as acute deficiency diseases like scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C), rickets (deficiency of vitamin D), and pellagra (deficiency of niacin). In other words, if you consumed the RDAs for vitamin C, vitamin D, and niacin, you would not develop any of these illnesses.
Admittedly, the RDA have done their job how many people do you know suffer from these diseases? RDA first developed in the 1920 and 1930. The list of nutrients included in the RDAs grew over the next two decades and in the early 1950s, the definition of RDAs expanded to include the amounts of ntrients needed for normal growth and development. Despite the fact that RDAs have proved useful, most physicians and laypeople tend to assign more meaning to RDA standards than they should.
After researching medical literature on the topic of oxidative stress and the amount of nutrients needed to prevent it, I found the optimal levels of nutrients known to provide health benefits are significantly greater those suggested by RDA levels. For example, the optimal level of vitamin E is 400 IU. The RDA is only 30 IU. That being the case, you may consider eating 400 IU of vitamin E. You would only need to eat 33 heads of spinach, or 27 pounds of butter; 80 avocados will do, or an alternative 5 pounds of wheat germ each and every day to obtain that level of vitamin E.
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Here follows a list of dietary supplements you might want to investigate, and for which there is decent evidence taking a pill will help you with a longer life:
Folic Acid
Er, that's about it.
Omega-3 supplemention using cod liver oil (try to get the low dioxin variety of course) might turn out to be hot-stuff for the majority of us in the west who don't eat enough oily fish. Tastes like crap, but no pain-no gain
Cannot think of anything else. Does aspirin count as a supplement???
Folic Acid
Er, that's about it.
Omega-3 supplemention using cod liver oil (try to get the low dioxin variety of course) might turn out to be hot-stuff for the majority of us in the west who don't eat enough oily fish. Tastes like crap, but no pain-no gain
Cannot think of anything else. Does aspirin count as a supplement???
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One must note that the use of DHMO - though highly praised in some quarters - is shrouded in contraversy.
DHMO has been associated with a variety of diseases and serious pathologies, as well as certain sexual side-effects.
For a comprehensive discussion of concerns about this, see dhmo.org
DHMO has been associated with a variety of diseases and serious pathologies, as well as certain sexual side-effects.
For a comprehensive discussion of concerns about this, see dhmo.org
Whether you need supplements or not depends on your activities. I do a lot of sports, whichs really diggs out my iron reserves. So I take suplements for that.
First of all, a "shop assistant" is a "shop assistant", which means: he needs to sell. Don't listen to him. Everything that involves medical health should not be discussed in a shop. You go to the shop to get what you need, not to find out what you need.
What do you need? Every year your blood is examined anyway, ask for the results, and the doctor can advise you immediatly. Not only on what you need, but also on what you don't need and should watch out for. Health is more than vitamins... ever seen one of those result sheets? Lot's of info!
Some of you might even donate blood, same thing: ask for the results of the bloodtest they normally do before you donate the blood. Your own blood will tell you what you need...
First of all, a "shop assistant" is a "shop assistant", which means: he needs to sell. Don't listen to him. Everything that involves medical health should not be discussed in a shop. You go to the shop to get what you need, not to find out what you need.
What do you need? Every year your blood is examined anyway, ask for the results, and the doctor can advise you immediatly. Not only on what you need, but also on what you don't need and should watch out for. Health is more than vitamins... ever seen one of those result sheets? Lot's of info!
Some of you might even donate blood, same thing: ask for the results of the bloodtest they normally do before you donate the blood. Your own blood will tell you what you need...
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ok..
i'm not yet a pilot..
still 17 this year.. in high school..
but for general health, i recommend u to take
multi vitamin tablets which contains
vit A,B,C,D,E and few other minerals..
and not to forget Bilberry(Standardized Extract) With Eyebright Herbs for the maintainace of your eyesight...
currently, i'm taking these supplements...
Avoid from
Vitamins or Minerals Deficiency...
but do not go overboard..
Taking more than enough will either cause u harm or make u waste all the supplements taken......
certain vitamin or mineral will transform into toxics if taken ecessively for eg. Vit A
i'm not yet a pilot..
still 17 this year.. in high school..
but for general health, i recommend u to take
multi vitamin tablets which contains
vit A,B,C,D,E and few other minerals..
and not to forget Bilberry(Standardized Extract) With Eyebright Herbs for the maintainace of your eyesight...
currently, i'm taking these supplements...
Avoid from
Vitamins or Minerals Deficiency...
but do not go overboard..
Taking more than enough will either cause u harm or make u waste all the supplements taken......
certain vitamin or mineral will transform into toxics if taken ecessively for eg. Vit A
rt, but does any of the stuff actually work? and if so, where is the evidence