Posts: 10,003
10/10/06 1:39 A

Lazria - I read in the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) that you should space your iron and calcium pills, not sure if you were taking them together, but wanted you to know.

BTW, the article states that in one study of women on VERY LOW calorie diets, obese women lost more weight when given iron: researchers say because recovery of the thyroid hormone levels may have maintained metabolic rates to allow the greater loss [not a significant amount])!!!

Supplements and Food which INCREASE absorption of iron when taken together:

1. Beta-carotene
2. L-cysteine (amino acid)
3. Vitamin C
4. Cysteine-containing proteins (animal muscle tissue)

Drugs/supplements that decrease absorption of iron when taken together:
1. Calcium carbonate
2. Acid pump inhibitors
3. H2 Blockers
4. Tetracylines (reduces absorption of both)
5. Penicillamine (reduces absorption of both)
6. Vanadium
7. Zinc
8. Antacids (aluminum or magnesium)
9. Magnesium
10. Inositol Hexaphosphate (cereal grains, legumes, and seeds high in oil)


Foods that decrease absorption of iron:
1. Oxalic acids (spinach, sweet potatoes, rhubarb and beans)
2. Phytic acids (unleavened bread, raw beans, seeds, nuts and grains and soy isolates) Iron fortified cereals are generally poorly assimilated.
3. Tannins (found in tea, coffee, walnuts)


TMI? Sorry! KNOW THIS though: too much iron or too little (of all vitamins/nutrients) can cause cancer, so talk to your doctor about what's best for you! Iron is necessary for clear thinking/brain development and immune function, synthesizing collagen, and synthesizing serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine (helps depression)!

If your kid's not doing well in school (math's a good class to check - I've always been poor at math and I think I've always been anemic), check their iron (full iron panel, not just hemoglobin. And if the hemoglobin is low, but within range, that's still a sign -- I'm proof of this!).

I'm not a chemist, I'm a typist and an anemic celiac! I've lived and I'm learning. . .

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10/9/06 9:43 P

if they make you sick, try to remember to take them after you've eatten (my bf gets sick if he takes his before).

Speaking of vitamins...I take (daily):
(1) multi
(2) 600 calcuim + D + Iron
(4) 400 chronium
(2) 2000 garlic
(4) 250 hawthorn

I add echishia & ginko as needed (immuine system and blood thinner)

I have to have HIGH calcuim, I can't eat milk in any form - so my intake is very low. I have anmmeia - thus the extra iron. The chronium helps with appetite, blood sugar regulation, and calcuim asportion. Hawthorn for my heart and blood pressure. And garlic....is garlic! Cancer runs in my family and I need all the help to prevent it I can!

Posts: 48
10/9/06 6:18 P

I am one of those people who feels ill when taking vitamins but I can take a multi vitamin called "alive" which is made will all real and whole ingrediants. I take it with breakfast or lunch and I am ok. I also take "emrgen-c" for extra vitamin C and you disolve it in water and drink it and it is easy to digest.

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10/9/06 5:15 P

Dot, That's a great piece of information. I've been taking my muliti(with iron)one a day along with two calcium in the am and one in the pm...I'll just take two at lunch and than one at night! Great tip.

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10/6/06 3:06 A

I take multi-vitamin and a lot of vitamin C. Works for me

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10/6/06 12:20 A

i take prenatal vit too. yes hair and nails do grow good with taking them

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10/5/06 11:57 P

I think that centrum silver is really good it helps with your energy

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10/5/06 10:24 P

I use the One A Day for Women or One A Day for Active Adults (to kinda get me going LOL)

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10/5/06 8:46 P

I use the one a day brand vitimins. They seem to work ok. Centrim is also a good brand. I find that when I eat them with food I have no problems.

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Posts: 64
10/5/06 8:12 P

I take a multivitamin, a calcium, vitamin c and Omega 3,6,&9 cap.

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Posts: 10,003
10/5/06 7:25 P

Also, an AWESOME site for tracking amino acids and vitamins is www.nutritiondata.com

They're pretty smart over there -- just like SP it shows you visuals on how nutrient dense your choice is - and gives you alternatives to that choice. I LOVE visuals!

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10/5/06 7:18 P

Take a good multivitamin and that should do it

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10/5/06 7:08 P

I take either a Women's One a Day (which I have at work) or a Flintstone's Multivitamin (at home).

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10/5/06 7:06 P

Holy Cow you guys are really on top of this vitamin thing. I never take vitamins because they make me constipated. Has anyone else had this problem and if so what do you take?

Meredith

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10/5/06 6:56 P

Try to find a vitamin without artificial dyes. Go to a health food store and ask them what they'd recommend. Do you take it with food? That might help. Is it a multi with iron? Sometimes iron can make you sick, esp. with an empty stomach.

Also, I'm osteopenic. My doctor has me taking Rx Vit. D 50,000 iu monthly, BUT also recommended I take Posture D (calcium + magnesium - best for absorption when taken together) 3x/day + calcium citrate 400 mg 1x/day. I do take this on top of a multivitamin daily. Did you realize a lack of vitamin D can be related to depression? It helps with seratonin production.

Don't take a multivitamin w/iron along with the calcium or Posture D as the calcium will block absorption of the iron. Space it two hours or more.

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10/5/06 6:40 P

I take a Viactive multi-vitamin choclate softchew every day. Its chocolate, so makes me want to remember to take it and I must admit I feel better.

Im starting to take fish oil and flax oil too. My family has a history of heart disease so better fight it early!

Melissa - SD

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10/5/06 5:57 P

i have been taking prenatal vitamins, not pregnant, never have been, but a doctor recommended them a few years ago. I feel ok, and i have great hair and nails!!

Posts: 2,666
10/5/06 5:54 P

I generally prefer to get all my nutrients from food, but cannot get enough Vit D no matter what I do. I'm going to start taking Calcium +D.

You might already know this, but you can add all nutrient totals to your daily food tracker and see what you are getting everyday. I think it's helpful.
Also here's a site where you can view each vitamin / nutrient and find out how it works in the body and what foods contain it.

http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientstoc.php

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10/5/06 5:53 P

Vitamins make me ill too...I've found some that don't and I found them at Target, they are the Target brand women's daily multivitamins. I have found that if I drink some milk when I take them they don't do a number on my stomach. 2000mg of calcium is a good number, you're doing great in preventing osteoperosis.


Tish

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10/5/06 5:34 P

I've been taking Women's One A Day and just recently added additional calcium. I too was wondering about the amounts as I'm trying to get 2000 mgs of calcium. Not sure if that's a good amount or not.

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10/5/06 5:34 P

I take all kinds of vitamins. I would suggest going to a health food store or vitamin store and look for an alternative. Maybe a liquid vitamin would be better for you? Good luck!

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Posts: 42
10/5/06 5:29 P

Does anyone here take a multi-vitamin? Is there any you reccommend as a good one. I am sensitive to vitamins, they make me sick. The one I used to take was GNC Womens Ultra Mega -