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Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

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Re: Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

#11

Post by cas »

There is a lot of scientific research that shows that a balanced diet is all that is required to provide all the vitamins the body requires and that supplements at best are a waste of money and at worst in large doses can cause harm.

The only exception would be for people that have specific conditions that a doctor suggests supplements for.

Edit: I though i would add one example i read recently about Omega 3 that really stands out: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627601.400-omega3-fi...

Re: Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

#15

Post by WesleyJohnson »

I'm a terribly picky eater. So terrible in fact, that there is a single green vegetable I'll consume and zero fruits. Sure, I'll eat things comprised of processed vegies (love me some pizza), but I won't sit down and eat a tomato, pees, bananas, etc. Okay, I eat potato's too, but that's a stretch.

So while I haven't done any research on the matter, I'd say it's pretty conclusive I don't get a good portion of nutrients I probably need or at the very least would benefit from.

That said, I take a "one a day" men's vitamin and then a single 1000mg Vitamin C supplement. Maybe I'm doing more harm than good? I'm not sure.

Re: Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

#16

Post by ssharp »

I take an Omega 3 pill (not picky here, I've gotten these from Whole Foods, GNC, WalMart, Walgreens, wherever) and Centrum Men's every morning. I also usually eat a protein bar for breakfast. On lifting days, I drink a Gold Standard Whey (GNC) shake w/ skim milk. On cardio days, I don't take additional supplements. If I'm doing intense cardio, I'll drink a glass of Accelerade (think Gatorade w/ added protein) after.

Re: Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

#17

Post by seshagiric »

cas wrote: post #11

There is a lot of scientific research that shows that a balanced diet is all that is required to provide all the vitamins the body requires and that supplements at best are a waste of money and at worst in large doses can cause harm. The only exception would be for people that have specific conditions that a doctor suggests supplements for. Edit: I though i would add one example i read recently about Omega 3 that rea…

Isn't the point of taking of supplements that you cannot easily arrange a 'balanced diet'?

Re: Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

#18

Post by Erwin »

Just vitamin D -- deficiency (if you're not getting enough by being out in the sun) may cause all sorts of mild but strange nervous system symptoms, like passing numbness in various parts of your body and weak muscles (unfortunately these are also symptoms for anything from brain cancer, Lyme disease to Multiple Sclerosis, so I recommend seeing your doctor before spending too much time on Wikipedia).

Re: Ask HN: Which vitamin supplements do you take?

#19

Post by jgrahamc »

WesleyJohnson wrote: post #15

I'm a terribly picky eater. So terrible in fact, that there is a single green vegetable I'll consume and zero fruits. Sure, I'll eat things comprised of processed vegies (love me some pizza), but I won't sit down and eat a tomato, pees, bananas, etc. Okay, I eat potato's too, but that's a stretch. So while I haven't done any research on the matter, I'd say it's pretty conclusive I don't get a good portion of nutrient…

At the risk of sounding like someone's mother: snap out of that ridiculous picky eater nonsense. Unless you've got an actual medical condition that prevents you from eating certain foods you are likely doing yourself a hell of a lot of harm by only eating processed food. And spending your $ on supplements isn't going to make up for all the complex stuff in vegetables and fruits that you are missing.
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