I am not one for medication if I can do without, but vitamin supplements are a different story, and not always positive.
When I initially changed my diet from seriously awful to well balanced and healthy but very reduced carbs and calories to lose weight, I was quite concerned that I might not be getting enough vitamins and minerals, so I ensured I got them by adding supplements.
The bad news: you can over do it. After a few weeks (possibly months) and a blood test I was advised to stop taking iron tablets as my iron levels had been and still were way way too high (which can cause a pancreatic overload and diabetic symptoms), so I stopped taking them.
More recently I stopped taking plant sterols (statins) because they may have been causing my blood pressure to rise, but this is early days and I am not sure if I have got the right suspect (looking on the internet suggests that it might not be the right suspect)
The good news: taking supplements seems to have helped me and most are 'excreted' if you take too much, but I ensure as best I can that I stick to the advised amounts.
So which supplements do I take and why?
1. Glucosamine & Collagen (to improve skin tone. Significant weight loss left me with saggy bits and reduced diet left me with rough skin. Both sorted now)
2. Beta Glucan (Nurone and Cholesterol improvement)
3. Osteocare (to help my bone calcium, the hydrocortisone I have to take will deplete it)
4. D3 &K2 (immunity improvement. Covid fear)
5. Vitamin B12 (can't remember right now but I know it's important. Will edit later if I remember)
6. ISO XP protein powder (initially my protein intake on the strict diet was very low. I rarely take it now on a more normal weight maintenance diet)
7. Vitamin C ( combined with two other supplements to combat minor neuopathy)
8. Evening Primrose oil as 7 above)
9. R Alpha Lipoic Acid (as 7. Above)
10. Boots Macushield (to help eye repair. A new addition because of my recent eye operations)
11. Ginko Biloba (to help with brain, heart, eyes, neuopathy)
12. Inulin (to boost my intake of fibre which was important when in the initial diet and still is important now)
I did try omega 3 capsules but the repeated after taste of fish oil was too unpleasant.
More importantly I mapped out the foods I eat (regularly and less regularly) in terms of which vitamins and minerals they provide and discovered that my maintence diet covers everything well. So why am I still taking the supplements now?
1. I still have the tabets and capsules and I don't want to waste them.
2. Fear. Fear of being susceptible to Covid, fear of damaging my eyesight, fear of Neuropathy, fear that I have missed something in my diet
3. I have been on my maintenance diet for a while and also still taking the supplements and I feel great so why change it. Before, at diagnosis, my diet was terrible and I was taking no supplements, but I was very ill and always in pain (lots of pain relief tablets).
4. My last blood test results showed that everything was ok and in the normal range except the cholesterol which was a little high (hence the plant sterol trial)
5. Now, i am well, fit, no pains, BMI smack on the money, have lots of energy, happier, you name it.
So, for me, the supplements are worth the hassle and expense.
