There was a trailer yesterday about how taking vitamin supplements has been DECREASING women's life span. I didn't hear the entire story. Maybe try gooleing it? Me? I have never been a fan. They make me hungry so they add 10 lbs to me in a few weeks. My doctor suggested I begin when I turned 50. I tried but again the weight gain was so not worth the POSSIBILITY of what they MIGHT be doing for me.

I took prenatal vitamins while I was pregnant. I take B complex vitamins and iron now based on some blood tests (and feeling very draggy) and doctor's advice. Vitamin D daily because I am Type II diabetic and studies are showing that it helps with heart health for those of us that have it. And if I feel a cold coming on, I add megadoses of vitamin C and echinacea (with goldenseal IF I have a sore throat as well).

But I do not take a daily multi-vitamin.

Dances.

No vitamins here. I feel eating a balanced diet and getting exercise are all I need to stay healthy. The older I get the more suspicious I get of any medical recommendation. First women were supposed to take hormone replacement to protect their hearts, now they aren't. Men were supposed to take vitamin E, now it's dangerous. There are many, many examples out there.

I am kind of torn on the subject. Hub and I both take daily Vitamin D. But neither one of us has taken a multi in quit a while. We do eat mostly organic fruit and vegetables.

There are studies showing that newer varieties of vegetables and fruits grown for higher yield (and which also mature much faster than older varieties) can't uptake the same amount of minerals, or produce the same amount of vitamins, as the older, slower-growing varieties. So, if that is true, even a healthy diet might not supply all you need.

DH and both take these:

A multi-vitamin 'for Seniors'. (MD has said we 'probably' don't require this, but it isn't harmful. Perhaps the new study will sway that, but isn't any finding under 4% just 'margin of error' -- or am I thinking of surveys?)

1000 mg. fish oil. (MD suggests one or two per day.)

1000 i.u. Vit. D-3 (MD suggests two a day if sun-deprived in winter.)

100 mg. Co-Q-10 (No MD suggestion, but DH noticed when I stopped his once while he was on a new prescription med.)

When I see the vast section of supplements at the grocery store I have to wonder how much money that generates! It wouldn't have shelf space if it were not profitable.

It's easy to shrug off some $10/bottle supplement when your prescription drug is over $800 retail for a 90-day supply (my Advair).

I believe it was The Lancet (British medical journal) that stated, "Americans have the most expensive urine in the world." (Supplements 'passing through'.)

Before anyone takes the supplements, I feel they should get a good check up from the medical staff. I found out that in the northern tier states it is important to make sure your Vit D level is not down--mine was. I take a daily supplement, plus calcium--testing showed low several times without it, Vit E water soluble, per dr. and something for my eyes, per Dr.
Non of us eat like maybe we should, but each person is different. We cannot get good fruits and vegetables in the area even during the summer. The farmers markets were way down this year due to a bad spring and flooding. Many here take flax oil pills and/or put flax on their foods.

I am starting to reconsider given the bad report. I take six vitamins daily and I always take them all in to show my(old) doctor and it's on record. Once he told me to stop taking E so I did. I take a Centrum silver for women, B6, B12, Magnesium, Vit C and vitamin D which doctor increased to 2000 units. I eat a healthy diet but not as much variety as Chi..I only eat two meals a day. Lunch is a dense grain bread panini with cheese , egg, avocado, walnuts, cherries..along with blueberries, black berries, watermelon, strawberries, banana, raspberries(and cherries but they're not available now. Dinner is either chicken and salmon, sweet potatoes, brown rice and either broccoli, asparagus ,string beans, eggplant, squash, tomatoes...I drink no soda, only water and coffee. I do get a lot of sun in the warmer months, but not as much as I used to. I don't take calcium which I should but my body doesn't react well to it.

I've never been a fan of vitamins.

But, of course, being in my 50's, they ARE recommended for a number of things--including the health of your eyes. So about 6 years ago, I did start taking a senior multiple (on the advice of my eye dr.), as well as a C each day.

Well, to my surprise, I noticed a number of interesting results. First--the fact that I hardly ever get colds any more and when I do they're much milder. Before the vitamins? I'd catch everything that came down the pike and be out of commission for at least 3-4 days. Second? suddenly, my hair was so much healthier, thicker and stronger. Now, I can't be sure if that's due to the vitamins or the fact that I also switched shampoos around the same time (to one that has no SLS in it) or a combination of the 2 factors. Also, I've always been extremely susceptible to flea bites--being on the vitamins has made me very unappetizing to them. Which is a mixed blessing--I'm not getting bitten by them which is good; but on a couple of occasions, the cats got fleas and because I wasn't getting bitten, didn't realize it until they were pretty well 'infested' with them.

I also take the supplement Glucosamine and Condroiten--at my dr's recommendation--which makes a huge difference in my arthritis. It's effective for some, not others--and I've read for greatest efficacy, you do need to take one of the preparations that includes gelatin.

It is a good idea, though, to check with one's dr before starting a supplement. It IS possible to take too much of some vitamins--which can have serious detrimental effects.

After seeing all the negative reports the past few days concerning taking vitamins I just do not know any more. Especially that Vitamin E and prostate cancer can be related.
I normally take a good multi vitamin with minerals for Senior Health and my Calcium. I do have to take Folic Acid since one of my meds depletes the body of that.

Vitamin E Tied to Prostate Cancer Risk, Finds Study

Vitamins And Increased Risk Of Death

Some supplements may up older women's death odds

just a few of the many that have been on the news lately

Some of those studies are just scare tactics in my opinion. While I think vitamins can definitely be abused, I think it's misleading to say they may cause people to die earlier.

There are SO many other factors into play. The most obvious, to me, is the fact that diet isn't controlled. One thing I have found just from my family and friends is that some of them take a supplement because their diet is so bad while a lot of people who don't supplement have decent diets. So perhaps those supplementing in these studies have poor diets and that's why they die younger than their balanced-diet-only counterparts.

Just one example of other things that could be at play. While I agree completely that people shouldn't blindly supplement, I really don't like headlines like that which suggest that vitamins make you die faster without telling the whole story.

I take several supplements each day, at the recommendation of Dr, Richard Bernstein and under the guidance of my personal endocrinologist and my rheumatologist. Among them are chromium, alpha lipoic acid, evening primrose, cinnamon, biotin, lutein, vitamin E, potassium, CoQ10, Calcium, Fish Oil, Vitamin B, Glucosamine/Condroiten......and I'm forgetting some of them.

I've done this for several years, adding and deleting from time to time.

Those who think they can't take calcium might try Tums. I have been taking 2 Tums at bedtime for over 30 years. My bone density test was normal. My mom had osteoporosis and Os-Cal upset her stomach so she did not take a supplement until I suggested Tums to her.

Thanks for the Tums tip. I'll try it.

No, I don't take them. I think if you eat healthy, vitamins aren't needed, unless you have a proven deficiency and a particular vitamin is shown to improve that deficiency on your lab results.

With medical questions, I always turn to the Mayo Clinic website for my answers. Here's a link to them about taking vitamins, if you're interested:

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/multivitamins/NU00651

Several years ago my rheumatologist sent me to have a Dexa Scan. It came back with normal or better results. (I don't remember the actual wording.)

About two years ago I had another one, which showed slightly below normal (or similar wording.)

This was ordered by a GP, and she recommended I take Calcium and Vit D. So I started taking them.

About two months ago, I stopped taking them, "just because."

I do believe that I am feeling better, ie have more energy and accomplishing more on a daily basis. I plan to have another Dexa in the spring to see what changes there may be.

My diet is far from perfect. I do have a glass of Carnation Breakfast Essentials everyday, because I like it, which according to their stats supplies 50% of daily requirements of D and Calcium, plus a bunch of other good stuff. In the summer I am a sun worshiper, so I get plenty D then.

My only other meds are Nadolol and eye drops.

I have very bad joint pain but so far none of the "shoulder hump."

Who knows what to believe any more?

Sue

I just heard this morning woman who take vitamins are found to have more heart disease,and cancer.And I had hheard once and questioned my dr I hear women who take too much calcium have more heart attacks.

confusing world isn't it? I do take a vitamin pac, for those over 50. I do know when I go off the vitamin for a period of time, I just do not feel as well.., this also is true of the clucosamine and condroiten tablet I take..I have gone off of those for a time, I just hurt and ache, after being back on for a couple of weeks, I find I just don"t have the aches and pains, and I feel more like moving, more energy...so for me I believe they do make a diffrence.

I'm not really going to believe that vitamins cause earlier deaths until there is more research. There could be tons of explanations besides the vitamins being at fault. Perhaps a lot of people that are taking vitamins are doing so due to existing health concerns and that could be the reason of earlier death. A lot of people start taking vitamins after health scares or developing certain health problems.

One of the articles above says, "Why The Increase Of Death? The studies do not answer that question - more research will have to be done to determine why or how these vitamins could be linked to these issues."

I'm not saying that vitamins aren't the cause (or perhaps one certain vitamin), but those studies aren't showing any cause and effect.

I hope nobody makes any choices about their health without talking to their doctor first. You can find a study to back up any claim about anything.

Here's more info from an article (link below).

'The study only found a link between vitamins and increased risk of death; it didn't prove that the supplements caused the deaths. The authors say the reasons behind their findings aren't clear.....

To conduct the study, Mursu led a team who analyzed data from the Iowa Women's Health Study. The women in that study filled out 16-page questionnaires in 1986 about their diet, their use of vitamins and their general health. They recorded their of use of multivitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E as well as beta-carotene, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium and zinc.

They were asked again about their supplement use in 1997 and 2004. The proportion of women who said they took one or more vitamin supplement soared during the study period, from 62.7 per cent in 1986 to 85.1 per cent in 2004.

The researchers found that over the 19 years of follow-up, 41 per cent of multivitamin users died, compared to 40 per cent of non-users.'

So basically, over 19 years, they were given a survey to take three times. The survey was self-reporting, which is not always the most reliable, as people tend to over or under estimate and report things about their compliance and general health...and there was only a 1% difference in mortality.

I bet big pharmacuetical companies are jumping for joy about this study. Now we can all go to our doctors and get more pills for things that vitamins may have helped.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not pro-vitamin (I rarely take them myself), but I'm pro-not believing everything you read.

Here is a link that might be useful: Study about vitamins

I agree, Jenn, one can find a study to back up just about anything. All I know is that by taking the supplements that I take my blood glucose is low enough that I have held off taking some of the medications for over 10 years. To me that is a good thing, even my endo is in awe that my meds have decreased instead of increased.

Jenn -- Ah-hah! So the study was done by self-reporting surveys. Well...there you go! Couldn't the 'findings' be off by 4% just because of reporting errors? Only one finding that vitamins caused harm was a tad over 4%.

As for the detrimental connection related to iron, generally healthy post-menopausal women don't need it. Multi-vitamins for Seniors don't contain iron. It's possible that some women in the study just kept taking regular multi-vitamins with iron after menopause.

FOR THOSE OF YOU EXPERIENCING 'JOINT PAIN'.....puleeze
try glucosamine and condroiten (sp)...I went from agony
to mild discomfort!

For the poster attributing fewer colds to supplements, EVERYONE gets fewer colds as they approach their later years.

You have lived long enough to be exposed to more cold viruses thus you have built in immunity. Your children are likely to be older and no longer bringing every pre-school through elementary school virus home. Nutrition has nothing to do with fewer colds as we age. It's a given. One of the few perks of getting older.

I don't believe vitamins/supplements cause earlier death but I do believe people who take them may have other "issues" that may put them in a group of those who don't live longer. Stress about health issues, mental anxiety about their health and other issues could be contributing factors. No offense to those of you here but amongst my real life acquaintances those that take supplements and I am not speaking of those taking them under doctors orders or those merely taking a daily vitamin for "insurance" are well.... sort of obsessive about health concerns and buy into a lot of heresay and junk science that they hear about in the media ,on Oprah and that wizard of OZ guy. They are a little unstable in some areas of their lives. Healthy mind equals healthy body. Sometimes I think all the worry,anxiety and STRESS over what we eat and what we THINK we need can shorten our life spans. Relax, be happy, enjoy life, enjoy good food in moderation. Don't deprive yourself and you may live longer. Even if you don't you'll live happier.