We take our vitamins every single day all year long. Expensive yes...but cheaper in the long run than running to doctors or being in a hospital. We'd rather remain healthy. I'm a believer too.

Glucosamine and chondroitin did wonders for one of our horses years ago. I tried it myself, but gave up on it. It was expensive, and I probably didn't give it a fair trial. At the time, it was hard to find it without MSM, to which I'm allergic. I should take another look.

I take a number of supplements year round.

I have lab work done every 2 to 4...rarely 6 weeks, depending on what the results are for anemia. The by-product is that in the summer my dose of Vitamin D...which is very large most of the time,.. is greatly reduced. Over dosing Vitamin D seems to be VERY bad for kidneys....and sunshine makes a difference. Who knew? Just a reminder that not all vitamins should be taken without a Drs' opinion. Kidney damage is real.

a little OT but this reminds me one time while on a Dr visit that I was sharing vitamins I took. Dr proceeded to lecture me on the futility of doing so and I listened quietly. then I said my plants respond to fertilization, so why wouldn't I? No response. I'm a believer too

Eat citrus (its in season in the winter anyhow!) and make homemade bone stocks that you can use to cook with to get the glucosamine, etc (from the gelatin in the stock.) have some every day. Get Great Lakes gelatin if you want to add more to your diet. Skip the expensive supplements with their additives and fillers and enjoy the real foods where it comes from (and get the added benefit of other vitamins and minerals they contain.)

I'm not anti-supplement at all, especially in the case of D and magnesium, but C, glucosamine and chrondroitan are easy to get through diet and are already in the combinations that make them bioavailable and easily absorbed. Recent studies are showing oversupplementation may cause liver damage so more isn't necessarily better- your body will only absorb so much of anything but your liver has to process whatever you put in your body.

I try to eat healthy all the time but still take vitamins year round. C, D, magnesium, centrum, B6, B12.

" Dr proceeded to lecture me on the futility of doing so and I listened
quietly. then I said my plants respond to fertilization, so why
wouldn't I?"

From your description, your doctor was well informed but not adept at conversation.

Plants need nitrogen, not normally present in dirt, to produce food. As for human supplements, most experts would agree with your doctor that with but a few exceptions, a balanced diet provides all the nutrients needed. Most supplements are water soluble, do nothing, and pass right through without lingering. Many can be dangerous when use isn't supervised by a doctor. And, many supplements aren't what the labels say they are.

I meet my nutritional needs though food. Nothing can beat a balanced diet. Meat, fish, green vegetables, fruits, grains and starches and fats supply one with all the vitamins you need.

My observation is that even though I am overweight I am a good deal healthier overall than my friends who take supplements and vitamins, many who are quite a bit younger than me.

@watchme. I'm not talking about using vitamins instead of food. But I'm not as nutritionally together as you are. Perhaps if I weren't glued to the computer I'd plan the most wholesome of meals. B/fast/Lunch/dinner, tv snack

I certainly don't focus on wholesome balanced everything. I pretty much eat what I want. I have zero belief in bad food/good food. But I try to make sure I eat plenty of variety so it balances out over the week or even weeks. I tend to think more in terms of old fashioned food groups, meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable. I try to eat some of each daily. I also don't obsess over whether my vegetables come from a garden, are fresh or frozen or canned. Carrots are carrots whether they are in a frozen meal, eaten as a snack or topping a salad. I don't sweat the small stuff. I do try to get cheese in my diet since I have detested milk from the day I was weaned form the bottle. No calcium supplements. Good bone density, no joint issues and I am 65. I've always liked the sun. Maybe that's why.

Supplements and Cosmetics are some of the most profitable sections in your grocery store. Cheap ingredients. High profits. Lots of *advertising*. The cosmetics undergo some safety testing, and as long as the supplement makers provide negligible doses, they aren't banned. (Neither are they endorsed by government health agencies.)

I take 1000 i.u. Vit. D because my Vit. D levels *test* too low without it, year round.

I think this is attributed to The Lancet: "Americans have the most expensive urine in the world."

Supplements. Cosmetics. They're selling 'hope' and 'control'. There's even evidence that if you believe something helps, it *does*!

I believe! I believe! Ha