Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Greenfields on May 31, 2015, 12:53:45 PM
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I take a multivitamin but have found from reading around that it seems to be full of substances which are difficult for the body to absorb! It was one I bought in the supermarket and I think I should have spent a bit more money.
I started searching around on the threads on vitamins on this board and feel so confused though as to what I should take.
I'm mainly concerned at the moment about anxiety. I'm on HRT (second month on my current regime - third month of HRT though - the first HRT meds didn't agree with me). Initially on my current regime I felt much better but now am experiencing more anxiety in the mornings (altho' it could be hormonal fluctuations as well).
I've altered my diet so that it's super healthy but given that I'm also recovering from a nervous breakdown (which happened in March) and have a lot of stress in my life, I'd like to take a multivitamin. I also read an article link posted on this board that informed me that HRT depletes certain vitamins and minerals!
The thing is, I haven't a clue what to take. I've thought about splurging and buying a multivit for perimenopausal women by Solgar but it's expensive and I don't know how effective it would be (although hopefully more effective than the current one I take).
I've also thought about going to a nutrionist and seeing whether I can get some blood tests done on my levels of vitamins and minerals?
Has anyone done this?
Reading around, it seems so hit and miss with vitamins and I don't want to waste money but at the same time, I'd really like to give my body a helping hand as I think it needs it!
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You shouldn't really have to take much in the way of supplements if you have a good diet.
Perhaps just a good multi Vit and also a fish oil.
I have tried just about every supplement you can think of for my anxiety and nothing worked for me at all.....sorry....you might be different though.
I think if you can maintain your healthy lifestyle and good diet and get some sunshine then your body will get everything it needs.
You also have to be careful as you can really upset your stomach by taking too many different things.
Amazon is a good place to get honest reviews and reasonably priced vitamins.
Honeybun
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I take Menopace and Krill oil (for my Omega oils) every day. In winter I take some extra Vitamin D. AS CKLD says one shouldn't really need to take supplements if you eat really well but I personally think it doesn't do any harm to take things 'just in case'. I have certainly found I feel better when I take supplements. Being low on B and D3 Vitamins can cause low mood and energy. I wouldn't waste money on testing etc. but I do think it's worth taking a good quality multi vit. DG x
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I agree that it is better to get what you need from your diet and would disagree that it doesn't do any harm to take more just in case. The extra you take have to metabolised and go through the liver, exceretd by the kidneys and excesses of some can do harm.
Don't worry about that depletion stuff - I mean it's twaddle! LIVING depletes vitamins and minerals and different metabloic activities utilise different vitamins and minerals. Full stop!! That's why we eat food! You just need to make sure your diet is very good with a few well chosen supplements as honeybun and Dancgingirl says.
Personally I do not take a mulit-vitamin because it gives you the RDA of everything which you don't need with a good diet. Maybe some Vit D in late winter - but if you get out in the sun without sunscreen at this time of year you shouldn't need it - it's stored in the liver and found in lots of foods. Maybe fish/omega oils if you diet doesn't contain enough of these. Maybe a herbal iron tonic (I take Floradix now and again) if you are bleeding regularly.
The supplements I do take I only take now and again and way way less than what they say on the label - so I use them as an occasional top-up so as not to overload my system, but make sure my diet is excellent and go out in the sun.
I agree don't worry about getting tested - just look at your diet and what's in it. Look at the NHS website for info. Lots of whole grains, nuts, beans, pulses, wholegrain cereals, olive oil, fish, chicken, milk products, masses of fresh fruit and veg, few processed foods, cook from scratch - and you can't go wrong!
Hurdity x
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I guess I thought about taking a multivit after reading this article by Jeanette Winterson where she mentions the impact of seeing a nutrionist:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/11/jeanette-winterson-can-you-stop-the-menopause
I could relate to it because she had a breakdown as well as menopause and was recovering from both.
The vitamin supplement I take at the moment is Vitabiotics Wellwoman original - but I discovered from reading around that some of the substances in it are in a hard to absorb form for the body - so I don't know whether it's any use at all - although I have 2 packs still to work through (I bought it on special offer!).
As well as taking this supplement, I do have a good diet and I also take 2 teaspoons of flax oil daily and put 2 tablespoons of milled flax on my porridge each day.
But I'm interested in supplements in part because I'm wondering whether they might help with my anxiety? I've also began experiencing cramps in my calf muscles recently - I had that happen twice this week - once in an aquafit class and once on waking. And I'm wondering whether I need more magnesium because of the daily exercise I'm doing (although I didn't do any today because I felt too unwell).
Last night I wasn't able to sleep much either - and I'm wondering whether a supplement would help with that.
It's so hard to know with these things and while I do have a good diet, my body has been through a heck of a lot of stress the last couple of months in particular and so it wouldn't surprise me if it was depleted of some things. I also have a lot of ongoing and future stress to deal with - so I want to support my body as much as I can.
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Green fields
I take b12 supplements in quite large doses , 3 years ago I was, quite suddenly at rock bottom and bloods revealed b12 deficiency (just below UK range although would be considered quite deficient in other countries guidelines) 12 weeks of docs supplements took me just within range with no improvement so I supplemented myself
I don't know why or when I stopped taking them but Xmas time I went downhill again and have also developed double vision and blurring so am back on stronger ones, my diet of red meat is almost nil and my body will naturally expel what is not needed, although blood tests on b12 (I don't know about other vitamins etc) gives an overall result, not really what is being used
Annie xx
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Greenfields - you say you have had a great deal of stress and there is more stress to come - perhaps some Mindful Meditation/relaxation techniques would be helpful. I think many of us reach for supplements in the hope they will help and sometimes they do but you sound mentally and physically exhausted and probably you just need a break to let your body recover. Handling stress is very tough so finding strategies to relieve or help you cope is very important. As Annie says, B12 is a vital vitamin as is Vitamin D but I think the vitabiotics range is reasonably good and taking these for a month alongside some Omega 3 may give your system a bit of a boost. Get out for some brisk walks in the sunshine - probably the best stress buster and gives a jolly good hit of Vitamin D at the same time. DG
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Greenfields - you say you have had a great deal of stress and there is more stress to come - perhaps some Mindful Meditation/relaxation techniques would be helpful. I think many of us reach for supplements in the hope they will help and sometimes they do but you sound mentally and physically exhausted and probably you just need a break to let your body recover. Handling stress is very tough so finding strategies to relieve or help you cope is very important. As Annie says, B12 is a vital vitamin as is Vitamin D but I think the vitabiotics range is reasonably good and taking these for a month alongside some Omega 3 may give your system a bit of a boost. Get out for some brisk walks in the sunshine - probably the best stress buster and gives a jolly good hit of Vitamin D at the same time. DG
Yep I do mindfulness meditation and relaxation regularly plus daily exercise. I'm off for an acupuncture session this afternoon as well. I'm seeing a therapist next week too. So just trying to cover all the bases. I want to be well enough to return to Canada this summer if I can as my housing is very insecure in the UK and renting in Canada is cheaper and more straightforward - but I need to be well enough to move and to work etc.
I thought the vitabiotics range was a good one until I started reading around and saw that some of the substances in it are in forms that people describe as being difficult for the body to absorb fully. So that's why I started to question what I was taking and how useful it was.
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have you tried vit D and magnesium?
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have you tried vit D and magnesium?
Think my multivit has vit D and magnesium in it.
Having said that, I've booked an appointment with a nutritionist! Am seeing her next week - she's giving me a 1 1/2 hour appointment as she says there is a lot going on and she doesn't want to rush it (but she's just going to charge me for an hour which is so kind).
I filled in a stack of information for her and am really looking forward to finding out whether there is anything else I can do to support my health - I've asked her about supplements too.
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Greenfields - Have a look at this link that I think explains the different between a dietitian and nutritionalist: http://www.ion.ac.uk/information/onarchives/spotthedifference The lady you are seeing sounds very thorough and reputable but it might be worth checking her qualifications?
Sometimes small changes in diet can to very beneficial so do let us know how you get on. DG x
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Thanks Dancing Girl - yes I know its a bit of a mindfield choosing someone! - I struggled a bit with this and picked someone who's not too far for me to commute to and has an interest in mental health, menopause and is naturopathic. She also healed herself from a nasty autoimmune disease through diet and lifestyle changes.
The individual I'm going to see is a naturopathic nutritionist who qualified with the College of Naturopathic Medicine. She's now an assistant supervisor at CNM and observes final year student nutrition clinics. She has DipNT, mBant, and CNHC after her name ... I'm hoping it will help or at the very least, do no harm.
The fact that she has CNHC after her name gives me a little bit of confidence - I read up on the different backgrounds and memberships here: http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/content/industryfaqs.html
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Ooh, interested to hear how that goes Greenfields!
Diet has worked wonders for us here, we've cut right back on dairy and gluten and are filling up on lots and lots of raw fruit and veg, and I feel better than ever. Needless to say I've been reading furiously about the healing effects of nutrition so I'm armed in my battle with cancer (and am taking an array to help with this)
I tend to take individual vitamins rather than a multi vit as then you make sure you're getting the vitamin you feel you're short of, but also in the amount you require. Vitamin C is such a biggy and the RDA is ridiculously low, as mentioned above Vit D is something we need to be aware of in winter when we don't get as much natural sunlight as we should. As well as vitamins, there are some good supplements such as astaxanthin and krill oils.
Hope the naturopath helps you move forward on this.
GG x
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I'll let you know GeordieGirl! I'm seeing her tomorrow.
I've always had a fairly healthy diet but I'm still not 100% as I think the breakdown I had took a lot out of my body - so I'm really interested to see what, if anything, the nutritionist can suggest that can support it more. Like you, I eat a lot of fruit and veg.
Re: cancer and diet - I have a lovely cook book by Jane Sen who used to be involved with the Bristol Cancer Centre - it's called the Healing Foods Cookbook and it has some lovely recipes in it - worth looking at if you can get a copy through the library. It's mostly vegan food but some of the recipes are things that I continue to cook just because they taste so delicious.
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Re: cancer and diet - I have a lovely cook book by Jane Sen who used to be involved with the Bristol Cancer Centre - it's called the Healing Foods Cookbook and it has some lovely recipes in it - worth looking at if you can get a copy through the library. It's mostly vegan food but some of the recipes are things that I continue to cook just because they taste so delicious.
Thanks for the recommendation, I've just found it on Amazon. I previously had discounted a vegan diet as unhealthy, how wrong I was. A lot of nutritionists, scientists, naturopaths and doctors recommend it for health reasons. While I'd struggle to go all the way, I've cut right back on meat and fish and indulge only every other day if that. It's also encouraged us to find new recipes rather than stick to our normal repetoire, yesterday's veggie moussaka went down particularly well :)
GG x
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I think its all about balance really. I used to be vegetarian and have gone through periods of veganism too. But at present, I eat oily fish twice a week and some meat usually once a week or a couple times over 2 weeks. However it's always nice to find vegan dishes to cook as a change too. :)
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Saw the nutritionist today - a really nice kind lady and very very generous with her time. She also shared her menopause story - which really helped and I think that's one of the reasons why she wanted to help me so much - and I feel blessed that she was so kind.
She has suggested that I try a wheat free diet, increase my vegetable intake, increase my red meat intake (I rarely eat it), make bone broth, eat more foods with tryptophan in them, make my own home made muesli, use full fat milk (to make sure I get all the fat soluble vitamins that get removed in semi-skimmed milk) and take the following supplements: fish oil (for Omega 3's), sublingual B12 spray (I think it was to help my nervous system but can't remember), magnesium supplement (to help keep me calm) and a probiotic to support my bowels (she thinks I may have some candida but also said that strengthening my bowels will support my immune system) - she also very kindly offered to apply her discount to the supplements as she knows I'm living off my savings and trying to conserve money given my situation. She is going to send me the details and then, if I'm comfortable with it, order the supplements and have them sent to me.
She said my diet was very good but to avoid using margarine type olive spread (use butter instead) and to eat grains like quinoa - she gave me lots of useful suggestions and is sending me all the details as well.
All the things she suggested made sense to me. My lovely GP has agreed to a full blood test so I'll find out the vitamin levels in my blood and the nutritionist said we can maybe add in something else if needed - like a Vitamin D supplement.
She's also a big fan of getting nutrients through one's food - so the supplements she suggested were for good reasons.
I will have 2 follow up appointments with her - 1 in a months time probably. Left feeling very happy and am going to try her suggestions and see how that goes I think. I'm not sure about the B12 supplement - just reading around on the web and I'm not sure whether to take it or not - but all the other supplements (the fish oil, probiotic and magnesium) make sense and I really liked the fact that she focused on food and what was going into my diet rather than taking lots of supplements and she gave me lots of suggested alternatives to eat.
A lot of what she said chimed with what I knew from studying ayurveda (which is the diet and lifestyle practice allied with yoga) and also with what a friend who is qualified in this area also suggested - how important it is to have healthy saturated fats and how these can support the body.
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Also meant to mention that she said the multivit I was taking wasn't that great - so I'm not going to continue taking it. Better to get my minerals and vits through food as much as I can.
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Greenfields - sounds like a good session. A vegan diet can be too restrictive and it's difficult to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. I was wondering about vitamin B12 for you as you mentioned you didn't have much meat. I am a life vegetarian but eat dairy and eggs so I know I need to watch my B12 intake as it's easy to become low. B12 is very important so I make a Marmite gravy with my vegetable meals using the vegetable water - absolutely love it. I look on eggs as a vitamin pill as well - if you do some research online you'll discover that eggs contain so many wonderful things - a real super food. If I were you I'd definitely use B12 and Vitamin D supplements to increase your energy.
So pleased she said to eat butter not margarine -- I do love butter and one does need some fat or the body won't process certain vitamins properly. Let us know how you get on. DG x
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Thanks DG - I'm not actually vegan but I haven't regularly eaten a lot of meat - I eat oily fish and dairy. And I'm going to eat more meat.
I think the information around fats is really interesting - for a long time people were told to eat low fat foods and margarine instead of full fats and butter. However, I knew from my own research that the body needs fats in moderation and its much better to eat butter etc. The nutritionist pointed out that full fat milk has fat soluble vitamins in it - whereas in skimmed milk these are removed. My friend who is qualified in ayurveda back in Canada also said to me to eat fats and more meat - so that also chimes in with what I heard and what I'd read.
It was also reassuring to know that my diet is good - I wanted that confirmation too. And she spotted the wheat issue which I hadn't given much though too - I do eat a lot of wheat and while I've no need to follow a gluten free diet for coeliac disease, it is important to have variety in one's diet (I think) and so I am going to vary the grains I eat much more. In Canada I used to eat a lot of quinoa but got out of the habit when I moved back to the UK - so am going to vary my diet more again.
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I am a life vegetarian but eat dairy and eggs so I know I need to watch my B12 intake as it's easy to become low. B12 is very important so I make a Marmite gravy with my vegetable meals using the vegetable water - absolutely love it. I look on eggs as a vitamin pill as well - if you do some research online you'll discover that eggs contain so many wonderful things - a real super food. If I were you I'd definitely use B12 and Vitamin D supplements to increase your energy.
I've recently been in contact with an orthomolecular oncologist who advised supplementation with B12 as I've switched to a predominantly vegetarian diet. I'd never considered it before but wonder how I missed it! An order has gone into Nature's Best this morning :)
GG x