I cannot use multivitamins. What selection of vitamins should I buy instead.

[Phronesis]

I have a chronic and incurable disease and therefore cannot take iron supplements.

I have been a bit run down lately despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet. I eat lots of fruit and grains but the vegetable side of things is where I think am coming up short.

I want to start taking vitamins, however I cannot use multivitamins as the bulk ingredient in most is iron. So I have to purchase a collection of free standing vitamins.

I am a mid forties male, not overweight, don't drink or smoke and exercise heavily every day. Please let me have your suggestions of what vitamins I should buy AND WHY.

Sheryl, I would welcome your input.

Thanks in advance.

[hanno]

From reading up, the trend seems to be now that most people do not need vitamin supplements; many of them do no good and some may actually be harmful. I am no Doctor but I do suggest you do a little research via Google.

[Phronesis]

From reading up, the trend seems to be now that most people do not need vitamin supplements; many of them do no good and some may actually be harmful. I am no Doctor but I do suggest you do a little research via Google.

Yep that may be the case...but they are so cheap here that I am willing to give them a try. I have never used any in the past...never...other than a bit of vitamin C if I have a cold.

I am open to, and grateful for any and all opinions and guidance on the subject. But just remember, I can not take iron.

[infinity11]

I am sure there are some with no iron, but you will have to work to obtain them.

There is also something called 'gentle iron' that will not constipate you.

Not sure if you can take that.

Can we ask what disease?

[I Like Thai]

Don't buy any, they are only a rip off. Why didn't the human race go extinct before Multivitamin tablets were invented ?

[Phronesis]

I am sure there are some with no iron, but you will have to work to obtain them.

There is also something called 'gentle iron' that will not constipate you.

Not sure if you can take that.

Can we ask what disease?

I must avoid all iron, including gentle iron.

[PaullyW]

Not sure you need multivitamins a someone else mentioned. Especially true if you have a good diet. Why not just get your levels checked annually or semiannually?

Have you experimented with cutting out or severely reducing grains? Their necessity in human diet is quite questionable. Rice, wheat other gluteus arguably totally unnecessary in human diet. If you want to read a bit about it, you can search "marks daily apple".

Consumption of grains also coincided with agricultural revolution disease like cancers. Rice is NOT healthy. It is however filing, cheap, easy to grow and yummy. :-)

Also what many westerners (I presume you are one?) don't know is that Asians as they age tend to gradually decrease their grain consumption. Mostly for weight maintenance purposes.

Having said all that, the best vitamins are said to be the ones which are enteric coated allowing for the most efficacious delivery in your body. I would not know however. If you travel to Singapore, you'll find plenty of high quality vitamins that you won't find in Thailand.

[Phronesis]

Not sure you need multivitamins a someone else mentioned. Especially true if you have a good diet. Why not just get your levels checked annually or semiannually?

Have you experimented with cutting out or severely reducing grains? Their necessity in human diet is quite questionable. Rice, wheat other gluteus arguably totally unnecessary in human diet. If you want to read a bit about it, you can search "marks daily apple".

Consumption of grains also coincided with agricultural revolution disease like cancers. Rice is NOT healthy. It is however filing, cheap, easy to grow and yummy. :-)

Also what many westerners (I presume you are one?) don't know is that Asians as they age tend to gradually decrease their grain consumption. Mostly for weight maintenance purposes.

Having said all that, the best vitamins are said to be the ones which are enteric coated allowing for the most efficacious delivery in your body. I would not know however. If you travel to Singapore, you'll find plenty of high quality vitamins that you won't find in Thailand.

Thanks Paul, I have decided to just try a stint taking locally available vitamins. If no proof in the pudding so to speak I will cease. I am not worried about the expense because, to be frank, they are very cheap to buy here compared with Australia. I am also not worried about fakes. I buy already buy a good deal of different types of drugs from the wholesale shop at the big Super Cheap and and satisfied with both the quality and price of the locally manufactured options.

What I am interested in is suggestions of what type of vitamins to purchase: A B C D E etc...

If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

[PaullyW]

OK. Good luck.

Edited August 14, 2013 by PaullyW

[h90]

Don't buy any, they are only a rip off. Why didn't the human race go extinct before Multivitamin tablets were invented ?

look at the average age we get now and 100 years ago.

In Thailand multivitamin might not be necessary, but in Sweden you may find it hard to get vitamins in winter......

[Phronesis]

OK. Good luck.

Paul...I don't eat a lot of rice. I eat mostly low fat white meats and seafood and lots and lots of fruits. I eat a lot of herbs and green leafy stuff, as well as mushrooms, but am a bit light on getting enough hard root vegetables...mostly due to my laziness to buy and prepare them...

[jmccarty]

Do research before you increase the value of your urine. If your diet is balanced, increasing vitamin intake thru supplements may do nothing to make you feel better or improve your health.

Whatever your ailment, there is likely a book or 2 with advice, plus likely a forum with others with this affliction and what to do to help.

The rest of us on this forum all have diferent body types and afflictions or not and general feedback from a general population is not going to help you.

Good luck though with your search and hope you find a way to feel better.

[Tolley]

If you are interested in improving your health through nutrition and supplements you need to find yourself a good naturopath to set you on the right path.

I don't think they exist in Thailand but there are plenty in most western countries. You could try a Chinese herbalist if you are not going home anytime soon.

Not all vitamins are created equal and a lot of what is on the market is rubbish but there are good products but unfortunately not much available of quality in Thailand nor for that matter in Singapore. Online is you best bet or get someone to bring stuff over when they come.

[bkkbudddy]

For better health, you should take multivitamins with minerals without irom, daily. Also, CoQ10, B-Complex, fish oil and dose of BioAstin.

[jrtmedic]

There are only a very few conditions which require individuals to limit their iron intake.

Most of these conditions require on going medical supervision so why not ask your doctor if you require vitamin supplementation?

For those who eat a normal balanced diet vitamin supplemental is unwarranted and unlikely to give any benefit.

[Tolley]

There are only a very few conditions which require individuals to limit their iron intake.

Most of these conditions require on going medical supervision so why not ask your doctor if you require vitamin supplementation?

For those who eat a normal balanced diet vitamin supplemental is unwarranted and unlikely to give any benefit.

What would a normal balanced diet consist of? Is everybody the same and their requirements the same?

Have you considered that with the amount of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, degradation of the soil, irradiated food products etc that in fact the food we are eating today could be deficient in some of the essential things we need.

The mainstream medical community whilst they have expertise in many areas have virtually no experience or detailed knowledge on food, vitamins and holistic treatments. That is not their area of expertise and many are openly hostile to people who practice in this area as they see them as some sort of threat to their position as guardians of our health.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Tolley

[Phronesis]

My listlessness is due in part to mild anemia, yes I have had my bloods done. But I am caught between a rock and hard place because the usual treatment for mild anemia is iron supplements. I cannot take iron.

I did drink a lot of black tea, but have stopped that as it is a chelator, that is, it blocks the absorption of iron into the body from the stomach.

And now I am researching alternatives to bolstering my hemoglobin without the use of iron. I have just finished reading about B complex supplements and it would appear that B6 and B12 may help out a bit with my problem.

Any input would be appreciated.

[jrtmedic]

Tolley

You are of course correct. Main stream medicine rejects all forms of Quackery !

More information here

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/spotquack.html

[Tolley]

Tolley

You are of course correct. Main stream medicine rejects all forms of Quackery !

More information here

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/spotquack.html

How long does you average doctor spend studying nutrition at medical school?

Answer: very little to nothing in many medical schools.

So why would they be qualified to give any advice on nutrition?

[jrtmedic]

Tolley

Guess you have not bothered reading the link

Here it is again

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/spotquack.html

[laowai1960]

Not sure how much help the following will be, but ......

A couple of years ago, I was working 2 jobs; a full time day job at a regular school and part time teaching evenings and weekends at a language school.

I was feeling rundown, I lost my appetite and I was losing weight (which I wish I could do now).

I went to see the Chinese-Thai doctor at 89 Medical Clinic in Second Road, Pattaya.

After examining me he simply told me that I was run down and therefore he would give me some vitamin pills to take for 2 weeks. I told him that I was already taking multi-vitamins. He replied that the vitamins he would give me were not 'supermarket vitamins'. He also said they were vitamin B only.

On leaving, the receptionist / nurse gave me the ubiquitous (for Thailand) little plastic bag of pills. They were blue and were not capsules.

I started feeling better after a day or two and by the end of the 2 weeks I felt like I could run a marathon.

[Tolley]

Tolley

Guess you have not bothered reading the link

Here it is again

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/spotquack.html

Why would I bother reading it?

Plenty of people take vitamins/supplements and get benefits from them but yet we hear the patronising opinions of those from mainstream medicine that they do nothing and any perceived benefits are placebo effect. Yet these same people have no training or expertise in nutrition or vitamin/supplement therapy.

Why would we listen to them?

[Sheryl]

I trust you have seen your doctor regarding the run down feeling and had that investigated? If what you suffer from is hematochromosis (as I suspect since you cannot take iron) then the run down feeling is likely due to that and you may gain more through phlebotomy or chelation than through taking vitamins...especially since your diet sounds pretty healthy.

Liver and pancreatic enzymnes among should be checked if they have not been recently, also complete blood count.

If you are set on taking vitamin supplements, there are many vitamin supplement complexes that do not include iron or other minerals. HOWEVER, you also need to avoid Vit C supplements as these increase iron absorption. So I'd suggest you get a B-Complex supplement that contains only the various B vitamins without Vit C or iron (read labels carefully, lots of B-Co contain C)). You may also wish to add a calcium/ Vit D supplement, zinc and fish oil so altogether 4 supplements. Vit D and zinc are helpful in reducing frequency and severity of common respiratory infections and fish oil is advisable for any man your age unless you consume a great deal of oily fish.

[Bender]

And now I am researching alternatives to bolstering my hemoglobin without the use of iron. I have just finished reading about B complex supplements and it would appear that B6 and B12 may help out a bit with my problem.

Any input would be appreciated.

just my input:

few weeks ago i was really down, due to acute dehydration. Spend few days at the hospitals, they prescribe me

vitamins B1, B6, B12, honestly i dont know why!

...or maybe because i do suffer also from anemia, and they didnt know, that in my case its genetics, so i have no worry about it!

ps: just read some stuff on the net, and its seems that lack of B12, and B9 can also provoke anemia. It may help to improve your health.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Bender

[Phronesis]

I trust you have seen your doctor regarding the run down feeling and had that investigated? If what you suffer from is hematochromosis (as I suspect since you cannot take iron) then the run down feeling is likely due to that and you may gain more through phlebotomy or chelation than through taking vitamins...especially since your diet sounds pretty healthy.

Liver and pancreatic enzymnes among should be checked if they have not been recently, also complete blood count.

If you are set on taking vitamin supplements, there are many vitamin supplement complexes that do not include iron or other minerals. HOWEVER, you also need to avoid Vit C supplements as these increase iron absorption. So I'd suggest you get a B-Complex supplement that contains only the various B vitamins without Vit C or iron (read labels carefully, lots of B-Co contain C)). You may also wish to add a calcium/ Vit D supplement, zinc and fish oil so altogether 4 supplements. Vit D and zinc are helpful in reducing frequency and severity of common respiratory infections and fish oil is advisable for any man your age unless you consume a great deal of oily fish.

Thanks Sheryl for your valuable reply.

Yes I am homozygous c282y. I am well educated on my condition and its many facets. As you are well aware fatigue and listlessness sets in when one requires a bleed. I went for one last week only to be informed that my red blood cell count was way below the acceptable limit. So therein lies my problem, my hemoglobin is way too low, but I cannot take iron supplements.

I am going to purchase some B complex vitamins tomorrow and I am already well across the issues that vitamin C presents to someone with my disease. Any other suggestions to get my blood count back within range?

[Sheryl]

Epo (erythropoeitin) injections will help replace the lost RBCs, ask about this.

Might also want to discuss with your doctor the use of chelation as opposed to phlebotomy (or in addition, so as to decrease the number of bleeds needed) to help avert this problem in future

Be sure the vit you take has folate and B12, any good B Complex should. But your main problem is justanemia due to the phlebotomies needed to remove the excess iron, a common dilemma with this condition.

[jrtmedic]

You could try consulting a Haematologist

[Sheryl]

From what he says I gather he is already under the care of one.

[mickjn]

I asked my doctor about vitamins once said take whatever you want but I will tell you now its only expensive urine

[jrtmedic]

mickjn

In the vast majority of cases I would agree !

Go here to read all about it !

http://www.quackwatc.../spotquack.html