Going Veggie

[trampledamage]

Sector 7 wrote:

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Thanks to this thread, I am even more conscious of what I eat. I am broadening my dietary horizons now.

Me too! I love reading about food, and do try and incorporate some of the things I read.

[J. Allen]

Yay! I'm glad people like it.

Question: I would like to take a diabetic multivitamin. The problem is that the one I took is no longer manufactured, and so I am currently taking none. I don't like this, as the vitamin helps me with the diabetes, and it also supplies nutrients I might not be getting from my diet.

So I'm looking around, and almost all of these multivitamins have niacinamide instead of niacin in them, which I am told elevates blood sugar in type II diabetics, which would be me. Any suggestions?

[thestrangequark]

^My personal (totally not a doctor at all) advice would be to ditch the vitamins altogether. The consensus is changing not only on the value, but the risk of taking vitamins (and they are risky, they are the most common thing for children to OD on in this country). Except in the case where an individual is severely deficient in a particular vitamin, the newest medical guidelines no longer recommend taking supplements. The evidence has shown that the benefit is vague and uncertain, and it is looking more and more like they don't actually do any good. On top of that, the evidence is mounting that they do harm, not only in cases of overdose, but in normal doses too, by putting strain on the liver, and even possibly increasing the risks of certain types of cancer: recently a few longitudinal and well-designed studies have shown that men who take multivitamins are at higher risk for colon cancer. Of course, other studies show a decreased risk for other cancers -- so it's up in the air.

Ultimately, I think people tend to think it is harder to get all the vitamins and minerals they need in their diet than it actually is. It's really not hard at all, as long as you eat a variety of foods that include fruits and vegetables every day, you'll get everything you need just fine.

[J. Allen]

thestrangequark wrote:

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^My personal (totally not a doctor at all) advice would be to ditch the vitamins altogether. The consensus is changing not only on the value, but the risk of taking vitamins (and they are risky, they are the most common thing for children to OD on in this country). Except in the case where an individual is severely deficient in a particular vitamin, the newest medical guidelines no longer recommend taking supplements. The evidence has shown that the benefit is vague and uncertain, and it is looking more and more like they don't actually do any good. On top of that, the evidence is mounting that they do harm, not only in cases of overdose, but in normal doses too, by putting strain on the liver, and even possibly increasing the risks of certain types of cancer: recently a few longitudinal and well-designed studies have shown that men who take multivitamins are at higher risk for colon cancer. Of course, other studies show a decreased risk for other cancers -- so it's up in the air.

Ultimately, I think people tend to think it is harder to get all the vitamins and minerals they need in their diet than it actually is. It's really not hard at all, as long as you eat a variety of foods that include fruits and vegetables every day, you'll get everything you need just fine.

Really? I'm going to have to check that out (as in "study it", not as in "tsq is a liar!" ). I've always figured a diabetic multi was a good idea, since diabetics lose a number of important vitamins, even when eating properly.

[thestrangequark]

^Here's a blog post written by an actual doctor on the subject.

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/i...ns-and-cancer/ Oh, I should mention, the blog post is mainly analysis of the quality of the study cited, but the author notes at the beginning of the post that 20 years of evidence have shown that there is no health benefit from taking multivitamins.

Even that fuckwad, Dr Oz, recommended people at least lower their vitamin doses on his show -- and if Dr Oz is wary of a supplement, you know it must be serious!

[Kestra]

It's something that can be checked by a doctor, if you're really concerned. At least some vitamin levels can be checked by bloodwork, not sure about all of them. I've had deficiencies in the past but it's because of issues that I'm aware of that are specific to me.

[Shaytan]

Kestra wrote:

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At least some vitamin levels can be checked by bloodwork, not sure about all of them.

Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B8, B9, B12, C, D, E, K1 and PP can be checked with a blood test but most are rarely prescribed (except vit D). .

[J. Allen]

thestrangequark wrote:

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^Here's a blog post written by an actual doctor on the subject.

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/i...ns-and-cancer/ Oh, I should mention, the blog post is mainly analysis of the quality of the study cited, but the author notes at the beginning of the post that 20 years of evidence have shown that there is no health benefit from taking multivitamins.

Even that fuckwad, Dr Oz, recommended people at least lower their vitamin doses on his show -- and if Dr Oz is wary of a supplement, you know it must be serious!

I'll check out that link! Also, I completely agree with your assessment of Dr. Oz.

Kestra wrote:

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It's something that can be checked by a doctor, if you're really concerned. At least some vitamin levels can be checked by bloodwork, not sure about all of them. I've had deficiencies in the past but it's because of issues that I'm aware of that are specific to me.

I've sent a request to my doctor to let me know if I should be taking a multivitamin, and what kind if I should.

I can't get blood tests done right now, as they're really expensive out-of-pocket.

Shaytan wrote:

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Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B8, B9, B12, C, D, E, K1 and PP can be checked with a blood test but most are rarely prescribed (except vit D). .

Pfft. I can check my PP without getting a blood test.

[Shaytan]

J. Allen wrote:

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I can't get blood tests done right now, as they're really expensive out-of-pocket.

Vitamins are particularly expensive ,some aren't even reimbursed by our healthcare over here because they're not really seen as useful.

Pfft. I can check my PP without getting a blood test.

I was afraid the translation would be lost somewhere in the ocean between our continents but after re-reading that, nope

[J. Allen]

Shaytan wrote:

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Vitamins are particularly expensive ,some aren't even reimbursed by our healthcare over here because they're not really seen as useful.

That's rather interesting. Here in the U.S., I can buy a 90 day supply of vitamins for about $15 here.

I was afraid the translation would be lost somewhere in the ocean between our continents but after re-reading that, nope

So I was right by some odd happenstance? Actually, yes, it's blood sugar, but I wanted to be naughty. So if you didn't catch my double entendre, well then, there you go.

[Shaytan]

J. Allen wrote:

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That's rather interesting. Here in the U.S., I can buy a 90 day supply of vitamins for about $15 here.

Oh, sorry, I wasn't clear, I was talking about the blood tests. I'm a phlebotomist/lab technician, so I know a little about that.

So I was right by some odd happenstance? Actually, yes, it's blood sugar, but I wanted to be naughty. So if you didn't catch my double entendre, well then, there you go.

I did understand
Except that for me, vitamin PP exists. It's also known as B3 but I've always used PP.

[Sector 7]

Relayer1 wrote:

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Sector 7 - to save looking pulses up :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_(legume)

and Avocado's ARE sentient. They are, however, evil. So it's O.K. to eat them...

Eh, hem. You should have checked that link first, my friend. It takes you to a Wiki page that says no such article exists, etc. Don't you just love Wiki sometimes?

Legumes does tell me that they are some kind of beans, I gather. As long as they aren't like lima beans, I'm good.

J. Allen wrote:

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Yay! I'm glad people like it.

Question: I would like to take a diabetic multivitamin. The problem is that the one I took is no longer manufactured, and so I am currently taking none. I don't like this, as the vitamin helps me with the diabetes, and it also supplies nutrients I might not be getting from my diet.

So I'm looking around, and almost all of these multivitamins have niacinamide instead of niacin in them, which I am told elevates blood sugar in type II diabetics, which would be me. Any suggestions?

I am also a Type 2 diabetic, fibromyalgia, arthritis, COPD, sleep apnea and much more. You are correct that diabetics tend toward vitamin deficiencies more than regular people. WalMart carries inexpensive multi-vitamins. I'm in my 50s, so I use either Centrum Silver type [usually Equate brand or such] for around $4-$5 for a 90-day supply.

My doctors and pharmacists tell me there are no differences between brand names and generic vitamins, as long as you read the label. I take one vitamin, twice daily and it helps. So far, I've never had a problem with vitamins increasing my blood sugar noticeably.

[teacake]

Pulse is just another name for bean.

[Relayer1]

Sector 7 wrote:

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Eh, hem. You should have checked that link first, my friend. It takes you to a Wiki page that says no such article exists, etc. Don't you just love Wiki sometimes?

Don't know how that happened - I looked the page up !

Take 2...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_(legume)

Nope, that doesn't work either - strange as I'm actually on the page I want and it's fine.

Just wiki 'pulse legume'. You get a rather dull article starting :

'A pulse (Latin "puls",[1] from Ancient Greek πόλτος poltos "porridge")[2], sometimes called a "grain legume",[3] is an annual leguminous crop yielding from one to twelve seeds of variable size, shape, and color within a pod. Pulses are used for food for humans and other animals. Included in the pulses are: dry beans like pinto beans, kidney beans and navy beans; dry peas; lentils; and others.'

It goes on, and on...

[Gul Re'jal]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_(legume)

You bracket stays outside the link. Try this.