bil

Since there seems to be some dispute as to how much vitamins are needed for normal healthy people, I thought I'd post this here.

I'm not trying to take the whatsit, just point out that there seems to be a lack of understanding here.

Well, here's the wiki page for you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C which sets out a couple of points.

Let's do a couple of calculations, but check my figs as I am CRAP at maths.

Government rec amount per day was 75 mg per day. A typical orange contains about 100mg, and a typical red pepper which weighs 350 g costs 50 cents at Mercadonna and that will contain 700mg vit C.

So to get 100mg a day which is 30% more than you need, you only need to consume 1 red pepper spread over the week, which will cost you 7 CENTS a day. That doesn't allow for vit C from any other source WHATSOEVER.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B The one point I will draw your attention to is this.....
Just about everyone in America already gets all of the B vitamins they could possibly need in their diets… Extra B vitamins are generally just flushed out of the system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A 50g of liver will give you more than you need for the day. It's good for vit B too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D 30g of herring gives enough vit D plus sunshine makes it in your skin by the shedload.

Vit E, not a good page but an avocado should sort it.

Anyway, a daily diet of 30g red pepper, 50g liver and 30g herring followed by an avocado should sort all your vitamin needs.

The pepper 7cents, the avocado 60 cents, the liver 15 cents, I assume the herring to be the same as the liver.

So, that little lot will cost you about 1 euro a day, and will represent a fraction of the amount you would consume in a day to get your calorific needs. In other words, a euro won't buy you enough calories for a day, but it will buy you enough food to supply your vitamins.

I know this is a tad simplistic, but read the pages.

Basically, for the average person the normal vaguely balanced diet will have plenty of what you need.

rachelk

Ah, but if we were all average and everything were normal life would be pretty dull.

bil

Very few people are truly average in the strictest sense of the word, but to phrase it differently, the vast majority of people don't need supplements like this.

bil

Quote from the previous thread

"Sorry but I don't eat offal and you're not allowed to eat liver when you are pregnant either.
Not sure what your exact problem is bil, I get it OK, you don't agree with taking vitamins. Well I think you are very lucky to have no health problems that cause you to be vitamin defficiant but maybe you could try not to patronise others who may have issues and actually listen to their valid reasons for needing vitamin supplements?? I am unfortunately not blessed with good genetics health wise and have continued to be ill off and on through out my life, and don't appreciate being told that it's as simple as eating a balanced diet when I lead a very healthy lifestyle."

end quote

Gee, I'm sorry, I thought you could read. Still at least you can patronise with the best of them eh?

Never mind. If you read back a bit I did say that that didn't apply to people with abnormal body chemistry, but hey, why read when you can jump to conclusions?

It's not that I disagree with taking them, it's the blanket, unthinking consumption by people who don't have the slightest need for them that puzzles me, and even more so those who are not quite bright enough to think about it.

Madridboy

I am 100% in agreement with Bill on this. I've been into bodybuilding/weight training for years. The amount of "crap" that the industry trys to sell you that you just don't need is incredible. It's not just the average person that doesn't need vitamins or supplements but the hugely vast majority of people do not need them. I know people who are profesional bodybuilders or power lifters who don't bother with them. Even when I'm bulking up in winter it's very rare I use protein drinks. Everything you need can be gained from food or do some people think that before the like of Holland & Barrat we were all droping dead on the street?

AdrianTO

I am also in agreement with bil's comments. Not only have recent studies shown that most multi vitamins are useless, but they could actually be detrimental to your health.

As for Iron, there is plenty of it in food like almonds, sardines and tuna, all available easily in Spain.

Aussie30

What is your problem mate? How dare you quote me and paste it in another thread! Like I said it my original thread I am not going to go into the reasons why I have been PRESCRIBED BY A GP AND A NURSE WHO TOOK MY BLOOD SAMPLES TO TAKE AN IRON SUPPLEMENT DAILY!!! Why do you find this so difficult to absorb? I can't believe this forum allows people to be attacked and chastised because they ask for advice?
I think it is you who has jumped to conclusions, automatically labelling me as someone who doesn't need to take vitamins and just takes them in place of a healthy balanced diet. I read your posts, all of them, but I doubt you read mine as you still don't seem to get it, or maybe that's because you're 'not quite bright enough to think about it' ??

Madridboy

1: If you don't like being quoted don't post, it's that simple!
2: There is no over the counter vitamin or supplement available that can give your body what it needs that cannot be digested by numerous natural foods.

Aussie30

1: If you knew the reason behind him quoting me then you might understand why I am so upset about it. He only did it to give himself another opportunity to launch yet another personal attack on me after my original post about vitamins was closed.
2: Like I posted in my original thread, I have been told by a GP to take an iron supplement after becoming anaemic due to a health issue and they want me to continue taking it while I am trying to get pregnant and throughout my pregnancy. I was only asking for assistance on where to find a liquid iron supplement but instead was attacked for no reason. I'm normally pretty thick skinned but at the moment I'm actually feeling really upset due to this.

Madridboy

Specific vitamin supplements are not needed.
Vitamin C can be counterproductive in large doses; fat soluble vitamins like A and E are toxic in large doses, as is iron.
Walnuts - 173 calories per handful. They contain alpha linoleic acid which is an essential fatty acid and has an anti-clotting, blood thinning effect. The omega 3 fatty acid content of walnuts help prevent asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Walnuts also contain copper, manganese, iron and zinc as well as fibre and B vitamins.
N.B. A handful = 25g
Cashews - contain 146 calories per handful. They are rich in iron, containing twice the amount of most other nuts. Cashews are also a good source of zinc, essential for the immune system, healthy skin and vital for fertility in both men and women. They also contain magnesium and copper which help prevent heart disease and promote strong bones.

Like potatoes? Try sunchokes.
With its mellow taste and flaky texture, the sunchoke (aka Jerusalem artichoke) is easy to pair with any main dish. The tuber is also brimming with five grams of energy-boosting iron per serving (massive for a veggie that isn't a bean) and inulin, a soluble fiber that may help lower blood cholesterol and stabilize blood glucose levels.
Serve them up For more bikini-friendly fries, slice sunchokes into matchsticks, toss with vegetable oil, rosemary, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Like snails? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1119101207.htm
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/f...roducts/7742/0

Quinoa
This grainlike seed (pronounced "keen-wah") is as close as you can get to a perfect food, because it provides almost all the nutrients a body needs. Quinoa delivers significant amounts of 20 different amino acids your body uses to maintain and repair tissues, including all of the essential amino acids--protein building blocks your body can't make and has to get from food. (Only animal protein can make the same claim, and it's usually higher in calories and fat than quinoa.) It's also a great source of magnesium, which helps regulate blood pressure. A half cup gives you more than 50 percent of your daily needs, as well as some iron and potassium.
TRY IT: Boiled quinoa is a nice alternative to brown rice. (Slightly undercook it, or it will get mushy). You can also eat quinoa like oatmeal, with milk and maple syrup.
Like pipas? Sunflower seeds
With 25 percent more vitamin E than almonds, sunflower seeds are the new go-to snack for reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke. Vitamin E may also fight inflammation, which can lead to joint pain and cartilage deterioration. Only 4 tablespoons of dried seeds provide 12 milligrams of vitamin E--that's 80 percent of your daily needs. They're also full of fiber, healthy fats, protein and iron. Make sure to choose the unsalted type--the salted version may taste great, but they're higher in sodium.

While beans are often associated with the gastrointestinal disturbances they may cause, they are also very good sources of protein, fiber and iron.
Some of the best kinds of beans to eat are:
* Navy beans
* White beans
* Kidney beans
* Lima beans

Honey contains essential minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc as well as several different amino acids have been identified in honey. Dark honey has more nutrients than lighter varieties. Vitamin and mineral content depend on the floral source of the honey. Honey has less than 2% sodium.

All of the egg's Vitamins A, D and E are in the yolk. Egg yolks happen to be just one of the few foods that naturally contains Vitamin D. The yolk portion also has more manganese, phosphorus, iodine, copper, calcium, zinc, and iron than the egg white itself. Egg yolks should not be avoided because of the high amounts of cholesterol either as high cholesterol levels are correlated with diets high in Trans Fat and Saturated Fat, and genetics play a big role in cholesterol levels. Egg yolks are also anti-catabolic because of the Arachidonic Acid found in them. Overall, there really isn't a reason to avoid whole eggs.

And NO, I didn't need to google any of this!

dmu

[QUOTE=Aussie30;8257277]1:
2: Like I posted in my original thread, I have been told by a GP to take an iron supplement after becoming anaemic due to a health issue and they want me to continue taking it while I am trying to get pregnant and throughout my pregnancy.

A GP in the UK and you are now living in Spain (since the beginning of November, from your other posts).
You have a known health issue and have decided to move to Spain for 3-6 months. Since you apparently didn't obtain enough supplements in advance before you left, you have the choice of obtaining them via internet without any other check-ups, or, as I will suggest for the last time, consulting a Doctor in Spain.
I for one am sorry you are taking it so badly, all the, to you, "negative" replies are in fact common sense

bil

You see, that's the problem I have with all this. You needum vitamins, you eatum food with vitamins in.

The trouble is that so few people seem to have the scientific nous to read the facts, calculate the numbers and ask WTF?

Or is it that some just throw their teddy out the pram if anyone dares suggest, gawdelpus that they might be wrong.

I used to take multivits, then someone pointed this all out to me. I didn't cop a strop, I took the logical course of action.

What I cannot, simply cannot understand is this. If you need more vit C, more iron, more whatever, then why the sainted heavens do you need supplements when you can simply eat a food rich in that substance?

OK, let's say you are a member of the vegan church of the ridiculous, and your diet is so low in certain nutrients, that you have a stark choice. Either the bunny dies or you pop a pill. Fine, I have no problem with that.

Me, I understand that chocolate, especially good quality strong black choc is rich in iron. Who wants to pop a pill when they can justifiably eat them self senseless on chocolate?

whitelinen

Not sure if question was ever answered but FERPLEX 40 is a liquid iron supplement available in Spain. It is excellent in that it does not have the same side effects a tablet form. In common with many excellent medications it is not available in the UK but thats a whole other thread/argument.

Without wishing to annoy the luverly Bil I would like to remind everyone that one would have to eat a lot of food to get the same amount of iron delivered by a dose or 2 of Ferplex 40 per day. Eating loads of food will/can also pile pounds on the hips

Madridboy

No you wouldn't have to eat a lot of food, you would need to eat the right foods. Also, vitamin C in a meal increases iron absorption. The body absorbs iron more efficiently when iron stores are low, and during growth spurts or pregnancy. A healthy person would normaly absorb around 10% of the iron contained in the foods that they ate so a steady consumption of Iron rich foods throughout the day would suffice for someone in poor health also as long as they eat the right foods.
Secondly it is extremely important to know how much iron is safe to take. You can overdose on iron. Syptons can include fluid build up in your lungs, blood in your stools (trying to use a polite term lol), Diarrhea, liver damage, nausea, vomiting blood, dehydration, low blood pressure, coma, convulsions, dizziness, drowsiness, fever, headache, lack of desire to do anything and general lethargy and probably countless other things I've forgotten.

whitelinen

I was referring to someone who had an iron deficiency due to an illness or other physical problem.

A healthy well fed human shouldnt need any iron or vitamin supplements.