Supplement's

Hi Everyone,

Was thinking of adding a few supplements to my daily routine, think anything is worth a go to improve quality of life. I was unsure of the best ones to take and I know there are people on here that are more clued up than I am, so any information on what I could benefit from would be appreciated.

Thanks in Advance and take care.

Angela

[teddybear7]

I personally wouldn't take anything without referring to my Dr. I am a bit unaware of what could put my liver under additional strain. & I know that his reaction will be if you eat a healthy diet then there's no need to take anything extra. I'm sure if I was deficient in something it would show in my blood tests. But we're all different. If we weren't life would be boring x

[badpiglet]

I think I take too many supplements so may not be the best person to advise! You can end up taking 1 or 2 for every condition you have and end up rattling. It's always best if you can to try to incorporate what you think you might be lacking into your diet as food. Far better than rattling!

Regarding PBC, I have read that a good multivitamin, Vit D and Calcium is a good idea. Some are now recommending enzyme Co-Q10 to combat tiredness.

Personally, I found buying vitamins & supplements over the last year or two a nightmare as the manufacturers seem to be adding in more and more extra vits/supplements to accompany the main one your trying to buy - but the additions are usually in small print. The result is, that if you're not careful you can easily be taking way too much of some vits/supplements - not a good idea and in some instances positively dangerous. Best to read the small print contents label carefully.

As I eat a reasonably healthy, broad diet, I chose not to take a multivitamin as they contain too many things I just don't need but instead take Vit B complex (to cover anaemia & tiredness), Calcium, Biokult, Krill Oil, Evening Primrose oil, Co-Q10. I also take supplements for Osteoarthritis but may stop as there seems to be no benefit and they're expensive. Ground flaxseed seems to be really helping and settling peri-menopause flushes and nightsweats.

It also depends on what and how many conditions you have? Don't want to try to help one condition and cause problems in another. Quite a few vitamins cannot be stored in the body, so any excess is eliminated in urine. Expensive wee. It is the fat soluble ones; A, D, E & K that might be needed with PBC but I'd check with your doctor first as it's all a complicated subject and they may know of a contra-indication that may not be obvious.

A good site to look up info and possible unwanted side-effects is

webmd.com/vitamins-suppleme...

The vitamin/supplement industry is a minefield - it's not regulated. Some of the quality and actual content is very doubtful. The first task is to find a reputable manufacturer and supplements with a quality high 'usable' content.

The other thing to bear in mind is how the body uses each vitamin or supplement. For instance, iron in spinach is 'bound' to oxalate and your body can't access it. There are others that are 'bound' and therefore their benefit is unavailable. There are others that require additional combinations of vitamins or minerals to be usable or of any benefit. Some are available in different forms eg carbonate and sulphate - where one form may have more benefit than another. And yet another factor is how much the body can process at any one time eg calcium - apparently the body cannot cope with any more than 500mg in one dose, therefore if you need 800-1000mg, it is best to take it in 2 separate doses.

It would be great if there was a regulated supplement industry and if there was a professional critical analysis of the vast array of supplements available in the UK - but there isn't. So it's a minefield. Much simpler to get what we need from food but I find the urge to supplement hard to resist - not sure I know why!

[PBCFoundation PBC Foundation]

Good morning angel74,

I have sent you a direct message

Regards

PBC Foundation