A bit of creativity after emptying my purse at Holland and Barrett!

[Femme1]

Spent a fair penny today and bought some extra supplements after reading advice on forum discussions etc, also updated the too low levels of some of my vitamins such as the low multi bvits etc.

So if you can remember the old 'English Country Garden ' ditty, think of this tune whilst reading my verse. Bit of humour is good for the soul, got to stay positive!

How many Holland and Barrett vitamins

Did I buy to aid my health today

I'll reel them off in a fun poetic list

just in case theres some I forget to say

Menopace (the multivit)

Selenium antioxidant

B12 , C vit ,

D3 and probiotic,

Ferrous sulphate

multi B

Vitamin complex

And now I darent let my husband see

the till receipt!

Slight fib, because I bought the menopace and ferrous sulphate at boots, but this is poetic license!

[shaws]

Like your ditty - very clever.

Just checking, is the B12, methylcobalamin? Supplements should have a 4 hour gap between thyroid meds.

[Femme1 in reply to shaws]

Didn't put this as 'reply' earlier doh!

Hi Shaws, no it says cyanocobalamin on the label. Is this still alright?

I have not taken any thyroid meds as yet but received armour through the post today, looking at getting started a.s.a.p.

[shaws in reply to Femme1]

No it should be methylcobalamin. This is the reason. If you haven't opened H&B's B12 return it. You can get methylcobalamin from Amazon, sublingual and it by passes the stomach:-

Methylcobalamin is the only active form of Vitamin B-12 in the brain outside the mitochondrion. The liver must convert cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin in order for Vitamin B-12 to do its biochemical work in the brain. When the complex conversion of cyanocobalamin is not completed, the brain is robbed of the benefits of methylcobalamin. Cyanocobalamin is a by-product of Vitamin B-12 charcoal extraction. Scientific methods led people to believe that cyanocobalamin, not methylcobalamin was the naturally occurring form of Vitamin B-12. etc etc

mend.net/cgh/methylcobalami...

[Femme1 in reply to shaws]

Thought I was doing too well! I have opened it, but will sort out another suppliment, only have a month of this one any way. Typical lol. Really pleased you gave me this info shaws, many thanks x

[Joyia in reply to Femme1]

It is good to be aware that many of H & B's vitamin supplements contain soya which is not recommended for thyroid health.

Personally I recommend googling supplements with as few fillers as possible, Natures Own are for example one company that deals in more natural supplements but there are others.

[Femme1 in reply to Joyia]

I thought I was doing so well lol, getting the picture now though! Thanks Joyia

[shaws in reply to Joyia]

I bought a supplement the other day from H&B. It said 'No artifical colours or flavours etc etc.etc. I said to the assistant ' why does it have artifical sweetener? She said 'it just says no artificial flavours. I said but 'sweet' is a flavour but she disagreed with me. So it contains sugar and artifical sweetener.

[belwom in reply to Joyia]

Hi Joyia and Femme - I take Biocare TH207 thyroid care supplement with dulce seaweed, which provides around 40 mcg iodine per daily dose of 2 capsules and some selenium. Do you or anyone else have experience with this supplement? I find it helps but probably not enough and some of its components seem to be from soya, which is indeed goitrogenic. I am hoping the quantities are minimal though. I also take a seaweed called Lithothamnium calcareum (very high natural source of calcium) in powder form against osteoporosis and I alternate the dulce supplement with Vitabiotics immunity extra, which contains the 1000 IU of D3 and 180 mcg selenium recommended by the endo. against osteoporosis and for thyroid function respectively. I quote the endo.: 'If you want your thyroid to live longer take 100 mcg of selenium daily'. Seaweed, she said, 'wreaks havoc with the thyroid.' Presumably because you have to keep taking it but what is the difference with thyroxine, which you normally also have to continue taking once started. Any thoughts on this anyone?

[Joyia in reply to belwom]

I am no expert on iodine consumption but many here are. If you are hypo I believe iodine is not recommended, hopefully somebody more knowledgeable will answer this for you.

[marram in reply to shaws]

You could get the methylcobalamin from H&B it's a little spray pump.

Some don't like the sweetness (it's apricot flavoured) but strangely I don't mind it, even though normally I hate overly sweet things.

[beaton]

Love your ditty,mind came through the post today. Paid on credit card to put off the the shock hubby will have. It is a shame though that we have to pay for these.

[Femme1 in reply to beaton]

It is a shame , but enough is enough, I'm taking the bull by the horns now! Hope we do ok beaton x

[Clarebear]

Great ditty and good luck with the Armour - it has been a very lengthy (and unfortunately unpleasant for me) process for me to raise my dose high enough BUT it has really been worth it. xxx

[Femme1 in reply to Clarebear]

Keeping everything crossed xx

[cal1971]

I don't want to ruin your day, but ....... my acupuncturist told me that a lot of the stuff they sell at H&B has low content . Just check how much of each you are getting in each supplement- I know that their Vit D supp is v. low level as I bought that first then changed over.

I could look up what mine are and send you a link if you like? It actually works out cheaper buying them online ( I get mine through Amazon) as, for example, my D3 is high strength and was 365 tablets- a whole years supply! I also buy high strength B12 like that too which you dissolve under your tongue as this works better, apparently! ( sorry again )

[Femme1 in reply to cal1971]

Hi Cal, hmm not sure but I hoped these were high enough.

I have Vit d3 at 200%rda, I did have 500% but want to take this gradually perhaps two a day in stead of one big hit.

B12 is 500ug

Selenium 100ug

vit c 500ug

Does this sound ok?

Also have a lower level b vitamin complex

and there is my multi vit menopace which has low levels of these too. x

[cal1971 in reply to Femme1]

I'm not an expert by any means,but I don't think the RDA is much of a guide, perhaps admin could help with that? I take these ones...

Methyl B 12 ( the one Shaws said) is 1000mcg and from Amazon, by Jarrow Formulas , 60 lozenges for £11 one a day on this link....

amazon.co.uk/Jarrow-Formula...

And D3 is 5,000 IU, 365 tablets for £9.95 on this link...

amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00...

Amazon do a lot of good high potency supplements if you search about!

As for selenium, I was taking the same as you, but someone told me you need more than that, so have got on the Brazil nut bandwagon ( there are other posts about these on the blog) and eat 4 of those a day instead!

Hope this helps!!!

[Femme1 in reply to cal1971]

Thanks for this Cal, really helpful! Will be sourcing from Amazon now, much more cost effective and the right stuff more importantly !

[Marz]

....best to have your D3 tested - then you know how much you should take. Check out the website .....and best to have Calcium checked too.

grassrootshealth.com there is a graph at the top of the Homepage to help you with dosage. It's a Canadian site and looks old fashioned but well worth a read !

If your Doc won't do it you can do it privately very cheaply from a hospital in Birmingham. Someone will come along and tell you which. Not on my radar as I am in Crete ! You need a 1000 iu's for every 10 points below 60/70 in your results. So if your result comes in at 30 then you will need at least 3000IU's per day.

[Femme1 in reply to Marz]

Crikey thats interesting re vit D levels

Ive had mine tested and they were

vit D was 63nmol no range but said anything less than 75 was suboptimal

Calcium serum 2.39 nmol no range

corrected serum calcium 2.35 (2.2-2.6)

alkaline phosphate U/L 43 (30-130)

INORGANIC PHOSPHATE 0.88nmol (0.8-1.5)

Platelet count looked low too (whatever this means )162 (140-400)

Also if you know what this means ESR was low 2mmh (5.0-11)

So difficult isnt it x

[marram in reply to Femme1]

ESR=Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate. It is an inflammation marker so the lower it is, the better. Another one is CRP =C-Reactive Protein, also an inflammation marker. Not quite sure why they have a range of 5.0-11 for the ESR. That is weird because if my husband's were as high as 11 they would worry!

My husband has Psoriatic Arthropathy which is an inflammatory form if arthritis similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis but associated uniquely with Psoriasis. He takes medication which brings down the CRP but not the ESR.

When he had a really high ESR last year he had to go the the local Macmillan Ward for cancer investigations but they proved negative thank goodness. He already has a huge amount to put up with.

So there you have it! Platelet Count is the ease or otherwise of blood clotting. So long as it is over 100 you are not in danger of bleeding to death if you nick your finger!

[Femme1 in reply to marram]

Thanks marram , for a really informative answer, no worries on that score yet then

[Femme1 in reply to Marz]

Forgot to add (this may be out of sync with previous reply)

B12 is 353 ng/L (187-883)

Ferritin 24.2 ug/L (10-204)

Thanks again

[Marz in reply to Femme1]

...your vitD doesn't look too bad - just a 1000IU's a day will sort you out - or 20 mins in the midday sun with 40% of your body exposed !!....every day ! B12 does look low though and should be nearer the top of the range..... Good that your ESR is low - I believe it is an inflammation marker. D3 aids absorption of calcium from the blood into the bones. Not good to have it high in the blood as it can cause heart flutters !

[Femme1 in reply to Marz]

I have a profound sun allergy (since early teens) makes my skin itch like crazy and eyes stream, so I cannot get sun naturally, I will probably just take the one vit d tab then, lucky I lowered the dose then with that advice considered!

I asked about ESR because I too thought low was good but it came back marked as abnormal. Bit weird but as long as its good weird I am happy lol !

Thanks again for this

[Marz in reply to Femme1]

....look at bloodtestsonline.com where there is an explanation of tests and their meanings. Hope it's helpful. Being allergic to the sun can often be a symptom of UAT - so when you are adequately treated you may detect an improvement - I did !

[shaws in reply to Femme1]

You should aim for a B12 towards the top of the range.

This is an amazing video if you haven't seen it before.

youtube.com/watch?v=BvEizyp...(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden]

Holland & Barrett are not the first place I look for supplements. That's not to say they are never good value for the odd item, but in general terms they are well out of my pocket range, and they sell few items I use anyway, even those they do are often under strength or mixed with stuff I don't want or need!

Generally multivitamins and branded quirky combinations of supplements sold under fancy brand labels are neither use nor ornament. I am more interested in specific substances that I am deficient in, and in the right forms when you do need to supplement. H&B won't often get you far in that respect.

Google is, as ever your friend, and even with postage costs, there are massive savings to be made over buying from the first shop that you fall over.

[Femme1 in reply to Hidden]

I am slowly learning, and will start researching next purchase now so I am prepared! Thanks for this

[Familyof5]

Love it, very good!! , I'm with you Femme1 learning, slowing but gonna get there. Xx

[Assiya]

From H&B I took their 100 % natural almondoil. (ok not very expensive, but... if there is no smell in it of a bit of almond than why call it 100 % almondoil.)