M14 Forum

DukeRustfield · February 8th, 2012, 08:43 AM

Every doctor I've ever read or spoken to has basically told me that vitamins are bunk. We pee out 99% of it (Americans having the most valuable urine in the world). In fact, you can take enough vitamins to develop toxicity, which is why you always want water soluable. Should say it on the label somewhere. That way it doesn't pile up in your body fat/muscle.

But that's only because we have modern diets which take care of nearly everything. In a SHTF scenario, you're not going to always have the luxury of a balanced meal every day.

I also knew a chemist who worked at a vitamin company and he explained to me those 100% RDA this and that aren't true. Because our bodies have many thousands of years processing oranges and grapefruits and walnuts and venison, but the vitamins and minerals in a pill form are not absorbed and processed with remotely the same efficiency. Yes, 100% is there, but we aren't getting 100%.

But anyway, was curious if you guys keep or plan on keeping vitamins. Even fish oil or various supplements. I have personally found probiotics help my digestion, which will be good if I have to switch food intake to something my body is not used to. And if I feel I've gone a long time without having enough veggies, I will break a half a Centrum multi-vitamin and take that, at most once a week or two.

Sweets · February 8th, 2012, 08:59 AM

If your diet doesn't include Vitamin C, you will die pretty quickly once it's depleted from your body- quickly, but not pleasantly. I ALWAYS have a several year supply of that, but then again I live in an area where fresh wild plants are not available for a good chunk of the year. Likewise, if winter days are short and cold and you're going around almost totally covered in clothing, you will run short (or out) of Vitamin D in your body, shortage of which is something that has been implicated not only in causing ricketts but also adult-onset osteoporosis, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and even MS (multiple sclerosis). To absorb and process vitamin D, you need Vitamin A, the lack of which can also cause severe night blindness. A is found in fish oil that you need for other long term reasons including cardio health. To deal with stress, you supposedly need lots of B vitamins.

In short, I say damn the pee! I'm sure that's mostly true in normal times but I take a handful of vitamins and fish oil tabs every day, and when contemplating a starvation diet I keep a big supply of it all in my prepper pantry. Multivites, the big daily requirement ones, are probably more than adequate, plus the fish oil.

Gem1950 · February 8th, 2012, 09:24 AM

Most M.D. Dr.s know very little about nutrition. Supplements are important (Mult., d-3, c, omegas...) and as one gets older prostrate health stuff (guys), digestive enzymes and probiotics. One thing to keep in mind. Vitamins do not assimilate well without mineral intake as well.

DukeRustfield · February 8th, 2012, 10:15 AM

I'm in LA. One of the few states where we actually get vitamin D. But it was pointed out a huge swath of the country is vitamin D deficient because of the cloud cover/clothing you mentioned. Not sure I buy the Vitamin C theory. Sailors went for half a year or sometimes years without it and while they might get scurvy, it's not like they'd keel over dead immediately. And a single orange or lemon has quite a bit of Vitamin C to tide you over.

But I swear, every single day I see something new about vitamins.

http://www.futurity.org/health-medic...-for-some-men/

Quote:

The study is one of the few to explore genes related to calcium absorption or to examine diet in a large African-American population. Although prostate cancer is 36 percent more common among African-Americans than in non-Hispanic whites, data on the diet-cancer link primarily comes from Caucasian populations.

The paper found that men who reported the highest intake of calcium were two times more likely to have localized and advanced prostate cancer than those who reported the lowest.

As for prostates, another sad/scary idea is basically MANY and/or most men past a certain age have prostate cancer. It's just incredibly slow-growing and thus they tell you not to worry about it because you'll be dead anyway before it becomes a problem. Which is kind of a weird consolation.

jim-analog · February 9th, 2012, 07:26 AM

Greetings,

I'm sure like with anything else, it's possible to overdo vitamin consumption. All in all though, I think it's a good idea to take a daily multi-vit and whatever other supplements work out with your specific diet. If true hard times come, I think it will be that much more important due to an increase in work load and decrease in the regularity of quality meals. So, IMO stocking up and rotating vitamins should be a part of our preps.

Regards, Jim

dozier · February 9th, 2012, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim-analog

Greetings,

I'm sure like with anything else, it's possible to overdo vitamin consumption. All in all though, I think it's a good idea to take a daily multi-vit and whatever other supplements work out with your specific diet. If true hard times come, I think it will be that much more important due to an increase in work load and decrease in the regularity of quality meals. So, IMO stocking up and rotating vitamins should be a part of our preps.

Regards, Jim

Add in the additional stress factor to your quote above. If shtf, your dietary changes need to be considered. Besides vitamins, I also stock chewable anti-acid tablets. With all the changes/stress, there is going to be a lot of stomach grumbling out there. Those tablets have the additional benefit of providing half of your Calcium needs also. dozier