Any Suggestions On Multi-vitamins

[Guest Opal]

Hi out there!

I've been taking men's multivitamins off and on for several years, but not recently. Because of my diet, I think I'm in greater need of them, but not sure if I should start Women's, stay with Men's, or find something more neutral. I haven't yet been approved for HRT, so I don't want to do anything that might remotely appear as being self-medicating.

Thanks,

Opal

[Guest Jewel]

Mostly it's a marketing difference. There are some minor things. Both men's and women's multivitamins will have calcium and magnesium, for instance, but women's will have slightly more. The differences, at least in the mainstream brands like Centrum and their competitors, are so negligible that I wouldn't worry about it.

Very occasionally, women's multivitamins will include things like Black Cohosh or certain phytoestrogens, but when they do it's in such a tiny dose that it really provides negligible benefit to women and won't harm men. Now there ARE women's supplements that contain nothing but estrogenic and progestogenic compounds, but it's always rather clear from the label when you come across these. Don't use 'em. In the typical doses, they're worthless and a waste of money. In high enough doses to actually effect your hormonal levels, they can be dangerous.

But if you're talking about standard, run-of-the-mill multivitamins, then "men's" or "women's" doesn't really matter.

Personally I just take generic non-gender-specific multi-vitamins. Same stuff but a little cheaper.

[JenniferB]

I actually take quite a few vitamins, but a lot of them are for diabetes. A couple vitamins you might consider to take are Omega-3 Fish Oil, Niacin (this is a B vitamin for your cholesterol and triglyceride levels). One vitamin mix I'm taking atm for cleansing the liver is Milk Thistle, Dadelion, and Yellow Dock. Another vitamin you might consider is Biotin. It's a B vitamin that gives you healthier hair and nails.

Love Susan

[Guest i is Sam :-)]

i take a generic cheap multi vitamin, and then a calcium suppliment and a garlic capsule.

calcium is important once you're on AAs because no testosterone puts you at a much great risk of oesteoparosis, also I'm careful to make sure that I get multi vitamins without potassium, since this is dangerous with spiro, calcium and garlic supposedly help lower potassium (or so i've read, figure it doesn't do any harm) but dairy products contain it, and milk and cheese are also high in calories so i've had to cut right back anyway.

[Guest SusanKG]

Hi Opal,

I have for years taken a generic multi-vitamin once daily, a seperate vitamin C, once daily. My endo doc suggested adding a calcium plus D twice daily, so that's what I take. Just as any meds, you can overdose on vitamins so I don't kick it up any notches. As Jewel said, it's mostly marketing.

Susan Kay

[Guest Opal]

Hi Again!

Thank you all for the nice suggestions! Guess I'll pretty much stay with what I took in the past until I'm out of those.

Hugs!

Opal