Article: Daily vitamin might help reduce memory loss.

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I posted this as food for thought type of thing. I am a skeptic. Then again, people who take vitamins tend to drink and smoke less. They also tend to eat better and take their medication. I think you might see a trend here.

I take a multivitamin but see my memory fading. Not sure if it is having any effect.
Agreed that skepticism is proper. For me, part of taking a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement involves taking the rest of my morning meds. And eating less (and somewhat better). Still, I figure that ensuring that I get the daily vitamins and at least some of the minerals is a good thing. And believe me, memory fading is an unfortunate reality. I don't know what it would be like if I didn't take the meds and vitamin.:(

Pro tip for everyone: generics, whether it's multivitamins, single vitamins, prescription or OTC meds, they are exactly the same substance as the name brand. That's one of the Chapter 2 chemistry laws: a given substance (element or compound) has the same properties, no matter what its source. There is no sense paying extra for (example) sleep-med brand or allergy-brand diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl) when generic diphenhydramine hydrochloride does exactly the same thing. And yes, the sleep-med stuff and the allergy stuff are exactly the same stuff, if they have the name diphenhydramine hydrochloride. Allergy-fighting diphenhydramine hydrochloride works for sleeplessness because a side effect of anti-allergy Benadryl is that it makes you sleepy. Hence its use for two maladies. It may increase blood pressure either way, so be cautious.

Reading labels can save you money. And make you smarter.
 
If I had to figure out whether multivitamins had an effect, I’d hire a pair of twins and schedule their lifestyles identically. One would take the pill and the other not.

Better yet, hire many deferent twins and work it out statistically.
 
I posted this as food for thought type of thing. I am a skeptic. Then again, people who take vitamins tend to drink and smoke less. They also tend to eat better and take their medication. I think you might see a trend here.

I take a multivitamin but see my memory fading. Not sure if it is having any effect.

This was once pushed big time for Memory Boosting:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginkgo-biloba-benefits
 
Agreed that skepticism is proper. For me, part of taking a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement involves taking the rest of my morning meds. And eating less (and somewhat better). Still, I figure that ensuring that I get the daily vitamins and at least some of the minerals is a good thing. And believe me, memory fading is an unfortunate reality. I don't know what it would be like if I didn't take the meds and vitamin.:(

Pro tip for everyone: generics, whether it's multivitamins, single vitamins, prescription or OTC meds, they are exactly the same substance as the name brand. That's one of the Chapter 2 chemistry laws: a given substance (element or compound) has the same properties, no matter what its source. There is no sense paying extra for (example) sleep-med brand or allergy-brand diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl) when generic diphenhydramine hydrochloride does exactly the same thing. And yes, the sleep-med stuff and the allergy stuff are exactly the same stuff, if they have the name diphenhydramine hydrochloride. Allergy-fighting diphenhydramine hydrochloride works for sleeplessness because a side effect of anti-allergy Benadryl is that it makes you sleepy. Hence its use for two maladies. It may increase blood pressure either way, so be cautious.

Reading labels can save you money. And make you smarter.

400mg of Magnesium 2 hours before bed will relax you, and some add 10mg of melatonin to that if they find sleep is hard to get.

Then you can find the mixes like Relief Factor-Sleep that have Mag in it but don't list it as the active ingredient.
 
400mg of Magnesium 2 hours before bed will relax you,
And is likely to give you the runs the next day. Magnesium is an ionic laxative (it draws water into the colon)*. Be careful of the form you take it in. Malox is a mixture of magnesium and aluminum hydroxides. The aluminum hydroxide is supposed to hold back what the magnesium sets free. Doans' muscle pills are mag. salicilate. They *do* have a laxative effect!

*oh, the science you learn in old age, or maybe *because* of old age...
 
This was once pushed big time for Memory Boosting:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginkgo-biloba-benefits

Also pushed for Ménière's disease "...is a disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear. Ménière's disease usually affects only one ear."

For which it did nothing.*

* Evidence gained from deciphering research reports for extended family with the (usually genetic) condition.
 
And is likely to give you the runs the next day. Magnesium is an ionic laxative (it draws water into the colon)*. Be careful of the form you take it in. Malox is a mixture of magnesium and aluminum hydroxides. The aluminum hydroxide is supposed to hold back what the magnesium sets free. Doans' muscle pills are mag. salicilate. They *do* have a laxative effect!

*oh, the science you learn in old age, or maybe *because* of old age...

It's not causing that in me however when I do take it.
 
Late to the party, but Please, Please check with your doctor and keep him/her informed. Several years back I did normal labs for my doctor. My calcium level was way way high. ("Go to the hospital, right now, it would be better if someone else drove you there" high). As soon as I stopped the vitamin, issues went away. (Took me a few months, and 2 trips to the hospital, didn't want to accept that I was poisoning myself with a multi-vitamin)
Just the way MY body reacted, yours will most likely be different. I took that tablet for years with no ill effects.
 
400mg of Magnesium 2 hours before bed will relax you, and some add 10mg of melatonin to that if they find sleep is hard to get.

Then you can find the mixes like Relief Factor-Sleep that have Mag in it but don't list it as the active ingredient.
Mag is also a great muscle relaxer for spasms. Toxicity is terrible, but it takes grams unless you have kidney failure.
 
Late to the party, but Please, Please check with your doctor and keep him/her informed. Several years back I did normal labs for my doctor. My calcium level was way way high. ("Go to the hospital, right now, it would be better if someone else drove you there" high). As soon as I stopped the vitamin, issues went away. (Took me a few months, and 2 trips to the hospital, didn't want to accept that I was poisoning myself with a multi-vitamin)
Just the way MY body reacted, yours will most likely be different. I took that tablet for years with no ill effects.
Good idea. You must have been on mega doses of calcium or had too much vitamen D.
 
And is likely to give you the runs the next day. Magnesium is an ionic laxative (it draws water into the colon)*. Be careful of the form you take it in. Malox is a mixture of magnesium and aluminum hydroxides. The aluminum hydroxide is supposed to hold back what the magnesium sets free. Doans' muscle pills are mag. salicilate. They *do* have a laxative effect!

*oh, the science you learn in old age, or maybe *because* of old age...
That is mag citrate. Magnesium in elemental form is less likely to do that unless you take huge doses and when you do that, you will go to sleep before you crap yourself.
 
That is mag citrate. Magnesium in elemental form is less likely to do that unless you take huge doses and when you do that, you will go to sleep before you crap yourself.
Gotta disagree. Prove me wrong. Mix a spoonful of mag. sulfate (Epsom salt) in a glass of water and down it*. Chug a glug of mag. hydroxide (milk of magnesia). Mag. malate, same effect. Mag. phospate, yup. Magnesium in "elemental" form won't be absorbed by the body. It has to be in a salt form. Mag. citrate is used because it tastes good. None of these will have an immediate effect, they have to reach the large intestine, where water is recovered.

Oh, to be young again and not need to know about the different kinds of laxatives and their effects/uses.

*only take a sip if you really try this. There's a difference between a laxative and a purgative.
 
Gotta disagree. Prove me wrong. Mix a spoonful of mag. sulfate (Epsom salt) in a glass of water and down it*. Chug a glug of mag. hydroxide (milk of magnesia). Mag. malate, same effect. Mag. phospate, yup. Magnesium in "elemental" form won't be absorbed by the body. It has to be in a salt form. Mag. citrate is used because it tastes good. None of these will have an immediate effect, they have to reach the large intestine, where water is recovered.

Oh, to be young again and not need to know about the different kinds of laxatives and their effects/uses.

*only take a sip if you really try this. There's a difference between a laxative and a purgative.

Can magnesium pills cause loose tools? Yes, but it is dose-dependent. The higher the dose, the more likely a person will experience diarrhea. Rarely would anyone take enough in supplements to cause this side effect. Medications can have high doses, but those are very rarely used. I have not been prescribed high-dose magnesium in 10 years.

First, Mag Sulfate is not the most common form of supplementation. Magnesium glycinate is the best form, and the common forms of supplementation are Mag Citrate, and Mag Oxide are more common. The Mag Citrate in liquid form is a laxative. The supplements and medication forms are different and often contain a binder. The binder causes a slow release and is much less likely to cause osmotic diarrhea. This binder and the fact that the pills and capsules have a much lower level of magnesium than the dose of liquid form makes loose stools less likely with mag supplements and pills.

By the way, Mag Citrate (liquid) is a salt suspended in elemental magnesium and citric acid liquid. In that form, it is not readily absorbed and pulls fluid into your bowels, causing loose stools.

Proof? I often treat patients with Mag Oxide, Mag Citrate, and Mag Carbonate pills. Rarely do they have side effects from them, and if they do, they are short-lived.
 
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We're getting off point (vitamins). Let's just say we have different points of view.
 
We're getting off point (vitamins). Let's just say we have different points of view.
We both generalized, and both were partially wrong. I discussed my response above with a board-certified gastroenterologist before posting it, and he agreed that it is unlikely and rare that you would get diarrhea from a pill of Mag if taken appropriately. The point I was s trying to make is that it is unlikely that a pill or supplement will cause osmotic diarrhea. Mag Citrate (the liquid laxative) is a completely different beast. You take 900-1500 grams of elemental magnesium in the liquid vs. 100-200 in a supplement and 200-400 in a prescription pill. If you get diarrhea from the supplement, you have something else going on with it.

Back on topic:

I would not take Ginko. There is insufficient evidence for benefit and a high risk of harm.

Ginkgo can cause:
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Heart palpitations
  • Upset stomach
  • Constipation
  • Allergic skin reactions
A simple vitamin that is just a vitamin will not cause harm as long as you avoid mega doses.
 
Prevergin is Apoaequorin. A compound from jellyfish. I have serious doubts about apoaequorin surviving the enzymes and acid in your gut.

The manufacturer ran a randomized controlled trial claiming that apoaequorin improves cognitive function, but no differences were shown between placebo or control.

The good news is widespread consumer use suggests that apoaequorin is well-tolerated and maybe safe.

The bottom line: it is expensive and unlikely to work.
One thing that I noticed about Prevagen commercials is that none of the people on the commercial can remember how long they have been taking it. "I started taking it a couple years ago" If it works it should be "I started taking it may 7th 2019 at 10:07 am"
 
Late to the party, but Please, Please check with your doctor and keep him/her informed. Several years back I did normal labs for my doctor. My calcium level was way way high. ("Go to the hospital, right now, it would be better if someone else drove you there" high). As soon as I stopped the vitamin, issues went away. (Took me a few months, and 2 trips to the hospital, didn't want to accept that I was poisoning myself with a multi-vitamin)
Just the way MY body reacted, yours will most likely be different. I took that tablet for years with no ill effects.

I think this is sound advice for all vitamins and supplements. Interactions with medicines are common and they can be quite detrimental. As far as a vitamin as a potential cause of a severe illness, it is more common that the lack of a vitamin is a cause, but who knows? Certainly, excess intake of vitamins in mega doses can me you quite sick.

I became quite sick after a vitamin D deficiency about a year ago. It was caused by poor absorption, low sunlight, and an inflamed parathyroid gland.
 
Back in the 90s, when I worked at the VAMC in Decatur, GA, I spoke with the Chief of Staff, Dr. Bailey Francis, about vitamins. His response? "They give you expensive urine."
 
I think this is sound advice for all vitamins and supplements. Interactions with medicines are common and they can be quite detrimental. As far as a vitamin as a potential cause of a severe illness, it is more common that the lack of a vitamin is a cause, but who knows? Certainly, excess intake of vitamins in mega doses can me you quite sick.

I became quite sick after a vitamin D deficiency about a year ago. It was caused by poor absorption, low sunlight, and an inflamed parathyroid gland.
Your first two sentences; yes, this. It's particularly true ever since the Dietary Supplement Act of 1994. That permitted supplements to avoid FDA approval as long as certain requirements were met. It also allowed manufacturers to allude to (if not make outright) some rather misleading claims. Unfortunately some of the "natural" ingredients permitted had/have some rather serious side effects and interactions with other meds. St. John's wort is one of the well-known offenders in this respect.

Fun fact: megadoses of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A can be fatal. There's a well-documented case of this from eating too much polar bear liver. But "Vitamin A" from tomatoes, carrots, etc., in large doses merely makes the skin somewhat orange, because that Vitamin A (carotene) is actually two real Vitamin A molecules bonded together. If the body doesn't need the excess, it doesn't break down the carotene but merely stores it in fat.

Excesses of water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C are largely excreted in the urine, as John mentioned above.
 
Your first two sentences; yes, this. It's particularly true ever since the Dietary Supplement Act of 1994. That permitted supplements to avoid FDA approval as long as certain requirements were met. It also allowed manufacturers to allude to (if not make outright) some rather misleading claims. Unfortunately some of the "natural" ingredients permitted had/have some rather serious side effects and interactions with other meds. St. John's wort is one of the well-known offenders in this respect.

Fun fact: megadoses of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A can be fatal. There's a well-documented case of this from eating too much polar bear liver. But "Vitamin A" from tomatoes, carrots, etc., in large doses merely makes the skin somewhat orange, because that Vitamin A (carotene) is actually two real Vitamin A molecules bonded together. If the body doesn't need the excess, it doesn't break down the carotene but merely stores it in fat.

Excesses of water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C are largely excreted in the urine, as John mentioned above.

I think my biggest concern about supplements is that it is that regulations are so lobbyist driven. Supplement companies can make outlandish claims and do not have to prove anything (see Balance of Nature).
 
I think my biggest concern about supplements is that it is that regulations are so lobbyist driven. Supplement companies can make outlandish claims and do not have to prove anything (see Balance of Nature).

Yes, I cannot Fathom how you could put so much Veggies into the normal size capsule and make anything equal to the real veggie. And then there is the outlandish subscription fee for them.

Then there is Ruff Greens for Dogs: https://ruffgreens.com/
 
Yes, I cannot Fathom how you could put so much Veggies into the normal size capsule and make anything equal to the real veggie. And then there is the outlandish subscription fee for them.

Then there is Ruff Greens for Dogs: https://ruffgreens.com/
I get a kick out of what someone will pay for their dog food. The dogs eat better than they do.
 
Snake oil…been selling it in some form for years and people seem to like it…. :)
 
I became quite sick after a vitamin D deficiency about a year ago. It was caused by poor absorption, low sunlight, and an inflamed parathyroid gland.
Several years ago, when I was in wound care, the Dr. had me tested for Vit. D. I had almost none in my body. She put me on prescription Vet. D. and told me I needed to get out in the sun with as few clothes on as possible, for at least 15 minutes a day. I was usually back in the house by the time the cops showed up.

When the script ran out, I started taking OTC D3 (cholecalciferol)* 2000 IU/day. That seems to have done it. I now test in the middle of the normal range.

Turns out this is also used as rat/mouse poison. It's pressed into cubes or squares. D3 in this form is fairly benign to large mammals, but deadly to small rodents. This was a concern in using it around my cat. Probably a needless worry - he showed no interest in the bait squares.
 
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