3 ms·

Take your vitamins if a doctor tells you to after proper exams... it's that simple.

nkozyra 12y ago
I don't think it's that simple for a myriad reasons: First, a lot of vitamins are poorly understood in terms of practical effect. We know that a vitamin C deficiency leads to scurvy and that a vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets, etc., but beyond some of the most basic and conclusive cases, it's unlikely you'll be prescribed vitamins and minerals for most trips to the doctor via bloodwork, discussion and other analysis. Second, you'll still want/need pharmaceutical grade vitamins, minerals and supplements. Fish oil has some fairly reliable benefits, but quality can vary immensely. But in many cases, you'll have to do the research, ask the doctor and get their opinion rather than waiting for them to suggest something.
- trumbitta2 12y ago
  That's if you want to take vitamins and ask the doctor for an opinion. My point is a doctor should be the one telling you that you actually need vitamins in the first place. But I'm not american, and I sense a high probability of cultural clash here :) [Edit] Example: in Italy if you are somewhat healthy you tend to take the vitamins you need from the food you eat, and if you're not then your doctor will prescribe (is it the right word?) proper exams and then tell you if you need vitamins and which ones.
  - matznerd 12y ago
    Most doctors in the US are not experts on supplementation and they are also not paid by anyone to push them.
  - selectodude 12y ago
    My doctor in the US has me on a vitamin D supplement and her opinion was unsolicited as to that. I take them every day, everything's good. I wonder if that's not a normal thing here.
  - nkozyra 12y ago
    Yes, I'd say there's probably a cultural difference here. Vitamins are not high on the list of things doctors think about when they see a patient here in the U.S. I think there are valid reasons for this - vitamin deficiencies are super rare and there isn't a ton of evidence that much higher levels of any vitamin does anything. Herbs, amino acids, compounds, minerals ... there's a snarky comment below about doctors here not getting paid to push those and sadly that's largely true. Doctors will literally hand out promotional drugs to patients. It's a kind of bizarre situation. Worse yet, unless formulated into a "drug," a manufacturer cannot claim that a substance can cure or prevent a disease. There are two (and a half) sides of this coin. On the one hand, it means that you cannot sell a bottle of Vitamin C that says "will cure and prevent scurvy." On the other hand, the supplementation market is largely unregulated. That's good because people have access to many substances that have a lot of science behind their benefits without waiting on the FDA. And here comes the half - it means that companies can sell things that are dangerous and/or of dubious content. A largely untenable situation for a consumer, but money drives everything.

I don't think it's that simple for a myriad reasons: First, a lot of vitamins are poorly understood in terms of practical effect. We know that a vitamin C deficiency leads to scurvy and that a vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets, etc., but beyond some of the most basic and conclusive cases, it's unlikely you'll be prescribed vitamins and minerals for most trips to the doctor via bloodwork, discussion and other analysis. Second, you'll still want/need pharmaceutical grade vitamins, minerals and supplements. Fish oil has some fairly reliable benefits, but quality can vary immensely. But in many cases, you'll have to do the research, ask the doctor and get their opinion rather than waiting for them to suggest something.

trumbitta2 12y ago
That's if you want to take vitamins and ask the doctor for an opinion. My point is a doctor should be the one telling you that you actually need vitamins in the first place. But I'm not american, and I sense a high probability of cultural clash here :) [Edit] Example: in Italy if you are somewhat healthy you tend to take the vitamins you need from the food you eat, and if you're not then your doctor will prescribe (is it the right word?) proper exams and then tell you if you need vitamins and which ones.
- matznerd 12y ago
  Most doctors in the US are not experts on supplementation and they are also not paid by anyone to push them.
- selectodude 12y ago
  My doctor in the US has me on a vitamin D supplement and her opinion was unsolicited as to that. I take them every day, everything's good. I wonder if that's not a normal thing here.
- nkozyra 12y ago
  Yes, I'd say there's probably a cultural difference here. Vitamins are not high on the list of things doctors think about when they see a patient here in the U.S. I think there are valid reasons for this - vitamin deficiencies are super rare and there isn't a ton of evidence that much higher levels of any vitamin does anything. Herbs, amino acids, compounds, minerals ... there's a snarky comment below about doctors here not getting paid to push those and sadly that's largely true. Doctors will literally hand out promotional drugs to patients. It's a kind of bizarre situation. Worse yet, unless formulated into a "drug," a manufacturer cannot claim that a substance can cure or prevent a disease. There are two (and a half) sides of this coin. On the one hand, it means that you cannot sell a bottle of Vitamin C that says "will cure and prevent scurvy." On the other hand, the supplementation market is largely unregulated. That's good because people have access to many substances that have a lot of science behind their benefits without waiting on the FDA. And here comes the half - it means that companies can sell things that are dangerous and/or of dubious content. A largely untenable situation for a consumer, but money drives everything.