My first baby got Vitamin D as a supplement. My second did not. I was skeptical that the supplement was at all necessary; after all, I took my kids outside “a lot.” But looking back (and now preparing for my 3rd baby), I realize that it was partly out of rebellion that I did not go out and buy the tri-vitamin supplement for babies. I was so inundated by medical information (I have a master’s in public health and my husband and numerous friends are doctors) that I lost belief in a lot of it. I wanted to show that a “normal”, balanced lifestyle would be enough, regardless what the “experts” claimed.
I’m starting to think that I was/am wrong. My mother (also an M.D.) has chronic anemia and chronic B12 deficiency. She eats about as healthy and balanced as you can, and yet her body is not absorbing what it needs. She is just one example of many others I have heard about (in person and in the media) who need supplements to raise their quality of life.
So now, my kids get drops of Vit D in their cup of water at breakfast, in addition to the yogurt, milk and cheese they consume throughout the day.
And I, I’m taking Vit B12 tablets daily. Finally. I’ll see if it makes a difference in my energy levels. My sisters claim it makes a HUGE difference in theirs. And my mother has (very obviously) become more emotionally balanced since getting B12 injections at the local clinic.
What supplements have you had success with? I’d love to read your comments, to have more food for thought.
Here is a news segment, posted on YouTube, that describes one doctor’s view on B12 supplements.
My husband took 1200 mg of plant sterols with pantethine for 3 months and then had his total cholestrol tested. His cholesterol went down 94 points, trig. down over 200 points, HDL up 24 points and LDL down over 49 points. During this 3 month period he didn’t change his diet or exercise. His doctor is amazed and so are we.