Thank you so much for answering this, Dr. Gunter. This is enormously useful. Really appreciate the time you've taken to be so thorough on this. I stopped taking most things years ago and rely on my diet but every so often I get pulled into the idea of things when a friends says "it helps my arthritis" etc. But I still can't bring myself to get involved mostly because it's all so crazy expensive. Thank you again.
Thanks for this! My rheumy sets the boundaries on what is acceptable because of my "big gun RA Meds." For some reason, I'm not up for risky organ failure.....
I always appreciate you. MD (young 66yo) practicing ophthalmologist here to add a few things. We recommend a combo antioxidant vitamin for macular degeneration. Large NEI study about efficacy. Most have taken out the Vitamin A and substituted Lutein as high dose Vit A increased the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Maybe this is the culprit in breast cancer/antioxidants. Also, there was recently a Harvard study on mutivitamins and memory.
I personally take a multivitamin (my B12 was on the low side as I'm not a big meat eater and I was getting leg cramps at night so maybe the magnesium has helped prevent that now). I also take an Omega 3 from an algae source (Iwi) per my MD's advice (no fishy burps) and vit K-2 (Nature made USP verified) as I read this may help with osteoporosis. K1 found in spinach and kale and K2 in eggyolk, liver, meats of which I'm deficient except for the egg. Not sure of the benefit but I found no hazards in taking it. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645307/
Enlightening article. Thank you! I just remembered something you may (or may not) be aware of here in Canada. In BC Health, there is an agency known as CAMEO. CAMEO maintains an herb, botanical, supplement database where one can find medical research information that is reliable. I consult that site now and then. I can now access more information given the recommended agencies you cite in your article. Thank you!
Thanks so much for putting this information out there; the supplement industry is a minefield and it's quite disconcerting going to a pharmacy and finding over 50% of their stock is supplements/herbal concoctions/powders.
I had heard that antioxidants are not recommended for those having cancer treatment because killing cancer cells (which involves free radical production and inflammation) is the aim of the treatment. The last thing you would want to do is prevent or reduce the efficiency of the cell death process by taking mega doses of antioxidants.
Looking forward to your review on menopause products!
For the Capitalistic history: Vitamania by Catherine Price lays out the ridiculousness of most supplements quite well. I agree that most supplements are sh*t but many "heavily tested" pharmaceuticals have caused me great ill too. How to be "healthy" in a world fueled by profits is a real predicament. Your body is an incredible machine; it will tell you what it needs if you listen to it's whisper.
I tried taking D Mannose to prevent UTIs from intercourse but I had a reaction to the supplement. Instead I'm taking Aloe Vera which also contains D Mannose and didn't cause the reaction, so far so good. How can you tell how much to take and do you need to take it all the time or just before and or after interrcourse to prevent UTIs?
I thought the tip about Bran buds was good as I had never noticed this cereal at the store (it's hidden on the bottom shelf). I was a bit sad to see how much sugar was in the cereal (12g or 4 teaspoons). What are your thoughts on the sugar vs fiber here. Is it worth getting more fiber if it includes more sugar?
I don't think it would be possible to eat otherwise. All Bran has 8 g of added sugar, so less, and I can't eat it. While we want to limit added sugars, if someone isn't getting their recommended fiber intake, we need easy ways to accomplish that. It's just one option.
Outstanding post and perfectly timed, as I am seeing my GYN next week! I have a general question that is not related to this topic and is most definitely not asking for personal medical advice. Where is the “Ask Dr. Jen” link? :)
I'm confused about probiotics. I don't take a supplement, but I normally eat full -fat yogurt at least three mornings a week. However, a friend of mine recently had a bout with diverticulitis. She said her doctor recommended that she take millions to prevent diverticulitis and UTIs. Is there any benefit to probiotic supplements? The "Gut Heath" industry seems sketchy.
There is very little data supporting probiotics for most things. Because every condition is different they have to be looked at individually. I will be tackling a few of the areas relevant to women's health.
Thank you so much for answering this, Dr. Gunter. This is enormously useful. Really appreciate the time you've taken to be so thorough on this. I stopped taking most things years ago and rely on my diet but every so often I get pulled into the idea of things when a friends says "it helps my arthritis" etc. But I still can't bring myself to get involved mostly because it's all so crazy expensive. Thank you again.
My pleasure!
This was helpful, thank you for posting.
Thanks for this! My rheumy sets the boundaries on what is acceptable because of my "big gun RA Meds." For some reason, I'm not up for risky organ failure.....
I always appreciate you. MD (young 66yo) practicing ophthalmologist here to add a few things. We recommend a combo antioxidant vitamin for macular degeneration. Large NEI study about efficacy. Most have taken out the Vitamin A and substituted Lutein as high dose Vit A increased the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Maybe this is the culprit in breast cancer/antioxidants. Also, there was recently a Harvard study on mutivitamins and memory.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/daily-multivitamin-may-improve-memory-in-older-adults/#:~:text=June%201%2C%202023%E2%80%94Taking%20a,American%20Journal%20of%20Clinical%20Nutrition.
I personally take a multivitamin (my B12 was on the low side as I'm not a big meat eater and I was getting leg cramps at night so maybe the magnesium has helped prevent that now). I also take an Omega 3 from an algae source (Iwi) per my MD's advice (no fishy burps) and vit K-2 (Nature made USP verified) as I read this may help with osteoporosis. K1 found in spinach and kale and K2 in eggyolk, liver, meats of which I'm deficient except for the egg. Not sure of the benefit but I found no hazards in taking it. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645307/
I think collagen taken by mouth falls into the category of waste of money.
Enlightening article. Thank you! I just remembered something you may (or may not) be aware of here in Canada. In BC Health, there is an agency known as CAMEO. CAMEO maintains an herb, botanical, supplement database where one can find medical research information that is reliable. I consult that site now and then. I can now access more information given the recommended agencies you cite in your article. Thank you!
A few of my friends’ MHT prescribers are recommending they take Diindolylmethane (DIM). Thoughts?
Thanks so much for putting this information out there; the supplement industry is a minefield and it's quite disconcerting going to a pharmacy and finding over 50% of their stock is supplements/herbal concoctions/powders.
I had heard that antioxidants are not recommended for those having cancer treatment because killing cancer cells (which involves free radical production and inflammation) is the aim of the treatment. The last thing you would want to do is prevent or reduce the efficiency of the cell death process by taking mega doses of antioxidants.
Looking forward to your review on menopause products!
Nicely put together and excellent points. Sadly, the harm that comes from self diagnoses and treatment....
For the Capitalistic history: Vitamania by Catherine Price lays out the ridiculousness of most supplements quite well. I agree that most supplements are sh*t but many "heavily tested" pharmaceuticals have caused me great ill too. How to be "healthy" in a world fueled by profits is a real predicament. Your body is an incredible machine; it will tell you what it needs if you listen to it's whisper.
What are your thoughts on vitex chasteberry? Do you ever recommend it for your patients?
Evidence is very low quality, I covered it here https://vajenda.substack.com/p/can-flo-vitamins-help-with-pms
Thank you ❤️
I tried taking D Mannose to prevent UTIs from intercourse but I had a reaction to the supplement. Instead I'm taking Aloe Vera which also contains D Mannose and didn't cause the reaction, so far so good. How can you tell how much to take and do you need to take it all the time or just before and or after interrcourse to prevent UTIs?
There is some lower-quality evidence to support D-Mannose. I will be addressing it in a later post.
Thanks. When I bought the D Mannose it was very hard to figure out which version was good to use and had any kind of certification.
I thought the tip about Bran buds was good as I had never noticed this cereal at the store (it's hidden on the bottom shelf). I was a bit sad to see how much sugar was in the cereal (12g or 4 teaspoons). What are your thoughts on the sugar vs fiber here. Is it worth getting more fiber if it includes more sugar?
I don't think it would be possible to eat otherwise. All Bran has 8 g of added sugar, so less, and I can't eat it. While we want to limit added sugars, if someone isn't getting their recommended fiber intake, we need easy ways to accomplish that. It's just one option.
Outstanding post and perfectly timed, as I am seeing my GYN next week! I have a general question that is not related to this topic and is most definitely not asking for personal medical advice. Where is the “Ask Dr. Jen” link? :)
awesome thanks! another good resource for supplements is examine.com
I'm confused about probiotics. I don't take a supplement, but I normally eat full -fat yogurt at least three mornings a week. However, a friend of mine recently had a bout with diverticulitis. She said her doctor recommended that she take millions to prevent diverticulitis and UTIs. Is there any benefit to probiotic supplements? The "Gut Heath" industry seems sketchy.
There is very little data supporting probiotics for most things. Because every condition is different they have to be looked at individually. I will be tackling a few of the areas relevant to women's health.