Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: Ham on 23 February, 2024, 10:25:50 am

Title: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Ham on 23 February, 2024, 10:25:50 am: I've been thinking about this question for a while, and today's Google Doodle (https://www.google.com/search?q=Casimir+Funk) is right on point.

My basic attitude is that a good diet doesn't really need supplements. Mrs Ham, by contrast, is a great believer in Taking Something, I'm not entirely sure she is wrong, although she does take six additives and multivitamins daily.

I've been taking Glucosamine and Chronditin for some years now, and because I noticed a significant improvement in joint creakyness, I'm not going back. I eschewed B3, but I've been taking for some months and - where I was getting coldy things quite often - I haven't had a single sniffle develop into a cold, so I'm likely to back that option too, at least for the winter.

I don't think that the additive habit does much if any harm, aside from cost, what's your view?
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 23 February, 2024, 10:48:31 am: Gosh! I'd never made the connection before between the name "ascorbic" and scurvy. Thanks for the link!
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Flite on 23 February, 2024, 10:56:13 am: Daily vitamin D. I'm fair skinned and tend to avoid the sun, not that there is a lot around at the moment.

Veggie diet can be low in Vitamin B12, and I understand that absorption decreases in elderly.
Unexplained tiredness can be a sign of low B12 so I pop an occasional B12 in case.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 23 February, 2024, 05:03:22 pm: Vit D because I work long hours inside.

Beer because I'm vegetarian and need my B vitamins.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: rafletcher on 23 February, 2024, 09:09:09 pm: Vitamin D, and beetroot extract (in tablet form).
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: ian on 23 February, 2024, 09:47:04 pm: Generally I'm a fan of eat well and let dinner take care of it, but a recent bout of mysterious arthritis resulted in blood tests and the best the GP could come up with was your vitamin D is a bit low. Given it was November in the UK, I wasn't convinced that was a clinically useful finding. Anyway, I started popping some vitamin D. I did get better, but unrelated, it was probably reactive arthritis after a gastrointestinal flu thing.

In for a penny, in for a pound, I also now pop a vitamin C* pill because who wants scurvy and some calcium because my wife is reaching a certain age and has a big bottle of them to chomp through her forthcoming menopause.

*triggered I am, because I am the true discoverer of the biosynthetic pathway for ascorbic acid in higher plants, but I shrugged it off, because I figured some nerdball in the 1800s had already cracked that nut. Then this (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9620799/) – although the biosynthetic pathway of L-ascorbic acid in animals is well understood, the plant pathway has remained unknown. There went my publication in Nature.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 23 February, 2024, 09:51:21 pm: Quote from: ian on 23 February, 2024, 09:47:04 pm
*triggered I am, because I am the true discoverer of the biosynthetic pathway for ascorbic acid in higher plants, but I shrugged it off, because I figured some nerdball in the 1800s had already cracked that nut. Then this (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9620799/) – although the biosynthetic pathway of L-ascorbic acid in animals is well understood, the plant pathway has remained unknown. There went my publication in Nature.
Ninjaed by vodka, you were!
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Wowbagger on 23 February, 2024, 09:53:32 pm: A long tome ago - at least 15 years - my pharmacist bro-in-law drew my attention to a piece in the Lancet about a (iirc) double-blind test on glucosamine and chondroitin with particular regard to the effect on arthritis sufferers. The conclusion was that there was some measurable benefit to taking them.

It’s a longtime ago and I can’t recall a lot else other than to say that b-I-l said it was an unusual test because these things are normally done by Big Pharma to prove the efficacy of something on which they hold a patent, but there are (or so I understand) no patents held by anyone on glucosamine and chondroitin.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: ian on 23 February, 2024, 10:07:27 pm: Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 23 February, 2024, 09:51:21 pm
Quote from: ian on 23 February, 2024, 09:47:04 pm
*triggered I am, because I am the true discoverer of the biosynthetic pathway for ascorbic acid in higher plants, but I shrugged it off, because I figured some nerdball in the 1800s had already cracked that nut. Then this (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9620799/) – although the biosynthetic pathway of L-ascorbic acid in animals is well understood, the plant pathway has remained unknown. There went my publication in Nature.
Ninjaed by vodka, you were!

Indeed, credit to Nick for spotting something I didn't. It wasn't anything I was interested in, just a side metabolite that I characterised out of curiosity and came up with L-ascorbic acid, knowledge I discarded because it wasn't of particular interest or utility, I was interested in other side of that reaction which produces a sugar called fucose. I can still talk a lot about fucose. I still don't get invited to many parties.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Ham on 23 February, 2024, 10:16:42 pm: Quote from: Wowbagger on 23 February, 2024, 09:53:32 pm
A long tome ago - at least 15 years - my pharmacist bro-in-law drew my attention to a piece in the Lancet about a (iirc) double-blind test on glucosamine and chondroitin with particular regard to the effect on arthritis sufferers. The conclusion was that there was some measurable benefit to taking them.

It’s a longtime ago and I can’t recall a lot else other than to say that b-I-l said it was an unusual test because these things are normally done by Big Pharma to prove the efficacy of something on which they hold a patent, but there are (or so I understand) no patents held by anyone on glucosamine and chondroitin.

From what I can make out, the jury is very much out for glucosamine, with other tests not showing any benefit. It appears to be one of those where the outcome varies for no known cause. Suck it and see over a period of about 3 months seems the way to go. In my case, the apparent difficulty in knee joints seemed to be ameliorated. Not sure that Mrs Ham whose condition is much worse can point to the same benefit, but it is one of those she take anyhow.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: IanDG on 23 February, 2024, 10:37:34 pm: Magnesium Malate for muscle pain on account of PMR. Vit D too (blood tests have shown me to be deficient)
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: sam on 24 February, 2024, 12:03:53 am: D, due to prompting by my wife, who also takes it. K2 to help the D stick. Used to take B12 in my vegan daze.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: T42 on 24 February, 2024, 08:25:19 am: Caffeine. And multivitamins to placate MrsT.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: hellymedic on 24 February, 2024, 03:28:35 pm: Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 23 February, 2024, 10:48:31 am
Gosh! I'd never made the connection before between the name "ascorbic" and scurvy. Thanks for the link!

The Olde Name for Vit C was Ascorbutic (= ‘without scurvy') Acid...
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: hellymedic on 24 February, 2024, 03:32:45 pm: Big Dose Vitamin D because it was suggested by one of my MS neurologists. Cheaper than chips!
Fish oils - don’t really know why maybe D’s fitness/bodybuilding sites suggested it.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: T42 on 24 February, 2024, 05:01:14 pm: Fish oils, yay. When I was at school there was a mild craze for brewing, using diastatic malt syrup from the chemist's. The jar a chum got for his first brew was enriched with nourishing cod-liver oil. Not only that but he tied the corks down too soon and had to explain to his mum why the airing cupboard stank of fish when a couple of bottles burst.

Not sure if he made any more.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: hellymedic on 25 February, 2024, 02:18:35 pm: I was prescribed ‘malt and cod liver oil’ for my chilblains, at around the age of 11.
It was VILE!

I see it’s available in ‘health food’ outlets.
Do Not Like!

https://www.pottersherbals.co.uk/products/malt-extract-with-cod-liver-oil/ (https://www.pottersherbals.co.uk/products/malt-extract-with-cod-liver-oil/)
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: L CC on 26 February, 2024, 09:04:34 am: I don't take anything now. Glucosamine & chondroitin did nothing for my joints.
Nor did turmeric.
I irregularly go through phases of (home made - have you seen the price of those things!) ginger shots. Mostly because I like it.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: T42 on 26 February, 2024, 10:13:42 am: Quote from: hellymedic on 25 February, 2024, 02:18:35 pm
I was prescribed ‘malt and cod liver oil’ for my chilblains, at around the age of 11.
It was VILE!

My sister would agree, having been dosed with the stuff when we were kids. Dunno why I wasn't.

Quote from: L CC on 26 February, 2024, 09:04:34 am
I irregularly go through phases of (home made - have you seen the price of those things!) ginger shots. Mostly because I like it.

I used to carry crystallized ginger and mini-salami in my bar bag. Eating both at once tasted oriental. Dunno why I stopped.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: campagman on 26 February, 2024, 08:36:34 pm: I make milk kefir and drink a mouthful most mornings.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: hellymedic on 27 February, 2024, 01:38:44 am: Partner HATES yoghurt.
Read somewhere that Kefir is Good For You.

Drinks about 100ml Kefir, twice per day.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: sam on 27 February, 2024, 02:58:56 am: (https://iili.io/JGgSJLB.jpg)
(click to show/hide)
My wife's. "Love your gut" provides a few laughs, as her gut currently hates her.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Flite on 27 February, 2024, 08:56:55 am: Quote
I irregularly go through phases of (home made - have you seen the price of those things!) ginger shots. Mostly because I like it.
I don't much like lemon and ginger tea made from teabags, so I make my own.
Grated ginger, grated lemon rind, lemon juice.
Keeps in the fridge for a week or more.
Add hot water and honey to taste.
Gave up on turmeric because of the way it stains everything.

As my fingers get more arthritic, anything grated is liable to have added protein, so I've been looking at lemon and ginger juice, but most of them have preservatives etc.
Biona stock organic lemon juice and ginger juice, no additives, and mixing them together is an easy way to get my fix.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: L CC on 27 February, 2024, 09:36:14 am: I buy frozen ginger (this is dirt cheap: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/taj-crushed-ginger-400g?) and stick it in the blender with peeled oranges & lemons. If I could get this: https://www.worlddeli.com/products/turmeric? as easily, I'd add that too.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Flite on 27 February, 2024, 10:22:25 am: Never thought to look for frozen ginger!
Thanks
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: barakta on 27 February, 2024, 04:45:43 pm: Colecaciferol (vitamin D) supplements as my levels drop otherwise.

I'm taking a general vitamin supplement while recovering from recent surgery as well as trying to eat as well as I can when someone else has to do ALL the food prep.

I think I tried glucosamine and chondroitin with no apparent improvement in my joint issues in the 2000s when my mum got into it, she had arthritic issues related to cancer and post-cancer treatment. I don't think she bothers now, but they switched her off the horrid post-cancer drug (which gave her horrid joint issues) back to tamoxifen cos she got on with it OK.

My joint issues are joint dysplasia from my syndrome so my wrists, elbows, shoulders and hips aren't quite formed correctly which results in undue wear and tear + other issues.
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: hellymedic on 27 February, 2024, 05:07:19 pm: Frozen ginger and frozen garlic are VERY cheap round here.
We use the garlic for cooking but my friend hates it.
Saves much work & waste.
Also keeps paws free of aroma!
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: sam on 27 February, 2024, 05:08:43 pm: I mentioned this thread to my wife, which was a mistake, as she took issue with my post. Her correction/additions in red:

Quote from: the offender on 24 February, 2024, 12:03:53 am
D, due to prompting by my wife, who also takes it. K2 to help the D stick. Used to take B12 in my vegan daze.

from: healthunlocked:
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc. 90-100mcg K2-MK7 is enough for up to 10,000iu D3.

aim to get vit d levels into the optimum range

https://healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk/posts/149273826/1000-unit-vit-d-or-4000-unit-vit-d....

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/vitamin-d-deficiency-in-adults/prescribing-information/vitamin-d-supplements/
Title: Re: Added Goodness - what's your poison?
Post by: Regulator on 27 February, 2024, 05:13:00 pm: I'm taking iMove and have found that it's helping with my joints. I also take Vitamin D as, although I get out in the sun a lot (when it's shining) I have to be careful due to medical history, so am smothered in Factor 50.