supplements...

[czpinky]

well, i have been raw for a couple of weeks now and i'm looking to buy some supplements and vitamins. what kind do you guys think i should be taking on a regular basis? i'm 17 years old and still growing, also i am a vegan.
suggestions....?

[czpinky]

also...i wanted to say that i do take a vegan multi, but it doesn't have calcium, iron, or a few other nutrients in it. plus, it could be questionable as to how absorbable it actually is.

[Revvell]

Personally, I don't think you "should" be taking any if you're eating 100% raw vegan. They're dead. Why put dead stuff into your body? They're not whole so you'll be throwing your body off balance. They cost money you could be putting into whole, organic raw produce. Why waste money?

Revvell (http://LetsTalkRaw.com)

[RawSar]

I recommend getting tested to see if your low on anything before filling a

cabinet full of pills, like Revvell said it will throw your body off balance - unless

however you are VERY low on something that you will not be able to catch up

on just from eating whole fresh organic raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.

Good tests are blood or electro dermal screening.

[Lille Sol]

Hello. I`m 19 and I have just stated eating raw. And I have read all this article about supplements and I have come that these supplements are common to take:

E3 Live, Vitamineral Green, Vitamineral Earth, Spirulina, Chlorella, kelp granules, digestive enzymes, MSM, Intestinal Drawing Formula green powders, barley grass powder, hemp oil.

Do I really need all that if I drink a big green smoothie every day?
But still all the oils are really good for you especially if you have some problems with depressions.. And I have.. So i guess I need the hemp oil too.

What do you guys think?

[Veronica01]

i started wondering if i needed all that stuff too... i took some msm didn't notice any differences or with spirulina yet either. I'm waiting until i feel i would need them, as opposed to trying them all, you'd have no idea what worked and what was a waste of money. I'm increasing my greens in smoothies and salads too for now.

[Matthew182]

I think if you're going to take anything them it should be Vitamin D3. Theres been a lot of good research on it lately for preventing numerous diseases.

[sport]

I think if you're going to take anything them it should be Vitamin D3. Theres been a lot of good research on it lately for preventing numerous diseases.

Or get plenty of sunshine on your body.

[sport]

I do not think you should take any thing specific unless you have it on good authority that you need it.
All tests done (even on sad eaters) have come to the conclusion that just taking vitamins off the shelf is a waste of money.
On the other hand, most of the things mentioned can be just thought of as food and should be added to your dies as such. I add vitamineral green and macca and flax seeds and E3live (and other things) to my green smoothie but I think of them as food the same way that I do spinach or sprouts.

I take a specific supplement in the morning and strontium at night because I have a specific problem (osteoporosis) and I take glucosamine because I have a specific problem (ostio arthritis).

If you do not have a problem then do not try to fix it.

[Matthew182]

Or get plenty of sunshine on your body.

Well yes, but then you have to live an area where you can produce vitamin D all year long. Also, if you don't like skin damage and aging then getting lots of sun just to increase serum levels of 25(OH)D is not the smartest thing in my opinion. Yes foods can negate some of the harmful effects of UV rays and this is documented on many studies where compunds like lycopene, beta carotene, EGCG among others inhibit collagenases, MMP enzymes, various inflammatory proteins and signalling pathways in the the skin, but for me, avoiding the sun is just one of the way I like to stay looking young. Whereas taking vitamin D3 from a pill is absoluetly no different than getting it from the sun, only when you get vitamin D3 from the sun there has to be a conversion that takes place in the skin. Otherwise D3 pills just skip that step and its all the same from there in how it gets converted to 1,25 OH D3. Many of my friends who are now approaching 40 or above look only around 20, because they avoid the sun, they take D3 pills (between 2000-5000IU per day), as well as eating a healthy diet.



I take a specific supplement in the morning and strontium at night because I have a specific problem (osteoporosis) and I take glucosamine because I have a specific problem (ostio arthritis).

Strontium is a great preventative measure to take. I think because raw foodists mostly maintain a low body mass index it's important to get supplements to increase bone health and also do things like yoga to increase resistance on the bones. This should help prevent things like osteoporosis.

[Springtime]

i take a vegan multivitamin every day, because i've been vegan for longe enough to be in the risk zone of developing B12 deficiency. I know this is a contorversial topic within the raw food community, but i still believe in my B12 pills.

[Bredelly]

Well yes, but then you have to live an area where you can produce vitamin D all year long. Also, if you don't like skin damage and aging then getting lots of sun just to increase serum levels of 25(OH)D is not the smartest thing in my opinion. Yes foods can negate some of the harmful effects of UV rays and this is documented on many studies where compunds like lycopene, beta carotene, EGCG among others inhibit collagenases, MMP enzymes, various inflammatory proteins and signalling pathways in the the skin, but for me, avoiding the sun is just one of the way I like to stay looking young. Whereas taking vitamin D3 from a pill is absoluetly no different than getting it from the sun, only when you get vitamin D3 from the sun there has to be a conversion that takes place in the skin. Otherwise D3 pills just skip that step and its all the same from there in how it gets converted to 1,25 OH D3. Many of my friends who are now approaching 40 or above look only around 20, because they avoid the sun, they take D3 pills (between 2000-5000IU per day), as well as eating a healthy diet.



Strontium is a great preventative measure to take. I think because raw foodists mostly maintain a low body mass index it's important to get supplements to increase bone health and also do things like yoga to increase resistance on the bones. This should help prevent things like osteoporosis.

And some of us have day jobs.

[eatyourbroccoli]

i dont personally believe in supplements any more, EXCEPT probiotics (they've done wonders for me). but other than that, it seems everytime i start taking supplements in some way, something whacky happens and i spend a week trying to get myself back on track. as long as you feel ok, i'd just stick with 100% raw. it might be a good idea to get your b12 levels checked a few years down the road, though i recently had mine checked after 5 years of high raw and they're fine. i think there may be a correlation between a healthy gut (probiotics, raw food, etc.) and healthy b12 levels though, even in vegans. can't remember where i read that but that's what's been in my mind for the past few years. :)

oh, and congratulations on initiating your raw journey!

[iwuvmydoggy]

have y'all watched food matters (http://www.foodmatters.tv/)? vitamins & stuff can help people.