 Poster: A snowHead
|
I am 57, reasonably fit and have a fairly active life . I am just coming out of a "summer virus" which has lasted just over 3 weeks made me feel much more tired than usual. Like most of you I find it incredibly annoying not to have the energy to do the things I want to do when I get this type of virus .I eat a healthy diet with minimum sugar intake and try to stay hydrated most of the time. At most I will get this type of virus /cold twice a year and would never dream of seeing my GP about it. I don't take any supplements at all preferring to get my nutrients from my food. I am now wondering whether it would be worth getting my minerals tested to see if there are any deficiencies and adjust them through supplements. Having looked on the internet I found this [url] https://www.mineraltestkit.co.uk/ which looks interesting but is not cheap at £128 .
Does anyone have any experiences of home mineral testing or better suggestions or experiences of supplements actually helping. Many thanks in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
I'm calling "Quackery" - any test which relies on you working out whether you CANNOT 'taste' a suspension of minerals in water is frankly, baloney (or perhaps the strong taste of baloney what with it not being deficient in it?). Dr. Wendy Denning is a notorious Complementary Medicine snakeoiler, who punts magical pint pills and "Sympathetic Resonance Technology" bracelets and pendants whos makers have famously been offered $1,000,000 for proof of their worth and yet to collect.
Your body is pretty good at absorbing what minerals it needs from your diet and getting shot of what it doesn't need. You sound, on the whole, pretty healthy so i'm going to say keep the £128, or ring fence it for big pot of generic multivitamins or perhaps a nice piece of fruit a day or something.
Of course, if you have any concerns over your current health you should contact your GP and arrange a visit, its why they are there and makes a nice change to see a healthy person.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 13-09-17 12:12; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@brnttptr, (I am neither medically qualified, nor a ski instructor, but I am a lapsed physicist).
(To the extent that I am aware), your body is a remarkably tuned but sensitive engine. Any "mineral deficiency" will be quite obvious and the so called testing kit is, to be polite, useful in your allotment, as fertiliser.
If you would like to PayPal £128 to me, for good advice, I'll PM you.
Such "summer viruses" (in my day it was called the common cold) are common, and can easily last a few weeks, of fatigue, etc. If you're really worried, see your GP. As above.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Get a pot of good multi vitamin and multi mineral tablets and take them for a month. If still under weather, see GP and ask them to blood test you for free (if they think is a clinical need).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
They use some long words in a way which seems intended to confuse rather than inform -> it's probably harmful to the wallet at least.
It's cute, as they're claiming it's a "test", not a "medicine", although you have to keep taking it like a medicine, according to them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taking a generic multivitamin/mineral pill at the recommended dose is unlikely to do any harm - other than to the wallet. Any excess not needed will just be excreted. I wouldn't take single vitamins / minerals - which are often at much higher doses - without a GP identifying a specific need.
Your lifestyle may give you more exposure to cold viruses, and so make you more susceptible. Air & train travel are notorious risk areas. Large offices, schools, hospitals etc are all higher risk. Stress can also increase the risk. Transmission can be via the hand: picking up the virus up from hard surfaces, and transferring it to mouth / nose - so get into the habit of washing your hands more frequently, e.g. before eating sandwiches.
I take a multivitamin / mineral pill in phases: a daily one for some months, but then get out of the habit and pick it up again sometime later. I haven't kept a record, but think I am more likely to get a cold during a not-taking phase.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Some say vitamin D is possibly one that's worth taking if you live in a country with little sun or through the winter.
Multi vitamins often have doses in excess of what you should intake and don't account for your other intakes. Mostly you just wee wee them out.
Buy 128 quids worth of good food and by that I don't mean the marketing triumph that is organics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I agree that most vitamin pills in recommended doses will do no harm to a normal healthy adult, and just (mostly) be excreted if not needed. Mega high dose preparations, however, best avoided.
Vitamin D + Calcium + Magnesium is probably good for women over 45 for bone health. Some use for Vit C and Zinc ( maybe also D) as immune system boosters, amongst other hits/mins. Echinacea has some recognition in assisting the immune response to viruses (e.g. colds).
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
Summer virus for 3 weeks? (not something I get ever. I rarely even get a winter cold or flu that one would notice as such)
Fatigue caused by poor diet (or mineral deficiency) is primarily related to low iron levels (particularly in women due to menstrual cycle and naturally lower iron levels). Although others like magnesium, or zinc could cause it.
If you give blood, your iron levels are tested for free prior to every session to ensure you do not have too low iron levels. So you could get that checked out.
You do not say if you eat meat regularly. This is a main source of iron and zinc. (particularly beef and other red meat) Breakfast cereals usually contain many of the missing vitamins in diet like vitamin D and folic acid fortified and way cheaper than multi-vitamins. Do you drink plenty of milk?
Check your dietary intake first before supplementing. Otherwise, you will just pee it all out and waste your money. If you do not eat enough food, you will feel tired all the time.
I monitor what goes in to my body, and find that vitamin D is usually the only area where I regularly do not get enough from my diet. (although I have fair skin, and get lots of sunshine in summer) Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium are usually above 100% but close, the rest of the vitamins and minerals I monitor are consistently well in excess of recommended amounts (I do not take supplements but I do have fortified breakfast cereals sometimes)
I eat about 2800-2900 calories per day on average.
This is the latest graphical description of my mineral intake. Recently my vitamin D intake has shot up because of eating more fortified bran flakes and I recently purchased orange flavoured cod liver oil which was discounted.
Also you should be careful with caffeine and alcohol as they can block the uptake of certain vitamins and minerals. Caffeine blocks iron uptake if taken at the wrong time in excess. Alcohol depletes B vitamins, which can make you feel tired all the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Bigtipper Thanks. Yes I eat meat regularly and try to vary my main meal every week which results in 2 days red meat, 1 day fish,1-2 days chicken ,1 day game , 1-2 days vegetarian. Breakfast is normally greek yoghurt withberries and nuts .Rarely drink milk but do eat cheese about 4 times a week.
A blood test pre giving blood (or just on its own) sounds like a good idea.
@ecureuil Luckily don't have to commute as I work from home in the countryside but have to fly to Europe almost once a month so must try to wash hands more often /invest in hand wipes etc for all flights as agree this is a high risk area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@under a new name, I read Cochrane as saying reviewed papers being of little use overall, not least because many different plant parts/preparations are trying to be compared, but possibly demonstrating a small positive effect against common viral infections.
I'm admittedly only mentioning Echinacea as a GP recommended it, Mr G rates it and I recall some research a while back about it assisting with lymphocyte activation or summat like that. Sure it does work for some people.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@brnttptr, If you're flying, probably forget the hand wipes - breathing in everyone else's exhaled recycled air is pretty much guaranteed to expose you to any common respiratory (cold/flu) viruses going.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
@Grizzler, I get a marked and helpful with symptoms placebo from it. In fairness.
It seems worthy of some investigation, maybe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I wouldn't bother with testing and wouldn't take a multivitamin. If your diet is good, that's enough. Multivitamin tablets may be associated with a small increase in dying, and have no proven benefits (unless you are deficient).
Get well soon!
PS I think that children are the problem. As soon as school go back my waiting room is full of people with colds, having picked them up from kids who've been travelling. Just my 2p.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
