Would Vitamin pills be a good thing to store?

[Highlander]

(9 February 2013, 20:12)Metroyeti Wrote: Highlander I used to work in pet shop(no animals) loads of dogs are healthier when fed on venison. Goes back to when they were wild and when we first domesticated them. Most modern pet foods are the equivalant of feeding your kids smarties/mc donalds, but the likes of bakers are crafty as their adverts are designed for humans, like a dogs going to know the green kibble is pea flavoured. Tinned pet food is a waste of money.

Oh,..I completely agree, I havent fed my dogs a commercial diet in their lives,.. thankfully they all get on well with Venison,.. some dogs cant deal with it as its a bit strong for them,.... on the estate where I get my deer from, the laird owns two deer hounds, and neither of his dogs can keep it down,..

Commercial diet has so much `filler` in it these days that half of what you are paying for is wasted,.. dogs cant digest wheat products, and veg goes right through them

So mine live on Venison and Salmon,... the first from the estate, the second from the fish farms,..and it never cost me more than a few bob I volunteer for the coffee pot

BP,.. I agree with you,.. we would be on a boring trip if we didnt have the fruit and veg,..so it doesnt realy matter if we need it or not,.. we are having it...

[Scythe13]

(9 February 2013, 19:49)Ranger Wrote: I can't remember what Vit D deficiency causes in adults but muslim women in western countries, who wear those outfits that make them look like their talking to you through the letterbox, can suffer Vit D deficiency. In their original countries they tend to live in compounds where they can be uncovered in the sun without being seen by non family men. Stupid prats!!

Suicidal Tendencies? Haha

[Scythe13]

Just to let you all know, Boots vitamins, 3 for 2.

[MaryN]

Vitamin pills do not keep for very long periods. To remain viable they need to be in watertight and airtight containers and kept in cool and dry conditions. As soon as you open a pack the viability starts to fade. The reason for this is not just the fact that the vitamins themselves are fading, its what is included in the tablets to keep them in tablet form. Silica is one of the additives and it absorbs moisture from the air - you only need to open the cap and you have exposure. Gel capsules also start to deteriorate quickly, so would be worthless after a few days. In fact, vitamins, in pill form, are not the best things to take to get your daily doses.

[Highlander]

Thanks Mary, that's interesting,..so if we are going to keep vit tabs, buy them but open them

[MaryN]

(11 February 2013, 22:33)Highlander Wrote: Thanks Mary, that's interesting,..so if we are going to keep vit tabs, buy them but open them

Actually, Highlander, you would be far better trying to get your Vits from natural sources, i.e. food. We are not meant to be pill poppers, and a decent diet will get you everything you need. For those bleak days in winter when vitamins are low on the ground, so to speak, it would be smart to make preserves and syrups for the main Vit needs of winter (Vit C). Sunshine provides the necessary Vit D, without which people used to suffer from rickets.
It's an interesting subject.

[Highlander]

(11 February 2013, 22:40)MaryN Wrote:

(11 February 2013, 22:33)Highlander Wrote: Thanks Mary, that's interesting,..so if we are going to keep vit tabs, buy them but open them

Actually, Highlander, you would be far better trying to get your Vits from natural sources, i.e. food. We are not meant to be pill poppers, and a decent diet will get you everything you need. For those bleak days in winter when vitamins are low on the ground, so to speak, it would be smart to make preserves and syrups for the main Vit needs of winter (Vit C). Sunshine provides the necessary Vit D, without which people used to suffer from rickets.
It's an interesting subject.

I understand that completely, but if something did happen and food didnt get to you,..then its possible that the diet you then have might not be the best it could be,... so vitamins might then be something that would ensure a balanced diet.

We do try to store a variety of food, trying to get things right, but unless you are a nutritional expert, the ordinary person might feel that a daily does would be ok,... `just to be on the safe side`

[MaryN]

(11 February 2013, 23:00)Highlander Wrote:

(11 February 2013, 22:40)MaryN Wrote:

(11 February 2013, 22:33)Highlander Wrote: Thanks Mary, that's interesting,..so if we are going to keep vit tabs, buy them but open them

Actually, Highlander, you would be far better trying to get your Vits from natural sources, i.e. food. We are not meant to be pill poppers, and a decent diet will get you everything you need. For those bleak days in winter when vitamins are low on the ground, so to speak, it would be smart to make preserves and syrups for the main Vit needs of winter (Vit C). Sunshine provides the necessary Vit D, without which people used to suffer from rickets.
It's an interesting subject.

I understand that completely, but if something did happen and food didnt get to you,..then its possible that the diet you then have might not be the best it could be,... so vitamins might then be something that would ensure a balanced diet.

We do try to store a variety of food, trying to get things right, but unless you are a nutritional expert, the ordinary person might feel that a daily does would be ok,... `just to be on the safe side`

I can see where you are coming from, Highlander, but understand that the vitamins you need to eat will be in the food you need to eat. Taking pills because you think they will compensate for a shortgage can be dangerous - particularly if you are a little dehydrated or even undernourished. It's the food that the vitamins are in that you need. The human body needs fats, sugar, starches, proteins etc etc. to survive, and if you don't get them you will be a goner - popping a pill won't hack it. So if you are not eating enough to survive, taking vitamin pills won't help you; they may even harm you. If you are eating enough to survive you are probably going to be o.k.

[Highlander]

(11 February 2013, 23:14)MaryN Wrote:

(11 February 2013, 23:00)Highlander Wrote:

(11 February 2013, 22:40)MaryN Wrote:

(11 February 2013, 22:33)Highlander Wrote: Thanks Mary, that's interesting,..so if we are going to keep vit tabs, buy them but open them

Actually, Highlander, you would be far better trying to get your Vits from natural sources, i.e. food. We are not meant to be pill poppers, and a decent diet will get you everything you need. For those bleak days in winter when vitamins are low on the ground, so to speak, it would be smart to make preserves and syrups for the main Vit needs of winter (Vit C). Sunshine provides the necessary Vit D, without which people used to suffer from rickets.
It's an interesting subject.

I understand that completely, but if something did happen and food didnt get to you,..then its possible that the diet you then have might not be the best it could be,... so vitamins might then be something that would ensure a balanced diet.

We do try to store a variety of food, trying to get things right, but unless you are a nutritional expert, the ordinary person might feel that a daily does would be ok,... `just to be on the safe side`

I can see where you are coming from, Highlander, but understand that the vitamins you need to eat will be in the food you need to eat. Taking pills because you think they will compensate for a shortgage can be dangerous - particularly if you are a little dehydrated or even undernourished. It's the food that the vitamins are in that you need. The human body needs fats, sugar, starches, proteins etc etc. to survive, and if you don't get them you will be a goner - popping a pill won't hack it. So if you are not eating enough to survive, taking vitamin pills won't help you; they may even harm you. If you are eating enough to survive you are probably going to be o.k.

Like just to add here that I am not necessary talking about myself, I am hoping that I am storing all the vits I need in the right food,.... but none the less its interesting to hear what you are saying,..and certainly something to remember, I guess, its all about variety in food,.. no good storing up on just beans and peas because they are the cheepest

[Scythe13]

(11 February 2013, 23:14)MaryN Wrote: I can see where you are coming from, Highlander, but understand that the vitamins you need to eat will be in the food you need to eat. Taking pills because you think they will compensate for a shortgage can be dangerous - particularly if you are a little dehydrated or even undernourished. It's the food that the vitamins are in that you need. The human body needs fats, sugar, starches, proteins etc etc. to survive, and if you don't get them you will be a goner - popping a pill won't hack it. So if you are not eating enough to survive, taking vitamin pills won't help you; they may even harm you. If you are eating enough to survive you are probably going to be o.k.

On the same note, I remember reading an article about NASA feeding astronauts in totally tablet form. They were all sick and unwell within about a week. The tablets they were using....mutlivitamin+mineral. That backfired haha.

Vitamins and minerals fulfil specific functions for your body. Zinc helps build muscle. Vit A good for the eyes. Vit C good for blood and awesome anti-oxidant, etc. But we run (our bodies) on fats, proteins, and carbs.

Most people don't know much about the macro nutrients (the main 3) and know even less about vitamins and minerals. I'd say that over 90% of people don't know you can't properly absorb Iron supplements (you get about 2% of what's in the tablets), unless through haemoglobe iron, found in desiccated liver. Making this even more fascinating (and less well known) one reason women live longer than men is because after a while, iron becomes toxic in the body. Men don't have a way to regularly reduce the iron levels, while women get a monthly 'filtering' of their iron.

Taking a multi vitamin multi mineral is well worth it.....if you need it, as Mary rightly points out.

Do I take them? Damn right I do. I'm regularly pushing my physical limits, and need more nutrients to feed my body than most people. Also, I'm not a massive fan of eating my greens. Having said that, I probably 'over nutrient' my body, which is why certain aspects of that are accounted for (fasting days, water intake, tablet free days, herbal teas, plus kidney and liver detoxifiers). If you want to be optimum, it costs :-(

I could probably get all those nutrients from food, but I'm a bit lazy with cooking, and the volume of food I'd be eating would make me spew. In those cases, supplements are awesome. Having said all that, in a situation where food is sparse, I'd want to make the most of everything that went into my body, so I would supplement with multi tablets....as usual.

Best off, get everything you need naturally. Next best, get everything you need predominantly naturally. I go for option B.