Low Carbers: Do You Take Nutritional Supplements?

[Grateful]

That sounds very sensible and reasonable to me. I didn't even have to give a reason to my GP. I told the receptionist over the phone that I would like some extra vit and mineral tests with my normal ones, and she sent my request through to the GP who signed it off on my blood test request sheet. Job done. I hope it is as easy for you.

I'm in America. None of these things is necessarily easy, because it has to go through an insurance company (for those like me who are lucky enough to have a good insurance). The doctor has a certain amount of discretion, and I suspect it will be fine.

Edited to add: Sometimes the insurance company won't pay unless there is a "diagnosis." In that case, I will tell the doctor about the mild "racing heart" episodes I've had occasionally in the past few months since I went on the low-carb diet!

 

[Pinkorchid]

I take a high strength cod liver oil capsule every day have taken that for about 25 years and now also a Vitamin D tablet every day.Only just started on the Vitimin D as it was recommended by my doctor that I take it. She said everyone should take Vitamin D especially in the winter months as we do not get enough sun in the UK for our bodies to absorb enough

 

[busydiabeticmum]

I seem to recall reading at least one of the low-carb gurus who said you do have to take nutritional supplements if you go very low-carb or keto. So my question for the low-carbers here, especially the long-term ones, is whether you do take such supplements and if so, which.

(I am extremely reluctant to do this because I prefer to get everything I need from real food.)

Thanks!

Vitamin d only... in fact I probably get more from my food as a low carber than I did eat a "normal" diet... because I eat more natural yoghurt (live cultures etc) I eat more veggies rather than filling up on carbs, I eat more fish and a varied diet to compensate for the missing carbs.
Never felt better and never had more energy, even doctors agree with me... vitamin d is because I cover up and don't like the sun.

 

[donnellysdogs]

It is fairly easy to work out nowadays whether your diet is lacking any vitamins.
Dr Google has a wealth of info in vitamins per item.

If you write down the basics of your diet you will see where you may lack or have too much..

My diet due to no meat, bread, pasta, cereals and solid type of foods lacks certain vitamins. However, due to the amount of asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and buttenut squash I eat I could well be over in some vitamins which is why I do not take multivitamins...

I have:

Pomi-t tablets (proven to act upon cancer)
A specific probiotic recomended by my oncologist as the only one worth taking if I cant drink keffir.
Also B12 as I dont eat fortified foods or enough of othe foods with it in, same with folic acid
Also r-ala
Also magnesium, organic amla capsules, oil of oregano capsules to keep my small intestines healthy and my blood thin, pure fish oil and calcium citrate as I have high vit D levels which can indicate heart troubles if levels arent balanced with calcium.

I eat tons of broccoli and turmeric each day too, which is in the pomi-t tablets too..but this is because of my cancer not diabetes.

I also have limited eating due to stomach/colon so this is why I only eat mushy food.

Cannot tolerate PPI's and consultant told me to stop eating tomatoes and onions in anything and my stomach wouldnt need PPI's and he was right.

 

[jwongcsp]

I'm taking Magnesium, Turmeric, Cinnamon, CoQ10, Fish Oil, Aspirin, psyllium, chia seeds, hemp seeds, apple cider vinegar.Wow that is a lot isn't it. Note I'm not taking Metformin or insulin. My most recent hA1c was 5.9. I didn't realize how many supplements I was taking. I get them at Costco. What do you folks think, am I taking too many?

 

[Beagler]

Going slightly sideways on this thread, I'minterested that people are taking potassium for leg cramps. My husband and I used to (sadly past tense) do a lot of running, and after a hard day we both tended to get calf and foot cramps, but it was very readily cured with half a teaspoon of Epsom salts (Magnesium sulphate) which is incredibly cheap, and very very effective. Note, NOT the laxative dose which is two teaspoons, he takes half a teaspoon and I take one quarter, prophylactically or when I wake up in agony, and once I have staggered downstairs to the kitchen and taken it, the cramps have gone by the time I get to the foot of the stairs again. Such a relief.
Back to the main thread, I do take Chromium & Cinnamon, to try to assist stabilising my blood sugars (I'm obese & pre-diabetic), and Selenium ACE as it is supposed to protect against dementia and help arthritis.
But I do much more playing around with my diet. I am only moderately low-carb (50-70g a day) but I try to include ground flaxseed, lecithin, fermented food such as live yoghurt & home made sauerkraut etc, all to help my gut biome. And leeks, crosne, and soaked steel cut oats. And a piece of 80% chocolate and one glass of red wine several times a week!

Once you get out of the "wheat with everything" rut of most modern diets, I think you are much more likely to have a truly "MIXED" diet that doctors bang on about, which can only be good for the various vits & mins your body needs!

 

[donnellysdogs]

I'm taking Magnesium, Turmeric, Cinnamon, CoQ10, Fish Oil, Aspirin, psyllium, chia seeds, hemp seeds, apple cider vinegar.Wow that is a lot isn't it. Note I'm not taking Metformin or insulin. My most recent hA1c was 5.9. I didn't realize how many supplements I was taking. I get them at Costco. What do you folks think, am I taking too many?

It depends upon your diet and your health and your blood test results..if you were a eskimo or like my dog eats oily fish everyday you wouldnt need fish oil..
Aspirin isnt a vitamin supplement and you must have a reasoning to take this..

Hard for others to judge your intake as it really is so individual..

Forgot I take inulin as well.

 

[BaliRob]

My body doesn't seem to absorb some nutrients properly, no matter how much of it is present in the food I eat.

For example, my diet has PLENTY of potassium, and my blood tests always show adequate levels. Yet i will have regular cramps unless I supplement too. I just figure my potassium requirements are higher than 'average', or i absorb less of it.

I currently taking
Vit D3 (to combat chronic deficiency) with K2 to help the D3 work
Potassium
Magnesium
Chromium
Natural source vit C
Krill oil
B12
R-ala

Are you using Mag Citrate? If you research my many posts on Nocturnal Leg Cramps - you may find that I am able to help you. Regards, Rob

 

[Missyshell]

Been on low carb for 6 months. A1C is 5.7. BMI is 25. I take vitamin D, B-12, Fish oil capsule, multivitamin/multimineral, Magnesium, Sellenium, Zinc, Probiotic. I have Hashimotos and am dieting for weight loss but only lost 10 lbs. 15 more to go.

 

[Grateful]

Just a quick update. Had some blood work earlier this week. Only some of the results are back, but so far all of them show my nutrients in the "normal" range and several of them have improved since I went on the low-carb diet nine months ago. Numbers that were borderline (typically, at the bottom end of the normal range) prior to my diabetes diagnosis are now bang in the middle of the normal range.

I am chuffed. Also a bit puzzled, given that my diet is much less varied than it used to be. Perhaps "getting my act together" weight-wise and exercise-wise, and getting the BG under control, helped my body metabolize nutrients?

"Nobody knows!"

 

[Brunneria]

I think sometimes it is easy to assume that low carbing is less varied.
But at the same time, higher carb foods are often nutrient poor (in the UK bread has nutrients added to the flour, in recognition of this), while low carb foods are often nutrient rich.

We can all eat a dreadful diet, if we choose - whether we are carnivorous, omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan or other, but when I reduced the carbs I filled the gap with veg, which did wonders for certain nutrients.

 

[Grateful]

I think sometimes it is easy to assume that low carbing is less varied.

Maybe. But when I think of the big variety of ingredients I used to put in my spaghetti bolognaise sauce, or the overflowing fruit basket, and the three yoghurts I used to eat every day. Sigh. I've always eaten lots of salads (at least once a day) and vegetables, maybe because of my childhood in France.

Anyway I digress. What matters is that things are fine, and my worries about not getting a full range of nutrients on the low-carb diet look to be misplaced.

 

[wiflib]

For ten years, Vit D 2-5000iu a day (Ivor suggests that intermittent supplementation is ineffective) and I saw a dramatic change in my health and continue to do so. Most people are D deficient I suspect.

Magnesium - after research I’d take it even if I wasn’t LC.

B12 injections every three months. No idea why I’m B12 deficient and my GP and I worked together on that one.

Probiotics for the past five months but I don’t think long term use is necessary, I’ve yet to research that one.

 

[Grateful]

Most people are D deficient I suspect.

Maybe because of the UK climate. Here on the American East Coast, there is bright sunlight most days even in the depths of winter. I spend about one hour per day walking around the local lake, and even in winter often wear a wide-brimmed hat because of the strong sunshine!

Mind you it is a lot less interesting than UK weather, which is such a source of detailed conversations and a good ice-breaker (sorry, unintended weather pun).

 

[donnellysdogs]

I would still advise getting D3 levels checked before supplementing.

1) high levels like mine are, could be dangerous if additionslly supplementing.. and we must remember we are all individual.

2) how do you know how much d3 is necessary uf no blood test? Some people are very low and get it prescribed or low and need more than others.

I highly recommend not to take any supplement like d3, calcium, b12, folate or iron unless you have had tests and need them.... and then you can be prescribed if necessary or buy the correct strength for your body...

 

[Grateful]

I highly recommend not to take any supplement like d3, calcium, b12, folate or iron unless you have had tests and need them.... and then you can be prescribed if necessary or buy the correct strength for your body...

Yes, I too have worried about over-doing it, if I started taking supplements.

The only supplement I currently take is calcium, 600mg daily. This was on the advice of the orthopedic surgeon who fixed my hip 12 years ago. I did not initially follow his advice, but instead, guzzled a lot of yoghurt (one with every meal) and this brought the calcium into the normal range in blood tests (but only just).

After diagnosis of T2D, I greatly reduced the yoghurt consumption (down to two tablespoons per day) and have compensated by taking the calcium pills. The blood test results from this week show that I am in the normal range for calcium, in fact, it has improved a bit so it is no longer marginal. So I feel confident that my decision to take the calcium pills was the right one.

 

[Bluetit1802]

B12 injections every three months. No idea why I’m B12 deficient and my GP and I worked together on that one.

It could be your Metformin - it is known to cause B12 deficiencies.

 

[Chook]

I take a good multivitamin each day (always have) plus Vit D (I live in Yorkshire and my GP recommends it to just about everyone), magnesium for low carb leg cramps and an omega 3 capsule.

One of my dogs takes the same omega 3 capsules. You wouldn't believe what the vet wanted to charge for 30 capsules so we now get them at Home Bargains - I think they are something like £1.99 for 90.

 

[Totto]

I used to be low on vitamin D but after a year or two on LCHF my vitamin D level improved vastly. One autumn it was 48, a year or two later it was 148. Possibly the large amount of healthy, organic butter and other good fats have helped.
The level still falls over winter so I still supplement some though. If I don't take vitamin D during the winter my arthritis gets very bad in the spring.

 

[wiflib]

I would still advise getting D3 levels checked before supplementing.

1) high levels like mine are, could be dangerous if additionslly supplementing.. and we must remember we are all individual.

2) how do you know how much d3 is necessary uf no blood test? Some people are very low and get it prescribed or low and need more than others.

I highly recommend not to take any supplement like d3, calcium, b12, folate or iron unless you have had tests and need them.... and then you can be prescribed if necessary or buy the correct strength for your body...

I’ve done my research and I’m happy with what I’m doing, I’m not going back to my pre supplemented health.

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/am-i-getting-too-much-vitamin-d/