Are Supplements necessary on low carb diet?

[Fletch]

I am type 1 Diabetic following a low carb diet approach and am interested to find out what supplements, if any, people are taking to supplement a low carb diet. I try to stick to below 50g per day carbs. Daily menu looks something like this:

B/Fast - Bacon/eggs/mushrooms - fried in butter.
Lunch - Tuna/egg salad with oil dressing.
Dinner - Chicken Stir Fry - mixed veg topped with cheese.
Snacks - Brazil nuts - Salami slices - cheese.

Also interested to get any advice re Vitamin D supplements. I have for the last 6 months been suffering with hand phorisis but is does seem to respond quite well if I get plenty of sunlight - not always that easy as I live in Manchester. Doctors have prescribed steroid cream/vitamin creams/moisterisers but none have really helped. It is my understanding that the body produces Vit D as a response to sunlight so wondered if using a Vit D supplement would be a good idea.

All thoughts welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Fletch.

 

[dipsticky]

I thought that Vit D was in some foods that we eat as well ? Personally can't stand taking any supplements at all. Just eat fresh, healthy produce full of natural vitamins. Get plenty of fresh air and sunlight when it's around ?

D.

 

[fergus]

If anything, I think low carbers are much less likely to suffer vitamin deficiencies than 'traditional' dieters! If you replace nutritionally poor starches with nutritionally rich meat, dairy, eggs, fresh vegetables, that's almost inevitable?

Your diet looks fairly similar to mine Fletch and I've never taken supplements, other than vit. D which I started a few months ago. Although it's available in eggs, organ meats, oily fish, I think we live too far north to get enough through sunlight on our skin. I think I've noticed a benefit to my skin since I started in fact.

All the best,

fergus

 

[MrsPugwash]

Hi Fletch

I am always reluctant to recommend supplements to my patients unless there's a genuine need as it's much better to get your nutrients from a balanced diet. There is no RNI for vitamin D and good sources include eggs and oily fish - so you seem to have that covered. As far as sunshine goes, just a couple of hours exposure to sunlight each week during the summer months would be enough to top up your body's Vit. D reserves for the year, so it's highly unlikely you will be suffering a deficiency.

It's also worth having a look at the root cause of the psoriasis and tackling that rather than just treating the symptoms. My father is an asthmatic and suffers badly with it - he's had some success in reducing the symptoms by rubbing apple cider vinegar on the affected skin - might be a bit left field but it seems to work!