A follow up from above.
Before you begin taking supplemental Vitamin D, you really should find out what your blood levels of Vitamin D are. If you over shoot, and become Vitamin D Toxic, know this: Excess Vitamin D is hard to get rid of. It can lead to excess Blood Calcium levels, and may effect the calcium in your bones, and renal effects; that is just for starters.
For Some Reference:
Hypervitaminosis D
Hypervitaminosis D: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Vitamin D toxicity: What if you get too much? - Mayo Clinic
A side story: I had the septic tank of our house serviced no too long ago. We talked about the solids that never seem to get taken care of inside the septic tank; they just build up. I was surprised to hear that one of the most common solids are vitamin pills. He went on to say that he had customers who took handfulls of vitamins three to four times a day. Most boast about how much their lives have been improved because of the vitamins. He was on a similar kick for a while, and one of his customers, like him were heavy Vitamin supplement users . He said, just for "grins and shits", his words, not mine, he held the vacuum hose high enough to just look at the solids before vacuuming all them out. He said he saw hundreds of vitamin pills, unchanged in with other solid waste. Some were the same he took, and he could see the writing still on the pills. His observation was that he was literally crapping dollars right down the toilet.I've heard similar observations made by the Port-A-John service companies, lots of Vitamin pills there too.
Keep in mind too, that you are dealing with companies outside the checks and balances of the FDA. Just because it says 1,000 units on the label, it does not mean all 1,000 units will be released by the pill/capsule etc. Dietary supplements are largely unregulated, and there are no promises that you will get the benefit of what is advertised on the label.
Before you decide to start on supplemental vitamins, read up on the pluses, and the complications. Vitamin D, and Iron are very hard to get rid of if you over shoot, and become toxic.
So, if you are going to decide to increase your vitamin intake, see your doctor, and get some blood levels drawn. If you are below the normal value, that is where you start adding supplements. My wife is chronically low in her Vitamin D levels. She gets prescription for her vitamin D supplements, nothing that the FDA has not blessed. If you are healthy, and eat a balanced diet, it is unlikely that you need additional vitamins. If you have to take something, like I said above, a One A Day Multivitamin will be all you need.
My $ usual phone consult rate
My dad swore by the stuff, as do some of my neighbors. They use Rid X as directed, and have their tanks cleaned every three years. They have never had a problem.
Being a bit of a Rebel, I decided to take a different tac. We have a stick built home that we moved into at the turn of the century, I just love being able to use that term. I've not used any septic tank products. Even with three grand kids here for over a year, I went until last year to have the tank serviced. Our solid waste was a only few inches in the bottom, and could easily have gone a several more years. Maybe I'm just lucky; I'll keep doin' what I'm doin'
This brings up another good point regarding supplements: the placebo effect can be strong.
Please don't think I'm hating on your apparent outcomes @pardus , but to use Glucosamine/ Chondriotin as just one example, it has been conclusively found that this supplement doesn't actually do anything.
From one meta analysis, among other similar ones:
"Compared with placebo, glucosamine, chondroitin, and their combination do not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space. Health authorities and health insurers should not cover the costs of these preparations, and new prescriptions to patients who have not received treatment should be discouraged."
Effects of glucosamine, chondroitin, or placebo in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: network meta-analysis | The BMJ
Many docs in my field shlep Vits/ supplements to the point where its very big business, with accompanying strong (nonsense) claims and "prescriptive guidance." I am happy when I hear about positive outcomes which are (at this point) likely related to placebo effect, but evidence related to whether the vast majority are genuinely doing what's claimed is extremely poor or not favorable.
So, its very much a 'use and be advised at your own risk' kind of deal with supplements. The Stick in the Mud will return to his hole at the health sciences library now.
To follow up, when using Ibuprofen I either buy Aleve at the school 4 x 200 mg), or use the Equate brand (4 x 200 mg) from Wal-Mart. The effect is pretty much the same for me. The only difference, is that Aleve pills are coated in a sweet outer shell that makes them easier to swallow.
When I was in Colorado, I had a counselor who mentioned that his neighbor had peach trees growing on or near his leech field. He would then talk about how good the peaches were (him and his family were big fans), while acknowledging their dubious origins. Maybe some fruit bearing or nutrient/water hungry trees with shallow roots, could help mitigate the stress put on your septic system.
Fish oil for joint lubrication, magnesium for energy production/sleep as well as zinc for joints again. No I'm not assuming that all military members are deficient in those micronutrients. I can't speak for all MRE's, I'm not an MREist, but for the ones that I have had (Australian) I'd say they could do with some of the things listed, maybe some digestive enzymes as well. Benefits were listed above.
By the sounds of amlove21's response and yours, I feel as if I have stepped on a mine that's about to blow up in my face.
