supplement questions

[One Frugal Mom]

I have decided to try and go a more natural route and want to start taking things to naturally help improve my health.

I have some Green Tea capsules and Echinacea ones.

I hope to do more research and look into some others.

What are some things that you all take on a regular basis?

Any suggestions for a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

[scottVee]

Being a frugal forum, my #1 suggestion is not to fall for all the hype. Supplements are an unregulated grey area. Just like pharmaceuticals, there are a lot of companies trying to get you to buy pills. I've seen people with dozens of bottles of junk that probably does nothing.

For any herb, you can find a lot of babble online. But don't forget to search for (for example) "echinacea no effect" as well. There's plenty of research saying that many bragged-about supplements do little or nothing. There are also crazy alarming websites about a lot of pills that need to be taken with a grain of salt.

The frugal answer is to simplify. Eat fresh food, avoid highly processed food with lots of additives. If you have specific medical issues, look for simple answers. For heartburn you can avoid soda (try club soda with a little fruit juice), eat less acidic food, don't eat huge portions, don't eat right before bed. Yogurt may help some stomach conditions. Headaches are often caused by stress and eye strain, hunger, simple dehydration and caffeine addiction. There are pills for sleeping better, but other things may work as well: chamomile tea, clove tea, soft music.

At a certain age it starts to feel like everything we're taught about food and life is wrong. Possibly because it's true. We're largely driven by advertisements and in too much of a rush to make smart choices. Is there any way to be healthy sitting at a desk all day staring at a computer screen? Once we settle down a bit we have options.

I consider most supplements to be dubious. Just more pills, of unknown usefulness and unknown quality, being sold for big bucks.

[Edna_E]

I take different things at different times, but I always take a high quality multi-vitamin with minerals. When I'm achy, I take glucosamine and MSM for a few weeks. When people around me are being ill, I take echinacea and golden seal and sometimes elderberry (and I NEVER get "what is going around"), when I am unusually stressed, I take extra vitamin B. I usually take digestive enzymes since I don't seem to naturally digest food well. If I've had an injury I take calcium.

[One Frugal Mom]

Edna...

That is what I am looking to do... take things when I need them. The kids are passing around something... thus the echinacea capsules.

I am not one to take meds in the first place... DH knows I am really hurting if I take a tylenol. LOL

I just want to look into natural ways to heal.