Everyday Supplements

So I wanted to write a bit about the supplements I am taking daily, and the changes I have begun to see as a result.

Here's a list of what I take each day, and the results I have noticed:

• Prenatal vitamin,  1 a day. This isn't just for pregnant women!! Any woman can take a prenatal vitamin and enjoy the benefits of stronger nails and hair, better skin, and extra minerals like iron and calcium. Since taking these, I've noticed a definite difference in my nails- they're very strong and grow exceedingly fast. They rarely break.
• Evening Primrose Oil, 1000 mg a day. This supplement is for women with menstrual issues like painful or heavy periods, PCOS, or acne related to hormonal imbalances. I take them every day, and I have noticed a definite improvement in my periods. They're more regulated now, and my hormonal acne is definitely at a minimum. My PMS symptoms are also more mild as a result of taking this supplement.
• Magnesium, 500 mg a day. This is supposed to promote bone and muscle health, and as someone with fibromyalgia, I can tell you, I need all the help I can get in that department! Since beginning this supplement, I have experienced an amazing improvement in my muscle pain. It's still there, but it's very much diminished from when before I wasn't taking magnesium. Specifically, my calf muscles, which always were sore and tender to the touch. They now feel much, much better and don't hurt when I touch or massage them.
• Omega 3s (DHA and EPA), 500 mg a day. This has been a wonder supplement for me! Since beginning these softgels, I have grown thicker hair, developed a perfectly regular and on-time period each month, and even my stress level and moods have been more stabilized. As a vegan, I realized I was not getting my recommended amount of these nutrients, and I had no idea that I was severely malnourished as a result. I am certainly thankful for these supplements!
• Iron, 27 mg, one a day while menstruating. I don't take iron every day, because my prenatal vitamin contains enough of it to suffice a healthy daily dosage. But on days when I am menstruating, I find that taking a bit of extra iron helps me keep my energy and strength up, preventing temporary anemia.

• Inositol (vitamin B8), 600 mg per day. This was a vitamin that I had no idea existed until very recently. Here's what it supposedly does: 

"Inositol is used for diabetic nerve pain, panic disorder, high cholesterol, insomnia, cancer, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, promoting hair growth, a skin disorder called psoriasis, and treating side effects of medical treatment with lithium. Inositol is also used by mouth for treating conditions associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, including failure to ovulate; high blood pressure; high triglycerides; and high levels of testosterone." 

          I have nerve pain, panic disorder, depression, thinning hair (as a result of PCOS), and slightly elevated testosterone. So this supplement has been amazing for me. I take a spoonful in my coffee each day, and since I began, I've noticed definite changes in my moods, my hair growth, and my nerve pain. It's unbelievable. It even seems to help with my anxiety, too.



So, there they are- my wonder "drugs". I remember my grandmother, at 85 years old, with a travel-case full of her daily supplements. At the time, I was astounded at how many she took each day. But now that I am reaping the benefits of my own array of supplements, I can see why she lived a full and healthy life up until her death, and why she remained younger-looking than her peers!

I'm sure that in time, my vitamin list will grow, as hers did. And that's fine with me. :)