VITAMINS...are they important?

[catingeorgia]

so im getting together my meal list for long distance hiking and figuring out what type of menu i will stick to where i wont spend a great amount of money but have my total nutritional value. in thought i pondered the question of taking multi vitamins along to make sure im getting all of the essentials everyday. i tried to research taking vitamin pills along on long distance trekking and have'nt found any particular articles on whiteblaze or in the google search engine that cater to hikers in general. i talked to an acquaintance who had the opinion that they aren't necessary on my trip because ill end up urinating the vitamins out anyway. this was his opinion but im not sure if it is correct. is there anyone who can confirm or rebuttle this advice. my question is...are vitamins important on long distance trips? do i need them or am i better off without them?
thanks
:cool:

[wrongway_08]

Seems like if you take the vitamins, it wouldnt matter if you are hiking or not - your body will still take them in. Not sure why you'd piss them out just cause your hiking?

I took them on my thru. Didnt notice any difference in my piss from hiking on the trail or sitting in front of the T.V. at home, before the hike. :D


Of course I never spent much time staring at my piss :eek:, so I could be wrong :-?

[swamp dawg]

I think it would be wise to take a multivitamin while on long sections hikes. I have, for more than 15 years, been doing sections on the AT and other long hikes and have added a multi vitamin to my pack. A lot of your diet on long distance hikes is less than ideal so any supplement can only be of help to a hiker. Life is good on the trail...swamp dawg

[Freedom Walker]

In addition to a multvitamin, consider coQ10. Known for helping with building energy levels, it also benefits the heart. I have taken it for over 10 years and since the cost has decreased, I take 300mg a day. For more info go to What is CoQ10? What are the benefits of CoQ10 vitamin supplements? (http://www.preventive-health-guide.com/coq10.html)

James

[max patch]

Everyone should take a multi vitamin; females should also probably add calcium.

[catingeorgia]

i appreciate the responses and i cant think of any idea why it would be a waste to take vitamins, but i would really like to know if there is anyone in the community who "knows for sure" the benefits if any. it seems the more i research and the more i read i am getting a lot of negativity geared towards vitamin pill consumption. the general message is that vitamin pills don't give you the advantage that they were always believed to. idk but i would sure like to have a definative answer...thanks

[Freedom Walker]

If we always ate proper meals, we would get all we need from our food. But most of the time we don't. If you could get balienced meals on the trail, you wouldn't need any additional Vitamins.

[10-K]

idk but i would sure like to have a definative answer...thanks

I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen... :)

[Carbo]

I am pretty much convinced that a vitamin/mineral supplement helps in the hot weather. When I'm hiking in the heat I sweat heavily all day plus I drink lots of water. Apparently I'm flushing out vitamins, minerals, sodium, potassium (not sure which is important). If I don't take the supplement (I happen to use ResurgenC), I will cramp up at night, get chills and the sweats. Sometimes I feel like passing out. I tried several days (during 90+ degree weather) with and without the supplement and I consistently cramp up if I don't take it.

There is no problem in the cooler weather and a supplement doesn't seem to do anything that I can tell.

[Ender]

My doctor told me before my last long hike to 100% take a multi-vitamin, especially since my diet wouldn't be as well-rounded as it would be in town.

[catingeorgia]

I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen... :)

lol im afraid you're right my friend. there are no gurantees in life...i have taken an assortment of vitamins from time to time and i always feel more energetic and "on top of my game" throughout the day ie...like bein able to think quicker on my feet and feeling fresh a lot of the time. i think until i find an adequate answer its going to be like everything else and im just gonna have to find out through the process of elimination and trying things on my own and find out whats good for me. one thing i am sure of by experience is vitamin c really helps with soreness. ive never done a trek for more than a week and if i decide to do a thru that will be one supplement that i would bring along. i would rather be safe than sorry and taking the multivitamin pills would definately fall into that category so ill give it a try and let you guys and gals know how it works out.:D

[Fog Horn]

You could try to hike without them but pay attention to the cues your body will give you when it lacks something (like if your nails become brittle or develop spots, or your breath stinks worse than trail breath) and then consult a doctor. The doctors these days have the ability to develop multi vitamins specific to your body and your chemistry, so talk to your doctor and see what he says. He might do a few tests, or tell you to grab the on the shelf variety.

The only one who is going to give you a really definitive answer as to whether you in particular need mulsti vitamins for your thru hike is a health care professional that has seen your records.

[Fog Horn]

"I take a multivitamin every day. I figure it balances out what I don't eat right in my diet. What ingredients should I look for in a multivitamin?

If the multivitamin has only 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (http://www.dietitian.com/rda.html) (RDA) for each nutrient in the supplement, it probably won't hurt you. There are RDA's for protein (http://www.dietitian.com/protein.html), vitamin A (http://www.dietitian.com/vitamina.html), D, E (http://www.dietitian.com/vitamine.html), K (http://www.dietitian.com/vitamink.html), C (http://www.dietitian.com/vitaminc.html), B6 (http://www.dietitian.com/vitaminb6.html) and B12, thiamin (http://www.dietitian.com/thiamin.html), riboflavin (http://www.dietitian.com/riboflavin.html), niacin, folacin (folic acid) (http://www.dietitian.com/folacin.html), calcium (http://www.dietitian.com/calcium.html), phosphorus, magnesium, iron (http://www.dietitian.com/iron.html), zinc (http://www.dietitian.com/zinc.html), iodine and selenium (http://www.dietitian.com/selenium.html). The bottle label should give you the measured amount of each nutrient in each pill and what percent each pill contributes to your RDA.

Your body can absorb around 10 to 15% of the nutrients in a vitamin pill. The rest goes down the toilet as urine. So for every $10.00 you spend on supplements, you could be flushing $8.50 down the toilet. Your money would be better spent on food. The human body prefers to take a food, break it down and take the nutrients it needs. Remember that you are dealing with a cave person's body. I think you are depending too heavily on the supplement and not giving enough credit to the nutrients in your food.

A vitamin is like an enzyme or catalyst. It assists in a chemical reaction. By themselves, they will help prevent a nutritional deficiency and in persons on very low calorie diets (http://www.dietitian.com/faddiet.html) (less than 1200 calories per day), vitamin supplements provide missing nutrients. Vitamins though are not enough. You need protein (http://www.dietitian.com/protein.html), fat (http://www.dietitian.com/fatlower.html) and carbohydrate to build and maintain the human body. If you focus on eating a variety of foods (http://www.dietitian.com/foodguid.html), your requirements of vitamins and minerals will probably be met. Unless your doctor has recommended a specific vitamin for a health problem you have, you may be wasting your money on supplements."

http://www.dietitian.com/vitamins.html

Maybe not a peer reviewed site to quote but the rest of them say the same thing. They have these powders at the whole foods type stores that have a better absorption rate. I'd still say talk to your doctor, but I think everyone should have a chat with their doctor before taking on the trail anyway, so I'm a bit biased.

[wrongway_08]

Gummy vitamins sit with my stomach better and don't make my pee bright colors either - like the pill vitamins do. No idea why.

Another plus, gummys are like treats. Pills are like.... taking medicine.

[Spokes]

I took a multi-vitamin in addition to sublingual B6/Folic Acid/B12 (Trader Joes brand) on last years thru-hike.

Carried some Astragalus (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/astragalus-000223.htm)too for boosting the immune system.

[ChinMusic]

I take a good multi and extra vitamin C tabs on trips.

Hiking all day is hard on the body. I don't think the 100% levels take into account this activity. The way I look at it is the body is gonna need all the help it can get to stay functioning well.

[mweinstone]

yes vitimins are important. and no they dont come in pill form. thats a myth. what comes in pill form is called myth. and thats not vitimins. vitimins come in food. and food dosnt come in pill form.thats called tv. and vitimins in food are important. yes.

[mweinstone]

women need iron as in raisins
men need women.
dogs require meat as in meat
bozo likes the meatloaf
bacon is an afrodisiac for all

[DapperD]

so im getting together my meal list for long distance hiking and figuring out what type of menu i will stick to where i wont spend a great amount of money but have my total nutritional value. in thought i pondered the question of taking multi vitamins along to make sure im getting all of the essentials everyday. i tried to research taking vitamin pills along on long distance trekking and have'nt found any particular articles on whiteblaze or in the google search engine that cater to hikers in general. i talked to an acquaintance who had the opinion that they aren't necessary on my trip because ill end up urinating the vitamins out anyway. this was his opinion but im not sure if it is correct. is there anyone who can confirm or rebuttle this advice. my question is...are vitamins important on long distance trips? do i need them or am i better off without them?
thanks
:cool:When one is pushing their body everyday, say by hiking long distances, I would think it would be easier to become deficient in different vitamins and minerals than if one was not pushing themselves. Couple this with a diet that may more often than not be less than ideal, and I don't think it would be a necessarily bad idea to include a high-quality daily multi-vitamin to ones diet. Just be sure to not become dehydrated wether it be in the winter or the summer, which may become easy to do when one is hiking so many miles and physically most likely in need of fluids that much more.

[weary]

yes vitimins are important. and no they dont come in pill form. thats a myth. what comes in pill form is called myth. and thats not vitimins. vitimins come in food. and food dosnt come in pill form.thats called tv. and vitimins in food are important. yes.
Wow. Twice in one day, I agree with Mattie. Never in my 81.5 years have I taken pill vitamins. On long hikes I munch on all you can eat salads, and an occasional steak, when resupplying. Occasionally, I pick up a bottle of multivitamins from a hiker box, but never remember to take them so I redeposit same in the next hiker box I come to.

REcently I've seen scientific proof of this practice. Numerous studies have shown that a good diet is important. Several recently have found no difference in the health of those that take bottled vitamins and those that don't.

[ChinMusic]

I tend to go with the advice of the likes of the JAMA.



We recommend that all adults take one multivitamin daily


But that's just me.

I'm sure one can find any number of websites having the opposite opinion.

[Highway Man]

I don't know how it works. One's body burns a lot of stuff internally. I'm not sure what can lose through metabolic process, and sweating... Anyway, I took Multi-Vitamins once a day in my AT thru-hike, plus much Vitamin C. It certainly can't get worse after all.

[Odd Man Out]

...The only one who is going to give you a really definitive answer as to whether you in particular need mulsti vitamins for your thru hike is a health care professional that has seen your records.

I would have to disagree with this. I would predict that most health care professionals would probably realize that there are no DEFINITIVE answers to most things in medicine, especially with regard anything as complex as vitamin needs, nutrition, and diet on a long hike.

My experience does tell me that there is ONE group who will give you a definitive answer that vitamin supplements are important. These are the people who are selling vitamin supplements.

[mweinstone]

if your eating a bad diet vitimins wouldnt help you anyway. they dont work in a body suffering the effects of a bad diet. you would have to replace your bad diet with a good diet and then if you took vitimins they would work. as much or as little as they can.as for the bad effects of takeing them, they give false hope of good health, they are exspensive, heavy, cause upset stomach and fuel a useless industry that could be growing food to eat instead of buying food to dry, crush, powder and pill.

[DapperD]

Numerous studies have shown that a good diet is important. Several recently have found no difference in the health of those that take bottled vitamins and those that don't.There is little to no doubt that a good diet is important for one's health. The problem with this is, a lot of the commercialized produce grown today is grown using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc...these chemicals are bad for our bodies and unhealthy. Because of this, believe it or not, produce grown commercially today is also not as nutritious as produce that was available say forty years ago. So even the food we assume to be loaded in nutrition may not even be, and may only be of mediocre quality nutrition wise. And this is assuming we even stick to eating what would be considered only healthy items. The majority of people in this country include or use solely for their nutritional needs what is known and considered as "processed foods". Most of this is junk. It is filled with chemicals, from artificial flavors and colors, to food additives, flavor enhancers, chemical preservatives, artery clogging trans-fats, etc...The obesity epidemic in this country is at a critical level, and these processed foods are a direct reason for it. When it comes to the nutrition we achieve and obtain from the foods we eat, obtaining our vitamins and minerals from natural sources (good food) is the preferred method. Vitamins and minerals obtained from foods are more easily assimiliated into our bodies, and because of this are used more completely. Vitamins and minerals from powders, pills, tablets, etc...are good if they are obtained from the correct sources, in other words sources that are of high/correct assimilation quality, high potency and processed correctly. If they are, then their assimilation into our bodies and our bodies ability to utilize and retain them will be optimized. When we push ourselves everyday, say long distance hiking for example, and we are not always able to eat as well as we would like, without supplementation of high quality vitamins and minerals, there is the possibility of becoming deficient in one or the other. When the body attempts to recuperate and repair itself from all it is being asked and pushed to do, it may become unable to if we do not have vitamins and minerals readily available in our systems for it to perform these tasks. By proper supplementation we are providing quality vitamins and minerals as additional insurance so that our bodies do not become nutritionally deficient and so that they will continue to be able to recuperate and perform day after day, and not breakdown, burnout, and become unhealthy and possibly ill.

[fiddlehead]

I agree with Mattie and Weary.
I took them once. My pee turned a weird color.
Never took them again.
Did 7 thru-hikes.
Never had a problem with my health although i had a fever for a few days on my last hike.

[pistol p]

.....don't make my pee bright colors either - like the pill vitamins do. No idea why.



I remember the first time that happened to me. I was like, ***, my pee is glowing!!

I use a multi vitamin that is meant for athletes when I hike. I sweat like a pig and am afraid loosing too much nutrition. GNC Mega Man multi vitamin is my choice...expensive, but I notice a difference.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

take-um nothing to lose only adds a little weight to a pack

[garlic08]

Best advice I've seen in recent years about taking supplements was in Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food". He says you should be the type of person who takes supplements, but don't actually take the supplements (with some exceptions like iron for women, etc). If you're the type of person who takes supplements, you're probably eating well and taking care of yourself anyway and you probably don't need the supplements.

I stopped taking vitamins years ago, actually following a doctor's advice, and have never noticed any adverse effects. Many long hikes later, I'm convinced I don't need them. I believe I literally pissed away all that money I spent on them. Other than that, they probably don't do any harm.

[hikerboy57]

Its not a bad idea to take a good multi, but maybe once a week instead of daily.theres an added benefit, in that thiamine for some reason helps keep the bugs away.

[fehchet]

A good daily vitamin intake usually can be achieved through a good diet but supplements are another thing. Taking glucosamine chondroitin, ubiquinol, probiotics, resveratrol, and krill oil help the body function well.

[weary]

Here's what Prevention magazine published last summer:


Time to kick the multivitamin habit, studies suggest
Daily supplements don't help prevent disease and may actually cause some harm
New research suggests multivitamin supplements aren't essential to getting the proper nutrients.By Sarah Mahoney
Prevention
updated 11/3/2010 9:35:27 AM ET 2010-11-03T13:35:27
If you're like many Prevention readers, multivitamins have been a key part of your daily routine since... well, forever. As recently as 2002, no less an authority than the Journal of the American Medical Association recommended that "all adults take one multivitamin daily."

We at Prevention have suggested them to you dozens of times over the years as well. And many doctors and nutritionists still urge a multivitamin to any "less-than-perfect eater" to compensate for dietary shortfalls.

But today, a tsunami of scientific data has resulted in a reversal in thinking among many experts in the health and nutrition community, including Miriam Nelson, PhD, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity at Tufts University. "The multivitamin as insurance policy is an old wives' tale, and we need to debunk it," she says.


The sea change is supported by two massive studies. The first, a review of 63 randomized, controlled trials (the gold standard research method) on multivitamins, published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, found that multis did nothing to prevent cancer or heart disease in most populations (the exception being developing countries where nutritional deficiencies are widespread).

In the second paper, published last year, scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center followed 160,000 postmenopausal women for about 10 years. The researchers' conclusion: "Multivitamins failed to prevent cancer, heart disease, and all causes of death for all women. Whether the women were healthy eaters or ate very few fruits and vegetables, the results were the same," says the lead author, Marian Neuhouser, PhD.

Maybe you never expected your multi to prevent breast cancer or head off a heart attack. Maybe you just felt that taking one would make you healthier by boosting your immunity or energy level.

But research on those benefits is equally discouraging, especially in specialized groups on which you'd expect them to have an impact. For instance, a British review of eight studies found no evidence that multis reduced infections in older adults.

Another study found that the vitamins didn't improve fatigue among breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. And inner-city schoolchildren who took a multi did not perform any better on tests or have fewer sick days than students who didn't take one.

Try the anti-cancer diet.

"There is even a small body of evidence that may suggest harm from a multi," says David Katz, MD, MPH, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. A 2010 study of Swedish women found that those who took multivitamins were 19% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer over a 10-year period than those who didn't.

A 2007 paper in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that men who took multivitamins along with other supplements were at increased risk of prostate cancer. And other research has linked excessive folic acid intake to higher colon cancer risk in people who are predisposed. "In terms of a risk-benefit ratio," says Dr. Katz, "why would you accept even a tiny risk if you're not getting any benefit?"

Buyer beware

It still shocks people that the FDA doesn't regulate supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and herbs, the same way it does for drugs. Supplements don't have to go through any safety testing before they hit stores. Despite 2007 legislation that marginally increased the FDA's authority, health and safety critics say the FDA doesn't have enough resources to oversee the industry.

-Prevention
So why were earlier researchers so wrong? One reason is that they were studying the wrong people. It's now well known that people who take vitamins tend to be some of the planet's healthiest to begin with. Researchers have shown that vitamin takers tend to be leaner, more affluent, and more educated. They drink and smoke less; they exercise and go to the doctor more. In other words, they're healthy despite their use of multis.

In addition, the very concept of a multivitamin as nutrient delivery system is limited. We now have a much better understanding of how well whole foods deliver their nutritional benefits. A typical multi contains 10 to 25 isolated nutrients, but fruits and vegetables have hundreds of active compounds with a long list of health properties. "The vitamin C in a multivitamin is likely just not as effective as the vitamin C in a citrus fruit, where it's also surrounded by fiber and flavonoids and carotenoids. All these nutrients working together is what really keeps you healthy," explains Dr. Neuhouser.

So even when you're not eating the healthiest diet, there's no proof that a multivitamin is the right tool to fill in the gaps. "And it doesn't make up for the main disease-fighting nutrients the average American woman is missing, like fiber, omega-3s, and vitamin D," says Dr. Katz.

For his part, Dr. Katz no longer recommends multis to most of his patients, nor does he take them himself. Neither does Kathleen Fairfield, MD, associate chief of medicine at Maine Medical Center and coauthor of the 2002 JAMA article that recommended multivitamins as a prudent health measure. Many Prevention advisors who specialize in cancer or nutrition research recently told us they've stopped taking and recommending multis as well.

[ChinMusic]

Gee, not one study on whether a multi makes you feel better while hiking 10 hours a day for 5 months.............

[ashleigh22]

Speaking of vitamins.. has anyone heard of the Balance of Nature (http://www.balanceofnature.com) vitamins? They are said to be better than a multi-vitamin. I can't say because I've never taken them, but was thinking about getting some for my 2012 trip since I have a coupon. Has anyone used these before?:-?
(http://www.balanceofnature.com/)

[hikerboy57]

Speaking of vitamins.. has anyone heard of the Balance of Nature (http://www.balanceofnature.com) vitamins? They are said to be better than a multi-vitamin. I can't say because I've never taken them, but was thinking about getting some for my 2012 trip since I have a coupon. Has anyone used these before?:-?
(http://www.balanceofnature.com/)
Have you tried placebos?the new placebos are much better than the older ones and they're just as efficient as most vitamins..All the above avice has been good, if it makes you feel better, than take one once in a while, everyday is overkill, you just want to prevent your body from any serious deficiencies. And if you're this concerned, you're probably taking better care of yourself anyway.

[DrRichardCranium]

Beer has carbohydrates and protein, and B vitamins. Home brewed beer and some brewpub beer also contains brewers yeast, a health food. Beer contains B12, which some people, especially vegetarians, don't get enough of.


So finish your beer. There are sober children in Africa.

[Dogwood]

Catingeorgia, welcome to the oh so hotly debated and often confusing world of health and nutritition! As you have shortly found out on this WB thread, opinions about these topics vary wildly and can often oppose one another, much like religion! This occurs even among nutritionists, M.D.'s, and other health care industry professionals, whether they be associated with main stream western medical practices, eastern medicine, integrative medicine, or alternative medical outlets.

Everyday, especially while on the trail doing long mile days hiking strenuously for 14 hrs per day, sometimes more, I find these supplements to DEFINITELY be helpful:
1500 mg glucocsamine sulfate (joints)
1200 mg chondroitin (joints)
400 mg SAM-e (joints, liver, mood support, anti-inflammatory, musculolskeletal support)
120 mg Hyaluronic acid (joint fluid)
3000 -8000 mg MSM (does several things but most importantly, for me, assists sore muscle recovery and joint support)
400 mg Alpha Lipoic acid (powerful anti-oxidant)
400 mg CoQ10 (heart support)
50 mg DHEA
5000 IU Natural mixed tocopherols(Vit E), (anti-oxidant and blood thinner, I take this high of a dose because I need to thin my blood because of an existing medical condition)
1500-2000 mg Acetyl-L-carnitine(brain functions, metabolic functions)

Do the research yourself, IF you dare! I advise that you draw your own conclusions taking data/examining studies from MANY different sources including: western medical sources(HEAVILY influenced by the pharmaceutical industry), eastern medicine(influenced by ALL sorts of things, but at least tends to treat the whole body and causes rather than addressing the symptoms), alternative and intergrative medical outlets(such as Dr Andrew Weils studies and data), and from the heathfood industry. I would try to ascertain who commissioned/paid for/had a business interest in what studies were conducted, who conducted them, and how they were conducted! With a little, sometimes a lot, of digging you wil find that MANY studies are often conducted with built-in biases or to acheive pre sought after results, ESPECIALLY in the area of nutrition and medicine! Also, be VERY MINDFUL of how various data is explained, interpreted, or conclusions derived and what exactly is being stated and what exactly is NOT being said!

I forewarn you. Some very powerful, intelligent, wealthy, and influential people/businesses/industries heavily play in this area disseminating (mis)information!

Yes, as stated by some other posters, vitamins are VITALLY important and we should all get all our vitamins in the food we eat. Though, sometimes, especially noticing what some thru-hikers are consuming and the non-typical stresses a thru-hiker puts on a body or eating a typical western diet we don't get what we need so I think a vitamin can help.

[weary]

.....Do the research yourself, IF you dare! I advise that you draw your own conclusions taking data/examining studies from MANY different sources including: western medical sources(HEAVILY influenced by the pharmaceutical industry), eastern medicine(influenced by ALL sorts of things, but at least tends to treat the whole body and causes rather than addressing the symptoms), alternative and intergrative medical outlets(such as Dr Andrew Weils studies and data), and from the heathfood industry. I would try to ascertain who commissioned/paid for/had a business interest in what studies were conducted, who conducted them, and how they were conducted! With a little, sometimes a lot, of digging you wil find that MANY studies are often conducted with built-in biases or to acheive pre sought after results, ESPECIALLY in the area of nutrition and medicine! Also, be VERY MINDFUL of how various data is explained, interpreted, or conclusions derived and what exactly is being stated and what exactly is NOT being said!

I forewarn you. Some very powerful, intelligent, wealthy, and influential people/businesses/industries heavily play in this area disseminating (mis)information! .......
Having grown up as a sickly kid, I've been doing research most of my 81 years. I can attest that things I've done over those years seem to have worked, though they include around 20 multivitamin pills, I doubt if the pills they had much impact. I took a few when I found a half bottle in a hiker box at Damascus, took several and deposited the rest in a hiker box at Rusty's.

A few years ago our town land trust needed to carry or drag a few 60 pound timbers a half mile to some proposed bog bridging. Twelve members, average age 20 years younger than me, proclaimd they were too old for such work. So I dragged them in myself.

I remain our most active trail maintenance land trust member, though I now recruit a couple of grandkids to help.

Because I've never made much money, I always eaten cheaply, but as healthily as possible. The necesity for cheap, meant foregoing most organic foods that I haven't grown myself. And I don't practice organic gardeneing

I skip most organics because promoters seem fixated on a myth, namely that a plant much cares about there it gets his Nitrogen, phosphorous. and potassium -- from the natural minerals or the minerals that have been fed through another plant.

Plant wastes carry good stuff other than the three chemicals. So I compost all vegetable matter my garden and kitchen generates as waste. But I use those pure mineral versions as needed also. It works. What can I saY?

[fiddlehead]

Also, not cooking your fresh veggies too hard or not at all is good.

I just spent 5 months in the states and seeing the horrible TV ads shown on those shows that old people watch at my mother's nursing home made me very sad.
These drug companies are doing their best to brainwash people into buying crap they don't need.
Just eat healthy (not the so called SAD diet) (google it)

Don't be brainwashed folks. Get lots of exercise (oh, you are thru-hiking? no problem).
And eat an apple when you can.

You'll be fine and the drug companies can work on the less knowledgeable people for their profits.

[Smile]

make sure it's a whole food vitamin, the ones in stores like "one a day" just pass on through.

[10-K]

Gee, not one study on whether a multi makes you feel better while hiking 10 hours a day for 5 months.............

That would be Dexedrine... :)

[ephbulay123]

Yes, vitamins are really important. It defends your body from any bacteria and micro-organisms that are bad for your health. It can also help you to avoid from illness.

[sbhikes]

My anecdotal evidince: I hiked the PCT in two halves over two summers.

Half #1: No vitamins. I felt vitamin deficient, my body felt like it was breaking down, the hiking actually felt difficult and I was already a strong hiker at the start.

Half #2: I brought along Emergen-C packets to flavor my drinks. I felt like a powerhouse, I got stronger as time went on, I was hikign 30 mile days in the north Cascades. It didn't matter one bit how steep a hill was, I barely noticed. I never felt weak or tired or run-down.

[fiddlehead]

Agree with Weary and Matti, Never took them, (Ok once, and it turned my piss a strange flourescent green, not cool), never felt the need to take them.
Still running half marathons and doing trail runs and bushwhacking mountains for fun at 60.
But hey!, one of my best friends makes his living selling them, so, for those who think they're worthwhile. keep it up, he needs the money.

[HiKen2011]

I think with the proper diet and excercise, no, but what do I know