LIVING WITH MCL

OK, so it hasn't really been that bad a year. I'm not sure how anyone could claim it was a bad year after surviving open heart surgery the previous one? That is except for me of course. :) Despite being mostly back to normal, I'm still experiencing the occasional, unexpected ache or pain, which I can't help but worry is a precursor to some other new, unwanted problem. I've also gained some weight over the past few months, which I'm finding difficult to get rid of, and the shorter days and colder weather, which always seem to occur this time of year, aren't helping the matter either. Then there's the adventure associated with taking an iron supplement . I've been anemic for the past several years without suffering too many ill effects, so why I felt as though I needed to start taking one now, and endure all the unpleasant side effects , is beyond me. I'd like to stop (I think it may be attributing some to my weight gain), but my last blood test sh...

Everyday the evidence keeps mounting against the wholesale taking of vitamins and supplements. Now the efficacy and the necessity for taking Vitamin D, a vitamin I once considered taking, even recommending it in the past , is being debunked. Vitamin D supplements 'don't ward off ill health': [There is] Little evidence pills lower risk of cancer, strokes or other conditions ......a review of 462 studies involving more than a million adults has concluded that a lack of vitamin D is not a trigger for many common illnesses. ..................... Lead author Professor Philippe Autier, from the International  Prevention Research Institute  in Lyon, France, said: ‘What this  discrepancy suggests is that decreases in vitamin D levels are a marker of deteriorating health. Ageing and inflammatory processes involved in disease occurrence .... reduce vitamin D concentrations, which would explain why vitamin D deficiency is reported in a wide range of disorders.’ I'm not quite sure ...

Most herbal supplements are fake ! At least it's not a surprise to me. And why would anyone expect it to be otherwise? After all, we're talking about a totally unregulated industry where there in no risk, nor penalty for lying, cutting corners, or making misleading statements concerning the efficacy of such products. What may be even more disconcerting is what this means for the rest of the industry? Even though this study only addresses herbal supplements, there is mounting evidence indicting the entire vitamin and supplement industry. (Most recently Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia  banned most supplements  from it's pharmacy). And just when I started taking an iron supplement. :( So if you're still skeptical, or like myself, find themselves in need of a supplement, just remember the old 'free market' adage caveat emptor  [buyer beware] Such is life!