Taking several Vitamins & herbs

Can anyone explain to me if taking several vitamins and herbs at the same
time will effectively cancel each other out or possibly cause a loss of
absorbtion (sp) within the body ?

Thanks

3 Responses to “Taking several Vitamins & herbs”

  1. admin says:

    In article <CuAo1L….@ns1.nodak.edu> ol…@badlands.NoDak.edu (Lynn W Olund) writes:

    >Can anyone explain to me if taking several vitamins and herbs at the same
    >time will effectively cancel each other out or possibly cause a loss of
    >absorbtion (sp) within the body ?

    Vitamins, minerals, and herbs are no different than any synthetic
    prescription or non-prescription medication.  They all have unwanted
    side-effects and the potential to interact with other vitamins, minerals,
    herbs, or synthetic medications.

    For example, foods or herbs that have high levels of oxalic (e.g. rhubarb)
    or phytic (e.g. grains) can prevent the proper absorption of calcium.  High
    levels of caffeine intake can reduce the levels of vitamin C in the body.

    My recommendation would be to consult with a knowledgable herbalist.

    Pat

    ———————————————————————-
    Patrick Crawford                        Snail Mail: 13 Fountain Dr.
    e-mail: pcraw…@peinet.pe.ca                       Charlottetown, PEI
    phone:  (902) 894-8095 (home)                       Canada   C1A 6L9
            (902) 894-8553 (work)

  2. admin says:

    In article <32ae0m$…@bud.peinet.pe.ca>, pcraw…@bud.peinet.pe.ca (Patrick Crawford) writes…

    #In article <CuAo1L….@ns1.nodak.edu> ol…@badlands.NoDak.edu (Lynn W Olund) writes:
    #>Can anyone explain to me if taking several vitamins and herbs at the same
    #>time will effectively cancel each other out or possibly cause a loss of
    #>absorbtion (sp) within the body ?
    #
    #Vitamins, minerals, and herbs are no different than any synthetic
    #prescription or non-prescription medication.  They all have unwanted
    #side-effects and the potential to interact with other vitamins, minerals,
    #herbs, or synthetic medications.
    #
    #For example, foods or herbs that have high levels of oxalic (e.g. rhubarb)
    #or phytic (e.g. grains) can prevent the proper absorption of calcium.  High
    #levels of caffeine intake can reduce the levels of vitamin C in the body.
    #
    #My recommendation would be to consult with a knowledgable herbalist.
    #
    #Pat
    #–
    #———————————————————————-
    #Patrick Crawford                        Snail Mail: 13 Fountain Dr.
    #e-mail: pcraw…@peinet.pe.ca                       Charlottetown, PEI
    #phone:  (902) 894-8095 (home)                       Canada   C1A 6L9
    #        (902) 894-8553 (work)

       What is often forgotten and needs to be mentioned is that the vitamins and
     minerals found in herbs and foods often contain the proper CO-FACTORS that
     are needed by the body to use those vitamins and minerals in the best way.

       The best example that comes to mind is the bioflavinoids in citrus fruits,
     and how it aids and protects the vitamin C in the fruit.  As well, the Citric
     acid itself has value in this process in assisting the absorption of minerals.

       When you buy the pure form of a vitamin or mineral, you don’t get those
     co-factors, and consequently you may not get the full benefit possible.

       And, yes, there are some foods contain factors which actually hinder the
     absorption of nutrients.

     Fred W. Bach ,    Operations Group        |  Internet: mu…@erich.triumf.ca
     TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility)    |  Voice:  604-222-1047 loc 327/333
     4004 WESBROOK MALL, UBC CAMPUS            |  FAX:    604-222-1074
     University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA   V6T 2A3
      Damien says " If you don’t STAND for SOMETHING, you’ll FALL for ANYTHING "
     These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
     They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.

  3. admin says:

    PC> Vitamins, minerals, and herbs are no different than any synthetic
    PC> prescription or non-prescription medication.  They all have unwanted
    PC> side-effects and the potential to interact with other vitamins,
    PC> minerals, herbs, or synthetic medications.

    I don’t know that "they all have unwanted side-effects." A bit broad of a
    brush, no? There are no side effects to speak of involved in
    multi-vitamin/mineral one a day use. There are no side effects to taking 400
    IU of Vitamin E. There are no side-effects from taking Chromium at 100mcg.
    There are no side-effects from taking bioflavinoids or 500mg of Vitamin C.
    Nor do herbal teas of the beverage sort have side-effects.

    <<<<<<To the original poster: The best way to go is to post the actual
    question that concerns you. The original post was too vague.>>>>>>>>>

    A general answer to a general question is: if an herb makes you feel bad,
    don’t use it; seek out some assistance, reliable information, or avoid
    self-treatment for health imbalance; as for hidden interactions between
    vitamins and minerals, don’t worry about it–if you are taking vitamins and
    minerals, you are getting a buffer anyhow, so some potency loss through
    competition for absorption is not a problem. There aren’t any major negatives
    to worry about in those interactions, if what we are talking about is a
    multivit/mineral pill and some antioxidants.