Ruokavaliosta ja lisäravinteista

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http://www.calorierestriction.org/archive/read.php?3,182650,182650#msg-182650

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There are also some nutrients that, although not strictly essential,
should likely be supplemented by vegetarians (and to a lesser extent
high-vegetable, low-animal-food ones like those many CR folk are on):
carnosine, carnitine, and taurine. The standard dogma is that the latter
aren't an issue because of endogenous biosynthesis, but there is
evidence of varying strength that not only are vegetarians' levels of
them lower than omnivores' (which might of course be harmless), but that
supplementing the intake of these nutrients differentially benefits
vegetarians, or benefits vegetarians in ways that have not been
*reported* in omnivores.

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In a few cases, you can get crucial, very personal feedback on your
status using blood tests. This doesn't work if you just test the LEVEL
of a nutrient, but for biochemical parameters of their metabolism, such
as transketolase and/or the thiamin pyrophosphate effect for B1.
Unfortunately, there are few reliable tests for mineral adequacy.
Amongst the ones for which you SHOULD get tested, even if you're
following the above guidelines and feel fine, are homocysteine (> 9
likely means that you need more B12, folic acid, or B6);
25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D -- (NOT 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D)), which
should be at least 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL); if you're vegetarian, on CR, or
a menstruating woman, ferritin (as a test for iron sufficiency; should
be low-normal to minimize risk); and if you are vegetarian or on CR, and
if you can get it, a zinc sulfate solution test (you slosh the solution
around in your mouth for 10 s; if your status is adequate, it will taste
grossly bitter; if it's only mildly unpleasant, or tasteless, you're
deficient).

Similarly, you should get tested, to the extnet that you can, for the
'pharmacological' effects of relevant nutrients: BMD for bone health,
blood lipids for dyslipidemia, Pap smear for cervical dysplasia.

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Whichever multivitamin one chooses, however, NO ONE should be taking a
full day's dose! Taking 9 OrthoCore, or 14 LEF Mix, or 6 Solaray
Spectro, 24 VRP Extend Ultra, or for that matter 1 One-A-Day, is just
not sound supplementation. Such doses (unless of a truly *remarkably*
shoddily-formulated multi) contain more or less one's ENTIRE daily
nutrient requirements of recognized essential vitamins and minerals.
That's reasonable if your diet contains nothing but fast food burgers
(no ketchup, lettuce, or tomatoes) and soda pop, but otherwise, it's a
guaranteed overdose. For some people, this will mean taking 6
OrthoCore; for some, 3. And for some, a multivitamin will be unworkable,
and they'll want to take several individual nutrients, and/or
combination formulas other than multivitamins (eg, a minerals-only
formula like OrthoMineral, or a specialized multinutrient formula like
OrthoBone). But a full day's dose of a multi, for any but the
junk-food-addict, is unnecessary at best.