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I live in Finland and the sunlight is nearly non existant.

I take some supplements from the US and some from here. Because of the difference in the way their % daily value is measured it is hard for me to assess exactly how much I'm taking of the various supplements.

I take a good load of Omega 3 via Fish Oil and Flax Oil, as well as Calcium with Vit D, plus extra D on the side. I top everything off before bed with a nightcap of Magnesium.

I know this is vague, but how am I doing? What else do I need? How much of each should I take? And when? I noticed that I was overdoing the Fish Oil by taking the three daily doses at the same time, always after lunch. I feel better now that I spread them out.

Advice?

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 A sample of what you eat in a day would help determine what nutrients you may benefit from. – Mscott Dec 13 2011 at 0:10
You're setting yourself up for soft tissue calcification with a Ca supplement, vitamin D and no K2. You also probably don't need to take fish or flax oil at all unless you can't source good meat, eggs and fish there. I was under the impression that Finland has pretty good food quality though. – Travis Culp♦ Dec 13 2011 at 1:24
While there is fish in Finland, I would not say that it is as integral part of the Finnish diet as it is, say, in Sweden and Norway. I should also mention that I am not a Native Finn, but an American who has been living here for about a year and a half. I would say that a majority of Finns take Omega3 Supps of some sort. With the lack of sunlight (even when the sun is "out" its usually behind a wall of gray clouds) it is super important for their health to keep it up. I guess I'm looking to see how other people supplement and when they take what throughout the day... – trentasaurus Dec 13 2011 at 7:20
In addition to K2 to avoid calcification, don't forget vitamin A to protect from D toxicity. – Dean Dec 13 2011 at 9:28
If sun is non-existant, you don't live in Finland, you live in a cave. Sure, winters are dark, but we get 18-24 hours of sunlight in the summers. That's right, the sun doesn't go down at all in northern Finland in the summer. – Wisper Dec 13 2011 at 11:15
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5 Answers

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As a Finn living in the Netherlands, here's my daily regimen after quite a bit of research on the subject:

  • 4 gels of cod liver oil from Now Foods (10,000 IU of vitamin A, 1080 IU vitamin D, 2600mg of cod liver oil)
  • 1x Super K from Life Extension (K2, both M-4 1000 mcg and M-7 100mcg since there is no consensus which is better, and K1 1000mcg)
  • 1x Vitamin D from MyProtein (additional 2500 IU of D, taken only in the winters)
  • 1x G8 Dophilus from Now Foods until I get my fermented foods up and running
  • 3x ZMA caps (zinc and magnesium)
  • will start adding 1000mg of C-vitamin

Please critique, comment.

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The vitamin D I purchased from the Yliopiston Apteeki doesn't measure anything in IU... My Finnish language is still developing, but I'm pretty sure the packaging doesn't say anything about IU. I am taking Devisol STRONG D3-vitamiinitabletti (50 microg). Any thoughts on what that transfers to in IU? – trentasaurus Dec 13 2011 at 13:13
According to Wikipedia 50 mcg is 2000 IU, which sounds about right for a Finnish winter. There are IU converters online - BUT NOTE THAT IU DEPENDS ON THE VITAMIN, so you have to use a converter specifically for D. – Wisper Dec 13 2011 at 13:37
Thanks! Super helpful :-) – trentasaurus Dec 13 2011 at 19:16
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You are doing much better than I! You seem to have a sensible routine.

I have a number of supplements sitting in my cupboards, but I usually forget them. I sometimes sprinkle a little kelp powder on a green salad, or a little cod liver oil into my re-heated broth, but that's about it. I try to get mid-day sun (I live in the southern US.)

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I take quite a few supplements. Probably a holdover from when I used to be into bodybuilding.

  • Coconut Oil (a few teaspoons daily)
  • Multivitamin (daily)
  • Protein/BCAAs(occassionally, usually after a workout if I can't get a meal in)
  • Fish Oil (~12-15g ED)
  • Sesamin Oil (~3-6g ED)
  • Culturelle (a probiotic complex....every few days)
  • Vitamin D (~5g ED)
  • ZMK (a Zinc and Magnesium heavy multimineral complex; each night before bed)

Out of all this stuff, the ones I would prioritize are: Fish Oil, Vitamin D, and the multimineral blend.

As far as what you're taking, I think the supplements you take are good and you have your bases covered. I think something that could help you is finding your optimal dose of Vitamin D and Fish Oil. Since I've found mine, I've been happier and my mood has improved drastically. Experimentation is the only way to do that. Good luck to you.

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Check that the ZMK you're taking doesn't have calcium in it, as it hinders zinc absorption. – Wisper Dec 13 2011 at 20:32
It doesn't have calcium. nutraplanet.com/product/… – RobE Dec 14 2011 at 22:08
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Mine's as follows:

  • With every meal (3 times/day approx): Multi-vit, Liv52, Fish Oil (1-2 grams, if not eating fish), 500mg l-Glutathione, NOW Foods digestive enzyme

  • Once every 3 days: 10k IU VitD (healthy origins)

  • Before bed: ZMA if worked out that day, 3mg melatonin if not

Not a fan of K2; don't see much use in it if you eat the right foods (I realise the same goes for fish oil, but I eat a lot of nuts so figure this will help with my 3-6 ratio - thoughts?)

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Melatonin is a hormone and pretty strong one at that, and has caused depression in some long-term studies. It's banned (prescription only) in the EU due to those reasons. I stay far away from it as a supplement. – Wisper Dec 13 2011 at 13:39
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Multi-Vitamin with (time released) B12 1000mcg

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