Hi there!

I was wondering if it is beneficial to take 10 supplements at once, usually after ingesting my lunch. I take: vitamin A, B, E, C, D, MSM, calcium, selenium, zinc and omega-3. I take them to counteract my bad habits -- I drink a bottle of red wine almost every night and smoke two to four cigarettes while doing so.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Patricia


Hi Patricia,

Taking that many supplements at one time is fine. None of those nutrients counteract each other, so it shouldn't be a problem. Some people are on regimens far more complicated than what you've listed here and I've never heard of any problem. I would make sure that you're using a good quality brand of supplements (I don't recommend brands myself, but you might want to do some research. There is some third-party supplement review literature online if you start poking around). Cheaper supplements often contain harmful fillers and may even use ineffective versions of the nutrients themselves.

As for whether these supplements will counteract your bad habits. that is another question. I'm not going to tell you that you should quit -- you're an adult (I'm assuming) and are perfectly capable of making your own choices. You're on the right track with antioxidant vitamins like C, E and the carotenoids probably present in your vitamin A. This will at least help to counteract oxidative damage from cigarettes and alcohol.

Cigarettes cause a lot of oxidative stress on the body because they create free radicals, which can cause serious cellular damage. Antioxidant vitamins and phytonutrients, which neutralize free radicals, are a good protective step against this damage. Selenium and zinc are minerals that contribute to antioxidant molecules that your body produces itself, so including these raw materials is also a good protective step. Try taking more of the vitamin C and E before and after you have your drinks and cigarettes, instead of just with your lunch.

Vitamin D is slowly being discovered to be a little miracle worker for multiple reasons (make sure it's D3, though, not D2). I don't know if it will do anything directly to counter the effects of smoking and drinking, but everyone should be getting extra of this vitamin (even if it's just increasing your sun exposure, rather than supplementing). B vitamins are used up when your body processes alcohol, so replacing these is also a good idea. And MSM (methylsulfonylmethane -- an organic form of sulfur) provides an easily assimilated form of sulfur that will help the liver to detoxify some of the toxic stuff you're taking into your body.

None of this supplementing is going to negate the effects of your bad habits, mind you, but it is certainly better than doing nothing at all. That being said, there are a few steps you could take to minimize the damage of the wine and cigarettes. One thing you could do, obviously, would be to cut down on your consumption -- an entire bottle of wine per day is a lot of alcohol to burden your body with regularly. Yes, replacing B vitamins is a step in the right direction, but it's not a cure-all. There's also the burden being placed on your liver to consider.

You could also choose only organic brands of both your indulgences. The additives in cigarettes, both in the tobacco and the rolling papers, are actually much more harmful than the tobacco itself. And red wine can contain a whole host of nasty preservatives and pesticide residues. You can get organic wines at the LCBO, and organic tobacco and unbleached rolling papers can be found in specialty smoke shops (you might have to start "rolling your own," but this is a step which is definitely worth the trouble).

Make sure you're eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, too; preferably organic wherever possible. The phytonutrients in fresh produce will protect against any extra oxidative damage you're doing to yourself while also providing the raw materials for repairing damage that has already been done. Antioxidant-rich green tea is also a good idea, especially as a replacement for coffee, if you're drinking it.

If you really are concerned, taking these steps is certainly going in the right direction, but as I mentioned above, this is not a replacement for good healthy practices.


The Healthy Foodie is Doug DiPasquale, Holistic Nutritionist and trained chef, living in Toronto. You can email him with questions at dugdeep@gmail.com.