Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

When you get your annual, your doc will check the results of your blood test. If you're low on something, supplements will have an effect. I used to be low on D. I think lots of folks in the PNW see that. So I followed my doc's rec and supplemented D3 in the quantity he advised. Problem solved. I'm supposed to have copper for my eyes. OK, how much copper is in your diet? So I take a supplement, so far so good. I have age-related macular degeneration, the dry kind. Very common. There's a list of test supplements which worked in studies. I started taking them. My eyes have not deteriorated further. Yeah sure, put your trust in your vegetables that everything's going to be fine? And find out a few years later that you were wrong? Or take some preventative. It's not as disastrous have having the rhythm method fail, but it's still not good.

40 years ago, I started having pain in my knees while descending mountain trails on hikes and backpacks. I tried ibuprofen, which made it worse over time. I did some research, started taking glucosamine sulphate and MSM. Knee pain went away and 40 years later, I can do anything I want, no knee pain, nada. So I was going to stop doing things which made my knees hurt and not spend that $100/year and keep active? I don't think so.

I used to have old person bruises on my forearms. Very common. I started taking vitamin K. No more bruises.

Stuff happens. There are ways to fix most everything. Ideology does not rule. Practicum rules. Just look around and see all the damage caused by ideology.