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Comment by cavisne | Hacker News Reader

"At this point, if one is thinking about supplementation, either omega-3s or vitamin D, talking to your physician or healthcare provider is the next step" Does anyone actually talk to their doctor before taking a vitamin? What information could they possibly provide

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I have a terrific new naturopathic doctor who actually cares about my health and will run blood panels frequently and let me know what lifestyle changes and supplements would help me. I never knew before that I was deficient in zinc. Before her though, most of my doctors were of the bland "if you aren't in extreme pain then it's not a problem" camp.

I would much rather have a "if you aren't in extreme pain then it's not a problem" doctor, than one who would over diagnose every minor issue.

I'd rather have a competent doctor than either of those.

And them listening to their patient is a necessary condition! A doctor who doesn’t listen to his/her patient is a red flag.

And one who doesn't just happen to sell the thing she just told you you need.

I've recently discovered that naturopaths actually go to med school and that a naturopaths has a license to practice medicine, which blows my mind. I always thought they were snake oil salesmen.

They could inform you how much 30 minutes of their time and the facility fees truly cost. ;-)

If you're quite serious about it you could maybe draw blood and see if you're deficient in any particular vitamins.

Just ask them at your annual checkup for ghod's sake. it's free then.

Yeah, that's true. My previous comment was very tongue-in-cheek, sorry. (And: in this country you're reasonably lucky if you get a free annual checkup.)

My doctor's excellent on the topic. She pays a lot of attention to studies on supplements and has made recommendations and answered questions for me. The key information she provides is: Given my health history, is this likely to be useful to me? With a side of: Are there unexpected risks for me?

And what has she suggested?

You are seriously asking me to reveal my medical history?

Short answer: none of your business.

I'm glad to say, though, that I spot-checked what she said against the medical research literature myself and it seemed right to me.

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