Supplements page 2

[Annlee]

I am now down to 2 or 3 (depending on the day) - fish oil (not needed if I get my omega-3 eggs -- 3 eggs = 1 large gelcap), K2 (hard for me to get grass fed butter or cheese), D (if I know I'm not going to get at least 30 min of sunshine on my body that day).

[JamesS]

Depends what your gaols or needs are.

I think the staple big 3 for anyone are a multivitamin, fish oil, probiotics.

But some other useful supps would be magnesism oil, digestive enzymes, protein powder, phosphatidyl serine (for stress), Melatonin (for sleep), 5-HTP (for the blues), and creatine.

People should be aware of the potential side effects of a few of those supplements.

The use of digestive enzymes shuts down the body's own production of the enzymes being substituted for the body's own production. Some enzymes, including amylase, also increase blood sugar levels and calories by breaking down in this case starches in to sugar. But I really dislike cellulase and hemicellulase since they not only increase blood sugar and calories, but they also digest the primary foods for our beneficial flora starving them. I prefer to stimulate the body's own production of enzymes with things like bitters.

The average melatonin is 3mg, which is hundreds of thousands times higher than what the body normally produces on its own. Therefore, there is once again the risk of shutting down the body's own ability to produce melatonin. And the long term effects of such massive levels in the body is unknown.

5-HTP can help in some cases of depression since it is a precursor for serotonin. But not all cases of depression are a result of low serotonin, and elevating serotonin levels higher when already normal can lead to mental disturbances, loss of appetite, erectile dysfunction in men and loss of libido in both men and women. Therefore, it is best that people stick to the lowest dose possible starting out to see if they are likely to respond to elevated serotonin while reducing the risk of side effects.

And finally, don't go overboard on creatine. Creatine is high in phosphorus, which can cause pseudohyperparathyroidism if taken in excess leading to bone loss.

[Ollie]

Any links regarding digestive enyzmes shutting down the body's own production?

[JamesS]

Any links regarding digestive enyzmes shutting down the body's own production?

I don't have them off hand, but I have seen the studies showing this. I believe I found them on Medline. But I am leaving in a few minutes as I am already late, so I am not looking for them right now. If you want though try searching Medline.

This is a common thing though for the body to compensate by shutting down production when levels of compounds it normally produces are elevated well above normal. We see it when people take thyroid medications, birth control pills, estrogen or other hormone replacement therapies, etc. The body responds to levels of certain compounds releasing what it needs to deal with the levels of those compounds. If the compounds the body would normally produce are increased above normal the body will reduce its production thinking the gland or organ producing that substance is overactive. So the gland or organ is suppressed to compensate for the excessive levels of the substance being substituted.

[BennettC]

shes right, you really don't need anything if your diet is right. although im interested in evening primrose oil

[abbsman]

hmm thanks for starting this Nick. I have been thinking about supplements recently especially since I am VLC and as much as I try, I know there might be some nutrients I won't be getting much of consistently.

Anywho I take Whey, multivitamin, Vitamin D and Magnesium at the moment.

I am interested in your pill vs liquid form theory as my magnesium is in pill form but was advised that liquid might be better overall for faster uptake.

I already drink whey protein as it helps with my lifts.

I have noticed huge difference in taking pills vs. liquids

Examples

Fish Oil pills- Noticed no difference

Fish Oil- 1 tsp- Clearer thinking, calmer & steady state of mind


B-Vitamin Pill- No difference

B-Vitamin Droplers- Increased energy level all day


Maybe it is just my body but who knows

[abbsman]

First of all you should be taking a good magnesium with the calcium. Taking a lot of calcium without magnesium is just asking for health problems. This is because calcium contracts muscles while magnesium relaxes muscles. So an imbalance of calcium and magnesium with a much higher ratio of calcium can lead to high blood pressure, constipation, migraines, muscle cramps/spasms, bronchiole constriction, etc. This is why calcium channel blockers or magnesium are used to treat so many of these conditions.

Acdified forms of calcium and magnesium, such as citrate or malate, are the best absorbed and most beneficial. The carbonates and oxides are the worst. This includes calcium carbonate found under the names oyster shell, dolomite and coral.

As for the claim that liquids are better I strongly disagree. Liquid minerals are OK, although they often contain poorly absorbed forms of the minerals. Liquid vitamins and herbs though are a joke. Water promotes oxidative destruction of these things rendering them useless in a very short period of time. For example, back in high school we tested the stability of the common synthetic ascorbic acid ("vitamin C" sold in health food stores. We exposed samples to light, low heat and moisture. After 40 minutes we tested each of the samples for vitamin C content. In all three samples the vitamin C had already been completely destroyed. Even fruits and vegetables lose vitamin content rapidly as they sit around on the store shelves. And the same reason herbs need to be dried as quickly as possible after being harvested without a lot of heat and out of direct light. The longer it takes for the herbs to dry the more of the nutrients and other active compounds are destroyed by increased oxidation due to the presence of moisture. This is why I rarely use teas or tinctures for medicine. I prefer powders or capsuled herbs, especially when using them for nutrition.

As for other recommendations, one other thing I would highly recommend is chromium polynicotinate. Along with magnesium the chromium helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels, which has been shown to help reduce "aging". Chromium polynicotinate is 300 times more effective than chromium picolinate, but the same cost.

Silica is also essential since it is the most common deficiency of aging that lead to many of the "aging" disorders such as wrinkles, osteoporosis, osteaoarthritis, emphysema, diverticulitis, etc.:

Alt/Trad Medical Review

I don't like horsetail grass (shavegrass) for silica though for various reasons including its vasoconstrictive properties.:

Alt/Trad Medical Review

I prefer either food grade diatomaceous earth or bamboo shavings, which are the highest sources of silica. Seaweeds, nettle leaf, butcher's broom and couchgrass are also great sources.

Thanks for the Calcium tip, my doctor said i had a calcium deficiency, so i just juiced up the calcium without the magnesium.

-Nick

[bluechip]

I see it's been a few months since there has been a post on this thread, so hopefully it's still going...

This is what I am currently doing, I'm curious to hear what people think as I'm not an expert...

Mondays:
- Super Pack (MultiVitamin pack -from Beverly International)
Tuesday through Sunday:
- Fit Tab (MultiVitamin -from Beverly International)
- GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil + Vitamin D3, Softgels
Everyday:
- IGF-2 by Applied Nutriceuticals (Before Bed)
- L-Carnitine Plus Raspberry Ketones by Top Secret Nutrition (Twice daily)
Occasionally:
- protein shake post workout: Gold Standard 100% Whey by Optimum Nutrition.