Vitamins

Vitamins and herbs

Introduction

This is the most complex part of my website, but the easiest to comply with. Changing your diet and exercise levels is very hard to do but very rewarding. Taking a handful of vitamins every day is much easier. The hard part comes when you have to figure out which vitamins are right for you -- what's right for you might not be right for your spouse or children. It's also very important to buy quality supplements -- cheap brands are usually chemically bound with ingredients that prevent absorbtion, and many are impure or contain things that are not listed on the label.

I take different supplements to do three things: treat specific health conditions, retard aging, and make me smarter. I'll tell you everything I take, why I take it, when I take it, and where I get it. I'll tell you of any side effects I've felt or read about.

I'll try to discuss interesting vitamins I don't take, and why I don't take them. Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and you take full responsibility for anything you try. Since vitamins may effect prescription drugs, you should check with your pharmacist if you're on antidepressants, heart drugs, blood pressure medication, diabetes drugs, or any other prescription drugs. I can't stress this enough -- vitamins are often more effective than prescription drugs for many of these conditions.

One last note before I begin. Quality vitamins can be expensive. I spend around $4,000 per year on everything I take, including some rather exotic vitamins targeted at specific conditions, and prescription drugs targeted at aging and brain function. I do it because I believe it's the best investment I can make for my future. You shouldn't have to spend that much, and you should always do a cost/benefit analysis to determine if the benefits of a supplement outweigh its cost. I include approximate costs and a link the the most affordable place to order vitamins. You may want to consider joining the Life Extension Foundation for $75 because membership buys you a 20% discount on pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and other supplements. They have reviewed more than sixty-four years' worth of published medical literature, and Foundation personnel have spent more than thirty-five years working with physicians and scientists in the antiaging field.

Note: I weight 240lbs and work out a lot. If you are a woman or just a lot smaller than me, you may want to back off from the dosage I take, especially where I take multiple pills, like Vitamin C or TMG.

To measure vitamins, there are 3 main units: grams (g), milligrams(mg), micrograms (mcg), and IU (International Units). It's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you not accidentally take milligrams when you should be taking micrograms; you would likely overdose on the vitamin.

Anti-aging
What	Why	When	Where	Side effects
Life Extension Mix capsules without Niacin, recommended dose My main vitamin supplement	These vitamins have the most bang for the buck and contain ingredients that retard aging, treat conditions, and enhance intelligence. See here for the long list of what vitamins are in it and why I take each of them.	Half in the morning with food, half with dinner	Link	If taken on an empty stomach, you may get an upset stomach. Comes in tablets, powder, or capsules, with or without copper, and with or without niacin. Niacin will make you flush and feel hot right after you take it, but is good for your arteries. Copper is good. The capsules are my favorite.
Life Extension Booster	An add-on to the above that contains selenium, carotenoids, and ginko biloba, among other things. Lowers heart disease risk and makes you smarter.	One a day in the morning with food	Link	Upset stomach if taken on empty stomach.
Vitamin C, powdered capsules	Strong antioxidant, antiaging, increases intelligence, immune functions	3 grams am and pm, with or without food		May cause diarrhea if you take too much. May need to "build up" to 6 grams/day.
Natural dry vitamin E w/ mixed tocotrienols	Strong antioxidant, antiaging, artery health, immune function	400 IU am, 400 IU pm, with food with some fat for best absorbtion	Link	None known if proper form taken. Always take "dry natural," not oil capsules of synthetic. Mixed tocotrienols are a more balanced form of the 8 sub-vitamins that really make up vitamin E.
TMG (tri-methyl-glycine), aka Betaine (NOT betaine HCL)	Lowers level of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid that causes arterial disease and heart attacks, gives you energy to make ATP, the fuel that powers the cells throughout your entire body	1-2g am and pm, with or without food, sometimes more if tired		None known.
Digestive Enzymes	Helps to digest food and vitamins, lowers enzymatic load on organs, good for digestive health	Ideally one tablet with every meal as recommended		Too many may cause diarrhea
Cognitex (5 capsules) 600mg Glyceryl phosophorylcholine, 100mg Glyceryl phosphorylethanolamine, 1500mg choline dihydrogen citrate, 1200mg choline bitartrate, 100mg phosphatidylserine, 15mg vinpocetine, 500 mg pantothenic acid, 425mg RNA/DNA	My favorite vitamin combination. Take it for a week and you won't notice that you can remember things better. Stop taking it and you'll know that it was working. Strongly anti-aging for the brain, increases oxygen in the brain, increases levels of essential neurotransmitters like acetylcholine. May help with stuttering or mood swings. Will likely prevent or delay Alzheimer's.	5 or 10 capsules a day	Link	None known. Enhanced by many "smart drugs" covered in the drug part of this web site.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)	Very strong anti-cancer nutrient. Helps many people to lose weight.	4-5g in am on empty stomach		None known.
Magnesium (oxide, chloride, aspartate, succinate, chelate)	Keeps calcium in your bones. Lowers chance of arterial and brain calcification. A balanced calcium/magnesium ratio is much more important than most people realize, and most take too much calcium. Pay attention to the form of calcium you take; many are not absorbable.	500mg am and pm with or without food		Too much (like 5g/day) is probably bad, like all metals.
Vitamin K	Keeps calcium in the bones, preventing arterial and brain calcium deposits.	10mg		WARNING: Do not take with blood thinners or anticoagulants. Too much causes blood thickening and clotting.
N-Acetyl Cysteine	Lowers level of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid that causes arterial disease and heart attacks. Protects liver from toxins. Raises levels of glutathione, a critical nutrient.	600mg am and pm, with or without food		None known.
Chrono Forte (biotin, zinc, selenium, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-carnosine, Nettle extract, Alpha lipoic acid)	Strong anti-aging vitamin complex. ALC helps brain function and aging. Biotin, zinc, selenium are anti-cancer and anti-aging. Nettle protects your liver from toxins - very important. ALC is an antioxidant that lowers blood sugar.	Twice per day: 1500mcg biotin, 7.5mg zinc, 50mcg selenium, 1g ALC, 500mg l-carnosine, 150mg ALC, with food		Always take with food to avoid becoming allergic to the nettle extract.
Good B-complex 100mg Thiamin/B1, 50mg Riboflavin/B2, 200mg niacin (as niacinamide and niacin), 75mg Pyridoxine Hcl/B6, 800mcg Folic Acid, 1000mcg cyanocobalamin/B12, 600mcg Biotin, 1000mg Pantothenic Acid (d-calcium pantothenate), 45mg choline bitartrate, 250 mb inositol, 100mg PABA	Very important. Most people are deficient in some of these. Take a powder form in capsules, not a tablet. Good B vitamins will not cause an upset stomach like cheap ones. Immune enhancer, brain protector, used throughout the body.	am and pm in divided doses, more when sick, lacking sleep, or drinking alcohol		None known. Take extra with alcohol to dull the effects and protect your brain.
CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q10)	Most important nutrient for heart health. Strong antioxidant, supports heart muscle and energy production, supports mitochondria and ATP synthesis. Works better than many drugs for heart attack patients.	30-100mg, am and pm, preferably with a meal with fat in it. More if you're older than 50.		None known. Let your doctor know you're taking it if you have heart problems.
Chromium picolinate and polynicotinate	Regulates blood sugar. Prevents diabetes complications. Helps you to lose weight. Often deficient in diabetics.	200-400mcg/day, or if you have Syndrome X or blood sugar problems, 1000-2000mcg/day		Lowers blood sugar spikes. May need to reduce blood sugar medications.
Vitamin A (NOT beta carotine)	Boosts immune function when used in high doses for short periods.	60,000 IU per day when getting sick, for no more than a week		Too much over long periods will cause yellowing of skin and is not healthy, but is not highly dangerous.
Saw Palmetto	Reduces prostate cancer and swelling and nighly urination, MEN ONLY	320mg/day		None known.
MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane)	Strong anti-inflammatory, immune function, helps with arthritis and any joint pain. Very effective. Good for sinuses too.	1-5g/day depending on joints or sinus condition		None known.
DIM / I3C (60mg di-indolylmethane, 200mg indole-3-carbinol)	Basically, each tablet contains the anti-cancer nutrients found in about 5 heads of broccoli or cabbage. Quenches strong oxidants generated by grilling or frying. Ratio of DIM to I3C is important. Prevents the conversion of estrogen (in both sexes) into estradiol, the most potent cancer causing estrogen.	260mg/day, or two if I eat grilled or fried food.		None known. Won't effect birth control or other hormone therapies.
Mushroom extracts, coriolus versicolor, reishi, maitake, shitake, cordyceps sinensis	VERY strong immune enhancement caused by the polysaccharides in mushrooms. Will prevent many cancers too. Slows or prevents infections. Hot water extracts are best. Fresh are not good for health. Freeze dried are good to eat and are healthy.	375 -750mg twice a day		None known.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin	A miracle drug for me. Helps heal arthritis and joint pain, enhances immune function in the right form. Glucosamine must contain all 3 forms -- N-Acetyl Glucosamine, Glucosamine Sulfate, and Glucosamine Hcl. Most only contain sulfate. The best brand is by Schiff, called "Pain Free" or "Move Free"	900mg (500 glucosamine, 400 chondroitin) three times a day, triple if joint pain or injury		None known.
Aloe Vera	Polysaccharides in aloe enhance immune function. Find a powder with standardized extracts. Helps digestive health. May be anti-cancerous.	equivalent of 30g fresh aloe		None known.
Horse Chestnut Extract	Heals and prevents varicose veins and leaky veins, good for arterial health	250mg twice a day		None known.
Gut bacteria	Keeps intestines and stomach lining healthy, helps with key vitamin production, replaces those lost through antibiotic soap, antibiotic-treated meat. May reduce stomach cancer. The one I take has 14 kinds of bacteria in it.	900mg with meals		None known.
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)	KILLS HERPES IN ALL CASES. Will stop oral canker sores. Taken daily, will prevent recurrence, and even prevent infection in uninfected people. Works by stripping the fatty acid layer off herpes virus so immune cells can recognize it. Also a synthetic antioxidant that prevents fats inside your body from oxidizing, including the conversion of good cholesterol to bad.	250mg/day or more, up to 1.5g/day if needed to stop viruses.		None known.
Grape seed extract	Strong arteries, cures chronic nosebleeds, heart problems. Prescribed as a drug in much of the world.	50-200mg/day depending on age and artery health		None known.
Grapefruit seed extract	Strong antibacterial and antifungal agent. Will kill most parasites. Take every day for preventative maintenance, especially when traveling in 3rd world. Will stop most diarrhea. Stronger than many antibiotics, won't kill beneficial gut flora.	20 drops/day in a glass of water. Spread on skin with lotion for irritation. Use a drop or 2 in a bottle of saline nasal spray to stop sinus infections..		None known.
L-carnosine	Prevents AGE - Advanced Glycosylation End products, which are formed when sugars bind to your body's proteins, making them ineffective, causing aging	1.5-2g daily total, 500mg alone, rest in ChronForte		No side effects known.

B-12 sublingual (methylcobalimin)
Omega 3/Omega 6 fatty acids (fish oil, borage oil, aka GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)	Heart and circulation benefits, used to create hormones and eicosanoids, complex short-acting hormones that control other hormones by sampling the chemical environment internally. Also anti-inflammatory.	666mg borage and 333mg fish, am and pm. Recommend you take more than me (2g borage, 1g fish) ; I am sensitive to it.
Intelligence