Nutritional and supplemental regimen - critiques please



J

jamesbeebop

Guest
I am a 36 year old, physically active, married father of four. It has
only been this year that I've become actively concerned with
'longevity'. I suffer from occasional bouts with anxiety and panic,
and in looking for better answers than prescription SSRI's, I started
down the life extension path. :)

My diet is reasonably good, though not very formal. I tend to eat
blueberries and raspberries with my breakfast, look for healthy
alternatives, eat out daily (because of my job) but usually try and
have something raw and colorful. :)

Frankly, after doing a good bit of reading over the past year or so ...
I still find supplements to be very confusing. I'm curious to hear
opinions regarding my supplement regimen, especially as regards my age,
activity level, current issues, etc.

I currently take:

Enzymatic Therapy pro-biotic - once daily, in the morning
Life Extension Mix multi-nutrient, 3 tablets, 3 times daily
Life Extension booster, once daily
3 grams MSM, twice daily
2 grams Life Extension super EPA/DHA, twice daily
50mg CoQ10, twice daily
200mg alpha lipoic acid, twice daily
500mg turmeric, twice daily
500mg ginger, twice daily
extra vitamin B, once daily
440mg calcium, twice daily (contains D3 as well, from LEF)
500mg magnesium, twice daily


I took SAMe for approximately 2 months, primarily for it's effect on
mood. I thought I noticed a definite improvement, but had also stepped
up my exercise level at the same time. I'm currently experimenting
with *not* taking the SAMe, to see if the exercise is providing the
benefit (or more benefit at less cost). I also became concerned about
the SAMe negatively influencing my homocysteine levels, which were a
bit elevated.

I've had my blood work done, about 6 months ago .... and some concerns
which came out of this were ... low HDL (40), high fasting glucose
(98), high homocysteine (9.7) and potentially low fasting insulin
(4.7). My doctor was only concerned with the HDL, because all the
others fell inside lab 'normal'. :)

I'm hoping that six months on this supplement regimen, and improvements
in my diet and exercise levels will have improved these numbers, but
I've not repeated the tests yet.

I welcome any feedback, and also welcome pointers to sources of
information to support the feedback. I am still learning how to find,
read and interpret study results, as well as evaluate other potentially
useful sources of information. As I mentioned earlier, I still find
the whole thing to be quite confusing. :)

Thank you.

James
 
It would be helpful to know your bodyfat percentage. Keeping your
bodyfat low is an excellent way to increase your lifespan. Fasting
once a week, reducing fats and grains, and eating foods high in
nutritional value and low in calories (vegetables, beans) will keep
your body fat low.

Additional vitamin D will help with your mood (google Vitamin D
Council). Somax Stress Reduction will get rid of your panic and anxiety
without drugs (www.somaxsports.com/stressreduction.htm).
 
Biology Of Fear: UCLA Study Finds Properties Of Yohimbe Tree Bark Hold
Promise For Revolutionizing Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders
New findings at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrate the
potential of a substance found in yohimbe tree bark to accelerate
recovery from anxiety disorders suffered by millions of Americans.

In the latest in a series of studies of how mice acquire, express and
extinguish conditioned fear, the UCLA team finds yohimbine helps mice
learn to overcome the fear faster by enhancing the effects of the
natural release of adrenaline. Adrenaline prompts physiological changes
such as increased heart and metabolism rates in response to physical
and mental stress.

Writing in the March/April edition of the peer-reviewed journal
Learning and Memory, the team reported that mice treated with yohimbine
overcame their fear four times as fast as those treated with vehicle or
propanolol, a medication commonly used to treat symptoms of anxiety
disorders by blunting the physiological effects of adrenaline.

Yohimbine is most commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can
cause anxiety in susceptible persons, and should never be used without
a doctor's recommendation and supervision.

These new findings come on the heels of evidence published by the same
UCLA research team last fall (Journal of Experimental Psychology,
October 2003) that suggests full, frequent exposure to a fear during
behavioral therapy may be more effective in treating anxiety than the
standard practice of gradual, spaced exposure. For example, it may be
more effective to treat fear of heights by taking a patient straight to
the top of a tall building in rapid succession, rather then taking them
to increasingly higher floors over a lengthy period of time.

"We are at the threshold of a new era in our understanding and
treatment of anxiety disorders," said Dr. Mark Barad, the UCLA
Neuropsychiatric Institute's Tennenbaum Family Center faculty scholar
and an assistant professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences.
"Current treatment protocols use medications intended to blunt the
physiological effects of fear and use behavioral therapy designed to
space exposure to the fear stimulus over time. Our findings show
treatment may be more effective if we do exactly the opposite. Anxiety
disorders affect about 19 million Americans per year, consuming about
one-third of total U.S. mental health costs of $148 billion in 1990.
They include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social
phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder
and specific phobias. Although these diseases are generally not deadly,
they take an enormous toll in morbidity. Sufferers constantly avoid
fearful circumstances and pay an enormous price in social isolation,
poor job performance and advancement, and time wasted on worries and
fears.

Both acquiring and overcoming, or extinguishing, conditional fear are
forms of active learning. A unique pairing of an initially neutral
conditional stimulus with an unpleasant unconditional stimulus is
needed to acquire a conditional fear. In both UCLA studies, the
conditional stimulus was a tone and the unconditional stimulus was a
mild foot shock.

Although extinction, the reduction of conditional responding after
repeated exposures to the conditional stimulus alone, might initially
appear to be a passive decay or erasure of this association, many
studies indicate that extinction is new inhibitory learning, which
leaves the original memory intact.

The National Institute of Mental Health is funding the research.

Other UCLA investigators involved in the ongoing research are Chris
Cain and Ashley Blouin of the UCLA Interdepartmental Program in
Neuroscience. Barad also is affiliated with the UCLA Brain Research
Institute.

###

The Tennenbaum Family Center at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
encourages research into brain plasticity by supporting the work of a
faculty scholar, providing seed money to promising research projects
and offering graduate student and post-doctoral fellowship support.

The UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute is an interdisciplinary research
and education institute devoted to the understanding of complex human
behavior, including the genetic, biological, behavioral and
sociocultural underpinnings of normal behavior, and the causes and
consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders. Information about the
institute is available online at http:/?/?www.npi.ucla.edu.
-----------------------------------------

Phytic acid .. coincidentally .. another substance which seems to use
iron as the basis of its' .. work .. also is touted as an effective
anti-anxiety.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_255/ai_n6211958

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Oct, 2004 by Gina L. Nick

(2) Research indicates that inositol is an effective and safe option in
the treatment of panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
bulimia nervosa, binge eating and/or depression.


Who loves ya.
Tom


Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com


Man Is A Herbivore!
http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore


DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking
 
On 7 Jan 2006 06:29:13 -0800, "jamesbeebop" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
>I currently take:
>
>Enzymatic Therapy pro-biotic - once daily, in the morning
>Life Extension Mix multi-nutrient, 3 tablets, 3 times daily
>Life Extension booster, once daily
>3 grams MSM, twice daily
>2 grams Life Extension super EPA/DHA, twice daily
>50mg CoQ10, twice daily
>200mg alpha lipoic acid, twice daily
>500mg turmeric, twice daily
>500mg ginger, twice daily
>extra vitamin B, once daily
>440mg calcium, twice daily (contains D3 as well, from LEF)
>500mg magnesium, twice daily
>

You could try adding l-theanine and see what happens. It has a calming
effect but it *may* further deplete serotonin levels, so use with
caution.

>
>I took SAMe for approximately 2 months, primarily for it's effect on
>mood. I thought I noticed a definite improvement, but had also stepped
>up my exercise level at the same time. I'm currently experimenting
>with *not* taking the SAMe, to see if the exercise is providing the
>benefit (or more benefit at less cost). I also became concerned about
>the SAMe negatively influencing my homocysteine levels, which were a
>bit elevated.
>

It's always a good idea to also take TMG when taking SAMe to avoid
homocysteine problems.

>
>As I mentioned earlier, I still find
>the whole thing to be quite confusing. :)
>

Well, keep reading the Life Extension Magazine and asking question and
eventually everything will become clear! :)
 
Omega 3 fish oil. Cured my life-long depression within 3 weeks. Been
taking it for 10 months now; not a single episode of depression in that
time.

It hasn't helped much with concentration for me, which it's reputed to
do, but as a mood stabilizer, it's incredible.

I personally take Nordic naturals Omega 3 liquid, 2 tsp a day, but any
good brand I'm sure is fine.

Nearly every single thing I've ever read about fish oil has been
positive.
 
For blood glucose control try the minerals
chromium and vanadium, along with B vitamins
biotin, thiamine, niacin and B6.

Cheers,
Michael C Price
----------------------------------------
http://mcp.longevity-report.com
http://www.hedweb.com/manworld.htm
"jamesbeebop" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am a 36 year old, physically active, married father of four. It has
> only been this year that I've become actively concerned with
> 'longevity'. I suffer from occasional bouts with anxiety and panic,
> and in looking for better answers than prescription SSRI's, I started
> down the life extension path. :)
>
> My diet is reasonably good, though not very formal. I tend to eat
> blueberries and raspberries with my breakfast, look for healthy
> alternatives, eat out daily (because of my job) but usually try and
> have something raw and colorful. :)
>
> Frankly, after doing a good bit of reading over the past year or so ...
> I still find supplements to be very confusing. I'm curious to hear
> opinions regarding my supplement regimen, especially as regards my age,
> activity level, current issues, etc.
>
> I currently take:
>
> Enzymatic Therapy pro-biotic - once daily, in the morning
> Life Extension Mix multi-nutrient, 3 tablets, 3 times daily
> Life Extension booster, once daily
> 3 grams MSM, twice daily
> 2 grams Life Extension super EPA/DHA, twice daily
> 50mg CoQ10, twice daily
> 200mg alpha lipoic acid, twice daily
> 500mg turmeric, twice daily
> 500mg ginger, twice daily
> extra vitamin B, once daily
> 440mg calcium, twice daily (contains D3 as well, from LEF)
> 500mg magnesium, twice daily
>
>
> I took SAMe for approximately 2 months, primarily for it's effect on
> mood. I thought I noticed a definite improvement, but had also stepped
> up my exercise level at the same time. I'm currently experimenting
> with *not* taking the SAMe, to see if the exercise is providing the
> benefit (or more benefit at less cost). I also became concerned about
> the SAMe negatively influencing my homocysteine levels, which were a
> bit elevated.
>
> I've had my blood work done, about 6 months ago .... and some concerns
> which came out of this were ... low HDL (40), high fasting glucose
> (98), high homocysteine (9.7) and potentially low fasting insulin
> (4.7). My doctor was only concerned with the HDL, because all the
> others fell inside lab 'normal'. :)
>
> I'm hoping that six months on this supplement regimen, and improvements
> in my diet and exercise levels will have improved these numbers, but
> I've not repeated the tests yet.
>
> I welcome any feedback, and also welcome pointers to sources of
> information to support the feedback. I am still learning how to find,
> read and interpret study results, as well as evaluate other potentially
> useful sources of information. As I mentioned earlier, I still find
> the whole thing to be quite confusing. :)
>
> Thank you.
>
> James
>
 
Not sure what my body fat percentage is ... but I should have mentioned
my height/weight. I'm 5'8" and weigh 138. I've not measured my body
fat total, but would guess it's pretty low. I don't believe my diet
would be considered CR ... just have a high metabolism. :)
 
Is there benefit to taking more of these nutrients than are found in
the LEF Mix (multi-nutrient formula from Life Extension Foundation)?
The amount of this that I take per day (the recommended dosage)
contains 500mcg chromium, 3000mcg biotin, 125mg thiamine, 190mg niacin
and 100mg B6.

I'm also curious if these amounts would be enough to 'offset' the SAMe,
were I still taking that? I read that taking SAMe could either raise,
*or lower* homocysteine, depending on the amount of B vitamins
available ... but, couldn't find a description of the amount of B
vitamins -vs- amount of SAMe required.
 
I believe there is a benefit from taking amounts
that exceed the "standard" LEF mix amount.
My chromium and vanadium requirements are
met from a comination of sources, the latter princpally
from LEF's 3 x Only Trace Minerals daily. I don't
take any SAMe in the belief that the minerals,
B-vitamins etc I take boost its engoneous synthesis.

I will get around eventually to updating the link
http://mcp.longevity-report.com
Until then here's my current regime.
Daily, divided over meals, I take:


Daily, divided over meals, I take:

Approximately the "recommended" dose(~10 tablets/d) of Life Extension Mix +
Booster (which contains a general mixture of vitamins, minerals and
phytochemicals) plus extra B-vitamins, trace minerals and others. Some of
the amounts are more than optimal since they come from complexes.

This includes:

B-vitamins:
Thiamine (B1), 825 mg
Riboflavin (B2), 400 mg
Niacin (B3), 1575 mg
Choline (B4), 545 mg
Inositol (B8), 2000 mg
Inositol hexanicotinate, 2480mg niacin (B3), 400mg inositol(B8)
Pantothenate (B5), 7.6 gm
Pyridoxine (B6), 625 mg
Biotin (B7), 4.8 mg
Folate (B9), 8 mg
PABA (B10), 900 mg
Cyano-cobalamin (B12), 7 mg
Methyl-cobalamin (B12), 6 mg
TMG, 450 mg

Minerals:
Boron, 9 mg
Chromium, 1200ug
Copper, 6 mg
Magnesium, 2000 mg
Manganese, 48 mg
Molybdenum, 750ug
Selenium, 800 ug, in various organic and inorganic forms
Vanadium, 6 mg
Zinc, 95 mg

Acetyl-L-carnitine, 1000mg
Alpha-lipoic acid, 500mg
RNA, 1000 mg

Aspirin, 150 mg
Beta-carotene, 150,000 IU
Glucosamine, 1000 mg
Lycopene, 40 mg + other carotenoids
Saw palmetto, 1240 mg
Vitamin C, 3 gm
Vitamin D3, 2400 IU
Vitamin E, 600 IU
Vitamin K (18mg K1, 2mg K2)



I don't take any hormones, including DHEA, HGH or melatonin.



Cheers,
Michael C Price
----------------------------------------
http://mcp.longevity-report.com
http://www.hedweb.com/manworld.htm
"jamesbeebop" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is there benefit to taking more of these nutrients than are found in
> the LEF Mix (multi-nutrient formula from Life Extension Foundation)?
> The amount of this that I take per day (the recommended dosage)
> contains 500mcg chromium, 3000mcg biotin, 125mg thiamine, 190mg niacin
> and 100mg B6.
>
> I'm also curious if these amounts would be enough to 'offset' the SAMe,
> were I still taking that? I read that taking SAMe could either raise,
> *or lower* homocysteine, depending on the amount of B vitamins
> available ... but, couldn't find a description of the amount of B
> vitamins -vs- amount of SAMe required.
>
 
"Michael C Price" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> I believe there is a benefit from taking amounts
> that exceed the "standard" LEF mix amount.
> My chromium and vanadium requirements are
> met from a combination of sources, the latter principally
> from LEF's 3 x Only Trace Minerals daily. I don't
> take any SAMe in the belief that the minerals,
> B-vitamins etc I take boost its engoneous synthesis.

I meant "endogenous synthesis".

> I will get around eventually to updating the link
> http://mcp.longevity-report.com
> Until then here's my current regime.
> Daily, divided over meals, I take:
>
>
> Daily, divided over meals, I take:
>
> Approximately the "recommended" dose(~10 tablets/d) of Life Extension Mix
+
> Booster (which contains a general mixture of vitamins, minerals and
> phytochemicals) plus extra B-vitamins, trace minerals and others. Some of
> the amounts are more than optimal since they come from complexes.
>
> This includes:
>
> B-vitamins:
> Thiamine (B1), 825 mg
> Riboflavin (B2), 400 mg
> Niacin (B3), 1575 mg
> Choline (B4), 545 mg
> Inositol (B8), 2000 mg
> Inositol hexanicotinate, 2480mg niacin (B3), 400mg inositol(B8)
> Pantothenate (B5), 7.6 gm
> Pyridoxine (B6), 625 mg
> Biotin (B7), 4.8 mg
> Folate (B9), 8 mg
> PABA (B10), 900 mg
> Cyano-cobalamin (B12), 7 mg
> Methyl-cobalamin (B12), 6 mg
> TMG, 450 mg
>
> Minerals:
> Boron, 9 mg
> Chromium, 1200ug
> Copper, 6 mg
> Magnesium, 2000 mg
> Manganese, 48 mg
> Molybdenum, 750ug
> Selenium, 800 ug, in various organic and inorganic forms
> Vanadium, 6 mg
> Zinc, 95 mg
>
> Acetyl-L-carnitine, 1000mg
> Alpha-lipoic acid, 500mg
> RNA, 1000 mg
>
> Aspirin, 150 mg
> Beta-carotene, 150,000 IU
> Glucosamine, 1000 mg
> Lycopene, 40 mg + other carotenoids
> Saw palmetto, 1240 mg
> Vitamin C, 3 gm
> Vitamin D3, 2400 IU
> Vitamin E, 600 IU
> Vitamin K (18mg K1, 2mg K2)
>
>
>
> I don't take any hormones, including DHEA, HGH or melatonin.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
> Michael C Price
> ----------------------------------------
> http://mcp.longevity-report.com
> http://www.hedweb.com/manworld.htm
> "jamesbeebop" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Is there benefit to taking more of these nutrients than are found in
> > the LEF Mix (multi-nutrient formula from Life Extension Foundation)?
> > The amount of this that I take per day (the recommended dosage)
> > contains 500mcg chromium, 3000mcg biotin, 125mg thiamine, 190mg niacin
> > and 100mg B6.
> >
> > I'm also curious if these amounts would be enough to 'offset' the SAMe,
> > were I still taking that? I read that taking SAMe could either raise,
> > *or lower* homocysteine, depending on the amount of B vitamins
> > available ... but, couldn't find a description of the amount of B
> > vitamins -vs- amount of SAMe required.
> >
>
>
 
Thanks for the response!

I'd like to ask some questions, if I may ... though, they seem rather
personal to me. :) What is your age, height and weight? Also ... do
you take additional chromium because of elevated fasting glucose levels
(are you dealing with diabetes)? Or, is the amount you take simply to
prevent blood sugar spikes and the attendent insulin response? Are any
of the other nutrient amounts in response to blood test results that
you are correcting for, or purely prophylactic in nature?


Thanks!

James
 
Michael hi!
why do you take so much vitamin D and magnesium?
thanks.
beni.
 
"jamesbeebop" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for the response!
>
> I'd like to ask some questions, if I may ... though, they seem rather
> personal to me. :) What is your age, height and weight? Also ... do
> you take additional chromium because of elevated fasting glucose levels
> (are you dealing with diabetes)? Or, is the amount you take simply to
> prevent blood sugar spikes and the attendent insulin response? Are any
> of the other nutrient amounts in response to blood test results that
> you are correcting for, or purely prophylactic in nature?
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> James

No, everything I take I take as a prophylactic (well almost, but the
qualifications are quite minor). My age, height and weight I regard
as unimportant in the sense that I would take my present regime no matter
what they were. However they are 46y, 2.04m, 94kg (varies a bit).

Cheers,
Michael C Price
----------------------------------------
http://mcp.longevity-report.com
http://www.hedweb.com/manworld.htm
 
Anxiety and/or panic generally equals B vitamin deficiency

Take a good B vitamin complex stress formula X 2, in the morning with
food. Lots of vitamin C. At least 3000 mg and up to a max of maybe
16000 mg per day, in small doses thruout the day.

Eat meat. Fresh healthy animal sourced meats. Real butter, not
margarine. Lard, not shortening. Bone broth soups, made from scratch,
are probably the most nutritious foods available.

Cut out the sugary ****, including very sweet fruit and very starchy
vegetables. Eat the lower glycemic-load produce. Eat real food. Avoid
refined and processed foods, including refined grains and sugars. Cut
out soda and other sources of HFCS, (high fructose corn syrup).

Refined carbs will deplete you of the important water soluble vitamins
which will lead to all kinds of problems including depression, anxiety
and panic.

Do this and you will regain your physical and mental health and live a
long healthy life. You will notice a difference within days.

TC


jamesbeebop wrote:
> I am a 36 year old, physically active, married father of four. It has
> only been this year that I've become actively concerned with
> 'longevity'. I suffer from occasional bouts with anxiety and panic,
> and in looking for better answers than prescription SSRI's, I started
> down the life extension path. :)
>
> My diet is reasonably good, though not very formal. I tend to eat
> blueberries and raspberries with my breakfast, look for healthy
> alternatives, eat out daily (because of my job) but usually try and
> have something raw and colorful. :)
>
> Frankly, after doing a good bit of reading over the past year or so ...
> I still find supplements to be very confusing. I'm curious to hear
> opinions regarding my supplement regimen, especially as regards my age,
> activity level, current issues, etc.
>
> I currently take:
>
> Enzymatic Therapy pro-biotic - once daily, in the morning
> Life Extension Mix multi-nutrient, 3 tablets, 3 times daily
> Life Extension booster, once daily
> 3 grams MSM, twice daily
> 2 grams Life Extension super EPA/DHA, twice daily
> 50mg CoQ10, twice daily
> 200mg alpha lipoic acid, twice daily
> 500mg turmeric, twice daily
> 500mg ginger, twice daily
> extra vitamin B, once daily
> 440mg calcium, twice daily (contains D3 as well, from LEF)
> 500mg magnesium, twice daily
>
>
> I took SAMe for approximately 2 months, primarily for it's effect on
> mood. I thought I noticed a definite improvement, but had also stepped
> up my exercise level at the same time. I'm currently experimenting
> with *not* taking the SAMe, to see if the exercise is providing the
> benefit (or more benefit at less cost). I also became concerned about
> the SAMe negatively influencing my homocysteine levels, which were a
> bit elevated.
>
> I've had my blood work done, about 6 months ago .... and some concerns
> which came out of this were ... low HDL (40), high fasting glucose
> (98), high homocysteine (9.7) and potentially low fasting insulin
> (4.7). My doctor was only concerned with the HDL, because all the
> others fell inside lab 'normal'. :)
>
> I'm hoping that six months on this supplement regimen, and improvements
> in my diet and exercise levels will have improved these numbers, but
> I've not repeated the tests yet.
>
> I welcome any feedback, and also welcome pointers to sources of
> information to support the feedback. I am still learning how to find,
> read and interpret study results, as well as evaluate other potentially
> useful sources of information. As I mentioned earlier, I still find
> the whole thing to be quite confusing. :)
>
> Thank you.
>
> James
 
Hi James,

jamesbeebop wrote:
> I am a 36 year old, physically active, married father of four. It has
> only been this year that I've become actively concerned with
> 'longevity'. I suffer from occasional bouts with anxiety and panic,
> and in looking for better answers than prescription SSRI's, I started
> down the life extension path. :)
>
> My diet is reasonably good, though not very formal. I tend to eat
> blueberries and raspberries with my breakfast, look for healthy
> alternatives, eat out daily (because of my job) but usually try and
> have something raw and colorful. :)
>
> Frankly, after doing a good bit of reading over the past year or so ...
> I still find supplements to be very confusing.

The human body is extremely complex and each supplement effects it in
several different ways (many which are currently unknown) so any
research on what supplements to take to improve your health is bound to
be confusing.

> I'm curious to hear
> opinions regarding my supplement regimen, especially as regards my age,
> activity level, current issues, etc.
>
> I currently take:
>
> Enzymatic Therapy pro-biotic - once daily, in the morning
> Life Extension Mix multi-nutrient, 3 tablets, 3 times daily
> Life Extension booster, once daily
> 3 grams MSM, twice daily
> 2 grams Life Extension super EPA/DHA, twice daily
> 50mg CoQ10, twice daily

At your age you probably still produce plenty of CoQ10 endogenously. I
suggest cutting your dose of CoQ10 in half.

> 200mg alpha lipoic acid, twice daily

Is that racemic ala or R-ala? If it's the former I suggest switching
to the R form and reducing the dose a little, perhaps even cutting it
in half.

> 500mg turmeric, twice daily
> 500mg ginger, twice daily
> extra vitamin B, once daily
> 440mg calcium, twice daily (contains D3 as well, from LEF)
> 500mg magnesium, twice daily
>
>
> I took SAMe for approximately 2 months, primarily for it's effect on
> mood. I thought I noticed a definite improvement, but had also stepped
> up my exercise level at the same time. I'm currently experimenting
> with *not* taking the SAMe, to see if the exercise is providing the
> benefit (or more benefit at less cost). I also became concerned about
> the SAMe negatively influencing my homocysteine levels, which were a
> bit elevated.
>
> I've had my blood work done, about 6 months ago .... and some concerns
> which came out of this were ... low HDL (40), high fasting glucose
> (98), high homocysteine (9.7) and potentially low fasting insulin
> (4.7). My doctor was only concerned with the HDL, because all the
> others fell inside lab 'normal'. :)

Well your doctor obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. My
doctor also told me there was nothing to be concerned about when I told
him my blood sugar wasn't as low as it should be. After he showed me
the results of the oral glucose tolerance test I had taken he told me
that I was in the normal range and therefore there was nothing to be
worried about. He was wrong. After taking matters in my own hands I
managed to drastically improve my blood sugar levels by upping my
chromium intake. If you care about your health you should definitely
take additional measures to lower your fasting glucose and homocysteine
and increase your HDL levels.

To increase your HDL levels the most effective measures are exercising
and maintaining a low bodyweight and bodyfat percentage. These
measures should also help lowering your fasting glucose. I also
recommend that you try upping your chromium intake to up to 1000mcg a
day and see if your blood glucose improves. Chromium is one of the
most effective supplements to improve blood sugar and people with
impared glucose tolerance may need up to 1000mcg of chromium daily
(PMID: 9356027). To reduce your homocysteine I suggest adding TMG to
your regimen, perhaps even a few grams of it daily since your
homocysteine is so high. Just be aware that high doses of TMG can
cause an increase in your LDL cholesterol (PMID: 15916468). I also
suggest adding lecithin (a source of choline) to reduce your
homocysteine. And while creatine may have some negative effects
(search the group for "creatine AND methylamine" to see discussion on
that) in your case since you have high homocysteine levels taking a few
grams of creatine might be adviceable. This is particularly true for
males since endogenous creatine synthesis seems to consume more methyl
groups in males than in females probably becasue males have more muscle
mass than females.

> I'm hoping that six months on this supplement regimen, and improvements
> in my diet and exercise levels will have improved these numbers, but
> I've not repeated the tests yet.

Were you not taking any supplements when you got the test results you
posted above, and did you exercise regularly? If not I would
definitely expect these values to have improved since your last test.

> James
 
Olafur Pall Olafsson wrote:
<SNIP generally good advice>

> I also
> suggest adding lecithin (a source of choline) to reduce your
> homocysteine.

While a choline sup can help reduce homocysteine
I think that lecithin is a poor choline source.

ref
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/pho_0288.shtml
and assuming you're talking about soy lecithin granules since oil
capsules and egg lecithin are worse:

for each .5 g of choline you'd need about 15 g of granules
which also yields up to 7.5 g of linoleic acid (bad omega 6) and
..9 to 1.35g alpha-linolenic acid (mostly ok omega 3).

The OP is taking 4 fish oil caps/day: ~1.2 g/day omega 3 so, like most
of us, he probably doesn't need a relatively high omega 6/omega 3 fat
supplement like lecithin.

I'd suggest choline tablets instead. They're pretty cheap and much
more convenient than choking down tablespoons full of granules.

Ed
 
Michael,

Thanks for all the good info, I appreciate you taking the time to
provide it.

I'm curious how you buy your supplements, and who you buy them from?
I'm looking for the most economical way to do this. Obviously, I get
the LE Mix and the booster from LEF. Some of the others are NOW brand,
from a local health food store ... but, that is *not* cheap. Some I
buy from Vitamin World, and one or two from GNC. So yeah, I'm buying
mostly retail. :)

Are many of the things you take in powder form?


Thanks again!

James
 
just ed wrote:
> Olafur Pall Olafsson wrote:
> <SNIP generally good advice>
>
> > I also
> > suggest adding lecithin (a source of choline) to reduce your
> > homocysteine.
>
> While a choline sup can help reduce homocysteine
> I think that lecithin is a poor choline source.
>
> ref
> http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/pho_0288.shtml
> and assuming you're talking about soy lecithin granules since oil
> capsules and egg lecithin are worse:
>
> for each .5 g of choline you'd need about 15 g of granules
> which also yields up to 7.5 g of linoleic acid (bad omega 6) and
> .9 to 1.35g alpha-linolenic acid (mostly ok omega 3).
> The OP is taking 4 fish oil caps/day: ~1.2 g/day omega 3 so, like most
> of us, he probably doesn't need a relatively high omega 6/omega 3 fat
> supplement like lecithin.

Yes most people definitely don't need more omega-6 fats. But omega--6
fats are only unhealthy in excess. You don't need much of them daily
so he would have to keep his intake of omega-6 fats from diet very low
if he want's to keep his omega-3/omega-6 ratio optimal particularly if
he supplements with lecithin. Also because these fats are
polyunsaturated it is very important to take fat soluble antioxidants
at the same time he takes the lecithin. Best would be to find a
lecithin supplement that has antioxidants added to it to prevent it
form oxidation. So far I have not found such a product. A Lecithin
product by LEF named "Lecithin w/B5 and BHA" might be good choice in
this regard, it has BHA which apparently preserves the fatty acids in
it (I have not looked into BHA though). I would also recommend
lecithin capsules over lecithin powder if he choses to take lecithin
since the capsules should help prevent the lecithin from oxidizing.

> I'd suggest choline tablets instead. They're pretty cheap and much
> more convenient than choking down tablespoons full of granules.

Yes choline tablets would be a good choice too for his homocysteine,
the reason I mentioned lecithin is because it has some additional
benefits f.ex. the brain is largely composed of lecithin (30% if I
remember correctly) and for that reason lecithin can have positive
effects on cognitive function.
 
Olafur,

Thanks for the great info!

What I still find to be quite confusing ... is how to find the "best"
information about supplementation and longevity. I'm not a
professional scientist, and reading raw study data leaves me feeling
overwhelmed. How do you know it's a 'good' study?

I started down this path with The Antioxidant Miracle by Lester Packer
.... then I read Fantastic Voyage by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman. I
now *love* reading Kurzweil, and am currently working on The
Singularity is Near. I've also become a member of LEF and get their
magazine.

How do I know these are good sources of information though ... how do I
modify my supplement regimen to best suite my specific needs. Perhaps
in time, I'll feel more comfortable in this area, but right now, as I
said, it leaves me feeling overwhelmed.


In answer to questions you posed ... it's the racemic form of ALA, and
I'd been considering switching to the 'R' version after I ran out of
what I have now.

I started 'into' supplements around the beginning of this year ...
February, some time. But, I've been learning as I go ... and what I
take today isn't even close to what I was taking then. I've been
taking the LEF mix and booster for around 3 months ... and also
exercising more and more regularly in that same time frame. This has
all been *after* my most recent blood tests ... so, I do hope to see
some improvement in those results. I was frustrated with the initial
test results because I have always had a reasonably low body weight and
(presumably) body fat percentage. I'm 5'8" and weigh around 140, or a
little less. Not on lot of room for fat. :)
 
Hi James,
I buy a few supplements (such as glucosamine) locally,
the rest from the LEF. In fact I am just about to send
off my annual order (to take advantage of their annual
discount -- still expensive, though)

Being lazy I take everything in tablet or capsule form;
(yes, I know it would be cheaper to take some as
powders, but the time was too irritating....)

Cheers,
Michael C Price
----------------------------------------
http://mcp.longevity-report.com
http://www.hedweb.com/manworld.htm

"jamesbeebop" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Michael,
>
> Thanks for all the good info, I appreciate you taking the time to
> provide it.
>
> I'm curious how you buy your supplements, and who you buy them from?
> I'm looking for the most economical way to do this. Obviously, I get
> the LE Mix and the booster from LEF. Some of the others are NOW brand,
> from a local health food store ... but, that is *not* cheap. Some I
> buy from Vitamin World, and one or two from GNC. So yeah, I'm buying
> mostly retail. :)
>
> Are many of the things you take in powder form?
>
>
> Thanks again!
>
> James
>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom Back