11 supplements to consider

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/natural-health/dietary-supplements/safe-supplements/index.htm?EXTKEY=AYAHLTH02

 

11 supplements to consider

Last reviewed: September 2010

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These popular supplements, listed in alphabetical order, have been shown to
likely be safe for most people and possibly or likely to be effective in
appropriate doses for certain conditions. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
before starting any supplement. Most supplements haven't been studied in
pregnant or nursing women. The list of interactions and side effects is not
all-inclusive.

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NAME (also known as)	EFFICACY FOR SELECTED USES	SELECTED POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS	SELECTED DRUG INTERACTIONS
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="CALCIUM">CALCIUM (calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate)	Likely effective in combination with vitamin D in preventing and treating bone loss and osteoporosis. Taken daily, appears to reduce some PMS symptoms.	Belching, gas.	Calcium can decrease the effectiveness of certain antibiotics, osteoporosis drugs, and thyroid drugs.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="CRANBERRY">CRANBERRY (American cranberry, large cranberry, cranberry extract)	Possibly effective for preventing recurrent urinary-tract infections.	Large amounts can cause stomach upset, diarrhea.	Might increase the effects of the blood thinner warfarin.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="FISH OIL">FISH OIL (EPA/DHA, omega-3 fatty acids, PUFA)	Effective for reducing triglyceride levels. Likely effective for decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and progression of hardening of the arteries in people with existing heart disease.	Fishy aftertaste, upset stomach, nausea, loose stools. High doses can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in some people or increase the chance of bleeding.	Might increase the effect of blood-thinning drugs and high blood pressure medications.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE">GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE (G6S, glucosamine sulfate 2KCl, glucosamine sulfate-potassium chloride)	Likely effective treatment for reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Might also help slow progression of osteoarthritis.	Nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, headache.	Might increase the blood-thinning effect of warfarin and cause bruising and bleeding.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="LACTASE">LACTASE (beta-galactosidase)	Likely effective for reducing gastrointestinal symptoms in lactoseintolerant people when used before consuming lactose or when added to milk.	No reported side effects.	None known.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="LACTOBACILLUS">LACTOBACILLUS (acidophilus, acidophilus lactobacillus, probiotics)	Possibly effective for preventing diarrhea while taking antibiotics.	Gas. People with poor immune function should check with their doctor first.	Might cause infection in people taking immunosuppressant drugs.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="PSYLLIUM">PSYLLIUM (blond plantago, blonde psyllium, plantago, isabgola)	Effective as a bulk laxative for reducing constipation or softening stools. Likely effective for lowering cholesterol in people with mild to moderately high cholesterol.	Gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea. Some people can have a serious allergic response that requires immediate medical attention.	Might decrease the effectiveness of carbamazepine, an antiseizure drug; digoxin, a heart drug; and lithium, for bipolar disorder. Might cause low blood sugar when taken with some diabetes drugs.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="PYGEUM">PYGEUM (African plum tree, African prune, Prunus africana)	Likely effective for reducing symptoms of an enlarged prostate.	Nausea, abdominal pain.	None known.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="SAMe">SAMe (ademetionine, adenosylmethionine, S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine, sammy)	Likely effective in reducing symptoms of major depression, reducing pain, and improving functioning in people with osteoarthritis.	GI symptoms, dry mouth, headache, mild insomnia, anorexia, sweating, dizziness, and nervousness, especially at higher doses. It can make some people with depression feel anxious.	Might lead to a toxic reaction when taken with the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, certain antidepressants, or narcotic pain relievers. Might worsen symptoms when taken with the Parkinson's drug levodopa.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="ST. JOHN'S WORT">ST. JOHN'S WORT (Hypericum perforatum, Saynt Johannes Wort, SJW)	Likely effective for improving symptoms of some forms of depression.	Insomnia, vivid dreams, anxiety, dizziness, headache, skin rash, and tingling. It can cause skin to become extra-sensitive to the sun.	Can decrease the effectiveness of a wide range of drugs, including birth-control pills, heart medications, HIV/AIDS drugs, and warfarin. Might also increase the effects or side effects of certain antidepressants.
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" title="VITAMIN D">VITAMIN D (Cholecalciferol, vitamin D3, ergocalciferol, vitamin D2)	Likely effective when taken with calcium to help prevent osteoporosis. Might help reduce falls in people with vitamin D deficiency and bone loss in people taking corticosteroids.	Extremely large amounts might cause weakness, fatigue, headache, and nausea, though side effects are rare.	Might reduce the effectiveness of some medications, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), other heart medications, birth-control pills, HIV/AIDS drugs.

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xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word">Source: Natural Medicines Comprehensive
Database, Professional Version, June 2010

health checkup

% of body fat
breakdown of ldls and hdls
state of kidney and liver health
ask if taking whey protein is ok, 105g daily, if im working out.

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Down to quantities

References

healthy diet fit body

Per day

to fight hypertension and high blood pressure

fruits and vegetables in general are the best.

increase potassium - 4700 mg : bananas, potatoes (no, you can’t have french fries), canned white beans, yogurt, halibut, tuna, lima beans and winter squash

reduce sodium (most important for reducing hypertension, others are secondary) - 2300 mg (approx 1 tablespoon) : salty snack eaters eat 4X as much while average americans eat 2X as much

magnesium - 500 - 1000 mg: in a well-bal diet.

(increase) calcium - 800 - 1000 mg: average american gets half. Take supplement with 3-400mg.

** Vitamin D **

People have not figured out on D!! Just read this on WebMD and on MSN Health, and you will see that the experts have no freaking clue as to HOW MUCH D we need. Ask my doctor if I need to take D. I was going to order D supplements (since thru diet, getting 2000IU is almost impossible?) but I'm hesitant now. More info needed...

For me, I figure about 2000 IU (dark skinned, not enough sun exposure). Get this thru supplement since D is hard to get from food and since sun is not always available.

The U.S. Recommended Dietary Intake for vitamin D is currently 400 International Units (IU). However, research is suggesting that may not be enough. In fact, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that doses of 3,800 to 5,000 IU may be needed to maintain optimal blood levels, as the body doesn't absorb all it takes in. The official safe upper-limit (UL) for vitamin D intake is 2,000 IU, although many researchers are now saying this is much too conservative and it should be reset to 10,000 IU. However, scientific organizations are slow to change their recommendations, so it may be a while before the official UL is reset to a higher level.

A minimum of 1,000 IU every day is recommended. Keep in mind if you're overweight or dark-skinned, you are at a high risk for deficiency.

One cup of fortified milk has only 100 IU of vitamin D (we actually get much more vitamin D from the sun than we could ever get from food).

If you expose your face, arms, back, or hands to the sun three times per week for 15 minutes between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., you'll get a dose of about 3,000 IU of vitamin D. So, before you slap on the sunscreen, give yourself this small amount of sun exposure. Then, you can put on the sunscreen to avoid over-exposure to the sun.

Heart disease prevention

maintain body weight
exercise
low saturated and trans fat
high omega3 fatty acid
keep LDL below 100, HDL over 40
be happy

Whey protein
.7 * body wt of about 150 = 105 gm of whey (too much??)
still sounds too much. taking 20g scoop 4 times already sounds enough.
space it out daily so liver/kidney is not overworked
isolate form is better but more expensive, mix of isolate and concentrate (higher % of isolate though) gives you biggest bang for buck

What to eat before during after excercise?
after exercise, only 10-20g of protein says this article!!

abs workout

best abs workout - most with no tools

best abs workout take 2

long arm weighted crunch - with light dumbells on each hand and lying flat with knees bent

youtube at home crunch

youtube ** good review

What's in a breakfast?

Why breakfast is important?

Cereals are just "better than nothing". If u must, look for whole grain, add >5g of daily fiber, <25% sugar calories.

Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Vitamin E etc.

after workout supplement

WebMD Protein Shakes
10 Diet Myths - after workout, get 8 grams of protein (small carton of low fat choco milk). no need to get 4 scoops of whey.

For body building, get something with more protein(>50%), less carb.

Best way to get protein is always through diet, but this is difficult to do right after workout. whey is the best source of supplemental protein (better than milk, egg or soy) RIGHT AFTER WORKOUT (in body for short time). casein protein is for meal replacement or before going to bed (in body for long time).

Low carb dutch chocolate

Mutivitamins

My summary:
What you are looking for in a multivitamin is various vitamins and minerals. Minerals are bulky so that's why you are prompted to take a few pills a day. Chances are 1 pill a day probably cannot give you 100% of daily value as far as minerals are concerned but it is certainly possible to get 100% of all vitamins in a pill. But that's ok since I think we should get minerals via other means on a daily basis.
- No iron
- Calcium: 1000 mg (DV), get ALL from food, if over 51, 1200mg, if over 75, 1500mg, men shouldn't take a calcium supplement; Andrew Weil, founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, says it increases the risk of prostate cancer.
- Carotenoids desired: beta carotene, alpha carotene, gamma carotene, lycopene, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin or astaxanthin.
- vitamin A: sources are usually retinol (aka "performed vitamin A" or acetate or palmitate) and beta carotene. Def go with latter. Excess retinol (acetate, palmitate) is said to cause reduction in bone density and fracture and harm liver health. Take no more than 5000 IU and 100% from beta carotene is the best. No vit A for smokers! Also, 50% from supplement and 50% from food is the best.
- vitamin B6: 2(DV)-50 mg (for heart disease)
- vitamin B12: 6 mcg(DV) but if over 50, 25-100 mcg (for heart disease and nerve damage)
- vitamin C: 200-500 mg (heart and age related diseases)
- vitamin D: 400 IU or if north of boston 600IU in winter/fall
- vitamin E: 400 IU (30IU is DV), make sure type is d-alpha-tocopherol (rather than "dl") or tocotrienols
- vitamin D: 2000 IU
- folic acid: 400(DV)-800 mcg (heart)
- chromium: 200 mcg (120 mcg DV) (prevent diabetes)
- Magnesium: 400mg(DV), get from supplement and food like beans and artichokes (bones and heart)
- yeast based selenium: 200 mcg if man (prevent cancer), less than 70 mcg if woman.

- I think, due to potential side effects and risks, it is best to know what you lack the most and focus on supplementing only those. To that end, nothing beats the real sources like fruits and vegetables etc. Look at the vitamins picture.




WebMD Multivitamins FOR MEN

References:

What to look for?

What to look for, take 2?

Bad for you? Get everything from diet, except vitamin D which you can get from supplement!

Should I? For athletes and body builders, need to replace vitamins and minerals fast, so may make sense.

On and on and on.... My conclusion: take something to replenish vitamins and minerals right after workout in juice form . Otherwise, just take D on a daily basis. Rest, get from diet.

What to drink right after workout?

here is one
another one

So, maybe drink my regular NATURAL fruit juice in the morning and after workout, but mixed with supplements? YEAH

How to choose best multivitamin?

If you must, look for those with:

No iron

3,000 to 5000 International Units of vitamin A, with at least 20% of it as beta-carotene

A lot of vitamin D

USP insignia

Good Reviews

One a day Men's Healt Formula - no iron, not sure about USP, $10 per 100 tablets

Centrum Silver Ignore 50+ sign

Fish oil supplements

Some Info on Fish Oil Supplements

WebMD Good for High Blood Pressure
WebMD Omega 3 strategy
After-taste can be eliminated by storing capsules in the freezer and taking them frozen.
Flax seed oil is not as good as fish oil (fish oil has both EPA and DHA, flax seed oil doesn't).

Good ONE-A-DAY ones with IFOS 5 star ratings

Make sure you go to IFOS to ensure 5 star ratings. The stuff you buy has to be of a certain batch with certain expiry date (older batches from the same company may be of poorer quality).

The following products are by batch number/expiry date
EPA/DHA are in mg/1000mg

Critical Omega from Renew Life
Batch 082917/09.11
IFOS 5 star findings: EPA/DHA 439/230
60 capsules
http://www.renewlife.com/
vitacost $26
(website says avail in WholeFoods and Triple Harvest Co-op near 02141 zip)
Ordered from vitacost - 2 units, they charge $5 for S&H


Kirkland Signature Fish Oil
Not on IFOS but high Amazon ratings ($25 for 180 gels!!! sounds too good to be true?), also sold by Costco

GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil
EPA/DHA 647/253
60 gels, $15 for goldcard holders


Other good ones I ditched for various reasons

Barleans - not on IFOS, good review but suggested use is 2-6 per day!!!
See Yourself Well Omega 3 - IFOS, but 3 per day (also known as another site Nuratec), 300 capsules $100
Zone Labs OmegaRx - IFOS but 4 per day, from zone site, 120 capsules for 30 day is $40 with autoship or $50 without
PharmaOmega - again more than 1 per day

MSG

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, earned its reputation in Asian takeout kitchens across America, but almost all fast-food restaurants use the flavor enhancer to some extent. Interestingly, MSG has no distinct taste itself. Instead, it amplifies other flavors, especially in foods with chicken or beef flavoring, through processes that scientists don't fully understand.

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/processing-facts-channel.htm

HFCS

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup2.htm

Unlike glucose, which is metabolized a number of ways by your body, fructose is only metabolized by your liver. When the liver receives more fructose than it can handle, the excess sugars are turned into fats in the form of triglycerides, which are harmful to your arteries and your heart.

The biggest problem is that HFCS is being added to food items that don't normally have sugar and that you wouldn't even describe as sweet -- crackers, for instance. So, not only are we chugging down lots of sugars with our sodas, but your PBJ sandwich could have HFCS in each of its three ingredients. Meal after meal, day after day, all of this extra sugar adds up, and that, and not necessarily the qualities of HFCS itself, is likely one reason why rates for obesity and diabetes have climbed since the introduction of HFCS. (Other factors are in play as well, such as decreased activity and exercise levels and increased fat consumption.)
So what can we do? Well, for starters, do everything you're already supposed to do. Get regular exercise, watch your fat intake and get regular medical checkups. Next, it wouldn't hurt to mimic the practices of those strange (and rare) individuals in grocery-store aisles who read the labels of the food they are purchasing. Once you get in this habit, you will likely be shocked to learn just how much of your regular grocery purchases contain high-fructose corn syrup. If nearly all of your food contains concentrated sugars, it stands to reason that you'll be eating too many sugars. And if you want to go crazy, eat some fruits and veggies. You'll get all the glucose you need (not much), and these healthier alternatives will take the place of the less healthy foods now flooding our markets and grocery stores.