Posted by Larry Hoover on December 6, 2002, at 10:48:06
In reply to What are you taking Larry?, posted by sjb on December 6, 2002, at 9:33:11
> A lot of this thread is WAY over my head, so I'll just ask, if I may, what are you taking?
I've got dozens and dozens of supplement bottles, in more than one place in my apartment. But I don't take anything religiously. I'm just not organized that way, which is to say, I'm disorganized. I'm your quintessential absent-minded professor. I get so distracted by my trains of thought that I may forget to eat altogether, let alone remember to take my a.m. supps (those that stimulate), or my core supps (those that I try to take with my biggest meal). As I now live alone, I have few cues during my day to have the "eat supplement" light flash on. I tend to bounce off deficiency states, where symptoms push me to get more focussed, rather than having a maintenance schedule that lets me coast along in a healthier state. I know what you're asking, but I don't know what to answer. I take a vast array of supplements, just not in any particular order/frequency/dose. I could make good use of a personal assistant, ya know?
>And what would you recommend to an aging athlete with a history of depression, the atypcial variety, and achey sciatic/hamstrings?
Three key 'types' of nutrients should be in the core of any supplementation plan.
1. Water solubles. These are your B's and C. A b-complex, not separate B's, unless you are treating particular symptoms, but that would be a specific B supplemented above and beyond the B complex. You could go up to B-50 three times a day, or a time-release B-100. Your urine will turn bright yellow, but all that shows is that your blood is heavily dosed with available B's. Your tissues are all compartmentalized, separated from the blood by membranes. The B's have to be high in the blood to maximize the opportunity for tissue uptake. Vitamin C is vastly under-rated as a nutrient, IMHO. The new DRI (Daily Reference Intake) is below 100 mg, even for pregnant and nursing women! Give me a break. 2 grams a day is more like it. Split the dose up for best effect.
2. Anti-oxidants and minerals
Vitamin C (mentioned above), vit E (mixed tocopherols) 400-800 I.U. and alpha-lipoic acid 200 mg.(the universal anti-oxidant, which recycles E and C, as well as acting on its own).
The reason I put minerals in here is because the line blurs for them. Selenium 200-400 mcg (that's micrograms), zinc 30-50 mg, magnesium 200 mg. A multi-mineral tablet is a good idea, but watch the combined zinc and selenium so you don't exceed those levels.3. Lipids and lipid-solubles.
This is where your fish oil, lecithin and phosphatidylserine (phospholipids), vitamins A and D come in. Fish oil has been discussed at length elsewhere. Phospholipids are important because they make sure you've got all the building blocks for neuronal membranes. Vitamin A and D get stored in the body, so cod liver oil once a week or so will do the trick.
I'm having trouble drawing a line. My brain works on the "if this, then that" kind of thinking, so it really depends a lot on the "if this" part.
Oh yeah, you already told me some ifs. Heh heh. Achy muscles could mean calcium and/or magnesium deficiency. If you tried a liquid cal/mag supplement, with vitamin E, you may find that achy muscles clear up within a week. Do you tend to spasm?
I tend to link atypical depression to burnout, but I may be totally off on that. All the things I mentioned would help with that.
If you tend to inflammation, you could try adding bromelain and/or turmeric. There are other threads on those.
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:130605
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021203/msgs/130764.html