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What Supplements Do You Take?

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PurpleUrkel

Catholic
Remnant
I'm kind of lost on the subject of supplements. Do you really even need them if you're eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat? I've also heard some people say that taking too many supplements can cause kidney stones, etc. In addition, I always wonder about the quality and viability or "freshness" of supplements as they are not shipped in climate controlled containers and are therefore subject to extreme heat and cold.

Currently I'm taking a cheap Vit C, D, & Zinc combo by Nature Made, a multi-vitamin by GNC, and a B-complex by Nature Made.

Recently I've been hearing about Dana White's physical health transformation using a "methylated" folate and multivitamin. I tried to find them in Whole Foods to no avail.

I've also been thinking about taking testosterone as I'm in my late 40's and starting to feel it. I'm also not sure where to begin with that?

Anyhow, I'm sure like with most things, you get what you pay for, so I'm just wondering what some of you take and what your monthly supplement bill is?
 
"Supplements" is like saying "food" in that it covers such an array of substances grouping them together as an entity obscures rather than clarifies. As you note they are totally different things and at different quality levels. Some of the raw material used by some distributors comes from China, for instance. I used to patronize a cheap online outlet called "Swansons" and found one of the things I was getting from them was not what I thought it was (switched to a different brand and had completely different results).

One starting point is to look at questions and reviews on an online vendor and see where people are discussing the source - a lot of people are concerned about items originating in China so you can often find out what people have discovered on a certain brand or product. Another starting point is to always consider Jarrow brand first (there are other excellent companies but I have learned about Jarrow) as they have a reputation for only producing top quality products based on what people have learned from the testing results. There are places you can send supplements for chemical analysis and sometimes that is done and results disseminated via a "consumer" organization that charges a subscription fee, or by individuals.

Cost for a supplement like CoQ10, for instance, can range from $18 at Trader Joes to $100 from a boutique brand for the same strength and amount. Personally, I do not judge by price but as you can see, one's monthly budget can range quite a bit based on brand alone. I probably spend $80 to $100 a month most months which covers 15 or 20 different items purchased in quantity throughout the year.

You have to have a concept based on what is reasonable for your financial situation. If you try to take everything that everyone recommends you will go broke and go nuts.

Be careful with testosterone because the same positive results that help with sex will also require you to pay increased attention to prostate cancer. Your self-image, family history and tolerance for risk will play a part in that decision.

Folate is supposed to be a great supplement for men and is often combined in a B-12/B-6 product so that is one way to take care of that. Although I don't totally understand the biology of it, I know that for methyl a good starting place to research is the range of substances that serve as "methyl donors" of which SAM-e is a good one that is readily available and thus affordable. You can find many expensive options in that area.

If you have issues with cardiovascular and concerns about cancer related to diet, look at the work of two doctors named Eades. Their first book, Protein Power, has an outstanding explanation of chemistry and supplements in terms of human health. Parts of the book were changed in a later version based on new information, but the sections on supplements remained virtually unchanged.

I am sure others will weigh in here with more and better information. This is a worthwhile topic to become educated about and on which you should use your best judgment.
 
I don't use tons or protein powder... Only immediately after workout.

1 scoop True nutrition whey Hydrosilate 1 scoop highly branched cyclic dextrin 5 mg creatine.

Heart/brain/liver supplements

D3 10k-25k ius (know that's high but it's what's needed to get blood levels of D3 to be concentrate. Also take it with my fish oil or in a fat soluble for with vitamin D3)
K 1x a day (1 pill of Koncentrated K)
Omega 3 (5 Grams a day DHA/EPA 60/40 split)
Choline inositol 1000 mg 2x a day
IP6 1200
Circumen -Meriva brand
NAC 1000 mg
Magnesium glycinate 240gm 2x a day
Red rice extract 1.2g 2x a day.

If in the US and you really really want to go down the rabbit hole, go to merek health and have them do blood work and they can tell you what you're deficient in or what you might add over the counter or prescription for health optimization.
 
StanWildman said:
"Supplements" is like saying "food" in that it covers such an array of substances grouping them together as an entity obscures rather than clarifies. As you note they are totally different things and at different quality levels. Some of the raw material used by some distributors comes from China, for instance. I used to patronize a cheap online outlet called "Swansons" and found one of the things I was getting from them was not what I thought it was (switched to a different brand and had completely different results).

One starting point is to look at questions and reviews on an online vendor and see where people are discussing the source - a lot of people are concerned about items originating in China so you can often find out what people have discovered on a certain brand or product. Another starting point is to always consider Jarrow brand first (there are other excellent companies but I have learned about Jarrow) as they have a reputation for only producing top quality products based on what people have learned from the testing results. There are places you can send supplements for chemical analysis and sometimes that is done and results disseminated via a "consumer" organization that charges a subscription fee, or by individuals.

Cost for a supplement like CoQ10, for instance, can range from $18 at Trader Joes to $100 from a boutique brand for the same strength and amount. Personally, I do not judge by price but as you can see, one's monthly budget can range quite a bit based on brand alone. I probably spend $80 to $100 a month most months which covers 15 or 20 different items purchased in quantity throughout the year.

You have to have a concept based on what is reasonable for your financial situation. If you try to take everything that everyone recommends you will go broke and go nuts.

Be careful with testosterone because the same positive results that help with sex will also require you to pay increased attention to prostate cancer. Your self-image, family history and tolerance for risk will play a part in that decision.

Folate is supposed to be a great supplement for men and is often combined in a B-12/B-6 product so that is one way to take care of that. Although I don't totally understand the biology of it, I know that for methyl a good starting place to research is the range of substances that serve as "methyl donors" of which SAM-e is a good one that is readily available and thus affordable. You can find many expensive options in that area.

If you have issues with cardiovascular and concerns about cancer related to diet, look at the work of two doctors named Eades. Their first book, Protein Power, has an outstanding explanation of chemistry and supplements in terms of human health. Parts of the book were changed in a later version based on new information, but the sections on supplements remained virtually unchanged.

I am sure others will weigh in here with more and better information. This is a worthwhile topic to become educated about and on which you should use your best judgment.
Click to expand...
Appreciate the detailed response. Great info.
 
Get2choppaaa said:
I don't use tons or protein powder... Only immediately after workout.

1 scoop True nutrition whey Hydrosilate 1 scoop highly branched cyclic dextrin 5 mg creatine.

Heart/brain/liver supplements

D3 10k-25k ius (know that's high but it's what's needed to get blood levels of D3 to be concentrate. Also take it with my fish oil or in a fat soluble for with vitamin D3)
K 1x a day (1 pill of Koncentrated K)
Omega 3 (5 Grams a day DHA/EPA 60/40 split)
Choline inositol 1000 mg 2x a day
IP6 1200
Circumen -Meriva brand
NAC 1000 mg
Magnesium glycinate 240gm 2x a day
Red rice extract 1.2g 2x a day.

If in the US and you really really want to go down the rabbit hole, go to merek health and have them do blood work and they can tell you what you're deficient in or what you might add over the counter or prescription for health optimization.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Great info, appreciate it very much. I'm looking to do a major health reform-turn-around in 2024 and details like this will really help.
 
I take Animal Pak as my multi-vitamin. It something that's had a good reputation in the bodybuilding community for decades now and though I'm not a bodybuilder myself, I find that once I got on it I don't feel as fatigued the next day after physically strenuous activity. I feel like I recover better when I'm on it.

All my other supplements pretty much are maintaining healthy joints. I take fish oil, collagen , as well as this joint formula that contains glucosamine and a bunch of other things. I find this stack has been keeping my joints feel pretty good. I'm big into grappling which puts a lot of wear and tear on my joints and I find that a lot of that has gone away since I started taking my stack.
 
Wutang said:
I take Animal Pak as my multi-vitamin. It something that's had a good reputation in the bodybuilding community for decades now and though I'm not a bodybuilder myself, I find that once I got on it I don't feel as fatigued the next day after physically strenuous activity. I feel like I recover better when I'm on it.

All my other supplements pretty much are maintaining healthy joints. I take fish oil, collagen , as well as this joint formula that contains glucosamine and a bunch of other things. I find this stack has been keeping my joints feel pretty good. I'm big into grappling which puts a lot of wear and tear on my joints and I find that a lot of that has gone away since I started taking my stack.
Click to expand...
Animal pack is a kitchen sink supplement. Your pee will be neon after it but it will absolutely help.

I used to take 1x pack post work out and I found it to be generally helpful also.
 
If I could afford it I could easily spend $1000/mo on supplements. A longevity stack alone, such as NAD, NMN, Resveratrol, Selegiline, etc alone could run you a few hundred a month.

At this time, the only supplements I take on a consistent basis are vitamin D + K2 (10,000 IU) and magnesium glycinate (4-5g). There are many more I take sporadically such as NAC and fish oil.
 
I have ZMA about every third night as it does amazing things for sleep quality (Zinc, manganese, amino acid)

In Winter sometimes a few teaspoons of cod liver oil for Vitamin A and D

When I am doing weights or very intense running, I have whey protein powder, preferably unflavoured and unsweetened.

I did source a very scary 'supplement' which is banned in a lot of places - yohimbine. The small jar is waiting on the shelf and if I am in a cutting phase again I may cautiously try it. It is made from the bark of a tree which grows in West Africa. I remember on the other forum @MusicForThePiano wrote about how he had a bad trip on it once. It's not really safe but everyone I've talked to who tried it says it works.

Soon I will be trying something called MSM which is supposed to help your hair stay in more. I've got a lot of hair but it is worrying when any of it comes out.
PurpleUrkel said:
I've also heard some people say that taking too many supplements can cause kidney stones, etc.
Click to expand...
Real food is better than all that stuff and I really can't bring myself to take any of that stuff regularly in large doses. In particular, vitamin C supplement tastes and feels so wrong compared to oranges..
 
stadtaffe said:
I have ZMA about every third night as it does amazing things for sleep quality (Zinc, manganese, amino acid)

In Winter sometimes a few teaspoons of cod liver oil for Vitamin A and D

When I am doing weights or very intense running, I have whey protein powder, preferably unflavoured and unsweetened.

I did source a very scary 'supplement' which is banned in a lot of places - yohimbine. The small jar is waiting on the shelf and if I am in a cutting phase again I may cautiously try it. It is made from the bark of a tree which grows in West Africa. I remember on the other forum @MusicForThePiano wrote about how he had a bad trip on it once. It's not really safe but everyone I've talked to who tried it says it works.

Soon I will be trying something called MSM which is supposed to help your hair stay in more. I've got a lot of hair but it is worrying when any of it comes out.

Real food is better than all that stuff and I really can't bring myself to take any of that stuff regularly in large doses. In particular, vitamin C supplement tastes and feels so wrong compared to oranges..
Click to expand...
Yohimbine hcl is awesome If you can tolerate it. Not everyone can. Some it causes weird issues with anxiety.

Personally I love it and take 5 mg a day with granite nutritions "fat burner" which is really just a nootopic before lifting or anything requiring focus.

truenutrition.com

Yohimbine HCL 2.5mg Capsules (100 Capsules)

Increase fat burning properties and weight loss with Yohimbine HCL capsules from True Nutrition.
truenutrition.com truenutrition.com
granitesupplements.com

Thermo Burn+ - Granite Supplements

Thermo Burn+ is an advanced formula thermogenic and metabolic enhancer. We take a three-fold approach to turbo-charge your efforts to demolish body fat through increased metabolism, appetite control, and enhanced energy Powerful New Ingredients Granite Supplements is continuously monitoring...
granitesupplements.com granitesupplements.com

Also if it's legal where you are, (Canada I know it's legal) Ephedrine is great for focus and fat loss.... the ECA stack works great. (Ephedrine / caffeine/Aspirin) one dude took like 5x the amount of caffeine and had heart palpations and screwed it up in the US... But you can still get it.
Batman said:
If I could afford it I could easily spend $1000/mo on supplements. A longevity stack alone, such as NAD, NMN, Resveratrol, Selegiline, etc alone could run you a few hundred a month.

At this time, the only supplements I take on a consistent basis are vitamin D + K2 (10,000 IU) and magnesium glycinate (4-5g). There are many more I take sporadically such as NAC and fish oil.
Click to expand...
D3 and K2 with fat, mag glycinate NAC and Fish oil are going to benefit everyone regardless of age/health status/fitness level.

I've seen some discussion of NAD+ with Vigorous Steve. Seems very very promising Fom what I'm seeing... It apparently is legit in anti aging effects.

For all supplements... Check out ergo log for studies

Ergo-Log.com

Ergo-Log
www.ergo-log.com
 
Supplement means "in addition to" and therefore it varies wildly depending on your diet.
For example, garlic has excellent antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. If you cook regularly with garlic, you receive these, but if you don't, you may want to supplement your diet with garlic supplements.

However, assuming one lives in the west, there are some assumptions we can make. For example, most people are deficient in minerals. A lot of this has to do with increased population levels which have lead to factory farming and lack of crop rotation (which farmers understood thousands of years ago). There was a large health movement about mineral supplements a decade or two ago, and I specifically remember a movement called "Dead Doctors Don't Lie" which focused on the fact that doctors die on average in their 50s and therefore you shouldn't listen to their dietary and nutrition recommendations, and should supplement with minerals.

Some good supplements I have taken over the past few years (some sourced from the old forum):
Magnesium (helps with sleep, general health) (most of us are probably deficient in all minerals)
CoQ10 (heart)
Grapeseed (antioxidant)
Lutein/Bilberry (vision)
Acytyl-L Carnatine (heart, circulation, normal, ahem, male functioning)
Vitamin D in winter months
General multivitamin to cover anything I'm deficient in
Lately I've gotten into the mushroom craze and there are some that claim great mental and physical health benefits

Many nutrients are fat soluble, meaning their effect is greatly enhanced if you source them from food, instead of a pill, but it can't hurt to supplement. Well, ackshually, the weird genius Jewish inventor Ray Kurzweil is obsessed with avoiding death and takes 150 supplements a day. I even ordered stuff from his pill company before, but he's a bit extreme. Puritan's Pride is a brand I trust and they often have good buy one get one sales.

Seratonin is great for sleep problems--I use it when travelling across time zones to reset jet lag.
 
PurpleUrkel said:
I'm kind of lost on the subject of supplements. Do you really even need them if you're eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat?
Click to expand...
I don't think so. My wife is somewhat supplement obsessed and spends thousands of dollars on them annually. I humor her because we can afford it and it's all part of her health and diet routine which overall seems to be more hit than miss and has kept her thin, pretty, and healthy into middle age. Last year she was having some problems with abdominal pain and got tested, and it turned out to be some kind of bacterial infection. She was prescribed antibiotics which she didn't want to take for some reason, preferring to treat it with supplements from the company that's got her hooked. The treatment actually worked, but the thing is the supplement people had her on a strict diet similar to how a natural bodybuilder would eat. No tomatoes, no sugar, no refined carbs are the details I remember. Lots of high quality protein too. Aside from the grass fed steaks, essentially nothing remotely tasty to eat for a month.

She sees this as confirmation that her magic supplements work, whereas I suspect the gut infection would also have also gone away with just the diet. I just don't buy that a bunch of powders and pills are required to be healthy. Creatine seems to work to some extent, although you also have to work out to get any benefits. Caffeine in moderation helps with working out and concentration. Melatonin once in a while when you can't sleep is good. That's pretty much it for supplements I take.

I've also been thinking about taking testosterone as I'm in my late 40's and starting to feel it. I'm also not sure where to begin with that?
Click to expand...
I suppose get tested if you suspect your testosterone is low. I did ask my doctor about getting my T tested once out of curiosity and he discouraged me since I don't have any symptoms of low T levels. He said they'll definitely find you need TRT because it's very lucrative for the clinics doing the testing and selling the drugs.
 
Get2choppaaa said:
Yohimbine hcl is awesome If you can tolerate it. Not everyone can. Some it causes weird issues with anxiety.
Click to expand...
Good it gets your vote, I won't feel so crazy for considering it.

I'm currently a bit over 15% fat, will only attempt that stuff fasted once under about 8%.

Side affects on both the heart and the mind. I'll give it a week at the low end of the dose when the time comes and see if it is sustainable. Quite curious to see if the "buzz" it gives you is like coffee or how it differs.
 
stadtaffe said:
Good it gets your vote, I won't feel so crazy for considering it.

I'm currently a bit over 15% fat, will only attempt that stuff fasted once under about 8%.

Side affects on both the heart and the mind. I'll give it a week at the low end of the dose when the time comes and see if it is sustainable. Quite curious to see if the "buzz" it gives you is like coffee or how it differs.
Click to expand...
I didn't find a buzz from it. But it has a very wide individual variable effect.

Some people really don't tolerate it well. Others it is just fine.

Sometimes it's the blend of other stuff with it that throws it off.

I like 5mg and a cup of coffee in the morning and it works fine.
 
Staples:

Raw Zinc
Mag Glyc
Fish/Cod Oil (Going Cod now for added Vit D in winter)
COQ10(Jarrow)
Multi Vit (Thorne Basic)
Post Workout (Zero Calories Electrolyte Powder & EEA's)- I still go with a 2-4 hr eating window so use this to assist recovery until eating)
Probiotic

Focus/Work:

Sabroxy(100-200mg)
2 Cups Coffee
Nic Gum

Rotated:

NAC
Boron
Citrulline Malate (have it pre-gym w/ electrolytes)

Tried Tribulus recently but just could not sleep. Even taking it first thing in the morning and doing two workouts.
 
I took a few Ashwagandha this morning but didn't notice anything.

Some of the things in this thread are supplements while others are nootropics, not sure what else to call them. You might say fish oil is supplementing vitamine A and D in your diet but yohimbine definitely is not supplementing anything!

Although I have a full head of hair, I got into a panic when some strands came out after using some cheap shampoo and I rushed out and got this supplement called MSM, methyl sulphonyl-methane.

Have not tried it yet, it says on the pack to take it with an orange. Supposed to be good for hair retention but if you're already folically challenged not sure it can help.
 
I'm still nowhere near ready to take it (if I even take it at all) but as a warning, here is a very detailed medical report of 2 people who died from taking too much yohimbine :
academic.oup.com

Case Study: Two Fatal Case Reports of Acute Yohimbine Intoxication

Abstract. Yohimbine is an alkaloid that has been encountered on the streets as an aphrodisiac, hallucinogen, dietary supplement and erectile dysfunction drug. Y
academic.oup.com academic.oup.com
The one collapsed outside the gym, the other was found unresponsive in his apartment.
There's a list of 8 other cases in there, 2 of which died, other symptoms including unconsciousness, seizures and an erection which won't go away. 1 of the 8 was a woman. Gotta be careful with that stuff if you try it...
 
I was taking Ashwagandha on and off, weeks at a time, for the last year or so. Anecdotally, I felt that it helped with sleep and stress particularly given my "high stress" profession. Interestingly enough it's been shown to increase testosterone and sperm count and my wife said I made huge loads while I was on it.

A word of caution: Despite taking no more than the recommended amount and obtaining it from a reputable source, I ended up with a liver injury. Fortunately it was mild and resolved after I stopped taking it.
 
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