206 replies to this topic

[zoolander]

The following is my personal supplement and health care regime.

Details: as of February 1st, 2009
I'm Male, 37 years old, 5'11" and weight 160lbs (~8-10% body fat).
Average BP: 105/65 HR: 45-50 bpm

Notes on my supplement intake and ordering:
-I cycle all of my supplements. I take them 5 days on 2 days off. Then I have a 7 days break every 3 months.
-I now buy in bulk (6 month supply) and store all my supplements in fridge (except protein). This keeps the cost down and increases discount % at iHerb. If I order a 6 month supply I will save US$120 on top of their already heavily discounted products. The shipping for a 2 month supply (US$50 to Australia) is the same as a 6 month supply hence, I save another US$100. Therefore I save US$220 (~AU$250) by ordering every 6 months saving me just over $40/month
Total cost per month ~AU$225 (includes delivery)

My Personal Supplement Regime: April, 2008
(now with reference list. Most references are review papers based on human studies)

As soon as I wake: 60 minutes before breakfast

Silicon (as Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid) 5mg (Natrol, Biosil) in 200mL Grapefruit juice (ref) with 1 scoop of Jarrow Green Defenece
1000mg D,L-Phenylalanine
ChocoMind (Jarrow) x 1 capsule containing:

ChocoMind from Chocamine (Theobroma cacao) .... 500 mg
Theobromine .................................................. 60 mcg
Caffeine. ....................................................... 40 mg

Rhodiola Rosea (Jarrow) 500mg (ref); adaptigen
Vitamin C Sustained release (NOW Foods) 1000mg; water-phase antioxidant
Ortho-Mind (AOR) x 3 caps half of containing:

R(+)-lipoic acid ................................................. 100 mg
Huperzine-A (from 20 mg Huperzia serrata 0.5%) .. 100 mcg (ref); an AChE Inhibitor;
Vinpocetine ....................................................... 15 mg (ref); neuroprotector
Bacopa monniera extract(50% baccosides A&B) ...... 300 mg
Ginkgo biloba extract ......................................... 100 mg [GEM and GuidAge])
(24% ginkgoflavone glycosides, 6% terpene lactones)
Cytidine diphosphate choline ............................... 500 mg (ref); choline donor, Cognitive enhancer/protector
Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl ...................................... 1500 mg (ref)
L-Pyroglutamic Acid ......................................... 1500 mg
Pantothenic acid ............................................... 500 mg

R+ (SR) Lipoic aicd (AOR) 150mg; mitochondrial antioxidant (ref)
Heliocare (Polypodium Leucotomos extract) 240mg (ref)
Meditation 10-15 minutes when I have time *shrugs shoulders*

With Breakfast:
Deprenyl (liquid selegiline citrate) 1 drop = 1mg (ref): MAO-B inhibitor
Probiotic Life Flora, 5 Billion Cells (Source Naturals) x 1; strengthen gut flora
Ortho-Core Multivitamin (AOR) 3 caps containing half of;

Phytonutrient Complex
Chlorophyllin Complex ............................................ 150 mg
Trans-Resveratrol ................................................. 1.8 mg
Pomegranate extract (40% Ellagic acid) .....................100 mg
Sulforaphane (from Broccoli Sprout Extract) .................7.1 mg
VITAMINS
Vitamin A Complex- Retinol (Palmitate) ...................... 150 mcg
Natural-Source Mixed Carotenoids
Alpha-carotene ..................................................... 1.6 mg
Beta-carotene ......................................................... 6 mg
Cryptoxanthin ..................................................... 300 mcg
Lutein .................................................................. 6.8 mg
Zeaxanthin ......................................................... 314 mcg
Astaxanthin ............................................................. 2 mg
Lycopene .............................................................. 10 mg
Vitamin B Complex
B1 (Thiamine) .......................................................... 9 mg
B2 (Riboflavin) ....................................................... 2.5 mg
B3 (Niacin (as 126 mg Inositol Hexanicotinate)) ........... 115 mg
B5 (d-Ca Pantothenate) ......................................... 100 mg
B6 (Pyridoxal 5' Phosphate) ..................................... 100 mg
B12 (Methylcobalamin) .......................................... 647 mcg
Folic Acid ........................................................... 800 mcg
Biotin ................................................................ 300 mcg
Choline (from Bitartrate) ......................................... 100 mg
Inositol ............................................................... 100 mg
Vitamin C Complex
Vitamin C (as Magnesium Ascorbate) .......................... 120 mg
Mixed Citrus Bioflavonoids (25%) .............................. 100 mg
Quercetin Dihydrate (85% Quercetin) ......................... 76 mg
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) ...................................... 25 mcg
Vitamin E Complex
Tocopherols: ......................................................... 100 mg
alpha-tocopherol ................................................... 15 mg
beta-tocopherol ...................................................... 2 mg
gamma-tocopherol ................................................. 60 mg
delta-tocopherol .................................................... 24 mg
Tocotrienols: .......................................................... 10 mg
alpha-tocotrienol ..................................................... 3 mg
beta-tocotrienol .................................................... 0.3 mg
gamma-tocotrienol ................................................... 6 mg
delta-tocotrienol .................................................... 1.3 mg
Menatetrenone (MK-4) ............................................ 120 mcg
MINERALS
Boron (Citrate) ....................................................... 700 mcg
Calcium (Calcium carbonate, Citrate-Malate, d-Ca Pantothenate)
............................................................ 300mg
Chromium (Picolinate) .............................................. 100 mcg
Copper (Citrate) ....................................................... 1.5 mg
Iodine (Potassium Iodide) ......................................... 150 mcg
Magnesium (Aspartate, Oxide, Ascorbate, Chlorophyllin) .. 210 mg
Potassium (Chloride) .................................................. 50 mg
Manganese (Glycinate) .............................................. 2.3 mg
Molybdenum (Na Molybdate) ...................................... 45 mcg
Selenium (Se-Methylselenocysteine) ............................ 55 mcg
Silicon (Na Metasilicate) ............................................. 25 mg
Strontium ............................................................... 1.5 mg
Vanadium (Picolinate) ............................................... 18 mcg
Zinc (Citrate) ........................................................... 11 mg
Biotransformation Conjugates
R(+)- Lipoic Acid......................,,,,,,.......................... 150 mg
Co-Enzyme Q (ubidecarenone)..................................... 30 mg
Green Tea Extract (45% EgCG; 1% caffeine) ................ 140 mg
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) ........................................... 200 mg

Resveratrol (Nature's Way) 150mg (ref); longevity (research suggests bioavailability of current preparations are poor)

Resveratrol 75mg
Red wine extract (Nature's way) 200mg (ref); cardiovascular health
Red wine Powder (Nature's way) 200mg
Grape Seed extract (Nature's way) 100mg (ref); polyphenol antioxidant

Fish Oil (Natural Factors, RxOmega-3 Factors Pharmaceutical Grade Omega 3 Oils) 2000mg (ref); cardiovascular health
Methyl B-12 lozengers (Jarrow formulas) 1000mcg; vegetarian booster
Vitamin D3 (Healthy Origins) 2,400 IU (dosages based on ref1, ref2); sun replacement
Benfotiamine (Benfotiamine Inc.) 80mg (ref); anti-glycation
Aged Garlic (Kyolic Cardiovascular formula 100) 600mg (ref); cardiovascular health
Astaxanthin (NOW Foods) 4mg (ref); neuroprotective, cardiovascular health
Ubiqunol (coQH) 100mg (ref); cardiovascular health, mitochondrial antioxidant
Chromium GTF 200mcg (ref); blood sugar regulator/hyperglyceamia
Phytosterols (Beta-sitosterol and mix) 930mg just before breakfast (ref); cardiovascular health
Quercetin 500mg (ref); cardiovascular health
Trimethyglycine (TMG) 1g (ref); regulate homocysteine levels
EGCG Green Tea Extract (NOW Foods) 400mg (ref 1, ref 2); antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antiobesity

Morning breakfast protein Mix:

50-75g Blueberries
300ml Water
2 Tbl Homemade powdered nut mix (almonds:hazelnuts:macadamias in a 1:1:1 ratio)
45g of Unflavour Whey Protein Isolate (Alacen 895)
1.5g beta-Glucan
1.0g Glucomannan
2.5g Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
1 Scoop of Jarrow Berry High
5g Creatine Monohydrate
5 g BCAA's
~20g 100% raw organic cacao
30mL Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
15ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mid afternoon 60 minutes before meal or training:
Vitamin C Sustained release (NOW Foods) 1000mg
Ortho-Mind (AOR) x 3 caps
R+ (SR) Lipoic aicd (AOR) 150mg;

On training days:
15-30 minutes before training
Instantized Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA 2:1:1) 10 g in 400 mls water (ref)
---->Weight Training
Immediately after training session:
High Molecular weight CHO (Waxy Maize Starch) drink containing 10 g 50:50 BCAA-Leucine Mix (ref)
15-30 minutes after training: (ref)
Customized protein mix containing:
Hydrolyzed Whey protein 3 g
Whey protein Isolate cold filtered 22.5g
Creatine monohydrate 3g
Leucine 1.5g (to up BCAA ratio)

With afternoon meal/dinner/ or 2 hrs post training with meal (usually around 4 or 5 pm):
Ortho-Core Multivitamin (AOR) 3 caps;
Resveratrol (Nature's Way) 150mg
Red wine extract (Nature's way) 200mg
Red wine Powder (Nature's way) 200mg
Grape Seed extract (Nature's way) 100mg
Fish Oil (Natural Factors, RxOmega-3 Factors Pharmaceutical Grade Omega 3 Oils) 2000mg
Benfotiamine (Benfotiamine Inc.) 80mg
Aged Garlic (Kyolic Cardiovascular formula 100) 600mg
Chromium GTF 200mcg
Saw Palmetto (Jarrow) 160 mg (with 160mg Pumpkin seed oil)
Trimethyglycine (TMG) 1g
EGCG Green Tea Extract (NOW Foods) 400mg

Afternoon Protein mix:

300ml Water
45g of Unflavour Whey Protein Isolate (Alacen 895)
1.5g beta-Glucan
1.0g Glucomannan
2.5g Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
5 g BCAA's
15-30mL Extra Virgin Coconut Oil


1 hour before or just as I'm jumping into bed consumed at 10-10.30pm
Ashwaghanda 450mg from Sensoril™ (Withania somnifera [8% Withanolides]) adaptogen (ref)
Vitamin C Sustained release (NOW Foods) 1000mg
L-Theanine 200mg (SunTheanine) relaxation (ref)
Melatonin formula (Natural Sleep, LEF) containing: biocircadian rhythm, antiox, antiaging (ref)

Melatonin (immediate release) 2.5 mg
Melatonin (timed release) 2.5 mg
plus
Vitamin C (as niacinamide ascorbate) 220 mg
Niacin (as niacinamide ascorbate) 73.5 mg
Vitamin B-12 (as cyanocobalamin) 100 mcg
Calcium (as calcium citrate) 48 mg
Magnesium (as magnesium oxide) 120 mg
Chromium (as chromium polynicotinate) 50 mcg
Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate 10 mg
Inositol 100 mg

Jarrow Sleep Optimizer 2 caps containing:

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) ..............................100 mg
Hops (Humulus lupulus I.)(flower) ............. ...............100 mg
Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis)(root)(0.8 % Valeric Acid)
.......................................................................... 400 mg
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)(leaves)...................... 100 mg
L-Tryptophan ....................................................... 300 mg
Melatonin ............................................................. 0.3 mg
Lycopene .............................................................. 10 mg

Meditation 10-15 minutes

Zoolander's skin care regime: current as of April 12th, 2008
Fairly basic. Consists of cleanse, moisturise and sunscreen in Morning and Cleanse and Retin A in evening

Monday-Sunday:
Morning: Cleanse with Cetaphil, Skinceuticals CE + Ferulic (ref), Sunscreen (ref)
Evening: Cleanse with Cetaphil, 0.025% Tazarotene (Thurs-Sun) 0.025% Tretinoin (Mon-Wed) ref

Zoolander's Nasal/oral hygeine routine: current as of April 12th, 2008
Morning: (after breakfast) Brush teeth with Colgate Total using the Oral B Triump 9950 Electric toothbrush with SmartGuide, rinse mouth with Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash
Nasal/Sinus Irrigation (3-5 times per week more if needed)for clearing sinuses (ref): Using Grossan Hydropulse. I make a homemade ENT solution using 500mL warm water, 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (table salt; final conc. ~0.9%) and 1/4 teaspoon Bicarb. I run 250mL through each nostril
Evening: brush with Biotene dry mouth toothpaste, Floss, rinse with Biotene PBF Mouthwash (ref)

Zoolander's Haircare routine: current as of April 12th, 2008. Currently have hair clippered to No1 hence no fuss
Daily: Organic conditioner
Twice weekly: 1% Ketoconazole Shampoo (Nizarol) to prevent dry scalp (ref). Massage into scalp and leave for 5 minutes

Others:
Twice weekly: skin brushing

Zoolander's exercise regime: Current as of April 12th, 2008
Aerobic/Cardio:
1. Ride to work Thursday-Sunday 10km each way. Hence ride roughly 80km's/week (8 x 10km rides) at roughly 150bpms (~80%HRmax). My Heart rate monitor (Polar 610i) reads this as roughly 300-350KCal each session or 650-700kcal per day.
2. Run twice per week (Tues, Wed). 20-25 minutes each time at roughly 160bpm (85% HRmax). Heart rate monitor reads this as roughly 450kCal per session
Strength:
1. German Volume Training (GVT) 3 x per week (Mon, Tues, Wed). 3 day split (Legs and Abs, Arms and Shoulders, Back and Chest). See here for more info on GVT
Flexibility:
work in progress...

Blood Biochemistry (work in progress....)

Edited by zoolander, 01 February 2009 - 10:55 PM.

[maestro949]

5'11" and 150 lbs? You must be skin and bones.

How did you come to choose all of those supplements?

I'll follow your lead on the Resveratrol. I've been looking to add this. I currently drink a lot of red wine but would like to cut back and keep the Resveratrol.

Edited by maestro949, 20 June 2006 - 03:05 PM.

[zoolander]

I'm not really skin and bones. I have an athletic build. I would say I have more of a triathletes body although I would prefer the body of a sprinter. Hey I can't complain considering I'm neither.

I'm 5'11" and about 70kg. My body fat is under 10%. Lean mass is 60kg. Of course not all that is lean muscle mass. Some is water and bone mineral.

I don't drink red wine. I guzzle. No seriously, I can't drink red wine so at the moment I am not getting any resveratrol.

I base my supplement regime on scientific research mainly. Some of my supplements I will be phasing out due to lack of conclusive scientific data. For example, hydergine

I am trying to develop a minimal supplement regime with well back supplements.

Edited by zoolander, 18 February 2008 - 08:05 AM.

[maestro949]

I'm only an inch taller, same age. Can't imagine what I'd look like at that weight. When I was 170 people picked on me for being a waif.

What is your source of scientific data? I tend to add things to my regimen only when I see both scientific data that backs it up and popular appeal from educated peers who are in the medical, nutrition or scientific fields. I don't add much other than a multi, green tea, omega-3, vitamin C, B12 and chocolate (killer for endorphines

[zoolander]

my source is mainly pubmed and research papers. I also have a few people that I regard as knowledgable in the area of supplementation and sometimes am influenced by their projections i.e MR

I have almost completed my PhD looking at the effects of dietary supplementation in aged males so there are some supplements I have added as a result of the data that came from my own research i.e creatine and whey protein

[zoolander]

Orthomolecular said:

In orthomolecular a tall thin build is usually an indication of someone with high histamine levels. (But not all high histamine types do have this build.)  This type has a sulfur deficiency. Sulfation is one mechanism that the body gets rid of histamine by, the main one is methylation. You sound like you may be a high histamine type, but that is just a guess.

yes yes. Very scientific

So was that a significant guess with an alpha value of <0.05, CI=95%.

If so, I think we are onto something.

I should tell you that I use to weight 230lb at 15% bodyfat. Was that histamine or deca durabolin type?

I'm going to have a read of the links you provided but I am having trouble loading them at the moment. Cheers. I will report back after I have read them

[zoolander]

Shut up and tell me where ze golden ticket iz

[tung]

[Shepard]

Jesus, I'm getting nauseated.

[mitkat]

I want an orthomolecular!!!!!111eleven

Zoo, I see you take vinpocetine and vincamine. Do you feel a difference between the two?

Also, what sort of Curcumin doses do you plan to take, you fat basard?

[zoolander]

I see you take vinpocetine and vincamine. Do you feel a difference between the two?

I take them with other supplements and could not tell you the difference. I started taking the 2 different forms sometime ago and there is no real rationale for taking the 2. Vincamine is an extract from Vinca minor whereas vinpocetine is a synthesized derivative of the extract vincamine.

When I run out of these two supplements I will most likely take onme or the other and not both.

When I finally decide to take Curcumin I will probably be looking at taking contains a curcumin supplement contain 95% curcuminoids (including curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxy-curcumin) in the range of 500-1000mg per day.

[zoolander]

I have been looking at other peoples supplement regimes and decided to do some research. From this I have added the following:

Jarrow Formulas, Ashwagandha, 2 x 225 mg (Sensoril™ Withania somnifera, 8% Withanolides

Vitamin C 1000mg (NOW Foods ) sustained released.
I am taking this with my N-Acetyl-Cysteine in the morning. I have also halved my NAC dose from 600mg each time to 300mg. From what I have read, taking 2 to 3 times the amount of Vitamin C with the NAC helps keep the glutathione that is produced from the Cysteine in its reduced form so that it can continue acting as an antioxidant.

Jarrow Formulas, 2000 mg

I am vego and for other obvious reasons. I don't know why I haven't had this on my list

Silicon (as Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid) Jarrow Formulas, Biosil Liquid Silicon, 6-10mg

I was doing a little research and looking at supplements/treatments for photodamaged skin. I came accross this article

[quote]Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin.

Barel A, Calomme M, Timchenko A, De Paepe K, Demeester N, Rogiers V, Clarys P, Vanden Berghe D.

Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.

Chronic exposure of the skin to sunlight causes damage to the underlying connective tissue with a loss of elasticity and firmness. Silicon (Si) was suggested to have an important function in the formation and maintenance of connective tissue. Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid ("ch-OSA") is a bioavailable form of silicon which was found to increase the hydroxyproline concentration in the dermis of animals. The effect of ch-OSA on skin, nails and hair was investigated in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty women with photodamaged facial skin were administered orally during 20 weeks, 10 mg Si/day in the form of ch-OSA pellets (n=25) or a placebo (n=25). Noninvasive methods were used to evaluate skin microrelief (forearm), hydration (forearm) and mechanical anisotropy (forehead). Volunteers evaluated on a virtual analog scale (VAS, "none=0, severe=3") brittleness of hair and nails. The serum Si concentration was significantly higher after a 20-week supplementation in subjects with ch-OSA compared to the placebo group. Skin roughness parameters increased in the placebo group (Rt:+8%; Rm: +11%; Rz: +6%) but decreased in the ch-OSA group (Rt: -16%; Rm: -19%; Rz: -8%). The change in roughness from baseline was significantly different between ch-OSA and placebo groups for Rt and Rm. The difference in longitudinal and lateral shear propagation time increased after 20 weeks in the placebo group but decreased in the ch-OSA group suggesting improvement in isotropy of the skin. VAS scores for nail and hair brittleness were significantly lower after 20 weeks in the ch-OSA group compared to baseline scores. Oral intake of ch-OSA during the 20 weeks results in a significant positive effect on skin surface and skin mechanical properties, and on brittleness of hair and nails.

Publication Types:

* Randomized Controlled Trial


PMID: 16205932 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

My partner was interested so I thought I would give it a try at the same time

[Athanasios]

Jarrow Formulas, Ashwagandha, 2 x 225 mg (Sensoril™ Withania somnifera, 8% Withanolides

Nice, this was my next addition as well. Good choice. What aspect drew you toward it? Or was it a combo? Also, what do you think about the anti-tumor/cancer effect?

Edit: One more thing, I thought I would only take one cause of the potency is higher than many others. I assumed one correlated with the studies better. What you think?

Edited by cnorwood19, 04 July 2006 - 04:02 PM.

[zoolander]

Nice, this was my next addition as well. Good choice. What aspect drew you toward it? Or was it a combo? Also, what do you think about the anti-tumor/cancer effect?

Edit: One more thing, I thought I would only take one cause of the potency is higher than many others. I assumed one correlated with the studies better. What you think?

What drew me to ashwagandha? Well I have been reading about adaptogens and ashwagandha came up. I did a little more research and decided that, on scientific merit, ashwagandha would be a good addition to my regime. It's not overly expensive either.

Re. its anti-tumor/anti-carcinogenic properties.....well I am more interested in it's use as an adaptogen. I'm not really at an age yet to be overlyconcerned about cancer.

I will probably trial dosages of 225-450mg per day.

I can look into carrying the Sensoril bulk powder....

but Adam buying it precapulated from Jarrow cost you about 10 cent per dose. It may be worth while to buy bulk but such a hassle to encapsulate. Fair enough for the more expensive items such as ALCAR and R-ALA but for the cheaper items....well I don't think it is worth it.

Additionally, have you seen what the powder looks like? Some powders are so hard to encapulate. For example, Ginkgo and Rhodiola are a bitch to encapulate. What would be your advice/recommendation be when encapulating difficult herbs

What have you found with your customers?

[zoolander]

Some powders are so light that when you push the tamper in it pushes out nearly all the powder

[xanadu]

Tamping and capping isn't really that hard. I know what you mean about the tamper pushing out the powder but you just take it easy on the first tamp and no problems. Rhodiola isn't that bad, a tad messy but not hard to cap. I'm surprised you take that much of it every day. Once you start capping you don't want to stop. Think about it, if you are paying 10 cents a cap but can buy the powder for less than 1 cent then you are making about 8 1/2 cents a cap (1 cent for capsule). Do up 200 an hour and you make $17 an hour for easy work. Many caps and tabs cost more than that so you save even more. When you factor in that many things don't taste that bad and you can swallow them down or put them in a drink and you are saving even more. Lots of stuff you can save up to 50 cents or so a cap.

[zoolander]

I totally agree. I cap alot of my stuff. I haven't been capping recently though because I am so darn busy.

[zoolander]

I added piracetam into my routine today for the first in in about 6 months. I took about 1.2g with my morning (no food) supplements. Shortly after I had this weird localised pain right at the tip of my head like someone had just sconed me.

I've had this before but I can't remember if I was taking piracetam at the time.

I also took 550mg aniracetam with breakfast. My overall feeling today is one of tiredness. I don't know if it is because I added piracetam and aniracetam but I haven't felt this tired for quite some time.

Anyhow......I'll stick with it for a week and see what happens. Lots of changes to my supplement regime

[zoolander]

I commend FunkOdessey for start the Supplemet/personal regime forum. It has given me the chance to see what other people are taking and to compare it with what I am taking. It's helped me noticed a few gaps in my routine.

So I have taken a leaf out of other peoples books. You know you have to ask yourself "If Funk/shepard/scottl/Michael/ajnast4r/et.al are taking substance x then why did they choose it?' Most posters in this forums are fairly well researched and hance have made some calculated decisions.

So I have been reading and decided that the following would be valuble additions to my routine.

I added:

Methyl B-12 lozengers (Jarrow formulas) 1000mcg (with breakfast)
L-Arginine (NOW Foods) 2g (before afternoon meal and before bed)
L-Lysine (NOW Foods) 500mg (Before afternoon meal)

Changed:

EGCg extract (on empty stomach)
Chocamine (only used on occasions)

Edited by zoolander, 10 July 2006 - 05:24 PM.

[zoolander]

I wonder how many posters here haven't included stuff on their lists.

Come on guys! Own up.

any confessions?

[zoolander]

Had some blood work done recently. All values fall within optimal range however I'm going to try and tweak some

Mild neutropenia and white blood cell count needs work so I have added the following to strengthen the immune system

Beta Glucan (Jarrow) 1 x cap
L-Glutamine (NOW Foods) 4.5g

I also changed my Kyolic formula to
Kyolic Immune Formula 103 (with mushroom complex, astragalus, oregano and olive leaf extracts)

Serum lipid were good however I would like to increase HDL, lower LDL and lower the Chol/HDL ratio. So I have added

Flush-free Niacin (NOW Foods) 640mg
Cholestatin (plant sterol complex, NOW Foods) 800mg

Cholestatin/plant sterols have also been shown to decrease C-reactive Protein levels

    Reduced-calorie orange juice beverage with plant sterols lowers C-reactive protein concentrations and improves the lipid profile in human volunteers.

        * Devaraj S,
        * Autret BC,
        * Jialal I.

    Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research and General Clinical Research Center, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. sridevi.devaraj@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

    BACKGROUND: Dietary plant sterols effectively reduce LDL cholesterol when incorporated into fat matrices. We showed previously that supplementation with orange juice containing plant sterols (2 g/d) significantly reduced LDL cholesterol. Inflammation is pivotal in atherosclerosis. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), the prototypic marker of inflammation, is a cardiovascular disease risk marker; however, there is a paucity of data on the effect of plant sterols on CRP concentrations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether plant sterols affect CRP concentrations and the lipoprotein profile when incorporated into a reduced-calorie (50 calories/240 mL) orange juice beverage. DESIGN: Seventy-two healthy subjects were randomly assigned to receive a reduced-calorie orange juice beverage either without (Placebo Bev) or with (1 g/240 mL; Sterol Bev) plant sterols twice a day with meals for 8 wk. Fasting blood was obtained at baseline and after 8 wk of Placebo Bev or Sterol Bev supplementation. RESULTS: Sterol Bev supplementation significantly reduced total cholesterol (5%; P < 0.01) and LDL cholesterol (9.4%; P < 0.001) compared with both baseline and Placebo Bev (P < 0.05). HDL cholesterol increased significantly with Sterol Bev (P < 0.02). No significant changes in triacylglycerol, glucose, or liver function tests were observed with Sterol Bev. Sterol Bev supplementation resulted in no significant change in vitamin E and carotenoid concentrations. Sterol Bev supplementation resulted in a significant reduction of CRP concentrations compared with baseline and Placebo Bev (median reduction: 12%; P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Supplementation with a reduced-calorie orange juice beverage containing plant sterols is effective in reducing CRP and LDL cholesterol and could be incorporated into the dietary portion of therapeutic lifestyle changes.

    PMID: 17023701 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I have also added (to my bed time mix)

L-Theanine (SOURCE Naturals) 200mg

and

Homocysteine PF (Jarrow)

Edited by zoolander, 06 November 2006 - 10:14 AM.

[Athanasios]

Zoo, what do you attribute your Heart Rate to, genetics, work out regimen, or meditation/breathing ?

[zoolander]

Most likely genetics. My Dad has vagal dominant tone.

I've been monitoring my BP and HR recently. My BP and HR in the morning is, on average, 100/60 and 48bpm, respectively.

I've been very busy of late and haven't trained at the gym or been running for over 3 months. I'm surprised I'm still in good shape.

[syr_]

Cholestatin (plant sterol complex, NOW Foods) 800mg[/b]

Cholestatin/plant sterols have also been shown to decrease C-reactive Protein levels

Very interesting stuff! 'm gonna add this after my next bloodtests.

[scottl]

Vitamin C 1000mg (NOW Foods ) sustained released.
I am taking this with my N-Acetyl-Cysteine in the morning. I have also halved my NAC dose from 600mg each time to 300mg.  From what I have read, taking 2 to 3 times the amount of Vitamin C with the NAC helps keep the glutathione that is produced from the Cysteine in its reduced form so that it can continue acting as an antioxidant.

note the word cysteine in there. As far as I know that recommendation dates back to Pearson and Shaw's book and applies to cysteine and not NAC which is more stable.

[zoolander]

NAC is a precursor to reduced glutathione (GSH). Vitamin C minimises the oxidation of GSH into its oxidized form GSSG

So in short Vitamin C helps maintain the reduced pool of GSH.

Am J Clin Nutr. 1993 Jul;58(1):103-5.

    Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults.

        * Johnston CS,
        * Meyer CG,
        * Srilakshmi JC.

    Department of Family Resources and Human Development, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287.

    We examined the effect of supplemental ascorbic acid on red blood cell glutathione. Subjects consumed self-selected vitamin C-restricted diets, and, under double-blind conditions, ingested placebo daily for week 1 (baseline), 500 mg L-ascorbate/d for weeks 2-3, 2000 mg L-ascorbate/d for weeks 4-5, and placebo daily for week 6 (withdraw). Mean red blood cell glutathione rose nearly 50% (P < 0.05) after the 500-mg period compared with baseline, and the changes from baseline for individual subjects ranged from +8% to +84%. However, the increases in plasma vitamin C and red blood cell glutathione were not correlated (r = 0.22). At the 2000-mg dosage, mean red blood cell glutathione was not significantly different from the value obtained at the 500-mg dosage. After the placebo-controlled withdraw period, red blood cell glutathione did not differ from baseline. These data indicate that vitamin C supplementation (500 mg/d) maintains reduced glutathione concentrations in blood and improves the overall antioxidant protection capacity of blood.

    PMID: 8317379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

although the above study did not directly measure the maintenance of reduced pool of GSH after NAC+VitC supplementation vs. NAC alone it does suggest that the vitamin C prevents the oxidization of GSH to GSSG. Hence, if you are supplementing with a precursor to GSH then it make sense to protect the GSH from oxidation

Edited by zoolander, 20 November 2006 - 12:25 AM.

[scottl]

NAC is a precursor to reduced glutathione (GSH). Vitamin C minimises the oxidation of GSH into its oxidized form GSSG

So in short Vitamin C helps maintain the reduced pool of GSH.

Am J Clin Nutr. 1993 Jul;58(1):103-5.

    Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults.

        * Johnston CS,
        * Meyer CG,
        * Srilakshmi JC.

    Department of Family Resources and Human Development, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287.

    We examined the effect of supplemental ascorbic acid on red blood cell glutathione. Subjects consumed self-selected vitamin C-restricted diets, and, under double-blind conditions, ingested placebo daily for week 1 (baseline), 500 mg L-ascorbate/d for weeks 2-3, 2000 mg L-ascorbate/d for weeks 4-5, and placebo daily for week 6 (withdraw). Mean red blood cell glutathione rose nearly 50% (P < 0.05) after the 500-mg period compared with baseline, and the changes from baseline for individual subjects ranged from +8% to +84%. However, the increases in plasma vitamin C and red blood cell glutathione were not correlated (r = 0.22). At the 2000-mg dosage, mean red blood cell glutathione was not significantly different from the value obtained at the 500-mg dosage. After the placebo-controlled withdraw period, red blood cell glutathione did not differ from baseline. These data indicate that vitamin C supplementation (500 mg/d) maintains reduced glutathione concentrations in blood and improves the overall antioxidant protection capacity of blood.

    PMID: 8317379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

although the above study did not directly measure the maintenance of reduced pool of GSH after NAC+VitC supplementation vs. NAC alone it does suggest that the vitamin C prevents the oxidization of GSH to GSSG. Hence, if you are supplementing with a precursor to GSH then it make sense to protect the GSH from oxidation

Okey....but how did someone decide that the correct dose of vit C is 3 X the NAC dose?

[zoolander]

there must be some sort of stochiometric relationship. Let me check it out for scottl

[Pablo M]

If Scott is right (I have a feeling he is) and it dates back to Pearson and Shaw, you'll likely not find any scientific rationale. All the same, since vitamin C is so nontoxic and cheap and because it too helps to increase glutathione levels in the body, I take 2-3x as much C and NAC when I take NAC.

Zoo dude, good lookin' regimen. Good call on the methyl B12 and EGCG addition/timing change.