SUPPLEMENTS I TAKE. “REALLY? EVERY DAY?!” ACTUALLY, MOST OF THEM TWICE A DAY.

Every two or three years, I list the supplements that I myself have been taking for just about twenty years or so, adding or subtracting one or two based on some new research findings. I also mention just why I take them.

For example, after decades of fish oil capsules, I’ve pretty much dropped these when research showed that if you ate oily fish, like salmon, at least twice a week, the added EFA from capsules actually did your heart more harm than good.

I also discontinued taking Vitamin E as a separate supplement when more and more research showed it didn’t do much of anything. Ophthalmologists do encourage a vitamin E containing mixture of antioxidants called ARED when a patient is showing early macular degeneration. You may have seen my Health Tip using the oil in a Vitamin E capsule as a treatment for gum disease.

Now, for what I do take (I’ve got my supplement tray(s) in front of me as I write this.):

O.N.E. (Pure Encapsulations) <you can guess the dose> is my daily multiple, replacing years of Multiplex (Integrative Therapeutics), reducing dose, down from three capsules a day to just O.N.E.

Green Tea 600 (Xymogen) twice a day. A lot of research has gone into this plant based antioxidant and there’s good evidence for heart disease prevention, cancer prevention, cognitive function, fat burning, blood sugar control and improved oral health. Since personally I can’t stand the taste of green tea, I much prefer capsules.

Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg. (Pure Encapsulations) twice a day. This is a very potent antioxidant (mops up free radicals) manufactured in the body but also in many foods. Research has shown ALA is useful for healthy nerves, lowers heart disease risks, and that old favorite, better cognition.

Lipotropic Complex (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day. This is literally a bouillabaisse of vitamins, amino acids, herbs and so forth covering all aspects of liver health. 

Vitamin D3 (5,000 IU) with Vitamin K2 90 mcg. (Xymogen) one daily. We routinely measure Vitamin D levels on all new WholeHealth Chicago patients and Vitamin D deficiency is by far the most common abnormal test result. D3 and K2 work as a team, one helping the other absorbing calcium, building bones, strengthening your immune system, even breast cancer risks and severity of COVID if the virus tracks you down.

Resveratrol Ultra HP (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day. This is a group of several high potency antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. The research is impressive and you may have read how they were extracted from various plants like berries and grapes. They appear protective against cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease.

Detoxication Factors (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day. Your liver has two phases of getting rid of all the garbage you challenge it with, those from the environment, chemicals in your food and so forth. The detox phases are imaginatively named Phase I and Phase II. Working in synch with Integrative Therapeutics’ sister product Lipotropic Complex, Detoxication Factors covers just about everything involved with liver function. Considering your liver is the largest organ in your body, good liver supplements are important.

Curalieve (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day. This is a well researched new version of curcumin containing curcuRouge, important because it is the systemically most well absorbed of all the dozens of curcumin products you see everywhere. Curcumin is another polyphenol, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and seems to protect against all the usual suspects: heart disease/arthritis/Alzheimers/cancer prevention. The low prevalence of Alzheimer’s in India has been attributed to widespread curcumin use in the Indian diet. 

MemorAll (Xymogen) one twice a day. There are several combination products for “memory” and “brain health” but most important is a healthy diet and to keep your brain active. The group of supplements is called ‘nootropics’, a/k/a ‘smart drugs’ and when getting confused by all of them, it’s not your brain, they are confusing! You’ll usually see: acetyl-L-carnitine, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl choline, huperzine A, citicholine, bacopa, lion’s mane. I would use any two in rotation with others. MemorAll and Lion’s Mane, followed by Citicholine and Huperzine A. Doses are all twice a day. Switch them every two or three months.

BodyBioPC (BodyBio) twice a day. Phosphatidyl choline (‘PC’) is an extremely important supplement to use on a daily basis, too often overlooked by even the best nutritionists. PC is involved with every single cell in the body, protecting it from outside toxins. This is one of those supplements in which you’ll feel mentally sharper and more energetic after a few weeks of use.

Taurine 1,000 mg daily (Life Extension), this so-called “non-essential” amino acid (because our body can make some) declines as we age was reported to actually extend the life of elderly lab animals.

UBQH (highly absorbable Co Q 10) 100 mg. daily (Integrative Therapeutics). This is more useful for older, rather than younger, patients. Cardiologists at Loyola recommend it for congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. Some internists include it for diabetes management. If you are taking a statin, definitely take UBQH to avoid the side effect of muscle cramps.

Concentrated UltraProstagen twice a day (Metagenics). Another limited audience supplement but as more and more of my friends are having prostate “issues” and having surgery or taking meds with side effects, I’m glad I’ve been taking this for years.

Magnesium glycinate capsules 120 mg twice a day (Pure Encapsulations). Because we’ve badly depleted our soil of magnesium, researchers believe we’re all pretty much magnesium deficient. I prefer this product mainly because it’s in capsule form.

SynovX DJD (Xymogen) twice a day. Include this if you’re feeling the joint scrapings and pain twinges of arthritis in your joints. If not, don’t bother. This particular product contains the three most well studied joint repair supplements: glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM. Patients are endlessly told, “Just take Advil” and not warned that Advil and its cousins can be quite dangerous to the stomach and the kidneys.

So, that’s the lot. In the morning, I take them with a fruit/veggie smoothie; in the evening, after dinner.

Here’s a summary:

• O.N.E. Multiple Vitamin (Pure Encapsulations) once daily
• Green Tea 600 (Xymogen) twice a day
• Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg (Pure Encapsulations) twice a day
• Lipotropic Complex (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day
• Vitamin D3 5,000 IU/Vitamin K 90 mg (Xymogen) once a day
• Resveratrol Ultra HP (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day
• Detoxication Factors (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day
• Curaliev (Integrative Therapeutics) twice a day
• MemorAll (Xymogen) twice a day
• Lion’s Mane (Real Mushrooms) twice a day
• BodyBioPC  (BodyBio) twice a day
• Taurine 1,000 mg (Life Extension) once a day
• UBQH 100 mg (Integrative Therapeutics) once a day
• Concentrated UltraProstagen (Metagenics) twice a day
• Magnesium Glycinate (Pure Encapsulations) twice a day
• SynovX DJD (Xymogen) twice a day.

WholeHealth Chicago is now using Fullscript for our online orders. So you can click above and create a cart. If you need assistance, call or stop by the WholeHealth Chicago apothecary. They’ll place the order and (astonishingly enough) everything arrives in three or four days.

You will want three GMS 12 Compartment Supplement Organizers.

Each organizer comes with labels you can stick on the bottom of each section.

Be well,

David Edelberg, MD