Occasionally when I\u2019m up in our apothecary someone asks \u201cWhat supplements do you take, Dr. E.?\u201d Usually I\u2019m too rushed to answer more than, \u201cOh, a bunch of stuff. Seems to work. I\u2019m still here. If you\u2019re curious, just ask,\u201d referring to whoever\u2019s managing the apothecary counter. She knows what I take because my supplement list is in our computer, as is yours in case you come in to replenish your stock and forget the name of something you\u2019ve been taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listing my supplements as I\u2019ve done here, I realize it\u2019s quite a mouthful (really, a belly-full), especially given that most of them have a twice-daily dosing schedule. However, I\u2019ve been doing this for such a long time I honestly don\u2019t think about it much. I am, however, careful to take these pills after a meal. If all the tablets and capsules were to release their contents into an empty stomach I\u2019d likely feel a wave of nausea. Taking them with food prevents this completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the products I use are made by Integrative Therapeutics Inc (ITI),the largest supplement manufacturer selling exclusively to health care professionals. Because of their relationship with physicians, their quality is exacting–obsessive, even–and I appreciate that. ITI was created by combining four US companies, all with long histories of producing high-quality nutritional supplements: PhytoPharmica, Vitaline Formulas, NF Formulas, and Tyler Encapsulations. Several years ago, ITI itself was purchased by Europe\u2019s largest supplement manufacturer, Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, a global phytomedicine (plant medicine) company founded in Germany more than 140 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve organized my supplements by category:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week I wrote about a new study that showed taking a daily multiple reduces your risk of cancer. My choice is ITI Multiplex without iron<\/a> (the only people who need the with-iron<\/a> version are menstruating women).<\/p>\n\n\n\n B complex is actually many different nutritional supplements lumped into one capsule. The individual B vitamins are involved in dozens of important body processes (cell maturation, nerve growth and development) and while a good multiple vitamin has many of the Bs, some are missing. I take one ITI Daily Energy B Complex<\/a> every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to research over the past 30 years, we age and develop chronic illnesses because our cells are exposed to certain rogue oxygen molecules called free radicals. Taking antioxidants blocks free radical damage. I use several different antioxidants based on studies showing that taking a single antioxidant, like vitamin E or beta carotene, blocks the absorption of others. A blend is regarded as best. Although there are some antioxidants in my multivitamin, I add NewMark GWT 1000<\/a> (containing green and white tea extracts), ITI CytoRedoxin<\/a> (a blend of several antioxidants), and ITI Lipoic Acid<\/a>, a complex supplement with several roles in the body, including being a potent antioxidant that protects your heart, blood vessels, and brain tissue.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Admittedly the accumulated data on anti-aging supplements is not as compelling as that on antioxidants. Studies have mainly been done in animals, but there\u2019s some indirect evidence–such as the lower incidence of Alzheimer\u2019s on the Indian subcontinent–that some researchers attribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of curry. I use two supplements in the anti-aging category: ITI Resveratrol Ultra<\/a> (extracted from the skins of grapes and a favorite of Dr. Oz) and True Botanica Curcumin<\/a> (whose orange color is derived from curcumin).<\/p>\n\n\n\n CoQ10 is a molecule produced by our bodies whose levels decline as we age. The molecule itself is involved in generating cellular energy, something like a spark plug for all cells. Users report increased energy with CoQ10. Certain medications, notably the statins (used to lower cholesterol), deplete CoQ10 and it\u2019s believed that the most common side effect of taking statins–muscle cramps–is caused by this drop in CoQ10. I take a highly absorbable form of CoQ10 called UBQH<\/a> by ITI. Since I consider myself a high-energy sort of person, I like to think it\u2019s the UBQH powering my day rather than my Starbuck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So many health benefits are now associated with fish oil (lowered risk of heart disease and cancer, better brain function, good blood pressure) that even nutritional skeptics are secretly downing it. Fish oil was also approved by the FDA for heart disease prevention. If you eat fish two or three times a week, it\u2019s probably not necessary to take fish oil capsules. I take ITI\u2019s Eskimo PurEFA<\/a> twice daily. On days when I eat fish, I take just one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve written several health tips about using supplements to improve memory and maintain brain health. Actually, for supplements in this class the research is fairly solid. Acetyl-L-Carnitine<\/a> specifically enhances energy production throughout the body, most notably in brain cells. Citicholine<\/a> was developed in Japan to help with stroke recovery by increasing levels of the brain chemical phosphatidyl choline, a precursor for the neurotransmitters that allow brain cells to communicate with each other. The lipoic acid mentioned under my antioxidants listing has also been shown to protect brain cells from free radical damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Physician-essayist Lewis Thomas, MD, once wrote that he\u2019d rather be at the controls of a Boeing 747 at 30,000 feet than try to operate the human liver. It\u2019s the single largest organ in the body and works tirelessly at the unsavory job of detoxifying us from all the awfulness (chemicals, toxins, pollution) with which we challenge our bodies. ITI Lipotropic Complex<\/a> combines several herbs (notably milk thistle) and supplements to enhance liver function. ITI Detoxication Factors<\/a> specifically targets the two key pathways of toxin removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The blend of herbs and supplements called Healthy Cells Prostate<\/a> is self-explanatory. The same company produces Healthy Cells Breast<\/a>, <\/strong>which I don\u2019t take but might interest you.<\/p>\n\n\n\nB complex<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Antioxidants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anti-aging<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Coenzyme Q10<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fish Oil<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Memory<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Liver<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prostate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n