Supplements
The brand of supplements I preferred in the past was Nature Made. Their melatonin always seemed to work well for me. They also have a large line of soft-gel options which I find easier to swallow. I recently ran out of my multi-vitamin and started looking around to see what else was out there. I found NOW Foods and have found that they have Vcaps which are a vegetarian alternative to liquid softgels. I like the product line-up that NOW Foods offers so I will be testing them out at least for now.
Multi-vitamin
Why? General multi-vitamin/mineral/etc supplement for overall well-being. Single capsule gets many benefits over a more targeted approach and helps ensure no “lesser” supplements are missed out by my diet or a more targeted supplement approach.
Planned Dosage: 2 – 4 Vcaps daily
Other notes: NOW Foods Special Two Multiple Vitamin offers even more than a standard multi-vitamin. Of the standard fair, the dosages seem to be more along the lines of what I’m looking to do. Nutrients which are readily available in diet or a bit lower in places, but others that have been shown or may have benefits at much higher dosages than the RDA are at much higher dosages. If one’s worried about these, they can be checked against Wikipedia, but thus far everyone I’ve checked has been perfectly safe at those dosages (Vitamin C is a good example here). With these increased dosages, I can do away with my plans for additional supplementation of vitamin C, B-Complex, Proanthocyanidin, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. So, while it is up to three times the cost of my previous multi-vitamin it has some definite mitigating factors and may save me from having to purchase up to 4 additional supplements and adds in some other benefits I might not have otherwise covered before.
Links
Nature Made Multi Complete Liquid SoftGel (Old Multi-vitamin)
NOW Foods Special Two Multiple Vitamin (New Multi-vitamin)
Amazon.com: 60 liquid soft-gels for $6.94 for 60 days supply. (Old)
Amazon.com: 240 Vcaps for $21.69 for 60 – 120 days supply (New)
B-Complex
Why? No reason to not take these really. Combined with a multi-vitamin will not exceed or even near upper tolerable dosage for any of the B-complex vitamins. May help aid nootropics, may also just be beneficial to my health. B6 has improved lucid and vivid dreaming in the past. See Wikipedia entry for details and other potential benefits.
Planned Dosage:1 liquid soft-gel daily (ideally with dinner or before bed)
Other notes: With my change of multi-vitamin I will be getting as much (often more) than taking my previous multi-vitamin with the below B-complex. I still wanted to note the B-complex here as a supplement, as under other circumstances this is one I would definitely want to be supplementing with over a “standard” multi-vitamin.
Links
Wikipedia
Nature Made Super B-Complex Liquid SoftGel (“Old” B-Complex)
NOW Foods Special Two Multiple Vitamin (with B-Complex)
Amazon.com: 240 Vcaps for $21.69 for 60 – 120 days supply (New)
Magnesium
Why? Magnesium deficiency may cause anxiety along with a number of other issues. Additional magnesium supplementation may also have anti-anxiety and anti-depressive effects (see Wikipedia link for more information). Over dosing on magnesium has effects similar to “Milk of Magnesia” which is my preferred antacid and laxative so nothing I’m too concerned with there unless it becomes a prolonged issue and causes dehydration.
Planned Dosage: 1 liquid softgel of 400 mg daily plus 50 mg from NOW Foods multi-vitamin.
Other notes: I’ll probably switch to NOW Foods offerings after my current supply runs out. If for no other reason it’s vegetarian and I like sticking with the same brand as much as possible.
Links
Wikipedia
Nature Made High Potency Magnesium
NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate Caps
Amazon.com: 60 liquid softgels for $7.17 via Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. 60 days supply.
Amazon.com: 250 Vcaps for $13.48 for an 83 days supply (slightly more potent at 3 Vcaps a day, can take less to extend supply).
Vitamin C
Why? Natural anti-oxidant which may be desirable (or even needed) in higher dosage than Recommended Dietary Allowances indicates (60 mg). 2000 mg is the upper tolerable daily limit. Will still be well below this with planned dosage.
Planned Dosage: 500 mg from NOW Foods Special Two Multiple Vitamin.
Other notes: I have been supplementing with this with a 500 mg liquid softgel from Nature Made, but my new multi-vitamin will allow me to stop doing so.
Links
Wikipedia
Nature Made Vitamin C 500 mg Liquid SoftGel
Amazon.com: $17.29 for 180 liquid softgels via Prime Eligible sellers. Six months supply. (Old)
Amazon.com: 240 Vcaps for $21.69 for 60 – 120 days supply (New)
Proanthocyanidin
Why? Strong anti-oxidant found in grape seeds, apples, green tea, and elsewhere. May have other benefits as well (see links).
Planned Dosage: At least for now, will rely on what’s included in the NOW Foods Special Two Multiple Vitamin.
Links
Wikipedia
Amazon.com: 240 Vcaps for $21.69 for 60 – 120 days supply
Omega-3
Why? Many potential health and cognitive benefits.
Planned Dosage: Approximately 1000 mg 1 – 2 daily. (Dosage is in actual Omega 3 DHA and EPA supplement. Not in amount of fish oil, cod liver oil, flax seed, krill oil, or anything else.)
Other notes: Ideally no Omega 6 supplementation. Will consider Flaxseed as a vegetarian alternative to fish oil for Omega-3 supplementation. Flax seed has a full omega complex so need to be careful about omega 6 intake. Less or no vitamin A compared to cod liver oil (a good thing)? Other benefits from vegetarian source such as lower risk of PCB/mercury exposure? Krill oil is a potential non-vegetarian alternative to fish oil. Lower down the food chain may have less concentrated toxins in its system. NOW Foods doesn’t have a true vegetarian option for Omega fatty acid supplementation via capsules.
Links
Wikipedia
Wikipedia – Maximum Intake
CoQ10
Why? May help the heart, “energy levels,” and act as an anti-oxidant. Taxing an Omega complex may provide high levels of this “supplement” as well as it is found in many of the oils (whether or not it is removed in production?). More research needed.
Planned Dosage: ~25 – 50 mg
Other notes: Having a hard time finding a good source of CoQ10 and Omega 3. NOW Foods doesn’t have a good vegetarian option here. Will continue looking for now. Still have a current supply of Omega 3 supplement.
Bacopa
Why? May increase/improve memory (retention and/or acquisition) and intellectual activity. May increase immunity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacopa_monnieri#Physiological_Effects
Possible future supplements can be found on the next page.