I have written
about my supplements in previous posts but have made several changes since then.
The following list is an update of all my supplements. I have alphabetized them
by brand name. I take one of each daily unless otherwise noted. The Ca/Mg (#3)
and strontium (#5) are primarily for bone health. The multivitamin (#6) is for
general health, as are most of the other supplements. The probiotic (#9) is for
digestive health. I take lecithin (#1) as an aid in preventing cholesterol
buildup in the arteries and to combat heart disease. I take a large dose (5000
mcg) of methylcobalamin (#10) (vitamin B12) daily because taking a statin drug
to reduce cholesterol also reduces vitamin B12. My husband takes B12 to keep
from getting the canker sores that once plagued him. Methylcobalamin is more
effective than cyanocobalamin; he tried both.
No one
should copy my supplement protocol because each person’s needs are unique to
him or her. I hope publishing this list will give others a place to start in
forming their own protocol.
1. Bluebonnet Lecithin, 1365 mg in one
softgel (I take two softgels daily.)
2. Country Life Citrus Bioflavonoids, 1000 mg
3. Country Life, Gluten Free, Calcium
Magnesium Complex (500 mg Ca, 250 mg Mg per tablet)
4. Doctor’s Best Lutein, 20 mg lutein esters
yielding 10 mg minimum free lutein, 2 mg zeaxanthin
5. Doctor’s Best Strontium Bone Maker, 2194
mg strontium citrate, 680 mg elemental strontium in two capsules (two capsules
daily)
6. Nature Made Multi for Him, No Iron (Not a
typo. My husband and I both take this multivitamin.)
7. Nature Made Vitamin C, 500 mg
8. Nature’s Bounty Vitamin E, 100 % Natural,
400 IU
9. Nature’s Way Primadophilus bifidus (This
is a probiotic.)
10.
Solgar Sublingual Methylcobalamin, 5000 mcg
11. Twin
Labs Zinc, 50 mg
Notes on
My Supplements
I always
keep a couple of bottles of Nature’s Bounty Ginger Root capsules, 550 mg, in my
refrigerator and take them for nausea and upset stomach as needed. If I don’t
have fresh ginger and need ginger for a recipe, I just open a few, usually
three, capsules and use the ginger powder for cooking.
I don’t
take a separate vitamin D supplement because my multivitamin contains 1000 IU.
I also try to get some sun each week. Some people may need more vitamin D if a
25(OH)D test shows they have a deficiency or insufficiency of this vitamin.
I do not
take vitamin K2. Many people take this vitamin for bone and cardiac health.
There is some debate about which form (MK4 or MK7) and what dosage of this
vitamin one should take. The Japanese studies used 45 mg MK4, and patients are
prescribed this dosage by physicians in Japan. The MK7 is taken in microgram
dosages. Some people experience sleeplessness when taking MK7. No RDA/RDI has
been established for vitamin K2 of either form. Studies in the US and Europe
have not confirmed the efficacy of vitamin K2 for bone or cardiac health.
Notes on
My Multivitamin
Nature
Made has a Multi for Her, Multi for Him, Multi for Her 50+, and Multi for Him
50+. All the formulations are similar except the Multi for Her, which I will
not take because it contains iron. Supplemental iron is not needed by men and postmenopausal
women unless they have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. Excessive
iron can lead to iron toxicity. I have taken the other three formulations at one
time or another, depending on what was available.
What I
like about the Nature Made multivitamins is that they are USP-verified, and
that is rare to find. It gives me assurance that the multis contain the
vitamins and minerals in the dosages specified and have no impurities. Nature Made Vitamin C is also USP-verified,
as are many of that brand’s other vitamins.
My
Supplement History
On
8/5/2010, I posted all my supplements on my blog. http://strontiumforbones.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-daily-supplements.html
On 09/30/2011, I posted about the three supplements I was
taking specifically for bone health.
On
03/2/2012, I posted an update on my calcium/magnesium supplement.
COMB
Study
You
might also be interested in the protocol used in the COMB study.
