Slow aging supplement shopping list

Christopher Thomas

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. Prevention, Recent Articles — By Christopher Thomas on August 18, 2011

It can be very confusing trying to establish whether to supplement, with what and at what dose. Every practitioner has their own favorite supplement it seems and personally I’ve found it very challenging to make an informed decision. Just another reason why we put the Fast Living, Slow Ageing book together. Here’s an excerpt from the book to help you cut through the clutter so you can develop a personal supplementation plan.

Why supplement?

Supplementation is no excuse for a poor diet and a tablet can never provide the full complement of nutrients and phytochemicals of a varied diet. However appropriate supplementation can help sure up reserves against future disease and maintain our bodies nutrient levels during times where demand outstrips supply . Even though supplements or hormones have not been proven to slow the aging process or extend life, there is enough promising scientific evidence (in animals and other life forms) to support that they might have this ability. Who has the time to wait and see whether generational studies will show conclusively that they do the same thing in humans? In addition, there is a growing body of evidence to show that many illnesses and ‘aging’ conditions can benefit from nutritional medicine, be it through medicinal foods or supplementation, particularly in those conditions of a chronic nature.

Higher nutrient levels are necessitated by stress, living in polluted environments, illness, active lifestyles and poor dietary habits. Additionally, optimal health is more than simply the absence of scurvy or rickets. Many modern illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, which affect our aging process, can result from consumption of nutrients at levels higher than the RDI but less than the optimal. The amount of any given nutrient we need each day to be truly vibrant and well is often much more than the RDI.

Supplementation according to specific objectives

Avoid heart disease

Aspirin – as prescribed by your doctor
Vitamin K2 – as prescribed by your doctor
Omega 3 fatty acids – dose 3-5g of fish oil per day

Antioxidants

Vitamin A (retinol) – Antioxidant, vision, immune function. RDI 1.5 mg/day
Vitamin E (tocopherol) – Antioxidant, inflammation, immune function, fertility. RDI 20mg/day
Vitamin C (ascorbate) - Antioxidant, hormone synthesis, wound healing, iron absorption. RDI 35mg/day
Selenium – Antioxidant, anti-cancer, immune support, thyroid support. RDI 77mcg/day
Coenzyme Q₁₀ – Antioxidant, boosts mitochondrial function and energy production. Dose 30-150mg/day
Alpha-lipoic acid – Universal antioxidant, anti-atherogenic, metal chelator, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective. Dose 50 to 150mg/day
Carnosine – Antioxidant (brain & eyes), reduces AGE production. Dose 100-200mg/day
Lycopenes – Antioxidant, 6.5mg/day or a tablespoon of tomato paste everyday in your cooking
Lutein – Antioxidant (eyes). Dose 6-10mg/day
Soy isoflavones – Dose 40mg/day
Hesperidin and Rutin – Maintains capillary integrity, anti-inflammatory. Dose 500-1000mg daily
Grape seed extract – antioxidant, maintains capillary integrity, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective. Dose up to 12g of dried herb daily
Resveratrol – Anti-aging, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-atherogenic. A 240ml glass of red wine provides approximately 640-720 mcg of resveratrol, while a handful of peanuts provides about 73 mcg of resveratrol. For slow aging take up to 20mg in supplement form daily
Green tea – Antioxidant, cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer, UV protective. Dose 3-8 cups per day
Quercetin – Strengthening capillaries and other connective tissue, anti-inflammatory. Dose 50 to 1000mg/day
Indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) – Anti-cancer (breast, cervical), oestrogen detoxifying. Dose 300-400mg/day
Ginkgo – Antioxidant, circulation stimulant, increases memory & concentration, blood thinning, slow aging (brain). Dose from 120 to 240mg of extract/day. Products should be standardized to 24% ‘ginkgo flavonglycosides’ as this is the form used in clinical trials

Advanced glycation inhibitors

Benfotiamine – Reduces AGEs, stimulates metabolism, restores thiamine. Dose 100-200mg/day
Pyridoxamine - Reduces AGEs, prevents lipid damage. Dose 25-50mg/day
Carnosine – Reduces AGEs, prevents lipid damage. Dose 100mg to 200mg/day
Alpha-lipoic acid (lipoate) – reduces AGEs, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. Dose 50-150mg/day

Omega 3

Omega 3 fatty acids – anti inflammatory, (2700mg of EPA + DHA), neuro-protective (1000mg of DHA + EPA per day)

Fibre

Psyllium husks (dose 5-15g per day with at least 300mg of water)
Bran fibre (dose 5-10g per day with food or water)

Detoxification

Curcumin – Dose 1/3 teaspoon of Turmeric 3 time a week up to as much as you like or 3.5-8g/day
Green Tea (ECGC) – Dose 3-8 cups per day
Soy Isoflavones – Dose 40mg/day

Vitamins and minerals

Please note, the doses listed here are the suggested intake of key essential nutrients for adults. Higher doses may be required for optimal nutrition or to manage a deficiency state.

Vitamin A (retinol) 2500iu
Betacarotene 15 milligrams (mg)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 2.5-5mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 5-10mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 16mg
Vitamin B5 (Panthothenate) 10-100mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine 10-20mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 5-10mcg
Folic Acid 400mcg
Vitamin C 220mg
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) 200 to 400iu
Vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) 500iu
Vitamin K 120mcg
Calcium 1200mg
Chromium 50 to 200mcg
Iodine 200mcg
Iron 15-30mg (gender dependent)
Magnesium 320-420mg
Manganese 2 to 5mg
Selenium 100-200mcg
Zinc 20mg

Brain support

DMAE – dose up to 1600mg (starting with low doses)

Building Stress Resilience

St John’s Wort – dose up to 1800 mg of dried herb three times daily (standardized for 0.3% hypericin)

Sexual health

Nettle Root – Dose 600-1200mg of dried herb/day
Panax Ginseng – Dose 900mg/day
Ginkgo – dose 120-240mg of extract/day
Horny Goat Weed – Dose 6-12 000mg of dried herb/day
Withania – Dose 3g/day
Tribulus Terrestris – Dose 6-12 g of dried herb/day (standardised to 40% furostanol saponin)
Arginine – 1000-2000mg/day
Zinc – dose 30mg of elemental zinc/day

Female hormone modulation

HRT – dose as directed by your prescribing doctor
Bioidentical hormones – dose as directed by your prescribing doctor
Phyto-oestrogens – 40mg of soy isoflavones

Increase testosterone levels

These supplements should be prescribed by your doctor for your individual needs.

Testosterone
Androstenedione
Androstenediol
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

Increase DHEA levels

DHEA (dose as directed by your prescribing doctor)

Increase melatonin levels

Supplements should be prescribed by your doctor or health care professional for your individual requirements.

Melatonin
Tryptophan

Aging skin

Antioxidants – vitamin C, E, lipoic acid, lycopene, lutein – see Antioxidant section
Soy Isoflavones – 40mg/day
Glucosamine – Dose 500 – 1500mg/day
GAGs – Dose 380mg/day
Grapeseed – Dose 6-12g of dried herb/day