Vitamins And Supplements In My Health Regimen
November 17, 2020 at 3:07 a.m.
By Max [email protected]
My response is based on a few simple rules: get more exercise (walking especially), try to eat less, stay as close as you can to a Mediterranean diet, socialize and sleep from seven to eighthours per day. And while I do not endorse any particular brand of supplements, I do consume a number of them.
I have taken multivitamins ever since pharmacy school and have added a few based on David Sinclair’s book “Lifespan.” He suggests taking one gram of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) every morning, along with the same amount of resveratrol. I do the same. Dr. Sinclair also takes a daily dose of vitamin D, vitamin K2 and 81 mg of aspirin. So do I and add a few of my own including curcumin, lutein, zeaxanthin and recently something called Advanced Lung Support. The latter has N-acetyl L cysteine or N acetylcysteine as the primary ingredient. The rationale I use for consuming all of vitamins and supplements is as follows:
NMN is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) booster and is a vital metabolic co-enzyme found in our cells and is necessary for over 500 enzymatic reactions. It plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including metabolism, aging, cell death, DNA repair and gene expression. Thus, NMN is critical for human health and longevity and it is also found in foods such as broccoli, avocado and cabbage.
Resveratrol is a natural molecule with antioxidant properties found in red wine. It has been shown to extend the lifespan of simple yeast cells and protects mice against dozens of diseases, including a variety of cancers, heart disease, stroke and heart attacks, neurodegeneration, inflammatory diseases and wound healing, and makes mice healthier and more resistant.
Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D has several important functions including facilitating normal immune system function, decreasing the chance of developing heart disease and helping reduce the likelihood of developing the flu.
An adequate intake of Vitamin K2 inhibits arterial calcification and stiffening. It has been shown to lower the risk of vascular damage. Vitamin K2 deficiency impairs the process of calcium removal and increases the risk of calcification of the blood vessels. An increased intake of vitamin K2 could be a means of lowering calcium associated health risks.
Curcumin is the active ingredient of the Indian curry spice turmeric. It is a potent anti-inflammatory substance and an antioxidant. It may lower the chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke by decreasing the size of a blood clot.
Lutein and zeaxanthin have been shown through laboratory experiments on human lens cells to protect the cells from exposure to ultraviolet light – a leading cause of cataract formation. Both lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the retina and in the lens of the eye..
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an anti-oxidant commonly used in nutritional and body-building supplements, can form a red blood cell-derived molecule that makes blood vessels think they are not getting enough oxygen. The molecule has strong antioxidant effects and shows potential benefit as part of the management for patients with Parkinson's disease. Based on its anti-inflammatory mechanism, NAC has been proposed as a means to lessen the risk of catching COVID-19.
I have taken a baby aspirin (81 mg) for many years at the advice of my doctor although it is not for everyone. The reason is that aspirin interferes with the blood’s clotting action by reducing the clumping action of platelets. I suggest talking to your doctor about whether daily aspirin is for you. He or she might suggest daily aspirin if you’ve already had a heart attack or stroke, haven’t had a heart attack but have stent placed in a coronary artery, have had coronary bypass surgery or have chest pain due to angina.
Another reason is you haven’t had a heart attack but are a high risk of having one or if you have diabetes and at least one other heart disease risk factor, such as smoking or high blood pressure or a man older than 50 or a woman older than 60. More research is needed to determine the benefits and risks of daily aspirin use in adults younger than age 50 or older than age 70 before a recommendation can be made for against aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer for these age groups.
For more information, check the Mayo Clinic website.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. His new book “Science Snippets” is available from Amazon and other book sellers. It contains a number of previously published columns. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
My response is based on a few simple rules: get more exercise (walking especially), try to eat less, stay as close as you can to a Mediterranean diet, socialize and sleep from seven to eighthours per day. And while I do not endorse any particular brand of supplements, I do consume a number of them.
I have taken multivitamins ever since pharmacy school and have added a few based on David Sinclair’s book “Lifespan.” He suggests taking one gram of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) every morning, along with the same amount of resveratrol. I do the same. Dr. Sinclair also takes a daily dose of vitamin D, vitamin K2 and 81 mg of aspirin. So do I and add a few of my own including curcumin, lutein, zeaxanthin and recently something called Advanced Lung Support. The latter has N-acetyl L cysteine or N acetylcysteine as the primary ingredient. The rationale I use for consuming all of vitamins and supplements is as follows:
NMN is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) booster and is a vital metabolic co-enzyme found in our cells and is necessary for over 500 enzymatic reactions. It plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including metabolism, aging, cell death, DNA repair and gene expression. Thus, NMN is critical for human health and longevity and it is also found in foods such as broccoli, avocado and cabbage.
Resveratrol is a natural molecule with antioxidant properties found in red wine. It has been shown to extend the lifespan of simple yeast cells and protects mice against dozens of diseases, including a variety of cancers, heart disease, stroke and heart attacks, neurodegeneration, inflammatory diseases and wound healing, and makes mice healthier and more resistant.
Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D has several important functions including facilitating normal immune system function, decreasing the chance of developing heart disease and helping reduce the likelihood of developing the flu.
An adequate intake of Vitamin K2 inhibits arterial calcification and stiffening. It has been shown to lower the risk of vascular damage. Vitamin K2 deficiency impairs the process of calcium removal and increases the risk of calcification of the blood vessels. An increased intake of vitamin K2 could be a means of lowering calcium associated health risks.
Curcumin is the active ingredient of the Indian curry spice turmeric. It is a potent anti-inflammatory substance and an antioxidant. It may lower the chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke by decreasing the size of a blood clot.
Lutein and zeaxanthin have been shown through laboratory experiments on human lens cells to protect the cells from exposure to ultraviolet light – a leading cause of cataract formation. Both lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the retina and in the lens of the eye..
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an anti-oxidant commonly used in nutritional and body-building supplements, can form a red blood cell-derived molecule that makes blood vessels think they are not getting enough oxygen. The molecule has strong antioxidant effects and shows potential benefit as part of the management for patients with Parkinson's disease. Based on its anti-inflammatory mechanism, NAC has been proposed as a means to lessen the risk of catching COVID-19.
I have taken a baby aspirin (81 mg) for many years at the advice of my doctor although it is not for everyone. The reason is that aspirin interferes with the blood’s clotting action by reducing the clumping action of platelets. I suggest talking to your doctor about whether daily aspirin is for you. He or she might suggest daily aspirin if you’ve already had a heart attack or stroke, haven’t had a heart attack but have stent placed in a coronary artery, have had coronary bypass surgery or have chest pain due to angina.
Another reason is you haven’t had a heart attack but are a high risk of having one or if you have diabetes and at least one other heart disease risk factor, such as smoking or high blood pressure or a man older than 50 or a woman older than 60. More research is needed to determine the benefits and risks of daily aspirin use in adults younger than age 50 or older than age 70 before a recommendation can be made for against aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer for these age groups.
For more information, check the Mayo Clinic website.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. His new book “Science Snippets” is available from Amazon and other book sellers. It contains a number of previously published columns. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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