RE: Re: Quick Question about supps.

[Guest guest]

Before I became more alert/aware of the complexities of nutrition I used to

supplement with Life extension mix, a fairly comprehensive multi- based on

the weak premise that if I covered my bases with such a vitamin, it wouldn't

matter what foods I ate. I did start to question the selection process for

inclusion when ads in the same magazine touted different " better " versions

of the same vitamins they put in their multi? I used to take an aspirin EOD

but since losing 40-50 lbs and including a number of foods in my diet that

thin blood/reduce inflammation, not mention also enjoying a large drop in

BP, I stopped.

The more I learn the less I know about the fine points regarding nutrition.

I have abandoned my blind reliance on vitamins. These days my overwhelming

preference is to get 100% of my basic requirements from whole foods. While I

find it hard to accept many of the claims made by the supplement du' jour, I

do believe that there can be real consequences from being deficient in

essential nutrient(s).

We need to be thoughtful in our execution of reducing the quantity of food

that we consume that we maintain enough variety and eat enough " right " stuff

to cover our body's needs.

Since I'm pretty active and not as CR'd as many here, I find it pretty easy

to consume enough Kefir to cover my calcium needs etc. I could imagine,

somebody with a stricter energy budget supplementing calcium to save

calories, but I would still try to get at least some fraction from real food

as I don't trust that all supplements are as bio-available or perfectly

equivalent. For example I doubt supplementation can be as good as getting

vitamin D from sunlight, but a supplement is certainly better than nothing.

I advise caution before jumping on the next popular supplement unless it is

well proven. Remember at one time people actually were fed radioactive

material as a health supplement! That didn't turn out very well.

These days I will sometimes pop an anti-oxidant mix before heading out on my

5 mile run, but generally try to cover all my bases with food using DWIDP.

Which reminds me it's been a while so I need to update what I'm currently

eating and check that I'm still OK.

I would first suggest loading your personal diet into a planner and check

for any deficiencies. If you are taking lots of supplement, taper back and

see if you notice a difference. It may be difficult to totally parse out

placebo effects, as we are culturally conditioned to associate taking

medicine with feeling better.

Caveat Emptor,

JR

-----Original Message-----

From: Shanna [mailto:slk2295@...]

Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 11:36 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: Quick Question for the CRON Experts here.

This brings up a topic I've been wondering about. As far as I've

been able to tell, there are no absolutes re: what, if any, supps

actually have an effect on average or max lifespan. So, we're all

just science experiments in the making in this area.

Personally I've always taken a good multi-vitamin, usually high in

the B's, C, and E.

I've also periodically taken CoQ10, extra C & E, deprenyl, Chromium

picolinate, DHEA, Tryptophan, calcium, Omega oils, etc. I've also

considered taking Gerovital-H3 or some sort of HGH. I don't like all

the pills, but the claims of better health are hard to resist!

My question is whether you (anyone/everyone here) would share your

personal decision re: supps. Have you taken them in the past? Do you

currently take supps of any kind? What and how much? Also I'm

wondering how long each of you have been doing CRON (has this

affected your decision re: supps?)

Thanks in advance for sharing!

Shanna

> > Do we know for sure that the nutrient

> > responsible for this shape is calories?

>

> In a word, yes.

>

> The *only* factor in extending maximum lifespan is caloric

consumption;

> HOWEVER, that does not mean that appropriate nutrition, exercise,

lifestyle,

> etcetera, don't play a factor in how far one is likely to make it

within

> that extended or not-extended lifespan. ie: CR makes the extended

curve in a

> graph of *maximum* lifespan, but other factors can influence

*average*

> lifespan.

>

> I believe that Walford's intent in BT120YD is to offer a complete

system for

> integrating CR while maintaining good nutrition -- he is quick to

point out

> that he is not an expert in nutritional science, though he is

certainly more

> than a dabbler. The net system: how to do CR without starvation

of key

> nutrients.

>

> Best,

>

> ________________________

> Gifford

> 3-5 Humanities Centre

> Department of English

> University of Alberta

> www.ualberta.ca/~gifford