What supplements do you take, if any?

On the subject of supplements, has it struck anyone else how weird an alliance health stores are?

I don't know what it's like elsewhere, but the largest health retail chain in the UK is called Holland and Barrett. It caters to the alternative therapy and woo crowd. It caters to biohackers and allergy-sufferers and body-builders and hypochondriacs. It sells vegan cheese alongside giant cartons of whey protein.

These people are not natural allies. The one thing that unites them is their unconventional desire to either put a specific substance into their bodies, or keep a specific substance out of their bodies.

I used Cronometer for about 6 months until I found a few variations of my weekly food intake that got me to average out to 100% of the daily micronutrients I wanted each day. It comes with the RDAs as preset thresholds, but you can modify your targets as needed. (I used Yvain's Word doc and some of the other submissions to the minerals contest to set better targets).
I eventually got it to the point where the only supplements I was taking were:

1. 3.5g total ultra-high-purity, independently lab-tested EPA/DHA caps to get my n-6:n-3 ratio close to 1:1 (though that is now replaced with wild canned pink salmon 3x/week)
2. A quarter of a low-dose chelated zinc tab (I was having a hard time getting 100% of from natural foods)
3. The smallest piece I could possibly break off of the lowest dose tab of no-flush Niacin available a few times a week (This was the only B vitamin I couldn't get 100% of through natural food, but all available supplements were mega-doses)
4. The RDA of Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) for a little while, until I decided I probably don't need it (Tocopherols only seem to occur in nature along with polyunsaturated fats, n-6 mostly, and since my diet was intentionally extremely low in n-6, I didn't really get much. Personally, I think its function is just to prevent oxidation of polyunsaturates, so I stopped worrying about it. Also, suffered the same "megadoses only" problem as Niacin.)
5. Some KCL salt or potassium caps (Oddly, potassium supplements are not allowed to contain over 3% RDA in the US)

I also occasionally take magnesium citrate supplements, even though I get enough through food, because I find they help with jaw-clenching which I do while I sleep, and 1/4 of a 3mg melatonin tab to counteract the "white/blue light before sleep suppressing natural melatonin production" problem. I bought some lithium orotate a while back, but haven't tried it yet

Getting away from vitamins/minerals, I use some no-added-vitamins Whey powder to help meet daily protein goals on days where I eat less or no meat and to rapidly refuel after weight training. I also occasionally cycle creatine to help with my weight training. (The benefits are very real and zero side effects.)

I take supplements during my feeding window (I do a 16/8 Intermittent Fasting protocol which I love) but am conscious of micronutrient absorption competition. Most supplements will upset my stomach if it's empty.

I decided to use them after tracking my micronutrient intake on Cronometer and seeing that my intake of some is below the levels I want them (with my goal being general health and longevity). I decide to continue using them if it is not a large cost, doesn't take too long, and doesn't cause any negative side-effects. (I stopped multivitamins because they were causing digestive issues, their effectiveness has not been substantiated by science, and the epidemiological correlation between multivitamins and all-cause mortality.)

I have some preferred vendors, but more important is the specific form of the supplement for bioavailability (for example, chelated zinc/magnesium > zinc/magnesium oxide). For certain types of supplements, the manufacturing process (and therefore the vendor) is more important because of the initial source (like EPA/DHA fish oil caplets. Have to be careful to get ones that have negligible amounts of toxins and heavy metals) and Melatonin (animal product and hormone).

A heuristic/methodology I use is to look up possible problems with things from the people who demonize them most (usually vegans and ancestral health / paleo people, but also sometimes Conventional Wisdom and government like in the case of Raw Milk) and then research their claims and learn more about the topic in general along the way. If I gauge the downsides to be negligible and the potential benefits good enough, then I give myself the OK to go for it.

I tracked everything meticulously for a long time, so now I have a pretty good idea of what most common foods contain, but now I'm a bit more relaxed about it all, knowing that my diet gives me well over 80% of the amount of everything that I want.

Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any followup questions.

Vitamin D, since sunshine is in short supply all winter where I live

Methylfolate (currently 5mg/day - due to MTHFR 677TT genes), which seems to improve my mood.

Vitamin D3 (5000 IU/day) - blood tests show that results in levels considered healthy.

Glutathione, Oxaloacetate, Aniracetam, and Calcium d-glucarate, mostly due to Dave Asprey's writings.

I just started the probiotic from General Biotics.

I occasionally take Kratom as a stimulant, rarely more than 1/4 teaspoon per day.

I take vitamin D (4000 iu) and B12 (2000 mcg) in the morning, and melatonin (900 mcg) and magnesium citrate (400 mg) at night. They seemed to be the things that helped the most with my health and mood.

I've tried a really long list of things because of health issues, and stopped most of them because taking too many things is hard for me and they didn't seem to make a significant difference.

I've been taking 1mg of Melatonin most nights for the past couple of years to help regulate sleep. I started on 4mg, which worked, but discussion on LW suggested this was an unnecessarily high dose. I have noticed what may be a dose-response relationship, (4mg hits me harder than 1mg, but 1mg is sufficient) but can't rigorously substantiate this relationship.

I've recently (last couple of weeks) started 200mg of potassium supplements (potassium gluconate) on a daily basis. The bottle suggests taking them with food, so I do. My diet is probably not very potassium-rich, so I figured I'd see if they gave me superpowers. I have been feeling consistently more like-myself-on-a-good-day for the past couple of weeks, but in the absence of potassium supplements I would have attributed this to the turn of the season.

If I've been eating particularly badly or feeling off-kilter, I'll take generic multivitamins with food, but I don't do this regularly.

Not a supplement as such, but I experimented with nicotine mints in 2012/2013. I'm not consciously aware enough of my internal states to feel any effect they may have had, and they tasted pretty grim, so I stopped.

Shorty before bed:

• 1mg melatonin
• 150mg magnesium citrate

After morning coffee:

• 1 large fish oil pill
• 3000 IU D3
• 1 CDP Choline (leftover from see below)

Discontinued due to lack of noticeable effect:

• Rhodiola rosea
• Vitamin K
• Pramiracetam
• Aniracetam
• Oxiracetam
• Noopept
• Zinc
• Caffeine pills
• L- Theanine

D3+k2, CoQ10, Magnesium citrate, Iodine, probiotics.

D3+k2 because the usual reasons, CoQ10 for the blood pressure effects. Magnesium citrate because it helps me sleep and avoid bruxis. Iodine because of the metamed paper results, probiotics to see if they help with skin condition.

Creatine before intense physical activity.

Calcium for broken bones...

(No relation, I promise :P)

Every Day: Melatonin, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Bacopa.

Every 4 days (rotation): Caffeine, Nicotine, Ritalin, Nothing

I should probably be more thorough about Quantifying this stuff. I don't take Vitamin D or Magnesium because I measured a deficiency, they're just the two most common deficiencies in the developed world and it seems like I may have some of the symptoms of deficiency

I take fish oil (generic) capsules most days, for the usual reasons they're recommended. Zinc tablets when I'm feeling run down.

Perhaps not what you mean by supplements (in which case, apologies!), but If we're including nootropics, I take various things to try to extend my productive working day. I take modafinil twice a week (100mg in mornings), and try to limit my caffeine on those days. I take phenylpiracetam about twice a week too (100mg in afternoons on different days to modafinil), and nicotine lozenges (1mg) intermittently through the week (also not on modafinil days) - usually if I start getting sluggish in the evening. I also only take nicotine if I'm working, and usually on something I find hard or don't want to do - as I like the feeling, hoping this sets up a 'reward effect'. I drink coffee and green tea throughout the week, although I intend to start limiting my coffee intake more.

I regularly experiment with other supplements for mental focus and stamina - recently I've experimented with L-theaninine with caffeine, and rhodiola rosae for more general mental stamina. However I don't track much, and my lifestyle is so variable (travel, etc) that it can be hard to track what's effective for me, other than the really obvious ones (modafinil, caffeine, nicotine, phenylpiracetam). However, it can be helpful for placebo effect if nothing else!

The only one thing that really helps is modafinil daily. 200 mg about 3 hours after I wake up.

I also take alpha lipoic acid as I think it "might" make me feel better but I am really not sure.

Vitamin D, 5000IU daily, year-round. (My latitude is about 38.85 oN, but I think I'd be taking it even further South).

Perhaps once ever 2-3 days I'll also take B6/B12/Folate.

I don't take a multivitamin because I don't want excess Vitamin E.

ETA: Forgot to mention that I add crushed flaxseed to my yoghurt.

I eat curcuma as a spice (thus:low doses) regularly. As was discussed here this may have health benefits and I plan to increase the dosage.

I bought a potassium chloride shaker as discussed here but dodn't use it regularly yet.

I eat licorice sweets quite often. While this is not strictly a supplement I recently learned that it causes Reduction of Serum Testosterone in Men. I plan to measure my testosterone levels which I believe to be low and consider stop eating licorice for one month.

I take caffeine pills (200mg) whenever I have migraine because I discovered that this works reliably for me.

A few other things have been causing me look at supplements, and this thread is making me seriously consider developing a regimen. I'm not sure where the best place to start is. On an intuitive level, there are a few supplements that seem like they would be common sense for me:

1. Melatonin - I just started working a shift schedule, 7 day shifts / 4 off / 7 graveyard shifts / 2 off / 7 evening shift / 1 off. It seems common sense that melatonin would increase quality of sleep, which is a large problem with the rotating sleep schedule. I see one of the results for my Amazon search has turned up Valerian instead. Does anyone have experience with this relative to melatonin?
2. Vitamin D - I really only leave the house when I have to. Pretty much the stereotypical stay-inside nerd.
3. Algae oil - I recently (about a year go) became a vegan, but I'm not sure I'm doing it very healthily. From what I've read, Algae oil is the best substitute for fish oil.
4. Multivitamin - I have a bottle of multivitamins that I theoretically take every day, but am actually horrible at following through. Hopefully developing a more structured regimen will help with this, what with the cognitive dissonance and all.
5. Whey protein - I used to be very successful at drinking a protein shake every morning before work (I have been a vegetarian for many years) but I developed a distaste for them. Since then, I've started eating 2 bean burgers just about every day that are my primary source (34g) of protein. I'm unsure exactly how much my other foods fill the 22g gap between this and the recommendation.

What other low hanging fruit is there for me to investigate? The above are only what seem obvious, they are not necessarily what is optimal. Particularly, information on any supplements important for vegans would be helpful.

I take iron (I'm pretty careless about what dose I grab) to control anemia, and vitamin D (gelcaps because Dr. My Uncle told me they're better, 5000 IU/day because a blood test showed me D-insufficient on a lower dose). You're supposed to take iron with food but I don't get the stomach upset problem if I just take it before bed and it's easier to remember that way. I don't care about brands qua brands, although I'm probably influenced by packaging when there are several options within my parameters.

For a while I took magnesium to see if that would help reduce fasciculations. It didn't help so I stopped when I ran out. I think that's the only one.

I take 10 000 units of Vit D each day. Partly because I'm a pasty nerd who never goes out and partly because large doses are anecdotally helpful for mood.

I take around 1.5mg of melatonin each night. Would have preferred 1 or less but it's too difficult to find them in smaller quantities so I make do with halving 3mg tablets. When I take them I find it significantly easier to get to sleep.

One multivitamin, usually a generic Men's Health tablet.

I take them because my family's diet is mostly grains, meat, and dairy and does not reach all of the necessary nutrients. I continue taking them so long as my personal accounts of nutrient intake show a deficiency in what they provide.

I do not. I take generics because I have found no evidence against them or in favor of brands.

One multivitamin in the morning whenever I remember to, mostly as a kind of safety net so that I don't need to worry about my diet too much in order to avoid deficiencies.

Vitamin D3, aniracetam, creatine monohydrate, fish oil, modafinil (as needed), and caffeine (as needed). And melatonin 30 minutes before bed.

ETA: I used to take green tea capsules but I noticed they absolutely killed my appetite.

B12, Zinc, Fish oil, D 5000mcg, Phytocort (for asthma), Tribulus, DHEA (cream application).

I usually eat before them to help with absorption and not to get sick because they can sometimes rile my stomach.

I take this attitude towards supplementation. You have to do what works best for your body and you have to do what works best and gets results. It takes time to experiment and see what kind of result you get. I found the daily multivitamin was useless so I ditched it and changed up my diet a little.

I've recently been looking into nootropics and other brain supplements. I've come up with this "stack".

1 = one pill at standard dosage

2 fish oil caps / 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil 1 Uridine 1 Phosphatidylserine 1 B-complex 1 Alpha-GPC : choline source (optional) 1 Acetyl L-Carnitine : choline source and antioxidant 1 Alpha Lipoic Acid : antioxidant

NGF + BDNF increasers: 1 lion's mane 1 ashwaganda 1 bacopa 1 curcumin 95% (tumeric) 5% piperine (black pepper)

I use a joint iron/B12 supplement every couple days (I'm vegetarian). I started taking it a few years ago because I was very pale and low in energy, and it's helped a fair bit on those counts.

I took melatonin for most of a year, until one month ago I forgot my supply at home, when I came back to uni at the end of summer. My sleep has been disrupted a lot, but this coincided with a flare-up of Crohn's disease which was mainly responsible, so it's hard to assess how much worse my sleep is without the melatonin, although I definitely plan to resume taking it.

I take generic equivalents of the vitamin drink Berocca, plus iron and vitamin D to fill in the gaps and because deficiencies of those are common in people with Crohn's. I also take cod liver oil, which has lots of alleged benefits that I haven't really kept track of the evidence base for.

I take all supplements and medicines with breakfast in the morning.

I regularly take melatonin to help sleep. I'll occasionally take magnesium or multivitamins if I'm feeling deficient but that's kind of a subjective thing.

I supplement with vitamin B12 since I'm a vegetarian and it doesn't naturally occur in plants.

On the topic I would be interested in how many people who take a multivitamin take one with Chromium and Manganese as Louie Helm recently argued against that.

I think a poll might be more useful than people just posting their lists: [pollid:791]

Comment with others and I'll add them.

EDIT damn, doesnt let you do multiple options - Just choose the one you think is most effective?