Starting Suppliments

[adam90]

Hi there,

I'm 26 and had been waiting in excitement for my 23andme results for the past 6 weeks. I just opened them and, like many of you, found out I have the dreaded e4/e4. Which brings me to the forum.

I have been pretty much following the Med. diet for the the past year, originally to shed a few excess pounds, but now couldn't imagine eating any other way (with recent news even more so!) With what I have been reading I will make a few adjustments but diet wise I should be ok.

I do I mixture of strength and HIIT four times a week and I am active (on my feet) most of the day at work.

However, I have been trawling though a lot of the forum trying to figure out what would be a good base of daily supplements and have narrowed it down to the following:

Curcumin/Turmeric (with black pepper) 1000-1500mg, Vitamin D3 5000iu, Magnesium Citrate 200-300mg & Vitamin C 2000mg

I would like to know what you guys think about the above supplements and if you have any other recommendations. One thing I am really unsure about is Curcumin/Tumeric. What's the deal? Are both commonly found in the same supplement? Can you have one without the other?

Got the news on Friday so had the weekend to feel sorry for myself and google new words like "APOE" "homozygote". Was gutted to find out at first but if anything it's going to be great motivation to live a healthy lifestyle and I'm glad I know now.

Gonna beat this!

Thanks in advance

[slacker]

Welcome Adam! If you haven't seen our primer at the top of the Getting Started section, it's a great place to start for (pages of) general information. Near the bottom of page 3 is a discussion of supplements. Notice it is not on page one or two! Nutrition, exercise, adequate quality sleep, and stress management are probably the most important facets.

Everyone has their own take on essential supplements. I think the basics are curcumin and DHA/EPA omega 3 fatty acid. The supplement part of the above mentioned primer doesn't give brand names, but what to look for in a curcumin product. I personally am taking Terry Natural 750mg Curcumin, on the recommendation of one of our founding members. I wouldn't start a Vit D or mag supplement without knowing what my blood levels are; you may already have enough on board. If you supplement, it's recommended to recheck levels - are you getting enough or too much? With most healthy diets, you should be getting enough vit C.

You are fortunate to be starting on the path at a young and healthy age. You probably need a minimum of supplements at this point. Good luck and ask questions!

[Starfish77]

Welcome Adam,
You are already on your way to better health with your diet and exercise underway. You are so fortunate to be starting at such a young age. I'm your age times 3 plus 2. I've been on the forum for over three years and gotten lots of benefits.
I'm sure you will with your head start in the diet and exercise department. All the best to you.
Starfish

[Lucy5]

Hello Adam and welcome! I'm so glad you found your way to our site.
I am also a homozygote and remember very well how the world shifted a bit on its axis when I first got the news at 59 and learned what it meant . I love your attitude and believe that given your age, positive outlook and readiness to do the research to help you continue making the right lifestyle choices (sounds like you had a good head start before leaning your E4 status!) you will, as you said, beat this thing.

Our site primer referenced on our Welcome page was written by a member doctor who is also a homozygote and it is a wonderful resource for all of us. I know you asked specifically for supplement recommendations which are discussed in the primer. I am not a doctor or expert of any kind, but my bias as a layperson is that for someone your age, you cannot go wrong prioritising good sleep habits, exercise, diet and stress management as needed (meditation, yoga..whatever works for you). You have youth on your side right now, so make that work for you with the right diet and lifestyle. I'm hoping you go slowly & with care adding supplements. I agree with slacker and would not start D3 without checking blood levels. You should also be able to get adequate C and Magnesium from your diet. Many here (including me) supplement with curcumin and omega 3s for a variety of reasons (eg: chronic inflammation, etc) ) but most are considerably older than you. The question I would have is given the right diet, do you need them at this point? In other words do you have any current health issues you need to address?

I'm sure others will weigh in and welcome you to the group. Feel free to keep asking questions... looking forward to hearing more from you!

[NewRon]

You could also try this:

http://drfairchild.blogspot.fr/p/23andme.html

I did and it gave me a more tailored view of supplements, with reference to my particular 23andme results (which will obviously differ from everyone elses).

Good luck.

[Hepoberman]

Welcome to the forum!

Please use caution with supplements, it really is like the wild West in that you need to 'fend for yourself'. Those manufacturers want your money and will use every marketing trick in the book. Supplementing should be very personalized and should also adjust with your diet and lifestyle over time. I actually shy away from supplements but I'm told my list is long...

I believe we are far better off with NO supplements than bad or wrong supplements.

My doc ran my 23andme raw data file through PureGenomics and used that info to personalize particular needs. Is this an option for you? http://www.puregenomics.com/

With all that said, I'm going to post my list here and hope you keep in mind, this list is personalized for my genetics and diet. Most of the supplements on the list are not taken daily, I take them as needed. The B complex, Garlic extract, Lithium, phosphatidylserine, Selenium, ALA and zinc lozenge I do take pretty much everyday.

Alpha Lipoic Acid often 100mg

B complex - Thiamine Thiamine Hydrochloride 25 mg AM 1670%
B complex - Riboflavin Riboflavin 5-Phosphate 25 mg AM 1470%
B complex - Niacin Niacinimide 75 mg AM 350%
B complex - Biotin 100 mcg AM 35%
B complex - B6 Pyridoxine Hydrochloride and Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate AM 2575%
B complex - Patothenic Acid Calcium Pantothenate 125mg AM 1250%
B complex - Folic acid 200 mcg AM 50%
B Complex - Cobalamin Cyanocobalamin 100 mcg AM 1670%
B complex Choline Bitartrate AM
B complex Inositol AM
B complex "PABA (Para-Aminobenzoic Acid) 50 mg" AM

DHA/EPA 380 mg DHA 180 mg EPA often 600mg

Dibencozide (B12) 10 mg I just bite off a piece 3x week 20000%

Iodine Lugol’s 2% liquid drops 2-3 drops week 3 mg weekly

Lithium oratate 5 mg AM 4 mg

Aged Garlic extract 2 caps AM

Digestive enzymes 1 capsule before every meal often 3 servings

Phosphatidylserine often 100 mg

Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Broccoli Super Concentrate extract AM 3X week 400 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) AM 3X week 80 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Watercress 4:1 extract (leaf) AM 3X week 50 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Rosemary extract (leaf) AM 3X week 50 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Cat's Claw extract (bark) AM 3X week 50 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Apigenin AM 3X week 25 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi Cabbage extract (leaf) AM 3X week 25 mg
Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract Multi DIM (Di-indolyl-methane) AM 3X week 14 mg

Zinc Lozenges zinc gluconate, amino acid chelate and ascorbate often 153%

Zinc Balance 15 mg and 1 mg copper often 100%

Selenium From high selenium yeast 200 mcg often 290

Curcumin (Longvida liposome) sometimes 800 mg

SuperK Multi Vitamin K1 sometimes 1000
SuperK Multi Vitamin K2 - MK7 sometimes 200
SuperK Multi Vitamin K2 - MK4 sometimes 1000

Milk Thistle occasionally

CinSulin® 20-30 minutes before each meal sometimes

Astaxanthin 4 mg gelcap sometimes 4 mg

Niacinimide sometimes 500mg

Ashwaghanda 225 mg sometimes

Green tea sometimes

When I began my overhauling my lifestyle many years ago, I loved looking at other peoples supplement list and having them explain the various details. So here is my list, feel free to ask as many questions as you like. This was copied from a spreadsheet, I apologize for the messy presentation.

[SusanJ]

Adam, welcome!

Have you ever used CRON-O-meter or similar program to track nutrients in your diet? I'd highly recommend doing that for a week or two. It helped me find where my diet was lacking, and helped me tweak my vitamin/mineral routine.

To take advantage of your 23andme data, another program to tease out the snps that are actionable is Rhonda Patrick's genetic tool. https://www.foundmyfitness.com/genetics/1. You have to create a login, but it's free, her stuff is very well researched and the results could be useful to find if you need to pay attention to certain snps.

You do have the benefit of time on your side. That said, I'm 61, but didn't find out until 5 years ago that I had several methylation variants after 23andme testing. I have sometimes wondered if I had been properly supplementing with B vitamins throughout my life that I might have had fewer health challenges in middle age.

[adam90]

First off, I have to say thank you for such an overwhelming but informative response from you all!
Lots of fantastic information to take on board and look further into.

I originally had a scan through the primer page when I first found the site but I will continue looking further into it as is full of great information.

My thinking behind supplementation was just to ensure I was getting the right stuff on a daily basis. As I'm sure everyone can appreciate, plans and work schedules can change day to day which can lead to skipped meals and the body missing out on what it needs (OK laziness too) but I really don't want to give this genotype an inch.

I was looking to have maybe 3 supplements to take that would be beneficial for keeping health issues that are associated with the e4/e4 genotype as far away as possible. The supplements I listed were ones that I found reoccurring in previous posts.

Vitamin D3 - I live in Scotland and sunlight is a rarity at best
Curcumin/Tumeric - Found a lot of you guys recommending and although is something taken as anti-inflammatory, I thought
that might be a good preventative to all the wee niggles picked up from excercise
Magnesium Citrate - Another supplement that kept popping up when searching the forum for supplements, not too sure about
this one though as seems that it is used as a sort of laxative remember I'm new to this!
Vitamin C - Something I am guilty of not including in my diet enough as I should

I appreciate that our bodies are all different and I will be scheduling a blood test with my GP within the next couple of weeks to see exactly what I'm missing out on.
My original post was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction with all the new information swimming around my head I felt I had to get a few questions out.

Thanks again to everyone offering their advice. Some great information and links!

[CarrieS]

My functional medicine provider also recommended eating 1/2 cup wild blueberries, drinking organic pomegranate juice daily, turning my WiFi off at night and daily exercise.

[Jan]

Adam, you've seen good responses to your post already and have found the Primer. I'll just add that curcumin is an ingredient in turmeric (considered the medicinal part I believe). Several studies have shown efficacy of curcumin for many conditions. I'll also strongly second the suggestion that you get your Vitamin D level specifically checked, as it is impossible to know your level without a test. (I learned in class of a long-distance runner in California, who trained every day in the sun, whose Vitamin D level when checked was in the teens - a level which many see as dangerously low.) But, Vitamin D is a FAT-soluble vitamin, and can build up to toxicity if too much is taken. Hence - the need to test. As you explore this site, you will find a wealth of information - in words, and in people! Welcome!