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Supplements

Before you get too deeply into individual supplements, you need to look at the big picture. Get yourself committed to the proposition (or not), because taking a single one-a-day vitamin isn't really going to make much of a difference in your health and longevity. You see, a manufacturer can only jam about a gram of ingredients into a large tablet. Yet many mainstream docs recommend three grams of vitamin C a day, so you'd be at three pills before you get past that single vitamin.

Here's a long discussion on how to select your supplements: Where do you start and how do you decide which supplements to take?

And from Chris Mc Clinch we get the following bit of simplicity:

 * Supplements that are always worth the money:
Protein powder
Fish oil
Multivitamin/multimineral
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamin B complex


 * Supplements that may be worth the money depending on your goals or needs:
Creatine monohydrate
Glutamine
Glucosamine and chondroitin
Liver tabs
Branched chain amino acids

Amino Acids

• Glutamine Studies and *Glutamine FAQ

• Easily absorbed Free Form Amino Acids give you that extra surge of strength in the gym, aid in the growth of lean mass, reduced body fat, decreased recovery time, as well as help maintain higher energy levels, and are low in calories. Here is an excellent overview of Amino Acids and Cost Comparisons of Popular Brands of Amino Acids

Desiccated Liver Tablets

• Legendary fitness guru Vince Gironda had a love affair with them and many "old timers" still swear to their effectiveness. Forum member Trance wrote an in depth review of the different Liver brands and their absorption rates and KO started a forum discussion on safe levels of iron in Liver tablets

Multivitamins

• One of the basics available from many sources - an excellent comparison from Trance this thread.

Creatine

• Long accepted as one of the musclebuilding supplements that truly works, creatine monohydrate is an amino acid derivative responsible in the production of adenosine triphosate (ATP) in the body's energy cycle. ATP is the spark plug of cellular energy that enables us to contract our muscles for the initial 10 to 12 seconds of intense muscular performance. The efficiency of this energy is observed in short term explosive movements: sprinting, weightlifting, martial arts.

Tom Incledon's research shows that creatine should be used by all aging adults. In fact, he said in a recent seminar that the use of creatine could make a different between life and death following blood loss in an accident.

Yet, it doesn't work for everybody. Here are some thoughts on why it may not work for you.

More great information:

Will Brink on the medical value of creatine

Life Extension: Creatine, more than a sports nutrition supplement

Tom Incledon discusses creatine, interview part 1 and interview part 2

Will Brink's creatine pdf is here.

Natural Herbal Nutrition

• Start at Natural Herbs Guide to begin your quest for natural herbal assistance. Everything you need in one handy site.

Lecithin

• Another outstanding "old-school" supplement you might want to take a look at: lecithin. Here are two lengthly posts discussing this fine supplement that's not often discussed.
  • Our first conversation about lecithin, what it is and what it's used for
  • This second discussion on lecithin came from our book review of Bill Starr's The Strongest Shall Survive.