Recommendations to What I'm Taking?

very true. thanks for the insight and information. i learnt quite a bit from this thread!

Could be:
ā€œMost people believe that both selenium and the selenium-containing enzyme GP are good for health by protecting cells and tissues from oxidation. However, this study suggests that they are a double-edged sword,ā€ says Lei. ā€œAntioxidants can be harmful by neutralizing too many free radicals and interfering with insulin signaling, which results in promoting obesity, insulin resistance and possibly diabetes.ā€

This is from the same Cornell author that Zeb quotes (one of Liskā€™s coauthors is attribute with that specific finding) as bestowing the virtues of selenium. The idea is that we can take too many antioxidants and it affects our ability to deal with insulin. Nature has already armed us with the ability to handle free radicals, and by bypassing our natural mechanisms and over-taking antioxidants it might be doing more harm than good.

Now, all this research is preliminary and nothing is set in stone. Zeb has seen great results taking multiple supplements, while I also train hard and enjoy great health, yet am almost entirely supplement free (I do take Fish oil and vitamin D). Iā€™d advise this: find what works for, yet be aware of the strong placebo effect brought on by buying expensive supplements with snazzy claims.

Can we get enough selenium from 2-3 brazil nuts per day?

Serious question (and same logic as getting it off the tree versus man-made formulations)

This is far from scientific but Iā€™ve noticed that those who train hard through the years and DO NOT take vitamins and other key supplements actually look older than their years. I on the other hand have trained as hard as anyone I know and I am told I look a good 15 years younger than my real age. Iā€™ve also noticed this in various training partners that Iā€™ve had through the years. The ones who supplemented still look great facially the ones who didnā€™t look horrific. Is it because we have taken boat loads of vitamins and special nutrients through the years, or just good genetics?

Take a look at a guy who has run marathons all his life and not taken supplements. I have yet to see one who does not look his age or older. But as I said this is not at all scientific but you can learn a great deal through observation.

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Interesting. Maybe I should start adding to what I take! I have taken ā€œgreen superfoodā€ for much of my thirties, but now Iā€™m down to fish oil, vitamin D, and occasionally I use a multivitamin and throw in wheat grass juice if you count that.

Itā€™s further complicated because people that tend to take supplements also make other healthy lifestyle decisions. Itā€™s like ā€œdrinking wine in moderationā€ has long been attributed to increased health, but those that regularly drink wine in moderation tend to be more affluent and make other lifestyle decisions that lead to health. Who knows?

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Very good point. We who really try to take care of ourselves usually donā€™t stop with just a really strong nutrient program. I train 5 to 6 times per week but I rarely train over 45 minutes at a time as T levels and HGH start to drop after 30-40 minutes. I also make sure that I eat 9 fruits and vegetables per day and get 8 hours of sleep per night on a regular basis. I also mediate and laugh a lotā€¦usually the laughter comes on the PWI threads. Seriously.

But your point is quite relevant.