I've been asked if I take vitamins or supplements.
I take lots.
I take a multivitamin for overall health. Some zinc for my skin. Omega-3 fats, because I don't eat fish every day -- I do love vegetable oils in my diet though, some of which contain omega-3. Omega-3 fats are said to reduce suicidal thoughts. I can confirm that and will write more on it at another time.
I took St. John's Wort for the first time in my life this winter (Austrian winter, not Australian or Brazilian winter; thus, cold and dark) and it worked wonders. The "pain" of depression was gone, even though I still acted like someone who was depressed, at times. It takes a while to break out of those habits and I didn't think therapy was worth my time. That was probably a mistake, all things considered.
I just recently ordered St. John's Wort again, after using it for 3 months, and I plan on continuing its use indefinitely. I was 3 months on, 1 month off and now I'm 2 weeks on again and the one month in between was hell. I had a relapse of depression that was just terrible, when the effects of the SJW wore off.
I use ginseng, variety "panax ginseng", starting out with 1-2 grams per day for 3 months. I noticed that the effect is similar to all the good things about caffeine, at 2 grams, yet without ever making me feel jittery. The effect is different from caffeine in so many ways though and hard to put into words. I'll attempt to do it justice, at a later time. I am currently experimenting with 2 grams and more per day. Lower doses don't seem to do anything for me. Gingseng really just starts to have an "acute" effect at 2 grams, although there could be chronic and subtle effects which I didn't notice as being related to the ginseng, as I took it together with all my other supplements. I weigh 82kg, so lighter/heavier people may require less/more.
I take caffeine capsules. Those I personally like the most, out of all my supplements. I consume something like 300-800mg of caffeine per day, most of it in the form of capsules, the rest via energy drinks. It gives me good mood and energy. There are no side effects worth mentioning other than that my jaw is quite active -- I tend to grind my teeth -- and, of course, the diuretic effect. Neither's a bother though.
I tried NADH for two months and have ordered it again now. It's great, although quite a subtle effect on mood and also on physical activity. I only really missed it once it was gone. After a couple of days (2, I think) I was back to my pre-NADH mood and mindset and it's quite different. I dont manage to exercise as long without it, that's the effect on physical activity. I manage to do more sets and repetitions and I exercise more often. NADH, also called coenzyme 1 or Q1 is essential for the production of ATP. ATP in turn is the primary energy carrier in our cells. Muscles work for as long as they are supplied with ATP, once they run out they reach "failure". The brain, the nerves, the muscles and the heart all require a constant supply of ATP in order to function. I can highly recommend supplementing NADH. More on it... later.
There are many more supplements that I want to try, like melatonin and ephedra, testosterone boosters, piperine, and so on and so forth. I am currently doing the necessary research on them. All help on that is very welcome, if anybody wants to share experiences or knowledge..
I'm interested in everything that could possibly improve my well-being and quality of life. Supplements have done that for me in the past, do it right now and will hopefully continue to do so in the future. For me they started out as just supplements to my diet, then they supplemented my workout and now they even supplement my mood, outlook on life, my mental focus and performance, my work and productivity... basically every aspect of my life.
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