Brad Stanfield's Sources

“The researchers found that the higher the consumption of one key food component cut all cause mortality risk by 23% during the study period. The component is fiber.”

“In addition to plenty of non-starchy vegetables and fruits, I supplement with an additional 2 1/2 g of psyllium husk.”

“Researchers found that supplementing with psyllium husk seems to help relieve some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and the clinical guidelines actually recommend it as part of their treatment protocols.”

“There are a number of health conditions like Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome that can actually cause poor tolerance of fiber. In these cases we might need to restrict fiber intake to manage symptoms.”

“The second supplement that I take for performance and overall health has been shown to have important health benefits for our brain as we age.”

“Personally, I prefer magnesium taurate. And in addition to magnesium, it also provides taurine, which has its own potential health benefits.”

“They suggest that for most of us, 800 international units is absolutely fine. That's all that we need.”

“With recent hype about vitamin D supplements, we need to be aware that it is possible to get too much. Those with higher doses didn't improve outcomes; in fact, they made things worse.”

“A study in 2013 used vitamin K2 supplements in a form called MK7 and it gave a dose of 180 micrograms. Researchers saw significant improvements here in how bones stay strong as people get older.”

“Personally, I prefer to use a lower dose of 90 micrograms while we wait for that further research to be done.”

“That is the third top supplement for performance and overall health because it isn't just linked to brain health.”

“The group who took omega-3 had a 13% higher risk of developing a heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. We see this concern in randomized control trials as well.”

“Personally I use a dose of around 1 g of omega-3 to lock in those benefits and minimize the risks.”

“Next up is the fourth supplement that I take. This supplement, we've been using it for decades to help with exercise performance and muscle building.”

“The supplement is TMG, also known as betaine. And there are two other benefits of taking TMG which I'll cover shortly.”

“Personally, I take around 300 micrograms, which is just enough to match the levels naturally produced by the body.”

“For melatonin to work properly, it's critical to take it about 2 hours before wanting to fall asleep so it's got time to shift the sleep-wake cycle.”

“I also take collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid for skin health.”

“I also take collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid for skin health.”

“I take an extra 1 gram of taurine for its metabolic benefits.”

“Magnesium is a co-factor in more than 300 enzyme reactions in the body including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control and blood pressure regulation.”

“It's a powerful antioxidant, but as we reach the age of 45, our levels of glutathione go down.”

“Magnesium also plays a critical role in the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, which is critical for nerve conduction and muscle contractions.”

“Magnesium supplements decreased blood pressure, and higher blood levels of magnesium were significantly associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.”

“An increase of 100 mg a day of total magnesium decreased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by a statistically significant 15%.”

“Magnesium affects the concentrations of the active form of vitamin D, which are major regulators of bone status.”

“Increasing magnesium intakes from food or supplements may increase bone mineral density in postmenopausal and elderly women.”

“Authors of a famous review looking at migraine headaches suggested that taking 300 mg of magnesium twice a day can prevent migraines.”

“Higher doses can result in diarrhea and abdominal cramping.”

“The advantages are that it's very compact and it's cheap, but the body doesn't absorb magnesium oxide particularly well.”

“It's a similar story for magnesium sulfate; the body also doesn't absorb it well.”

“It's known for its ability to attract water into the intestines, which can help with bowel movements.”

“Known for its high bioavailability, it's gentle on the digestive system and it's less likely to cause diarrhea compared to other forms of magnesium.”

“When they tested glycine in mice, it extended lifespan, and glycine on its own is often used to help patients fall asleep.”

“Pairing magnesium with glycine can be very beneficial for patients that struggle to fall asleep.”

“It's famous because it can cross the blood-brain barrier, making it particularly interesting with respect to cognitive functions such as enhancing memory and improving concentration.”

“Here is the form of magnesium that I use; it's magnesium taurate.”

“A study came out showing that taurine-treated mice extended their lifespan by about 10 to 12%.”

“Magnesium taurate is particularly known for cardiovascular benefits. It's also well absorbed and gentle on the stomach.”

“It is the most effective nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity Exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”

“The supplement is creatine monohydrate and I Take 5 gram every day including on the days that I don't exercise.”

“Higher protein intake improves the muscle building response to exercise which is why the clinical guidelines suggest to increase protein intake.”

“Protein intake of 1.6 G per kilogram of lean body weight per day maximized the muscle building response from resistance exercise.”

“Leucine is an essential amino acid and it plays a pivotal role in initiating muscle protein building.”

“TMG supplementation can improve both muscle performance and testosterone levels.”

“The group who took the supplement compared to the placebo had a statistically significant benefit on global cognition and the supplement was a multivitamin and mineral supplement.”

“The group who took omega-3 had an unexpectedly High 28% reduction in the risk of a heart attack compared to the group who took a placebo.”

“There are significant risks of mega dosing with omega-3 including the risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.”

“Personally I only supplement with 1 gram of Omega-3 as a mixture of EPA and DHA.”

“Through this mechanism we can see improvements in insulin sensitivity blood sugar levels blood pressure and cholesterol.”

“I take between 3 and 5 gram of psyllium husk every day.”

“The first supplement has evidence from multiple clinical trials that it reduces skin wrinkles by about 8% and the first supplement is collagen peptides.”

“I take 10 to 15 grams of collagen peptides every day.”

“Multiple randomized clinical trials showing that hyaluronic acid improves skin wrinkles.”

“Taking a low dose melatonin supplement it only works if it's taken around 2 hours before wanting to fall asleep.”

“Many melatonin supplements have doses much much higher than that and we don't have long-term safety data about Mega dosing melatonin.”

“Personally I take 300 micrograms about 2 hours before wanting to fall asleep.”

“The Glycine and neck group had significant improvements in their mitochondrial Health.”

“The risk related to heart attacks was 28% lower for those taking omega-3 supplements compared to a placebo.”

“The group that were taking omega-3 had a 13% higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation.”

“Personally I use a dose of around 1 g of omega3 to lock in the benefits and minimize the risks.”

“Supplementing with it is a bad idea. There's no net benefit of supplementation with vitamin E for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer.”

“Too much vitamin A can weaken our bones, damage our liver, and cause birth defects.”

“Bone density in the wrist decreased by 2.4% in the 4,000 international unit group and 3.5% in the 10,000 international unit group.”

“Overall, I wanted to supplement with 1,000 international units.”

“I also wanted to supplement with vitamin K2 in the form of MK7 at 90 micrograms.”

“Personally, I wanted to supplement with magnesium torate.”

“It found that wrinkles decreased by 18.8% with hyaluronic acid supplements compared to a slight reduction of 2.6% in the placebo group.”

“I also included TMG or trimethyl glycine for exercise performance. Now TMG it also helps to lower homocyine levels.”

“The evidence shows that collagen supplements significantly improve skin hydration and elasticity.”

“Research shows it's effective in reducing constipation. It reduces cholesterol and it helps with weight management and reducing inflammation.”

“Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies have shown the impacts of creatine supplements on muscle strength and recovery.”

“It found that taurine decreased fasting blood sugar levels, blood pressure, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HBA1C, and insulin levels.”

“I included 300 micrograms which is enough to match the levels naturally produced by the body. For melatonin to work properly, it's critical to take it 2 hours before wanting to fall asleep.”

“A meta analysis from last year examined randomized control trials of magnesium supplements to improve sleep. Five of the eight studies included reported improvements in at least one aspect of sleep.”

“Glycine supplements significantly improved their ratings of liveless and clear-headedness. It also reduced their feelings of fatigue.”

“Vitamin D plays an essential role in forming and maintaining healthy bones.”

“It's also a key regulator of processes related to immune function, muscles, cell growth, and how we process glucose.”

“Adults up to 50 years of age should generally get at least 600 international units of vitamin D a day.”

“Above 70, they council upping that to 800, but they note that more might be helpful to hit a target of 30 nanograms per milliliter.”

“Vitamin D supplements did not reduce the rates of heart attacks. They also didn't bring down cancer rates.”

“A meta analysis found that vitamin D supplements improved symptoms for those with clinical indications of depression.”

“A large Cochrane review of 56 trials in 2014 found a small but statistically significant decrease in all cause mortality with vitamin D supplementation, where the risk of death was about 3% lower.”

“A meta analysis completed in 2020 found that vitamin D supplementation made no difference when it came to all cause mortality.”

“Kids up to 18 should get about 1,500 international units daily.”

“Supplementation during pregnancy can lower the risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth. It can even improve newborn health.”

“We're talking about doses of around 3,000 international units a day for pregnancy.”

“Vitamin D can play a preventative role for those at high risk of progressing to diabetes, potentially delaying or preventing the progression to full-blown diabetes.”

“In a clinical trial, higher dose groups didn't improve outcomes; bone density in the wrist decreased by 2.4% in the 4,000 international unit group and 3.5% in the 10,000 international unit group.”

“Excessive vitamin D is related to a known risk of hypercalcemia, where the level of calcium in the blood is too high, which can throw things out of balance and pull calcium out of the bones.”

“Too high a dose of vitamin D may actually weaken muscles; in one study of women, hand grip strength fell by 9% and leg strength by 13% after taking 2,800 international units daily.”

“High doses of vitamin D can increase the risk of falls, with the highest doses associated with an increased risk of falling.”

“The latest endocrine society guidelines suggest following the recommended daily intake of 600 international units for younger adults and increasing that to 800 international units as you hit 50 and above.”

“The most famous proposed benefit is a reduction in heart disease.”

“Omega-3 lowers triglyceride levels, improves blood pressure, and reduces heart rate. It also lowers inflammation levels.”

“High doses of Omega-3 are associated with an increased risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.”

“Personally I plan to continue taking a combined form of Omega-3 in the form of EPA and DHA at a similar dose used in the vital trial so around 1 G.”

“Psyllium husk is a high fiber powder primarily soluble fiber and it helps in digestion and is beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome.”

“A 2023 study showed that psyllium husk reduces insulin resistance, blood pressure, and total cholesterol.”

“I've slowly built up to 5 grams a day; that's the dose that works best for me.”

“Psyllium husk can slow down the absorption of micronutrients, but not total absorption of micronutrients.”

“Creatine supplementation improved memory performance compared to a placebo, and it was particularly strong for older adults.”

“The only consistent side effect is weight gain due to increased lean muscle mass.”

“We both take 5 grams a day and the brand we use is Optimum Nutrition.”

“We can see robust improvements in cognition and memory from multivitamin and mineral supplements.”

“I personally take a multivitamin and mineral supplement because of the Cosmos results on brain performance.”

“They also recommend against using vitamin E supplements due to evidence that both beta carotene and vitamin E may increase mortality.”

“Melatonin has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as support for brain and nerve health.”

“Melatonin should be taken in the early evening, at least 1 and a half hours before you're trying to fall asleep.”

“Personally I supplement with 300 micrograms and I take it 1 to 2 hours before I want to fall asleep.”

“Vitamin B12 is required for the development, myelination, and function of the central nervous system. It's needed for healthy red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis.”

“For vitamin B12, the recommended daily intake is 2.4 micrograms every day.”

“A massive study looked at patients with arthritis and it tested curcumin and it found good evidence that curcumin improved pain levels for patients that suffer from arthritis.”

“We do talk about curcumin, particularly when it's paired with another compound called piperine that improves the bioavailability.”

“Outside of using it for osteoarthritis patients, the current research suggests that curcumin is a waste for otherwise healthy people.”

“The recommended daily intake is 11 milligrams. It's okay to use a low-dose zinc supplement to reach your recommended daily intakes.”

“There are risks from mega-dosing zinc. It can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, gastric distress, and it also interferes with copper absorption.”

“The clinical guidelines conclude that evidence remains unconvincing for the benefits of probiotics for treating irritable bowel syndrome. At the moment, the research suggests that probiotics are a wasteful supplement.”

“One of the biggest problems with vitamin C supplements is that it blunts the positive effects of exercise. It blunts that oxidative stress signal to our cells and diminishes the training-induced adaptations within skeletal muscle.”

“A three-year randomized control trial showed that daily multivitamin supplementation resulted in a statistically significant benefit on global cognition when compared to a placebo.”

“No benefit has been seen in treating cancer, it doesn't appear to prevent heart disease, and research suggests that CoQ10 is a wasteful supplement.”

“A massive study called the Vital trial showed an unexpectedly high 28% reduction in the risk of heart attacks in the group who took omega-3.”

“Supplementing with magnesium alongside a great diet can be a great choice to help reach your recommended daily intakes. The form I prefer is magnesium taurate.”

“Magnesium taurate provides the amino acid taurine, which in a recent mice study was shown to extend lifespan by between 10 and 12%.”

“Taking an appropriately dosed vitamin D supplement around 1,000 international units to reach your recommended daily intakes appears to be a good idea.”

“Mega-dosing vitamin D raises blood calcium levels, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, and kidney stones. It also reduces bone mineral density and likely weakens our bones.”

“Creatine supplementation enhanced measures of memory performance in healthy individuals, especially older adults.”

“Personally I take 5 grams of creatine every day, including on the days that I don't work out.”

“The magic number appears to be 1.6 grams of protein intake per kilogram of body weight per day.”

“Older adults to compensate for their muscle loss and their digestive tracts don't absorb protein as well, they should be targeting an even higher 2 grams of protein intake per kilogram of body weight per day.”

“Lowering homocysteine levels in the blood seems to be the most promising intervention to prevent Alzheimer's disease, which is exactly what TMG does.”

“I take between one to two capsules of omega-3 every day.”

“Daily multivitamin and mineral supplements relative to placebo resulted in a statistically significant benefit on global cognition.”

“Personally I prefer magnesium taurate.”

“The Vital trial showed an unexpectedly high 28% reduction in the risk of having heart attacks for the groups that took omega-3.”

“Higher fiber intakes are associated with reductions in cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol.”

“Hydrolyzed collagen improves skin hydration and elasticity.”

“I take between 10 and 15 grams of collagen peptide supplements every day.”

“Multiple randomized control trials in humans show that we have significant decreases in skin wrinkles following hyaluronic acid supplements by about 18%.”

“It's critical to take melatonin supplements one to two hours before trying to fall asleep, otherwise it has no effect.”

“Personally I think the maximum dose of melatonin that people should consider is 300 micrograms.”

“Glycine and NAC supplements in older adults significantly corrected the glutathione deficiency and improved their mitochondrial function.”

“There are four other incredibly popular supplements that the human research shows does more harm than good. And I advise my patients to stop taking them immediately.”

“One early meta analysis in 2010 pulled the results of trials of calcium supplements. They found that those who took calcium supplements had about a 30% increase in the rate of heart attacks.”

“Well, it plays a critical role in regulating calcium in the body if we don't have adequate amounts. It seems to make the problems associated with calcium supplements worse.”

“We want to make sure we're reaching the recommended daily intake for calcium, which is roughly about 1,000 milligs per day for adults. But how we get our calcium makes all of the difference.”

“For most people, getting calcium from our diet is definitely the way to go. Critically, calcium that we get from our diet doesn't spike levels of calcium in the blood.”

“We need iron for transporting oxygen in the blood, producing energy, and for proper muscle function.”

“A mild surplus can reduce levels of zinc, for example, which is another essential mineral. It can also upset our digestive system.”

“Adult men need about 8 milligs a day and women need about 18 until they reach menopause.”

“I'm talking about vitamin E, but this is a bad idea to start vitamin E supplements.”

“Vitamin E can interfere with the benefits from exercise if we're getting too much. This is a big problem since exercise is one of the most important contributors to overall health.”

“Shockingly, the evidence that they looked at suggested that vitamin E might even increase mortality. That's the opposite of what we want.”

“A separate study notes that too much vitamin A can weaken our bones, damage the liver, and cause birth defects.”

“It's just that resveratrol does not work. Results have been disappointing for the other claims benefits of resveratrol too.”

“Resveratrol supplementation reduced the positive effects of exercise training on blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and how efficiently their bodies used oxygen.”

“At this point, we don't have good evidence for the beneficial effects of resveratrol, but we do have evidence of harm. So, taking resveratrol supplements is not a good strategy.”

“We've got research showing that vitamin A and vitamin E may increase mortality rates... there's also evidence that vitamin A is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.”

“Vitamin E comes in a complex composed of four tocopherols and four tocotrienols... we don't have long-term safety research on supplementing with tocotrienols.”

“By supplementing with the building blocks of glutathione, so NAC and glycine, we can help support our glutathione levels.”

“From the small randomized control trials that we have so far, this strategy [NAC and glycine] appears to correct the glutathione deficiencies and support mitochondrial function.”

“There's also anti-inflammatory supplements such as CoQ10 and PQQ... we don't want to interfere with that process [inflammation after exercise].”

“A randomized control trial proves that by supplementing with CoQ10 it blunts the positive effects of exercise.”

“Resveratrol lowers testosterone levels so there are harms to supplementing with resveratrol.”

“We know that iron supplements can interfere with zinc absorption... people may also develop inflammation of the stomach or gastritis and stomach lesions.”

“There is a suggestion that calcium supplements may contribute to the development of kidney stones.”

“High niacin is associated with an increased risk of all-cause death rates by about 10%.”

“Personally I take 50 milligrams of nicotinamide and I certainly wouldn't want to take any more than that.”

“If you have one to two cups of coffee within 3 hours of waking up that is perfect, that's all you need.”

“There are a couple of supplements that do have good evidence, for example creatine for muscle performance.”

“Omega-3 to help reduce heart attack risks.”

“It also has... hyaluronic acid for skin health.”