Self improvement stack

[Chamber36]

1. Ginkgo Biloba 180mg of extract daily (to lessen tinnitus)
2. Spirulina 5g (to detox and supplement with any needed vitamins, minerals and compounds)
3. Ashwagandha 2g (found out online its good for vitality and stress reduction)
4. Lion's Mane (good for neurogenerative properties, cognition and perhaps lucid dreaming)
5. Cordyceps (good for virility and testosterone)

I was planning on taking all of those daily to keep myself amped, sharp and toxicity free.

Then...

6. Hair nail skin pills, just to look healthy.

Lastly, I was considering

A. 1-2ml castor oil daily (I hear it improves hair growth and thickness. I have seen results from topical administration)
B1. Tretinoin topically on my face to smooth the skin out
B2. Minoxidil. I hear if you combine minoxidil with tretinoin they will work together and massively increase beard growth.

Does anyone have an idea whether it may be bad to combine 1-5?

Lastly, getting minoxidil and tretinoin I would have to ask my GP and I am not in the mood for that, though I am sure he perscribes all the old ladies in the area with their antidepressant medication.

Opinions? FYI i have no balding, just really weak beard growth which I want to increase. Herbs 1-5 should help keep me alert, stress free and amped.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Minoxidil I would never touch...way way too many side effects that can last permanently even if you discontinue it.

 

[Chamber36]

Minoxidil I would never touch...way way too many side effects that can last permanently even if you discontinue it.

Ok I'll research it

 

[metalwater]

Proper nutrition is all you need.

Absolutely no need to fill your body with supplements.

Instead of eating chips when you get home from work, eat red bell peppers with some hummus.

It's really simple.

that works for 80% there are some that it's not enough, for those it makes sense for them to identify and solve. but only after trying to do it how you tell.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Proper nutrition is all you need.

Absolutely no need to fill your body with supplements.

Instead of eating chips when you get home from work, eat red bell peppers with some hummus.

It's really simple.

Yes and no. It isn't that simple anymore. Mainly because you can't trust that what you eat actually has the proper nutritional content it should due to poor soil conditions in so many places from over farming and poor rotation and the overuse of pesticides which prevent nutrient uptake in crops.

They have done tests on crops growing in the same field and some had the normal nutrient content you would expect and some only had 20% and everywhere in between. Some of these were even organic crops tested and had the same issues tho not quite as frequently.

So even when eating properly, the nutritional content is pretty up in the air these days.

Additionally there are some things that are impossible to get nutritionally now, like Vitamin K2 which plays a huge role in having calcium ending up in the right places like bones and joints instead of getting stuck in soft tissues and arteries. Without K2, the calcium binding proteins do not activate efficiently and you end up with calcium all over your body instead of where it should be. It's why atherosclerosis occurs so frequently these days and is the #1 reason of hearts attacks which is the #1 killer.

The only way to get this is via grass fed animals who eat grass and then turn the K1 into K2 via exposure to sunlight. Most people don't eat grass fed animals and the definitions of what constitutes free range and grass fed doesn't inspire confidence in me that most of these animals are outside long enough for this to happen on a regular basis.

If men want to lower their risk for heart attacks they need to have a clear strategy for dealing with the calcium problem. Namely that we get 6-8x the amount we need on a constant basis because EVERYTHING seems to be fortified with it due to the misguided notion that people get osteoporosis due to lacking calcium. They actually get it because they lack proper amounts of D3, Magnesium and K2 which all tackle one part of the calcium problem. They have plenty of calcium in their bodies, it just can't get to the right place.

D3 liquidizes calcium to allow it to be transported via the bloodstream.

Magnesium is needed to pull calcium out of the muscle where it goes to first, then via the calcium-magnesium ion pump it is pulled back out and replaced by magnesium. Without magnesium, this can't occur.

K2 is needed by at least 18 calcium binding proteins in the body, and critically by the ones in the aortal arteries in the heart to ensure calcium buildup doesn't occur.

So your statement is somewhat right but not completely right.

 

[EyeBRollin]

I agree. I don’t take any supplements and get the same kind of results.

I eat a lot of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and nuts.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I'm doing fine.

Blood work is great. Not deficient in anything.

Plenty of energy.

Supplement companies get rich because of clever marketing.

Nobody NEEDS that bvllsh!t. But they sure do a great job of making people THINK they do.

Well...there is no way of really knowing whether you have atherosclerosis until you have a heart attack.

Considering K2 has been shown to be needed by the body, that calcium binding proteins only work at 30% max without it, and that it has been shown to reduce calcium deposits in arteries by up to 50% in only 6 weeks, people are playing Russian roulette with their health by not taking it.

As for the other things he has listed, they are commonly used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines for different purposes and go back thousands of years. Pretty sure they are useful. Virtually every study ever done to challenge one of their claims as to why they use or do certain herbs or things has been shown to be true even when the researchers were completely baffled as to why it worked.

Now in regards to supplement companies and workout stuff I am in total agreement. Most of that stuff is bullcrap. In regards to herbs used in Ayurvedic, Chinese and Indiginous medicine, I would definitely not say they are useless. You simply don't know enough at this point, so I would suggest you actually delve into them more before saying silly stuff like that.

 

[SargeMaximus]

I’m a huge nutrition nut!

Yes and no. It isn't that simple anymore. Mainly because you can't trust that what you eat actually has the proper nutritional content it should due to poor soil conditions in so many places from over farming and poor rotation and the overuse of pesticides which prevent nutrient uptake in crops.

They have done tests on crops growing in the same field and some had the normal nutrient content you would expect and some only had 20% and everywhere in between. Some of these were even organic crops tested and had the same issues tho not quite as frequently.

So even when eating properly, the nutritional content is pretty up in the air these days.

Additionally there are some things that are impossible to get nutritionally now, like Vitamin K2 which plays a huge role in having calcium ending up in the right places like bones and joints instead of getting stuck in soft tissues and arteries. Without K2, the calcium binding proteins do not activate efficiently and you end up with calcium all over your body instead of where it should be. It's why atherosclerosis occurs so frequently these days and is the #1 reason of hearts attacks which is the #1 killer.

The only way to get this is via grass fed animals who eat grass and then turn the K1 into K2 via exposure to sunlight. Most people don't eat grass fed animals and the definitions of what constitutes free range and grass fed doesn't inspire confidence in me that most of these animals are outside long enough for this to happen on a regular basis.

If men want to lower their risk for heart attacks they need to have a clear strategy for dealing with the calcium problem. Namely that we get 6-8x the amount we need on a constant basis because EVERYTHING seems to be fortified with it due to the misguided notion that people get osteoporosis due to lacking calcium. They actually get it because they lack proper amounts of D3, Magnesium and K2 which all tackle one part of the calcium problem. They have plenty of calcium in their bodies, it just can't get to the right place.

D3 liquidizes calcium to allow it to be transported via the bloodstream.

Magnesium is needed to pull calcium out of the muscle where it goes to first, then via the calcium-magnesium ion pump it is pulled back out and replaced by magnesium. Without magnesium, this can't occur.

K2 is needed by at least 18 calcium binding proteins in the body, and critically by the ones in the aortal arteries in the heart to ensure calcium buildup doesn't occur.

So your statement is somewhat right but not completely right.

Can’t you get K2 from cheese and kale?

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I’m a huge nutrition nut!


Can’t you get K2 from cheese and kale?

You'd have to eat a whole lotta cheese, and then you'd need to be worried about your waistline.

No...Vitamin K is in Kale, not K2. K2 is only found in animal sources or via things fermented with bacteria like Natto.

 

[SargeMaximus]

You'd have to eat a whole lotta cheese, and then you'd need to be worried about your waistline.

No...Vitamin K is in Kale, not K2. K2 is only found in animal sources or via things fermented with bacteria like Natto.

What about kefir? I drink a few cups of it daily.
If not, can I just get k2 vitamins from the store? What’s the right dosage? And should I take calcium?

 

[BackInTheGame78]

What about kefir? I drink a few cups of it daily.
If not, can I just get k2 vitamins from the store? What’s the right dosage? And should I take calcium?

Kefir is very good and high in K2, hopefully it is homemade kefir and not store bought. Fermented animal product. Sauerkraut is also.

I doubt there are very many people that need to take calcium, we are inundated with it every day with all the things "fortified" with calcium. But kefir is a very good source of that as well...

 

[SargeMaximus]

Kefir is very good and high in K2, hopefully it is homemade kefir and not store bought. Fermented animal product. Sauerkraut is also.

I doubt there are very many people that need to take calcium, we are inundated with it every day with all the things "fortified" with calcium. But kefir is a very good source of that as well...

It’s store bought. I made my own years ago but it took too much time out of my day to strain it every morning.

the reason I ask is because my toe nails are quite brittle and thought it might be because of calcium deficiency

 

[Velasco]

There are many grass fed organic kefir brands. Shouldn't be a problem. Sauerkraut is delicious also

 

[Hamurabimbi]

Minox has been fine. Used it for years.
Ash is great.

 

[SargeMaximus]

There are many grass fed organic kefir brands. Shouldn't be a problem. Sauerkraut is delicious also

Thanks. What is the optimal dosage of K2? And does it have to be paired with any vitamins? I know D3 for example depletes Vitamin A and vice versa.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

There are many grass fed organic kefir brands. Shouldn't be a problem. Sauerkraut is delicious also

I used to make my own kefir, I don't think I would trust store brands. It was super easy...get some kefir grains and then add in some whole organic milk from free range cows.

Also used to make water kefir too...which was very interesting

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Thanks. What is the optimal dosage of K2? And does it have to be paired with any vitamins? I know D3 for example depletes Vitamin A and vice versa.

This article talks about it and gives dosages and detailed info on exactly how it works and what it does.

Vitamin K2 MK-7 and Cardiovascular Calcification

Prevention and reversal (part I)

www.nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com

Well, you want to make sure you have good levels of D3 and Magnesium since those 3 all work together with calcium in different ways.

 

[SargeMaximus]

This article talks about it and gives dosages and detailed info on exactly how it works and what it does.

Vitamin K2 MK-7 and Cardiovascular Calcification

Prevention and reversal (part I)

www.nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com

Well, you want to make sure you have good levels of D3 and Magnesium since those 3 all work together with calcium in different ways.

Thanks. I’ll look into this.

I also have an herb that’s good for lowering cortisol like ashwaghanda but it also boosts T. I’ll post it once I get off work.

 

[deadmasterx]

Minoxidil I would never touch...way way too many side effects that can last permanently even if you discontinue it.

Isn't it Finasteride? As long as I know Minoxidil it's just a "oil" that you apply to your scalp to be improving the blood flow. At least the one I use is like that. The one that mess up with your hormones and sex drive is Finasteride, because it attacks your testosterone straight.

 

[deadmasterx]

There's this video here that I watched some time ago, the guy explains the main reasons that causes hair loss. It's a pretty scientific video and honestly it seems to be true. He recommend some supplements, that I don't have enough money to buy all of them, but since you're more willingly maybe it can be interesting for you.

Also, these supplements helps your body in general, so it's not only about the hair (as expected, the hair loss most times are a side effect of something way more problematic going on in your body).