March to 100 Supplements
It's common to hear people say, "I don't want to live to 100". What they mean, I think, is that they would rather be dead than sick and miserable. Me too. But there are many who die in their seventies after twenty years of poor health, and a few who die at 100 after 100 years of good health. What's the difference?
There is evidence that the difference between twenty years of misery or twenty years of health is in the glutathione restoration system. Here's just one sample of the papers available on glutathione and aging:
Patricia Alonso-Fernández
The most important finding of the Baylor group: we now know that glutathione can be replenished simply by adding the precursors to the diet. This is very recent news.
Here is the "March to 100" list of supplements I take or might recommend to a patient, and why. The rational is based on a network theory of aging https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9315444/
The March to 100 Supplements are most likely to be helpful in avoiding the onset of any chronic disease after 50 and in my view should be considered by everyone in the 50-100 age group. They may be tried as potentially helpful support in any chronic disease in younger people.
March to 100 Supplements List
1) GlyNAC: If you look at the Baylor study it is clear that glutathione can be put at youthful levels with GlyNAC. I am taking, and recommend, glycine and NAC powders both from Nutricost (Amazon). The scoop that comes with the NAC can also be used for the glycine; three scoops of each twice daily replicates the Baylor study closely. Put the scoops in a glass and swirl it around (glycine dissolves in cold water poorly). If you don't like the tart taste take it with juice. Aging isn't for sissies.
2) Vitamin D 5000 units/day; vitamin A (retinol) 10,000 units/day; Vitmin K2. More on the oil-soluble vitamins in a subsequent post.
3) B vitamins in absorbable (phosphate or methylated) forms. The expense may be worth it in an older population with restricted absorption and diffusion. I use B Minus and Thorne Methyl Guard (one daily is sufficient). https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Health-Capsules-Vegetarian-Supplement/dp/B00HZUNQ9K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L0HJZCD90W7F&keywords=b+minus+vitamins&qid=1668876349&sprefix=b+minus+vitamins%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O5AHC4S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4) Centrum Silver one daily. This is a low dose one-a-day broad spectrum supplement. The idea is to avoid any shortages that will stress and down-regulate enzyme systems.
4) Hormone replacement: pregnenolone 50 mg, taken either morning (if it wakes you up) or at night (if it helps you sleep). Especially if there are problems with inflammation or cognitive functioning, replacing pregnenolone can be dramatically effective. The oil soluble vitamins and pregnenolone can be taken on a once weekly cumulative dose.
5) Possibly melatonin 1 mg at night (I take it for blood pressure and Covid protection, as immune stimulation and cancer prevention, and as bio rhythm synchronization, not simply for sleep).
6) Minerals: Possibly about 25 mg of zinc, 2 mg of copper, and magnesium supplementation (I use a scoop of magnesium carbonate in my coffee); possible calcium carbonate (Tums). But if your diet is excellent and your stomach and liver are supported by adequate levels of glutathione the limiting factor for total body stores of minerals will be absorption and ability to hold on to minerals rather than the supplements you swallow.
6) Aspirin: 81 to 650 mg every night, taken with glycine (to prevent GI irritation) and vitamin K2 (to prevent bleeding). If you are intolerant of aspirin, try dissolving the tablets in water first and pour off and use the liquid and always take with glycine. It's easy to make it part of your GlyNAC regimen.
I used to think I couldn't tolerate aspirin, but taking it with glycine was a different experience e.g. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14964343/. I take aspirin at night for blood pressure https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20050915/high-blood-pressure-nightly-aspirin-help#:~:text=Aspirin at night%3A Significant drop,aspirin%3A Slightly lower blood pressure.
In general, although the cardiologists seem to have hogged the discussion, I take aspirin for more general reasons; here is a discussion about the anti-cancer and other effects of aspirin by the wonderful Ray Peat https://www.functionalps.com/blog/2012/04/22/ray-peat-phd-on-aspirin/ That said, even with glycine and K2, not everybody tolerates aspirin.
Theanine: Nature's Trove 200 mg twice daily as needed for anxiety and stress. It is probably an excellent antidepressant if an absorbable B complex and GlyNAC isn't enough and you are under stress and want some protection. Theanine is the amino acid found in green tea. You can read about theanine, stress, and anxiety and depression here in a blog by my friend and white coat hacker Georgi Dinkov under the handle Haidut: https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/theanine-stops-and-reverses-the-stress-reaction-cortisol-noradrenalin-dopamine.5823/.
Gabapentin: One of the few pharmaceuticals I trust for long term health: taken only at night, as needed, and only in quantities sufficient for sleep. I think aging is better with some use of gabapentin at night:- it's better for you to sleep than avoid this and toss and turn. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20124884/
What I avoid:
Curcumin, plant alkaloids in a pill (other than aspirin), expensive forms of B3 such as nicotinamide riboside, IV or oral glutathione, anything with liposomes, anything from Chinese medicine, fish oil, "antioxidants", intermittent fasting, excessive exercise to exhaustion (we are more under rested than under exercised); sunscreen or lotions and most commercial pharmaceutical products.
Experimental: potassium bicarbonate four daily https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FTJTN5L?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_ypp_rep_k0_1_10&=&crid=3V1S0NGGCGO7I&=&sprefix=potassium
The idea came from work on sodium bicarbonate in immune disorders https://journals.aai.org/jimmunol/article/200/10/3568/106666/Oral-NaHCO3-Activates-a-Splenic-Anti-Inflammatory and the fact that a low potassium/sodium ratio may be a chronic stressor and risk for endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. I do not recommend you experiment with potassium supplementation unless you have a research or medical background and even then unless you have blood pressure or immune problems. That said, my kidneys and heart are healthy, there are no interacting medications, and I take it for both blood pressure and inflammation.
Histidine: potentially beneficial for healing elderly stomach disorders, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction and blood pressure in the range of 2 grams twice daily.
Disclaimer: The opinions about aging and supplements expressed in UnChronic are my own, and are not meant to be taken as personal medical advice. I encourage you to invite your responsible physician to use this site to simplify their care and advice for supplements in their practice.
UnChronic is not a commercial site and I will not profit from recommendations or sale of your information in any way.
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