Effective Supplement Combinations

The phenomenon called "synergy" is where the combination of two (or more), in this case, supplements produce a greater effect than does each individual vitamin, herb, or drug taken at different times. Here are some that I have used or read about:

1. garlic extract and ginger root
2. curcumin and resveratrol
3. vitamin C and MSM
4. Propecia and lysine
5. saw palmetto and nettles
6. soy isoflavones and cayenne pepper
7. borage oil (GLA) and fish oil (EPA/DHA)

What are some others?

Got most of this from JDPs post:

• Lysine, Proline & Vit C
• Niacinamide & CoQ10
• Cobalt + Any other mineral

Why is Vitamin C and MSM paired? I take MSM supplement but not a Vitamin C.

goten574 wrote:Why is Vitamin C and MSM paired? I take MSM supplement but not a Vitamin C.

A poster named Sublime recommended that I take these two together. I later found some literature that does suggest a synergistic relationship:

1. http://www.cancertutor.com/Other/MSM-Article.htm

2. "Why is Vitamin C suggested when using MSM?

MSM promotes healing and healing involves forming new cells. Vitamin C is a required raw material in forming healthy new cells. Yes, other raw materials are also required and each of us should be eating properly or taking the proper supplements. A recent study found that at least a quarter of us are deficient in Vitamin C to start with. While this deficiency is not enough to cause scurvy, it did cause several other problems including weak immune systems and fatigue. If we are already deficient in Vitamin C and we need more when we are healing, then most of us need to supplement with more Vitamin C."

A quick note: I have used both of these herbs for a variety of ailments ranging from chronic lower back pain to headaches, and can testify to the effectiveness of both. The Jarrow brand makes a garlic and ginger blend supplement:

"Ginger has been used as both seasoning and medicine for over 50 years. During the Middle Ages, it was used against the plague. Today, it is used for ailments that run from simple colds and sniffles to rheumatoid arthritis.

Its effectiveness against headaches has been documented. Taken at the first sign of migraine, ginger can reduce the symptoms and severity of headaches by blocking prostaglandins, the chemicals that cause inflammation in blood vessels in the brain. This anti-inflammatory activity in ginger can shorten the discomfort of headaches, colds and flu.

As well, ginger blocks the production of substances that cause bronchial congestion and stuffiness. Its main compounds, gingerols, are natural cough suppressants.

It works as well to reduce joint swellings in people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. A recent study found that ginger eased the symptoms in 55 percent of people with osteoarthritis and 74 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis. Considering the health implications of drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex, ginger seems a much safer and more cost-effective alternative.

Ginger works like aspirin to thin the blood. A study involving Danish women between the ages of 25 to 65 years, one group of whom consumed 70 grams of raw onion daily while a second group consumed 5 grams of ginger daily for one week, showed unequivocally the benefits of ginger. When the researchers tested both groups of women, they found that ginger, more clearly than onion, reduced thromboxane production by almost 60 percent. Thromboxane compounds stimulate the clumping of blood platelets and the constricting of blood vessels. By dissolving the clumping quality of blood platelets, ginger reduces blood clots and the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Ginger can also relieve menstrual cramps. Chemical compounds in ginger act as anti-spasmodics inhibiting painful contractions of both smooth muscles of the digestive tract and the uterus.

Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic is no less powerful. The restorative powers of garlic have been known to the ancient Egyptians who gave garlic to slaves constructing the pyramids in order to increase their efficiency and stamina.

Garlic, like ginger, reduces the tendency of blood to clot. Garlic improves blood flow throughout the body, not just in the coronary arteries. It acts as a vasodilator by causing blood vessels to expand and blood pressure to drop. Researchers at the Garlic Research Bureau in Suffolk, England, recently reported that “even small amounts of Garlic, say 3 or 4 grams, will have a pronounced effect on fibrinolytic (breaking down of blood clots) activity in doses from 25 grams ( 10 cloves) to 50 grams Garlic seems to be highly effective in promoting beneficial changes in blood fat composition and platelet adhesiveness.”

It also lowers cholesterol, tryglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels while also increasing the beneficial cholesterol HDL.

And it has anti-tumor properties. Garlic oil inhibits enzymes that curtail the production of protaglandins ( many cancers are prostaglandin dependent). Research in China also shows an inverse relationship between the incidence of stomach cancer and garlic intake. Studies even suggest that garlic may lower the risk of colon cancer by 35 percent and stomach cancer by as much as 50 percent. Garlic inhibits the formation of nitrites, chemicals that could trigger stomach cancer. There is also laboratory evidence that garlic can shrink cancers of the breast, skin and lungs. Finally, the essential oils in garlic are excreted through the lungs, which means that it is particularly effective for clearing respiratory ailments."

Soy and green tea
http://www.hairloss-research.org/soyisoflavoneslowerserumdht.html

From Nature's Way, in their product description of Prostol:

"'Because two is better than one.' Combining Sabal and Urtica extracts into one dietary supplement delivers true synergy, inhibiting both enzyme pathways that affect the prostate for optimal prostate health. Sabal (saw palmetto) inhibits the action of 5-alpha-reductase while Urtica (nettle root) inhibits the action of aromatase."

The Natural wrote:

goten574 wrote:Why is Vitamin C and MSM paired? I take MSM supplement but not a Vitamin C.

A poster named Sublime recommended that I take these two together. I later found some literature that does suggest a synergistic relationship:

1. http://www.cancertutor.com/Other/MSM-Article.htm

2. "Why is Vitamin C suggested when using MSM?

MSM promotes healing and healing involves forming new cells. Vitamin C is a required raw material in forming healthy new cells. Yes, other raw materials are also required and each of us should be eating properly or taking the proper supplements. A recent study found that at least a quarter of us are deficient in Vitamin C to start with. While this deficiency is not enough to cause scurvy, it did cause several other problems including weak immune systems and fatigue. If we are already deficient in Vitamin C and we need more when we are healing, then most of us need to supplement with more Vitamin C."

Much appreciated

goten574 wrote:Why is Vitamin C and MSM paired? I take MSM supplement but not a Vitamin C.

Is taking amla fruit a good alternative as Vit C for MSM? It is high in vit c and an antioxidant. Or must it be like real vitamin C?

i remember ALA/ALC/CQ10/creatine being a powerfull full-range antioxidation combination

saturated fat/red wine

kudzu/green tea

flax seed/kefir

Vit C +NAC