Above my fridge I have a cupboard. It's a pain in the ass to reach,
particularly for a short guy like me. A silly place for a cupboard,
really. But for some reason, I've decided that this cupboard will house
my supplements. Maybe it's the proximity to the fridge, to reinforce to
myself, or perhaps to convince myself, that these products are somehow
different from prescription drugs. Or maybe I just like the fact that
when I open the cupboard, I see a lineup of bottles. Sort of a pride
thing, like a rich guy with a glassed-in garage for his car collection.
I open my two cupboard doors and reveal my collection to the world.
I'll even offer some people a test drive.
Granted, it's not the craziest collection. I'm not yet on a Ray
Kurzweil-style supplement regimen, consisting of hundreds of
supplements a day. I decided this year to get a bit more aggressive,
and follow the Life Extension Foundation's top 10 regimen. So I've been
gradually adding supplements--first a multivitamin for general health
and wellbeing, then omega fatty acids for brain health, then coenzyme
Q10 for mitochondrial health and energy. All of this along with
creatine and whey protein for body building and muscle health. And
today I added another supplement, and am looking forward to reporting
on its effects, whatever they might be.
It started
when I realized that, for the past few weeks, I've had some rough days.
Mood swings, really. Along with some poor sleep. I'm not sure if it's
the weather. Or maybe the fact that the sun comes beating into my
apartment at 6:30 AM. But whatever the case, I felt that my mood could
use some general improvement. So today, after knowing about this
supplement for years, I decided to start taking S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe).
For
those who don't know about SAMe, follow the link to learn more. The
compound is one of the most well-researched and well-supported
supplements around, particularly for mood modification. There are
literally hundreds of studies attesting to its benefits, which rival
those of antidepressant drugs but come with far fewer side
effects.
I just started taking the drug--I mean,
supplement--today, and it's too soon to tell what impact it will have.
But I am optimistic. And damn if opening that hard-to-reach supplement
cupboard doesn't already feel a tad less onerous.