Supplement types quick reference list

[Greyhound]

I'm not sure if this has been done before or not, but I thought a simple, easy to follow guide to supplement types and forms would be useful. Please let me know of any inaccuracies as I'm not an expert!

 

Magnesium

 

Best type(s):

Taurate (good for neuromuscular health, taurine helps utilisation of magnesium, some people find it has adverse effects due to the taurine)

Citrate (well absorbed, can have laxitave effect)

Malate (well absorbed, malic acid part of krebs cycle (energy), chelates aluminum, tablets are large)

Glycinate (well absorbed, gentle on the stomach, apparently particularly good for depression)

 

Worst type(s):

Oxide (not well absorbed, can have laxitave effect, relatively cheap)

Dolomite (magnesium and calcium) (potential lead contamination)

Aspartate (not a good form for those with TS, ADHD, sensitivities etc.)

 

Calcium

 

Best type(s):

Ascorbate (ascorbic acid is vitamin C)

Citrate (well absorbed)

 

Worst type(s):

Carbonate (not well absorbed, relatively cheap)

Dolomite (calcium and magnesium) (potential lead contamination)

 

EFA/Omega 3

 

Best type(s):

Pure fish oil (e.g. salmon oil) (good source of EFA/omega 3, potential heavy metal contamination, some people find fish oil worsens symptoms, capsules rarely found in pescitarian/kosher form i.e. they contain gelatin)

Flaxseed oil (also known as: flax oil, linseed oil) (vegan/kosher alternative to fish oil, has to be converted by body to omega 3 - the system for doing so may be impaired in people requiring supplemental omega 3)

 

Worst type(s):

Fish liver oil (e.g.cod liver oil) (high amounts of fat-soluable vitamins - can cause toxicity, good source of EFA/omega 3, potential heavy metal contamination, some people find fish oil worsens symptoms, capsules rarely found in pescitarian/kosher form i.e. they contain gelatin)

 

Omega 6

 

Best type(s):

Borage oil (also known as: starflower oil) (better than evening primrose oil)

Evening primrose oil (cheaper than borage oil)

 

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

 

Best type(s):

Niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide) (no flushing/itching/prickling, high doses can affect liver)

Inositol hexanicotinate (also known as inositol niacinate) (no flushing/itching/prickling, less toxic as other no-flush forms, may not be as effective as other forms)

 

Worst type(s):

Niacin (can cause flushing/itching/prickling)

Nicotinic acid (can cause flushing/itching/prickling)

 

Vitamin A

 

Best type(s):

Beta carotene (pro vitamin A - is converted to A) (water soluable - overdose only causes yellow tinge to skin which disappears when beta carotene is stopped)

 

Worst type(s):

Other forms are fat soluable so toxicity is easily possible

 

Oral chelation (mercury)

 

Best type(s):

Chlorella, broken cell wall (essentially a food so cannot achieve toxicity, vitamin rich, takes a long time with large doses but is more gentle on the body than other non-oral chelation methods, may itself be contaminated with mercury but it should 'keep hold' of it and not release it into body, fairly expensive)

Coriander leaves (also known as cilantro) (crosses blood brain barrier so good for mopping up last of mercury near end of chelation but is not recommended before this as it can allow mercury to enter brain, should still be used with chlorella as some authorities say it mobilises the mercury but that it's up to the chlorella to chelate it)

 

Worst type(s):

Chlorella, cell wall unbroken (chlorella with an unbroken cell wall is not very useful)

 

Zinc

 

Best type(s):

Picolinate (probably best absorbed type)

Sulphate (well absorbed, this is the type successfully used in studies of hyperactivity)

Glycinate (well absorbed)

Gluconate (well absorbed)

 

Worst type(s):

Oxide (not very well absorbed)

 

Polyphenols

 

Best type(s):

Pycnogenol (also known as: pine bark extract) (very good, very expensive)

Grape seed extract (not to be confused with grapefruit seed extract) (cheaper than pycnogenol, perhaps not as effective as pycnogenol but still good)

 

All supplements - pros and cons of different forms

 

Tablets (easy and convenient, can be halved/split/divided easily, generally cheaper than capsules, generally not as pure as capsules due to substances needed to bind contents together, some people can't swallow them - they can be powdered and sprinkled on food/in drink but it's not as easy as with capsules)

Capsules (easy and convenient, generally more pure than tablets due to lack of binding substances, can be opened up and sprinkled on food or added to drink, generally more expensive than tablets especially if wanting non-gelatin ones, not easy to half/divide up, capsule shell can be sticky when trying to swallow)

Liquid (can often be mixed into food/drink, if no sugar/sweeteners/colouring added it is probably quite a pure form, not as easy or convenient as tablets and capsules, often less palateable unless they contain added sugar/sweeteners which aren't recommended, often must be kept refrigerated)

Powder (can be mixed into food/drink, on its own not as convenient as tablets and capsules but can be put into empty capsules which is cheaper than buying ready-made capsules but is fiddly and time-consuming)