Posted 01 December 2007 - 03:06 PM
I have been lurking here for some time, and felt it was about time I added my anecdotal two cents worth.
I became interested in supplements after my father died 10 years ago at age 59 of a heart attack after clocking a pretty good time up Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. He left a good-looking corpse.
I started out working on cholesterol issues. I've been following a Kowalski regimen (nicotinic acid, Pantathine etc.) which my blood tests confirm pushes my lipid profile in all the right directions.
About six years ago, my wife started exhibiting signs of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, IBS, etc. A whole spectrum of immune system, endocrine, digestive and neurological issues to deal with. That got me involved with hormones. I eventually started using testosterone cream three years ago at age 46.
I believe that I started using resveratrol sometime in 2004. I would guess that my dosage range was in the 30-70 mg range per day up to last January when I increased to a consistent target of 100 mg trans-resveratrol. In July, I moved my target up to 300 to 400 mg per day. In October, I ordered some 98% from Anthony and upped my target to 1000 mg.
I am the oldest of three brothers by two, and four years. We were all together for the first time in four years this Thanksgiving. At this gathering, as with those prior, relatives seem rather shocked at the aging differences. Both my brothers have become markedly more wrinkled, gray, and balded that I. Both brothers are physical, as am I. The middle brother and I do double crossings of the Grand Canyon (48 miles, 10,000+ vertical feet) twice a year. But he looks at least 10 years older than me at this point. I had thought that something was accelerating his aging (which may be true), but after seeing my youngest brother it seems more like it may be me that is out of line.
Both of my brothers are having joint issues that I don't have. One has had rotator cuff operations on both shoulders and the other has had an operation on his back for disk problems. In comparing aches and pains, I just don't have much compared to either of them.
I do lots of medical and supplement research, primarily in an effort to mitigate my wife's health issues, but also for myself. Our house has enough pill bottles to stock a pharmacy. And you couldn't have talked me into taking multivitamins or aspirin 10 years ago.
I can't say with any certainty whether or not any of my interventions have made a difference. I may be genetically more fortunate than my brothers. Or perhaps the viruses and other bugs I've accumulated over the years have been less aggressive than what they have come across. Or perhaps it's because I live at 7800 feet.
In any case, I see no need to alter my health approach at this point.
I am overdue for blood tests, so I don't have any real data showing an effect of the higher dose of resveratrol. I wouldn't actually expect anything significant based on what I've seen in the literature anyway.
In scanning my health log, I did comment several times about more energy and better mood when I increased to 300 to 400 mg level. I'm not sure if I noticed anything at all in the jump to 1000 mg. except for perhaps a little digestive upset. I feel normal. I feel normal like I did at 35, and unlike I did between the ages of 40 and 45.
I just bought a new kayak, graduating from rubber duckies to hard shell play boats that I can do tricks in. I bought some new mogul skis, as I trashed my old skis last year. I'm training towards a record (for me) double Grand Canyon crossing in March, after my 50th birthday. My bench press dropped down to 250 pounds, but my weight is down a bit to 170 pounds (@ 5'10") also.
And that's my anecdotal two cents worth. I hope it adds something to the knowledge base.