Current Supplements

Last Updated: July 22, 2026

My supplement strategy is downstream of Zach’s Current Food Lifestyle. Food comes first. A supplement now needs to fill a demonstrated gap, serve a clear medical purpose, or produce a benefit I can actually notice. It does not stay in the stack because it might help.

[!summary]+ July 2026 reset I used a long international trip as a real-world test of a much smaller stack. I stopped nearly all of the routine supplements, felt great, and my lab results stayed strong. My diet had already covered most of what the pills were meant to provide: sardines nearly every day, salmon a few times a week, large amounts of high-quality red meat, eggs, vegetables, and Greek yogurt. The stack had become excessive relative to both the evidence and my actual needs, so I made the cut permanent in July 2026.

The baseline is now simple: prescriptions stay separate, vitamin D remains modest, training support stays tied to training, and sleep tools are held in reserve. Every July removal and its reason is recorded in the change log.

Supplement Protocol

Daily

Dose	Item	Why
2,000 IU	Vitamin D3	The one remaining daily nutrient supplement. The goal is to maintain sufficiency, not chase the old 70–75 ng/mL target. Take with a meal containing fat.

Medications

Dose	Item	Why
10mg	Rosuvastatin (Crestor)	I take this to lower LDL and ApoB, reducing atherosclerotic risk. Last ApoB: 56 mg/dL (desirable, Feb 2026).
10mg	Ezetimibe	I use this for deeper ApoB reduction without upping my statin dose. Last ApoB: 56 mg/dL (desirable, Feb 2026).
0.5mg	Anastrozole (Mon only)	I take this to manage estradiol on TRT. Goal: keep E2 between 25–35 pg/mL. Reduced from Mon/Thu on 4/29/26 after E2 partial recovery to 22.3.

Sleep & Recovery, As Needed

Dose	Item	Why
—	Chamomile Tea	Base of the bedtime routine.
300mg	Magnesium Glycinate	Use if I am wired, sleep is off, or muscle tension is high. Not automatic.
3g	Glycine	Use when I want extra sleep support. Not a daily glutathione intervention.
100mg	L-Theanine	Use for acute calm, travel stress, sleep, or occasionally with caffeine.
1x	Cadence Sleep Powder	Reset nights only. Do not stack automatically with the other sleep tools.

Training & Travel, As Needed

Dose	Item	Why
1 packet	LMNT Electrolytes (Citrus / Orange)	Use for long or hot training, heavy sweat, flights, and travel. Not a default drink.

Nutrition & Fueling

First Thing

Water, lime, salt. Or LMNT Unflavored.
Creatine 10g (Thorne). I take this daily for strength, recovery, and cognitive support. Timing around workouts is just for habit; benefit is from saturation. (usually in my coffee)

Preworkout (Strength)

Something like (when possible): Honey, oatmeal, banana.

Preworkout (Endurance / Distance)

Banana, oatmeal, sometimes watermelon
LMNT Electrolytes

During Training

LMNT Unflavored Electrolytes
Carbs on longer runs, harder sessions: Untapped Maple Syrup Packets

Post Workout

A grassfed beef and carb-heavy meal, or
Promix Whey Isolate mixed with Greek Yogurt and Honey

Nighttime

I usually have Greek yogurt after dinner, often loaded with blueberries. For a special treat I’ll fill a Ninja Creami container to the brim with about 3/4 cup of greek yogurt and blend it. It’s the perfect “sorbet.”
Cadence Sleep on reset nights only

Change Log

[!note]+ 7/22/26 - Permanent food-first simplification after Iceland

Decision: Made the Iceland travel experiment permanent. I stopped nearly the entire routine supplement stack, felt great, and my lab results stayed strong. My diet had covered most of these inputs for some time, while the pill count and overlapping rationales had become excessive. Going forward, a supplement needs a demonstrated gap, a clear medical purpose, or a benefit I can actually notice.

What remains:

Vitamin D3 at 2,000 IU/day with food, reduced from 10,000 IU/day. The goal is sufficiency, not the old 70–75 ng/mL target. Last measured level was already sufficient at 49 ng/mL.

Prescriptions remain unchanged and separate from this decision.

Creatine, protein, collagen, carbohydrates, and electrolytes remain training and food tools, not a daily pill stack.

Magnesium glycinate, glycine, L-theanine, and Cadence Sleep move to reserve use only. Use the minimum needed when sleep, stress, travel, or recovery is actually off.

Removed from routine use:

Removed Why

Omega-3 fish oil Diet already supplies a large daily EPA/DHA load from sardines nearly every day plus salmon several times a week. Triglycerides, ApoB, inflammation, and calcium score remain strong. Grass-fed meat adds a small amount, but the oily fish is what makes the capsule redundant.

Selenium 200mcg Sardines, salmon, large amounts of red meat, eggs, and yogurt already cover selenium. There was no documented selenium deficiency, TPO antibodies remained in range, and thyroid markers did not clearly respond during the supplement trial.

Turmeric/curcumin + saffron No clear loss of joint, mood, or inflammation control while off it. CRP was already excellent in the context of the whole diet, training, and medication plan, so a low CRP result did not prove the supplement was responsible.

Astaxanthin This was a skin-focused optional supplement, not a core healthspan intervention. No clear downside appeared when it was removed.

Broccoli seed extract, NAC, and liposomal glutathione The glutathione intervention was built on a unit mismatch. The Feb 2026 Labcorp result was 255 µg/mL, inside its 176–323 µg/mL reference range. The dashboard later displayed the same numeric value as 255 µmol/L. Converted correctly, 255 µg/mL is about 830 µmol/L. The marker was not deficient, and there is no reason to stack three overlapping levers to push a normal investigational marker toward the top of its range.

5-MTHF, P-5-P, and TMG MCV normalized after removing the excess B12 source, which showed the macrocytosis was not fixed by adding more methylation supplements. Homocysteine at 9.1 was normal in the context of an elite ApoB and inflammatory profile, while B6 was already above the preferred ceiling.

Vitamin K2 MK-7 No demonstrated gap. Diet is K2-rich, calcium score is zero, and the high-dose D3 protocol that originally drove the pairing has ended.

CoQ10 Serum CoQ10 was already above range at 2.73 µg/mL. I felt fine without it and have no documented statin-related muscle symptoms requiring a routine supplement.

Taurine No clear additive benefit over the existing diet, training, lipid medications, and metabolic health.

Magnesium L-threonate No clear cognitive or recovery loss off the twice-daily protocol. Magnesium glycinate remains available when there is a specific sleep or recovery need.

Seed Synbiotic No GI or recovery decline off it. The whole-food diet and fermented-food intake remain the foundation rather than a permanent probiotic subscription.

New rule: Do not automatically restart a supplement after travel or because an old bottle is still in the cabinet. Keep the baseline small, hold diet steady, and add back one item only when a specific problem or lab result justifies a clean test.

Removed	Why
Omega-3 fish oil	Diet already supplies a large daily EPA/DHA load from sardines nearly every day plus salmon several times a week. Triglycerides, ApoB, inflammation, and calcium score remain strong. Grass-fed meat adds a small amount, but the oily fish is what makes the capsule redundant.
Selenium 200mcg	Sardines, salmon, large amounts of red meat, eggs, and yogurt already cover selenium. There was no documented selenium deficiency, TPO antibodies remained in range, and thyroid markers did not clearly respond during the supplement trial.
Turmeric/curcumin + saffron	No clear loss of joint, mood, or inflammation control while off it. CRP was already excellent in the context of the whole diet, training, and medication plan, so a low CRP result did not prove the supplement was responsible.
Astaxanthin	This was a skin-focused optional supplement, not a core healthspan intervention. No clear downside appeared when it was removed.
Broccoli seed extract, NAC, and liposomal glutathione	The glutathione intervention was built on a unit mismatch. The Feb 2026 Labcorp result was 255 µg/mL, inside its 176–323 µg/mL reference range. The dashboard later displayed the same numeric value as 255 µmol/L. Converted correctly, 255 µg/mL is about 830 µmol/L. The marker was not deficient, and there is no reason to stack three overlapping levers to push a normal investigational marker toward the top of its range.
5-MTHF, P-5-P, and TMG	MCV normalized after removing the excess B12 source, which showed the macrocytosis was not fixed by adding more methylation supplements. Homocysteine at 9.1 was normal in the context of an elite ApoB and inflammatory profile, while B6 was already above the preferred ceiling.
Vitamin K2 MK-7	No demonstrated gap. Diet is K2-rich, calcium score is zero, and the high-dose D3 protocol that originally drove the pairing has ended.
CoQ10	Serum CoQ10 was already above range at 2.73 µg/mL. I felt fine without it and have no documented statin-related muscle symptoms requiring a routine supplement.
Taurine	No clear additive benefit over the existing diet, training, lipid medications, and metabolic health.
Magnesium L-threonate	No clear cognitive or recovery loss off the twice-daily protocol. Magnesium glycinate remains available when there is a specific sleep or recovery need.
Seed Synbiotic	No GI or recovery decline off it. The whole-food diet and fermented-food intake remain the foundation rather than a permanent probiotic subscription.

[!note]+ 4/29/26 - Reduced Anastrozole after E2 partial recovery

[!note]+ Reduced Anastrozole from 0.5mg Mon/Thu to 0.5mg Mon-only. Apr 21 spot-check labs showed estradiol partial recovery to 22.3 pg/mL (from 19.0 in Feb 24) after the 3/14 DIM removal. E2 is out of the over-suppression zone but still under the 25–35 target. The DIM-only intervention got us halfway; this is the pharmaceutical lever to close the rest of the gap. Steady state in ~2–3 weeks. Will read the new equilibrium at the June 15 12-week panel. Approved by Dr. Oshun.

[!note]+ 4/3/26 - Added Seed Synbiotic, Removed Zinc

[!note]+ Added Seed Daily Synbiotic (2 caps) to morning stack. Prebiotic + probiotic for gut barrier integrity and microbiome diversity. Supports nutrient absorption foundation for the rest of the stack.

[!note]+ Removed Zinc Picolinate from morning stack. Dietary intake from oysters, sardines, and heavy red meat consumption (elk, bison, beef) more than covers zinc needs. The testosterone-support rationale is largely redundant on TRT, and methylation is well-covered by the 5-MTHF + P-5-P + TMG stack. Keeping the bottle on hand for acute immune support if needed. Net pill count change: +1 (added 2 Seed, removed 1 zinc).

[!note]+ 4/2/26 - Added Liposomal Glutathione

[!note]+ Added Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione (Setria) to morning stack. Two consecutive draws showed the Nrf2-only approach (broccoli seed extract 5 caps/day + NAC 1,100mg + glycine 3g) moving glutathione too slowly: 229 → 255 over 4 months, still 65 points short of >320 target. Training-induced oxidative turnover is outpacing endogenous production. Adding exogenous liposomal glutathione alongside the existing Nrf2 stack to close the gap. Retest at June 12-week draw to assess combined effect. If glutathione hits 320+, will evaluate whether exogenous form can be tapered while Nrf2 stack maintains levels.

[!note]+ 3/14/26 - Post-Feb 24 Labs Optimization

[!note]+ Removed DIM 100mg from morning stack. Estradiol dropped to 19.0 pg/mL (from 47.8 in Oct 2025) — the combination of anastrozole 0.5mg Mon/Thu plus DIM was over-suppressing estrogen. Below 20 pg/mL carries risks for joint health, bone density, lipids, and cognition. Removing DIM first (the supplement lever) before adjusting the pharmaceutical. Target: bring E2 back to 25-35 pg/mL. Retest at 6 weeks.

[!note]+ Removed Beef Organ Tabs entirely. B12 surged back to 1374 pg/mL (target <1000) despite being at 1x/day. Diet alone (red meat, oysters, eggs) provides ample B12, retinol, iron, and choline. Also contributes to persistent macrocytosis (MCV 101 fL). Removing to let B12 normalize and give MCV a chance to come down.

[!note]+ Replaced D3+K2 combo with standalone NatureWise D3 5000 IU softgels — 2 pills/day split AM and PM (10k IU total). Previous 10k IU single-dose (old combo pill at 2x plus additional D3) barely moved serum D from 46.9 to 49 ng/mL over 3+ months. Switching to olive oil-based softgels and splitting the dose for better absorption. Target: 70-75 ng/mL.

[!note]+ Added Vitamin K2 MK-7 separately in AM. Was previously bundled in the D3+K2 combo pill. Now standalone since D3 formulation changed. Still needed for calcium transport and arterial calcification prevention.

[!note]+ Reduced CoQ10 from 2x/day to 1x/day (AM only) — removed the PM dose. Serum CoQ10 came back at 2.73 µg/mL, above the reference range (0.37-2.20). One dose is sufficient to offset statin depletion; the second was pushing levels supraphysiologic unnecessarily. Simplifies the evening stack.

[!note]+ Added TMG (Trimethylglycine) 500mg to morning stack. Homocysteine improved from 10.3 to 9.1 µmol/L on 5-MTHF 800µg alone, but hasn’t reached the <8.0 target. TMG provides an alternative methylation pathway (BHMT) to close the remaining gap. Previously declined to keep variables minimal — now that folate efficacy is confirmed, adding this targeted lever.

[!note]+ Added Thorne Selenium 200mcg (selenomethionine) to morning stack. Thyroid function is declining: Free T4 dropped from 1.36 to 1.08, Free T3 from 3.0 to 2.8, TSH rising from 1.59 to 1.98, and TPO antibodies crept up from <9 to 13. Selenium is critical for thyroid peroxidase function and T4-to-T3 conversion. Addressing before subclinical decline becomes clinical.

[!note]+ 2/17/26 - Simplification

[!note]+ Removed Berberine 450g, risk blunting hypertrophy, statin covers the original intent of it.

[!note]+ Reduced beef organ to 1x from 2x, reduce ferritin and b12

[!note]+ Added 5mg glycine at night

[!note]+ Added 1mg taurine to morning stack

[!note]+ Moved creatine to first thing with electrolytes

[!note]+ 11/12/25 - Ezetimbe, D3, glutathione, homocysteine focus changes, for retest in November

[!note]+ SUPPLEMENT GUIDE UPDATE NOTE

▼ 11/12/2025 - Biomarker-Driven Optimization (Post-Ezetimibe Addition)

Context:

Added ezetimibe 10mg on ~10/20/25 (3 weeks before planned retest)

ApoB dropped 105 → 126 initially after starting rosuvastatin + ezetimibe (8/15/25), but this likely reflects pre-medication baseline being higher than 105

Retest scheduled 2 weeks from today to isolate ezetimibe efficacy

Holding additional ApoB interventions (aged garlic increase, niacin, plant sterols) until ezetimibe impact is fully assessed

Changes Made:

Supplement Previous Dose New Dose Biomarker Driver

Vitamin D3 125mcg (5,000 IU) 250mcg (10,000 IU) Vitamin D: 46.9 ng/mL → Target 70-75 ng/mL

5-MTHF (Methyl-Folate) 400µg 800µg Homocysteine: 10.3 µmol/L → Target <8.0 µmol/L

Broccoli Seed Extract 2 caps AM 3 caps AM + 2 caps PM Glutathione: 229 µmol/L → Target >320 µmol/L

Rationale by Marker:

Vitamin D (46.9 ng/mL):

Current dose insufficient to reach target range (70-75 ng/mL year-round)

Doubling intake should achieve target within 8-10 weeks

K2-MK7 at 180mcg already in place for calcium transport/arterial calcification prevention

Retest in 8-10 weeks to confirm trajectory

Homocysteine (10.3 µmol/L):

Target <8.0 µmol/L for optimal vascular health (aligns with atherosclerotic disease prevention—primary mortality risk per Health Pillars)

5-MTHF + P-5-P (25mg continuing) directly support methylation pathway

400µg dose was conservative; 800µg is well within safe range (1,000µg is clinical upper limit)

Declined TMG (betaine) addition to keep intervention minimal

Continuing glycine at bedtime (already in stack) provides secondary methylation support

Glutathione (229 µmol/L):

Oxidative stress marker reflecting 7-day/week training load (high-intensity running, heavy lifting, circuits)

Target >350 µmol/L for adequate antioxidant capacity under training volume

Initially declined liposomal glutathione (preferred endogenous production pathway). Revisited in April 2026 after two draws showed Nrf2 alone couldn’t keep pace with training-induced oxidative turnover (229 → 255 over 4 months, target >320). Added liposomal glutathione alongside the Nrf2 stack.

Broccoli seed extract = sulforaphane → Nrf2 activation → upregulated glutathione synthesis

Increased from 2 caps AM to 5 caps/day (3 AM + 2 PM) provides ~150mg sulforaphane equivalent

Clinical threshold for glutathione upregulation: 100-200mg sulforaphane

Split dosing (AM/PM) maintains sustained Nrf2 activation across training windows (sulforaphane half-life ~2-3 hours)

Retest glutathione at 8-10 weeks to assess efficacy

Strategic Holds:

ApoB Management:

Rosuvastatin 10mg + ezetimibe 10mg continuing

NOT increasing rosuvastatin to 20mg (diminishing returns; mitochondrial/performance concerns)

NOT adding aged garlic, niacin, or plant sterols until ezetimibe impact fully assessed (retest in 2 weeks)

If ApoB ≤90 mg/dL at retest: hold current approach

If ApoB 90-100 mg/dL: add single targeted intervention (likely aged garlic to 1,200mg)

If ApoB >100 mg/dL: physician discussion re: PCSK9 inhibitor

Cortisol:

Cortisol AM at 11.5 µg/dL (mid-to-low range) does not support training stress hypothesis for elevated ApoB

No cortisol-modulating interventions needed

Other Markers Stable:

CRP <0.5 mg/L (excellent)

Calcium score = 0 (no arterial calcification)

Fasting glucose 75 mg/dL, HbA1c 5.0-5.2% (tight metabolic control)

Insulin at 1.2 µIU/mL (low, but addressed via post-workout carb timing adjustments, not supplementation)

Next Actions:

Retest labs in 2 weeks (late November 2025): ApoB, lipid panel, homocysteine, MCV

Retest Vitamin D + glutathione in 8-10 weeks (mid-January 2026)

Reassess ApoB strategy based on ezetimibe response

Philosophy:

Isolate variables: assess ezetimibe efficacy before layering additional ApoB interventions

Prioritize endogenous production pathways (Nrf2/glutathione) over exogenous supplementation (liposomal GSH)

Target root causes (methylation, antioxidant capacity, vitamin D optimization) rather than symptom management

Maintain performance capacity while optimizing longevity biomarkers (no aggressive statin dosing, no interventions that compromise mitochondrial function or VO2 max)

Implementation Date: 11/13/2025

Next Review: Late November 2025 (post-retest) + Mid-January 2026 (D3/glutathione recheck)

Supplement	Previous Dose	New Dose	Biomarker Driver
Vitamin D3	125mcg (5,000 IU)	250mcg (10,000 IU)	Vitamin D: 46.9 ng/mL → Target 70-75 ng/mL
5-MTHF (Methyl-Folate)	400µg	800µg	Homocysteine: 10.3 µmol/L → Target <8.0 µmol/L
Broccoli Seed Extract	2 caps AM	3 caps AM + 2 caps PM	Glutathione: 229 µmol/L → Target >320 µmol/L

[!note]+ 9/29/25 - Removed Ashwaganda, Phosphatidyl-serine, Apigen from sleep stack to keep it simple, built around magnesium biglycinate.

[!note]+ I think the other elements were making me a bit crazy. Phosphatidyl-serine is a cortisol reducer but is known to have the opposite effect in some people and I think I’m one of those people.

[!note]+ 8/15/25 - Finally added a statin based on badgering from Zack Kanter. Removed herbal stack focused on ApoB

[!note]+ Reasoning. Labs show consistently high ApoB and LDL but all other cv markets and inflammation are good. Aiming to get ApoB down to 50-60 from 120. In the words of my doctor “you’re doing everything right, you just have bad genes”

[!note]+ 6/20/2025 - Check-in labs complete. | When | Keep & Tweak | Remove / Pause | Add | | — | — | — | — | | Morning (09-10 a.m.) | • Beef-Organ caps → 2 caps (was 3) to curb Vitamin A load • Red Yeast Rice moved to bedtime (see below). • Everything else unchanged (turmeric, fish-oil, Mg-L-Threonate, nicotine-taper stack, etc.) | • Alpha-Lipoic Acid → stop for 4 wks (insulin too low) | • 5-MTHF (methyl-folate) 400 µg
• P-5-P (active B-6) 25 mg
• Citrus Bergamot 500 mg | | Afternoon (~15:00) | Routine stays the same (CoQ10, NAC, Mg-L-Threonate, nicotine-taper stack). | — | • Citrus Bergamot 500 mg second dose | | Bedtime (30-60 min pre-sleep) | • Mag Glycinate, Taurine, Glycine, PS, Ashwagandha remain.
• Red Yeast Rice (200 mg double-strength) + CoQ10 200 mg – single nightly dose replaces the AM/PM split | — | • Aged-Garlic Extract 1 000 mg • Calcium-D-Glucarate 500 mg (E2 clearance)
• (Optional) DIM 100 mg here or with breakfast if estradiol > 45 pg/mL next draw | | Nutrition add-on | — | — | • 20 g casein + 15 g raw honey shake at lights-out (soft insulin bump, recovery)
• Psyllium Husk 5 g in yogurts (soluble fibre for LDL/ApoB) |

What Goes Away (for now)

Alpha-Lipoic Acid – pause completely; reassess once fasting insulin ≥ 3.0 µIU/mL.

No other deletions—nicotine-recovery stack stays active through Summer.

Why the Moves Matter

ApoB control: higher RYR bolus + bergamot + garlic + fibre target a ≥ 15 mg/dL drop in 6 weeks.

Macrocytosis fix: folate + B-6 directly address rising MCV (100.8 → ≤ 96).

Vitamin A drift: cutting organ caps shaves ~3 000 IU/day of retinol.

Estradiol tune: D-Glucarate improves hepatic clearance without tanking TRT levels.

Insulin floor: removing ALA and adding the casein/honey bump should nudge fasting insulin into the anabolic sweet-spot (3–5 µIU/mL).

[!note]+ 5/31/25: Removed GABA, replaced bedtime GABA with taurine.

[!note]+ 3/20/2025: Removed Methyl B supplement. Found in labs that I do not have a methylization issue (homocysteine is normal at 9.0 µmol/L, B12 is high, and not folate deficient). And tested higher in B12 than is recommended.

Removed multivitamin for similar reasons to above. Vitamin A intake (pastured eggs) is strong. B and zinc are strong (smoked oysters daily).

Switched to a 1/2 dose (3 of 6) beef organ supplement

[!note]+ 4/6/2025: Added nicotine cessation stack that’s half focused on cravings, half on sleep.

Morning (AM – with or after breakfast). Best for dopamine precursors and adaptogens.

L-Tyrosine – 500 mg

DLPA – 500 mg

Rhodiola Rosea – 500 mg

NAC – AM dose

Magnesium L-Threonate (optional 1st dose if splitting AM/PM)

Afternoon (Midday/Pre-dinner) Supports sustained neurotransmitter support without overstimulation before bed.

DLPA – 500 mg (second dose)

Rhodiola Rosea – Optional second 250 mg if needed

Magnesium L-Threonate (optional 2nd dose if splitting)

Bedtime (30–60 min before bed) Supports parasympathetic recovery, HRV improvement, and better sleep depth:

GABA + L-Theanine – GABA 200 mg + Theanine 200 mg

Apigenin – 50 mg

Magnesium L-Threonate – PM dose (if not split, take full dose here)

NAC – PM dose