supplements for energy

[sick and tired 47]

Hi All!
What are some good supplements for fatigue/ promote energy ( especially women)??
Thanks for all input.

[Paxiled]

Given that ginsenocides are just a marker chemical and we have no idea whether they have the same effect as the synergistic effects of all the chemicals in ginseng, I'd be afraid to take something with that many ginsenocides in it.  That's a drug, not an herb.

[gymdandee]

Lack of ginseng compounds
Two of the three products containing only American ginseng contained lower amounts of ginsenosides than claimed on their labels, as did one of the American/Asian ginseng combination products

     Bluebonnet Herbals American Ginseng Root Extract contained only 75.4% of its claimed amount of ginsenosides, despite claiming that it provided one the highest ginsenoside contents (25 mg/serving) on the market and that its ingredients are protected by a blend of fruit extracts.
     NSI® American Ginseng 80% claimed that 2 capsules provided 500 mg of extract standardized to 80% ginsenosides – which should yield 400 mg of ginsenosides. However, only 304 mg of ginsenosides were found -- 75.9% of the expected amount. While this is significantly below the promised amount, it remains an unusually high amount of ginsenosides. Clinical trials with ginseng have typically used herb powders and extracts with far lower concentrations of ginsenosides, providing about 6 to 40 mg of ginsenosides daily. It is not known what effect the high amount of ginsenosides from the NSI product may have. Paradise Herbs Panax Red Ginseng, an Asian ginseng product, also provided an unusually high concentration of ginsenosides (20%) which, at its maximum suggested daily dose, delivered 120 mg of ginsenosides.
     TruNature Triple Energy contained only 60.3% of its claimed ginsenosides.

Lead contamination:

     Imperial Elixir® Korean White Ginseng met the minimum level of expected ginsenosides but was contaminated with lead (3.1 mcg per daily serving of 2 capsules), exceeding the California limit for lead. It was also contaminated with a small amount of the pesticide quintozene (5.4 ppm).   when tested in 2006  this product passed for contaminants but contained less than 60% of the minimum expected ginsenosides. The ingredient used to make the product appears to have changed over time but not improved in overall quality.
     Nature's Plus® Herbal Actives American Ginseng also exceeded the California limit for lead.  It contained 1.4 mcg of lead per suggested daily serving of one capsule.

Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng):

mperial Elixir® Korean White Ginseng (500 mg root powder per capsule, 2 per day) NOT APPROVED Found 3.1 mcg of lead per daily serving and 5.4 ppm of quintozene (pesticide)

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius):

Bluebonnet Herbals American Ginseng Root Extract (500 mg root extract per vegetarian capsule, 1 per day) NOT APPROVED
Found only 75.4% of claimed ginsenosides
Nature's Plus® Herbal Actives American Ginseng (250 mg root extract per vegetarian capsule, 1 per day) NOT APPROVED
Found 1.4 mcg of lead per daily serving

NSI® American Ginseng 80% (250 mg root extract per capsule, 2 per day) NOT APPROVED
Found only 75.9% of claimed ginsenosides

Combination Products:

TruNature® Triple Energy Ginsengs with Eleuthero (100 mg Asian Ginseng root extract, 100 mg American Ginseng root extract per softgel, 1 to 2 per day)
NOT APPROVED Found only 60.3% of claimed ginsenosides

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks all. Nice to see some good "talk" in this complementarty medicine again... its been sooooooo quiet and I miss the wealth of information exchange.
   I have mixed view on soy... I totally stopped it and WOW did my menopausal symptoms ( aka hot flashes really increase) and I have found just ONE cup of soy milk daily keeps them to almost nothing.
  And when I tried armour I was on 1/2 grain... and my heart raced and raced ... and raced.  And I am a tribute to a low but NORMAL TSH, but below normal Free T3, Free T4, so a very low dose of synthyroid brought them up to low normal.
I would really love to try kelp, iodine ( watched the iodine post here with great interest) but am a little nervous. How would I know if and when to decrease my synthyroid doseage??? I believe it would be so much better for my body/thyroid and it would function better since I don't feel synthyroid did much for me other than change my "free T levels to more normal", not make me feel better.
What is safer to try- kelp, seaweed, iodine?? Any one have any informative sites to read??
  Good point to  make on the milk, dairy foods.... I have found I cannot drink milk or products in the last couple years...  Perhaps ?? developed lactose intolerance which I have read increases with age ( DRATS!!)
  Thanks again for all this information... good to ponder.
Anything that would help with more get up and go again is greatly appreciated.

[Paxiled]

This advice is probably useless, because once you've been on synthroid for a significant amount of time the thyroid dies and it can't be reawakened.  Of course, only a doctor can tell you if this has happened after running tests, but the natural methods of dealing with thyroid problems generally have no relevance once a person chooses to go the synthetic route.  And why avoid soy?  Good source of protein.  Your personal crusade against soy remains, as always, puzzling, but we all gotta have a bogeyman!  And be careful with iodine if you're on synthroid; it can throw off the balance your endrocrinologist is trying to achieve.  Now, if for some reason your thyroid is indeed still functional, then falldown's post is very relevant and worth pursuing.  I would avoid milk and cheese, however, as these are mucous building, most of us can't digest dairy, and thus it will only increase your fatigue and further tax your immune system.  As for the best food sources of iodine, that's seaweed -- that's where the fish get it from.  Kelp and bladderwrack are far higher in assimilable iodine than animal foods.  Seaweed is also what makes wild salmon pink and provides it with the essential fatty acids, though that particular seaweed isn't digestible by humans.  Seaweed is pretty cool stuff.

[caregiver222]

A really excellent post, falldown.  I might add that the TSH test does not reflect immediate thyroid hormone levels. It often "lags" by a couple of weeks. The other thing to look at is iodine intake. Falldown, you nailed that one right square on the head! These days there are people on a completely salt-free diet who end up with thyroid problems. The "idiot's Guide to the Thyroid" is very helpful in understanding thyroid problems. Another thing is to keep hydrated. Synthroid has a checkered history. The company changed the formula several times over the years, and at one point the FDA closed the plant. If Armour made your heart race the dose was a bit too high. One of the problems with the Armour product is that the doses are not consistant, and experimentation is necessary. There is nothing inherent in the Armor product that should cause SVT's.

[falldown]

You shouldn’t do anything without talking to your doctor––especially
if you’re already taking a synthetic thyroid medication. But if you
haven’t been diagnosed yet and if you suspect that your thyroid isn’t
up to snuff, get a TSH blood test. If it turns out that an underactive
thyroid is at the root of your symptoms, get in touch with a physician
who will be able to assist you with natural thyroid treatments.
To find one in your area, contact the American College for Advancement
in Medicine by calling [phone], or go online to www.acam.org. You
could also get in touch with the American Association of Naturopathic
Physicians at [phone] or online at www.naturopathic.org.
Make sure you’re getting enough iodine in your diet. Some of the
best food sources iodine are seafood, milk, and cheese.
And, of course, this last point should go without saying: STOP
DRINKING YOUR TAP WATER AND EATING ALL THAT SOY!

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks all, I am hypothyroid ( on synthyroid) I tried armour and it made my heart race( hx of SVT).
I am always borderline anemic too, drs always wanting me to take ferritin to raise levels.
I am just tired of being tired.....
Thanks again.

[Paxiled]

If it's hormone related (you said especially women), try d-o-n-g quai, the "woman's ginseng."  Adaptogens can provide energy -- these include rhodiola, eleuthero, ginseng, American ginseng, ashwagandha, etc.  Super foods such as spirulina, barley grass, wheat grass, bee pollen, royal jelly provide energy because they contain so many nutrients, particularly with the green foods B12 and chlorophyll.  But you might also have a weakening condition, such as hypothyroid  (kelp and bladderwrack are good for this, as they supply iodine) or hyperthyroid -- both can make you feel fatigued, and so targeting the specific problem would help a lot.  If it's blood deficiency of iron or B12 that can also cause fatigue.  So if it's a specific weakness, you have to address that first.  Hope this helps you to get started.

[falldown]

one of the most
commonly overlooked reasons for fatigue is hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is one of the most misdiagnosed and mistreated
diseases out there. So take a look at this
list and see if you’re suffering from any of these symptoms:
Fatigue  Memory loss  Hair loss
Depression  Brain fuzz  Decreased libido
Weakness  Muscle cramps  Constipation
Weight gain  Dry, rough, pale  Inability to
Difficulty losing skin tolerate cold
weight  Coarse, dry hair temperatures
Any or all of these symptoms can point to a sluggish thyroid,