Too much or too many supplements might be holding you back

[Carl-Richard]

I've recently tried many supplements, which is popular these days (Bryan Johnson, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, etc.). Before, I had an aversion to B-vitamin supplements because they made me feel too wired, but I decided to still try them in the form of a multivitamin. I also added copious amounts of zinc, boron and vitamin D (and K2, magnesium, calcium, fish oil).

Then after finishing my degree, I noticed I was a bit restless even though I had little reason to be. So I decided to drop the multivitamin to see if indeed it was the B-vitamins. The restlessness dropped noticeably and quite immediately. Then when I try meditating I still find there is some lingering restlessness there. Maybe it's the zinc supplement (which I over time decided to double the dose of, because it gave me more energy).

Also, when I started the boron supplement, I went straight to two pills (6 mg) without starting with one and then deciding whether I should taper up (or drop it). I suspect it could be making me feel a certain way (I have for example had strong reactions to too much Vitamin E, probably due to its anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory activity, and boron has anti-inflammatory activity).

If I still feel too wired or weird, I will maybe start tapering down vitamin D (which is a bit of a tough nut because I've done it before; but then I also took smaller doses; and I did not respond positively).

[PsychedelicEagle]

I would suggesting measuring before starting any supplementation, if possible.

Then you can assess your baseline and whether supplementing is even necessary.

After you start supplementing, you keep tracking to see if the dose is adequate.

---

If you feel 'too-wired' with B vitamins, you could be sensitive to methyl donors. There are supplements that target this type of individual variability, such as: https://www.sunday.de/en/bioactive-b-complex-sensitive.html

Edited Sunday at 04:11 PM by PsychedelicEagle

[Leo Gura]

All those people make millions selling you supplements. Keep that in mind.

[Carl-Richard]

8 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

All those people make millions selling you supplements. Keep that in mind.

Whatchu poppin?

[SimpleGuy]

Having results from supplements requires a lot of money. Not because good supplements are expensive, but because you need to get blood work done using every supplement to check if it is working or not.

[Leo Gura]

5 hours ago, Carl-Richard said:

Whatchu poppin?

These days only Vit D and A.

A is good for eyes. D is good cause I don't get a lot of outdoor sun.

Edited 13 hours ago by Leo Gura

[integral]

On 12/30/2025 at 3:01 PM, Carl-Richard said:

for example had strong reactions to too much Vitamin E, probably due to its anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory activity,

Maybe because vitamin E supplements are toxic.

[Carl-Richard]

2 hours ago, integral said:

Maybe because vitamin E supplements are toxic.

Why?

[integral]

2 hours ago, Carl-Richard said:

Why?

Quote

ai- 

1. High-Dose Alpha-Tocopherol (Any Form)

Studies show high-dose vitamin E supplementation is linked to increased risks of all-cause mortality, hemorrhagic stroke, cardiovascular events, and certain cancers. The upper limit is 1,000 mg/day, with doses above 400 IU potentially harmful.

Specific risks:

Hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke risk, particularly when combined with aspirin or blood thinners

Increased prostate cancer risk in men taking 400 IU daily for several years

Immune suppression at doses over 1,000 mg/day

Anticoagulant effects that increase bleeding risk

2. Synthetic Alpha-Tocopherol (dl-alpha-tocopherol)

Synthetic vitamin E has several issues:

Only half as bioavailable as natural vitamin E - you need twice the amount to get the same effect

Contains 8 stereoisomers, but only 4 are retained by the body

Synthetic vitamin E (all-rac-alpha-tocopherol) at 400 IU appears to speed vision loss in people with retinitis pigmentosa

3. Isolated Alpha-Tocopherol (Depletes Gamma-Tocopherol)

This is a critical issue:

High doses of alpha-tocopherol deplete plasma and tissue gamma-tocopherol, while gamma-tocopherol supplementation increases both forms. This matters because:

Gamma-tocopherol possesses unique antiinflammatory properties that alpha-tocopherol lacks

Plasma gamma-tocopherol is inversely associated with cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer

Gamma-tocopherol is the dominant form in the American diet from vegetable oils

4. Vitamin E Acetate (When Inhaled)

The CDC identified vitamin E acetate as a strong culprit in vaping-related lung injuries, as vaporizing it produces carcinogenic compounds and toxic ketene gas. However, oral consumption is safe as it's converted to alpha-tocopherol.

Bottom Line for You:

Given your MCAS and inflammation concerns:

Avoid high-dose isolated alpha-tocopherol - it depletes beneficial gamma-tocopherol

Choose mixed tocopherols (containing gamma, delta, beta) when supplementing

Prefer natural forms (d-alpha-tocopherol/RRR) over synthetic (dl-alpha-tocopherol)

Keep doses moderate - under 400 IU is generally safer

Get vitamin E from food when possible - no adverse effects from dietary sources

The research suggests the real harm comes from mega-dosing isolated alpha-tocopherol rather than vitamin E being inherently harmful.

This doesn't mean much to me because the AI is cherry picking. 

My personal experience is that all the different forms of vitamin E that I've taken they all made me feel worse the longer I took them.

Now with you're personal experience, you're noticing agitation with the supplements which I've been telling people for years that supplements aren't safe for the same reason. Especially long-term use.

 Yet people like Brian could just take whatever they want and they're just ploughing through life?

Edited 5 hours ago by integral

[freddyteisen]

@Leo Gura Why are you getting little outside Sun? Curious, how much time do you spend outside on a daily basis?

(btw vit A you can get from liver)