Supplementation

[Patrea]

Based on your comments, Todd, I stopped all supplementation a year ago, with no ill effects - and benign for my budget!
My hair started to thin a little, and I started to take some Pumpkin Seed oil and Saw Palmetto - I don't always get the nutrients I need daily, as am on a 18 hour a day fast. That's resolved. Am now looking to take curcumin, seeing your recommendation.
On my hormesis routine for nearly ten years now - 18 hour fast, (near) daily sauna, Tabata HiiT and weight training to failure. I started with a few grey hairs and now I've none at all, age 57

[Todd Becker]

Patrea,

Nice to get this update from you.  Based on both the scientific literature and personal experience, I see little reason to supplement.  We should be able to get what we need through a balanced, whole food diet.  Unless your deficiency is extreme, metabolism is usually able to regulate storage and conversion of nutrients to what is needed.   Many of the issues with "apparent" deficiency are more likely to be problems with absorption or conversion, problems that are best resolved by eating a wholesome diet and using exercise and hormesis (e.g. autophagy) to tune up the metabolism. 

I've even stopped taking curcumin regularly.  I take it on occasion if I'm getting a little sore from exercise, and I avoid anti-inflammatory medications.   I've found that it's more effect just to stay fit and not overtrain.

Can you speculate a bit as to why your grey hair is vanishing? That's quite interesting.  Some people claim that grey hair arise from a copper deficiency, but I haven't seen any evidence that adding copper to your diet will reverse grey hair:

http://www.vibrantnation.com/fashion-beauty/hair-care/is-copper-the-key-to-reversing-grey-hair-color/

Todd

[Patrea]

Hi Todd

I don't know the reason - I don't think copper is a factor.

I'm sure you're right about supplements, but I do add 'naturally-occurring' foods/ herbs etc to address issues like muscle soreness.  Pumpkin Seed oil and Saw Palmetto do seem to have corrected mild hair thinning, and quickly too

Perhaps just lucky with genetics, as a factor.

Speculating, (near) daily saunas and Tabata help.

I used to take cold baths, but UK weather (and mains water) is increasingly temperate. The body copes far better with cold than heat too - so sauna is a great stressor - and I stay in the sauna until it is unbearable ( which I treat as a fun challenge)

Also, with Tabata - I ensure I perform to the same level as when I started 10 years ago. So absolutely flat out to near exhaustion. The great think with this protocol is that I am fully in control for safety; it's quick and over fast, so not tedious; and I can ensure sufficient rest (on a 10 day cycle). Structure and monitoring

I use a Gym Boss timer on a cross trainer to get the 8 cycles of 20 second of full-out exercise with 10 seconds breaks

Anyway, I rely on very subjective feedback - your far more scientific and considered approach is a huge contribution.

Extraordinary that hormesis does not get more attention given the contribution to health. I hope you are writing a book!

My interest arose from martial arts training. We trained intensively for 3-minute bouts. After training and in between I felt fantastic. After stopping the martial arts (back injury), I missed and tried to recapture that feeling, trying interval sprints, cold baths and other methods - and then started to read to 'systemitise', when I stumbled on hormesis.

I believe in the Yin-Yang as a big contributing factor too - mobilising the parasympathetic system reinforces the contrasting hormetic effect. For 20 minutes each  day I use a bi-aural download, with a mix of exercises including the Sedonna method, autogenics and Eckhart Tolle 

Patrea