Health Supplements

[American Oyaji]

Hey guys, I have a friend in Japan who wants to stay healthy.

What is available there at the moment that is good for keeping healthy and where is it available?

I'm thinking along the lines of echinacea, rose hips and other herbal remedies.

Any Japanocentric ones other than genki drinks? Any brand names I should have them look out for?

Thanks

[Greji]

Hey guys, I have a friend in Japan who wants to stay healthy.

What is available there at the moment that is good for keeping healthy and where is it available?

I'm thinking along the lines of echinacea, rose hips and other herbal remedies.

Any Japanocentric ones other than genki drinks? Any brand names I should have them look out for?

Thanks

Viagra?

[nikoneko]

[2triky]

Hey guys, I have a friend in Japan who wants to stay healthy.

What is available there at the moment that is good for keeping healthy and where is it available?

I'm thinking along the lines of echinacea, rose hips and other herbal remedies.

Any Japanocentric ones other than genki drinks? Any brand names I should have them look out for?

Thanks

Best general website for nutritional supplements that I've found is http://www.iherb.com. They even ship to Japan and have a web page in Japanese: http://www.iherb.com/?l=ja

Even if your friend doesn't purchase from this website, it is replete with lots of good information regarding supplements.

[2triky]

[Mike Oxlong]

Most large supermarkets and drug stores have a selection of vitamins and other dietary supplements. They can often be expensive compared with shopping in the US. Online shopping is usually cheaper. If your friend is comfortable using Japanese, they can start with Yahoo Shopping and Rakuten. Rakuten has an English global market page, but can also be used to ship to addresses in Japan. Netrition.com is another good place to get stuff sent from the US.

[nikoneko]

Flax is good but it has Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of ALA, not EPA & DHA which are the naturally present Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Your body has to convert ALA to EPA & DHA and some individuals are not very efficient at this conversion process. It's simply better as a general precept to get your Omega-3's in the form of fish or fish oil over plant-based sources.

Of course if flax works well for you, then go for it.

Yes I researched that. Originally I was doing both fish oil and flax but the (rheumatoid) arthritis is mostly in remission now and flax alone does fine, I suppose I mostly like it for the fiber now tbh. Though I've been called a hippy for drinking flax-seed smoothies everyday lol.

Another thing is, and not to derail this too much, for omega-3 to act as an anti-inflammatory you need if I remember right something like 2-3000 mg a day and there is no way to get that much from eating fish or even normal fish oil pills, you have to get the super concentrated kind I've only seen in the US otherwise you will damage your liver. With flax seed it is much easier to get up to those dosages (again if I remember right it was a few years ago when I researched all this.)

[2triky]

Yes I researched that. Originally I was doing both fish oil and flax but the (rheumatoid) arthritis is mostly in remission now and flax alone does fine, I suppose I mostly like it for the fiber now tbh. Though I've been called a hippy for drinking flax-seed smoothies everyday lol.

Another thing is, and not to derail this too much, for omega-3 to act as an anti-inflammatory you need if I remember right something like 2-3000 mg a day and there is no way to get that much from eating fish or even normal fish oil pills, you have to get the super concentrated kind I've only seen in the US otherwise you will damage your liver. With flax seed it is much easier to get up to those dosages (again if I remember right it was a few years ago when I researched all this.)

Actually you can get the 2 to 3 grams of omega-3's from eating fish, especially if it's an oily fish like salmon, fattier parts of tuna, or Chilean Sea Bass, for example. I prefer a concentrated fish oil supplement as you mention because of concerns over the the potential mercury toxicity associated with eating large amounts of fish.

But yeah, flax has high amounts of omega-3 as ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) which is quite beneficial in its own right.

[cstaylor]

Hey guys, I have a friend in Japan who wants to stay healthy.

I'm thinking along the lines of echinacea, rose hips and other herbal remedies.

I would recommend a daily walk of at least one hour and going to sleep before 11pm (9pm recommended, but probably impossible unless the person is retired).

Supplements are not a cure-all; for most people they are unnecessary beyond the positive placebo effect they create.

And now that I've started a religious war...

[American Oyaji]

Well, she's a teacher and surrounded by a bunch of germy kids everyday.

She's looking for immune system boosters.

[Russell]

[quote="cstaylor"]I would recommend a daily walk of at least one hour and going to sleep before 11pm (9pm recommended, but probably impossible unless the person is retired).

Supplements are not a cure-all]
Very good advice!!!

And in addition a balanced diet is recommended.

If that is insufficient, one can always take some supplement, after studying its effects, but it should never be the starting point to stay healthy.
In my case, I take one calcium/magnesium pill every morning to prevent leg cramps during the night. No placebo effect here. I need this stuff because I apparently have a chronic shortage of these elements.

[Mike Oxlong]

Well, she's a teacher and surrounded by a bunch of germy kids everyday.

She's looking for immune system boosters.

Vitamin D3.

[tidbits]

Agree with CS, if one just want to keep healthy, then walk a lot and try to cook at home as much as possible (shop for your own food & better control of own's diet). But if the person has certain particular concern, like high cholestrol, blood pressure etc, then there are different type of supplements meant to help in different things right? Anyway I am taking fish oil too, for it is known for preventing and removal arterial plaque (after I kept having a sharp headache). But I get my stocks (Blackmores from Australia) when I go back to my home country. Sometimes when I am stressed and tired I take some Vitamin B too. I think Nature's Way Vitamins are very common in drugs stores in Tokyo, just a bit pricey compared to what I can get from home.

[TennoChinko]

Vitamin D3.

I agree! -especially if the gf is looking for something to ward off colds from kids etc.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/review/spring07/spr07vitaminD.html

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/respiratory-disorders/articles/2011/10/12/research-sheds-light-on-vitamin-ds-role-in-immunity

[Russell]

Well, she's a teacher and surrounded by a bunch of germy kids everyday.

She's looking for immune system boosters.

Two things to boost your immune system:

1. Have sufficient sleep,
2. Do not drink alcohol (or drink only small amounts).

[American Oyaji]

Thanks guys! She hasn't posted (or even registered as far as I know), but I know she's seen this thread. (Because I sent her the link)

I really appreciate the feedback.

[GomiGirl]

Well, she's a teacher and surrounded by a bunch of germy kids everyday.

She's looking for immune system boosters.

Eating lots of fruit and vegetables - avoiding things made in a factory and limiting carbs at night.

[TennoChinko]

Eating lots of fruit and vegetables - avoiding things made in a factory and limiting carbs at night.

Why limit carbs at night? Is that to avoid unnecessary weight loss?

I was thinking the sleepy feeling you get after a carb-heavy meal would be the perfect thing before going to bed! (I was just thinking of a late-night snack of tea & toast!)

[Coligny]

Why limit carbs at night? Is that to avoid unnecessary weight loss?

I was thinking the sleepy feeling you get after a carb-heavy meal would be the perfect thing before going to bed! (I was just thinking of a late-night snack of tea & toast! and DCB and BBQ nuggets and crepe-nutella)

improved formula...

[TennoChinko]

What's DCB???

[Coligny]

What's DCB???

Double Cheeze Burger... you never check the receipt from McDo to see if the waitress gave you her phone number ?

[TennoChinko]

Double Cheeze Burger... you never check the receipt from McDo to see if the waitress gave you her phone number ?

Never. In Japan?!

"DCB = double cheese burger". Thanks. I'll remember that!

Back on topic. Kinda. Eating things to increase sleep quality - and doing things too ... I sometimes take amino acid supplements like VAAM before sleeping. Some people complain it gives them crazy dreams. Also, I recommend using black -out shades to enhance deeper sleep.

[Coligny]

Never. In Japan?!

ONE CAN HOPE...

no !?

//Kimu wuz th3 hot...
///not as much as the start of the week early morning combini girl with black framed glasses

[TennoChinko]

ONE CAN HOPE...

no !?

//Kimu wuz th3 hot...
///not as much as the start of the week early morning combini girl with black framed glasses

[YT]jadvt7CbH1o[/YT]

[2triky]

Never. In Japan?!

"DCB = double cheese burger". Thanks. I'll remember that!

Back on topic. Kinda. Eating things to increase sleep quality - and doing things too ... I sometimes take amino acid supplements like VAAM before sleeping. Some people complain it gives them crazy dreams. Also, I recommend using black -out shades to enhance deeper sleep.

GABA helps for sleep as well, but perhaps the most well known supplement used as a sleep aide is melatonin.

[cstaylor]

sleep aide is melatonin.

Keep it below 200mg and make sure you've got a window of at least 8 hours of sleep. There's nothing worse than shaking off a melatonin-induced mental fog if your sleep gets interrupted.

Calms Forte works well for me, but sometimes I wonder if it's just the placebo effect...

[2triky]

Keep it below 200mg and make sure you've got a window of at least 8 hours of sleep. There's nothing worse than shaking off a melatonin-induced mental fog if your sleep gets interrupted.

I don't have problems sleeping...but I understand Valerian Root is another sleep aide that is non habit forming.

Calms Forte works well for me, but sometimes I wonder if it's just the placebo effect...

I'll concede placebo effects are a reality, but I've taken supplements and had labs done before and after to document quantifiable effects with regard to specific bio markers.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

...I understand Valerian Root is another sleep aide that is non habit forming...

Any kind of root usually does a good job of making me sleepy...

[2triky]

Any kind of root usually does a good job of making me sleepy...

Hehe. Smoking an L does wonders, I hear.