Zinc, energy levels and mood - best destressing method

Taking zinc decreases anxiety especially taking it after few days of inhibitory supplements such as Thiamine.

Last few days, I have been taking thiamine HCl 25 mg two times daily. Today, I did not take thiamine. Instead, I took zinc gluconate (equivalent to 25 mg elemental zinc). I could feel good mood, less anxiety, good working memory and less post lunch sleepiness.

Daily aerobic exercise coupled with zinc for few days appears to destress and elevate mood.

Effect of zinc supplementation

I am taking zinc 8 - 25 mg/day for the last one week along with half tablet/day StresstabsTM.

Compoisition of stresstabs:

Positive effects:

• Heart rate is around 72-84/min most of the times
• Blood pressure is also around 120/80 most of the times
• Reduced gasping for breath
• Reduced nasal secretions while eating spicy food

Negative effects:

• Increased lethargy and tiredness

Update on 14 April 2022:

I am taking zinc 15 mg + 400 mcg of methylfolate daily for last 4 days

Positive effects:

1. Less sweating

2. Less anxiety

Zinc is reported to reduce hyperactivity/impulsivity in ADHD patients.

Effect of Diabetone - Multivitamin tablets

I have taken Diabetone tablets (Multivitamin tablets with benfotiamine, mecobalamin, chromium and biotin) for nearly 4 months. I have taken half tablet (1 tablet daily gave me headaches) daily in the monring after breakfast or after lunch. 

Positive effects:

• Reduced anxiety
• Reduced nervousness
• Improved speech fluency
• Improved loudness of voice

Negative effects:

• With 1 tablet daily - started getting headaches (probably due to nicotinamide 60 mg) - even I tried taking half tablet in morning and half tablets in night. Still, I had headaches.
• Decreased deep thinking and ability to analyse - common tasks in research and analysis took multifold duration to start and complete the tasks
• High inertia to start the tasks
• Reduced focus and concentration
• Decreased cold tolerance - unable to tolerate cold in airconditioned places and during winter - this effect is not observed if I stop the tablets during the weekends.
• Slightly increased blurred vision
• Increased dryness of skin - This effect is immediately changed after I stopped the tablets and taking zinc supplement.
• Decreased erection

My finalized treatment plan II

When I was taking pharmaton capsules with ginseng and selenium, my libido was boosted up, my mood was up, my motivation level was OK but my stuttering and loudness of voice were worsened with time. I experienced non stutterable pause in my speech and inrregular breathing while speaking. This irregular breathing led to unfinished words and incomplete sentences (where I spoke words that did not have enough volume to be heard by the other person. It occured at the end of the speech). I feel that these effects could be due to the accumulation of trace minerals in the body. I learnt from one article published in jorunal of orthomolecular medicine that minerals and vitamins do have agonism and antagonism effect with other minerals and vitamins. Copper regulates GABA and dopamine neurotransmission. So, when I was taking pharmaton capsules with selenium and ginseng (contains copper 2 mg), it might have affected my GABA and dopamine neurotransmission. And also, it contains only 1 mg of zinc. So, i feel these two factors along with selenium (50 mcg) were responsible for the observed side effects.

 

Hence, I decided to try a formulation without much of these trace minerals. Because, I feel that trace minerals when supplemented to 100% of RDA, they may accumulate in the body and produce toxic symptoms. So, I tried Blackmores Executive B tablets. I am doing stationary bicycling for 30 minutes in the morning also. I am using lifebuoy's mild care body wash for bathing and no deodorant and no body sprays.

Positive effects:

• Good and pleasant mood - no worries and no fears
• Reduced anxiety while speaking and driving
• Reduced stuttering - improved fluency and improved loudness and no pronounced non stutterable pause. A slight pause or delay occurs sometimes but I could overcome it by pronouncing other substituted words.
• Able to complete the long sentences with the same volume.
• More bass frequency in the voice - bass frequency increases with noodle intake probably with wheat intake.
• Good affection towards wife - led to no arguments and no fights with wife
• Slightly improved libido - however libido is lesser than that obtained with pharmaton capsules with selenium and ginseng. I have observed that while taking these combination, the libido increases proportionately with increase in protein intake in the lunch or in the breakfast.
• Erections are strong. 
• Motivation is good enough for me to sustain in the failing research work instaed of escaping.
• Concentration is also good enough to sustain in the tasks until complete. But, after taking lunch, tiredness occurs and concentration drops.

Negative effects:

• Tiredness after taking lunch.
• Feeling sleepy after taking lunch despite taking tea.
• Loudness of voice is not as much as when obtained with 5-HTP and DL-Phenylalanine.
• Even though alertness is there while driving, reduced anxiety makes me to think other things other than driving. This effect may also be due to adaptation for driving. 

Suggestions:

• To improve the libido, ginseng can be added 20-40 mg of ginseng extract standardised to 4% ginsenosides.
• To improve the loudness of voice, DL-phenylalanine can be added in the morning OR folic acid 800 mcg may be tried in the morning OR 400 mcg of folic acid in morning and 400 mcg of folic acid in lunch may be tried.

https://www.blackmores.com.my/products/executive-b

 

Composition of Blackmores executive B tablets:

 

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)	180 mg
Vitamin B3 (Nicotinamide)	60 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride)	10 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	8.5 mg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine nitrate)	7.5 mg
Biotin	50 mcg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	20 mg
Folic acid	200 mcg
Potassium (from Potassium sulfate)	75 mg
Magnesium (from Magnesium phosphate)	175 mg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)	10 mcg
Zinc (from Zinc sulfate)	15 mg

 

In this formulation zinc is present as almost 100% of RDA and magnesium as ~50% of RDA. Along with this formulation I am taking folic acid 400 microgram also in the morning.

 

Time and food	Drugs	Remarks
Morning - Breakfast with low fat noodles or rice noodles - 1 packet ~ 250kcal	Blackmores Executive B multivitamin tablet - 1 Folic acid - 400 microgram - 1 tablet	This multivitamin formulation contains anti-stress vitamins and minerals. Executive B contains 200 microgram of folic acid. But, I feel that I may need more folic acid since my homocysteine level is on the borderline high. So I take 400 microgram of folic acid. This gives me more energy, good mood, good loudness in voice (loudness is not as louder when supplemented with 5-HTP and DL-phenylalanine), less stuttering and less anxiety.
Noon - Lunch with rice, Indian curry (avoid protein intake)	No drugs	Protein intake is avoided to minimize the fluctuations in neurotransmitter levels mainly to avoid stuttering. Protein intake in the morning or in the lunch increases adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine and give more energy but at the same time producing more pronounced stuttering. So, protein intake can be safely allocated to the night meal. Then the next whole day's neurotransmitter levels can be maintained adequately.
Night - Dinner with rice or bread or chappathi or low fat noodles or rice noodles with one piece of fried chicken preferably with a chicken breast piece	No drugs	Once I took 400 mcg of folic acid. It produced tiredness next day probably interfering with sleep cycles. Once I took omega 3 supplement in night, it made me tired next day and made me to sleep excessively.