Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Are there any supplements that could help prevent cold hands? Even a short exposure to cool objects or air numbs my hands and turns my fingers white and purple.

The symptoms you describe are those of an ailment called Raynaud’s Syndrome*. This is a very common condition that is quite annoying, but rarely damaging. Its immediate cause is a constriction of capillaries in the skin triggered by cold temperature or other stimuli; its ultimate causes are still a mystery. Sometimes it seems to occur as a disease in its own right (“Primary Raynaud’s”); but it often results from other diseases, such as atherosclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or scleroderma; or it may be caused by vibrating tools, or carpal tunnel syndrome, or dietary factors. A brief review of possible causes of Raynaud’s may be found at the WrongDiagnosis.com website (see links below).

Before embarking on a regimen consisting entirely of supplements, you should consider the possibility that your condition might actually be caused by one of these other ailments rather than being Primary Raynaud’s. If it is, then you would need to treat this other ailment with appropriate methods. But if your cold hands are due to Primary Raynaud’s, then you have a variety of remedies to choose from, each of which seems to help some people and not others. The following partial lists include some of the more commonly used non-prescription remedies.

Purified supplements:

• A combination of 1500 mg acetyl-L-carnitine plus 750 mg alpha-lipoic acid, twice per day
• omega-3 fatty acids (4 g/day eicosapentaenoic acid plus 2.5 g/day docosahexaenoic acid)
• DHEA (1000 mg/day — but see remarks below!)
• L-arginine, capsules or cream
• Inositol hexaniacinate, aka ‘inositol nicotinate’ (500-1000 mg/dose)
• Magnesium supplements (730 mg/day. Can cause diarrhea.)
• vitamin supplements: B, C, and E

Herbal supplements:

• Ginkgo biloba (120-160 mg/day in 2-3 divided doses)
• Cayenne pepper capsules (450 mg)
• Ginger root powder (1-4 gram/day in 2-4 divided doses)
• Evening primrose oil (6 g/day)
• Cinnamon powder (as tea: 1 tsp/cup or 2.5 g/250 ml; as paste: 1 tsp cinnamon + .75 tsp liquid)
• Garlic
• Fennel
• Indian snakeroot
• Panax Ginseng

Essential oils of:

• Black Pepper
• Clove
• Fennel
• Geranium
• Lavender
• Mace
• Nutmeg
• Palma rosa
• Rose Maroc
• Rosemary

Other treatments — some trivial, some silly, some possibly useful:

• Warm water immersion
• Remaining indoors
• Wiggling fingers, waving arms, calisthenics
• Stress reduction, deep breathing
• Biofeedback
• Mustard plasters
• Chelation therapy
• Heated gloves
• Connective tissue manipulation

I have no personal experience with most of these remedies; however, an associate of mine, who for many years suffered the annoyance of Raynaud’s Syndrome, found two methods that worked for him. During a short experiment with DHEA in 1997 he found that very high doses of DHEA (about 1 gram per dose) suppressed his Raynaud’s problem; but it seemed unwise to use such large amounts of DHEA on a regular basis. He then discovered, purely by accident, that Acetyl-L-Carnitine plus alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALC+ALA) virtually eliminated his Raynaud’s attacks. He has now been using this combination for several years and reports that during this period he has had only three very mild Raynaud’s episodes. He uses 1500 mg ALC + 750 mg ALA twice per day — a substantial dose, but he is using it also as an anti-aging supplement. It’s quite possible that lower doses would work for Raynaud’s.

My associate also suggests that cayenne pepper at 400 mg/day might prevent Raynaud’s attacks, since (for him, at least) it is ‘thermogenic’ (makes the body feel warmer).

* Raynaud’s is also called ‘Raynaud’s Disease’ or ‘Raynaud’s Phenomenon’. Pronunciation: ray-NOSE

— Dr. Alexis Zarkov, Ph.D.

You can contact Dr. Zarkov at AskDrZarkov@yahoo.com.

Last modified 2004.Nov.5

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References

Causes of Raynaud’s phenomenon

Pharmacotherapy of Raynaud’s phenomenon. Drugs. 1996 Nov;52(5):682-95.

Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum frutescens)

Ginger Root (Zingiber officinalis)

Dr. Szarnicki’s Vasospastic Page

Ginkgo dosage for Raynaud’s

Evening primrose oil (Efamol) in the treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon: a double blind study. Thromb Haemost. 1985 Aug 30;54(2):490-4.

An experimentally controlled evaluation of the effect of inositol nicotinate upon the digital blood flow in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon. J Int Med Res. 1979;7(6):473-83.

Review of magnesium, Linus Pauling Institute

24-hour Mom home remedies: cinnamon

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this “Ask Dr. Zarkov” article contains no medical advice whatsoever — it contains only ‘biological information’. Nothing in the article constitutes an effort to persuade readers to use, or not to use, this information as a basis for action.