WELL, I TAKE ARGININE AS A BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENT, AND I’M PRETTY CHEERFUL: Depression linked to reduced levels of amino acid: study. “The body uses the amino acid arginine to produce nitric oxide, which is a mediator for the nervous system and immune defender, and plays a role in vascular regulation. Reduced arginine is also a known risk factor of cardiovascular diseases.” Be aware, though, that if you have any form of herpes it may make a recurrence more likely.

On supplements, generally, here are a few I take that I have had good luck with:

1. Coenzyme Q10. I feel much better — and in particular, my afternoon fatigue has vanished — since I started taking this. I’ve persuaded the InstaWife and InstaDaughter and several other family members to do the same, and they report similar results. Also, it seems to prevent migraines.

2. Vitamin D: Not only is this good for you in many ways, but my irritable bowel syndrome has been much reduced since I started regular Vitamin D supplementation, and now there’s research supporting that as a benefit. (And when I posted that, several readers reported similar experiences in the comments). I’m currently taking a Vitamin D & K supplement.

3. Citrulline and Arginine:. When I take these I get a better “pump” during workouts, and stay that way longer. They’re also supposed to be myostatin inhibitors (as is Vitamin D), modestly improving muscle gains in theory.

4. Resveratrol: I still take the Biotivia Transmax. I stopped for a while in favor of pterostilbene but now I’m back.

5. Quercetin: Seems to help significantly with my allergies. In larger doses it’s supposed to kill off senescent cells. I’ve done that larger-dose thing once; no side effects, not the sort of thing that provides obvious immediate benefits so who knows?

I also took a phosphatidic acid supplement for a while that really seemed to work, but then they quit making it. As always, your results may vary, but people often ask about my supplements, so here you are.