Q & A
This page as an open thread for reader questions, especially questions about personal health concerns.
I am putting this page up as a way to share knowledge — my knowledge with questioners, but also so that others with similar concerns can read the conversation, and readers with relevant knowledge can chip in with their own thoughts.
Please keep in mind that I can’t research questions in any depth, so my answers should be considered tentative, incomplete, and subject to later correction. Also, I am not a doctor, and nothing I say should be construed as a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment. I am only sharing opinions about disease origins and general therapeutic strategies which may or may not be applicable in any given case.
To get the page started, I’ll put up a few questions from recent emails. Here is an index by disease, with clickable links:
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, fatigue
- Lupus
- Depression
And here are my answers.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Paul,
Been following your work on the PHD before the publication of the book and commented on my CLL and the usefulness of Vitamin D once on your blog and you responded to keep an eye on my Vitamin K intake, which I do now.. Am fortunate in a way to have my form of CLL as it indolent which gives me the opportunity to experiment without the pressure of undergoing conventional treatment. The PHD, I think, is helpful in this regard.
Wonder if you could point anything out to me that may be useful. Anything at all. And I will be happy to share with you my results.
Surely you know of the helpfulness of green tea with CLL. You may not be familiar with research that points out that those with low levels of Vitamin D need treatment for CLL far sooner than those with elevated levels.
Feel strongly that your version of a ketogenic diet would be helpful but also feel I need some direction in this area. Do you have any suggestions?
Warmest Regards,
A
Hi A,
I remember your comment, thanks for writing back. I’m glad you’re enjoying our diet and wish you the best.
Thanks for the tips about green tea and vitamin D. Neither one surprises me.
Most likely CLL is caused by a viral infection. So enhancing viral immunity is probably a good idea. Good strategies may include: (1) low-protein dieting, which inhibits viral reproduction and can promote autophagy; (2) maintaining high vitamin D levels; and (3) intermittent fasting, which promotes autophagy.
Some food compounds have been reported to have antiviral effects. An example is green tea catechins, eg http://pmid.us/16137775, http://pmid.us/18313149, and http://pmid.us/18363746, and this could be why green tea is helpful against cancers, http://pmid.us/21595018, which are usually viral in origin.
I might search Pubmed for herbs and spices with antiviral effects, and use them abundantly in cooking, along with antiviral foods. Turmeric / curcumin is a good choice, this needs to be taken with black pepper to enter the body. See http://pmid.us/21299124, http://pmid.us/20434445, http://pmid.us/20026048.
Coconut oil / lauric acid also has some antiviral properties, so inducing ketosis with coconut oil could benefit you even aside from the ketosis. You could also try monolaurin supplements which may enter the body better and which some people have reported to help viral infections.
You might also try HDL-raising tactics as discussed in this series: HDL and Immunity, April 12; HDL: Higher is Good, But is Highest Best?, April 14; How to Raise HDL, April 20.
Another possible tactic is high-dose riboflavin with UV exposure on the eyes. This requires going outdoors at midday and not wearing glasses or contact lenses. Riboflavin+UV is toxic to blood-borne viruses, and the retina is a location where UV can reach circulating blood cells. Sun exposure will also help you optimize vitamin D.
That’s a few ideas, at some point I’ll do some research to come up with more and do a blog post. Do keep me posted on your results!
Best, Paul
Bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, fatigue
Just came upon your website and had a question for you. I have had some health concerns for the last four years, bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia symptoms, female complaints (I am in my forties), thyroid antibodies at 333, weight gain around my middle and too tired to work out like I once did. I used to be fikiiled with energy and great health no depression or anxiety. My doctor thinks these symtoms are all from peri-menopause and wants to treat me with Zoloft.
Needless to say I have tried to avoid the Zoloft. I have tired every avenue out there to cure myself. Most recently the Primal type diet. When I eat no grains or dairy I get horrible hypoglycemia symptoms and don’t feel great like everyone else on a low carb diet. I feel weak and more anxious. Do you think your diet would be easier for me with the addition of rice and potatoes?
G
Hi G,
Yes, I do think our diet will be better for you. You should eat enough starches to avoid hypoglycemia.
The key thing for you is treating the infections which are consuming so much glucose and making you glucose-deficient if you don’t eat enough carbs. Whatever pathogen(s) this is, it seems to have infected your gut and caused the various gut problems; circulating pathogen-derived toxins and immune cytokines are probably responsible for the anxiety and depression. Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism may be either due to circulating toxins or a thyroid infection.
I would suspect some kind of protozoal or parasitic infection due to the hypoglycemia, but what I really recommend is getting your doctor to have a stool sample analyzed for pathogens. Metametrix has a good test. Once you know what pathogen to treat, and get on a better diet like ours, you should improve quickly.
Lupus
I am writing on behalf of my mother … We live in Dhaka Bangladesh …
Before her illness, my mom was 105 lbs, 5 feet tall and always 10ft tall in spirit…. When she was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 30, we were all overwhelmed and out of our depths. My beautiful, athletic mother was in a wheelchair and given 6 months to live….
The doctors has advised her to eat literally nothing, minimum protein (1 small piece of chicken/fish, limited to 20g protein per day), only 2-3 types of vegetable and 2-3 fruits and of course lots of carbs to apparently compensate for her failing KIDNEY and LUPUS. She is on tons of medication, no food except the wrong foods (carbs) and in chronic pain. She currently weighs 139 lbs.
Please advise. — S
Hi S,
I believe lupus is a catch-all diagnosis for a variety of conditions which are probably caused by undiagnosed infections. In the US the infections are usually bacterial. I’ve known several people with diagnosed lupus who were cured by antibiotic treatments – in one case the problem was Lyme disease (Borrelia). I have no idea what the likely pathogens would be in Bangladesh. If she does better on low carb and coconut oil, that indicates bacteria; if she does better on high-carb, that indicates protozoa.
A healthy diet is very important. It is very bad advice to “eat literally nothing,” it is essential to be well nourished. Protein is necessary for healing and immune function, and 20 g/day is too little. Fasting is good, but it should be intermittent – not starvation! She needs healthy fats, more protein, and lots of micronutrients. Eggs, shellfish, seafood, bone broth soups, vegetable soups, and fermented vegetables may all be helpful. Coconut milk is probably good for her. You should basically follow the program in our book.
I would try to put her on a good diet, give her a little time for kidneys and other tissues to heal, and then try antimicrobial medicines. Usually, if they’re not working, then you don’t notice an effect. Any strong effect, good or bad, means they are working. Bad effects mean that pathogens are dying and releasing a lot of toxins as they disintegrate. If this occurs, detox aids (salt, water, and one of cholestyramine/charcoal/bentonite clay; also glutathione supports and vitamin C) will help.
Please stay in touch and let me know how things go.
Best, Paul
Depression
I’ve suffered from depression for decades. A few months ago, I decided to try the Dr. Kruse protocol for jumpstarting leptin sensitivity and 2 interesting things happened.
When I went very low carb – below 50 gm -. I had half-day periods where the depression suddenly lifted (something that has rarely happened otherwise). However, I also suffered from darker than normal periods.
I stopped the Dr. Kruse protocol after 6 weeks, and went back to regular paleo (approx. 200 – 300 gm. Carb/day). I’m now generally more depressed than usual, without the good periods.
These changes seem to indicate that I can have an influence on my depression with diet, but not sure what diet to try. Thoughts?
Hi Jersie,
I think your experience on very low carb is diagnostically telling.
I would interpret it this way:
- Your depression is caused by an interferon-gamma mediated immune response in the brain, probably caused by a viral or bacterial infection. This leads to tryptophan being directed away from serotonin and toward the kynurenine pathway. So you have a serotonin deficiency and kynurenine excess.
- A ketogenic diet is both therapeutic (promotes immunity against bacterial and viral infections) and mood-improving (clears kynurenine).
- However, you are at risk for hypoglycemia in the brain (especially if the infection is bacterial) and hypoglycemia causes irritability/anxiety and can aggravate depression.
So the very low-carb diet had mixed effects (ketosis, hypoglycemia).
What I would do is follow our ketogenic diet advice. Eat at least 50 g/day carbs from starches to get sufficient glucose, plus sufficient protein to reach 600 calories/day protein+carb, but add in large amounts of MCT oil or coconut oil. Also, do intermittent fasting – eat all the carbs within an 8-hour window; eat at least half the MCT oil in the 16-hour fasting window.
Once on a good diet, I might experiment with antibiotics to see if they relieve symptoms.
Please let me know how things go.
via this link:
Hi Paul! Are you familiar with the revised addition of The Arthritis Cure by Dr. Jason Theodosakis? I stumbled upon it over the weekend. I have a lot of pain and stiffness in my low back (and now left neck shoulder). I recently started Bikram Yoga in hopes that will help. (The heat helps my flexibility.) My X-ray came back stating mild multilevel spondylosis, partial disc collapse at L5-S1 with moderate facet arthropathy at L4-5 with lesser degrees of facet arthropathy at remaining lumbar levels. I had no idea what all of that meant, but I googled what arthropathy meant (my former doctor never explained this) and I saw the definition is osteo-arthritis. I totally do not agree with The Arthritis Cure’s mediterranean diet of course, but the supplements of glucosomine, chondroitin and now ASU are intriguing, but the soy oil in the ASU concerns me. Do you have an opinion on adding these 3 supps? I’m desperate. I have been on bone broths/meat broths with plenty of naturally occurring gelatin since early September when I was trying GAPS, but no relief whatsoever. Before I go out and buy these supps, I would love your opinion since I value it so much. Thank you as always Paul for your help.
Hi Dede,
It’s good that you have a diagnosis, it shows you what you need to work on.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are better obtained from joint material from animals — just get bones with the white joint material attached and make soups.
ASU (http://www.drtheo.com/supplements/asu.htm) I wouldn’t support, I think you just eat healthy foods and you’ll get the food compounds you need.
Other nutrients: boron; Epsom salt (baths or small amounts mixed in food), for magnesium and sulfate; safe exercises; sunshine; vitamin C; D/A/K2/circadian rhythm therapy; lithium; potassium (tomatoes, potatoes); salt.
Finally, gut microbes. Spondylosis is associated with Klebsiella gut infections. Bad gut microbes cause inflammation and sometimes autoimmunity which can attack bones and joints. Do a stool test if you haven’t already, try to improve the quality of your gut flora.
Thank you so much Paul. I do take all of the supps except lithium. If you think I should add it, I will. I hesitated before due to my suspicious low positive Hashi’s. I have no hypo/hyper symptoms, and when you looked at my thyroid numbers last week, you were in agreement that they looked very good and had improved since my veg diet days. So, you think it’s a good idea?
I will ask my naturopath for a stool test also. Is it the Metametrix gut ecology? I’m not quite sure which one is best to have her order.
Thank you, thank you!
Hi Dede,
I do like the Metametrix microbial ecology test. Other tests may be helpful too, consult your naturopath who may have more experience.
And the lithium will help also? Do you like orotate best? I think I remember you mentioning that, but I can’t find the post. Again, thank you. 🙂
Paul, I have spondylosis, not spondylitis. I looked in to the Klebsiella infection and it stated the association was with spondylitis. The two dx seem to be very different issues unless I am missing something. Do you think the spondylosis is also linked to the Klebsiella? I couldn’t find anything, but perhaps in your data, you do. I’d love the clarification before asking my ND for the test. Thanks a million! 🙂
Hi Dede,
You’re right, sorry for the confusion!
No, I don’t know of links between Klebsiella and spondylosis. However, if you frequently get licked by a dog or cat, you might be in trouble: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21102283.
Other possible infectious origins: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21087911, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17529921, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21082497. Brucellosis from raw milk is a potential cause.
No problem! But, we have outdoor cats we take care of and I get a lick every now and then; certainly not frequently. I also get a lick from a friend’s dog when I see her which is also not that often.
Dede – I think you’re the first person I’ve heard who has said that they didn’t benefit from the GAPS protocol. Did you follow it to the letter? Were you having home made BONE BROTH as frequently as the diet suggests? Were you sourcing bones from grass finished animals? You said you had a lot of gelatin in your broths, that sure sound like good broth! So you were getting joints and marrow bones? You did this for, what, 4 months? Tell me more! Thanks _Allan
I also experienced mostly negative effects on GAPs-following it very strictly for 6 months. It depends on the exact source of your gut issues, but for me eating mostly veggies/higher fructose foods (FODMAPs, honey, even squash) as a main source of carbs instead of starches is the exact opposite of what I needed. I think short term it is a good way to kick-start healing, but PHD makes more sense for the long haul. I am still recovering from damages due to GAPs.
I too did not have success with gaps. Eliminating fodmaps and also following the recommendations of norm robillard of the digestive health institute who figured out fermentation potential of foods finally put me on the road to health.
Allan, I benefitted from the GAPS Intro diet for my celiac immensley, but not for the arthritis is what I meant. I switched to PHD because I was a zombie with that low of a carb level. 🙂
Ann Baker, same here regarding gaps… It didn’t help either. Funny u mention norm robillard… I just ordered his book. Can u elaborate on ur situation, like what u were trying to heal and how long it took to do so? Also, what specifically is your diet like now (meal examples and your percentages or grams of carbs, fat, pro)? I’d love to learn more about the success u are having! U give me hope!
Here’s my story – undx celiac leading to hoshimoto’s and then symptomatic of sjogren’s syndrome. Freaked out wondering what autoimmune dx was next. Had IBS for 20 years but improved when I finally went gluten free about 4 yrs ago. I have been lactocse free for 20 yrs. I read about Dr. Terry Wahls recovering from MS through diet which lead to the paleo diet. My mood and energy improved but bloating and abd. pain did not and then about 4 months into the diet, my IBS got worse and worse, I eliminated more and more foods to no avail. AFter more reading and internet searching I discovered FODMAPS and SIBO and concluded I probably had both and went on that diet. I improved but not all the way. I was losing weight and became concerned because my food choices were getting too limited. I was 5’6″ 112 lbs when I found Norm Robillard’s work at the Digestive Health Inst. Almost a week after I eliminated bananas and sweet potatoes and started jasmine rice and white potatoes I was finally feeling better. It’s been about 3 months and over the holidays starting eating more off the fodmap list and experimenting with small portions of other starches.I did overdo it though so am back to eating fodmap free and low FP (fermentation pot) I pretty much follow the PHD macronutrient recs because that is what I discovered on my own worked the best. My lipid panel was amazing – HDL-89, LDL 114 and trigl. 13. I did not eat eggs or nightshades either at this time due to the autoimmune protocol which I am adding back. Lots of gr. fed gr. beef, salmon, chicken soup, zuchini, spinach, chard, butternut squash, l-glutamine and VSL#3 probiotic. Fermented food made me worse. I also used digestive enzymes and betaine HCL with meals. Hope that helps. My sjogren’s symptoms are gone, I take T4 and T3 replacement and my energy is so much better as is my mood:))
Thanks ann
U def sound like my twin! In glad u are better. If I may pick ur brain more, can u tell me what ur typical breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks are like so I can conceptualize this better?
Lastly. What digestive enzyme and hcl brands are u taking and how much? I’ve heard great things about vsl3, but I. Try gutpro it is made without dairy and soy
BF: smoked salmon or bacon or homemade sausage patty with mix of grass fed beef and pork (we are lucky to have a clean pork source here), with spinach or other sauteed green with roasted butternut sqaush using coconut oil and cinnamon. I also make zuchini or pumpkin pancakes with a bit of almond or coconut flour using flax seed in place of egg. Usually a cup of berries.
Lunch: Canned salmon salad or leftovers. or chicken soup and salad.
Dinners: Salmon or chicken or lamb with rice/potatoes or acorn squash. We do some slow cooker meat once a week – pulled pork, pot roast or roasted chicken. Veggies – lots of sauteed yellow squash and bok choy, arugala, chard, carrots and butter lettuce.I made a great meatball with good beef/pork with shredded carrots, zuchini, almond flour and flax seed/water and herbs. I am starting to tolerate coconut milk again so am making shrimp curries now too and eating coconut yogurt.
I use the digestive enzymes from Whole Foods and ordered the Betaine HCL with pepsin from Swansons. I take l-glutamine 30 min before a meal. Digestive enzyme before too and then 2 tablets of B HCL after I’ve had a few bites of protein.
Snacks: Walnuts (soaked and slow roasted), berries (blue b and strawberries only) with almond milk, tangarines and slices of applegate farms turkey breast. I couldn’t even eat chocolate for awhile and tend to get pain if I eat more than a square:((
Can’t forget the cod liver oil – I took 1 tsp a few days a week depending on my salmon intake. Also take selenium 2 times a week and magnesium/vit d once a day.
Hope that helps!
There seems to be a lot of people that have not achieved the results they desired from the GAPS diet. Here is a great blog post from Nourishing Your Children http://nourishingourchildren.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/if-gaps-hasnt-work-for-you-or-yours-read-this/ …GAPS is another tool in the tool box but is not a cure all.
Dear Paul,
Thank you so much for your work. I have your book and started the PHD about two weeks ago. I was wondering if you could give a little info about the adjustment period and what to expect.
I am doing this in part to get rid of Candida (following those rules in combination, except that I am including potatoes as per PHD despite being on the “no” list for Candida). I mention that because I realize that my experience may be in part due to detoxing.
Anyway, the short of it is that I feel pretty awful–inhumanly tired during the day, and insomnia at about 4:00 a.m.–sometimes lasting a few hours. Even when I allow myself to make up sleep, I am still brutally exhausted. I tried going to the gym and my warm up routine put me at my target heart rate (I am 39 and 148 lbs so 150); then a slow jog (4.0-4.8 mph) put my heart rate at 187–I usually run at 5.0 to 6.0 without getting near that. So, it’s not just psychological. [Needless to say I’ve stopped exercising for a bit.]
My question to you–a) is this a normal part of the transition from high-sugar to PHD? b) If so, how long should I expect it to last? c) Is there something I should be doing to make the transition smoother, or is it best to plow through? d) Is this in fact a signal that something is wrong, that I should get checked? (And if so, what should I ask them to check for?) I would say my health is otherwise fine (except for the Candida issue).
I read what you said about ketosis not being good for Candida, so I have made sure to include carbs from potatoes and other vegetables; I am also eating plenty of fat and protein.
I am wondering if by avoiding ketosis but keeping my carbs/sugar too low to be running on glucose, am I creating this fatigue? Would it be better to go into ketosis for a bit, to train my body to burn fat, before I go full into the anti-Candida diet? I am just wondering if the reason for my lack of energy is that I am falling in between the two sources and so not getting enough from either. Does that make sense?
Would love your advice!
Hi Christine,
No, that is not a normal experience. You should feel good. I wonder if you are too low-carb, or alternatively if you have some sort of IBS/dysbiosis that is fed by fiber and you were on a low-fiber diet before (you mention high-sugar).
You might try white rice which is lower in fiber; or even dextrose powder.
Without a fuller view of what you are eating it is hard for me to answer, but it does sound likely that you may have gone too low carb.
I would advise trying to eat in accord with our food plate, if you are not.
Best, Paul
Christine,
I do not have the reference.. but I saw where popping awake very early can mean the body doesn’t have enough energy to do basic maintenance while you sleep, so it wakes you up so you want to get more food so it gets the energy it desires.
It happens to me when I undereat/eat too few carbohydrates.
Hi Paul,
I got my VitD checked and it came out at 30.4 nmol/l (12.16 ng/ml). I conferred with my GP on the phone and he recommends taking 1000IU/day for 3 months, and to continue for another 3 months if its still low. I wonder if that’s an optimal amount? I’ve come across many people who take much higher amounts regularly.
Obviating the need to wait for 3 months (and possibly 3 more) to get my VitD up to 40 ng/ml is my main goal, so I ask, what dose should I take if I’m going to re-take the test in a month?
Hi Faisal,
Your vitamin D levels are very low. You want 40 ng/ml = 100 nmol/l.
I think you should try hard to get more sunshine on bare skin. If you can’t do that, I would supplement 4000 IU/day for the month — actually, maybe 10,000 IU for the first few days to deal with your deficiency, then 4,000 IU/day thereafter — and then get re-tested.
12.16 ng/ml is very low.
http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ has a chart at the top of their home page that answers your question.
It looks like you need to average about 3600 IU/day of Vitamin d3 to get to 40 ng/ml. There is a weight based chart as well that may give an even more accurate recommendation.
Direct link to the chart:
http://grassrootshealth.net/media/images/chart-serum-level-intake-5-by-3-ngmla-both-charts-single.pdf
Hi Paul,
So I told my doctor that I suspected systemic candida overgrowth, and he immediately rebuffed me saying it’s a “scam disease to make money.”
Later when I went to a top ranked GI specialist, I was told the same thing- candida as discussed hear is fake.
The GI doc said that if anybody actually had an overgrowth of candida in their blood and organs, they would be critical ill and dead within a few weeks without treatment.
I just don’t understand how doctors, who have the best training, experience, resources and network seem to be the only ones who AREN’T aware of candida.
How can this be???? is just boggles my mind.
Hi Jessi,
Unfortunately, there aren’t good diagnostic tests for Candida. So what can’t be observed is easy to disbelieve in. I may blog about this at some point.
the GI doctor is talking about what he sees in immunocompromised patients.
Generally if you do have intestinal candiasis you will be able to smell or taste the yeast, and you will be more prone to external manifestations such as thrush.
But you mightn’t need an overgrowth to be affected by toxins, and the action of yeast hyphasia will damage the gut even if it’s not successful in infecting the blood.
Thanks for the help Tom and Paul. I just took a 10,000IU dose right now and will sustain it till next Wednesday and ramp it down to 5,000IU. I’ll test again in mid-to-late March.
If I may ask another question, is your daily 2000IU dose enough for a person who always works indoors and lives in sun-neglected London? I feel as though I should stay on 5000IU indefinitely. Upon further research, Dr. Briffa takes 7500IU on all seasons bar Summer.
You might need to stay at 4000 IU indefinitely. But you should definitely try to get sun exposure.
Thanks for ur thorough answers! I’m reading ur book and it is really mind opening.I had an OAT and CDSA done that showed pretty severe yeast and bacterial overgrowth, low elastase, low butyrate, and high lactoferrin, in addition to low zinc, high copper, slightly elevated histamine (under methylated)
I’ve been doing a lot of research on dietary factors that can help with dysbiosis and there is quite a dichotomy regarding what diet to follow
=
-there is the low fat raw vegan theory that fat is the culprit to dysbiosis bc fat slows down glucose uptake by the cells, thus insulin resistance, causing candida to increase bc candida acts as a survival mechanism that eats excess sugars in the blood to prevent elevated blood sugar complications. So, their method is to eat a low fat, fruit based vegan diet to help with this issue
-paleo peeps feel sugar is the issue and that a highfat ddiet helps with candida bc no sugar = no food for yeasts. However, wouldn’t this lead to putrefaction from all the meat…. And isn’t meat acidic and inflammatory? And isn’t pro and fat hard to digest? Yet, why do people claim healing this way?
-moderate approach, allowing gf grains, legumes, etc. But doesn’t starch feed candida and other pathogens like klebsiell?
So that is why I am asking about macronutrients bc it def does play a role in not only healthy eating, but also for healing the dysbiosis
Also what specifically recommendations do u have for me, based on the above?
Hello Paul, Is it okay normal to feel cold when on the weight loss version of the diet (eating little fat, 600 carb, 300 protein calories)?
Also, if someone is bromine toxic, do you think its better to maybe increase iodine even more slowly. Like starting at 50mcg and increasing it by 50-100mcg a month. Taking about a year or 2 to reach to 1gram or would bromine still be detoxed from the body if you were to stick to a low dose of 225mcg indefinitely over the years
Thanks 🙂
Hi Ibrahim,
Feeling cold indicates hypothyroidism possibly due to starvation / too few carb+protein calories.
I would try introducing more carb and protein. You need to eat normal amounts of these, reduce calories only by reducing fat.
Yes, it does take a long time to clear bromine. Go slowly enough that you don’t have a strong reaction to the iodine.
Thank you Paul 🙂
I am having some really bad headches and brain fog and looking for a little advice. It’s a bit of a long post but I figure the more information I give the better chance I will get some good advice back.
I have had acne since I was a teenager; this roughly corresponded to our family’s switch to a fashionable low-carb diet but puberty may
have had something to do with it as well, and it continued adulthood (I’m now 31). When I discovered Paleo a few years ago things started
to get better but never went away. I switched to a perfect health diet setup a few years ago but I found that all of the ‘safe starches’ gave me acne: the only thing that would really stop things was going zero carb and after a few days of that I would always end up at Dunkin Donuts. In addition I developed a bit of anal itch which was mild but
annoying, and I’d had dandruff since I was a teenager. So I started practicing medicine without a license and decided perhaps I had a
candida infection.
I decided to take a bit of olive leaf, and quickly I got bad headaches and brain fog. This was supposedly expected so I persevered, a few months because I am stubbornly bullheaded, but things only got worse. Eventually I stopped the olive leaf, but the headaches and brain fog never left. Before this olive leaf incident I was pretty smart (PhD in computer science, gifted and talented youth, blah blah). Now I have trouble concentrating and programming, and doing anything at all requires a huge exertion of willpower.
I have experimented with a lot of different things (getting a bit desperate I guess) none of which have made much of a difference: activated charcoal/bentonite may have helped just a bit but mostly just made me dehydrated, tylenol/advil did nothing, various vitamins did nothing, n-acetyl-cysteine did nothing that I could see, butterbur
made my heart race a bit but otherwise did not seem to help.
Interestingly I did manage to put a severe dent in my acne: the one food that it seems I can tolerate is oat groats prepared on the stove (white rice, potatoes, home made 24-hour yogurt [the scd utterly failed me], fruit, steel cut oats, and oat groats prepared in the crock pot overnight all seem to set me off). This also seems to
affect the anal itch. I am not 100% clear but my face is doing much better. Of course I would rather still have the zits and be able to
think straight.
Current symptoms:
1. Crazy dehydration. Part of my problem is that I moved to Colorado about 6 months ago (my problems started before then) but I don’t think
the altitude helps. Unless I drink 6-8 quarts of water all of my other symptoms get worse. Our family has taken trips to Colorado for years and I have never had this kind of problem before.
2. Headache. It varies in intensity but is always in the front of my head. It seems that I can trigger this by eating carbohydrates and also by certain foods: both eggs with garlic and coconut oil and a salad made with green onions and raw olive oil really increased it.
3. Brain Fog. Also some days better than others, and it seems roughly correlated but not perfectly in sync with the headaches, like sometimes I can concentrate despite a headache and sometimes not.
Even when I can kind of think my brainpower is nothing like it used to be. I have never been able to concentrate for more than 2 hours a day
really but lately it is really bad. Yesterday I managed to do some programming and after that my brain just revolted. I can handle stuff
like browsing the internet but more demanding activities like chess or programming burn me up fast. Especially things involving working
memory are very hard for me now.
4. General depression/lack of zest for life/desire to do anything. I don’t know how else to explain this.
I had some basic blood work done which ruled out issues with electrolytes, liver/kidney problems, and diabetes. The only thing that came up was my neutrophil count was a bit low (2400/uL) but my
physician assured me that it was not a problem.
I should also mention that physically I feel fine; I can do 1-legged squats and handstand pushups, walk 4+ miles, and so on. I just feel lobomotized.
Hi Anthony,
man, that all sounds terrible!
If I may condense what I have seen before here: Your symptoms seem consistent with a high toxin load from gut flora, fungi or a brain infection. Don’t know what the dehydration means.
See the series here on healing the gut: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/ulcerative-colitis-a-devastating-gut-disease/
Then there’s this on brain infection:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/07/how-to-recognize-and-fix-a-brain-infection/
Did you ever get a stool test?
Good luck on your healing yourney!
Evening Paul
I’d like to take 4000iu of vitamin d during winters but mine is vitamin d and k2 in one, I’d have to be having 200mcg of k2 aswell then, is this safe? And is all mk-4, should I get a K supplement with mk-4 and 7?
http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Vitamins/Vitamin-D/M101609.htm
Great work with the book by the way!
Hi Jasmine,
That’s OK. Add in some aged cheese or other fermented foods for MK-7 and you should be fine.
Hi Paul,
As far as I know, fats is where chemical toxins accumulates, so I try to get them from organic sources.
My concern is about eggs, because there is some information on internet about organics eggs containing more toxins (dioxines) than non organic. For example:
http://orgprints.org/10175/
Should we avoid organic eggs?
Another concern is beef liver: Organic beef liver is not available in my country. I think liver, being “the filter” might have more toxins than meat, does it make sense?
Hi Daniel,
Eggs can accumulate toxins. We just had a nice discussion of this in regard to soy toxins: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2013/01/chicken-why-art-thou-so-mediocre/comment-page-1/#comment-120364.
I think it makes sense to seek out eggs from pastured chickens given the healthiest possible feed. However, I agree with the Weston A Price Foundation position in their Soy FAQ cited in Dan’s comment: “However, eggs are such a good food that we still recommend them.”
Liver is also one of the most sensitive tissues to quality of animal diet and to animal health. A major problem with conventional beef livers is that animals are fattened before slaughter, often giving them fatty liver disease and filling their livers with fibrin and inflammatory compounds. These may be bioactive in humans when eaten. They certainly don’t taste as good.
If you can’t get properly produced food, you have to make a judgment about whether the nutritional value of the food outweighs the harmful compounds it may contain. I wish there were easy answers but I think it is a judgment call.
Hi paul
What is ur opinion for fat adaption diets for athletes or those looking to build muscle by weight lifting? Some recent research is suggesting that a fat based diet (60-70%fat, 10% carbs, the rest pro) is more beneficial for endurance athletes compared to the traditional carb-dominant endurance diet. Do u think this is true and would the same hold true for weight lifters?
I too would like to know about the effects of the consumption of animal fats in regardsto ttoxin load in our body bc like the previous poster said, toxins are stored in fats
I am making some progress in building muscle, maybe it is due to the PHD. I the book it is said that muscle is made of protein and a lot of fat too, so fat is good for muscle building. Before drugs bodybuilders used to eat a lot of fat (massive amounts of eggs and milk), with excellent results.
Awesome, Daniel MC… Thanks for the testimonial! How long have u been on PHD and what was ur previous diet like? Can u share what ur exercise routine is like, as well as your typical daily meals? I’m in the process of reading the book and am interested in seeing how it translates to “real life” and various goals and health issues.
Only 100% PHD since a few weeks, and not taking all supplements. I train since a year. It is too soon to be sure about the effect of the diet but progress seems to be faster recently. I follow this routine:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html
Regarding daily meals I try to follow what is written in the book, it is explained in detail with meal planning included. I eat three meals a day plus some fruit as snack. Not doing intermitent fasting. For me is difficult to gain muscle because I normally get short on calories. Eating more fats makes it easier.
Hi Stephie,
I think basic PHD is a good baseline for all forms of athleticism. But it can be tweaked somewhat in coordination with training.
Basically, coordinating fat consumption with endurance-type low-intensity exercise (eg Maffetone style running) and carb consumption with intense brief activity (eg weight lifting) may enhance the adaptations that you are training for.
Intermittency between those two approaches may be a good approach for general fitness.
I started following the PHD and bought all the supplements, but I’m a little bit confused because I’m not seeing the results I want.
1) When I eat meat (beef), I sometimes feel better and sometimes worse. (first better, then worse usually)
I have the suspicion that the protein and/or iron in the meat might be too much for me. It can’t be zinc since I don’t get that problem from the supplement.
with worse I mean: more dizziness, burning red eyes
2) I take vitamin C, D (checked my level: ~30ng/ml. I’ll try to get it to 40 ng/ml), K2 (5mg MK-4), 200mg magnesium, 300mcg iodine, 2.5mg lithium, 2mg copper
50mg zinc, 200mcg molybdenium and chromium, 400mcg selenium and a b-complex weekly
Sometimes my right eye lid twitches and I got some pimples (back of neck + forehead). My stomach gets upset sometimes after taking the supplements so I’m kinda worried about the other ingredients in the supplements. Is this a concern or do they use safe substances?
Right now I really wanna minimize the supplements I take because, despite the evidence, I’m worried that it might not be good for me. I don’t know what to cut out though. I’m least worried about the weekly supplements, but I’m worried about the daily ones.
(I’m a little concerned if the copper amount is really appropriate since copper intake can be quite different from person to person.)
3) Since I don’t see the improvements, I’m thinking about simplifying things for a while:
eggs, potatoes and coconut oil and herbs+salt+pepper (mainly for protein restriction)
With that diet I wouldn’t become deficient in anything, right?
Would I gain weight on it? (when you think about it, it’s a little like a french fry diet – mainly potatoes and fat)
Could I benefit from a significantly lower protein intake?
(4 eggs = 25.2g and ? potatoes, 1kg has 20g)
I’m a little worried to become deficient in protein and other nutrients when I use too much fat -> I eat fewer potatoes than I would with a low fat intake and coconut oil itself isn’t really nutritious.
Hi Paul,
When you advise eating 0.5 – 1 pound of meat a day, are you referring to uncooked or cooked weights? Same question for starches and root veggies.
Thank you
Hi Paul:
I just bought your new edition today. I have the old book and want more in-depth knowledge on your change of stance on vitamin regimen as well as some of your other possible change of stances.
Question 1: Can I avoid the copper and the zinc supplement and still be healthy (Same for my wife and especially when/if she gets pregnant)? I worry about taking the zinc supplement and forgetting to take the daily copper consistently.
Question 2: How does one know which out of the Daily and Weekly supplements may be harmful due to a condition or if on prescription drugs (I am not on Prescription drugs, this is a general question). In other words, are the supplements safe for everyone under every circumstance?
Question 3: I have been waiting for some kind of post to help me incorporate your diet strategies for my children (3 &6). I am trying each day and for the exception of getting them to eat veggies, we are doing fairly well. Which leads me to my question: Would you recommend the below multivitamin for them if we cut one tablet in half for each child:
Serving size: 2 Tablets
Amount Per Serving %DV†
Calories 5
Total Carbohydrates 2 g 1%
Sugar Alcohols (as xylitol) 2 g *
Vitamin A (as natural beta carotene) 1,000 IU 20%
Vitamin C 250 mg 417% (as niacinamide, magnesium and calcium ascorbate)
Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol) 2,000 IU 500%
Vitamin E 30 IU 100% (as natural d-alpha tocopheryl succinate with mixed tocopherols)
Thiamine (as Thiamine pyrophosphate) 1.5 mg 100%
Niacin (as niacinamide ascorbate) 20 mg 100%
Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxal-5-phosphate) 2 mg 100%
Folic Acid 400 mcg 100%
Vitamin B-12 (methylcobalamin) 6 mcg 100%
Biotin 300 mcg 100%
Pantothenic Acid (calcium pantothenate) 10 mg 100%
Calcium 100 mg 10% (as calcium citrate/ascorbate complex)
Iodine (from sea kelp) 15 mcg 10%
Magnesium 40 mg 10%(from magnesium ascorbate/aspartate complex)
Zinc (as Zinc Gluconate) 3 mg 20%
Selenium (chelate) 20 mcg 29%
Copper (chelate) 50 mcg 3%
Manganese (chelate) 2 mg 100%
Chromium (chelate) 40 mcg 33%
Molybdenum (chelate) 5 mcg 7%
Boron (as boron citrate) 20 mcg *
Vanadium (Krebs††) 3 mcg *
†Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
*Daily value not established
††Krebs = Citrate, Fumarate, Malate, Glutarate and Succinate Complex.
P.S.
With your vitamin regimen, is there a possibility for overdose on say, Zinc or Copper since we consume raw dark cocoa powder and hazelnuts, pecans, and peanuts which also have copper and zinc? Same for kids?
Hi Paul,
Have you seen any research to back up claims*,
that Calcium Citrate powder helps strengthen helps to tighten the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) valve/muscle.
(note this claim only applies to calcium citrate form)
*for the source of the claims i am referring to, probably best to use google for a few examples, eg,
– Calcium citrate tightens the LES valve
&
– Calcium citrate tighten the lower esophageal sphincter muscle
I would be very interested in your thoughts,
Thanks Again
here is one example in an interview with a Dr. Leo Galland,
http://www.today.com/id/19352872/site/todayshow/ns/today-today_health/t/have-acid-reflux-soothe-it-naturally
some text,
“Calcium tightens the LES valve. This is not an antacid effect. In fact, the best type of calcium, because it is the most soluble, is calcium citrate, which is itself mildly acidic.
The most effective preparation is calcium citrate powder. Take 250 mg, dissolved in water, after every meal and at bedtime (for a total daily dose of 1,000 mg). Swallowing calcium pills does not prevent reflux because the calcium is not instantly dissolved.”
Hello Paul
I have read your new book and I love it – thanks so much! My cholesterol reading has been given to me in mmol/l but I have tried to do the conversion. Can I ask you to help me unravel this reading –
HDL (2.01) 77.73mg/dl
LDL (6) 232mg/dl
Trigs (0.67) 26mg/dl
Choles/HDL (4.3)
S-Choles (8.7) 336mg/dl
With thanks
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
LDL is very high, triglycerides are unusually low, HDL is excellent. To fix the LDL, start by reading our LDL/cholesterol category including the “High LDL on Paleo” posts: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/category/biomarkers/hdlldlcholesterol/
Is there such a thing as too low triglycerides? Mine were 13 with an HDL of 89, LDL of 114. I do take t4 and t3 replacements but eat PHD level carbs.
Thanks,
Ann
Hi Ann,
Yours are unusually low but I don’t know what it means. Low triglycerides (<40) seem to happen more often in women than men.
Hyperthyroidism is a cause (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22238397) so it could indicate that you are taking too much T3. There are genetic variants which lead to lower triglycerides (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21676879, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20097930). Liver infections such as hepatitis C lead to low triglycerides (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21741004).
Another possible explanation is that cholesterol accumulation in the liver can lead to big drops in triglyceride secretion in mice underexpressing a vitamin A-dependent gene (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17088263). Taurine supplementation may help (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17153608) because it promotes clearance via bile. Extra choline might help with cholesterol clearance. getting more vitamin A (eating more liver) may help by promoting activity of the Liver X receptor. Eating a lower cholesterol diet might also raise triglycerides if this is the explanation.
Those are pretty much all the possible explanations I can find in Pubmed.
Thanks paul, I suspect its the thyroid explanation – I started taking an additional 5 mcg of Cytomel in the afternoons since my t3 levels were so low even after adding 10mcg of cytomel to my synthroid. Now I am wondering if my t3 was so low because I was low carb due to my SIBO battle/diet. I will find out in a few days if I am hyperthyroid. My doc didn’t seemed concerned but my husband who is a primary care doc had never seen such a low level so that got me a bit worried. Thank you so much for the book and website. As a nurse who is pursuing my wellness coaching certificate from National Inst. of Whole Health, I find your approach the one that makes the most sense and is research backed. I will be using your book in the future when I am working with clients.
Hi Ann,
Yes, you shouldn’t try to correct a low T3 number that results from restricting carbs. That is performing a biologically important function of conserving glucose. I think it would be good to reduce the T3.
Hi Paul
I will test thyroid hormones and hopefully a lipoprotein particle size test too. Perhaps I should have a stool test as well?
I think that my liver does not clear cholesterol very well. There is a family history of high cholesterol. I take taurine. I think that choline might help me. Should I try it as phosphatidyl choline, choline on its own or choline/inositol?
With thanks
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
They’ll all be good for you. You can also take a little more vitamin B6 than normal, that might help, and a little more protein if you eat low protein.
Hey paul I believe i messaged before about the iodine rash i was getting at 225mcg. Iv completely stopped iodine for a week now whilst taking NAC, lots of C water and salt, but the rash is getting worse and spreading. It’s coming on my forearms, a bit on my hand, upper arm, hips side lats near the rib cage on both sides of my body which is getting really bad, it spans across my whole side of my upper body from my hip bone to my shoulder blade and it burns a lot. They become visible when I itch it, or go in hot water. I have no idea what to do. People have commented saying it goes away with salt and C but it hasnt helped much.
Could stopping the iodine caused my body detox the bromine better so im getting a worse reaction maybe. Is their anything else to do, would activated charcoal work? My only option would be to go to the doctor which I dont like to because of their lack of knowledge on Iodine and nutrition. I’ve stopped intermittent fasting to lower the stress on my body as well. Please help with any advice!
Heres a picture of someones rash i found which is somewhat similar to mine but mine is much worse at this stage. Should I apply some kind of cream or lotion. Iv tried sudocream but it didn’t work.
Heres a picture of someones rash i found which is somewhat similar to mine but mine is much worse at this stage. Should I apply some kind of cream or lotion. Iv tried sudocream but it didn’t work.
http://www.justanswer.com/health/0lv26-red-rash-spots-stomach-area.html
Sorry that was a mistake i made.
I’m only getting 1tsp salt a day. What would be safe amount to detox the bromine. Maybe upto 4tsp’s?
Hi Adam,
I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t the iodine. If it was iodine, it should clear within a month at most I would think.
I think 1 tsp salt should be adequate if you eat enough carbs.
Do you think it could be a food sensitivity or some similar reaction?
Yeah, I was doubting the iodine aswell as it is a very low dose for reaction like that, Bromine would come out at higher doses I would expect. My diet consists of meat,fish,eggs,liver and kidney, yogurt,cocoa powder or dark chocolate, vegetables, sweet potato,bananas and rice were my main starches and always cook in butter or olive oil.
Recently I have been having a lot of white potatoes for potassium which i eat with skin and a vinegar/cayenne pepper sauce. I could be one of the two maybe?
Hi Adam,
I don’t know, I haven’t heard of other cases like that and don’t know what a likely cause is. I think you will have to continue experimenting with removal of supplements and/or foods until you find out what it is.
Another way to experiment is to look at immune modulators — eg does low-dose aspirin suppress it? Do antihistamines?
I will keep experimenting, hopefully it goes away. Though I’ll probably stick to seafood and seaweed for iodine sources. I’v order bentonite clay to maybe help detox. Would it help with bromine excretion? if so then it could it be taken daily along with iodine until you become detoxed or would it cause other issues maybe on the long term.
Loving the podcast and talk shows by the way Paul, helps give a good understanding of the body as a whole 🙂
Hi Paul,
My blood IgG levels were 0.912 for egg yolk, which is well above background. It is therefore not a good idea for me to eat 3 egg yolks a day. What do you recommend when one cannot eat eggs?
Thank you
Hi Genevieve,
I would say, eat the recommended amount of beef or lamb liver per week (1/3 lb uncooked, 1/4 lb cooked), plus some chicken or duck or goose liver. If you can find it, add in other phospholipid rich foods like marrow or brain.
Just a couple of quick questions, Paul –
1. When will your conversation with Jimmie Moore become available as a podcast? I didn’t understand until too late that you have to hear that program on a telephone, so I missed it. I thought it was a dial in show and I was ready to ask you a question on the phone which, of course, was impossible
2. When you say ‘organic chickens’ you are not saying ‘pastured chickens’ In other words, organic chickens are raised on grain with limited mobility (but better than commercial crap!) and pastured chickens are raised on grass and bugs with supplemental grains available. (Of course, the best pastured chickens are raised on organic supplemental grains and may be sold as ‘organic’ ) I don’t know which management method your figures are from but I do know that grass in the diet is supposed to boost Omega 3 levels. Which were your figures drawn from? People eat so much chicken because they see it as CHEAP hard to believe that before the super production methods appeared after WWII chicken was a luxury and ‘a chicken in every pot’ was a promise of a nation that lived at that level of (perceived) luxury!
Hi Allan,
The Jimmy Moore show is up now. See my latest post.
Thanks for the clarification, yes I should have said pastured chickens.
The figures in the post are overwhelmingly based on conventional supermarket chickens.
Yes, it is remarkable that chickens have gone from a luxury food to a mass produced factory food!
Paul, I am loving your book but have personal problems with eating liver — it literally makes me gag and even vomit. Is there a way to avoid eating any?
I especially like the sections on synergistic vitamins and supplements and supplemental foods and will be making grass-fed bone broth this weekend.
THANKS for such a huge help with my health.
Hi Peder,
Well, one recourse is to make the liver into pills that you can take like a supplement: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/recommended-supplements/comment-page-20/#comment-120709
You can also substitute other organ meats and marrow/brain.
Hi Paul,
I’m just curious about something:
you’ve said before that you don’t recommend extended fasting for candida as it induces ketosis. SO, why do you recommend against 24-48 hour water fasts? I though it took at least 72 hours fasting to enter ketosis?
Thanks!
-Carl
Hi Carl,
I don’t recommend 24-48 hour water fasts. I recommend daily intermittent fasting, typically 16 hours fasting 8 hours feeding.
Hi Paul and Everybody,
Has anyone tried Shakeology? Is this something that will make a difference health-wise? Is it harmful?
Ingredients:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:9XeHrPib7bwJ:www.shakeology.com/the-shake/-/dl_get_file/4d404425-77b7-49c2-8b1d-983848eeaa85+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiFz8sC523K54_26QgsOvb46WwGJmJoi5l0qKHjfT0IMIvTTrSUlP_Rb0LGvJydgPfcSB3StVxdi4nGgtzhGlRBgN4JUPFcAu8bPxLU_qFNOk92X0ZdeCVmfWEqGywtLN_Jb_dr&sig=AHIEtbRYh4Kxo30YUNJpFYiW_3MXR-5Wnw
I’m seeing so many reviews that come across as paid advertisements so I’m kind of skeptical.
Just wondering if bone marrow would be an OK substitute for liver? My German descended family always made bone marrow dumplings to add to soup broth, which I absolutely loved. I’d just have to figure out how to make them gluten free. (ideas appreciated here)
My marrow bones are from pasture raised animals.
Hi Heidi,
It’s a good substitute but not a complete substitute — you may need other sources of copper for instance — but it is a good source of phospholipids and some other nutrients.
Find at the supermarket either gluten free bread to make breadcrumbs or a bag of rice bread breadcrumbs. Season the marrow however you choose – a mirepoix – an herbed butter – just fresh or dried herbs with shallot or onion mince and then combine the marrow mix with the breadcrumbs, an egg (pastured if possible) a bit of rice flour to bind the egg and just a bit of potato or tapioca flour. Mix well by hand until flour is absorbed into the mixture. Rest the mixture for twenty minutes then roll into balls and lower with a slotted spoon into a simmering, ready to serve bone broth and cook until done.
thanks stanley, that sounds like the right approach. Eventhough I’m not that great a cook, I’ll give it a try and if it turns out delicious, I’ll post the recipe. Thank you.
Too bad it’s not a sub for liver…way easier to get it down.
The problem I continually find with gluten-free bread products is that they include the wretched vegetable or seed oils. Always on the look out for healthy fats in gluten-free, but haven’t found it yet.
A good. Gluten free bread product is engine 2 brown rice tortillas.No veg oils and easy to digest. They r at whole foods
Thanks, Stephie. I’ll check. You’re okay with brown rice?
Hey Lana
Gosh no… Brown rice and all whole grains do a number on my tummy, but for some reason, I’ve never had an issue with organic brown rice rice cakes and these brown rice tortillas.. Myguess is that these are easily ttolerated bc the bran is removed and the hard to digest parts are mechanically broken down. The ingredients are clean, so try them and see how u do!
A similar product is made by the brand food for life, but these has a small amount of safflower oil. Not a big deal, but the E2 brand uses flax/chia instead
A couple years ago I inadvertently consumed a small amount, daily, of safflower oil (it was added to my vit D in a reformulation, and I had failed to re-check the label). Result was I developed severe pain at the base of my thumbs. This was when chicken began giving me the same reaction. When I changed my vit D and stopped all chicken, pain diminished, markedly, but readily returns if I consume even the smallest amount of that oil. Utterly life changing in a very negative way. The pain kept me awake at night and I couldn’t ride my bike. Soon after I discovered Paul in Dallas, read his first book and read the very interesting Swedish mental hospital results describing that an imbalance of omega-3 and 6 oils can take years to put back in balance. Thus, even a minute amount of the devil oil (safflower) causes me pain in my thumbs. I am MUCH improved now. PHD has elevated the quality of my life in profound ways. Thank you for this tip about the tortillas. I do miss bread and used to make my own tortillas, so this tip of yours is a hopeful possibility.
Hi Lana, the actress Jennifer Esposito who has celiac disease has clean gluten free flour mixes available for sale now (or coming very soon). She is also opening a bakery in NYC that I believe will ship her gluten free goods. She is a fierce advocate of what some of us celiacs like to call the “gluten free lie”, so she is about whole, clean healthful foods. I hope this helps. Jennifer’s website is called Jennifer’s Way.
Hi Paul,
sorry, I worded my question awkwardly.
What I meant to ask is why you are AGAINST 24-48 hour fasts for candida, if ketosis doesnt start until the 3rd or 4th day fasting?
thanks1
Hi Carl,
Ketosis does start earlier. However, the main problem is not too much ketone production, but potential disruption of circadian rhythms and/or loss of immune function due to protein deficiencies. These issues are discussed in the book, chapters 40 and 42.
Hi Paul and others,
I came across this article on nightshades. I know that nightshades have their own set of toxins for defense, but I had never heard that they were “calcinogenic.”. I know that we take Vit K2 to help protect against calcification, but do you think nightshades should be consumed only occasionally? I was surprised to read that the calcitriol in these plants signals the intestines to absorb more calcium. So, for instance, my dinner last night, which had tomatoes, red and green peppers, paprika and red pepper flakes could have potentially caused a quick influx of calcium?
(I’m still in search of the cause of my ataxia. It had been mild for a few days then was really strong last night, so I started looking up nightshades…) Maybe it’s one of those cases where it depends on the individual, some are sensitive and some are not?
Thanks!
KH
http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/nightshades
“The nightshades are considered a “calcinogenic” plant; that is, they cause calcinosis, which is a toxic calcification of soft tissues when eaten by animals. This happens because they contain calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D), the most active form of vitamin D. Please note that calcitriol is not vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). This is an extremely important distinction, as you will see.
In humans, calcitriol is normally the end product of vitamin D metabolism, so let me start at the beginning. Cholecalciferol, or vitamin D3, is produced in the skin by the action of sunlight or can be consumed in food or supplements. In the liver, vitamin D3 is transformed into calcidiol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol, the compound that we test in the blood as a measure of vitamin D status); then the kidneys transform calcidiol into calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D).
Calcitriol is an extremely potent hormone, thousands of times more potent than vitamin D3. It has been said that calcitriol is the most powerful hormone in the human body. Production of calcitriol is very tightly regulated by the kidney. Why is it so tightly regulated?
Calcitriol signals the intestines to absorb calcium from our diet. While we absolutely need calcitriol to maintain proper bone density, too much calcitriol, from any source, leads to hypercalcemia, also known as high blood calcium. The body does not like this situation and wants to get the calcium levels back down to normal as quickly as possible, as an imbalance of minerals in the blood particularly affects the heart. The quickest solution for the body is to deposit the extra calcium into the soft tissues. Each hypercalcemic episode likely lasts for only a short while, however, each episode leaves a small deposit behind. Over time, these deposits lead to the condition known as calcinosis.”
Hi KH,
That’s very interesting. Maybe it is worth removing nightshades for a while to test this idea.
It is true that they can have some calcitriol: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23023100. It does look like the doses in natural foods can be significant: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9499629.
If this is the mechanism, it should be most significant in people with impaired kidney function, and may be avoidable by keeping nightshade consumption below about 25 g per day.
Thanks Paul. I’ll have to investigate further… I have stopped potatoes for almost two weeks now because of the solanine specifically (potato is the only nightshade where I’ve seen them list possible neurological side effects, though that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be caused by other nightshades I guess). Difficult to find concrete information, so I guess that’s where our own personal experiments come in. I’ll cut out nightshades for a few weeks and see how it goes.
Thanks for the pubmed links… might take me a little while to decipher all that (I think they should have a “Translate” button!) 😀
KH
Some lingering issues and not intended as a cure all but my continued search for health leads me close to where My thoughts started: a fecal transplant.
Any thoughts on this? i will read paul’s post on this today. I have my 2 year old daughter who is in perfect health, or so I suspect, but she .is definitely in better shape than I am.
Anyone try this at home or have an opinion? .I figured it can’t hurt and may help my 5 year old with some bowel issues as well if it works for me.
By the way, many thanks to those who have responded to my previous posts: Lindsay, darrin, lana and of course Paul. My computer fell and broke! Just got a new one so I couldn’t respond!
I left out ulcerative colitis, ibs, perianal itching…bowel movements are seemingly fine though. The key work, being seemingly.
Lauren, If you are in remission with your UC, I would think twice about a fecal Transplant. Several people on a UC forum I read have triggered flare ups (I think these were all home treatments). Just a word of caution.
Thanks Heidi,
This is very helpful to hear. I will definitely look into the fecal transplant more before moving forward. Part of the thought process that prompted this thought process is because My 5 year old daughter has very hard bowel movements once or twice a day. She used to drink large quantities of milk and last year developed eczema which has since cleared up on her gluten and dairy free diet but the bowel movements remain the same. She has also developed a fissure. We have been unsuccessful in resolving this problem through natural remedies of slippery elm, fig syrup, and adding more fat to her diet and water. perhaps I was being drastic and not thinking everything through. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts wi me
Hi Paul: I posted the below a few days ago; perhaps it was an oversight. Will you please consider answering my questions to help me perfect your plan for me and my family?
Hi Paul:
I just bought your new edition today. I have the old book and want more in-depth knowledge on your change of stance on vitamin regimen as well as some of your other possible change of stances.
Question 1: Can I avoid the copper and the zinc supplement and still be healthy (Same for my wife and especially when/if she gets pregnant)? I worry about taking the zinc supplement and forgetting to take the daily copper consistently.
Question 2: How does one know which out of the Daily and Weekly supplements may be harmful due to a condition or if on prescription drugs (I am not on Prescription drugs, this is a general question). In other words, are the supplements safe for everyone under every circumstance?
Question 3: I have been waiting for some kind of post to help me incorporate your diet strategies for my children (3 &6). I am trying each day and for the exception of getting them to eat veggies, we are doing fairly well. Which leads me to my question: Would you recommend the below multivitamin for them if we cut one tablet in half for each child:
Serving size: 2 Tablets
Amount Per Serving %DV†
Calories 5
Total Carbohydrates 2 g 1%
Sugar Alcohols (as xylitol) 2 g *
Vitamin A (as natural beta carotene) 1,000 IU 20%
Vitamin C 250 mg 417% (as niacinamide, magnesium and calcium ascorbate)
Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol) 2,000 IU 500%
Vitamin E 30 IU 100% (as natural d-alpha tocopheryl succinate with mixed tocopherols)
Thiamine (as Thiamine pyrophosphate) 1.5 mg 100%
Niacin (as niacinamide ascorbate) 20 mg 100%
Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxal-5-phosphate) 2 mg 100%
Folic Acid 400 mcg 100%
Vitamin B-12 (methylcobalamin) 6 mcg 100%
Biotin 300 mcg 100%
Pantothenic Acid (calcium pantothenate) 10 mg 100%
Calcium 100 mg 10% (as calcium citrate/ascorbate complex)
Iodine (from sea kelp) 15 mcg 10%
Magnesium 40 mg 10%(from magnesium ascorbate/aspartate complex)
Zinc (as Zinc Gluconate) 3 mg 20%
Selenium (chelate) 20 mcg 29%
Copper (chelate) 50 mcg 3%
Manganese (chelate) 2 mg 100%
Chromium (chelate) 40 mcg 33%
Molybdenum (chelate) 5 mcg 7%
Boron (as boron citrate) 20 mcg *
Vanadium (Krebs††) 3 mcg *
†Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
*Daily value not established
††Krebs = Citrate, Fumarate, Malate, Glutarate and Succinate Complex.
With your vitamin regimen, is there a possibility for overdose on say, Zinc or Copper since we consume about 1/2 cup of raw dark cocoa powder per week and hazelnuts, pecans, and peanuts which also have copper and zinc? Same for kids?
Hey Paul, I tried the antihistamine approach and my rash has cleared up 80% overnight. I’m not sure what I can learn from this. Is it that the rash was caused by a food allergy, maybe to vinegar or too much cocoa powder? It cant be iodine or other supplements because I would’v got the side effect ages ago, and iodine I added in two months back.
Thanks
Hi Paul,
I’ve been on a PHD since last august and it’s been a great journey. We now include self-made Kefir in the diet, do intermittent fasting and keep to the dietary recommendations of PHD.
For about two months I’ve developed a more and more itchy skin – like a rash around my belly. Now I just read Chris Kresser on histamine intolerance and am wondering if that might be a possibility. Chris basically says that superfoods like Kefir, eggs, seafood should be avoided if there is a histamine intolerance. That makes me a tiny bit desperate…
Have you heard of this? What would you recommend?
Or do you have any other ideas?
(The rash is not so strong that I would want to present it to a skin doctor, if I can try out something else before. In my experience there is a lot of guessing with such unspecific symptoms…)
thanks for any help!
Marion
Paul,
I experience a lot of bloating gas and stomach discomfort right now. I’ve been following all your recommendations for bowel problems. I take all the supp I can afford (betaine HCL, taurine,vit.c. Vit D?Vit K2). I can feel also, vit K2 makes me strange when I wake up. I’ve stopped K2 and D one week ago, and can feel I can wake uup earlier and in a better shape. I do not know if there’s a link or whatever..? Do you recommend stopping K2 and.or D ?
I’ve also introduced kombucha in my diet : I feel my bowel more alive. 😀 (even though no bowel movement appears ) .It’s as if a “starter”, a “on” button pressed on.. but also stomach upset and nausea appears as soon as starch is eaten.. could you help or would you have a wise advise, as the ones you always have..? Thanks for helping.Best and blessings,July
Hi Paul. Thank you for your book. The effects so far have been mostly positive.
My husband eats only beef–no seafood, chicken, or pork. His diet is PHD compatible, except for the seafood and fermented food. Is there anything in shellfish/seafood that cannot be obtained from another food?
With bad experiences with some of the supplements recommended in the first edition, my husband will not take any supplements.
He eats: Beef (inc. liver, kidney, bone broth), eggs, butter, olive oil, salt, tubers and seasonal veggies. No fruit or nuts. He is willing to include dulse flakes, smelts and pink salmon.
Mostly my question is if we’ll be getting enough zinc if we don’t supplement or eat oysters or other seafood. It seems that with both liver and chocolate, we don’t absorb the zinc because of the competing minerals.
Hi Paul,
I want to start implementing my daily egg yolks with mashed potatoes. Would it be long enough/safe to cook 3 yolks on top of the mashed potatoes in microwave for 2 minutes on HIGH? I’m using regular supermarket eggs and am worried about the possibility of consuming it undercooked by just microwaving it.
RE: Thyroid Medication and supplement timing.
Paul, I’ve had autoimmune thyroid disease for the past 30 years, and am currently taking Armour Thyroid. I have to take it on an empty stomach in the AM, and am trying to figure out the timing of my other supplements, most importantly Vit D, since I’m still deficient. My endo said to take the Vit D at night, but the book says morning is best. Can I take the two together, or what type of spacing do I need? Thanks. Cate
Paul – if you aren’t sure, or don’t know the answer, can you please let me know? I’ve been searching for the answer on this for many months.
Hi Paul, first off, the new boook is fantastic. I purchased it for a few family members who have been resistant to paleo, but they have found your book to be very intriguing and pursuasive. I’m still hoping for a full conversion!
I’m wondering if you’ve researched CFS or Fibromyalgia yet? I noticed a blog post from a few years back on this but nothing since. I have been diagnosed with Fibro and have been researching it quite a bit and have tried many of the alternative therapies suggested with little to no improvements. My plan for now is to stick with PHD and impliment circadian rythm protocol as well as focusing on proper sleep and stress management.
In your book I read a testemonial from a woman with fribro from Indiana who virtually cured herself with PHD and high dose iodine(10g per day). Do you think I should start working up to high dose intake? Right now I’m taking 1g per day.
Any thoughts on CFS/Fibro cause/treatment?
Thank you!
Jonathan
Hey, Paul – Need some advice concerning Blood glucose.
Back in my metabolic syndrome days, with fatty liver and all that, my FBG was 110-120. HbA1C was always normal, so never got put on meds.
I lost almost 100 pounds with low carb Primal Blueprint over the last 2-1/2 years.
My FBG over the last 2 years has been in the 90’s.
When I was doing my famous “Potato Diets”, my FBG would be 90’s, get a spike to 180 after a pound of plain potatoes, then back down to 80-90 within 2-3 hours.
Since Jan 1st, I have been eating 1 pound of potato, rice or plantain a day plus some oranges, bananas, grapes.
I checked my FBG last week and today a couple times at it is 120 at 8am, then will drop to 105 by lunch. I ate a good PHD lunch, and checked my glucose: 160, 120, 95 (1,2,3 hours).
Also since 1 Jan, my body temp has gone from 96’s to 98’s.
I am taking 60mg Armour. I have an appointment with an Endo on 15 Feb.
What is your take on this?
Just to clarify: Since 1 Jan, I have been eating according to the PHD with 1 pound of safe starch along with meat, veg, limited fruit, and other foods you recommend.
Hi Tater,
It’s plausible that your Armour dose is too high and you may need to reduce it.
The high FBG suggests you might benefit from more carbs and protein. You seem to be a bit insulin resistant, possibly due to a bit of stress meeting the body’s glucose needs.
Excessive thyroid hormone due to too much Armour would increase glucose utilization and would make 1 pound potato insufficient to satisfy glucose needs. That could explain the stress. So some combination of eating more carbs, more protein, and less Armour is probably the best solution for FBG.
The higher body temperature might be a normalization, or it might indicate that your equilibrium body temperature is still too low but “two wrongs are making a right”, the other wrongs being too much Armour or too much fat leading to increased heat production.
I think you will have to experiment, but your general tendency should be to expect that you are healing and your Armour dose will be going down over time.
Paul – Your summation is about what I have thought. I will provide a follow-up in a month or so. I have been adjusting thyroid meds for several years now, but should have been adjusting starch!
Thanks
Hi Paul. I know you say chocolate is ok on the PHD. I’m type 2 diabetic and know that chocolate has a glycemic index of 22 or so which is fine. But it’s sweetened with sucrose which is half fructose.
I’ve started making my own chocolate sweetened with stevia. The first batch came out ok but the stevia flavor is somewhat bitter.
Do you think it’s ok to use HALF GLUCOSE and HALF STEVIA (by sweetness)? It would then have half the sugar of regular dark chocolate but it would all be glucose. I assume it would have a slightly lower glycemic index but not half since fructose is absorbed more slowly than glucose.
I would like to eat a few ounces of chocolate daily but am trying to keep fructose low. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.
Hi Peder,
Yes, that’s fine.
Hi Paul;
I’m wondering, is there anyway to actually know for sure if you have candida or not? Are there any self-tests or experiments that would confirm it? How can I know for sure? Are any things I can try that would make symptoms better or worse for testing purposes?
Thankks!
Hi Paul,
I recently had a Metametrix stool test done and the results showed infections with prevotella parasite, and H. Pylori, as well as yeast overgrowth and carb/fat malabsorption. I have Psoriasis and am trying to heal my gut by following the Autoimmune version of Paleo (results have been less than stellar). I train intensely with weights 4x/week, practice yoga and am a personal trainer so my activity is high. I only eat low FODMAP vegetables, meat, occasional seafood, coconut oil, and bone broth. After my workouts I eat a banana with some protein and a few hours later more protein with about 400 g of winter squash or sometimes sweet potatoes. It comes out to about 75g carbs
I only weigh 100 pounds and am trying to gain weight, but despite eating over maintenance cals I havent put on a pound.
Based on my current gut issues, are the carbs that Im eating ok, or is that feeding the yeast and parasites even more? Do I need to be ULC or ketogenic to improve these issues? I also fast for 14-16 hrs daily. Thanks for any advice!
Hi marci, I’m in the same boat as u. Do u take any supplements, hcl, enzymes? Have u had ur serum zinc tested?
Paul, which cdsa do u recommend: great Plains laboratory or metametrix? My first Stoll test I had done years ago was metametrix and it only picked up a “4+ taxonomy unknown fungus”….. A year later I used Doctors Data and it foubd over 8 pathogenic bacteria and a yeast. Which test (metametrix or Great Plains) should I use for my follow up? I need to take one asap bc I know my dysbiosis has gotten way worse. Thanks
Hi there,
I just started taking Seacure (a smelly supplement that is basically powdered white fish) to heal my gut lining, Biocidin, Vitamin A and D, HCL and Ox Bile. Havent had zinc tested
Hi Paul,
I really enjoyed the second version of the book! I have a question relating to page 375 where you mention that melatonin is helpful for people with glaucoma.
I have had glaucoma since I was a teenager, is melatonin something that I should consider supplementing? How much should I take and how often?
Thanks for any advice!
Hello again,
I couldn’t find anywhere on your site any posts about cellulite…I am only 119lbs and I am not trying to lose weight, but how come I still have cellulite?! Any info would be helpful, it’s not a big deal, but didn’t know what your thoughts were on it.
Thank you again,
Stephanie
Hi Paul,
Just checking if you have had the chance or inclination to look in to the feasibility (or lack of) that supplementing with Calcium Citrate powder may help strengthen or tighten the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) valve/muscle.
see my q above for a recap, http://perfecthealthdiet.com/q-a/comment-page-52/#comment-120089
Many Thanks
Hi Doctor,
I am enjoying your book and am now deciding which diet to undertake. My case is interesting because I suffer from Celiac Disease as well as very high LDL-P small particle count. I had severe vitamin D deficiency and Osteopenia. The latter condition has not improved in 3 years since going gluten free. I have lost 7 pounds on my 6’2 frame and now am leaner at 197 but I have a little more to go. My question now is how do I manage the LDL particle numbers/size with a low carb diet, but stay away from eggs, cheese, and fats? Even pastured eggs/milk/beef? I am mostly vegetables and greens/juicing, with occasional grass fed beef, pastured eggs and nuts. I continue to suffer from muscle/joint pain and battle melancholy and anxiety as well, though I no longer am taking prozac and benzodiazapens, thank God.
Will your PHD address my very bad lipo profile, osteopenia and anxiety?
I
Hi John,
I’m not Paul but he seems very busy so I’ll just say that all the problems you are experiencing have been reported solved by people following PHD.
Good that you are gluten free for 3 years now, hopefully your gut is somewhat repaired so you can take up more nutrients. Keep at supporting your gut, see http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/ulcerative-colitis-a-devastating-gut-disease/ and the other parts. Note that the supplement recommendations have changed, see the book.
If I were you I would implement the PHD to the letter for a few months and then evaluate to see if any tweaks need to be done.
I would pay special attention to the micronutrient recommendations. You seem to be severely undernourished. Vitamins A, D and K support bone health, together with the minerals from bone broth. Read the micronutrients chapters from the book, the devil is in the details.
Anxiety might be related to Omega-6.
Robb Wolf linked to this blog entry on his FaceBook page today. Interesting for me since I notice I never sleep well if I supplement with D3. Not sure why that is.
In any event, this blogger questions the value of supplementing with D3.
“Why I don’t take vitamin D supplements”
http://gettingstronger.org/2012/11/why-i-dont-take-vitamin-d-supplements/#more-3997
Sure it’s better to create D3 yourself from sunshine.
The blogger’s main point is that correlation is not causation, and that epidemiological studies showing some problem correlated with low D3, it’s not clear which is causing what. You could make that case for cancer or bone fractures.
This reasoning seems to fall flat for bone density however. I can’t think of a clear mechanism whereby denser bones cause vitamin D to be around 32ng/ml.
Furthermore, you can get vitamin D from organ meats. This would be a form of supplementation that has been around since well before paleolithic times.
If you read the chapter on Vitamin D I think there’s plenty of correlations that all seem to hint towards maintaining that 40 ng/ml level through supplementation or sunshine (or sitting in the shadow).
Hi Peter,
were you taking your D3; later in the day or in the evening?
There are quite a few anecdotal reports that some people have problems sleeping when taking D3 in the afternoon or evening.
But if they take the D3 in the morning eg. ‘first thing’.
Then their sleep is not affected (and some actually report improved sleep).
Individual experimentation seems to be the go, to find out the best time in the morning.
I have currently settled on taking my D3 some time between 9am & 10am. If i miss my 10am deadline, i do not bother to take any D3 for that day.
personally i don’t feel close to normal unless i get an absurd amount of sunlight, which is nearly impossible living in san francisco. not only do i go to the tanning booth (14 mins 2x a week), and use d3 and k2 topically, it’s still not enough. i ordered a philips golite and i’m going to go to the UVB booth way more often. i eat the cleanest most nutrient dense diet probably out of anyone, and that’s not bragging or exaggerating, that’s just what i had to do, there’s almost no way to improve things on the dietary front. if you are a person who is constantly struggling with their health despite doing everything, try to get the richest tan you have ever gotten in your life and see if that improves things beyond what d3/k2 supplementation has. i learned this the hard way, and i’m still learning the hard way.
Hi Peter,
I commented on this here: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/recommended-supplements/comment-page-21/#comment-123833
Interesting article, and in the comments below it I found a link to another article that raises the possibility that the benefits of n-3 PUFA might be because of, rather than in spite of, their susceptibility to oxidation. The more I read, the more confused I become. Paul, I’d certainly be interested in you comments on both the vitamin D article and this one:
Sorry, here is the URL:
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/32901/title/Omega-3s–Fishing-for-a-Mechanism/
Wow! It’s pointless to talk about the effectiveness of D3 supplementation without talking about vitamin K2 supplementation! (And vitamin A, as well) The ‘discovery’ of the effective of vitamin k2 on vitamin D is astounding. Vitamin K levels are the explanation for the contradictory studies we see out there about the effectiveness of calcium supplementation. In some groups, calcium supplements reduce bone fractures; in other groups, fractures are not decreased and heart attacks go up. But this is not contradictory results. This is because the 2nd group wasn’t getting enough k2 in their diet. The sad news is that if you supplement with D3 to the level that’s currently recommended, you need A LOT of k2, like milligrams of it a day. Most of us aren’t getting enough k2 and are, unfortunately doing long term damage to our tissues. Check out “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox’ by Dr Kate Rheume-Blue. I’ll be interviewing her for the Biodynamics Now! Podcast this week. Still time to ask her questions through me, if you’re interested. Questions to questions@bdnow.org. Need to hear from you by noon EST Jan 31.
Agreed on the D3/K/A balance.
You probably already seen the Christopher Masterjohn post on the topic.
http://www.westonaprice.org/vitamins-and-minerals/beyond-good-and-evil
in the article, Chris also adds Magnesium and Calcium to the equation.
Here’s Dr Mercola on K2 and D3:
Also be aware that if you take high doses of supplemental vitamin D, you also need to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin K2, as these two nutrients work in tandem. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. While the ideal or optimal ratios between vitamin D and vitamin K2 have yet to be elucidated, Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests that for every 1,000 IU’s of vitamin D you take, you may benefit from about 100 micrograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 micrograms (mcg). The latest vitamin D dosing recommendations, which call for about 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D3 per day if you’re an adult, means you’d need in the neighborhood of 800 to 1,000 micrograms (0.8 to 1 milligram/mg) of vitamin K2. END QUOTE
Of course, getting your D3 levels regularly tested is very important
btw – Dr Kate is very pessimistic about any natural vitamin D creation north of the Mason Dixon line. This is something I’ll be asking her about
Watched the interview and think it’s important to note the dosage difference between which form of K2 you are taking (MK7 and MK4.) She prefers MK7 and Paul seems to be good with both.
She recommends more like 45 mg (!) of the MK4 since it’s short-chained and has a shorter half life.
The 100-200 mcg recommendation was for the longer chain MK7 that’s sourced from Natto.
interesting you mention MK7,
some good news from LEF,
i see that they have recently updated their formula in the their ‘Super K with Advanced K2 Complex’ (one of the supps Paul recommends),
They have increased the MK7 from 100 mcg to 200 mcg per capsule.
http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01724/Super-K-with-Advanced-K2-Complex.html?source=search&key=super%20k
so the ingredients are now (per capsule),
Vitamin K activity 2200 mcg From:
Vitamin K1 (as phytonadione) 1000 mcg
Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-4) 1000 mcg
Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-7) 200 mcg
Ascorbyl palmitate 25 mg (10 mg Vitamin C)