Supplements

This page lists our supplement recommendations with links to products at Amazon. By purchasing via links on this page, you support the blog at no cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting our work!

Supplemental Foods

We recommend eating these “supplemental foods” on a regular schedule:

  • 3 egg yolks daily, 5 yolks daily for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant (for choline, folate, vitamin A)
  • A bowl of soup made from bone, joint, tendon, foot, or hoof stock, 3 days per week (for calcium, phosphorus, and collagen)
  • Fermented vegetables such as kimchi, sauerkraut, or fermented mixed vegetables (for nucleotides, probiotic bacteria, and vitamins K2 and B12), and other vegetables such as tomato, avocado, potato, sweet potato, banana, green leafy vegetables, and seaweeds such as dulse, daily (for potassium)
  • ¼ lb beef or lamb liver, weekly (copper, vitamin A, folate, choline). If you like, substitute ¼ lb chicken, duck, or goose liver weekly plus 30 g 85% dark chocolate daily
  • fish, shellfish, eggs, and kidneys, weekly (for selenium)

Daily Supplements

These are supplements we recommend be taken daily:

  • Sunshine and vitamin D3 as needed to achieve serum 25OHD of 40 ng/ml.
  • Vitamin K2 100 mcg or more
  • Magnesium 200 mg
  • Iodine 225 mcg
  • Vitamin C 1 g
  • Pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5) 500 mg
Vitamin D3
  • Seek total dose from sun, food, and supplements of 4,000 IU/day
  • Adjust to 25OHD level of 40 ng/ml (whites/Asians), 30 ng/ml (blacks)
Vitamin K2
  • Recommended dose: 100 mcg MK-7
  • Pharmacological, possibly therapeutic doses: 1000 mcg to 5 mg MK-4
Magnesium
  • Use chelate (e.g. glycinate) or citrate
  • Daily dose 200 mg
Iodine
  • Recommended dose 225 mcg/day (one tablet)
  • Nori sheets have about 50 mcg each; 2-4 per day replaces supplements
  • Supplementation is to prevent lengthy iodine droughts
Vitamin C
  • Low dose: 500 mg – 1 g per day
  • Under stress or viral infections, more may be needed
  • Powder is least expensive way to get large doses
Vitamin B-5 (pantothenic acid or pantethine)
  • 500 mg per day; we suggest daily due to its extreme safety
  • Acne/skin blemishes or low energy/endurance are symptoms of deficiency

Weekly Supplements

These are supplements we recommend be taken once a week:

  • B vitamins:
    • 50 to 100 mg each of B1, B2, and B6
    • 5 mg biotin
    • 500 mcg B12
  • Zinc 50 to 100 mg
  • Boron 3 mg
B1 (thiamin)
  • 50-100 mg weekly
B2 (riboflavin)
  • 100 mg per week
B6
  • For those who don’t take a B-50 complex
  • We recommend 50 mg to 100 mg per week
Biotin
  • We recommend 5 mg once per week
B12
  • We recommend 500 mcg to 1 mg once per week
  • Sublingual methylcobalamin is preferred
Zinc
  • We recommend about 50 mg per week
  • Be sure to follow our copper recommendations as copper-zinc balance is crucial
Boron
  • The 3 mg dose can be taken one to three times per week

Prenatal Supplements

The most important prenatal supplements are:

  • Extra duck, goose, or pastured chicken liver.
  • Extra egg yolks.

The following supplements may also be helpful during pregnancy or in the months leading up to conception. Note: We do not recommend prenatal multivitamins.

Choline
  • Not necessary if you eat enough egg yolks and liver
  • But extremely important during pregnancy, and safe
Inositol plus Choline
  • Not necessary if you eat enough egg yolks and liver
  • If supplementing choline, good to mix in some inositol
Iron (optional)
  • About 30% of pregnant women develop iron deficiency anemia
  • Don’t guess, test; blood tests will indicate if you need iron supplements

Optional Supplements


These supplements may be helpful for a significant fraction of the population. Experiment to see if they help you:

  • Probiotics
  • Chromium, 200-400 mcg per week (not necessary if you cook in stainless steel pots) and (optional) vanadium, 25 mcg per week
  • Lithium 5 to 10 mg per week
  • Silicon 5 mg to 25 mg daily
  • FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT EAT LIVER: Copper 2 mg per day
  • FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT EAT LIVER: Vitamin A from cod liver oil, 50,000 IU/week
  • FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT EAT MAKE BONE STOCK OR DRINK MINERAL WATER: Calcium up to 400 mg/day
  • B-50 complex (as a substitute for individual B supplements if you prefer fewer pills
  • Molybdenum 150 mcg per week
  • Taurine 500 mg to 5000 mg per week (higher doses may be therapeutic for small intestinal or systemic infections)
  • Selenium 0 or 200 mcg per week depending on selenium content of food (if food is produced in dry, flat areas = high selenium, no supplements; rainy, well-drained areas = 200 mcg/wk)
Probiotics
  • Bifidobacterium spp can help with leanness and weight loss.
  • Lactobacillus spp can help with acid reflux, bloating, SIBO, prediabetes, high triglycerides
More Probiotics
  • Bifidobacterium spp can help with leanness and weight loss.
  • Lactobacillus spp can help with small intestinal issues
More Probiotics
  • VSL#3 is a good mix for inflammatory bowel diseases.
  • Prescript Assist includes soil-based organisms that are a little riskier and should be taken only occasionally, not continuously, for therapeutic reasons.
Chromium
  • If you don’t cook in stainless steel, we recommend 200 mcg chromium one to three times per week
  • Stainless steel pots may release 88 mcg chromium per day of use
  • Optional: vanadium 25 mcg one to two times per week
Lithium
  • Best is to take 1 mg per day; 5 mg once or twice per week is next best
  • Caution: too much lithium can exacerbate hypothyroidism and increase potassium excretion
Silicon
  • Up to 25 mg per day
  • Most people would benefit from more silicon
  • Seaweed is a good food source
Copper (Only If Liver Is Not Eaten)
  • Target of 2-3 mg/day can be met by eating 1/4 lb beef or lamb liver per week
  • Do not supplement copper if you eat liver
Vitamin A (Only If Liver Is Not Eaten)
  • Target of 50,000 IU/week with remaining A needs met from carotenoids (green leafy vegetables and orange plants like carrots)
  • Do not supplement vitamin A if you eat liver, unless for therapeutic reasons
Calcium (If No Mineral Water or Bone Stock)
  • PHD foods may fall short of calcium target by up to 400 mg/day
  • Standard PHD prescription is to make up the difference with bone stock and/or mineral water
  • These supplements also replace magnesium supplement; aim for 300-500 mg calcium and 150-250 mg magnesium per day
B-50 complex
  • An alternative to the other B vitamins for those who prefer to take fewer pills
  • Not recommended more than once per week due to folic acid and niacin content
Molybdenum
  • We recommend 150 mcg to 1 mg per week
Taurine
  • We recommend 500 to 1000 mg weekly for healthy persons
  • Supports production of bile salts
Vitamin E
  • Red palm oil is a good food source
  • If supplementing, take mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols

Therapeutic Supplements

These supplements are unnecessary for healthy people but may be helpful in various disease conditions.

N-acetylcysteine
  • Precursor to glutathione
  • Recommended dose is 500 mg
  • Can take more in cases of severe chronic infection
Glycine
  • Supports collagen production, bile conjugation, and glutathione production
  • Desirable if you don’t eat daily extracellular matrix (bones, joints, tendons, skin, hooves)
  • Up to 2 teaspoons (10 g) per day
Creatine
  • Supports muscle growth and preservation; especially valuable for the elderly
  • Up to 1 teaspoon (5 g) per day
Melatonin
  • An important sleep hormone, deficient in many brain diseases, has antimicrobial activity
  • Take 1 mg sublingually just before bedtime
  • For larger doses, combine 5 mg time-release with 1 mg sublingual
Detoxification Aids
  • These can help bind toxins and excrete them in feces, preventing them from being re-absorbed in the colon
  • Likely to be helpful for most people suffering from chronic infection or environmental mold.

Miscellaneous


These items may be helpful in implementing Perfect Health Diet and Lifestyle advice.

Pill boxes
  • Set out pills once per week, aids remembering to take them
Pill cutter
  • For cutting tablets to reduce the dose

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Leave a comment ?

4,431 Comments.

  1. I’m sorry, I didn’t know this new additions. Lentils didn’t have lentils, enzyme inhibitors,etc? I know the blue zones consume legumes or at least it says so on the internet. I will try lentils my wife rock on lentils. Here in Spain once or twice or more times a week beans are consumed.
    Regards

  2. Lectins, pardon

  3. Paul, how the gut microbios? The resistant starch and Richard Nicoley ,
    Atherton and the others? Can we learn some from all this?
    Thank you

  4. Excuse the Errors, it’s the predictive text. I mean the gut microbiome, Tatertot

  5. Eat Right and Exercise Regularly | meryl williamson - pingback on August 22, 2015 at 1:01 am
  6. I see Pantothenic acid (B-5) recommended here at 500mg per day, but the PHD book and online 2015 interviews with Paul Jaminet recommend 500mg per week. Which is it, and why the difference?

    • I recently decided the potential benefits of taking more outweighed the almost non-existent risks. Weekly is fine but I’ve started taking it daily myself.

      • Paul, I asked this too. Might be a good idea to add a note to your webpage where supplement amounts differ from your book?

  7. Paul, is GFR a very good indicator of Kidney Health, I am 35 and my GFR is around 80. All other factors are fine, I do not have high creatinine levels. Is there something to worry about? Any supplement or dietary recommendations?
    Should I make sure I am not pre-diabetic?

    • Hi Spor,

      I would emphasize wound healing nutrients, mainly extracellular matrix – make stocks with bones,joints, tendons, chicken feet, ox hooves and use it liberally in soups and stews and other cooking.

      It does suggest slightly impaired kidney function. Talk to your doctor about it.

      • Paul, are only marrow bones ok or does it have to be more gelatinous like chicken feet? I can probably just drop a couple of chicken feet to the marrow bones soup.
        I have seen your soup recipe but I am not sure are you using slow cooker or pressure cooker?

        • Also since the fats are present in the first batch it probably should not cook for more that 3-6 hours right? I think I read one of your previous comments about that.

        • You can use any bones. Knuckle bones have more matrix than marrow bones, chicken feet and ox hooves have the most.

          We favor stove top simmering for bones.

          • Paul, I am able to make two batches of the broth, first around 3-6 hours boiling and next around 12 hours boiling. But how do you save the bones for the 3rd batch? Do you dry them off and freeze them again?

          • Hi Spor,

            We never cook longer than 3 hours, even on the fifth round. It makes a thinner stock but still tastes good. The bones we keep in the refrigerator in the stock pot, because we re-use them very soon – typically every 2-3 days. Batches are small.

          • Hello Paul. Why do you never cook bones more than 3 hours?

  8. Dr. Jaminet,
    Do you agree with the theory that increased Vitamin D3 creates a higher demand for K2.
    Some would go as far as to suggest that every 1000IUs of D3 should be taken with 100mcg of K2, so if you take 5000IUs of vit D3 you should supplement with 500mcg of K2 which is a pretty high dose.

    • Hi Stanislav,

      K2 requirements may go up as its cofactors become more abundant, but it won’t be anywhere near that fast. I could see 1 to 10 mcg K2 for each 1000 IU D3. But, you don’t want to overdose on D3 either.

  9. Dr. Jaminet,
    I started following your diet according to the book 3 days ago. I used to be a vegetarian for 8 years, but now I started eating some meat again – mainly shrimp and salmon – trying to ease in gradually.
    However I’m experiencing very low blood pressure to the point that I almost fainted while I was sitting on a chair. I ate a lot of spinach today and I’m concerned that the K1 could be causing coagulation issues.
    What do you think?

    • Hi Stanislav,

      I’m not sure what’s going on. If the low blood pressure is postprandial, this is a common phenomenon: http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/eating-can-cause-low-blood-pressure. Also it could be deficiencies of electrolytes or water. Make sure you are drinking enough and getting enough salt. As protein intake goes up, salt intake must go up with it. Probably you are just low in salt and water. I think also it is likely that this effect is temporary and as you normalize nutrient status in the body, blood pressure will be better controlled. However, I think it’s also prudent to visit your doctor and get evaluated.

      I don’t think K1 from food is likely to cause a problem. Again, you can ask your doctor to test for coagulation issues.

      Best, Paul

      • A friend doctor suggested that because of my allergies and because of my symptoms only occurring after eating shrimp and salmon which are high in histamine I could have mastocytosis or be otherwise histamine intolerable.
        If that’s true I won’t be able to follow your diet since most fermented foods and meats are high in histamine or release histamine from the gut.

        • whether or not u can follow the diet, you can overcome the mastocytosis. cleaning up your gut is an excellent start. follow the histamine protocol too. once your body is healed, you can eat whichever diet.

        • Hi Stanislav,

          You can eat a low histamine version of PHD, that’s no problem. There’s a lot more to the diet than fermented foods and meats. (Also, fresh meats are not high in histamine.)

  10. Hello Paul,
    In your book you say that you cleared your bacterial infection with a course of antibiotics.
    Some claim that antibiotics might kill heritage strains as well which can only be fixed with FMT (allegedly).
    What are your thoughts about that, should we attempt to kill SIBO with ketosis and stuff like fermented foods and lactoferrin (to avoid harming the heritage strains) or should we use the much faster and stronger antibiotics?
    Thanks.

    • Most of the time SIBO is readily fixed through natural methods so that’s where I’d start. In severe cases of H pylori or other entrenched infections, antibiotics may be helpful. In my case I had a central nervous system infection and that is hard to clear through diet, so antibiotics were necessary.

      • Hi Paul.
        When trying to fix SIBO naturally, does this mean that it is possible to resolve through just food, or do you mean adding in natural antibiotics?
        Thanks.

  11. Should someone with CPneumonia avoid coffee?

    I am following as much of PHD as I can given my many food sensitivities and not having too much protein so as not the feed the bacteria. But I wondered if I should avoid things like coffee and dark chocolate as well.

  12. Hi Paul, what is your take on sbo probiotic? I am going to try aor probiotic 3, because prescrypt assist scares me.
    I have read scary things about bacillus licheniformis.

    • I consider them therapeutic, not routine, supplements. They can help clear infections in the gut but they can cause mild opportunistic infections themselves and aren’t necessarily beneficial for healthy people with a healthy gut microbiome.

      • Thanks for this clarification Paul. I’ve been going back and forth with probiotics. Since I have signs of gut dysbiosis (lack of lactobacillus and still have klebsiella) do you think I should use probiotics? Any preferred brands or strains you think are mostt useful?

        I have been eating PHD for over a year now and have consumed a range of fermented foods daily for 4 years but still have gut dysbiosis.

        • Hi Claire,

          Yes, I think probiotics would be helpful to you. With the caveat that we don’t really know which species are most needed by which people.

          Be sure to get enough vitamin A and vitamin D, do intermittent fasting, and entrain circadian rhythms.

          • Thanks Paul.
            Vit D tested only slightly low recently so I supplement a bit more now. I do eat Vit A foods, liver and if I’m low on liver one week I’ll have a bit of cod liver oil. But is there a test for Vit A?

            I manage intermittant fasting more easily these days and do around 14 hours.

            Circadian rhythms is still hard for me. I am not good with routine. I do get enough sleep as have black out blinds, so don’t get woken up by the sun too early but I struggle to get to bed by 10:30pm. I know it’s important and I am trying to make this change in my life but keep failing back into bad habits. I think I’ll need to re read your chapter on it to re motivate me!

  13. Thank you Paul, I pretend to use them to reverse my dairy intolerance.

  14. Hi Paul,
    After reading your book I decided to test my copper and zinc levels since I eat very little meat and chocolate.
    My lab only carried serum copper, which I was told is not accurate, but I did it anyway. Serum copper came super low, a few points below the minimum range and zinc was somewhat in range near the mid.
    In the book you say that zinc is one of the most favorite minerals of fungi so the body tends to decrease utilization in order to prevent fungi from developing.
    Even though I eat very little meat and no chocolate I still eat some and I also eat cashews often. So I was wondering – is it safe to supplement with copper and assume it’s a deficiency or is there the possibility that the body is shutting down copper utilization to prevent further SIBO development.

  15. Paul, a shortest reply would suffice.
    Please tell me what you think about this.

  16. Paul, at any point do you decide to nit eat by the diet and just have a normal pizza, or some cake?? I love the diet and lifestyle but just a question.

    • Maybe 3-4 times per year, usually for convenience reasons (e.g. traveling & short of time), we will eat things we normally wouldn’t. But, usually it is a halfway compromise, not a full one. For example, we will have gluten-free pizza and ice cream rather than wheat pizza and cake.

  17. What is your opinion on copper supplementation for the elderly, especially considering the the plausible role for copper in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease?

    Thanks.

  18. Paul:

    Any ideas on how to reduce serum ferritin level???
    Thanks,
    Linda

  19. Hi Paul, can you please tell me something about the povidone? I’m going to try aor probiotic 3, and it’s one of the ingredients. In PubMed I’ve only found little toxicity in rats but not in rabbits. Thank you.

  20. Paul, during your years of research have you found any interesting information on diet/supplements/strategy that might be viable in treating pituitary adenoma? Thanks.

  21. Chicken Liver | Probably Healthy - pingback on September 2, 2015 at 5:37 am
  22. Hi Paul! I thought gluten free pizza was ok? I eat it like twice a month.. is flaxseed ok to add as fiber? I couldn’t find anything about it in the book. Also is there a new book now with the new food plate? Thank you!

    • Gluten-free pizza is acceptable, flaxseed is acceptable. Our cookbook, still in progress, will use the new food plate.

      • Paul,
        Not to beat a dead horse on this pizza topic, but is there a specific kind that’s better? Do you eat the one from dominos or a store bought one?? Love pizza and would live to find one I could include in diet.

  23. I recently had my blood ph tested and it was 7.75. What would cause it to be so alkaline and what diet modification is needed?

  24. What do you mean by eat more electrolytes? Eat what exactly?

  25. Hello Paul,
    I tested both copper and ceruloplasmin this time + zinc.
    Copper 10.40 µmol/l (12.3 – 22.4)
    Ceruloplasmin 0.22 g/L (0.20 – 0.60)
    Zinc 13.20 µmol/l (12 – 24)

    I did take copper bisglycinate 2.5mg for two days before the test but it did not seem to affect the result. Does it take longer for serum copper to rise?
    Is it possible that my GERD/SIFO is preventing the absorption of copper? If so, should I consider copper injections temporarily? Please reply.
    Thanks.

    • Hi Sammy,

      2.5 mg copper is a fairly normal daily intake so only two days of it won’t go far to repairing a whole-body deficiency. Personally I would not consider injections and would just supplement both copper and zinc. If you don’t eat liver, then 2.5 mg copper per day and 100 mg zinc per week would be a good amount. That should significantly improve copper and zinc status in about a month.

      It’s possible intestinal conditions can affect nutrient absorption but I would have no idea if yours do. I would assume not until proven otherwise.

  26. Paul – How would one modify the supplemental guidelines if:

    1 – One is on the autoimmune protocol diet, and
    2 – Further avoiding mammalian meats according to the recent study suggesting this for hashimoto sufferers.

    I have been toying the idea of starting on AIP but I am hesitant because of the many restrictions (eggs, for example) and the fact that I also want to further exclude the mammal meats to test that as well.

    • On the autoimmune protocol – supplement more carbs, since AIP tends to be too low carb. Otherwise our supplement recommendations are quite good. There may be individual tweaks but “eating AIP” or having Hashimoto’s is not enough information to identify them.

    • Thanks. Decided to start AIP and I’m feeling fantastic! I did try some white rice yesterday with no ill effects so I’ll be adding that in as needed. The “rules” state to wait 30 days for reintroductions, but I am worried about getting enough carbs and don’t want to crash since I’m doing so well.

      • There’s no magic diet that works for everyone. AIP is just a template to start out from. Listen to your body and do what you feel works for you!

  27. Paul,
    I have a reverse osmosis water filter and use this water for all my cooking including broths, stocks etc. Would you recommend supplementing with additional trace minerals? Do you like the Concentrace product? Thank you!

    • I think our supplement recommendations (magnesium, iodine, lithium, supplemental foods) plus lots of vegetables and seaweed more or less cover it, you should get enough trace minerals from whole foods, but it may be good to drink a bit of mineral water for calcium and trace minerals. Concentrace is fine, it basically reproduces much of our supplement advice, compare the label with http://perfecthealthdiet.com/recommended-supplements/. Don’t do both.

      Best, Paul

  28. I will be intereested in Paul’s response too. I have the Kinetico RO filter and I get their remineralizing cartridge for it.

  29. dietary supplement risk matrix | Suplement diet - pingback on September 6, 2015 at 11:17 am
  30. Hi Paul, this might be redundant, but how do you add egg yolks to the diet? Do you mix it into the soup or let it cook whole in the soup? Can you just drink them raw?

    • If I’m not mistaken, I think Paul has mentioned that he mixes them into his typical lunch of leftovers. However, I don’t know if he does it before or after heating the food.

  31. Georgina Diet Food Health Supplement | Best healthy food - pingback on September 9, 2015 at 3:51 pm
  32. Hi, Dr. Jaminet,

    I (we) have been doing REALLY well on the PHD diet, supplements and lifestyle. (Full disclosure–the only thing we really don’t incorporate enough of is liver.) I’m confused, however, by my recent lab results. My physician states he doesn’t think I’m anemic, but has no idea why I don’t store iron well. My ferritin was 18.9 pg/mL. I believe I read a response from you in an earlier supplement question stating an ideal range is around 50-150.

    I don’t supplement iron per your recommendation. Would this be an instance where I should, or perhaps I should be looking elsewhere for the root problem? (I’m a 45-year-old, perimenopausal woman who takes thyroid medication, if that helps). I’m just curious if I even need to be concerned.

    Thanks for ALL you do; we truly do feel so much better!

    • Hi Laura,

      If you are menstruating or pregnant and don’t eat liver, it’s not uncommon to become iron deficient. Try taking extra vitamin c to help absorption, eat liver (ideally) or, if not, supplement iron, and see what happens.

      Best, Paul

      • Many, many thanks!! (And I intuitively knew liver would be part of your answer–ha!)

      • I would be interested to hear Paul’s comment on Mg threonate as well. I use Dr. Mercola’s. Seems to help sleep and restless legs with no side effects. They say it crosses the blood brain barrier which other forms of Mg don’t?

  33. Hi Paul,

    Above you say seaweed is a good food source for Silicon… Do you have any reference for the concentration and bioavailability of Silicon in various seaweeds? Or at least a guess of how much seaweed would give a good dose?

    Thanks!
    -Eric

  34. Has there been a discussion of magnesium L-threonate here on PHD?

  35. I would be interested to hear Paul’s comment on Mg threonate as well. I use Dr. Mercola’s. Seems to help sleep and restless legs with no side effects. They say it crosses the blood brain barrier which other forms of Mg don’t?

  36. Hi Paul,

    I am wondering whether Boron and Chromium supplements are necessary on PHD:

    1. Avocados are claimed to be a good source of Boron [1], with 11 mcg per g; other sources I could find claim roughly equal Boron content (e.g. [3] claims 10–45 mcg per gram). If this number is correct, 1–2 avocados per week would provide as much Boron as the suggested 3 mg supplement.

    2. Shellfish are claimed to be a good source of Chromium [2], with 1.3 mcg per g. If these numbers are accurate, a single 6 oz of mussels per week could replace the 200 mcg Chromium supplement. A note of caution is that Chromium is notoriously difficult to measure in food… but other sources at least claim numbers which are within a factor of two [4].

    Both of these sound pretty easy — unlike, say, eating a pound of bell peppers every day for vitamin C. 🙂

    References:

    [1] http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=100

    [2] http://www.eufic.org/article/en/nutrition/carbohydrates/artid/Chromium-in-the-diet/

    [3] Hechtman. Clinical naturopathic medicine.

    [4] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0025326X94901341

  37. Hello Paul,

    Do you prefer supplementing with Gylcine rather than collagen supplements if you’re not getting enough matrix from bone broths?

    If not eating liver, do you suggest taking the 2mg copper supplement daily, several times a week, or weekly?

    Thank you!

    PS: PHD has greatly improved our lives. Thank you for your work & for sharing it with others.

  38. Hi Paul!

    What’s your take on liposomal supplements; namely vitamin C and glutathione. I use them regularly because I feel they give me a much needed boost since I’m not able to eat enough fruits and vegetables due to SIBO. Do you think it’s possible that the body will become reliant on these supplements and down-regulate its own endogenous production?

    • Markus,
      I asked Paul the same thing before, and for the very same reason, but I don’t think he’s had the time to give his thoughts on this one yet.

      Ive done numerous literature searches, but haven’t come up with anything. Since Liposomal and S-glutathione, that actually supply the body with glutathione instead of being digested in the GI-tract, are relatively new supplements, perhaps this hasn’t been investigated?

      I’ve also contacted every supplier of liposomal glutathione, including Dave Asprey, Seeking health etc, and have not gotten any answers other than “ask your doctor” , but drugs, not natural supplements, are the doctor’s domain, so that’s not even an answer.

      So my conclusion is: there is perhaps no evidence that supplemental glutathione used long-term down regulates the body’s own production, but it is also logical to assume that it might. This is certainly the case with e.g. hormones. Vitamin C, however, isn’t produced in the human body, but your body might adjust to the higher intake and if you would like to stop/take a break with the liposomal C, you might want to titrate down if you have used very high doses.

      My personal decision regarding liposomal glutathione has been to not use it regularly, but only as needed. Perhaps using it periodically to derive benefits such as metal chelation, and then taking breaks would be a good compromise?

      AS an aside, if you are suffering from SIBO and have’t already, take a look at Norm Robillard’s book and his concept of fermentation potential. Between changing my diet according to that, and the use of LDN (to increase motility) I am for the first time in about 10 years often asymptomatic and never very symptomatic, and I’m so happy about it I don’t have words to describe the feeling. Now, I still can’t have any fiber so we’re not talking a cure (but perhaps that will come with time now that I’m not continuously feeding microbes in the SI), but the freedom from overt symptoms is magnificent.

      Best of luck to you!

      • Thank you for your advice! May I ask, what does your diet look like at the moment and how has it changed throughout the years?

        Currently, I’m doing something like an AIP/Low FODMAP/SCD-type of a diet, but it is very restrictive and not very nutrient dense.

    • I don’t think that’s a major concern if you are supplementing in moderation. There is always some dose that is excessive, but if you feel better on them, I’d say they are helping you.

      • Paul,
        how would you define “moderation” here? Would it e.g. be the recommended dose on the bottle 1x/day?
        Thanks!

        • I typically take 500 mg of glutathione and 1000 mg of vitamin C daily. After a month or so I then take a two week break before I start another cycle.

  39. Paul,
    Is it true that when you are mineral deficient, your body may substitute deficient minerals with other metals in your body including toxic metals. So once you start to replenish your body, it will release the toxic metals back into circulation?

    • Hi Terra,

      You’d have to look at specific cases, but in some cases chemically similar elements (on same column of periodic table) can substitute for each other, and getting better nutrition may restore a better balance between them.

  40. Whyalla Diet Food Health Supplement | Diet food - pingback on September 20, 2015 at 9:22 pm
  41. Hi Paul.
    About Glycine, taurine and NAC, what are your recommendations for the moment you take them ? Is it one daily take ? Or one take per week ? How much for each? And is it good to take for any health conditions ?

    I ‘ve found some on the website “myprotein.com” is it safe ?
    Thanks for ur answers, Mike

  42. I have been diagnosed with NAFLD. I’m not supposed to have fructose, can I still do your diet without eating fructose?

    • Hi Rich,

      Yes, do our diet. Don’t eat anything with added sugar, but do eat fruits and vegetables. You don’t want zero fructose, just limit it to the fructose contained in natural foods.

      Best, Paul

      • Not to be hard to get a long with but when the doc told me know fructose and to limit fruit consumption Im pretty sure he didnt have in mind me eating a lb of fruit a day. Would it be ok to only eat a small portion of low fructose fruits and do more starchy veggies like yams / potatoes? He said that livers have a little harder time converting fructose to glucose and that its less efficient and that much of it gets stored as fat, as opposed to other sugers and simple starches. What are you thoughts on this?

  43. No** not Know /facepalm

  44. Hi Paul,
    Maybe a bit off-topic but can you tell me how you overcame your Candida issues?
    Thanks a ton!

  45. Paul,
    What are your thoughts on electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and other wireless devices? Is it really
    that damaging to humans, or is it a myth? If so, how can we protect ourselves? Thanks.

  46. Paul,

    Do you recommend beef liver supplements (pills) if eating liver every week is not practical or desirable?

    Thanks.

    Bruce

  47. Paul,
    I have a friend who seems to be developing new enzyme deficiencies over time including digestive enzymes, blood-related enzymes, histamine-degrading enzymes and more – this is all tested and verified by his doctor, but the reason is unknown. In your opinion, what could be a hypothetical reason for such malfunctions to occur?

      • I doubt it, he’s been following the PHD for over an year, he’s the one who told me about the diet. Blood tests don’t show nutritional deficiencies either.

        • Histamine intolerance is usually copper, choline, molybdenum, so beef/lamb liver, egg yolks, and possibly molybdenum supplements should fix it. “Digestive enzyme” deficiencies probably means something going on the stomach or small intestine, such as SIBO or H pylori. Don’t know what “blood related enzymes” are so no idea what pathologies would be related to that. I’d be inclined to doubt the diagnosis.

          • It’s an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which if deficient causes erythrocytes to die prematurely and results in excess bilirubin. He also has Gilbert’s syndrome which is again an enzyme deficiency (glucuronyltransferase) which causes elevated bilirubin as well.

  48. Hello Paul,
    A lot of Paleo followers seem to believe in a practice called “Coconut Oil Pulling” – basically rinsing your teeth with coconut oil for its antimicrobial effects.
    What is your opinion about this, and also what has helped poor dental health the most in your practice?
    Thanks.

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