Supplements

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)	<br />	<br />	<br />
Vitamin K2 Recommended dose: 100 mcg MK-7 Pharmacological, possibly therapeutic doses: 1000 mcg to 5 mg MK-4	<br />	<br />	<br />
Magnesium Use chelate (e.g. glycinate) or citrate Daily dose 200 mg	<br />	<br />	<br />
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	<br />
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	<br />	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />	<br />

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	<br />	<br />	<br />
B2 (riboflavin) 100 mg per week	<br />	<br />	<br />
B6 For those who don’t take a B-50 complex We recommend 50 mg to 100 mg per week	<br />	<br />	<br />
Biotin We recommend 5 mg once per week	<br />	<br />	<br />
B12 We recommend 500 mcg to 1 mg once per week Sublingual methylcobalamin is preferred	<br />	<br />	<br />
Zinc We recommend about 50 mg per week Be sure to follow our copper recommendations as copper-zinc balance is crucial	<br />	<br />	<br />
Boron The 3 mg dose can be taken one to three times per week	<br />	<br />	<br />

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	<br />	<br />	<br />
More Probiotics Bifidobacterium spp can help with leanness and weight loss. Lactobacillus spp can help with small intestinal issues	<br />	<br />	<br />
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.	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />	<br />
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		<br />	<br />
Silicon Up to 25 mg per day Most people would benefit from more silicon Seaweed is a good food source	<br />	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />	<br />
Molybdenum We recommend 150 mcg to 1 mg per week	<br />	<br />	<br />
Taurine We recommend 500 to 1000 mg weekly for healthy persons Supports production of bile salts	<br />	<br />	<br />
Vitamin E Red palm oil is a good food source If supplementing, take mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols	<br />	<br />	<br />

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	<br />	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />	<br />
Creatine Supports muscle growth and preservation; especially valuable for the elderly Up to 1 teaspoon (5 g) per day	<br />	<br />	<br />
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	<br />	<br />	<br />
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.	<br />	<br />	<br />

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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4,434 Comments.

Carol April 13, 2011 at 10:22 am

Hi Paul,
I’m about to embark on an N=1 experiment using high dose K2 (MK-4) drops from Thorne (3 divided doses of 15mg/day) for 6 weeks. Although the Japanese studies show improved bone density, I’m more interested in the cardiovascular effects reported as side effects of the osteoporosis studies and in animal studies using equivalent doses.

I have been scouring Chris Masterjohn’s site and others as well and trying to directly decipher from the research the appropriate proportional doses of D3 and A to take concomitantly with such high K2. Does a higher dose of K2 also require a substantial increase in D3 and A?

I usually use Carlson’s CLO to balance A&D–supplementing when I don’t get enough sun and organ meats and regularly take LEF’s Super K. With such a jump in K2 dosage it seems the proportional requirements for D3 and A would be astronomical. What do you think appropriate ratios might be? I would greatly appreciate your input.
Thanks, Carol

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 13, 2011 at 10:35 am

Hi Carol,

You don’t need to adjust D or A when you increase K2. K2 relieves D and A toxicity, but there’s no known K2 toxicity and K2 doesn’t significantly alter D or A requirements. I would just continue with normal D and A intake. Around 4,000 IU D and 10,000 IU A from all sources, sun included, is what we think is optimal. Since our diet is fat-rich and should include egg yolks and beef liver, both rich in A, you shouldn’t need any supplemental A, especially if you take a multivitamin (which we recommend). This is why we don’t recommend cod liver oil.

Most K2 effects saturate, so the LEF Super K should have you well prepared for the higher dose. You probably won’t notice much, but I would keep an eye out either for excessive bleeding (e.g. little nicks that don’t clot quickly) or discomfort if you sit in the same position for a long time. In general, don’t put a lot of weight on one body part for long periods.

Best, Paul

Reply
Carol April 13, 2011 at 1:08 pm

Thanks Paul for your prompt and straightforward reply. Since I posed my question I’ve been reading everything on your site. I’m very impressed. I’ve been following a PaNu diet for more than a year with very positive effects. It helped to ween me off statins, Plavix and other cardiovascular meds that I was prescribed following an unanticipated MI 2 years ago.

Unfortunately, in my compromised state, I allowed the cardiologists to implant 4 stents which then required that I remain on drugs for at least a year. If they had their way I would be on them for life! When I was being wheeled into the cath lab I overheard my doctor arrogantly remark to an intern “Here’s a person who should never eat another egg in her life!” The irony is I didn’t eat ANY eggs.

I had been a dutiful, low fat, high carb, whole grains, sometimes vegetarian dieter who had mostly followed AHA recommendations to a T. I was slightly overweight from menopause and the sedentary lifestyle of a graduate student chained to a computer while working on a PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology!

I had researched metabolic syndrome and knew that I had it. My cholesterol was not remarkably elevated. I was trying to do something about it. Little did I know that what had been recommended was exactly what was causing my problems.

Once out of the hospital I signed on as a patient in the Integrative Medicine Clinic at the U of MD medicine school. My D.O. there helped monitor a transition to the Mediterranean Diet. The next six months I became influenced by my own internet research where I discovered Dr. Davis, Peter @ hyperlipid, Stephan, WAP and Chris Masterjohn, Chris Kressler, Kurt Harris and most of the others on your list. I used Chron-o-meter at first to keep track of nutritional data but after a few months it became a burden. I simply adopted most of the PaNu steps (except giving up pastured raw dairy). I felt energized, ate according to a natural rhythm and did not feel hungry except about once a day.

I still sometimes have somewhat elevated FBG and have to monitor it. I have not lost a lot of weight- went from 168 pre MI to 147 2 years post. I could stand to lose about 20 more pounds. The most I lost was 10 lbs in one month doing alternate day fasting. Now I do intermittent fasting. I seem to have plateaued and even gained back a few lbs since I’ve added back some healthy starches. Still, I’m mostly concerned about the weight factor and other parameters in reversing CAD and maintaining optimal health. Since I’ve been on a PaNu diet I have not been sick–not a single cold, flu, stomach problem.

I’m very interested in your diet since I want to avoid kidney stones (which I had 10 years ago) and perhaps my PaNu diet has been too ketogenic. Anyway, I’ll stop rambling now and just thank you again for your answer to my K2/A?D question! Carol

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 13, 2011 at 1:34 pm

Hi Carol,

Welcome!

It’s too bad you didn’t find us earlier, it’s always better not to have surgery or foreign objects in your body. There is always a danger of pathogens building biofilms on your stents, and creating a more severe chronic infection problem.

I think it’s important to worry about health first, weight second. Forced weight loss can easily backfire, whereas if you can heal yourself your weight will normalize.

There’s a good chance that the really hard weight loss cases are caused by chronic infections.

Intermittent fasting is very desirable, it enhances immunity against bacteria and viruses as well as reducing appetite. I think the starches are important too – it’s better not to be in ketosis all the time, which promotes fungal and protozoal infections – and meeting some of your glucose needs from food reduces metabolic stress.

Let me know if you have any questions, we’re always happy to help!

Best, Paul

Reply
Carol April 13, 2011 at 7:48 pm

Hi Paul

You said: “There is always a danger of pathogens building biofilms on your stents, and creating a more severe chronic infection problem.”

That is, I believe, what may have happened to me. First some background:

For the first month or so after the MI and PCIs I experienced muscle weakness in my legs and hips and was unable to walk very far. I couldn’t tell if this was from the heart attack itself, the catheters inserted through the groin on both legs, or the statins and other meds I was taking. [Prior to the heart attack I usually ran about 3miles/day 3-5 times per week with no problems and biked about 20 miles on the C&O Canal every weekend from Spring through Fall]. I never had any symptoms of angina or any other kind of chest pain until the day before I had the heart attack. In fact, I did not interpret the pressure in my chest and back as heart related at all.

I thought I was coming down with the flu. This was very logical, actually. It was late February. My closest friend had just visited and said she had just recovered from the worst flu she had ever had. I thought she was exaggerating when she said she felt like she was going to die. But, less than a week later when I started experiencing a slight fever, back and chest pains relieved at first by aspirin and NSAIDs, and shortness of breath, I was convinced that I had contracted the flu from my friend. So I had periodic pains the first day and a low grade fever.

By the next evening when the pain got worse and breathing became more labored I was convinced I had a full blown case of whatever my friend had-still suspecting the flu. I used Lamaze breathing techniques and meditation to ease the pressure and discomfort that was worsening by the hour and wearing me out.

My son and husband were very worried and by 3 AM wanted to call the EMTs but I was stubbornly conquering the pain with Lamaz, meditation, and self-hypnosis. I kept thinking that the worst would pass and I would get through this–after all–I had natural childbirth three times. I was connected to my body, I thought, and knew my limits.

It wasn’t until both of my arms started feeling numb that I really began to worry that I might actually be having a heart attack. I doubled my dose of Q10 just in case. At dawn I allowed them to call the EMTs who gave me nitroglycerin, immediate relief, and verified that I was having or had had a heart attack.

I was transported to our local hospital given antithrombolitics and a nitro patch and then flown by helicopter to a Cardiovascular Center where they immediately wheeled me into the cath lab and performed a PCI resulting in two stents. I barely remember any kind of “informed” consent for the procedures. I was very tired and just sort of surrendered to all the events going on around me. I didn’t have any more pain which was really all that mattered to me at that point. With hindsight I wish they had given me nitro and let me go home. Then I could have looked into my options and elected to have the procedures or not. I would have elected lifestyle change rather than be on Plavix, statins,ACE inhibitors and beta blockers for a year.

Afterwards, they explained that I would need to stay in the hospital for a week or so and have another stent placed on the opposite side. When they went in for that procedure they found that during the first intervention the previous doctor had caused a dissection of the artery and so had to repair that mistake with yet another stent! At discharge, my cardiologist laughed at me and said there was no way that I could reverse atherosclerosis with diet and lifestyle changes as I wanted to do.

At home, during recovery I had mild discomfort in my chest and the aforementioned muscle weakness. I began taking longer and longer walks and mobility improved. At my one month checkup I asked if I could do Yoga and was given permission. However, when I did Yoga I experienced the discomfort in my chest even more. It wasn’t heart pain or angina, I was quite sure. It felt more like I could feel the stents inside of me.

This continued while I was doing Cardiac Rehab. I reported it to the techs and to my cardiologists. They said it was impossible for me to feel the stents. The cardiologist responded by ordering a stress test which showed nothing. By now, I had been putting up with it for three months and had become worried that it could be heart related.

I explained my symptoms to my D.O., she tapped my chest, asked when and where it hurt and diagnosed Costochondritis. After 3 weeks of treatment with Inflamed caps the pain/discomfort subsided and was completely gone by 6 weeks. It could have been inflammation caused by infectious biofilms on the stents. It could have been trauma to the chest wall from the procedures. I don’t think it warranted choosing a stress test with radioactive isotopes over tapping on my chest. After this was gone I was able to exercise better and start to regain my strength but the statins were causing muscle weakness. I became determined to free myself from them and all meds by replacing them with appropriate diet and supplements. I not only did that by the time the first year was up but my lab results were still great six months later. I am overdue to have more follow-up testing.

Yes, I wish I had discovered you (and all the others who led me to your site) several years ago before the MI and the stents. None of this would have happened. I’m now intent on reversing atherosclerosis through diet and supplements so I can still use any expert advice you wish to send my way. I can’t wait to read your book! Carol

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 13, 2011 at 8:24 pm

Hi Carol,

What a nightmare. Well, better late than never. The body has amazing powers of recovery when it is well-nourished and let’s hope everything goes well for you from here!

You might want to start our “essential supplements” before receiving our book, they all support immune function and vascular healing.

Best, Paul

Reply
Ellen April 14, 2011 at 4:39 am

Carol– sending positive, healing thoughts to your recovery! You will love Paul’s book. I am looking forward to RE-reading it.

Reply
Carol April 14, 2011 at 11:20 am

Paul & Ellen,
Thanks for your encouragement. I believe that my diet and supplement regime has evolved to include all of the PHD essentials as well as some extras specific to CVD. It will be interesting for me to compare once I have the book. I am at the stage where further testing is required to see if what I’ve been doing is working and if there are any deficiencies still needing attention.

Reply
Ellen April 15, 2011 at 11:53 am

Paul- I don’t know where else to ask this -but what’s your take on kombucha? Do you think the yeast/culture helps or hurts chronic fungal infections?

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 15, 2011 at 1:20 pm

Hi Ellen,

I think in general taking yeast will hurt with a chronic fungal infection.

Every microbe, even probiotic ones, tries to make its environment more favorable for itself. Yeasts share similar biology, so S. boulardii and other probiotic yeasts tend to make the digestive tract more favorable to pathogens like Candida and less favorable for bacteria.

I’ve heard of cases of Candida infections developing into full-blown fungemia after S. boulardii supplementation.

I think bacterially fermented foods would be better if you have a fungal infection.

Reply
Ellen April 15, 2011 at 1:34 pm

Thanks Paul. Good information to know.
So, bacterially fermented foods– like Kimchi for example? sauerkraut?

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 15, 2011 at 1:39 pm

Yes.

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GPL April 15, 2011 at 2:17 pm

Paul, I have been perusing blogs on dietary choline by Chris Masterjohn. In his latest, “Does Dietary Choline Contribute to Heart Disease”, http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2011/04/does-dietary-choline-contribute-to.html, he responds to a comment that asks about choline bitartrate, and states “…while I’m less than entirely convinced of this mechanistic link to heart disease, I would avoid any choline supplements that do not use phosphatidylcholine, since this is by far what is overwhelmingly found in food.”

What are your thoughts about supplementing with choline bitartrate versus phosphatidylcholine (I believe that the choline products that you recommend are choline bitartrate)?

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 15, 2011 at 2:39 pm

Hi GPL,

I would agree with Chris that on general principles the dominant food forms of compounds are likely to be the healthiest ones. Still, choline has many uses in the body apart from its use in phospholipids. It is a methyl donor and is present in the liver in the choline form.

I don’t believe there is real evidence of toxicity from choline bitartrate or any other common form. I discussed the Nature paper in “Around the Web” a week ago and it is really far from showing any choline toxicity.

I should probably add a lecithin supplement to the page, but I think choline bitartrate supplements will also be beneficial.

Reply
Robert April 15, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Hi Paul,

In your book you speak a little about the SCFA butyrate and its extensive benefits, but you also mentioned that it was hard come by as a supplement. But a quick google search displays a few options.

Do you think it’s something worth supplementing, or is it enough to stick with cold startches every once in a while to maximize butyrate production? It seems resistant startches are the best dietary path to produce it…

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 15, 2011 at 9:10 pm

Hi Robert,

I haven’t tried butyrate supplements. I don’t know of any harm in trying. I’m told they taste lousy.

As far as I know butyrate supplementation is not a well-studied topic. The conservative approach would be to just eat a little more resistant starch.

Just consider it an experiment if you try it; so don’t start until everything else in diet, life, and health are stable, so you can more easily detect any effects, good or bad.

Best, Paul

Reply
Ellen April 20, 2011 at 11:31 am

Paul- I notice that the K2 you were recommending above for the moderate dose is now replaced with an ad. Is that on purpose or do you now not recommend the Life Extension Super K which contains M4 and M7?

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 20, 2011 at 11:43 am

Hi Ellen,

I don’t know why Amazon does that, but every once in a while they’ll replace a product with a general ad.

If you refresh the page the Life Extension product should re-appear.

UPDATE: Sorry, looks like Amazon stopped carrying that item. I’ve replaced the link.

Best, Paul

Reply
Time to order supplements... | Mark's Daily Apple Health and Fitness Forum page - pingback on April 22, 2011 at 7:01 am
Darrin April 26, 2011 at 8:06 pm

ignoring melatonin, are there any supplements listed above that you would recommend either;
A) taking before bed (how many minutes before bed?), or
B) avoid taking before bed

I have read differing opinions, some supps may be good to take before bed, so they can help repair the body during the night (without impacting sleep quality).
While other supps may interfere with sleep quality leaving you feeling un-rested in the morning, or even worse keep you awake most of the night.

I have started to experiment a bit myself, no conclusions as yet.

The other variable in this may be how you define ‘before bed’; 30mins seems to get mentioned a bit, & i guess this could depend on the particular supplement.
Thx, Darrin

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 26, 2011 at 8:48 pm

Hi Darrin,

Most supplements are best taken with meals. It’s good to try to finish eating a few hours before bed, since early stages of digestion work better when you’re upright.

Melatonin can be taken any time in the last half hour before bed. When I took it, during my illness, I usually took it a few minutes before bed.

Reply
Darrin April 26, 2011 at 9:08 pm

super quick response, thanks Paul,
Yep, evening food is the other variable i’m playing with.
I definitely sleep worse on a full stomach. However, I seem to sleep better when i have a few calories 15 to 20 mins before bed.
& i am trying to nail down what pre bed snack works best for me, in the way of calories, carb, fat, protein, liquids, solids etc.

Reply
Gary April 26, 2011 at 9:29 pm

Some recommend that you take magnesium supplements at night before you go to bed. That’s because the magnesium will make you sleepy. In fact, some sleep “remedies” meant to help you sleep at night are primarily magnesium.

Reply
Ellen April 27, 2011 at 3:52 am

Hi Paul.. what is it about melatonin and dreams? Odd dreams in particular. And nightmares too. I had an awful nightmare one night when taking melatonin- so I dropped the dose the next night. Still having strange dreams but not frightening. Does it mean the dose is too much or not enough? Or is that just a common side effect?

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 27, 2011 at 6:47 am

Hi Ellen,

Yes, it’s possible the dose is too high. You want the minimum dose which gives you sound sleep.

If the melatonin is not time-release, then a symptom of too much is early waking. If it is time-release, then with too much you have the old melatonin inducing early waking with the new melatonin inducing sleep. The result may be morning grogginess and disturbed sleep. The dreaming might be a sign of disturbed, half-waking sleep.

Reply
Ellen April 27, 2011 at 7:51 am

So, if it is time release, then– and I’m having the disturbed sleep and/or early waking, I should just drop the dose a bit till I hit the right amount evident by restful slumber?

As always, thanks Paul!

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 27, 2011 at 7:58 am

Yes, that’s what I would do!

Reply
erp April 27, 2011 at 9:29 am

Both regular and time released melatonin caused me the same problem and since I’d never had problems sleeping prior to surgery last February, about two weeks ago I decided to stop the melatonin completely and I’ve returned to my normal sleep habits.

Re: Total darkness during sleep.

Our house is set up so that in order to have total darkness, I would have to use eye shades and that would be too draconian for me. Putting the tissue box in front of the bedside digital clock display was helpful, I think, because the other ambient light is very diffused.

Re: Pill taking time. I’ve been taking all the supplements in the morning with breakfast including a teaspoon (5000 mg) vit. C crystals in a smoothie and three vit. C capsules, saving two 1000 mg Vit. C before bedtime. Adding two more capsules to my morning regimen is daunting.

Would it be better to just take two teaspoons of the crystals for the 10 g of daily Vit. C and do away with the capsules completely?

Reply
Ellen April 27, 2011 at 10:37 am

erp– maybe you weren’t deficient in melatonin then?

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 27, 2011 at 11:14 am

Hi erp,

I tried eye shades briefly and couldn’t stand them.

You can also turn the digital clock face down.

It’s good news that you don’t need melatonin supplements, that’s a signal of brain health!

For the benefit of readers, erp is recovering from knee surgery and I suggested extra C temporarily to aid recovery. But I have no definite dose of vitamin C; it’s not necessary to reach 10 g if that is hard. And it’s good to take it in whatever form is best tolerated; if you like the powder better than capsules, take the powder. But a large dose like 5 g I would take with food, as in your smoothie.

Best, Paul

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Advocatus Avocado April 27, 2011 at 12:58 pm

I don’t know if this has been pointed out elsewhere on the site, but it seems that another benefit to gelatin consumption is that it’s relatively rich in copper and selenium.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5480/2

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 27, 2011 at 1:09 pm

Excellent point! Thank you, Advocatus.

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erp April 28, 2011 at 11:36 am

Paul, thanks for the testimonial about having a healthy brain. Could you put that in an official document and send it to my kids all three of whom, I believe, would find it pretty hard to believe.

Re: Vit. C crystals

So it’s okay to take 2 teaspoons (10 g) in my smoothie.

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 28, 2011 at 12:02 pm

Just print this out:

perfecthealthdiet.com

awards its

Certificate of Healthy Brainness

to erp

in consequence of her wit, humor, and intolerance for melatonin.

Awarded this day, Thursday, April 28, anno domini 2011, with all the honors and appurtenances pertaining hereunto.

Signed, Paul Jaminet

10 g might be a lot at once, but you can give it a try if that’s your favorite way to take it. Back off if there is any stomach upset.

Reply
Perry April 28, 2011 at 12:49 pm

Hi Paul,

Regarding gelatin, I’ve had a negative reaction at least two times now to some all day crock pot stew, both beef and lamb.

It seems as though, especially when eating only the the gelatin, I get a reaction that must be something like severe depression. For 5-6 hours afterward, literally feel nothing…(as in, wow, look at that, the house is burning, oh well). Seriously though, it is a weird feeling, the wife notices it asking me whats’ wrong.

I don’t really know much about SSRI brain chemistry but do you think the lack of tryptophan coupled with bacterial infection could be doing this when large amounts of gelatin is consumed or is it something else?

BTW, I finished 6 days of doxy to see if it had much of an effect on me. It did nothing for the nerve issues or muscle weakness, maybe my mood was slightly improved but so hard to tell.

Thanks so much Paul.

Reply
Perry April 28, 2011 at 12:51 pm

I forget to say the beef and lamb (bone in) cuts had copious amounts of connective tissue that cooked down in the crock pot.

Reply
Paul Jaminet April 28, 2011 at 1:20 pm

Hi Perry,

I really don’t know what may have caused that. I suppose reduced entry of tryptophan to the brain is a plausible hypothesis.

I’m not sure I’d connect that to a bacterial infection – the lack of obvious response to doxy suggests that any bacterial infection may not be very severe.

Best, Paul

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erp April 28, 2011 at 5:34 pm

Thanks Paul. I’ll see if changes their minds about their mother’s mental health.

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Ellen May 6, 2011 at 8:53 am

Paul– what do you think about zinc causing nausea? Is that common?

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Paul Jaminet May 6, 2011 at 9:00 am

Hi Ellen,

Yes, it’s common. Be sure to take it with meals and you should probably reduce the dose.

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Mia May 7, 2011 at 1:13 am

Hello Paul,

What are your thoughts on this multivitamin Life-Extension-One-Per-Day-Tablets:
http://amzn.to/jKE46n

It has recommended by you amounts of Chromium and Selenium and high amounts of other vitamins (such as B complex which I was going to supplement with separately anyway, so I was hoping this will allow me to reduce the daily number of pills to take. I don’t really like that it has D2 not D3 though…but the rest seems not too bad to me. Plus, it’s not that expensive considering.
I was wondering if you think it’s OK to take or is it still better to get all recommended supplements separately?

Thank you

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Mia May 7, 2011 at 1:22 am

Me agian:) I just realized Amazon does not provide the breakdown of vitamins & minerals, so here it is
http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01501/One-Per-Day-Tablets.html

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Paul Jaminet May 7, 2011 at 8:37 am

Hi Mia,

It’s pretty good. Downsides in my view: too much beta carotene, vitamin E, and niacin. It also lacks copper so that would have to be taken separately. Like you I’d prefer D3 to D2.

But most items are in near-optimal amounts, and it does seem convenient.

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Danny May 11, 2011 at 6:12 am

Hi Paul,
I’m wondering what would be the appropriate dosage of iodine for someone with Hypothyrodism?

Thank you for your time.

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Paul Jaminet May 11, 2011 at 7:07 am

Hi Danny,

The ideal starting dose is low — under 500 mcg/day.

Before raising iodine intake it’s important to get thyroid autoantibodies down by having eliminated wheat for six months, and to get all the other thyroid-relevant nutrients up – so no copper, iron, or selenium deficiencies.

Mario is preparing a guest post on selenium-iodine interactions. Basically, iodine and selenium intake need to go up together. As iodine increases above 500 mcg/day selenium has to reach at least 200 mcg/day.

When you do choose to increase iodine, go slowly, no more than a doubling of intake each month.

I personally think it’s good to stop for a while at 2 or 3 mg/day and focus on other tactics for fixing hypothyroidism. This is sufficient iodine for good immune function, so should help healing, and is also enough to help force excretion of other halides such as bromine, but shouldn’t be that challenging for the thyroid to cope with.

But let’s see what Mario says, he’s very knowledgeable and may advocate a higher dose.

Best, Paul

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Bill May 11, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Hi Paul,

I don’t think 2 or 3 mg per day is always enough to drive out toxic halides. I was on 12.5 mg per day for many months, but a 24-hour iodine loading urine test showed extraordinarily toxic bromine levels remaining. I was advised to increase the dose to 50 mg per day and retest in three months. At that time, the bromine level had dropped substantially, but was still at a very toxic level. It looks like it will take quite a few more months of 50 mg per day at least to drive the bromine out of my system. I have the impression that, while my bromine level was unusually high, it is quite common to require doses this high to clear bromine and achieve iodine saturation.

Also, as I think you know the iodine doctors commonly start people on doses of 12.5 to 50 mg, or even higher in cases of severe disease, and very rarely see problems, thyroid or otherwise, that can’t be solved with salt loading or other techniques for combating reactions from the bromine release. Many people with autoimmune thyroid disease, including me, experience a dramatic reduction in their requirement for thyroid medication. I haven’t measured my autoantibodies, but some people report dramatic reductions and in other cases the levels remain unchanged, apparently. This makes me skeptical of the warnings one reads about iodine “fanning the flames” of Hashimoto’s disease, though I do think a lot about all this is not yet fully understood.

I do think it’s one thing to do this with the help of an experienced doctor (not always easy to find), and another thing to do it on your own, so more caution may be warranted for do-it-yourselfers. But I don’t think the iodine doctors have had a lot of luck, in general, with doses lower than 12.5 to 50 mg. They seem to believe that’s due to widespread bromine and other halide toxicity, which interferes with iodine absorption. In addition to selenium, they always advise supplementing magnesium, vitamin C, and Celtic salt as essential parts of a safe and effective iodine protocol.

I think that as more and more people experiment with iodine, and as more doctors add it to their toolkit, we will learn a great deal more over the next few years. It’s an exciting time in that regard.

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Paul Jaminet May 11, 2011 at 9:57 pm

Hi Bill,

I agree, with substantial bromine it might take years to drive it out at 2 mg/day.

But not everyone has severe bromine poisoning, and 2 mg is a good start. I think when there are many issues in play it’s good to take care of most of the others before raising iodine to high levels.

Mario is working on some posts about high-dose iodine in autoimmune thyroiditis. Hopefully that will help clarify some of the issues.

I do agree that high-dose iodine has real potential as a therapy. It is exciting to think there may be untapped opportunities there.

Best, Paul

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Enrique May 12, 2011 at 8:57 pm

Can’t wait for Mario’s post.

Great job Paul!

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Eric W May 18, 2011 at 12:20 am

I noticed that Life Extension have a new product with K, D, and I:

Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol)
5000 IU
Vitamin K activity from:
1100 mcg
Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-4)
1000 mcg
Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-7)
100 mcg
Natural Iodine from
1 mg

I was thinking about getting it for my mother, but it’s powder capsules, not oil. I’ve heard that K2 and D3 are best delivered in an oil. Is this actually a problem? Would this product be fine if consumed with fat at a meal?

Cheers!

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Paul Jaminet May 18, 2011 at 7:20 am

Hi Eric,

They need to be in oil to be absorbed, so the powder can either be taken with fatty foods, or mixed with oil before swallowing.

It does sound like good ratios of these really important nutrients – if she doesn’t get much sun. Best would be to get lots of sunshine, check 25OHD occasionally, and supplement D if necessary, while taking the K and I separately.

Best, Paul

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