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

Thank you for supporting the blog by shopping here!

Want to search for more things? Search Amazon:

4,434 Comments.

Sheep Counteress June 23, 2011 at 9:39 pm

So I guess you’re saying that after discontinuing it, the body will upregulate production to the appropriate level promptly enough? Your anecdote is reassuring; “mild jet lag” is a fair enough (and not too frightening) effect.

Thanks!

Reply
Amy June 24, 2011 at 8:30 pm

Hi Paul,

Would you mind letting me know if this supplement sounds okay? http://www.wellnessresources.com/supplements/daily_prenatal_multivitamin.php

I’m a female of childbearing age. Even though I’m not looking to get pregnant anytime soon, I assume it’s okay to take a prenatal. The amounts of minerals looked right.

Thanks!

Reply
Paul Jaminet June 24, 2011 at 8:42 pm

Hi Amy,

It does look excellent. Take some extra vitamin K2, C, magnesium, selenium, and maybe iodine with it and you’ll be all set.

Reply
Amy June 25, 2011 at 10:08 pm

Hi Paul,

Great, thanks! I’ll be sure to take extras of those ones.

Reply
Michelle June 27, 2011 at 3:10 pm

Paul, have you discussed the option of desiccated liver in capsules? We are failing Liver 101 here at our house. We were hiding it in food for awhile with moderate success. Any whiff of it, or heaven forbid, taste of it, began to result in the rejection of previously favorite meals such as meatballs, chili, meatloaf, etc.

Reply
Paul Jaminet June 27, 2011 at 3:21 pm

Hi Michelle,

I haven’t discussed it, but presumably it would be nutritious.

Sorry to hear your household is turning vegetarian!

Best, Paul

Reply
john michael June 27, 2011 at 7:03 pm

Hello Paul,

Long time listener first-time caller. I’m 22 and recently got a blood chem done. My BUN is high at 29, creatinine was normal at 1.15. Protein was 7.3G/dL. I eat higher protein paleo and I’m lean and healthy afaik. Im trying to figure out why kidney function isnt ideal. Could it be that a high (80) vitamin d level isn’t helping my kidneys? Any insight into this high BUN would be truly appreciated. I’ve cut out all vit. d and dairy for a while to help my kidneys rest and hopefully let the blood levels drop to safer levels.

I suppose my questions are: how to increase kidney function or rather why my BUN is high yet my other numbers are fine?

Secondly, would a K2 supp. be helpful in this situation? I’ve never taken one and do not eat cheese. I do, however, eat my own fermented vegetables frequently.

Thank you so much for your time and knowledge,

John Michael

Reply
Paul Jaminet June 27, 2011 at 8:34 pm

Hi John,

First, are there independent symptoms of poor kidney function? If the only symptom is elevated BUN then that’s less concerning.

You haven’t given me details of your diet, eg how much protein and how much carb you eat, but I’ll take a guess you’re low-carb Paleo.

Some things that can help include higher electrolyte/salt and water intake – this will help excrete excess protein – and lower protein intake with more carbs to compensate.

Reducing the vitamin D to a normal level is good. You didn’t tell me your calcium or 1,25D levels, but definitely vitamin K2 should help prevent inappropriate calcification.

The other thing I would do is get plenty of potassium from vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.

If you don’t have symptoms of kidney dysfunction, I would assume this is probably due to excessive protein intake and metabolism with insufficient excretion maybe due to a salt deficiency. Extra carbs and less protein will reduce the nitrogen burden, salt and water will aid excretion, potassium will balance the salt, and less D and more K2 will control calcification.

Best, Paul

Reply
Michelle June 28, 2011 at 2:40 pm

Hi Paul, I didn’t mean to imply our household is going vegetarian, only that our attempts to hide liver in favorite foods with ground meat has back fired somewhat and given the family the heebie-jeebies.

So, I’m thinking, if we’re not going to be able to choke it down as food, maybe desiccated in a capsule, or dried at home ourselves.

As enthusiastic as I am about trying to incorporate liver, I get bad childhood flashbacks myself.

Reply
john michael June 28, 2011 at 3:10 pm

Paul,

Thanks for your quick response. There are no symptoms of poor kidney function. A while ago, I used to get pains in my sides on days in which I ate a lot of calcium, but this has gone away entirely since ceasing Vit. D supplementation, all protein powders and dairy. I follow the Leangains protocol (carb cycling) with a Paleo food selection. I eat starchy carbs (potatoes, cassava, and yams) and some berries post workout 3x/week. Other than that, I do eat low carb paleo, keeping protein/fat high most days and no nuts other than several Brazil nuts for Selenium. I’ve since been eating more homemade pickles and Sauerkraut which contain a good amount of salt.

My serum calcium was 9.8mg/dL. And 25-Hydroxy Vit. D was 80ng/mL. Do you think leaving dairy out would be wise in letting my vit. D levels fall a bit? I know you recommend a minimum amount of daily calcium.

Lastly, what do you think of this K2 supplement from Thorne Research:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038NF8MG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=A1A65L8W2BE5QI

If only taking one drop, I’d get 500iu Vit. D and 100 mcg of the MK4 form of K2.

Again, many thanks for your help.

Reply
Paul Jaminet June 28, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Hi Michelle,

You might try chicken liver which is much milder tasting than beef liver. The main difference in nutrition is that it lacks copper, which you could get from a supplement.

Stephan Guyenet had a recipe for chicken liver pate, which might make the chicken liver more palatable.

Hi John,

The Thorne supplement looks good. You can go higher in K2 as well, but 100 mcg should give you most of the benefits.

I don’t think you need to be too concerned about dairy, since serum calcium is normal. But I would definitely let the D levels fall toward normal, in the 40s.

Reply
Robert June 30, 2011 at 9:26 pm

Paul, are rice cakes from Quaker Oat ok? The only ingredients listed on the package are brown rice and salt. Does the brown rice in these still have all the antinutrients?

Reply
Paul Jaminet June 30, 2011 at 9:31 pm

Hi Robert,

I prefer white rice to brown, but brown rice products are acceptable.

Reply
erp July 1, 2011 at 8:02 am

Paul, I plan to move from half* an Iodoral tablet to a full one tomorrow. Should this be done in steps, i.e., a full tablet followed by two or three days of half tablets …

*I’ve been taking half for about three months.

Thanks and a wonderfully happy birthday to our country this weekend!

Reply
- Paul Jaminet July 1, 2011 at 8:20 am
  
  Hi erp,
  
  Yes, go straight to a full one. Doubling the dose is fine.
  
  Have a great holiday weekend!
  
  Reply
Ellen July 5, 2011 at 12:16 pm

Paul– Re: the Life Extension Super K. What do you think of the connection between the K2 (derived from Natto)– and Natto beting made from soybeans. And soybeans being a phytoestrogen?

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 5, 2011 at 12:30 pm

Hi Ellen,

Well, the K2 tablets are going to have minimal if any soy toxins. So I wouldn’t worry about that.

Natto I don’t eat personally, partly because of the soy toxins and partly because the taste and texture strikes me as foul. I’d much rather take a supplement!

Best, Paul

Reply
Ellen July 5, 2011 at 12:36 pm

Thanks Paul. Reason I ask is that for those who are on hormone replacement therapy, do they need to avoid it due to the phytoestrogen properties?

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 5, 2011 at 1:39 pm

Hi Ellen,

LEF Super K – no. Natto – yes, I would.

Reply
Kayla July 5, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Hello,

My holistic MD has recommended organic calves liver to boost my iron level as I am unable to tolerate most supplements with my gastro issues. I have decided to take dessicated liver capsules and ordered the Bernard Jensen Radiant Life brand–six capsules is equivalent to one ounce of raw liver. What do you think would be an optimum/safe dosage (daily?) to get the benefits of liver? I am not currently taking a multi. What other benefits is there from regular consumption of liver?

Thanks,
Kayla

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 5, 2011 at 5:47 pm

Hi Kayla,

Liver has a lot of benefits since it has such a wide range of nutrients. In addition to vitamins and minerals, it has a large assortment of pre-made useful compounds like choline.

The main problem with too much liver is a possible excess of some nutrients, principally copper and vitamin A. Certainly an ounce a day is fine. Two ounces a day might be pushing it.

Avoid any copper supplements, make sure your D levels and K2 intake are good, and you should be OK with up to 2 ounces per day.

Reply
Brendan July 8, 2011 at 1:16 pm

Here’s the product description from the Amazon page for the Source Naturals Life Minerals No Iron (recommended at the top of this page):

“Gamma-Linolenic acid, or GLA, and linoleic acid are essential, polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are used by most cells in the body to produce the soothing prostaglandins (intracellular hormone-like messengers), which help maintain the balance of many functions in the body.”

Is this an error on the Amazon page? Wikipedia says GLA is essentially an Omega-6 fatty acid found in plant oils.

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 8, 2011 at 1:53 pm

Hi Brendan,

Ha. Yes, it’s an error – Source Naturals fed the wrong product description to Amazon. The ingredients list is here: http://www.sourcenaturals.com/products/GP1456/.
No GLA.

Reply
David July 18, 2011 at 12:03 am

Hi Paul,

Enjoy the website and read it daily. I have a question about colloidal silver. As you’ve mentioned before that infections and pathogens are a critical problem in people’s ill health would you recommend taking silver for it’s supposed ability to support the immune system. Certain MD’s claim colloidal silver is nearly omni-potent while others write it off as snake oil. I’m confused, do you have any opinion?

Reply
Teri July 18, 2011 at 11:08 am

Hi Paul,

My trigger finger thumbs are getting worse. Coincidentally in my inbox this morning was an article about this problem written by Dr. Jonathan Wright:

“The cure for trigger finger was discovered by Dr. John Ellis, who published information on it in his books The Doctor Who Looked at Hands (1971) and Vitamin B6: The Doctor’s Report (1973). (Dr. Ellis also followed up on all of his 50+ years of work with vitamin B6 in 1998 in Vitamin B6 Therapy: Nature’s Versatile Healer.
As you probably guessed from the last paragraph, the cure for trigger finger is vitamin B6. 50 milligrams of a form of vitamin B6 called pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) taken three times daily will slowly diminish and then eliminate even the worst trigger fingers. Just keep in mind that it can take up to six months, although many less serious cases take considerably less time.”

I’m taking the pyridoxine hydrochloride form from Carlson as listed on your website. What do you think of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) form and at 3 times a day?

As always, thank you!

Teri

Reply
erp July 18, 2011 at 1:51 pm

Teri, I sure wish I knew about B-6 before I had surgery on my trigger finger.

Reply
Kate July 18, 2011 at 4:12 pm

Thank you for helping sort through the myriads of choices which totally overwhelm me. So much so that I wind up not purchasing anything!

In 2007 I took a year’s round of Evista after I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. However, I didn’t renew my prescription because of all the dangerous sides effects I read about while researching it and all osteoporosis drugs. I have been taking calcium regularly but after looking over your site I now question that! However, it has greatly helped my problem with sleep interruption.

Would the above supplement suggestions be appropriate for me? Should anything be added? I’ll be turning 60 this year and much prefer a more natural way of treatment over harmful drugs.

Also, I would be most grateful if you know of any websites or books that address my problem that you could recommend.

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 18, 2011 at 4:45 pm

Hi David,

In general, I would stay away from colloidal silver. It is not a nutrient, purely a toxin. Now some toxins can poison microbes more than they poison us, and thus be beneficial, but I would want such medicinal uses to be proven clinically (to show that benefits exceed harms, and to characterize when and why they should be used) before recommending them.

Researchers have been investigating colloidal silver for a long time, and still are, but the focus now seems to be on finding ways to deliver the silver specifically to pathological targets. One reason for this is that the human toxicity seems to be substantial. E.g., http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21720498: “dose-dependent histopathologic abnormalities were seen in skin, liver, and spleen of all test groups. In addition, experimental animals subjected to subchronic tests showed greater tissue abnormalities than the subjects of acute tests.”

That’s not what you want to see in a good medicine. So, until they figure out how to direct it specifically toward microbes, I would stay away.

Hi Teri,

Thanks for that interesting info. High-dose vitamin B6 can be helpful for neurological function but I haven’t heard of it helping with tendon issues before.

I usually recommend trying 50 mg/day. The UL (tolerable upper limit) is set at 100 mg/day, since higher doses can sometimes lead to neuropathy. So 150 mg/day is getting into potentially toxic territory, and is the highest dose anyone should consider.

Regular vitamin B6 supplements are converted in substantial part to the P5P form, so I don’t think P5P supplementation specifically should be necessary.

Pubmed has 360 papers on “trigger finger” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22trigger%20finger%22) but not a single paper on “trigger finger” B6.

So it seems that if B6 works, it’s a clinical experience of those 2 doctors, not a finding of medical researchers.

I don’t know. I don’t really have a basis for offering advice. I don’t think there’s harm in trying the 150 mg P5P; if any neuropathy occurs, quit the P5P and the neuropathy will reverse. However, I have no idea what chances of success are, and I suspect that if it works, 50 mg B6 in any form would also work.

If you decide to try it, take a bit of B12 along with it.

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 18, 2011 at 4:49 pm

Hi Kate,

Is your problem osteoporosis or sleep interruption?

I do recommend following our supplement recommendations. For osteoporosis the most important are the fat-soluble vitamins, especially D and K2, and minerals like magnesium. It’s OK to supplement calcium a bit but only if you’re getting vitamin K2 and magnesium as well, and keep it under 500 mg/day.

Sleep interruption is a more mysterious condition and it’s difficult for me to guess what’s causing that. Many things can do it. I would experiment to see if it’s really calcium that is enabling you to sleep, and what dose you need to get a good night’s sleep.

Best, Paul

Reply
Kate July 18, 2011 at 5:20 pm

Thank you for answering. The osteoporosis is the concern. I had gone to a nutritionist who said the sleep interruption was common with post menopausal women and that taking calcium would help, which it totally took care of once I started it. It was like a miracle for me! However, I have switched to Citracal (1000 mg.) rather than the Standard Process she had given me, simply b/c it’s cheaper.

Reply
erp July 18, 2011 at 5:24 pm

Paul, am I remembering correctly that you think calcium supplements are contra-indicated. I had been taking 1000 mg for years, but stopped at your suggestion.

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 18, 2011 at 5:41 pm

Hi erp,

Yes, I think 1000 mg is too much. But lesser amounts are OK. It’s important that vitamin K and D status be good.

Reply
David July 18, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Paul,

Thanks for the clear answer regarding silver. Makes a lot of sense to stay away from it when you realize it’s a toxin. I hadn’t seen that mentioned anywhere else.

David

Reply
Kate July 19, 2011 at 7:08 am

Hi Paul,

I read your response to David and the article you posted re silver with interest. I have used a variety of silver products topically with great success for mrsa skin infections. It all started a few years back when my husband came back from Iraq, and developed some large and painful boils. He’s the type who won’t take time off from work to see a doctor unless he’s on his death bed, so I was reading about boils and finally tried some Hibeclens (a surgical cleanser available otc). That worked pretty quickly. When our German Shepard would get what the vet called a staph infection, I would wash the infected area with Hibeclens, and the infection would quickly subside. Early last summer the dog developed another patch and I had a couple “spider bites”. I eventually went to the doctor, and they tested and confirmed MRSA. Meanwhile, the Hibeclens was not working anymore for me or the dog. Antibiotics for me or the dog were not working either. I did not want to go back for a super duper antibiotic that possibly would not work and breed a super resistant strain. Tried various other remedies, including iodine tincture, tumeric poultices, and manuka honey. I finally found a silver spray that did the trick in three days. The first one I used was a combination of nano silver and ionic silver with a total concentration of 45ppm. I have since switched to using this http://www.guardian-silver.com/ (which is 50micro grams per teaspoon and double that in the gel) when anything crops up. This outfit is associated with a charity that treats malaria in Africa with the liquid solution purportedly quite effectively http://www.muvezi.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/silversolmalaria.pdf.

My protocol these days is to douse any cut or scratch in iodine. If anything gets worse, I switch to silver. (CVS makes a silver impregnated gel bandage, which is usually sold out, which also works very well). I also took the stuff orally once. At the end of a European trip last spring, I got a nasty case of food poisoning the last day of the trip. After an miserable flight home, and no relief from immodium and probiotics, I tried the Gaurdian Silver Sol protocol for food poisoning, which is 1 tsp per hour. Bam! five hours to complete relief.

So, these are my experiences with silver. I am going to be more circumspect in my use of it in the future, but until someone comes up with something safe and effective for MRSA, I don’t see many alternatives.

Thanks again for all the awesome information on your site.

Kate (the other Kate :))

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 19, 2011 at 7:17 am

Hi Kate,

Interesting. I think topical use for skin infections must be a lot safer than systemic use, which is what I assumed David was asking about.

You’re right, if the choice is between a potential fatal MRSA infection and use of silver, I’d take the silver.

Best, Paul

Reply
Bill July 19, 2011 at 7:51 am

For a more optimistic view of the clinical potential of colloidal silver and gold, see, from Original Internist, Sept 2008:

http://www.optimox.com/pics/Aurasol/nanoSilver/SilverGoldPlat.htm

Dr. Guy Abraham, as many of you know, is almost single-handedly responsible for the rediscovery of iodine’s enormous value in medicine, so his views, while generally unorthodox, always deserve serious consideration. He seems to believe that colloidal (as opposed to ionic) silver and gold are in fact very safe when prepared and used properly and have enormous potential as antimicrobials, as treatments for RA and other immune disorders, and in other areas.

Reply
Ellen July 19, 2011 at 10:26 am

with regard to trigger finger:

Mine was brought on by eating whole grains (properly prepared) again for about 6 months as per D. Schwartzbein’s plan to heal abnormal blood sugars.

the pain resolved almost immediately upon stopping the grains. I slowly recovered normal usage over the next 4 months of being grain free again.

Ellen

Reply
Ellen July 19, 2011 at 10:44 am

Thought I would share this re foot and nail fungus:

I have been using this for about two months

http://www.longcreekherbs.com/nail-fungus-soak-guarantee.php

I noticed an almost immediate change in the skin on my feet. They are now completely free of any lesions or scaling and feel so silky and smooth I can barely recognize the way they feel when rubbing one over the other. I have had this condition for almost 40 years, and though it was greatly improved by decreasing my carb intake, I still had a mild case that no topical treatment could change.

Regular soaking is said to also resolve similarly longstanding toenail fungus. One nail did not respond to the combination anti fungal/DMSO that my dermatologist prescribed (the other nail one did). So I will continue with this soak for the forseeable future.

I may also try the splianthes/usnea tincture they recommend for stubborn cases.

http://www.longcreekherbs.com/proddetail.php?prod=FT1234

Ellen

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 20, 2011 at 7:07 am

Hi Bill,

Interesting. The fact that ayurvedic tradition indicated colloidal gold specifically for “rejuvenation and revitalization in old age” is consistent with my view that much of what we call “aging” is really chronic infection.

I’m sure there are conditions which will benefit from the stuff, especially antibiotic-resistant infections like MRSA, but I would like medical research to give better guidance. I guess I would consider it a last-ditch option.

Hi Ellen,

Amazing how many things benefit from grain cessation.

Thanks for the antifungal recommendation. Their web site doesn’t seem to say what herbs are in it. Do you know?

Topical iodine has worked fine for me.

Best, Paul

Reply
Ellen July 20, 2011 at 7:56 am

Hi Paul,

The bottom of the Q & A page tells what is in the formula:

http://www.longcreekherbs.com/nail-soak-faq.php

Q: What’s in Nail Fungus Soak?

A: Our formula contains carefully balanced amounts of shavegrass (Equisteum sp.), along with Mentha spicata, Eucalyptus and Lavendula sp. There is no tea tree herb or oil, no fillers and no chemicals or preservatives. The herbs work in combination with the vinegar solution.

I tried, iodine, tea tree oil, oregano oil for the nails. Nada.

As for the feet I tried above oils and myriad smelly salves as well as Head and Shoulders original formula at Dermatologist’s suggestion. He said it wouldn’t cure it, but would help some. But it didn’t make a difference for me

Ellen

Reply
Ellen (the other one) July 20, 2011 at 8:07 am

Ellen- do you sell it by chance?

And Paul– have you found that straight iodine such as solution from Lugol’s is ok to use? Or the Betadine- is that a different solution of iodine that’s better to use?

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 20, 2011 at 8:18 am

Hi Ellen,

Thanks, nice to know the ingredients.

Different species seem to be immune to different treatments. Head and Shoulders did nothing for me, Ketoconazole – nothing, but Econazole and Clotrimazole worked.

Hi (other) Ellen,

She’s just sharing something that worked, which is great.

I’ve been using Swan’s Iodine Tincture topically, which is like Betadine. It’s 2% iodine.

Reply
Ellen July 20, 2011 at 8:28 am

Hi Ellen,

Ha, Ha! Do you think I am a troll?

Actually what happened was that a day or two after Paul helped me recognize that the fungus was systemic, and I was re energized to fight it all over my body, I saw the ad for this product in Acres magazine and figured that along with the other anti fungal dietary changes I would be making I would give this product a shot. Plus it was only about 12 bucks for a six week supply.

It very well might be that the real reason this is working so well for me is that I am also doing all the other things Paul recommended. To know for sure, I suppose I could drop the supps and change my diet back to ketogenic and see how my feet do on iodine. But I am not gonna!

Reply
Teri July 20, 2011 at 9:35 am

Hi Erp,

I wish I had known a lot of things when I was younger that I know now. But, at least we’re still learning and I’m very appreciative of that.

Hi Ellen,

Thank you for the advice on my trigger finger thumbs. However, I don’t eat grains! I haven’t for years. The only grain I’ve introduced is the white rice. I might try an experiment and eliminate it from my diet for a week. I would miss it, but if it helps me with this problem then I’m all for it. Thanks.

I love it here! Thank you Paul!

Teri

Reply
Ellen July 20, 2011 at 9:54 am

Hi Terri,

Yeah, I figured most people here don’t eat grains, with the exception of rice. But just thought I would share my experience FWIW.

In any case, I do hope you resolve it soon and will let us know what works for you.

Reply
Ellen July 20, 2011 at 9:54 am

Hi Terri,

Yeah, I figured most people here don’t eat grains, with the exception of rice. But just thought I would share my experience FWIW.

In any case, I do hope you resolve it soon and will let us know what works for you.

Ellen

Reply
Ellen July 20, 2011 at 9:57 am

Oh I meant to add that I have added white rice back in since I started PHD. Three months in I have not had any trigger finger.

Ellen

Reply
Lisa Carlson July 20, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Hi Paul,
Could you tell me your thoughts on Manuka honey? I was thinking of taking a teaspoon or two each day for acid reflux and a herpes flare-up.
Will it interfere with the PHD? Thanks.

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 20, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Hi Lisa,

It has antimicrobial compounds which may help you. It has some human toxins, including fructose and methylglyoxal. We’re OK with a modest amount of fructose. Some gut infections benefit from fructose, which might counteract the antimicrobial properties. The methylglyoxal is responsible for most of the antimicrobial properties.

Personally I’ve tried bee propolis but not manuka honey. I think propolis probably has more to recommend it, but I haven’t done much research on either.

No, a teaspoon a day will not interfere with the PHD.

Best, Paul

Reply
Kate July 23, 2011 at 4:47 pm

Paul, I’m a little confused on the moderate recommendation for the K2. Since you suggested it is particularly important for me I want to be sure I order it correctly. Would that be 1 MK-7 + 1 Super K?

Thx

Reply
Paul Jaminet July 23, 2011 at 9:30 pm

Hi Kate,

No, just the Super K. That has 100 mcg MK-7 just like the first supplement, plus MK-4 and K1.

Reply