My 10 Favorite Supplements

As a doctor there are certain supplements which I find to be especially beneficial for people. These are not supplements which treat all conditions or just one condition. These are supplements which I find to be especially valuable in maintaining health. Of course there are other supplements which are extremely valuable in treating various conditions and I do not mean, by not having them on this list, that they are not of value. It's just that for the patients I've seen, these seems to be most helpful.

Some of these you may not have heard of, but I suggest you find out about them and see if they need to be worked into your supplement schedule.

So here goes: My 10 Favorite Supplements.

1.Reduced Glutathione: Glutathione is a sulfur bearing amino acid which is invaluable in protecting, detoxing the liver. The liver detoxes the liver in Phase 1 and Phase 2. Without going into too many details, Phase 2 is the final detoxification step the liver takes and there are six pathways it uses to remove toxins from the body. Each pathway uses a different molecule to activate the pathway. The most important pathway is the Glutathione pathway. This pathway detoxes up to 60 % of all toxins. It detoxes alcohol, chemicals and bacteria and if you do not consume enough Glutathione from fruits and vegetables, the Pathway will fail to operate efficiently and you will become toxic. You can take Glutathione orally, by injection or by IV. Orally you absorb about 25% of the dose, so you must take a high enough dose for it to work. I suggest 200mg a day. It must be "reduced glutathione" or it will not work. Look on the label and make sure it says "reduced". This is a critical supplement for anyone who drinks alcohol, has hepatitis B or C, or is overly toxic and wants to detoxify. Very important.

2.Alpha Lipoic Acid: ALA is very important as it is both water soluble and fat soluble. This means it is easily absorbed and can build up some level in your fat cells for use later. It is essential for detoxifying and protecting the liver. It is used in Germany as a prescription medication for use in diabetic neuropathy. It can be used with Glutathione to help with liver conditions, especially Hepatitis C. The only negative is after taking it your urine will have a unique smell like "maple syrup". This means it has been absorbed and is being used. I recommend 600 mg a day for most people, but have had patients on as much as 3,000 mg a day, depending on their condition. It is very safe and very useful.

3.Calcium - D- Glucurate. This is another supplement which helps the liver in Phase 2 detoxification. Cal.-D-Glucurate provides glucuronic acid for the Glucuronidation Pathway (one of the six Phase 2 pathways). It detoxifies excess estrogen. Many women have too much estrogen which leads to menstruation problems, fibrocystic breasts and sometimes breast cancer. Female sex hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone) all need to be in certain ratios at different times of their menstrual cycles. Often estrogen becomes too high, screws up the ratio and problems occur. Calcium D-Glucurate will provide the necessary glucuronic acid for the Glucuronidation Pathway to be able to break down estrogen so the ratio's are better balanced. I recommend 500 mg three times a day if this is something you need.

4.Garlic: Ah, yes, the old stand by...Garlic. My father swears by its miracle healing powers. Garlic can act as an antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, lower blood pressure, help strengthen the cardiovascular system, lower cholesterol, and keep vampires away. There is almost nothing this wonderful herb cannot do. It is recommended to use the odorless kind such as Kyolic, or someone will accuse you of drinking alcohol and trying to hide the smell under garlic (this happened to me one time) and follow directions on the bottle for dosage as different dosages are used for different conditions.

5.Andrographis: I discovered this wonderful herb accidentally while using it in Chinese Medicine. It is unparalleled in fighting off colds and flu. When you first get symptoms, start taking andrographis three times a day for the first two days. Generally the cold or flu is stopped in it's tracks. I've never seen anything like it. We try to keep some around the house for good measure. There are other things it can do, but I use it solely for colds and flu.

6. Curcumin: Curcumin comes from the Indian spice Turmeric. It is an orange supplement with many excellent attributes. First it protects the liver. Including protection from cancer of the liver. If you have hepatitis, cirrhosis, toxic liver, curcumin is definitely for you. Studies are showing it can be used for other types of cancer also. It is a powerful anti-oxidant and will protect the body from the ravages of free radicals. It is an anti-inflammatory as effective as Prednisone only without the side effects which Prednisone brings along with it. It helps with digestion and with its anti-inflammatory properties can be used for colitis. Crohns disease and other bowel diseases. Lupus, Sjogrens disease, Fibromyalgia, RA, OA basically any inflammatory disease will benefit from this herb. It is an excellent supplement to keep in the house.

7.Reveratrol: Comes from red grapes and a few other plants, but more and more is learn frequently of this miracle supplement. It is anti-aging, anti-cancer, strengthens the body and mind and for immune suppressed people it can help improve the immune system. It will also decrease the "bad" cholesterol (VLDL VDL) and INCREASE the good cholesterol (HDL). It is an immune modulator. I had a patient with major depression, severe type 1 diabetes, hormonal dysfunction whom I placed on resveratrol and she swore it helped her in all areas and made life a little more worth living. It can be used for many conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions, fibromyalgia and mental issues, amongst others.

8.Milk Thistle. My old favorite and stand by is Milk Thistle. It helped save my wife's life when she came down with auto-immune hepatitis. It help her liver function again. It is the only known herb or medicine than has been proven to help the liver grow new hepatocytes (regrow liver cells). It is also helpful for kidney health. It should be used by anyone with liver problems...whether by alcohol abuse, drug usage, hepatitis, toxicity, auto-immune problems with the liver. It is a miracle herb. You can also grow it in your yard, eat the leaves in a salad, and after it flower collect the seeds and grid them up and place in oatmeal, grits or salads. Save some for replanting, though.

9. Melatonin: This is a hormone which is naturally produced in the Pineal glad (located in the brain) which is used to regulate your circadian rhythm (your sleep- wake cycle). If you suffer from insomnia it is a wonderful way to go to sleep without drugs such as Ambien. It also will reset your biological clock when you travel through various time-zones on business or vacation. It is known to help in high doses with cancer, with ITP (low blood platelets), and other medical conditions. But for just sleep it is safe, not habit forming and reliable. You will not wake up groggy the next morning.

10. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is not really a vitamin. It is a pro-hormone which means it is converted into a hormone with powerful actions. New studies show it will fight off the flu and colds (it was recommended for people to take when the swine flu threatened the universe this year). It is anti-cancer and can be used in cancer therapies, it helps with asthma, osteoporosis (it helps get calcium into the bone), protects the skin from sun damage, improves cardiovascular health and as it is being studied more and more benefits are being found out about this pro-hormone. Make sure to use the Vitamin D3 and not Vitamin D1 or 2.

So this is my list of my 10 favorite supplements, some are minerals, some vitamins, some herbs, some hormone but all exceedingly important to good health. If you are curious about these, simply Google these to find out more information. MY goal was to get your attention to these, your job is to do the leg work.

Best of Health.

Dr. Mike