- Alpha-GPC and citicoline
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Astaxanthin
- Coenzyme Q10
- D-ribose
- Glutathione
- Melatonin
- NAD+ precursors
- OPCs
- PQQ
- Spermidine
No. 70Alpha-GPC and citicoline
Alpha-GPC and citicoline are forms of choline that reach the brain well; they have the VIP pass. The brain uses choline to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory and learning, and to build healthy cell membranes.
Main benefits
Memory and focus; brain choline
Food sources
Both are made in small amounts by the body. Their building block, choline, is found in eggs, liver, beef, fish, soybeans and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli.
Why people take it
People take them for memory, focus and mental clarity, especially with age. The evidence is mixed.
Amounts
Common amount: alpha-GPC 300–600 mg; citicoline 250–1,000 mg a day.
Cautions and interactions
Anticholinergic medications. Headache or upset stomach. Little data in pregnancy.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 71Alpha-lipoic acid
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant the body makes in small amounts, and it works in both the watery and fatty parts of cells. It helps recycle other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E and glutathione, putting them back on the job, and it helps cells use glucose for energy.
Main benefits
Works in water and fat; recycles C, E and glutathione; blood sugar; nerve comfort in diabetes
Food sources
Made by the body. Small amounts are found in organ meats such as liver, kidney and heart, and in spinach, broccoli and potatoes.
Why people take it
People take it for blood sugar support and for nerve tingling or burning in diabetes, where it has been studied the most. It is also used as a general antioxidant.
Amounts
Therapeutic: 300–600 mg a day (OMNS measles protocol); 300 mg twice a day (OMNS case report). (OMNS v21n18, OMNS v21n43)
Cautions and interactions
Can lower blood sugar with diabetes drugs. May affect thyroid hormone. People low in thiamine (heavy drinkers) take thiamine with it. Chemotherapy: high-dose antioxidants interact with some chemotherapy drugs, so the oncologist sets the timing.
Taught in Orthomolecular Nutrition (Part 2 of the Holistic Orthomolecular Nutrition certification), Lesson 2.
No. 72Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a red-orange carotenoid pigment made by algae, and it gives salmon, shrimp and flamingos their color, a shade no marketer could improve. It is a strong antioxidant studied for eye health, skin and recovery after exercise.
Main benefits
Strong carotenoid antioxidant; eyes; skin; exercise recovery
Food sources
Found in wild salmon and trout, and in the red microalga Haematococcus pluvialis, the main source for supplements.
Why people take it
People take it for eye strain, skin protection from sun damage and exercise recovery. The evidence is promising but limited.
Amounts
Neither site gives a dose; 4–12 mg a day is common in studies.
Cautions and interactions
May add to blood pressure drugs. Seafood or algae allergy. Little pregnancy data.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 73Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance the body makes and uses inside mitochondria, the cell's power plants, to produce energy. It is most concentrated in hard-working organs such as the heart, which never gets a day off. Statin drugs lower the body's own production of CoQ10.
Main benefits
Mitochondrial energy; heart; replaces what statins deplete
Food sources
Made by the body. Also found in organ meats such as heart, liver and kidney, beef, sardines, mackerel and chicken, with smaller amounts in peanuts, spinach and broccoli.
Signs you may be low
Signs can include tiredness, low exercise tolerance and muscle aches or weakness. People most at risk are those taking statins, older adults (production drops with age) and people with heart failure.
Course amount
100–300 mg a day with a fatty meal for anyone on a statin, because statins lower the body's own CoQ10 (Dr. Blaylock uses more); 400–600 mg a day is the reported amount for cardiomyopathy. It can weaken warfarin.
Amounts
Therapeutic: 100–300 mg a day (OMNS measles protocol); for cardiomyopathy, "400 mg of CoQ10 per day would be a minimum effective dose, and 500 to 600 mg/day would be better." "35 or 50 mg/day simply will not work." Dr. Blaylock suggests at least 300 mg three times a day for statin users. Take with a fatty meal. (Cardiomyopathy, OMNS v21n18)
Cautions and interactions
May weaken warfarin. May lower blood pressure and blood sugar. Chemotherapy: high-dose antioxidants interact with some chemotherapy drugs, so the oncologist sets the timing.
Taught in Orthomolecular Nutrition (Part 2 of the Holistic Orthomolecular Nutrition certification), Lessons 2, 7.
No. 74D-ribose
D-ribose is a simple sugar the body makes and uses to build ATP, the cell's energy currency (not the kind glazed on a donut). It is also part of RNA, and it helps heart and muscle cells restore their energy stores after strain.
Main benefits
Heart and muscle energy (ATP); fatigue and fibromyalgia
Food sources
Made by the body from glucose. Food provides very little, so supplements are the only practical source of extra ribose.
Why people take it
People take it for fatigue, muscle energy, fibromyalgia and heart energy support. The evidence is limited and comes mostly from small studies.
Amounts
Common amount: 5 g one to three times a day.
Cautions and interactions
Diabetes (can lower blood sugar). Pregnancy: no safety data.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 75Glutathione
Glutathione is the main antioxidant made inside your cells, a home-grown bodyguard built from three amino acids: cysteine, glutamate and glycine. It neutralizes harmful free radicals and helps the liver process and clear toxins.
Main benefits
The cell's main antioxidant; detoxification
Food sources
Made by the body. Small amounts are in asparagus, avocado, spinach and okra, and sulfur-rich foods such as garlic, onions, broccoli and eggs help the body make its own.
Why people take it
People take it to support detoxification, liver health and antioxidant defenses, which drop with age and illness. How well it is absorbed by mouth is debated; liposomal and S-acetyl forms are designed to absorb better.
Amounts
Therapeutic: 500–1,000 mg a day by mouth; 600–1,200 mg IV twice a week, given "only by someone with full training." (OMNS v21n18, OMNS v11n05)
Cautions and interactions
Asthma (inhaled form can tighten airways). Chemotherapy: high-dose antioxidants interact with some chemotherapy drugs, so the oncologist sets the timing. Sulfur sensitivity.
Taught in Orthomolecular Nutrition (Part 2 of the Holistic Orthomolecular Nutrition certification), Lesson 2.
No. 76Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland in the brain as darkness falls. It signals the body that it is time to sleep, the brain's own lights-out announcement, and helps set the daily body clock, and it also acts as an antioxidant.
Main benefits
Sleep and body clock; antioxidant; brain protection (Blaylock)
Food sources
Made by the body, mainly at night. Tiny amounts are in tart cherries, pistachios, tomatoes, grapes and oats.
Why people take it
People take it for trouble falling asleep, jet lag and shift work. It works best for resetting the body clock, and the evidence for brain protection is still early.
Amounts
Maintenance: 1–5 mg a day (OMNS prevention protocol). Therapeutic: "3 to 6 mg … taken about an hour before bedtime" for sleep. Safe limit: "studies using over 200 mg/day failed to show harm." (Sleep, OMNS v16n31)
Cautions and interactions
Drowsiness: no driving after. Blood thinners, immunosuppressants, diabetes and blood pressure drugs, sedatives; fluvoxamine raises its level. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, autoimmune disease and children: little safety data, so it is avoided or kept to low amounts for short periods.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 77NAD+ precursors
NAD+ is a molecule found in every cell that helps turn food into energy and supports DNA repair. Levels fall with age, which is why NR, NMN, niacin and niacinamide, all of which the body turns into NAD+, are popular for healthy aging, and why those labels read like alphabet soup.
Main benefits
Cell energy; popular for healthy aging
Food sources
The body makes NAD+ from vitamin B3 and the amino acid tryptophan. Vitamin B3 is found in meat, fish, poultry and peanuts; NR and NMN occur only in tiny amounts in foods such as milk, broccoli and avocado.
Why people take it
People take NAD+ precursors for energy and healthy aging. They do raise NAD+ levels, but evidence that this improves health in people is limited.
Amounts
Common amount: NR or NMN 250–500 mg a day. Niacin and niacinamide (Lesson 3) also raise NAD+ and cost far less.
Cautions and interactions
Little long-term data. Pregnancy. Active cancer: avoid; NAD+ feeds all fast-growing cells, and its effect on cancer is not known.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 78OPCs
OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins, which makes the abbreviation a mercy) are antioxidant plant compounds concentrated in pine bark and grape seeds. They help keep blood vessel walls strong and flexible, support circulation and vein health, and modestly lower blood pressure.
Main benefits
Circulation and vein health; blood pressure; antioxidant
Food sources
Found in grape seeds and skins, red wine, apples, berries, cranberries, cocoa and peanut skins; Pycnogenol comes from the bark of the French maritime pine.
Why people take it
People take them for varicose veins, leg swelling, circulation and blood pressure. The evidence is best for vein problems and modest for blood pressure.
Amounts
Common amount: Pycnogenol 100–200 mg; grape seed extract 100–300 mg a day.
Cautions and interactions
Blood thinners; stop before surgery. Autoimmune disease and immunosuppressants (Pycnogenol).
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 79PQQ
PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a small compound that acts somewhat like a vitamin in the body. It is studied for its ability to encourage the growth of new mitochondria, the parts of the cell that produce energy (more power plants, not just busier ones), and for brain support.
Main benefits
Supports new mitochondria; energy; brain
Food sources
Found in small amounts in natto (fermented soybeans), green peppers, kiwifruit, parsley, spinach, green tea and human breast milk.
Why people take it
People take it for energy, focus and memory, often together with CoQ10. The evidence in people is limited.
Amounts
Neither site gives a dose; 10–20 mg a day is common in studies.
Cautions and interactions
Little long-term safety data; avoid in pregnancy.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.
No. 80Spermidine
Spermidine is a natural compound found in all living cells. It helps switch on autophagy, the cell's clean-up process that clears out worn-out parts, a spring cleaning that runs all year, which is why it has become popular for healthy aging.
Main benefits
Popular for healthy aging (cell clean-up, called autophagy)
Food sources
Found in wheat germ, natto and other soy foods, aged cheese, mushrooms, legumes and whole grains; supplements are usually wheat germ extract.
Why people take it
People take it for healthy aging and cell renewal. Most of the evidence comes from animal studies and diet surveys, so the evidence in people is limited.
Amounts
Common amount: 1–6 mg a day.
Cautions and interactions
Wheat germ: gluten in some products. Little long-term data.
Reference entry: not taught in a course Lesson.