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Energy support

CoQ-10

There are two specific supplements that are instrumental in making energy, CoQ-10 and carnitine. Neither are truly vitamins, as the body does make them, albeit in smaller amounts as we age. I will discuss CoQ-10 first.

When people think about vitamins and supplements, Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is usually not one that springs to mind. In fact, it is not a vitamin at all under normal circumstances. CoQ-10 is a molecule that aids the mitochondria of the cell to make APT, which is the currency of energy for the cell. The tissue that requires it the most is muscle, both heart and skeletal, because muscle demands the most energy. Fortunately, our liver makes lots of CoQ-10 for us, especially when we are young.

COQ-10 Depletion

Unfortunately, severe depletions of CoQ-10 can occur due to side effects from several classes of drugs.

Statins

Statins are a class of drugs that lower cholesterol. Lipitor and Zocor are examples. They block an enzyme in the liver that makes cholesterol called HMG CoA reductase. In so doing, cholesterol is lowered. Because the same enzyme also makes CoQ-10, blocking CoQ-10 effectively makes it a vitamin. The serious side effects of these drugs are heart failure and muscle weakness, which can become severe enough to result in muscle damage, resulting in possible kidney failure. Merck, the maker of the prototype statin drug Mevacor, holds the patent for combining Mevacor and CoQ-10. Current FDA regulations, however, prevent nutrients or vitamins combined with pharmaceuticals. This is a very shortsighted policy. All statin drugs are known to irritate or damage the liver, and frequent liver tests are strongly suggested. Due to the inconvenience and expense of frequent lab tests, this recommendation is ignored in most cases.

Thiazide Diuretics

Sadly, there are other classes of drugs, which deplete the body of CoQ-10.

Thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), prescribed for high blood pressure patients (often the same patients taking Statin drugs), cause the excretion of CoQ-10 in addition to sodium and water.

Beta-Blockers

The third major class of drugs that reduce CoQ-10 is beta-blockers, which are prescribed for high blood pressure, as well. Atenolol and Timolol are examples. If you are taking any of these drugs, singly or especially in combination, you should realize that CoQ-10 has now become a vitamin for you.

Recommendation

People who lack CoQ-10 often complain of chronic fatigue and difficulty getting through their day. If you have been taking any or all of these types of medications, whether or not you feel tired, I recommend at least 100 mg daily of CoQ-10.

Carnitine

Carnitine is not a vitamin either, as we do make it. What we don’t make, we obtain in our diet by eating red meat. Carnitine acts like a forklift in a factory, transporting fat molecules from the blood stream and bringing them into the cell and delivering them to the mitochondria for conversion into energy. If you are feeling listless, I recommend Carnitine Tartrate Powder, starting at 700 mg (1/4 teaspoon) once a day, increasing to 1400 mg (1/2 teaspoon) twice a day. Because carnitine must be exceedingly pure, it tends to be quite expensive.

First Aid for Infections

There are several nutrients I recommend that everyone have in their nutrient chest to treat infections. I suggest you buy each of these and keep them for when they are needed. We are all too prone to infections. Colds, flues, sinus infections all plague us, especially in the winter. We are living in an age when bacteria have been exposed to antibiotics for 40 or more years and are now becoming highly resistant to their killing effects. Plants have developed their own pharmacy to protect themselves against intruders, including bacterial, viral and fungal. They have several advantages over pharmaceuticals, in that they do not cause resistance to form, and they do not wipe out the intestinal bacteria, therefore, less diarrhea.

Louis Pasteur knew that garlic inhibited the growth of bacteria 70 years before Fleming discovered penicillin. Garlic doesn’t have the power of penicillin, yet neither does it have its liabilities. The problem with garlic is that allicin, the active component of garlic, is unstable, resulting in garlic pills that do not have the effectiveness they should. The best form of garlic I have found is Allimax. Each capsule is blister packed to keep it from air. I take one daily for cholesterol control. During an active infection, I recommend increasing to 1 or 2 capsules four times daily.

I also recommend Oil of Oregano. Yes, the same herb that we love so well. Like garlic, it has properties against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It also is available as an oil. The oil is very bitter and I would not recommend you taking it, except in the capsule form. I recommend taking 1 to 3 capsules daily. The next is Olive Leaf Extract. One or two capsules, three or four times a day, is the recommended dosage. Berberine, 300-1200 mg daily is a good antibacterial and antiviral. It is used to treat an infection, not as a preventative.

Probiotics are terribly important in maintaining the normal flora of the GI tract during an infection. This is even more true if your doctor has given you an antibiotic.

Finally, don’t forget that vitamin C is very helpful in fighting off infections. Vitamin C arms the white blood cells and macrophages, so that their ability to kill intruders is enhanced. Normally, lots of vitamin C can cause loose stools. If it is being used up quickly to battle infections, you will find that you can take far more vitamin C without having this distressing symptom. For instance, if you normally take 1 gram of vitamin C daily, you might find that you can take this amount every hour without problem.