Nutrient Guidelines
The first recommendation is to simply get tested.
The micronutrient test kit from glutenfreesociety.org is a mail order test kit, take the kit with you when you have your blood drawn, they will overnight the sample to the lab for processing, the lab will provide the report in a few days.
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/shop/general-health/micronutrient-test-kit/
Why this kit and not some other test or panel?
This test kit measures the inter-cellular nutrient levels (the nutrient levels in the cells), this test does not test the levels in the blood. Blood level nutrient tests are not accurate, however inter-cellular nutrient levels are generally accurate and are good at spotting nutrient level deficiencies inside the cell. This test will confirm what nutrients the cells need, so that a person then only needs to concentrate on what is low.
Intercellular vs Blood Stream
A good analogy would be, the ocean is like the blood stream, but the tide pools are the cells, the waves lap over the tide pools filling them. Testing the levels in the ocean matters, but the levels inside the cells matter more.
If you click on the “What’s Measured” tab on the test kit page, a list of nutrients is shown. The hint is these are the nutrients that are so important, there is a test to measure them.
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CS-INA-Panel.png
However, the test kit is expensive for most and lists at $475 all inclusive.
For some the money might be better spent on supplements and proceeding with a good mix off all the items shown in the “What’s Measured” image.
If you can’t get your hands on all of the nutrients shown in the “What’s Measured” photo, then following the Super-8 Protocol from Dr. Thomas Levy will help you to get started the “most important” ones.
—- The Super-8 Protocol Explained
Vitamin C is the most important. 1 to 3 grams of vitamin C 3 times day should do the trick, do this for a couple of months to bring up the inter-cellular levels.
Next on the list is Magnesium. 400 to 1,000 milligrams per day. Balances with the Calcium.
Next on the list is Vitamin D3. 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day. This will help regulate the Calcium.
Next on the list is Vitamin K2 (MK-7 is fine). This will help move the calcium from places that are difficult for it to move.
FYI, avoid calcium supplements, iron supplements, and copper supplements. Too much of these nutrients are not a good thing.
Next are the Mitochondrial Boosters
Niacinamide – several grams a day (500 mg tablets)
Riboflavin – 400 mg a day (100 mg tablets)
co-enzyme Q10 – 600, 700, 800, 900 mg to 1 gram a day (100 or 200 mg tablets)
Methylene Blue – this is literally a die for coloring things, it will stain the mouth blue for a few days if not done properly. However, MB is truly a booster in that it makes ATP really well. The body doesn’t make methylene blue, but the fact that it works is astonishing. It really helps the cell to make a bunch of ATP.
The goal of these Mitchondrial Boosters is to optimize ATP production within cell. If you don’t already know what ATP is, I encourage you to look it up, it’s super important for the body have ATP.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Etc_png.png
Super-8 (1 through 4) First: bring calcium levels down to normal, or attempts to. Second: optimize intracellular vitamin c levels
Super-8 (5 through 8) optimize ATP production (Mitochondrial boosters, the electron transport chain)
Super-8
- vitamin C – as vitamin c gets inside the cell, oxidative stress comes down, calcium levels come down (the calcium levels in the cell comes down)
- magnesium – required to get the calcium levels in the cells to a normal level. magnesium levels cannot be low
- vitamin D3 – regulates the intake of calcium from diet, to only what the body needs (never take a calcium supplement)
- vitamin K2 – mobilizes abnormal calcium deposits in tissue where it shouldn’t be.
- Niacinamide – going into the first step which is NAD.
- Riboflavin – second step FAD.
- co-enzyme Q10 – third step co-enzyme Q10
- methylene blue – fourth step Cytochrome c oxidase
The Super-8 is Dr. Levy’s creation, the text above is based on notes taken while watching many of Dr. Levy’s presentations and interviews.
Thomas Edward Levy, M.D., J.D.
Dr. Thomas E. Levy is a board certified cardiologist and has written six books on health-related issues. Most of his work has centered on how to restore and maintain good health in the face of the many different forms of toxicity that all of us face, typically on a daily basis. He no longer has a clinical practice of medicine and cardiology. Rather, he limits himself to research and writing at this time, and he is currently working on his seventh book, Death by Calcium: The Supplement that Kills.
How Vitamin C Helps You Add Years to Your Life | Dr Thomas Levy Interview
Modern Healthspan
https://youtu.be/LU3MlXnbJ7g?si=O5e9FV73Ty0MC3-p
Vitamin C and the Mitochondria – Dr Thomas Levy
PSOM Inc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9SbPqO_Ay4&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9SbPqO_Ay4&t
Restoring Vitamin C Synthesis
…In a landmark article, it was shown that the daily supplementation with 45 mg of the polyphenol hydroxytyrosol (HT) markedly increased vitamin C blood levels in 14 healthy volunteers.
…a supplement with olive leaf extract containing 50 mg of HT administered daily increased vitamin C blood levels between 50% and 200% in five volunteers after taking it for only a week.
https://www.tomlevymd.com/articles/omns20220511/The-Restoration-of-Vitamin-C-Synthesis-in-Humans
Beyond the super 8 there are supplements to optimize thyroid function, liver function, connective tissue repair and other optimizations.
Generally, top of the list is vitamin B1. Extra B1 is recommended, at least for a few months. B2 and B3 are already in the Super-8. Lots of extra B1.
A good B complex is needed, this will contain all the B vitamins.
Next is the amino acid complex. These are like the Lego’s that the body uses to build molecules that the body needs.
This amino acid complex contains all of the essential amino acids and all of the conditionally essential amino acids. The essentials amino acids must be gotten from the diet as the body can’t make these. The conditionally essential amino acids, the body can make but may have trouble if other items are not in place. This link is for a 5 month supply (151 servings per container). < https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/shop/health-focus/joint-muscle/ultra-aminos/ >
Next are the EFAs, the Essential Fatty Acids. When I did my initial research of EFAs, Youngevity had the best product on the market.
https://youngevity.com/us_en/ultimate-efa-plus-trade-90-soft-gels-1.html
Beyond all of that, still need a good multi-vitamin that contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Selenium, Iodine, Zinc to name a few.