You need a liposoluble form to assimilate vitamin by the skin. Benfotiamine for example.
Make a search with: benfotiamine transdermal.

@happycat said in Calcification of middle ear:

I don't know my Ca/P ratio, would dietary phosphorus have anything to do with calcification?

yes we need P to assimilate Ca, but not too high (less): P 1 / Ca 2.2 is well.

I'd try to balance Ca Mg K2 et D3.

But you don't lack Ca if you are above 650 mg. Optimal 850 mg.
You don't lack Ca if you eat cheese, drink milk or eat oat or leaves, such as kale, turnip greens, and beet greens. mind excess oxalates for optimal assimilation.
But I don't think the problem is there (lack of Ca). Rather elsewhere. I don't know where. Sorry.
Perhaps vitamin D receptors are overloaded by unfit molecules.
If you lack vit A (retinol), this could be an explanation too: Retinol is required to activate the process (MGP).

Useful info for other readers;
*) ca assimilation
The calcium assimilation rate is around 32 % for dairy products, 21 % for almonds and sesame, 60 % for cabbage & broccoli.
To facilitate its absorption, some minerals will be essential to the body: magnesium and vitamins A, C and K2. Vitamin D is necessary for the intestinal absorption of calcium.
The phosphate rate must be between 0.5 and 2 or 2.5. Cow's milk is at +/ 1.2/ 2.
*) Need for vit A (not carotenes) to activate MGP (Masterjohn) and assimilate calcium.
• Vitamins A and D increase the amount of activated MGP together, even more than vitamin D alone, but completely eliminates the increase in non -carboxyle toxic MGP.
Thus, a balanced contribution in vitamins A and amplifies the benefits of vitamin D while eliminating its side effects.
And K2 is necessary to activate protein carboxylation.
"We" deduce that the optimal ratio vitamin A / vitamin D in IU must be less than 5 for 1. We estimate this ratio of 2.5 per 1, (in favor of vitamin A).
Note: Don't take high amount of vit A in one supply.
Reference:
Fu X et al. 9-Cis retinoic acid reduces 1alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol-induced renal calcification by altering vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylation of matrix gamma-carboxyglutamic acid protein in A/J male mice. Journal of Nutrition 2008 Dec;138(12):2337–41 doi: 10.3945/jn.108.093724.

@happycat
Hi,
What about your status for vitamin D3?
Do you take calcium supplement?
What is your last TSH level (thyroid)?
ratio Ca / P
Useful info (on ratio + balance on Ca and P)
Phosphorus and calcium – Chris Masterjohn
https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/phosphorus-and-calcium-chris-masterjohn.47891/

At 256: Chris Masterjohn on Decoding What Your Body Really Needs
"Parathyroid hormone goes up, in either of those situations, not enough D in calcium or too much phosphorus. And if you feed someone meat, which is very rich in phosphorus, it doesn’t do anything to their parathyroid hormone. If you feed someone cheese, which is high in both phosphorus and calcium, it decreases their parathyroid hormone, which is a good thing.

And if you feed someone packaged foods that have phosphorus additives, it increases their parathyroid hormone, which is a bad thing. So, you have processed foods = bad, meat = neutral, dairy products = good, in terms of affecting the balance of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus. So, the reasons for that, probably has something to do with the forms of phosphorus that are added to the food. They might be much more absorbable than the phosphorus from natural food. But it’s also because meat, for example, has amino acids that help you absorb calcium better from your diet. And so, meat isn’t just providing phosphorus, it’s also facilitating better calcium status when it’s consumed in the context of a mixed diet. And then, dairy products are actually providing that calcium. So, even though the phosphorus can antagonize the calcium, they’re providing enough calcium to not only make up for the phosphorus, but to put you in an even better situation than you would be without those dairy products. So, when we look at the calcium requirements, there’s a gray area because we don’t have a lot of data taking people who eat plenty of animal protein, plenty of dairy products, get really good vitamin D status, and don’t have any packaged foods in the diet, we don’t have a lot of data in those people. And it’s probably the case that calcium needs are lower in those people. It’s just, I don’t know how much lower they are. So my opinion is, you know, shoot for the 1,000-milligram mark, you can probably get away with consuming maybe 600 or 700 milligrams of calcium if you optimize everything else."

I take once a week 10 000 UI retinyl pamitate (softgel).
I manage so:
breakfast Vit A (with fat)
midday with K2 (1 drop K2 MK4 = 1 000 mcg). High dose fat is needed (optimal at 35 gr fat).
Evening meal: 5 000 UI D3. (2 000 UI in summer time if outside)

Useful info:
Vitamin K uses the same pathway as Vit E. , High-dose vitamin K could contribute to vitamin E deficiency. Idem for glutathion (a small portion of vitamin K is broken down to a compound known as menadione. Menadione must be neutralized, with glutathion).
Source: Masterjohn and Mito on RPF.

@Kvirion said in Do you drink coffee first thing in the morning?:

However, if you meant "insulin response" there is a better source to learn from https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/glycemia.shtml plus for example this podcast

Yes, I meant insulin. Thanks for correcting.
Indeed, this post of RP is very interesting for interconnection between stress gestion and lacks of appropriate fuel.
"Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context."
Already in my favorite posts.
But not to analyze deeply why insulin spikes, how to manage to avoid them.
RP's advice for high orange juice didn't take into account that people need to adapt the quantity of sugar calories to the level of carburation. RP was hyper-thyroid.
One size doesn't fit all.

@Kvirion said in Do you drink coffee first thing in the morning?:

Drinking pure coffee on an empty stomach in the morning is a bad idea - as the body is already depleted of fuel after the whole night of fasting.

Right: well seen but I don't advise to drink coffee at daylight on a empty stomach.

Carbs are needed to avoid a spike of adrenaline and cortisol.

There are some advantages to drink milk if you can find A2 sort and not recombined from skimmed milk, which is not so evident to find, except if you live near a "diet market".
And by the way, 15 % people (double it for the new generation) are intolerant to whey (from wheat), with a cross-reaction for 50% of these people (from casein), even if they don't notice it. You recover integrity during the night if you don't solicitate the brush barrier thrice a day (zonuline). Everyone is concerned.

As far as glycemia is concerned, this will be OK if you begin first with fiber, then protein (and fat), and carbs at the end. See Jessie Inchauspé for details (glucose revolution). Or I can give a link if you understand French. The management of blood sugar at breakfast (or at the 1st meal) will cut / influence the inulin response for the rest of the day. Strong impact.
And Yes, there are advantages and disagreements with coffee. If you can modulate.

@evan-hinkle said in Do you drink coffee first thing in the morning?:

sometimes 8oz milk, and then I have coffee with almost half milk

Not a good idea to take coffee on milk. More difficult to digest (chemical reaction: droplets are preventing nutrients to enter border bross easily). But most people do fine in this way, if no difficulty encountered.
I would wait half an hour.

@oliveoil
Not really exact but you need to pay attention to a problem.
Coffee is diuretic. You loose +/ 0.5 gr salt (not sodium 2.5x less) with each cup.
Note: Not a good idea to take vitamin B supplement when drinking coffee. Take it apart from digestion. Not a problem if you drink 1.5 Liter water + vegetables and fruits.
Coffee is acidic. So you need to compensate with potassium.
No problem if you drink 2 or 3 cups (125 ml) (no mugs, twice more, nor high goblet / tumbler).
Coffee is anxiogenic too. So if you can manage, there is no problem.
Useful info:
K = 4500 mg (from vegetables).
I add +/ 2000 mg potassium citrate in a shake, with orange juice, a pinch of salt (to taste), phophocalcium 1 scope 1.3 gr, glycerophospate Mg 1 scope 2.5 gr

• if needed: collagen, glutamine 1/4 tsp (leaky gut prevention), 1/4 tsp taurine (brain functions).
  => For 2 parts (morning and afternoon)
  I can give a link if more explanations are wanted.
  Hope it can help.

Vitamine E et peroxydation des membranes
https://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t642-vitamine-e-et-peroxydation-des-membranes#5645

@ T3
There is no single answer.
As far as cholesterol is concerned:
Rather than the isolated numbers of cholesterol, it’s the ratio LDL/HDL, total cholesterol and VLDL that must be taken into account.
CM said:

“The total/HDL cholesterol ratio seems to provide the most information.

First to be reminded: High LDL level is the sign of a problem. LDL cholesterol is not the culprit; LDL is the fireman. High LDL must be seen as the witness of a problem: Probably arteries oxidized. The body use LDL, with calcium and fibrin, to reinforce the membranes.
You need tocopherols (mix Vit E 20-25 mg per day), beta-carotene (5-10 mg through food). I would add some polyphenols from green tea to0 (sencha tea is “soft” to drink), once a day.

!!!One vitamin often forgotten: K2

*) Vitamin E function and requirements in relation to PUFA
Daniel Raederstorff et al. Br J Nutr. 2015. doi: 10.1017/S000711451500272X
=> 20 mg Vit E for 10 gr PUFA
*) Excerpt (from my forum):

“Vitamin C regenerates vitamin E and vitamin E protects β-carotene,

helped in this by polyphenols. In the event of β-carotene supplementation, vitamin C regenerates vitamin E and β-carotene, and β-carotene seems to protect vitamin E without really explaining this phenomenon"
Savings effect
Vitamin E is not just a vitamin. Vitamin C makes it possible to recycle oxidized vitamin E and thus prolong its lifespan. The same goes with glutathione which is thus saved for other more useful functions (detox). Glutathion is our antioxidant master.
Vitamin E protects against the deleterious effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids when the latter are excess. And this is quickly done!
See this post if you want details (in French, with a translator):
Vitamine E et peroxydation des membranes

• Le cholestérol est un agent protecteur (Cholesterol as a protective agent) :
  http://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t1351-le-cholesterol-est-un-agent-protecteur#15047
  Chris Masterjohn has said:
  Chris Masterjohn interviewed by Chris Kresser.
  *) Transcript of a video. Part II / III
  https://chriskresser.com/episode-16-chris-masterjohn-on-cholesterol-heart-disease-part-2/
  We briefly talked about the need to maintain robust thyroid hormone status and good metabolism.

The need to get sufficient nutrients to minimize the degeneration of these lipids, and the need to minimize inflammation, infection, and other toxic factors that contribute to their degeneration.

*) Transcript of a video. Part III.

• Thyroid hormone is the central governor of the LDL receptor, and the LDL receptor is, in turn, the central governor of clearance of LDL cholesterol from the blood.
• 80% of the people that I test are iodine deficient or have excess bromide levels, which can cause some of the symptoms of iodine deficiency.
• Mind excess isothiocyante (crucifers) that compete for the utilization of the enzyme making thyroid hormones. But unless you are vegan and eat plenty of vegetables and few sources of iodine, you ‘re not going to deal with that problem. Not preponderant (minor component of a diet). See detail in the interview.
• Start iodine low (250 mcg). No change before 7-10 days. But take Selenium first: 200 mcg as beginning dose (total dose) (Super Selenium Complex from Life Extension. It has four different forms of selenium in there. It’s got selenomethionine, sodium selenate, selenodiglutathione, and Se-Methyl L-Selenocysteine).
• Manage insulin: Mind insulin spikes.
  “Insulin cooperates with thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, to increase the production of the enzymes and proteins involved in making thyroid hormone.”
  “I think that if you find that T3 or reverse T3 are out of whack, probably the best way to address that is to try increasing the carbohydrate intake — not necessarily meaning you have to go on a high-carbohydrate diet”.
  => Read the book Glucose Révolution – Jessie Inschauspé. Or see this link (translator needed).
  My Forum : https://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t1925-glucose-revolution#26942
• Your breakfast conditions your whole day in an unsuspected way. Studies show that after a breakfast that causes a big pic of glucose, hunger returns more quickly and blood sugar remains deregulated all day.
• The ideal order of food: fibers - proteins (with fat) - carbohydrates. The fibers ingested in 1st place considerably reduce the pic of glucose caused by sugar.
  According to researchers, the impact of this chain is comparable to the effects of drugs prescribed to diabetics to limit glucose peaks!

Useful links
*) Interaction entre les vitamines liposolubles
https://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t127-interaction-entre-les-vitamines-liposolubles?highlight=vitamine+e
*) De quelle quantité de lipides avons-nous besoin pour absorber les vitamines A D E K ?
http://suppversity.blogspot.be/2014/05/vitamin-d-e-k-how-much-and-what-type-of.html
=> Vitamin A, D, E & K - How Much and What Type of Fat Do You Need to Absorb These Fat Soluble Vitamins?ù

@T-3 said in Thyroid inflammation after months of supplementing:

This is important information to consider: that deiodinase 3, and not RT3, inactivates T3:

Well seen
Deiodinase and halogens
*) Watch out for fluorine, chlorine and bromine
Deiodination is essential to maintain TH homeostasis, and disruption can have detrimental effects. Halogen bonding (XB) to the selenium of the selenocysteine (Sec) residue in the Dio active site has been proposed to contribute to the mechanism for iodine exclusion.
Xenobiotics could also inhibit Dio activity by competitively binding to the active sites of thyroid.
Source:
A Halogen Bonding Perspective on Iodothyronine Deiodinase Activity
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25061328
*) Induced reasoning
If fluorine (toothpaste), chlorine (water) or bromine (nuts, seeds and fish, inorganic fruits):
If e.g. fluorine occupies the place of selenium on D3 (Deiodinase 3), the thyroid cannot function properly. This can lead to excess, with non -assimilated elements when taking a supplement with T3. rT3 will be too high at the final step. =>

Deiodinases control local cellular and systemic thyroid hormone availability.

Reverse T3 (rT3) is a metabolically inactive form of thyroid hormone, which is generated from T4 via the type 3 5′-deiodinase enzyme.
Several other conditions also are known to lead to increased production of RT3, including stress, severe dieting, low serum iron levels, cortisol deficiency and diabetes.
*) Useful nutrients
Micronutrients as iodine, selenium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12, D3, and A.
DOI: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000831
Note: Before taking any iodine supplement, selenium has to be brought to, even in the case of Hashimoto suspected.

Hi,
Or, you open a diary and name it: Papaya Diary.
You find then the best appropriate category (main problem).
Try to be sequential: Make the distinction between the facts and the sensation. Precise the delay and the intensity. µ
See you later.

The skin problems are directly connected with the dehydration. That I'm sure of. I don't really eat vegetables.
=>

1. If you drink enough during the day light, you can’t be dehydrated because of sleep unless there is another problem.
   You don’t take into account what I’ve said about supplement for skin repair: GLA and Zinc are the most susceptible to lack. And don’t tell me you’ve got enough zinc when eating red meat (not the other kinds) because you’ve got a problem of assimilation: bad digestion and low-grade stomach inflammation.
2. You’ve got a problem with potassium if you don’t eat vegetables. Problem with electrolytes.

Fruits must be eaten apart.
You mean separate from other food types? Why would that help?
=> Fruits bring soluble and insoluble fibers and sugar. Sugar raises fermentation. As you suffer from bloating, so it’s easy to make the link.
Most fruits and vegetables are digested in less than half an hour. If you eat first starch and meat, fibers will remain longer (2-3 hours) in the first part of the colon than what is needed.

And your temp won't be OK without appropriate protein (from meat preferably).
Check my list under diet above, more than adequate protein is being consumed.
=>Your list is approximate and doesn’t say much about the quantity and the frequency. And what about the balance from amino acids:
“Beef mince 15-20% fat, organic eggs, chicken feet, ox tendon, sometimes chicken breast, sometimes lamb liver, chicken livers, lamb heart, lamb kidneys”.
=> Red meat: 2x/wk (I suppose), liver or meat organs 1x/wk, chicken 2x or 3x/wk.
Advice: See how much protein (amount in grams) with cronometer.com.
0.8 gr minimum / body weight. 1 gr target.
I would add: duck.

See Dr overtone why you need more thiamine (B1) to help carburation.
Under supplements above, B1 was listed.
=> You didn’t say how much and what type. It’s not with 50 mg Thiamine HCl you’re going to re-connect the brain and the microbiota through the vagus nerve.

But you have first to deal with dysbiosis.
Not sure if I do have dysbiosis or not but that could be causing malabsorption if I did.
Yes, you have if you bloat and have flatulence. Your digestion is problematic.

Final note:

I won’t discuss any longer why and how. You’re not receptive enough and I need to see the person accessible to optimize my “time invest”.
You should have asked why or how if you didn’t perceive the reason instead of arguing. Sorry to be hard but …
Take care of you and stay open-minded.

Hi,
If you don't drink enough water (1.5 liter) + vegetables, you won't recover. Water is worth more by what it takes away than what it brings.
For skin problems, mind the following nutrients:
Monitor vitamin A (Retinol) and vitamin B-co-enzymed (notably B3 Niacinamide and B5 Panthenol) + zinc (10 to 15 mg; double the dose for a few days). + GLA (evening primrose oil 500 mg if you're a girl).

But you have first to deal with dysbiosis.

Otherwise, it won't succeed.
And I 'd take digestive enzymes to help.
Fruits must be eaten apart. When OK, may be eaten at first (salad), following 15' later by other macronutrients.
It's like a treasure hunt, search for elements that helps or harm.
And your temp won't be OK without appropriate protein (from meat preferably).
See Dr overtone why you need more thiamine (B1) to help carburation. But not now.
Hope it can help.

@haidut said in Fish oil (omega-3) causes, not prevents cardiovascular disease (CVD):

using fish oil on a regular basis might actually increase the risk for healthy people to go on and develop first-time heart disease and stroke.”

Thank you for the highlighting and the source.
One question still remains unanswered.
Preamble
I am aware that it is necessary to avoid taking omega-3 supplements because they are easily altered, even if protected (…) and then thus contribute to the alteration of the oxidized membranes, especially when the support of tocopherols is absent (clearly insufficient via food). I take 500 IU from a 2x/week mix (Gamma E Complex, Now Foods). I read that the intake of vitamin E can saturate fat acids with long chains. (I didn’t find the source back, and this requires confirmation).
20 mg Vit for 10 gr of AGPI are required.
=>Ratio vitamin E / fatty acid in mg / g: 0.3/mono-; 2/di-; 3/tri-; 4/tetra-; 5/penta-; 6/hexaenoic fatty acid. (1-4)

Deduction: 10 gr omega-6 (ALA) needs 2 mg x 10 = 20 mg vit E.

Situation
The person regularly consumes less than 10 gr of PUFA per day, including 1.5 gr of ALA. He / I aim at 6 gr LA and 0.5 to 1 gr of omega-3. He also takes 0.2 gr from Vit C per day, 100 mcg Se 2x/ week. 2x/ week 500 UI of Toco (5) This person suffers from recurrent latent inflammation (backpain). He was doing a rotating with salicine, curcumin and Celadrin, for more than 15 years, without really taking a break, except when he was doing a water fast. (Not fine for the CYP450 evacuation pathway). But since this person did a treatment with vitamin B6 (100 mg PLP) (B1 B2 B3 B6 + TMG, according to a protocol and with pause), the pain manifests itself very rarely. B6 is also anti-inflammatory and moderates the immune response.
Question
Knowing that it would be appropriate to avoid adding a layer to the problem – oxidation of PUFA’s –, knowing that

the ratio and the amount AL / ALA is under control and at a moderate level (important), is it coherent / adequate to take half a tsp (2 gr) of oil rich in EPA, on a intermittent way,

well protected from oxidation (important).
Note that the protection time is only valid for 3 months, once the bottle is opened. After this period, I add an antioxidant (2 drops of Rosemary H.E.) (not vitamin E).
And once ingested, protection disappears. It must be renewed. (5)
I do this intermittently when I am between 6-10 gr of PUFA, without an adequate balance of omega-3 brought by food, only by food. I avoid oils, except olive oil and coconut. Omega-6 often comes from breakfast (Jordan oats + pecan nuts) 3x/week, and snack (wheat cake 2 x 24 gr or a Brownie 30 g). Note that there is an adequate SFA contribution at breakfast (Coco).
Sources et Références :

1. Efficacy of vitamin E in reducing oxidation of pufa

If 10 gr PUFA (1.5 W3 LA and 8.5 gr W6 ALA): (1.5 x 3) + (8.5 x 2) = 18.5 mg Vit E
Useful info:

• Mono-unsaturated fatty acid: Oleic acid. (Omega-9 = 9 Carbon atoms) 18:1 (9), n-9
• Di-unsaturated fatty acid: Linoleic acid (LA / Omega-6). 18:2 (9,12), n-6 (2 doubles liaisons en n9 et n12 sur la chaine carbonée).
• Tri-unsaturated fatty acids: Linolenic acid (ALA) (Omega-3). 18:3 (9,12,15), n-3 (3 doubles liaisons en n9, n12 et n15)
• Tetra-unsaturated fatty acids: Arachidonic acid (AA). 20:4 (5,8,11,14), n-6 (4 doubles liaisons)
• Penta-unsaturated fatty acids: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). 20:5 (5,8,11,14,17), n-3 (5 doubles liaisons)
• Hexa-unsaturated fatty acids: Cervonic acid (or docosahexaenoic acid). 22:6 (4,7,10,13,16,19), n-3
  Note: Cervonic acid depends on consumption of omega 3 essential fatty acids (e.g., ALA or EPA), but the conversion process is inefficient. From fish oils.
  Sources and references:

1. To be reminded 1:
   “In declaring EPA and DHA to be safe, the FDA neglected to evaluate their antithyroid, immunosuppressive, lipid peroxidative (Song et al., 2000), light sensitizing, and antimitochondrial effects, their depression of glucose oxidation (Delarue et al., 2003), and their contribution to metastatic cancer (Klieveri, et al., 2000), lipofuscinosis and liver damage, among other problems.”
   From “The great fish oil experiment”. Ray Peat PhD. 2007
   http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/fishoil.shtml
   *) To be reminded 2
   Saturated Fat Protects Against Oxidation of Cholesterol Whereas Omega-6 Promotes It
   When cholesterol is bound to saturated fat, it is protected from oxidation, which lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease, and when it is bound to linoleic acid, the cholesterol is susceptible to oxidation, thereby raising your risk.
   The amount of linoleic acid contained in LDL can be seen as the true 'culprit' that initiates the process of oxidized LDL formation as it is the linoleic acid that is highly susceptible to oxidation.
   Dietary linoleic acid, especially when consumed from refined omega-6 vegetable oils, gets incorporated into all blood lipoproteins (such as LDL, VLDL and HDL) increasing the susceptibility of all lipoproteins to oxidize and hence increases cardiovascular risk." 16
2. Vitamin E function and requirements in relation to PUFA
   Daniel Raederstorff et al. Br J Nutr. 2015. doi: 10.1017/S000711451500272X
   =>## 20 mg Vit E for 10 gr PUFA
   *) The antioxidant function of vitamin E has been proven to be essential for preventing the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake in men. PubMed 2000, E E Valk, G Hornstra – DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831.70.2.31
3. Vitamin E, Antioxidant and Nothing More
   Maret G. Traber and Jeffrey Atkinson. 2007 doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2007.03.024
   The differences in potency of α-tocopherol versus other tocols in vivo is due to hepatic discrimination favoring α-tocopherol, as well as the preferential metabolism of non-α-tocopherol forms.
   Excerpt:
   Of the four tocopherols and four tocotrienols (designated as α-, β-, γ-, and δ-) found in food, only α-tocopherol meets human vitamin E requirements [15]. Despite the fact that all of these vitamin Es have similar antioxidant functions (rate constants for H-atom donation within an order of magnitude (Table)), non-α-tocopherols are poorly recognized by the hepatic α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) [16].
4. Quantitative Consideration of the Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content of the Diet Upon the Requirements for Vitamin E
   https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/13.6.385 1963
   Diets with E:PUFA ratios above 0.6 are predicted generally to protect against vitamin E deficiency, but diets with ratios lower than 0.6 are expected to have a depleting effect.
5. Synergy effect with vitamin E

“Vitamin C regenerates vitamin E and vitamin E protects β-carotene, helped in this by polyphenols. In the event of β-carotene supplementation (not advised: only 5-10 mg from food, note's editor), vitamin C regenerates vitamin E and β-carotene, and β-carotene seems to protect vitamin E without really explaining this phenomenon "(1)

Savings effect
Vitamin E is not just a vitamin. Vitamin C makes it possible to recycle oxidized vitamin E and thus prolong its lifespan. The same goes with glutathione which is thus saved for other more useful functions (detox). Glutathion is our antioxidant master. Vitamin E protects against the deleterious effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids when the latter are in excess. And it is quickly done!

1. John Libbey Eurotext - Anti-oxydants d’origine alimentaire : diversité, modes d’action anti-oxydante, interactions. Auteur : Claude Louis Léger.

@pittybitty said in What helps improve executive function?:

I've generally been fine in regards to energy since supplementing B vitamins, but the low executive function remains.

Give details, please, because it's not with a B-50 multi you're going to have a game changer.
You need to read these two links to understand why you lack B6 if you're inflamed or under-immune. Sure with dysbiosis.
And to understand why you need more B1 thiamine (not HCl) if you eat carbs like most people.

Potential roles of Vit B6 in inflammation and immunity.

Preventive role of B6 against chronic diseases & downregulation of the inflammatory mediators
https://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t2034-english-corner-potential-roles-of-vit-b6-in-inflammation-and-immunity#29633
Main ideas
• Preventive role of B6 against chronic diseases. Several diseases are mediated, at least in part, by lower inflammation, possibly through modulation of several kinases. (1)
• Vit B6 deficiency is associated with lower immune function and higher susceptibility to viral infection. (2) Megadoses do not produce additional benefits after repletion. (3-4) But elderly should benefit from cyclic supplement (with pauses and moderate amounts, aka 50 mg pyridoxamine).
• Plasma PLP levels were inversely correlated with systemic inflammation markers such as CRP. (5) Vitamin B6 supplementation suppressed IL-6 and increased total lymphocytes in patients with chronic conditions. (6)
• Vitamin B6 supplementation improved immune function in both human and animal studies. (7-8) It improves the immune response, causing increased antibody production, and enhances communicative interactions between cytokines and chemokines. (9-11)
• The authors of this study (0) assume that vitamin B6 is possible to suppress hyperinflammation, at least in part, through NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition, limiting virus spread and cytokine storm. Together with the notion that NLRP3 inflammasome plays a central role in chronic diseases, including CVD, diabetes, and acute viral pneumonia (12–14), the anti-inflammasome effect of vitamin B6 suggest its therapeutic role in reducing the severity of COVID-19 and its complications.
• Studies indicate that B6-vitamers can reduce superoxide radical and lipid peroxide levels induced by H2O2 in vascular endothelial cells (15). Too much sulfites (H2O2) exhaust B6 PLP.
• Pyridoxamine has anti-glycation activity and inhibits the formation of AGEs. (16)
• It was identified that high-dose vitamin B6 has a global anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in monocyte/macrophage cells by downregulating the key broad-spectrum inflammatory mediators. (17-18)
Sources and References (in English, on the link, my forum).

See too:
English Corner – Vit B6: How much is too much?
Main ideas

• Too much of a good thing is bad.

Especially bad for neuro-sensitive people.

• Vitamin B6 is well documented for its role as a modulator of steroid hormones.
• No problem with food intake if not supplemented.
• Maximum RDA target is 25 mg B6. But update RDA is given at 6-12 mg.
• There are 6 vitamers and a way-out form through the urine.
• If we want a pharmacological effect, we have to take into account the form of the vitamers.
• The active form is B6 PLP.

And for B1 thiamin
*) ## Thiamine Deficiency - A Potential Cause of SIBO and other Gut Dysfunction?
https://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t1896-vit-b1-deficience-desordre-intestinal
Version complète plus complète sur ce site (Vaut le détour) : Elliot Overton – Nutrition and Functional Medicine
https://www.eonutrition.co.uk/post/thiamine-deficiency-a-major-cause-of-sibo – 01/2019
*) ## Thiamine and the Microbiome – Dr. Lonsdale
https://www.hormonesmatter.com/thiamine-microbiome/ 03/23
Excerpt:
The acquisition / bioavailability of thiamine is not only essential to the physiology of our organism and our good physical and mental condition, but thiamine is a cofactor for certain intestinal bacteria that change behavior depending on the variable availability of B1 .

@wester130 said in Natural antibiotic - Allicin, Neem and Oregano Oil,:

Would this work for SIBO?

Not enough.
As said by Kviron, we need to deal with a better metabolism or the problem won't disappear, and even worsens. You're going to kill some / a lot of bacteria with these options but not all the bacteria. The strongest ones will remain and overgrowth.
You must first get informed on how dealing with LPS when killing some bacteria (how to manage a saturated liver). Need to know how to avoid stagnation of starch in the second part of the colon (See MMC and SIBO / SIFO).
Afterwards you need to help thyroid for the right amount of energy with adapted nutrients.
And last but not the ultimate you have to balance the communication between the brain and the stomach (commensal bacteria).

Excerpt:
The lower regions of the brain responsible for coordinating the autonomic nervous system are particularly vulnerable to a deficiency of thiamine. Consequently, the metabolic derangement in these brain regions caused by deficiency produces dysfunctional autonomic outputs and misfiring, which goes on to exert detrimental effects on every bodily system – including the gastrointestinal organs.
However, the severe gut dysfunction in this context is not only caused by faulty central mechanisms in the brain, but also by tissue specific changes which occur when cells lack thiamine. The primary neurotransmitter utilized by the vagus nerve is acetylcholine. Enteric neurons also use acetylcholine to initiate peristaltic contractions necessary for proper gut motility. Thiamine is necessary for the synthesis of acetylcholine and low levels produce an acetylcholine deficit, which leads to reduced vagal tone and impaired motility in the stomach and small intestine.
In the stomach, thiamine deficiency inhibits the release of hydrochloric acid from gastric cells and leads to hypochlorydria (low stomach acid). The rate of gastric motility and emptying also grinds down to a halt, producing delayed emptying, upper GI bloating, GERD/reflux and nausea. This also reduces one’s ability to digest proteins. Due to its low pH, gastric acid is also a potent antimicrobial agent against acid-sensitive microorganisms. Hypochlorydria is considered a key risk factor for the development of bacterial overgrowth.
Source:
Dr Costantini SIBO and Thiamine Deficiency
Dr Costantini and bacterial overgrowth
SIBO, IBS, and Constipation: Unrecognized Thiamine Deficiency? – June 2020
https://www.hormonesmatter.com/sibo-ibs-constipation-thiamine-deficiency/

PS: You'll probably need to optimize bile and chlorhidric acid to optimize meat digestion if the digestion takes to long.
Bile & SIBO (in French, but with links in English)
Optimiser la bile & fluidifier le transit en cas de SIBO
https://mirzoune-ciboulette.forumactif.org/t2005-impact-de-la-bile-sur-le-microbiote-et-le-transit#29365
La prolifération bactérienne est fréquemment rencontrée chez les personnes qui souffrent de colopathie (IBS).

Here is an article of RP to understand why too much of a good thing can be bad, especially when substitution drugs are used (SSRI)
Serotonin, depression, and aggression: The problem of brain energy.
Ray PEAT
=> Excess serotonin is deleterious (nerve damage and mitochondrial respiration). Too much of a good thing is bad, especially if we want to play the role of the alchemist in the brain!
Excerpt 1
Anyone who has been reading the mass media and watching television in recent decades is familiar with the use of tryptophan as a tranquilizer.
Tryptophan is easily converted to serotonin and melatonin in the body, and those substances are believed to be responsible for its sedative, sleep inducing, or tranquilizing effects (Hebenstreit, et al.; Allikmets & Zharkovskii(; Shelekhov & Val'dman; Winokur, et al.). The most popular kind of “antidepressant,” the “serotonin reuptake inhibitor,” is said to act by increasing the action of serotonin in the brain. Many people have read articles in popular science magazines explaining that a deficiency of serotonin can cause depression, suicide, and aggression. Estrogen is often said to achieve some of its “wonderful” effects by increasing the effects of serotonin. (…)
Excerpt 2
Serotonin research is relatively new, but it rivals estrogen research for the level of incompetence and apparent fraudulent intent that can be found in professional publications.
This is partly because of the involvement of the drug industry, but the U.S. government also played a role in setting a pattern of confused and perverse interpretation of serotonin physiology, by its policy of denigrating and incriminating LSD, a powerful serotonin (approximate) antagonist, by any means possible, for example claiming that it causes genetic damage and provokes homicidal or suicidal violence. The issue of genetic damage was already disproved in the 1960s, but this was never publicly acknowledged by the National Institutes of Mental Health or other government agency. The government's irresponsible actions helped to create the drug culture, in which health warnings about drugs were widely disregarded, because the government had been caught in blatant fraud. In more recent years, government warnings about tryptophan supplements have been widely dismissed, because the government has so often lied. Even when the public health agencies try to do something right, they fail, because they have done so much wrong.
Excerpt 3
SSRI
The “serotonin reuptake inhibitors” are called the “third generation” of antidepressants.
Excerpt 4
To begin to understand serotonin, it's necessary to step back from the culture of neurotransmitters, and to look at the larger biological picture.
Serotonin and estrogen have many systematically interrelated functions, and women are much more likely to suffer from depression than men are.
Serotonin and histamine are increased by estrogen, and their activation mimics the effects of estrogen. Serotonin is closely involved in mood disorders, but also in a great variety of other problems that affect women much more frequently than men. These are probably primarily energy disorders, relating to cellular respiration and thyroid function. Liver disease and brain disease, e.g., Alzheimer's disease, are both much more common in women than in men, and serotonin and estrogen strongly affect the energetic processes in these organs. Liver disease can increase the brain's exposure to serotonin, ammonia, and histamine. It isn't just a coincidence that these three amines occur together and are neurotoxic; they are all stress-related substances, with natural roles in signaling and regulation.
There are good reasons for thinking that serotonin contributes to the nerve damage seen in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. (…)
Excerpt 5
The “serotonin reuptake inhibitors” “are presumed” to have the same effect on the brain that they have on blood platelets. They inhibit the ability of platelets to retain and concentrate serotonin, allowing it to stay in the plasma. This uptake-inhibited condition is a model of the platelet behavior seen in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.
Serotonin and its derivative, melatonin, are both involved in the biology of torpor and hibernation. Serotonin inhibits mitochondrial respiration.
Excitoxic death of nerve cells involves both the limitation of energy production, and increased cellular activation. Serotonin has both of these actions.
Serotonin activates glycolysis, forming lactic acid. Excess lactic acid tends to decrease efficient energy production by interfering with mitochondrial respiration.
Excerpt 6

Serotonin, like histamine, has its proper physiological functions, but it is a mediator of stress that has to be systematically balanced by the systems that support high energy respiratory metabolism.

The use of supplements of tryptophan, hydroxytryptophan, or of the serotonin promoting antidepressant drugs, seems to be biologically inappropriate.

Pittybitty said:
“The ability to work on a task that's not very interesting but still needs to be done.”
“So what I am wondering now, is there an non-prescription alternative to medication?”
=> Hi
I’ve written an article on serotonin, with “scientific links”, in French.
Is Serotonin a booster or a downer?
Here are two excerpts. If you want more, say it. And I‘ll give a link (translator needed except for the sources).
Excerpt 1
Is serotonin a booster or a downer?

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system (CNS) secreted by a group of neurons called serotonergic neurons. Serotonin is one of the monoamines which are particularly involved in the regulation of vigilance and mood states. It is often seen that people of unstable, depressed mood are deficient in terms of hormonal secretion, with an impact on emotions, appetite, sleep, transient aggressiveness, etc.

Serotonin fulfills many other functions of metabolism, such as thermoregulation (extremity of cold limbs), pain control (anti-inflammatory), eating behavior (satiety), sexual desire, memory ... (1)
What effect can serotonin have on humans?
In addition to these biological functions, the effects of serotonin on our mind are not to be taken lightly (regulation of emotions), in more sensitive or more fragile people. Antidepressants are then often prescribed to rebalance the serotonin level. But we will discuss these selective serotonin reuptake in the brain (SSRI). It’s not really timely! It would be better to learn about light therapy and aid to compensate for inadequacies or overflows.
Is serotonin a booster or a downer (depressed)?
Role on depression and dopaminergic response
“By increasing extracellular serotonin, SSRIs disrupt energy homeostasis and often worsen symptoms during acute treatment. The science behind many anti-depressant medications appears to be backwards.” (3)
…
Excerpt 2
Useful nutrients
To rebalance the serotonergic function, it is necessary to associate:

• Vitamin B6 which participates in the synthesis of serotonin (very progressively, and rather P5P, with recovery staples) (…);
• Vitamin B3 (niacinamide, not niacin) which promotes the cerebral metabolism of tryptophan to depending on its liver metabolism (manufactured via the liver);
• magnesium to reduce stress, and which also has an anti-retention of water; NB1: A MG and B6 intake will therefore be welcome with the sweet snack of 5 p.m. Parenthesis: We often advise to eat a banana, a square of chocolate or some bursts of coconut, to the snack of 16-17h because these foods are naturally rich in tryptophan, the precursor of serotonin. Ok, but let's try to understand the process.
  …
  Note:
  95 % of serotonin (from the body) is produced in the intestine (5) The biosynthesis of serotonin is carried out in neurons or enterochromaffin cells. It is made from tryptophan, an amino acid that is brought to the brain by blood circulation among others. The tryptophan is absorbed by neurons thanks to a non -selective membrane carrier.
  To be continued, if desired.

Hi,
It's advised to begin slowly with thiamin.
Several processes are stimulated.
The brain is going to try to adapt the stimulus response, with more or less success (adaption time needed).
Wait before doing it again.
Take now magnésium bisglycinate (one scope = 2-3 gr) and potassium citrate powder (one scope 2 ml = 1.3 gr K).
And do it again with maximum 50 mg thiamin HCL (cut the gel into 2 pieces). With a meal.
NB: Too much HCL is toxic. Adapt the posology to needs.
I can give you a link if you want to go deeper in the comprehension of the mechanism.
Or go and watch Overton's videos.