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Created on Monday, 14 February 2011 18:56

This time I will complete my review of Dr. Donald Miller’s personal supplement program.

Vinpocetine- This is an herbal extract that increases cerebral blood flow. It also has other protective effects on the brain.  Typically, people take 20 mg/day. Dr. Miller takes 40 mg/day. I have not been taking any lately, but only because of C&T. I don’t dispute that it is beneficial.

Chlorella- Dr. Miller takes 1000 mg/day. I have taken green products in the past, including Blue Green Algae and Chlorella, but lately I have not been taking any, and it’s partly because I have fresh greens from my own garden.

IP-6- It’s interesting that he takes this because it is actually a form of phytic acid that occurs in whole grains and legumes.  Some pundits, such as Dr. Mercola, condemn soy because it is high in phytic acid, and here Dr. Miller is taking phytic acid (1020 mg/day) as a supplement. I don’t take it, but I do eat whole grains and legumes without fear.

Curcumin- This is the active ingredient from turmeric, and Dr. Miller takes 1500 mg/day. I take 500 mg of our optimized turmeric supplement called Longvida.  Turmeric may be the most broadly beneficial herbal substance in the world.  It has vast, proven benefits to prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, brain aging, and more. That’s why it’s on my Daily Supplements page.

Quercetin- This is a valuable bioflavinoid that occurs in fresh produce. Besides having powerful antioxidant effects, it strongly inhibits allergic reactions without any adverse effects. Dr. Miller takes 500 mg/day. I am not taking any quercetin at this time, but only because of C&T. I am all for quercetin.  Note that white-fleshed foods are high in it, such as apples and white onions.

Grapefruit seed extract – Dr. Miller takes 125 mg/day for its anti-microbial properties. I do not take it.  I suppose I might if I had microbial issues.

Horsetail- Dr. Miller takes 440 mg/day.  I know we put it in our Vein Support Formula because it helps build collagen and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. I don’t take it only because I don't particularly need it.

Hesperidin- Dr. Miller takes 250 mg/day to increase capillary strength.  I don’t take it.  It’s abundant in citrus, and I eat plenty of citrus.

Goldenseal- Dr. Miller takes 470 mg a day for its immune-boosting effect.  I do not take it.  Again, you can’t take everything.

Saw Palmetto and other prostate herbs- Dr. Miller takes them and so do I. I take our ProstaCol formula which was designed by Dr. Ward Dean.

Probiotics- These, of course, are the beneficial intestinal bacteria.  Dr. Miller takes them every day- a 20 billion cell formula. I only take them occasionally, perhaps once or twice a week. I don’t think I need to take it every single day because I’m not doing anything to hurt my intestinal flora, such as eating refined carbs or drinking alcohol.

Fucodin-This is a brown seaweed which is taken mainly as an immune booster. It has other health benefits, and we do offer it, but I have not been taking it. Dr. Miller takes it in liquid form, 1 oz daily.

Lithium-  Dr. Miller takes lithium aspartate in an amount that delivers 20 mg of elemental lithium. Lithium, a mineral, is a mood elevator and nerve stabilizer.  And it’s very possible that lithium is a required mineral for humans. We offer it in the form of lithium orotate, which is very safe and effective, but I have not been taking it.

Amygdalin or Laetrele- This is so-called Vitamin B-17 derived from apricot pits. It has a small dose of cyanide, which supposedly targets cancer cells.  Despite the cyanide, it is not known to be harmful to humans, and I believe that. Cyanide occurs in other foods as well, particularly lima beans. An apricot kernel is like a bitter almond, to which it is related. Dr. Miller takes 100 mg/day. I don’t take it.

Melatonin- Dr. Miller takes 6 mg/night of this nighttime hormone. I typically take 1.5 mg/night, by taking two of VRP’s .75 capsules.  The health benefits of melatonin go far beyond helping with sleep.

And that does it! Thank you for your patience.  You can see that Dr. Miller is most definitely a nutritional supplement enthusiast.  I realize that it’s more than most people would be willing to take, and not just because of cost but because it’s a lot of pills and capsules to swallow. But, believe it or not, there is actually one supplement that I take that Dr. Miller does not take, and that is benfotiamine. Benfotiamine is the fat-soluble form of thiamine, which is Vitamin B-1.  Benfotiamine is known for being an anti-glycation agent. For at least 20 years, it has been used widely in Europe to both treat and prevent diabetes. Diabetes runs on both sides of my family. My paternal grandfather had it so bad that before dying in his 60s, he went completely blind and lost both his legs.  So, I take one benfotiamine capsule a day. But, it’s the only thing I take that is not also on Dr. Miller’s list.

Thank you again for reading this. We will go on to a new subject next time, which will be by reader’s request: back pain.