Sinatra‘s Notebook

[youngsinatra]

Hello everyone.

This will be a personal notebook - a mix of my personal research and subjective experience. I had multiple threads in the past, but they were always devoted to specific topics. This is intended to be more opened up and not limited.
Open discussion very much appreciated aswell.

Will write more about this later on.

Greetings,
Simon

 

[youngsinatra]

So here are my main issues I‘m tackling for the last months and on-going.

1. Fixing my hypervitaminosis A.
I took a lot of retinyl palmitate (dissolved in MCT oil, sublingually) for about one year and developed chronic vitamin A toxicity. On average I took 40‘000 to 50‘000 IUs per day.

„Chronic hypervitaminosis A results from excessive ingestion of preformed vitamin A (retinol or retinyl ester), generally for several weeks or months. Hypervitaminosis A is most often caused by vitamin A–containing supplements or food faddism, including high intakes of organ meats. Chronic daily intakes of 15,000 µg (50’000 IU) and 6,000 µg (20’000 IU) can be toxic in adults and children, respectively. Because there is no antidote for hypervitaminosis A, and vitamin A is readily stored in liver and other tissues, it is most important to prevent toxicity. Symptoms may subside rapidly on withdrawal of the vitamin, but the rate of improvement depends on the amount of vitamin A stored in tissues. Extreme hypervitaminosis A is fatal. Signs of subacute or chronic toxicity can include headache, vomiting (early signs), anorexia, dry itchy desquamating skin, and seborrheic cutaneous lesions. With chronic hypervitaminosis A, one may observe fissuring at the corners of the mouth, alopecia and coarsening of the hair, bone abnormalities and swelling, enlargement of the liver and spleen, diplopia, increased intracranial pressure, irritability, stupor, limited motion, dryness of the mucous membranes, and desquamation of the palms and the soles of the feet. Radiographs may showhyperostosis affecting several long bones, especially in the middle of the shafts (Fig. 61.6). Serum levels of vitamin A are elevated, mostly as retinyl esters carried in lipoproteins, which may result in tissue damage and release of liver enzymesinto plasma. Hypercalcemia and/or liver cirrhosis may be present. Hypervitaminosis A is distinct from cortical hyperostosis (seeChapter 720).“
—Hypervitaminosis A - An Overview (ScienceDirect)

I‘ve got multiple blood tests done to confirm my diagnosis.
My latest serum retinol on the 14th of April was 1,08 mg/dl. (reference: 0.30 - 0.60)
At this time I was already eating a near zero vitamin A diet for 6 months.

I improved a lot and my extreme skin problems (dry, blooding, shedding) and hair loss stopped and reversed in that time-frame. AST/ALT have come down to normal. They were 3x of normal at the beginning. I still have regular liver pains and get the occasional yellow skin if I eat too little soluble fiber or did not eat regularly.

I learned that soluble fiber is really the key to my well-being and optimal digestion. I eat a lot of brown lentils, black beans, pinto beans, brown basmati rice, glutenfree oats, apples to keep the soluble fiber intake high. What‘s so awesome about soluble fiber? It binds up the bile in the gut, that got secreted by the liver. Bile is literally the liver‘s trash and is the way, how retinol leaves the body. Bile contains a lot of other metabolic waste products, hormones (estrogen for example), toxic heavy metals and fat soluble substances.

Under normal (healthy!) conditions, we typically reaborb 95% of bile via enterohepatic recirculation. Liver - gallbladder - gut - 95% gets back to the liver, 5% excreted in the poop. Soluble fiber (SF) bind to bile acids and make them unable to reabsorb. (At least a higher percentage of it)
If we are sick or have cholestasis (stagnant bile/sluggish liver) we might not even secrete bile into the GI tract, because our biliary system is damaged by toxicity.

There is a drug called Colestyramin that does the similar thing. Activated charcoal works in a similar fashion to Colestyramin, in similar doses. You need like 8-16g, spread across the day. It typically comes in 4g servings. I haven‘t tried, but activated charcoal just doesn‘t give me the same results like SF does.

Soluble fiber literally cured my IBS-D and makes my stool perfectly formed.

I mainly just eat brown rice + black beans or lentils + lean animal meat (chicken or lean beef) + salt + some veggies
OR I eat some cooked oatmeal + low vitamin A fruits (banana, kiwi, apple, berries) if I crave something sweet.

I drink mineral water, which give me around 1500mg of calcium a day. Hydration is very important if you eat so much soluble fiber, as they attract water. I avoid drinking water at meals to ensure optimal digestive juice strength, but drink water after like 30-45min after eating.
I eat 3-5 meals a day, total calories around 3000-3500 calories, low fat high carb, but relatively low fructose and high protein. (like 200g+ protein/d)

At the moment I take almost no supplements. I used Mitosynergy‘s cuprous nicotinic acid to treat a copper deficiency, which I accidentally caused myself with zinc/molybdenum supplements. I still semi-regularly take it, but not that much, as it‘s pretty pricey.

I used to do daily magnesium footbaths, but I feel better with only occasional ones. Too many feel too sedative.

I take telmisartan 80mg daily to get my hypertension relatively under control. Never had hypertension before I got vitamin A toxicity, but it was as bad as getting 200/100 Hg readings when the toxicity was so bad, that I was in the hospital. Over time it got down to ~160/90 and now hovers around 135/60.

That it so far!

 

[charlie]

Look forward to more updates.

which I accidentally caused myself with zinc/molybdenum supplements.

Was this confirmed with tests? I know Smith thinks most people are deficient of zinc, and overloaded on copper. I have been testing small doses of zinc but also know Peat says it does not take much zinc to become replete so am careful on taking too much.

 

[youngsinatra]

Look forward to more updates.


Was this confirmed with tests? I know Smith thinks most people are deficient of zinc, and overloaded on copper. I have been testing small doses of zinc but also know Peat says it does not take much zinc to become replete so am careful on taking too much.

Yeah, verified by blood tests - Above reference range (high) plasma zinc, deficient serum copper and low ceruloplasmin. Plus all symptoms of copper deficiency and worsening symptoms with eating beef or taking zinc.
Needed to avoid beef for 2-3 months almost.

I agree with Smith that oxidized copper from copper pipes, supplements and agricultural copper sulphate usage is not good. But I am aligned with Charlie Barker‘s view that copper is still essential and needed in it‘s proper oxidative state. -> Cu(I) as it is found in whole foods normally (if it wouldn‘t be so drastically depleted by soil mismanagement)

 

[Jonk]

On average I took 40‘000 to 50‘000 IUs per day.

How long did you take this amount for? Did you have any symptoms you neglected? I often hear people say that your body will tell you its had enough, e.g. beef liver.

 

[aniciete]

Do you still drink coffee? Have you found it beneficial for liver health/detox?

 

[youngsinatra]

Do you still drink coffee? Have you found it beneficial for liver health/detox?

It definitely increases bile secretion, which to me indicates that it is helpful.
I do have concerns tho regarding my thiamine status with the regular coffee consumption. I intentionally switched from white rice to whole grain rice and beans, not only for the added soluble fiber but also to increase thiamine intake, but I tend to drink coffee with most meals, except those after the afternoon. EONutrition, Dr. Lonsdale and the other thiamine experts say that compounds in coffee strongly bind up thiamine, basically making it unavailable.
Dr. Smith says that it is advisable to avoid coffee, polyphenol-rich foods and sulfur-rich foods in meals to improve thiamine status.

I used to supplement with thiamine HCL in big doses, but I don‘t respond well to it anymore as think it strongly increases acetylcholine/histamine activity. After depleting my copper status with zinc/molybdenum I became very sensitive to histamine activity - in the past I was used to taking 2-3 grams of B3 to improve my low histamine phenotype, but these days I flush with 30mg.
The high plasma zinc also makes me sensitive to high acetylcholine activity, which manifests in depressed mood, muscle weakness, balance issues, anxiety, low heart rate, sweating, insomnia.

Pharmacological Doses of Zn2+ Induce a Muscarinic Cholinergic Supersensitivity

Abstract. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic Zn2+ administration (1 mg/kg/day for 1 month) in Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 11) on motility and rearing behaviors (number of events/10 min measured in motility cage), on memory (percentage of failures using a foot-shock double...

www.karger.com

 

[Tim Lundeen]

Great study, thanks!

 

[tallglass13]

I appreciate your thread. Vitamin A overdoses and accumulation is more common that most people think. Even Ray seems to downplay it. You have obvious and tangible evidence, and even still high serum A while eating low VA diet. Liver cirrhosis is what scares me into eating low VA. Thanks again, looking forward to updates.

 

[BRBsavinWorld]

If you don’t mind my asking, are you indeed 23? and, do you consider yourself hypothyroid?

 

[Blossom]

Love your new thread @youngsinatra.

 

[youngsinatra]

If you don’t mind my asking, are you indeed 23? and, do you consider yourself hypothyroid?

Did all the blood tests for thyroid. Free T3/T4 is on the upper end of normal, rT3 is normal. No autoimmune indications.
I struggled with low heart rate periodically, but it seems that so many factors can influence it besides thyroid itself. Body temperature is pretty stable, but has been low due to copper deficiency for a while, for example.

B1 deficiency can cause bradycardia (low heart rate)

Bradycardia in thiamin deficiency and the role of glyoxylate - PubMed

1. Method of recording the heart rate in rats is described. 2. It was found that during the course of developing thiamin deficiency, the heart rate of rats dropped from 448 to 220 beats/min. (There was no difference between male and female rats.) 3. A number of metabolic products were injected...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Copper deficiency can cause bradycardia

[Copper deficiency with pancytopenia, bradycardia and neurologic symptoms] - PubMed

A 48-year-old man was referred to our hospital in December, 2005 because of general fatigue, gait disturbance and bradycardia. He had a history of polysurgery due to recurrent ileus and had been treated with home total parenteral nutrition for the short-bowel syndrome since 2003. Clinical...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[youngsinatra]

Love your new thread @youngsinatra.

Appreciate it!

 

[youngsinatra]

I appreciate your thread. Vitamin A overdoses and accumulation is more common that most people think. Even Ray seems to downplay it. You have obvious and tangible evidence, and even still high serum A while eating low VA diet. Liver cirrhosis is what scares me into eating low VA. Thanks again, looking forward to updates.

Cirrhosis is the end-stage of accumulation that the body did not get rid off for years and years.

Can be vitamin A, iron, copper, heavy metals, excess estrogen, pesticides. The important thing is to keep the bile flow running well. Once the flow stops or gets impaired, many things become dangerous.

 

[tallglass13]

Cirrhosis is the end-stage of accumulation that the body did not get rid off for years and years.

Can be vitamin A, iron, copper, heavy metals, excess estrogen, pesticides. The important thing is to keep the bile flow running well. Once the flow stops or gets impaired, many things become dangerous.

Right on!
I began using very small amounts of Sodium Thiosulfate for the possible metals and candida. I have a very high 1,25 D, so Sodium Thiosulfate may off set some problems there. Also, will up the Soluble fiber big time, using Oat bran .

 

[BRBsavinWorld]

Thanks for responding and sharing

[…]

Can be vitamin A, iron, copper, heavy metals, excess estrogen, pesticides. The important thing is to keep the bile flow running well. Once the flow stops or gets impaired, many things become dangerous.

I was thinking this, myself.

 

[youngsinatra]

It‘s important to dose the fiber individually.

Some get constipated from too much (me too) and this is not good. I think that 1-3 bowel movements a day is desirable.

Even just an apple after a meal works for some.

 

[youngsinatra]

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10253890.2020.1777970

 

[BRBsavinWorld]

It‘s important to dose the fiber individually.

Some get constipated from too much (me too) and this is not good. I think that 1-3 bowel movements a day is desirable.

Even just an apple after a meal works for some.

Same. I can only do 2 tablespoons of oat bran a day

 

[aliml]

N-acetyl cysteine treatment mitigates biomarkers of oxidative stress in different tissues of bile duct ligated rats

Addition of NAC to bile collected from dogs reduces bile viscosity. Therefore, the mucolytic activity of NAC can be used to treat biliary sludge.

In vitro effect of 20% N-acetylcysteine on the viscosity of normal canine bile - PubMed

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the in vitro effect of 20% N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the viscosity of normal canine bile. ANIMALS Bile samples obtained from 10 adult dogs euthanized for reasons unrelated to biliary disease. PROCEDURES Each sample was centrifuged to remove particulates, then divided into 3...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov