They? They couldn't diagnose a flea on a dog's nose. I do all my own research, and it's extensive and deep. My diagnoses are often right on the money, and the treatment usually works. Once I've fixed the problem, I explain it all to my doctor.


That could definitely be a contributing factor, since the adrenal gland regulates cortisol, which regulates adrenaline and thus, BP. I hope everything turns out okay for him!

Lisa

Ameliorating hypertension and insulin resistance in subjects at increased cardiovascular risk: effects of acetyl-L-carnitine therapy.Acetyl-L-carnitine safely ameliorated arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and hypoadiponectinemia in subjects at increased cardiovascular risk.

they used 1g of acetyl-l-carnitine twice daily so it's a relatively Cheap way to lower BP a bit more.

In this they used Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine to low BP.
200 mg of alpha-lipoic acid and 500 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine

Glenda,

I just got an email from iHerb (who has good prices on Ubiquinol, even if not as good as Swanson) about their Xmas special. Perfect for you and everyone on this forum who lives outside the country:

"As a token of appreciation, we are again offering a 10% discount on all orders of $60.00 or more from now through December 31st. (Note that this offer cannot be combined with any other iHerb online discounts, nor can we apply this discount to any previous orders).

And for International customers, we are offering the following year-end shipping specials (through December 31st):

DHL International -- flat $10.00
UPS International -- flat $20.00"

DHL International flat rate of $10.00? How great is that!

Lisa

Thanks for the "heads up" on this Lisa! I'll have to send them an email to find out about possible brokerage charges. I usually prefer to have shipments of anything from the US mailed - post offices don't charge as much for brokerage as courier services (who sometimes charge more than the value of the shipment, even if it's duty free)!

Yeah! A flat rate of $10.00 really is great for international shipping!

I do wish other folks would share their IHERB $5 discount codes
I keep putting mine ~~~~~~ online because I think it helps others more than it helps me. I don't regard it as spamming because IMO mostly IHERB don't record the majority of responses.

I'm sure most people are sufficiently mature to realize that when something appears to good to be true it often is.

Getting a bit of discount on your next order is better than no discount, but no company can give the keenest prices, lowest delivery, good service and still offer really significant rewards to loyal customers and those the spread the word.

I try and show people where the cheapest source I know is, if anyone knows better then it's reasonable to expect them to share that knowledge. The whole point of posting here is to help others isn't it?

If you can also provide a $5 discount code then, come on, why don't you.

Not much point when iHerb has specifically stated that with a special offer (like the 10% off $60 and the flat-rate International shipping) -- your affiliate discount code WILL NOT WORK. Which, if you go back and carefully read my last post, is clearly stated. Specifically:

"Note that this offer cannot be combined with any other iHerb online discounts..."

In addition, folks should know that affiliate codes like the one you gave:

1: Can only be used once, by a first-time customer.
2: Rewards the code provider with a percentage of everything the user/customer buys.

Lisa

I don't do it much because I'm not sure how kosher that is with the mods. When you use our code we get a discount on our next order so it almost borders on advertising for iHerb.

Trouble is that UK users of IHERB (and indeed any USA discount online supplement provider) cannot order more than £18 ~ $29 worth of stuff on any order or they have to pay VAT import tax 17% and a £8 $13 handling charge (and their order gets held up and customs and probably will add 3~4 days to delivery time) so for us it isn't worth going for large orders that attract 10% off $60 or the discounted shipping.

It is worth new users getting a $5 and I think it's mean not giving them the chance of this discount where applicable. Perhaps you are luckier than I am but for each time a mention my code I assure you the numbers who respond are remarkably few.

It certainly doesn't make anything other than a trivial recompense for the effort I put into ensuring my posts are evidence based and where I do recommend a particular source that source is the cheapest I can find (to the UK) But I think if we are posting here to help others we should do our utmost to ensure they get the cheapest source made available to the best of our knowledge. Of course if I know a cheaper source that's the one I mention.

I am already an iherb customer, so can't take advantage of these 5$ discounts, but I agree with Hutchinson, it can't be too unkosher to offer the discount number, can it?

At any rate, I ordered some vit D and had it sent to my sis in the UK in summer because I was worried that the German customs might confiscate a delivery to my address here in Germany (officially, you'd have to get vit D at the tune of 5K prescribed by a doctor over here, no supplements offer that much per tablet). That went fine, so I got bold and had some omega 3s (the Jarrow formula you recommended, Ted, by the way) and that came with just "nutritional supplements" on the package, as well as "may be opened by customs officials", but it didn't get opened and came here intact.

This has made me a little more confident about ordering stuff but I have to also check again about how much I can order without having to pay ridiculous amounts of import duty.

As soon as I have finished the low-dose omega 3 I bought here, I shall start glugging my Jarrow omegas and will report on the results. I am hoping to see changes in my slight arthritis... And general instant youthfulness and alertness!!!

That is what you said I'd get from a better omega 3 status, isn't it, Ted???

amanda

I just started getting the Carlson lemon fish oil and I think for the first time I can actually say something is helping my aches and pains! I never got any effect like that from the capsules.

Providing you understand that the provision of EPA and DHA to your brain neurons is handled by the astrocytes and astrocytes operate via calcium and the uptake from diet and control of calcium within your body is controlled by your 25(OH)D levels.

It's no good looking at things individually when Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium omega 3 work together as a team. Each of the team members is essential and deficiencies of each will disrupt the system. but a 25(OH)D level above 42ng/ml 110nmol/l is the first requirement as that will maximize calcium uptake (32ng/ml) and ensure optimum Bone mineral Density (42ng/ml)

You can then be assured that providing you consume sufficient sources of omega 3 your astrocytes will be in a position to process it into the forms the neurones require. While I am sure you have corrected your Vitamin D3 status and also ensure you have good dietary sources (calcium from diet is better utilized than calcium from supplements) of calcium others may not be aware of the crucial role of calcium for 90% of your brain cells and the role of vitamin D in provisioning adequate calcium absorption and controlling it while circulating.

Well, I just placed my first order, I used Hutch's referral code (thanks Hutch!), and the order was over $60. I got the $5 referral code discount, plus the 10% for over $60, plus flat rate standard air-mail shipping to Canada ($4).

It certainly won't be fair to judge the speed of service by this order, given the hard facts of the Christmas mail rush. Anyway, just wanted to thank both you and Hutch for the referral to iHerb. Next hurdle, getting through Customs! If this one goes smoothly, I'll be ordering more things from them.

That sounds like a DEAL! Hope all will be well with customs, and that you ordered enough ubiquinol to last you three months. Although you may see tiny results in a few weeks, the real benefit -- major lowering of your BP -- will take at least 12 weeks. But please let us know how it goes!

Lisa

NoCarbKat, I can understand your confusion. The source is that there are two separate issues: 1) blood levels of sodium, and 2) the effect of dietary salt (sodium chloride) on blood pressure.

Your doctor transitioned from one topic to the other without explaining.

A person can have normal blood sodium level with either normal, high, or low blood pressure.

And a person can eat two grams of sodium daily or 10 grams, and still see no change in blood pressure or blood sodium level. Others will see higher blood pressure with the high sodium intake.

I estimate that only one in five people are blood-pressure-sensitive to high sodium diets.

Doctors are under pressure to recommend low-sodium diets to patients with high blood pressure, if not everyone. Most physicians don't have time to do the research on the issue, so just go along with the crowd.

That being said, I like NancyLC's idea about self-experimentation with low salt intake. If my blood pressure were 150/100 and average sodium intake were 5 g a day, I'd cut down to 2-3 g daily for a month or so before going on drug therapy to lower BP. And I'd exercise regularly and work on loss of excess weight.

Eating very low-carb for the last four months seems to have dropped my systolic pressure by 10 points and diastolic by 5. They were not high to begin with. My particular program is naturally low in sodium, so I couldn't say the cause is low-carb eating or low sodium intake, or the combination, or loss of 15 lb excess weight, or something totally unrelated.

Eating more natural whole food and less processed food tends to lower sodium intake automatically.

Hi Ted,

Thanks for your info!!! I think I may have to watch my calcium intake a bit more closely. I have got my D levels up to a good place (61ng/ml); I am pretty sure my magnesium levels are generally OK, because my usual typical symptoms have rarely bothered me in the last couple of months, since I started taking chelated magnesium regularly; but I could probably work on my calcium intake... I love fatty fish and eat cooked salmon about once a week and regularly have tinned mackerel, tuna or sardines as the protein/fat part of my evening meal. I had been taking an omega 3 supplement I bought here in Germany, but the dosage is pathetic, so I shall finish the bottle and then crack open the Jarrow Formula stuff!!!

All the best for the coming festive season and I hope you have a good 2010!

amanda