Prenatal/Child Herb & Supplement Guidance

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General guidance - I always read the inert ingredients and avoid all products that use 'gelatin capsules' as it may contain glyphosate residue - and glyphosate is a health risk. Vegan or vegetarian would be labels suggesting no animal gelatin. Non-GMO ingredients may not be enough information because 'cattle' are not considered GMO animals even if they are fed GMO crops. The glyphosate seems to be incorporated into the protein structure of plants or animals exposed to it. 

Avoid titanium dioxide due to nanoparticle risk. It is a trace mineral used as a whitening agent but it contains naonparticles of the metal and may be a health risk. It is difficult for the body to remove nanoparticles. Pomegranate peel can help by clumping nanoparticles into larger clusters that the body is able to identify as a negative and remove. *There are likely other ingredients to avoid but those two are frequent issues to avoid.

• Zinc, 25-50* mg, *50 mg for older adults, 60-65 and older.
• Zinc ionophore: quercetin 500 mg or 1 teaspoon citrus peel; EGCG 200 mg - 2-3 cups green tea, 1/4 tsp inner pomegranate peel; Black seed oil, 1 tsp. Or others.
• Vit. D3, 1000-2000 IU & sunshine
• Vit. C, 100 mg - 1000 mg buffered
• Vit. K2, 200 mcg - 45 mg
• Magnesium glycinate or other chelated forms, 400 mg elemental magnesium, or Mg sulfate - Epsom salt soaks, 1 cup ~ 20-40 minute soak 1-2/wk. Mg chloride spray may be preferred by some. The chloride can cause an itchy effect and I prefer the Epsom salt.
• Copper, 2 mg / Trace Mineral mixed supplement / Methyl B complex or one-a-day.

The Basic Stack from my Protocol Collation & Therapy Goals (document) (pdf) is based on The Zelenko Protocol (Z-Stack) and other protocols but it has a few additions for better nutrient balance and inflammation support. 

The Basic Stack is similar to other recommendations for CoV preventive care or early treatment by the FLCCC (covid19criticalcare.com/treatment protocols); and World Council for Health: 

• Covid-19 and Pregnancy: Guidance for Moms and Babies, (worldcouncilforhealth.org)
• Spike Protein Detox Guide (worldcouncilforhealth.org).  
• Early Covid-19 Treatment Guidelines: A Practical Approach to Home-based Care for Healthy Families updated Jan 16, 2023 (worldcouncilforhealth.org)

Stephen Harrod Buhner passed away last year but left many brilliant protocols including one for Prenatal guidance for Covid19. (pdf in my Dropbox) His website with more pdfs available on varied health topics: (StephenHarrodBuhner.com - Articles).

Z-Stack: Dr. Zelenko is a CoV health hero who showed how early treatment works. The once a day preventive and early treatment Z-Stack by Dr. Zelenko puts the four nutrients he used for treatment into one bottle (two capsules/day) and is available in adult and children versions. Dr. Zelenko added a DTox and Flu product before passing away in 2022 from a long term cancer. 

The Z-Stack contains 30 mg zinc, 500 mg quercetin, 5000 IU vit D3 and 800 mg vit C - in 2 capsules. The directions say take two at one meal once a day, however taking one at breakfast and dinner would provide more vitamin C availability throughout the 24 hours. One a day as prevention and add a second at the first sign of a cold might be another way to use them. 

• The site is Zstacklife.com - and you could use Coupon Code JENNYRD for a five percent discount on Dr. Zelenko’s products. I am an authorized affiliate marketer for the Z-Stack TM and Z-Detox TM products. Children’s Zstack chewable gummies are now available for preorder. Z-Flu is a gummie product. ( Z-Stack®, Z-DTox™, Z-Flu™, and Kids Z-Stack™ )
• The ZStack includes more vitamin D3 than I recommend because there can be a risk of hypercalcemia for some people. Taking vitamin K2 and magnesium along with vitamin D3 or other forms helps keep the calcium in the bone matrix where we want it, instead of being released by vitamin D receptor signaling from activated hormone 1, 25-dihydroxy D if it becomes excessive. Adequate protein and magnesium are needed to have stores of vitamin D in the inactive D3 / 25- hydroxy D. Avoiding glyphosate would likely help vitamin D metabolism and heath.

These products are not inexpensive, and you could likely save money by looking for the individual supplements - but that adds up in money too, and also in the number of capsules to swallow. Whatever works and Food Counts too! Food sources for the Basic Stack are included later on this webpage and more information is on other pages of the site; See Nutrients and Cofactors for list formats of most of the essential nutrients and important cofactors. Quercetin and other herbals are on page Phytonutrients.

If one particular zinc ionophore is not available or not tolerated, many others are known within the phytonutrient world. See the next section.

Vit C general guidance: 

Take once a day as maintenance and if ill - increase to every 12-8-6 hours depending on severity of symptoms. It will seem soothing if needed. 

• Morning and evening, or if congested every 6 hours around the clock would be 6am, noon, 6pm, and midnight. 
• Every eight hours might be 7 am, 3 pm and 11 pm. 

As a water-soluble nutrient, the more frequently we get some vitamin C, the more frequently we will still have some. Vitamin C may help with cytokine storm during an infection or after strenuous exercise or immune challenge from a vaccine. Take prior to receiving traditional vaccines and the immune response may be improved and risk of excess cytokines reduced.Vitamin C also helps detox heavy metals like aluminum and mercury.

For a sensitive gut, Buffered Vitamin C may be better tolerated than standard vitamin C. Buffered vitamin C is gentler on a sensitive gut, less acidic and slower release. The Buffered Vitamin C example would provide 500 mg each which also might be more tolerable than a typical 1000 mg supplement. It provides some calcium and magnesium as the buffering agents. Liposomal vitamin C would be well tolerated. The children’s chewable vitamin C in 300 mg might be better tolerated also. A large acid load can trigger GI discomfort in IBS or colitis.

Chewable supplements can also be cut in smaller pieces for upset bellies or smaller people; or be crushed and added to foods like applesauce for younger children.

Example supplements:

Little DaVinci, 90 Chewables, 1 unit ($22.99) each - 300 mg vitamin C, 30 mg citrus bioflavonoids, 5 mg each pectin and rosehips. Contains natural cranberry flavor, which may be a histamine trigger. (davincilabs.com)

Integrative Therapeutics, 180 capsules $40.99 $32.79; 2 vegetable cellulose capsules provide:  

• Vitamin C ... 450mg (ascorbic acid) [*the standard form]
• Quercetin Dihydrate ... 250mg
• Citrus Bioflavonoids Complex ... 125mg
   

Allergy Research Group, 120 capsules, $18.99 Serving Size: 2 capsules (500 mg vitamin C, 95 mg calcium 52 mg magnesium in each vegetarian capsule) (~ Breakfast and dinner, or one a day for maintenance and increase if ill.) (allergyresearchgroup.com)

Quicksilver Scientific, 1.7 Ounces, 1 unit ($33.99) each. Serving 2 ml (4 pumps) providing:  

• Quali™-C Vitamin C ... 500mg (from European Sodium Ascorbate)
  Sodium ... 65mg (from European Sodium Ascorbate)
  Lipoic Acid ... 20mg (from Sodium R-Lipoate)
  Phosphatidylcholine ... 134mg (from purified soybean lecithin)  (quicksilverscientific.com)

Liposomal Vitamin C would be well tolerated and better absorbed than standard vitamin C. Take 1-3 times a day, especially if acutely inflamed, or fighting an infection, take throughout the day, 1 serving, during the night also, if sleep is disrupted anyway. Lipoic acid is a gentle antioxidant needed for mitochondrial support and phosphatidylcholine is helpful for membrane health and choline needs are increased in pregnancy. The product would likely be safe during pregnancy. All products will tend to have some disclaimer about consulting with your physician before use - that removes their liability. 

These products are all available through Fullscript.com - a supplement dispensary site with a catalog of 20,000+ products from many companies, where I am also an affiliate practitioner. People who sign up under my account can order from my protcols, or browse and order from the entire catalog and get a 20% discount, and I make a 15% commission. I can email individuals but need to include a product recommendation - you don't have to buy it. How to reply or ask questions of me is less clear, unfortunately. On the site I have protocols for PCOS, Leptin Resistance, Adaptogens for General Well-being or Brain Fog, Iodine/Thyroid and Sleep, and Health Aids for Special Times which includes these vitamin C products.

The Basic Stack is helpful prevention, but if recovery is slow or relapses and unusual new symptoms are occurring, more support is needed - either to reduce hyperinflammation effects or to combat specific issues that the chimeric spike may be causing. Autoimmune conditions may also have been generated. Vitamin D adequacy is needed prior to an immune challenge to help the body not create autoimmune antibodies against self proteins.

Reference

(Davidson and Winey, 2021) Davidson, Robert & Winey, Timothy. (2021). Vitamin C Mitigating and Rescuing from Synergistic Toxicity: Sodium Fluoride, Silicofluorides, Aluminum Salts, Electromagnetic Pollution, and SARS-CoV-2. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. 1. 10.56098/ijvtpr.v1i2.12. 

"Dr. Zelenko worked tirelessly to develop new formulas and products to protect you and your loved ones right up until the end of his life. A major area of interest for Zev was how your immune system can heal and defend itself against viruses. His revolutionary Z-Stack® product, which was based on his Nobel Prize-nominated Zelenko Protocol, looked at boosting the immune system against active viruses. But Dr. Zelenko was also searching for a way to address dormant viruses as well.
Today, we have taken his answer to the question of how to address dormant viruses and brought his vision to life in the form of Z-Shield™.

While the immune system gets rid of most viruses, some linger inside us for prolonged periods, hiding quietly without causing any symptoms. These dormant viruses include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), herpes viruses (e.g., shingles, chickenpox), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Z- Shield™ helps ensure that you and your family are not vulnerable to new viruses or reactivation of the dormant ones they already carry.

Z-Shield™ contains the following important ingredients to help keep you safe:

• St. John's Wort - Strong antiviral activity that may also promote healing and repair of wounds.
• Lemon Balm - Effective against bacterial and fungal infections in humans and studies also show antiviral activity.
• Turmeric - Promotes reduction in inflammation; inflammation in our bodies can trigger dormant viruses.
• NAC - NAC bonds with glutamine and glycine to form glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. Glutathione performs many functions throughout your body, such as helping to maintain your immune system. NAC supplements can help to fill the gaps in your natural cysteine levels, ensuring that you have what you need.
• EGCG - Exerts a protective effect on the innate immune response to viral infection.
  Removing harmful elements from our body is the NEXT step to being and feeling healthy and having a better quality of life." 

          - (zstacklife.com/products/z-shield) use Coupon Code: JENNYRD, for 5% off.

This is a good mix. I take St. John's Wort for serotonin support. Lemon Balm is helpful agains radiation sickness which hyperinflammation is similar too. Turmeric is a Vitamin D Receptor activator and a TRP channel activator - people with Irritable Bowel or colitis symptoms may find it to be an irritant. I take NAC and my use of pomegranate peel provides some EGCG and other similar polyphenols.

Phytonutrients are particularly good for autoimmune like lingering illness as they modulate which genes will be transcribed and can reduce the inflammatory production and help switch our cells to making more anti-inflammatory proteins. Nrf2 promoting phytonutrients help increase glutathione production and both turmeric and EGCG are Nf2 promoters.

Reference

(Choi, et al., 2020)  Choi BR, Cho IJ, Jung SJ, Kim JK, Park SM, Lee DG, Ku SK, Park KM. Lemon balm and dandelion leaf extract synergistically alleviate ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity by enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. J Food Biochem. 2020 Aug;44(8):e13232. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.13232. Epub 2020 Jun 4. PMID: 32497278. 

Methyl B complex or one-a-day provides the active forms of folate and B12 which we need for energy, growth and nerve signaling. Mitochondrial support needs a range of nutrients, essential for us too - making a good one-a-day complex helpful. Methyl forms of folate and B12 can save the body time for anyone or would be the active form for people who are ill in part because of methylation difficulties from genetic differences or reduced function of the body during aging or illness. 

Switch the mindset that overweight is excess food and think of overweight as excess inflammation and lack of key nutrients. Anytime we are inflamed we need extra vitamin C, antioxidants, magnesium, and all the B vitamins. Niacin and butyrate in particular help the body to remove excess inflammation. Oxidative stress adds to leptin resistance or excess issues that can occur with overweight and flavonoids can help or other antioxidants by reducing the oxidative chemicals. B vitamins are needed in increased amounts during pregnancy and for overweight or inflamed individuals.

Regarding Weight Gain in Pregnancy: During pregnancy it is important to not lose weight for the baby's future body weight. Epigenetic changes can occur if a mother is malnourished during pregnancy that cause the baby to have gene changes that conserve energy - helpful in a famine, but a risk for obesity when calories are plentiful. Women who begin pregnancy overweight should gain slower with a reduced total gain but ~ 10-15 pound weight gain is still recommended compared to 25-28 for a woman who begins the pregnancy near ideal body weight range. Prior to conception is the time to work on weight loss and detox. Weight loss may also occur fairly easily during breast feeding.

• Some people may need to avoid vitamin A and carotenoids due to Retinoid Toxicity (ME/CFS potentially, vaccine injured, and LongCovid possibly) ask me for more information especially if skin rash is a symptom <Retinoid Toxicity page planned>. 
• Some people may need to avoid vitamin D - conditions such as sarcoidosis, cancer of the parathyroid gland and certain infections can cause the body to have over-conversion of the inactive vitamin D into the active hormone form, 1, 25-dihydroxy D. 
• People with hyperthyroidism have to avoid iodine. 

Caution - Do The Math! 

How much is the sum amount of all mixed supplements being used?

Do not add too many mixed supplements to a routine along with a one-a-day without checking the math for the grand total as some trace minerals can also reach toxicity quickly (zinc, manganese, copper, and boron are examples of minerals that can reach toxicity within a fairly narrow range). 

One-a-day substitute: Using a Trace Mineral mix with a Methyl B complex and a vitamin D3 provides most of a one-a-day without the vitamin A which I can't have as an example person who does better without a one-a-day supplement. 

Examples of Methyl B mixed supplements:

• MethylCare - Metagenics, $44.99 $35.99 (120 vegetable capsules) does not provide many or much of the other Bs but is a high dose of methyl folate and B12 and provides other methylation cycle nutrients. 
• or, a basic Methyl B complex - Orthomolecular Products.  $20.99  $16.79 (60 vegetable capsules) Take one a day.

CoQ10 is an important mitochondrial support nutrient that would also be helpful if not using a one-a-day. Better mixed supplements include it. Dose of 100-200 mg per day might be used. It is a pricier supplement. Example of a chewable version; which is uncommon:

Citrus-Q10 100 (100mg), Douglas Labs, 60 tablets $63.99 $51.19 -chewables, vegan/vegetarian. (douglaslabs.com) *The prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price minus 20% discount as a Fullscript client of mine. This product example is in my Health Aids for Special Times protocol.

Iodine: Trace Mineral mixes may or may not have iodine, read the label. Extra iodine above the RDA (~150 mcg) is likely helpful for both mom and baby during pre-conception, pregnancy, and breast feeding. At least 250 mcg iodine should be used. See: Iodine in Pregnancy and Lactation. (Substack)  

Caution: People with hyperthyroidism need to restrict iodine intake and rich food sources of iodine. Continue taking selenium as it helps breakdown excess thyroid hormone.

Trace Minerals Complex, Seeking Health, 30 capsules $15.99 $12.79 - this mix does have 250 mcg of iodine.

Optimox® Iodoral® 12.5mg, Optimox, (90 tablets) $38.99 $31.19  - this is high dose iodine providing an equivalent amount to the traditional seaweed rich Japanese diet. The tablets are scored so they can be broken in half for a smaller 'high dose'. Selenium should be taken at the same time. Prior to pregnancy would be the ideal time to work on improving iodine levels as bromide and fluoride are flushed out of the body once adequate iodine is available. 

Selenium, Thorne, (60 methylcellulose capsules) $10.00 $8.00 (200 mcg) take one a day.

Methyl Donor B vitamins and Betaine (TMG).

Food Sources of Folate, the bioactive natural form, include:

• beans, black eyed peas, green peas,
• peanuts and other nuts and seeds,
• whole grains,
• asparagus, most dark green vegetables,
• orange juice (pulpy has more), citrus fruits.
• Fortified cereal and rice are good sources of folic acid, the supplemental form.
• See: Folate is essential and Folic Acid is commonly available, (transcendingsquare.com).

Food Sources of Vitamin B12 include: 

• shellfish, fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, dairy products, Nutritional or Brewer’s yeast.  Vegetarians who don’t eat dairy, eggs, fish or other meat products may need a supplement or nutritional yeast, a vegan food source of vitamin B12. (nutritional yeast/pubmed/11146329)
• See: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause long term nerve degeneration, (transcendingsquare.com)

Food Sources of Choline include:

• Egg yolk,  soy beans, beef, poultry, seafood, green leafy vegetables and cauliflower. Vegans likely need to supplement and choline needs are increased for fetal development. Not being vegan during pregnancy is safer for the fetus. 
• See:  Lily Nichols RDN, CDE called Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition, (2018) 
• More information about Lily Nichols' book is on page G5. Preeclampsia and TRP Channels, effectivecare.info, along with other prenatal exercise and diet resources.

Food Sources of Betaine (Trimethylglycine) include:

• Quinoa, shellfish, spinach, broccoli and beets.
• Glycine is also an amino acid used in the production of glutathione in addition to cysteine and glutamate. Getting too much glutamate is more of a concern in the modern diet, though glutamine, a precursor form of glutamate is beneficial for gut health.

BPA is a chemical that is a methyl 'robber' and it should be avoided - the slick surface of register receipts and the plasticized lining of tin cans are sources. See: Methyl Donors & BPA, (transcendingsquare.com)