Welcome!!!

A primer for newbies and old pros alike.
User avatar
Tincup
Mod
Mod
Posts: 3558
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Front Range, CO

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Tincup »

firinne wrote: I'm very interested in strategies for reducing high/elevated blood pressure and in supplements. Glad to find this forum, and amazed by the amount of information here.
Welcome!. Hyperinsulinemia (chronic high insulin) can lead to high BP, so controlling that can help. High insulin signals the kidneys to retain sodium and excrete potassium (see this, though ironically the MD/PhD author recommends a 70% carb calorie diet to get a potassium to sodium ratio of 4:1 on intake, the high carb diet will increase insulin, however). The quickest way to drop BP is to water fast. Though this can lead to "low carb flu" at least partially because of electrolyte disturbances (a lot of sodium excretion).. If oxalates are not an issue for you (though excess oxalates can damage kidneys leading to high BP), you can try beet root powder as a supplement as it can increase nitric oxide.
Tincup
E3,E4
User avatar
Melanie R.
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2019 10:41 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Melanie R. »

firinne wrote:Hello. I'm 48 yo female with E4/E3. Found this forum through promethease. I'm not much of a talker :) . I'm very interested in strategies for reducing high/elevated blood pressure and in supplements. Glad to find this forum, and amazed by the amount of information here.
Hello firinne,

Welcome to the APOE4 community. We are so glad you found us! You will find this is a very supportive community full of helpful information for what you are seeking.

I'd like to direct you to the Wiki page which has many helpful links about diet, lifestyle, supplement discussions and much more.

The Primer is also a great place to begin as it may also help answer some of your questions. This link is an introduction to ApoE4, biochemistry and possible prevention strategies. This is written by Dr. Stavia, a member, in layman's terms.

Using the search tool I was able to discover many pages of member discussions regarding blood pressure. I hope this is helpful for you.

Once again welcome. We are so glad you are here!

Warmest regards,
Melanie
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
Reversing Cognitive Decline for Coaches (ReCODE)
kharris536
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:27 am

Re: I am a newbie and have a querie regarding ApoE4 sensitivity to gelatin/glycerin encased supplements

Post by kharris536 »

Hello Everyone...I am a newbie and have 2 copies of ApoE4. :D
I have a querie and am wondering if anyone out there has experienced a similar lipid reaction to gelatin/glycerin capsules:
I was genetically tested a couple of years ago and was found to have 2 copies of ApoE4. Fortunately, I was already on a path toward a completely Whole Food, Plant Based way of eating and now am.
I read Dr. Bredesen's book and began adding several supplements that he recommends in his book. Long story short: I began taking CoQ10, VitD 2000iu and DHA DPA (algae derived). My LDL INCREASED from 118 to 137 and my triglycerides increased from 70 to 141. So, understandably, I was quite freaked out and puzzled. Then I realized the supplements were encapsulated in "gelcaps" - made from gelatin/glycerin. I also know that DHA can raise LDL levels (the large, fluffy particles) and I also know that too much Vit D can cause calcium buildup which can result in an increase in LDL. However, I had only been taking these supplements for 4-6 weeks. Anyway...have you known of this occurring in ApoE4 folks ....a sensitivity to gelatin/glycerin capsules?
LindaSchill
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:16 pm

Re: I am a newbie and have a querie regarding ApoE4 sensitivity to gelatin/glycerin encased supplements

Post by LindaSchill »

kharris536 wrote:Hello Everyone...I am a newbie and have 2 copies of ApoE4. :D
I have a querie and am wondering if anyone out there has experienced a similar lipid reaction to gelatin/glycerin capsules:
I was genetically tested a couple of years ago and was found to have 2 copies of ApoE4. Fortunately, I was already on a path toward a completely Whole Food, Plant Based way of eating and now am.
I read Dr. Bredesen's book and began adding several supplements that he recommends in his book. Long story short: I began taking CoQ10, VitD 2000iu and DHA (algae derived). My LDL INCREASED from 118 to 137 and my triglycerides increased from 70 to 141. So, understandably, I was quite freaked out and puzzled. Then I realized the supplements were encapsulated in "gelcaps" - made from gelatin/glycerin. I also know that DHA can raise LDL levels (the large, fluffy particles) and I also know that too much Vit D can cause calcium buildup which can result in an increase in LDL. However, I had only been taking these supplements for 4https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Cholesterol,_Lipids_and_Treatments,_including_statins-6 weeks. Anyway...have you known of this occurring in ApoE4 folks ....a sensitivity to gelatin/glycerin capsules?
Welcome Kharris536 to our ApoE4 community!
We are pleased to have you as a "newbie"! You have found a great community here to support you and help you find answers to your querie. Good to hear you have found other resources (Dr. Bredesen's book) and are eating whole foods! Your discipline and knowledge will serve you well on this journey.
I would like to share a few links I hope you will find helpful in familiarizing yourself with our website. The Primer is a good place to start. It was written by a member physician who also has 2 copies of ApoE4. This document is chock full of really important information. I want to offer another link so that you can search for specific topics that have already been discussed. Also, here is a link with more information on lipids.

I'm sorry you were freaked out, these things can be very scary:(. We are here to encourage and support you. I'm hopeful you will find answers to your question.


Peace to you,

Lindaschill
Caregiver of those Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Health Coach Trained in Bredesen Protocol
kharris536
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:27 am

Thank you LindaChill for your reply

Post by kharris536 »

Thank you LindaChill for your reply containing compassion and helpful links. I will definitely look into them.
In addition to the gelatin/gycerin capsules, I also discovered that the CoQ10 that I was taking had MCT (from either coconut or palm kernel oils). I wish I had seen that before I starting taking it. In the past, MCT or just straight coconut oil has elevated my LDL and triglycerides. Now that I think about it, this is the most probable primary culprit for the elevation of my LDL and triglycerides, rather than only the glycerin/gelatin capsules.
I am not at all blaming Dr. Bredesen, his work is tremendous, but in the section of his book discussing supplements he does not warn that some of the supplements that he is recommending can either be sourced from animal or plant sources AND not to mention the gelatin/glycerin capsules. If I had know this then I would have taken the time to choose 100% vegan versions of CoQ10, N-Acetyl L-Cysteine and Vitamin D3.
I am very happy that I figured this out only weeks after I began the supplements, before I continued taking them blissfully unaware for years until one day I have CVD and or Alzheimer's.
Also, thank heavens, there are 100% vegan versions of these supplements. It took a lot of time and researching, but I found them.
LindaSchill
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:16 pm

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by LindaSchill »

Hello Kharris536,
You are welcome. Also, I'm was glad to read that you are happy with your discoveries.
Caregiver of those Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Health Coach Trained in Bredesen Protocol
apensity
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:59 pm

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by apensity »

HI all! I'm a 48 yo male, living in Northern California, and I just ran my 23andMe data through Promethease and saw what confirmed to be a 2x risk of AD (I'm a 3/4) with an amplitude of 3.5. So being one who researches the heck out of everything, I now have a huge motivation to figure out how to slow, if not reverse, any effects of EOA or dementia.
I've had memory and recall issues for the past 10 years, stemming from (what I believe) a stressful career in commercial banking (high stress, no sleep, bad eating, no exercise, did I mention the stress?). So since I've been experiencing these memory and recall issues, I need to try and adjust my lifestyle. I visited a neurologist at Stanford and they completed a brain scan on me, ran full blood panels, and gave me some basic psych testing, but didn't find anything (yes, they found my brain, but nothing wrong with it! :lol: ) However, the issues are still there, so they sent me for in-depth psych testing that was going to run me about $3,000 out of pocket. THat's not an option.
Now I know my predisposition for developing AD, so I can adjust my life to help fight it.
I currently try to do 72 hour water fasts quarterly, and I am now on a keto diet because I have found it helps my recently diagnosed Raynaud's disease. I was on an ADHD med (I forgot the name already) and it started making my fingers and toes freeze and turn white and dark blue, so I stopped. The meds were helping my memory and recall issues, and even when I tried Adderal and similar meds, those helped immensely, but gave me terrible hives all over so I had to stop them immediately.
I used to be a cyclist who competed in 24 hour mountain bike races and 100 mile "centuries" on a road bike, but I was never "fit", nor did I exercise daily.
So now I see that diet, exercise, stress management, supplements, brain training (new ideas/concepts), and meditation are all areas I should work on. WIsh me luck, and I look forward to meeting you all in cyber-space since we're all self-quarantining! :mrgreen:
Brian
49 yo male
Northern CA
3/4
User avatar
Tincup
Mod
Mod
Posts: 3558
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Front Range, CO

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Tincup »

Welcome apensity!

You might be interested in this story. It is how an ApoE4/4 with a TBI got her brain back. Your fasting and keto are great steps. The person, Stavia, whose story it is, also wrote our Primer.. My 2 cents about exercise. In my world, I ended up with atrial fibrillation from chronic fitness at 49, nearly 16 years ago. After a 2.5 month episode within the first 4 months of my first episode, I've been able to control it such that I've had only two episodes in the last two years, lasting about an hour each and am coming up on 1 year without an episode. Part of my strategy is detraining. What this has to do with you and others is for years I've had a subjective sense of how much is too much. More recently, I've been coaching my 34 year old son in law with afib about my approach. In trying to quantify my subjective "limit," I think that Zone 2, Phil Maffetone's MAF heart rate (180-age) and breathing only through your nose are qualitatively about the same. I think exercise volume at this intensity gets the benefit of endurance exercise without the negatives associated with higher intensity, long duration exercise. I also do bodyweight training and high intensity training (HIIT) like Tabatas, but only for short duration.

So yes consistent exercise, but at a pure aerobic level, for the most part.
Tincup
E3,E4
apensity
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:59 pm

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by apensity »

Excellent info, I'll definitely be reading up on everything here, but those are some good points on exercise, thanks!
Brian
49 yo male
Northern CA
3/4
User avatar
floramaria
Support Team
Support Team
Posts: 1423
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:22 am
Location: Northern New Mexico

Re: Welcome!!!

Post by floramaria »

apensity wrote: So now I see that diet, exercise, stress management, supplements, brain training (new ideas/concepts), and meditation are all areas I should work on. WIsh me luck, and I look forward to meeting you all in cyber-space since we're all self-quarantining! :mrgreen:
Hi apensity, with the information you now have, and with access to the resources available on this website, you are off to a good start, and yes, I wish you luck as we meet here in cyberspace! this is wonderfully supportive community as well as an excellent place to find useful information. As Tincup pointed out, the Primer is one of the best places to get started in revving up your understanding of prioritized steps towards reducing the risk of AD and improving your health overall.
One tool that I think is particularly helpful is our search function, which you access with the magnifying glass to the left of your user name. You can enter any topic and see all the previous relevant posts on all the threads; this makes it much easier to find specific information you are interested in.
Our how-to guide in the Wiki
provides information on subscribing to threads, quoting when responding to another member so they are notified of your response, and other helpful ways to navigate the site and get the most from it.
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
Post Reply