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High-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy is a promising cancer treatment

Claus Hancke

February 21, 2026

A new review article with thorough analysis can hopefully increase public interest in this safe and side-effect-free cancer treatment.

A few weeks ago you could read the above headline, published in Genes & Diseases af Zhao et al.,  (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352304225002314?via%3Dihub).

Normally one would expect such a headline formulated something like “a new, promising treatment….”, but that is not possible here, because the treatment is certainly not new. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has been the subject of intense debate in cancer research since the 1950s. Yes, in fact we have to go back 90 years to 1936, when the later renowned Danish professor of pediatrics at Rigshospitalet Preben Plum published a scientific article in “Ugeskrift for læger”, in which he describes remission of leukemia after intravenous treatment with vitamin C (IVC). But interest was really aroused in the 1970s by Cameron and Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, who reported greatly prolonged survival in cancer patients treated with IVC. However, interest stopped after the Mayo Clinic conducted a few studies with oral vitamin C treatment, which of course had no effect. When I write “naturally”, it is because oral dosing is impossible in the doses that would theoretically be required to achieve the same concentration in the blood.

Intravenous or oral intake: I can illustrate this with the following: For vitamin C to have an anti-cancer effect, it requires a serum concentration of 3.5g/L (grams per liter). We have 5 liters of blood plus at least 5 liters of tissue fluid between the cells. For the concentration in these 10 liters to reach 3.5g/L, an intravenous infusion of at least 35 g is required. Since the half-life is short and turnover is rapid, vitamin C must be continuously supplied to the bloodstream so that this concentration can be maintained for 2-3 hours. This means that you typically give an infusion of 75-100g over 3 hours. This is completely without side effects other than a slight stinging at the injection site. And this problem can be easily resolved.

What about eating it? With an oral absorption of around 50%, we can quickly calculate that if you were to theoretically reach the same concentration in the blood, you would have to eat 150-200g of vitamin C over a few hours. First, it is impossible. Second, the gastrointestinal system would break down, so you would never get further than 15-20g before you got severe diarrhea. In other words, it is not possible to eat vitamin C to achieve an antitumor effect in the body.

The article also describes that oral administration can achieve a maximum plasma concentration of approximately 220 μmol/L, whereas IV administration bypasses the physiological barrier of the intestine, thereby achieving a plasma concentration of 20-30 mmol/l, which is 100 times higher than plasma concentration. And this is necessary to achieve a direct cytotoxic effect on cancer cells.

Anti-tumor mechanisms: The article identifies four primary mechanisms through which IV vitamin C fights cancer:

1. Pro-oxidative activity (Killing cells via free radicals)

It is well known that vitamin C in low doses functions as an antioxidant, but not so well known that in high doses it functions as a pro-oxidant, i.e. creates free radicals (especially in cancer cells that have poor antioxidant defenses.)

  • Iron-dependent ROS generation: Cancer cells often contain large amounts of free iron (labile iron). IVC reacts with this iron and produces H2O2, which via the Fenton reaction forms hydroxyl radicals (OH*). These radicals damage the mitochondria, DNA and cell membranes of cancer cells, causing the cell to die.
  • Selectivity: Normal cells have an effective defense (including catalase) that breaks down OH*, while cancer cells often lack this defense, making them vulnerable.

2. Metabolic (The Warburg effect)

Cancer cells with specific mutations (e.g. KRAS or BRAF) overexpress the glucose transporter GLUT1.

  • The DHA molecule (the oxidized form of vitamin C) resembles glucose and is taken up by GLUT1.
  • Inside the cell, DHA is converted back to ascorbate, depleting the cell’s stores of NAD+ and glutathione. This leads to metabolic collapse, where energy production stops and the cell dies.

3. Epigenetic regulation

IVC functions as an important cofactor for TET enzymes that control DNA demethylation.

  • Cancer cells often “turn off” tumor suppressor genes via hypermethylation.
  • IVC can reactivate these genes by promoting TET activity, which slows tumor growth and promotes cell differentiation.

4. Immunomodulation

IVC improves the immune system’s ability to recognize and kill cancer cells by:

  • Increase the infiltration and activity of CD8+ T cells and NK cells (Natural Killer cells.)
  • Lower the effect of PD-L1 (a protein that cancer cells use to “hide” from the immune system.)
  • Act synergistically with modern immunotherapy (checkpoint inhibitors.)

Synergy with standard treatment

Research to date has shown that IVC is less effective as a monotherapy, but excellent in combination with:

Effect of IVC:

Radiation therapy: Acts as a “radiosensitizer” (makes cancer cells more sensitive) while protecting normal tissue from radiation damage (such as e.g. pulmonary fibrosis.)

Chemotherapy: Increases the effect of chemotherapeutics such as cisplatin and carboplatin by weakening the antioxidant defenses of cancer cells.

Targeted therapy: Enhances the effect of e.g. EGFR inhibitors by creating an imbalance in the redox status of cancer cells.

Immunotherapy: Improves the response rate to PD-1/CTLA-4 blockade by altering the tumor microenvironment.

Early phase I and II clinical studies have confirmed:

1. High safety: Intravenous vitamin C is well tolerated, even at doses up to 1.5 g/kg body weight.

2. Quality of life: Patients report fewer side effects from chemotherapy (less fatigue, fewer gastrointestinal problems, and better appetite) when they receive IVC concomitantly.

3. Challenges: Results for longer survival are still inconsistent in phase II studies, which has slowed the transition to large phase III studies. This is likely due to differences in dosing, frequency, and patient selection.

Challenges and future recommendations

For intravenous vitamin C therapy to become a standardized part of cancer treatment, the article points to several critical points:

Optimal dosing: There is still debate about dosing, so there is a lack of consensus on whether to dose according to body weight or up to a specific plasma level.

Patient selection: Future studies should focus on patients with specific genetic markers (e.g. KRAS mutations or low TET2 levels), who theoretically should benefit greatly from the treatment.

Timing: The order of administration (before, during or after chemotherapy) is crucial and has not yet been fully optimized, which is why there is a lack of consensus.

Risks: There has been concern about the theoretical risk of kidney stones in the past, but this theory has long been disproven. On the other hand, there is a real risk for those patients who may suffer from Glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, who are at risk of bleeding at the IVC. However, this can be easily avoided by testing or careful initiation.

(Note from the undersigned: For more than 30 years, I have performed approximately 100,000 IVC treatments without a single case of kidney stones or G6PD bleeding. In Danes, the incidence of G6PD deficiency is 0.1%, whereas it is 10-20% in immigrants from the Middle East, which is why special attention must be paid here.)

Conclusion

High-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy has been used for the past 50 years outside the orthodox healthcare system and without much public interest, but has now reemerged as a serious candidate in the treatment of cancer. The treatment’s unique ability to act as a pro-oxidative tool that selectively targets cancer cell metabolism and epigenetics makes it a promising adjuvant therapy. It is not a miracle cure, but there is every indication that it can improve the efficacy of existing treatments and reduce patients’ suffering during the course.

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke
Specialist in general medicine

Refs:

Zhao H et al, Genes & Diseases (2026) 13, 101742. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352304225002314?via%3Dihub

Plum P, Thomsen S, Remission under forløbet af akut, aleukæmisk leukæmi, 1936 Ugeskr Læg Særtryk 98.årg. 1062-1067.

Bodeker KL et al, (2024) A randomized trial of pharmacological ascorbate, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel for metastatic pancreatic cancer, Redox Biology, Vol.77, Nov-2024, 103375

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231724003537?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=9cce1dfc69066707

Selenium is far more important than we think

Claus Hancke

July 21, 2025

New huge meta-analysis shows with convincing clarity a significant correlation between general mortality and the amount of selenium in the body.

In one of the more nerdy and well-respected scientific journals, Redox Biology, a huge meta analysis was quietly published the other day, based on data from over 67,000 people. When I say “quietly”, it is because its results are so convincing and certain that they should cause massive resonance in the media worldwide. So what are these results?

Yes. In short, they show that higher selenium levels in the blood are associated with significantly lower mortality from many different disease groups, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The overall mortality rate was 13% lower, cardiovascular mortality was 11% lower, and cancer mortality was 15% lower.

As I mentioned earlier, it may be a bit of a stretch to talk about reduced overall mortality, since it is approximately 100% for Homo sapiens. So when researchers talk about reduced mortality, it is within the given observation interval, you have to understand.

But it has been many years since I have read such a convincing meta-analysis, as it provides significant health benefits in every single parameter that has been examined.

The analysis includes data from 67,534 participants divided into 20 scientific studies.

The researchers looked at the relationship between mortality and various selenium biomarkers, including total selenium, selenium bound to selenoprotein P, and glutathione peroxidase, which is one of our most important selenium-based enzymatic antioxidants, as well as a wide range of other selenoproteins, such as thioredoxin reductase.

The results were consistent across different countries, methods, and populations with both low and sufficient selenium intake, and the meta-analysis showed no evidence of significant bias in the form of publication bias, which strengthens the reliability of the results.

How does it work so effectively?

This is actually quite logical if we look at the actual causal mechanisms of the major disease groups such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The biochemical lesion that starts cardiovascular diseases is increased chronic inflammation with subsequent endothelial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress, which turns monocytes into foam cells because they are filled with oxidized LDL3 cholesterol.

Similarly, cancer is a disease that is increased by chronic inflammation together with compromised repair of DNA damage in the cells and compromised mitochondrial function.

Therefore, it is interesting that selenomethionine stimulates DNA repair and other selenoproteins such as thioredoxin reductase, which reduces the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

The two major lifestyle diseases are thus primarily generated by two factors, namely inflammation and oxidation.

So it is interesting that selenium reduces both; partly by generating approximately 25 different selenoproteins, which are vital antioxidants, and partly by increasing the important enzyme Sirtuin-1, which inhibits both inflammation and oxidation. -Even more pronounced when combined with Q10, which more than halves cardiac mortality, cf. Newsletter of April 23, 2023.

So what? Should we take selenium to live longer?
Yes. We should.
There is not enough in our diet.

The new meta-analysis points to a clear benefit of higher selenium status.

The body needs selenium to form the approximately 25 different selenoproteins. This is a group of proteins that regulate vital functions such as immune defense, cell defense, metabolism and fertility. These proteins must be saturated with selenium in order to perform their many tasks correctly.

This large study clearly shows that sufficient selenium reduces the risk of the major killer diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

And since we cannot get enough in our diet, we have to take extra selenium as a supplement.

100-200 µg daily is an excellent dosage. No more is needed.

If you are afraid of overdosing, you can simply take it as selenium yeast, which is also the best absorbable. There is a very large safety margin here.

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke
Specialist in general medicine

Ref:

“Associations of selenium status with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies”

Zhixin Cui, Ruijie Xie, Xiaoting Lu, Lutz Schomburg, Hermann Brenner, Ben Schöttker

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221323172500268X?dgcid=raven_sd_aip_email

Bitter substances in food are important

Klaus Sall

July 15, 2025

Plants contain many active substances, and it is not an exaggeration to say that many of the chemical substances we use in modern medicine today were originally found in plants known in traditional herbal medicine.

When the physician Hippocrates is quoted as saying “let thy medicine be thy food and thy food be thy medicine“, it can be understood that the particularly active plant substances from herbal medicine actually belong to larger families of active plant substances that are found in all plants. Therefore, plants in our diet can generally contribute to our health. Let’s look at some of the mechanisms of action.

Most of the chronic diseases that afflict people who eat a “Western” diet like the Danish one are neurological diseases such as dementia, metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. There is increasing evidence that these diseases are caused by two things: Chronic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, both of which can cause problems in the gut and in other organs of the body.

Until about three decades ago, our understanding of the gut was focused on the body’s own ability to digest food, and the bacteria in the gut were largely considered “stowaways”. Today, we are aware that the bacterial composition of the gut (the microbiota) contributes greatly to the health and disease of the entire body.

It is therefore interesting that the active plant substances found in the diet can change the composition of the intestinal bacteria in a healthier direction. In addition, many plant substances are strong antioxidants that can act both in the intestine and throughout the body when absorbed from the intestine, and many plant substances actively inhibit inflammatory reactions in both the intestine and the body’s cells.

Among the families of active plant substances that we come into contact with on a daily basis are allicins from onions, flavonoids from the colored substances in fruits and vegetables, glycosinolates from cabbage, tannins in virtually all fruits and vegetables, and essential oils from all the fragrant herbs and spices.

Plants produce all these active plant substances to protect themselves against disease-causing bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc., and they have a similar effect when we eat them, where they can act in the intestine and further, when absorbed from the intestine, can act throughout the body.

The most widespread group of active plant substances are tannins, and the following article describes some of the most important functions that tannins can contribute to our physical and mental health.

Klaus Sall
Biologist, Cand. Scient.

 

The importance of tannins for our health

We are all familiar with the slightly bitter brown skin that surrounds walnut kernels. The skin is high in tannins, and it is a good example of how plants protect themselves from attack by fungi and bacteria. Potatoes and carrots also deposit tannins in their skins to prevent their tubers and roots from being eaten by fungi and parasites – and apples, pears, plums, grapes, blueberries and other fruits use both tannins and the colorful substances called flavonoids in their skins as part of their protection against attacks from, for example, viruses and fungi.

Tannins were originally described as polyphenols that can precipitate protein dissolved in water. They are called polyphenols because they are made up of many smaller phenols, and tannins are usually divided into two main groups: hydrolyzable tannins and condensed tannins.

tanniner

The illustration shows a few examples of how tannins can be structured, and their high content of OH groups, which forms the basis for their antioxidant effect.

The figure shows on the left the structure of a hydrolyzed tannin with a sugar molecule in the middle and phenolic groups on the right and left bonded together over oxygen O. On the right a small section of a condensable tannin, which is usually very large molecules with the same phenolic group bonded over and over again directly from carbon to carbon, which makes this type of tannins very stable.

Tannins can help change the intestinal environment in a healthier direction. Hydrolyzable tannins are broken down into the phenols they are made up of, such as Gallic Acid and Ellagic Acid. Ellagic Acid is partially broken down into various urolithins and, like Gallic Acid, they can be easily absorbed from the intestine and affect cells throughout the body with their antioxidant effect.

Tannins are by far the most widespread of the special plant substances that give many medicinal herbs their effect, and tannins therefore play an important role in those plants that have traditionally been used to treat, for example, diarrhea and various infections. In our diet, tannins are primarily found in, for example, walnuts and other nuts, peas, beans, pomegranate (juice), cranberries and tea.

In addition to being known as powerful antioxidants, tannins and their building blocks are also valued for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic, and astringent properties. While this article attempts to describe some of the properties of tannins individually, it is clear that these properties are closely intertwined when they work in the body.

Anti-bacterial
Tannins can inhibit several well-known harmful bacteria such as Clostridium difficile (Clostridioides difficile) which can cause severe watery diarrhea, which most often affects children and the elderly, but also inhibit Clostridium perfringens, which can cause bloody diarrhea. There is also documentation that tannins inhibit Heliobacter pylori, which can cause stomach ulcers, and Staphylococcus aureus, which can infect wounds or cause inflammation in our mucous membranes.

Most bacteria that we live with peacefully get their energy by fermenting starch and sugar into lactic acid and other acids. But some bacterial species prefer to get their energy by fermenting protein – or rather – amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

When bacteria break down amino acids, they can only take a small bite of the amino acid, after which they excrete the rest as waste products. The partial breakdown is completely similar to the bacteria that need sugar to get their energy, but in the case of the sugar-fermenting bacteria, we value the waste products in the form of, for example, lactic acid. The waste products from the protein-fermenting bacteria, on the other hand, are capable of creating inflammation in our intestines. These are waste products such as ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), cadaverine, putrescine, skatole, acetone and trimethylamine (TMA), among others.

Although the protein-fermenting bacteria are not necessarily actual disease-causing bacteria themselves, their waste products, and especially ammonia, can create an environment where disease-causing bacteria thrive, while the growth of the lactic acid-producing bacteria is reduced.

Skamatisk Illustration af bakterie der nedbryder tryptofan

The illustration shows how a bacteria breaks down the amino acid tryptophan, after which it excretes the rest: ammonia and skaltole.

One theory behind the inhibitory effect of tannins on amino acid fermenting bacteria is that the tannins bind to and inhibit the enzymes that the bacteria secrete to release amino acids from protein. This lowers their metabolism, numbers and their production of waste products so that the lactic acid-producing bacteria can once again dominate the environment in the gut.

Anti-inflammatory
When we talk about inflammation in everyday life, we usually think of infections by bacteria or viruses, but a large part of the inflammatory reactions in the body are purely chemical. Most of the chronic diseases that dominate in Western countries are linked to chronic inflammation in the body. These are diseases such as atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, various forms of dementia plus of course the autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and/or colon.

Inflammation is a cascade of reactions of many different chemical substances and cells that clean up all kinds of “disorder” in the body’s cells and tissues. An inflammation should ideally end with some other substances and cells dampening the reaction, all the way down to normal. As the list of chronic diseases above shows, this dampening does not always occur to a sufficient extent. In this regard, diet can play an important role in the regulation of inflammation in cells and tissues, and many studies show that a diet with a higher content of tannins, etc. is associated with lower levels of inflammation in animals and humans.

Tannins and their degradation products such as gallic acid, ellagic acid and urolithins are interesting because they each have a well-documented anti-inflammatory effect in the intestine if/when they are absorbed into the body. Tannins inhibit several inflammatory processes in the body and in particular they inhibit the production of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). NF-κB mediates a cascade of pro-inflammatory cytokines from immune cells called macrophages in stage 1 (M1). When tannins inhibit the activation of NF-κB, it leads to reduced production of cytokines that cause inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β, (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL6) so that the inflammatory cascade is attenuated.

There is increasing evidence that tannins also actively suppress inflammation more directly by promoting the transition of macrophages to an anti-inflammatory stage (M2), where the macrophages suppress and repair cell damage, and that tannins also stimulate the production of interleukin-10 (IL10), which also actively suppresses inflammation.

Antioxidant
The latest research in the field of aging indicates that the ability of cells to passivate free radicals decreases as our bodies age, and the body develops what is often referred to as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress therefore appears to be one of the main reasons why cells and tissues age. Conversely, a number of studies have shown that tannins in food, with their antioxidant effect, can support the body’s ability to passivate free radicals, thereby stopping or reducing oxidative stress.

Free radicals arise because electrons have a very strong tendency to exist as pairs, but in the cell oxygen compounds are constantly formed, where one electron is “alone”. These unpaired electrons will attract an electron from other molecules with great force. When the free radicals pull an electron from other molecules, they can damage, for example, enzymes, fatty acids in cell walls, DNA and other important molecules in the cell. Free radicals are typically oxygen compounds such as O2-, O-, H2O2, OH* or ONOO-, but can also be metal compounds such as iron’s ferrite ion Fe3-, where the number of electrons is not in balance.

Each of the OH groups shown in the tannin illustration below can release an electron and thereby act as antioxidants that can passivate the free radicals that can arise during digestion or metabolism in the cells.

Gallussyre og ellaginsyre

Gallic acid on the left and ellagic acid on the right.The mitochondria of all our cells constantly produce lots of free radicals, but also enzymes and antioxidants that can neutralize them. In young healthy cells and healthy tissue, the balance between the free radicals and the cell’s ability to quickly passivate them is at an appropriate level.

The problem with free radicals is not that they exist, but that the balance between free radicals and antioxidants can become unbalanced, so that more free radicals are formed than the cells have the ability to passivate again. This can, as a kind of chain reaction, cause a kind of chemical inflammation in, for example, the intestines and in the body’s organs and tissues to become permanent, and tannins can help break this chain.

Prebiotic effect
It is difficult to point out some bacteria as “good” and some as “bad”, because the different species of bacteria have a very large variation. However, results from many scientific studies in animals and humans have shown that certain species – genera and/or entire families of bacteria are linked to a healthy gut, while others are linked to various diseases. Tannins have been shown in many studies to have a positive effect on the composition of the gut microbiota, and that they therefore function as prebiotics.

Prebiotics are defined as the part of our diet that we cannot digest ourselves, but which, for example, promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, thereby promoting our own health. The healthy effect may be partly due to some bacteria in the intestine actively fighting bacteria that cause inflammation in the intestine, but may also be due to the “good” bacteria producing substances that are absorbed from the intestine and that the body benefits from, or the “good” bacteria inhibiting the “bad” bacteria’s production of substances that have a negative effect on the body.

It has been known for many years that bacteria in the gut can make an important contribution to the body’s need for vitamin B12 and other B vitamins, and that Bifidobacteria produce butyric acid, which is important for the well-being of the colon tissue. More recently, it has been documented that a significant portion of the body’s serotonin is produced by gut bacteria, which thus contributes to one of the important hormones that strengthen our good mood, and there is increasing evidence that there are several substances produced in the gut that can affect both our mental state, immune system and physiology in a negative or positive direction.

Over the past 20 years, a number of articles have been published on the effect of hydrolyzable and condensed tannins on the gut microbiota, and also the effect of the substances that the bacteria produce when they break down the tannins. While tannins are large molecules that largely only act in the gut, the substances that the tannins break down into can be absorbed from the gut, and thus act throughout the body.

So far, only a few genera and species of bacteria have been discovered that can break down tannins, such as species within the Ellagibacter, Enterococcus, Gordonibacter and Streptococcus genera. In addition, there are a number of bacteria linked to the wider food chain. These are bacteria that thrive better because they can utilize the substances that tannins break down into. When we eat more tannins over a longer period of time, species within the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium genera are promoted, all of which are genera of bacteria that are linked to healthy intestinal function.

When tannins promote colonization in the intestine by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacter, it helps to ensure a slightly more stable, acidic environment in the intestine, which can inhibit a number of pathogenic bacteria. Bifidobacter can also produce the substance nicin, which directly inhibits several different pathogenic bacteria from the Clostridia genus.

Hydrolyzable tannins are broken down by bacteria to, among other things, ellagic acid, which is further broken down to various forms of urolithin. It is not often that one experiences researchers being directly enthusiastic about their research results, but those are the researchers who investigate the physiological effects of urolithins. One of the reasons is that it appears that urolithin both inhibits type 2 diabetes and the development of cancer, and at the same time protects and activates the energy production of mitochondria, thereby also strengthening our muscles.

Similarly, very positive effects have been seen with gallic acid, another breakdown product of tannins. A study on mice with artificially induced intestinal inflammation showed a very positive effect on intestinal health at a dosage of up to 50 mg/kg, which in humans would correspond to a dosage of 3 g for a 60 kg adult.

Astringent
Tannins are commonly known for their astringent properties, which give a tightening sensation in the mouth. The scientific explanation for this effect is still not entirely clear, but can probably be linked to a similar effect that tannins have in the intestine, where they quickly have an inhibitory effect on the transport of water across the intestine, thereby reducing symptoms of diarrhea.

Diarrhea can be caused by many different inflammatory reactions and infections, but what they have in common is that they usually cause fluid and salts from the body to flow into the intestine through the microscopic passage between the cells of the intestine – a passage called a tight junction.

As part of the gut’s response to inflammation in the gut, the gap between the cells becomes larger and loses some of its ability to filter which substances can pass from the body into the gut and vice versa from the gut into the body. Laboratory experiments have shown that tannins pull the cells closer together, and that they can thereby contribute significantly to stopping this uncontrolled transport. Animal experiments have shown that rabbits, pigs, cows and chickens have less diarrhea when tannins are added to the feed – and something similar applies to humans.

Fire tarmceller, hvor den 4. er betændt

The illustration shows four intestinal cells, where the green arrow shows a healthy reaction, where only small molecules of up to about 1 nm (nanometer) can pass. The blue arrow shows an inflamed cell, where larger molecules of up to 10 nm can pass. On the right, the red arrow at an intestinal cell that is undergoing degradation, where everything can pass. Adapted from Zuo, Kuo and Turner, 2020.

The hydrolysable tannins can be broken down in the intestine to the phenols they are made of, and it is therefore both the tannins and their breakdown products that can help change the function of the intestine as a barrier in a healthier direction. Ellagic acid is partially broken down to urolithin A and B, which, like gallic acid, are easily absorbed from the intestine, and thus they can also affect the cells throughout the body with their astringent effect.

In traditional herbal medicine, the astringent effect of tannin extracts is used, among other things, to treat hemorrhoids and to stop bleeding.

Eat more greens
For the past 70 years or so, plant breeders have fairly systematically selected plant varieties with lower and lower levels of most types of plant substances such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and essential oils, as they have been perceived as anti-nutrients. However, when plants are attacked by various enemies, they increase their production of these substances, which means that the plants produce them with an important purpose, which is to fight bacteria, viruses and other enemies.

When we eat plant substances such as tannins, essential oils, etc., the intestinal contents become more complex, and therefore also the intestinal microbiota, and harmful bacteria find it more difficult to dominate the intestinal environment.

Most of the diseases that characterize old age in the Western world are caused by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, both of which can be reduced with higher levels of plant substances in our diet.

So – eat more greens and use more spices!

Klaus Sall
Biologist, Cand. Scient.

 

References and further reading:

Centonze, M. et al. 2025. The Antiaging Potential of Dietary Plant-Based Polyphenols: A Review on Their Role in Cellular Senescence Modulation. Nutrients, 17(10), p. 1716. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17101716.

Cosme, F. et al. 2025. A Comprehensive Review of Bioactive Tannins in Foods and Beverages: Functional Properties, Health Benefits, and Sensory Qualities. Molecules, 30(4), p. 800. Available at: https:/
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040800.

He, Q. et al. 2023. Tannins amount determines whether tannase-containing bacteria are probiotic or pathogenic in IBD. Life Science Alliance, 6(5). Available at:
https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202201702.

Molino, S. et al. 2025. Improving Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Symptoms and Quality of Life with Quebracho and Chestnut Tannin-Based Supplementation: A Single-Centre, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients, 17(3), p. 552. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030552.

Ozogul, Y. et al. 2025. Tannins for food preservation and human health: A review of current knowledge. Applied Food Research, 5(1), p. 100738. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2025.100738.

Raya-Morquecho, E.M. et al. 2025. Ellagitannins and Their Derivatives: A Review on the Metabolization, Absorption, and Some Benefits Related to Intestinal Health. Microbiology Research, 16(6), p. 113. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres16060113.

Wang, Y.-H. et al. 2025. The improvement effect of ellagic acid and urolithins on metabolic diseases: Pharmacology and mechanism. Food & Medicine Homology. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.26599/FMH.2025.9420058.

Om antioxidanter og frie radikaler:

Sikder, M.M. et al. 2025. Reactive Oxygen Species: Role in Pathophysiology, and Mechanism of Endogenous and Dietary Antioxidants during Oxidative Stress. Chonnam Medical Journal, 61(1), p. 32. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.4068/cmj.2025.61.1.32.

Note

The drawings we make for organic molecules that living organisms build, such as sugars, tannins, and other molecules, are very simplified. The two drawings on the right show the same molecule, one showing all atoms, while the other only the essential ones. Here are the rules for understanding these “drawings” of molecules:

  • Every time a line changes direction or ends in “nothing”, it is because there is a carbon C
  • Each carbon C always bonds with 4 bonds.
  • Hvis der ikke er vist 4 bindinger ved et C, er alle de bindinger, der ikke er vist, en binding til brint H.

Plant substances – an overview

Alkaloids

Alkaloids are quite diverse, often small basic molecules that always contain one or more nitrogen atoms. They are found, for example, in stimulants such as caffeine in coffee, nicotine in tobacco, quinine in tonic water and several of the flavorings in chili and bell peppers, but also solanine found in green potatoes. In the field of medicines, morphine is known, and in the field of poisons, strychnine.

Allicins

Allicins are substances with one or more sulfur in the carbon chain, and they are best known from onions and garlic. Like many other of these plant substances, they are very biologically active and the cells therefore store them in small “sacs”, from which they are released if the cell is attacked, while at the same time they are converted into even more reactive molecules.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are a broad group of phenols built on approximately the same structure as seen below. They are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic. A well-known flavonoid is resveratrol which is found in blue grapes and they are also found in abundance in berries such as elderberries, blackcurrants, beets and green tea. They often give fruits and vegetables their characteristic colors.

Glycosinolates

Glycosinolates give cabbage its characteristic aroma and taste. They consist of a sugar molecule and a sulfur group. They are known for their anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. They are most commonly found in cabbages such as broccoli and kale.

Saponins

Saponins are molecules that can foam when shaken in water. They are made up of a group of 2-5 sugar molecules attached to a group that is either a tri-terpene or a steroid molecule. Saponins protect plants by, for example, destroying the cell membrane of fungi. Saponins are often found in small amounts in the roots and green leaves and stems of plants and are best known from ginseng, aloe vera, but are also found in, for example, green tomatoes and potatoes.

 

Tannins

Tannins are also called tannic acids or polyphenols, and they are probably the most common plant substances. Tannins are strong antioxidants, they are also anti-inflammatory and have a very broad effect against viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes. Tannins are divided into condensed tannins and hydrolysable tannins. Hydrolysable tannins are built around a central sugar molecule, with the small phenol groups bound by ester bonds. The hydrolysable tannins are found especially in pomegranate (juice), walnuts and in red wine, which has been aged in barrels of oak or chestnut wood. Condensed tannins are mainly composed of many flavonoids. The condensed tannins are found especially in peas, beans, black and green tea.

Terpenes / essential oils

Terpenes are often called essential oils and are a term for many quite different small molecules that have in common that they evaporate easily (fragrance) and are soluble in alcohol and oil without themselves being oils or fatty acids.
Terpenes are known from the scent of, for example, dill, lavender, mint, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, orange, cinnamon and cloves, but can also be purchased as pure oils or extracts such as cinnamon oil, tea tree oil or clove oil (eugenol).

 

Vitamin E – the good and the bad

Klaus Sall

December 10. 2024

Vitamin E is a large family of active substances, with alpha-tocopherol being the most well-known and used, but it has good and bad relatives.

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are some of the most common causes of death worldwide, and also reduce the quality of life for millions of people. The authors of a new article have reviewed the recent scientific evidence on the effects of increased intake of the two main forms of vitamin E, tocotrienols and tocopherols, on patients with atherosclerosis and the cardiovascular diseases that accompany atherosclerosis (Rafique et al., 2024).

The article has focused on the fact that vitamin E is much more than the commonly known alpha-tocopherol, and that some of the other forms of vitamin E in the diet may contribute to better protection of the body’s cardiovascular system.

An attempt to illustrate the structure of vitamin E can be seen below, where the four tocotrienols are on the left with three double bonds in the long carbon chain, and the four tocopherols are on the right.

Tocotrienols                                                                  Tocopherols

Figure 1: The eight substances that naturally belong to the vitamin E group in plants. The tocotrienols are on the left, and the tocopherols on the right. Alpha-tocopherol is shown in red. The arrows in the figure show how trienols can be converted to alpha-tocopherol in our body. (Figure modified from Querchi et al. (2015)).

The new article is based on a review of 5 studies published in the 8 years from 2015-2022, which examined the effect of tocotrienol or tocopherol supplementation on the development of atherosclerosis or patients with already existing atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

A study highlighted in the recently published article showed that tocotrienol at a dose of 250 mg per day for 16 weeks had a clear positive effect on reducing cholesterol and reducing important biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body (Querishi et al 2015):

  • C-reactive protein (CRP): a 40% decrease

CRP is produced in the liver and is a frequently used marker for inflammation in the body in general and also for atherosclerosis, where a lower level gives patients a lower risk of having a blood clot.

  • Malondialdehyde (MDA): a decrease of 34%

Malondialdehyde is produced in the body’s tissues and high levels are a sign of oxidative stress and low antioxidant levels.

  • Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT): a decrease of 22%

High GGT levels in the blood are a sign of strain on the liver-biliary system and pancreas.

Along with the above positive changes, the total antioxidant status in the blood was increased by 22%, and cytokines that promote inflammation, such as interleukins (IL-1, IL-12), were reduced by 15-17%. Tocotrienol also had a positive effect on several types of micro-RNA, which are important in the regulation of inflammation and fatty acid metabolism.

Overall, the article showed that tocotrienol can help reduce the processes in the body that lead to atherosclerosis – especially in patients with already existing symptoms of cardiovascular problems.

However, the positive studies on tocotrienols mentioned in the new article are all of shorter duration – 3–6 months. In contrast, the studies the article compares with were all conducted with alpha-tocopherol, and of duration as long as 30 years.

These long-term studies of alpha-tocopherol have shown results with considerable variation. A Finnish study (Huang et al 2019), which followed 29,000 male smokers for 30 years, showed that a better diet with an approximately 30% higher content of natural alpha-tocopherol, initially reduced mortality by 22%, including atherosclerosis by 10-21%, heart attack by 2-17% and cerebral hemorrhage by 22-38%. A supplement of 50 mg/day RL alpha-tocopherol for approximately 6 years within the 30-year period, on the other hand, did not affect symptoms or mortality in the short or long term.

Another long-term American study followed 3,780 healthy women for 11 years, measuring the effect of an alpha-tocopherol supplement to double the level of alpha-tocopherol in the blood. The women were aged between 50 and 79 at the start of the study. The study found an 8% reduced incidence of cerebral hemorrhage with higher levels of alpha-tocopherol in the blood, but an increased incidence of other cardiovascular diseases, such that the overall incidence of cardiovascular problems increased by 8%.

Chemically produced “vitamin E”
Since vitamin E is a strong antioxidant that is known to reduce the unwanted oxidation of LDL cholesterol and other fats in the walls of cells, thereby counteracting atherosclerosis, etc. (Belcher et al 1993), it is relevant to ask why large and long-term studies do not unequivocally show that a supplement of vitamin E is super good.

One explanation could be that we somehow need free radicals, and that vitamin E, with its antioxidant effect, therefore removes something “good.” A more credible explanation, in my perspective, is that large-scale experiments have often used a cheap and poor form of chemically produced vitamin E.

When people talk about there being 8 forms of vitamin E, they are often referring to the 8 different molecules shown above (Figure 1). However, alpha-tocopherol is a complex molecule, and in three places in the molecule a carbon atom is linked to four other atoms/molecules. In the figure below, the positions of the three carbon atoms are marked with red stars (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Drawing of the molecular structure of alpha-tocopherol, where the stars mark the three places where a carbon has four different bonds. (Figure modified from Kohlmeier (2015)).

When you look at the drawing, you can easily imagine that the different molecules can rotate freely, but in reality they are very stable. If hydrogen (H) and the methyl molecule (CH3) are in just one of the places opposite to what is shown in the drawing – yes – then biologically you have seen a different molecule.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens when you produce vitamin E the old-fashioned chemical way. That is, atoms and molecules turn randomly, which means that they have two possible positions in three different places.

Therefore, 2 different x 2 different x 2 different = a total of 8 different forms of the molecule are chemically produced – see Figure 3 below. Of these, only one form is the natural form of vitamin E, which is found in plants and therefore in our diet, while the other seven versions of the molecule are unknown to plants and animals.

In particular, the four forms shown on the right in the figure below are broken down relatively quickly in the liver like other foreign substances. However, we know very little about what toxic effects they have before they are broken down, and what long-term toxic effects arise due to the more or less broken down substances.

Figure 3: Graphic illustration of the eight forms of vitamin E that are created when attempting to produce vitamin E using simple chemical methods. The natural alpha-tocopherol is marked in red. (Figure modified from Kohlmeier (2015)).

When you want to produce cheap supplements, such as cheap multivitamin pills, you often use chemically produced vitamin E. In these cheap products, the mixture of the eight forms of vitamin E is called rac alpha-tocopherol or DL ​​alpha-tocopherol. The natural alpha-tocopherol has been given first names such as D alpha-tocopherol or RRR alpha-tocopherol.

To increase the shelf life of various foods, vitamin E is often used as an antioxidant during production. Since the focus is on vitamin E’s antioxidant effect and not its effect as a vitamin, many manufacturers prefer to use the cheapest form of vitamin E, which is the chemically produced form that contains all 8 forms in equal amounts.

Figure 4 below graphically shows how the eight natural forms of vitamin E should be understood, compared to the seven additional forms that arise when alpha-tocopherol is produced chemically.

It can be seen that the variation in natural vitamin E is due to variation in the ring shown on the left, while the variation in chemically produced alpha-tocopherols is due to changes in the long chain extending from the rings.

Figure 4: At the top, the eight forms of vitamin E found in plants, and therefore naturally present in our diet, and then the eight forms of alpha-tocopherol – one natural and the other seven forms resulting from the chemical production of alpha-tocopherol, which are therefore also present in our diet when “vitamin E” is used as an antioxidant and in cheap dietary supplements. (The figure is modified from Kohlmeier (2015) and Querchi et al. (2015)).

Conclusion
It is now well documented that the different forms of vitamin E, in addition to their common effect as antioxidants, have quite different mechanisms of action in the body. The different natural forms of vitamin E contribute with different mechanisms to protect the body’s cardiovascular system, the central nervous system and also provide some protective effect against certain forms of cancer.

The chemical production of alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand, casts a shadow over the results achieved with long-term supplementation of alpha-tocopherol, so that it is not possible to determine whether a daily supplement of this vitamin E contributes to a healthy and long life or perhaps has negative effects.

Tocotrienols are always extracted from natural sources, and existing studies show that they have a safe effect even at relatively high daily intakes. It is therefore advantageous to choose a vitamin E with a high content of tocotrienols.

Klaus K. Sall
Biologist, Cand. Scient.
Sall&Sall Counseling

Notes

EFSA: The European Food Safety Authority EFSA estimates that a daily adequate intake of vitamin E measured as alpha tocopherol is 13 mg/day for men and 11 mg/day for women (EFSA 2015). In 2024, EFSA estimated that the highest daily intake for adults is 300 mg D alpha-tocopherol (EFSA 2024). In a previous specific case, EFSA estimated that a daily intake of 1000 mg mixed tocotrienols and tocopherols does not pose risks. (EFSA 2008).

Chirality: The eight forms of alpha-tocopherol that are formed during chemical production – are part of a phenomenon called chiral molecules. I have created a website that describes the importance of this phenomenon for all life (text in Danish): www.kiral.dk.

Mix: Studies have shown that alpha-tocopherol suppresses the body’s use of tocotrienols. Therefore, in supplements containing both alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienols, the tocopherols will be primarily utilized (Querishi et al 2015).

12: A total of 12 natural molecules have been found that have vitamin E effects. Four of them rarely occur in human food and are not known in dietary supplements.

Organic farming: In organic foods, it is not permitted to use the unnatural forms of alpha-tocopherol.

References and further reading

Belcher, J.D. et al. (1993) ‘Vitamin E, LDL, and endothelium. Brief oral vitamin supplementation prevents oxidized LDL-mediated vascular injury in vitro.’, Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis: A Journal of Vascular Biology, 13(12), pp. 1779–1789. Available at: LINK.

EFSA (2008) ‘Opinion on mixed tocopherols, tocotrienol tocopherol and tocotrienols as sources for vitamin E added as a nutritional substance in food supplements, EFSA Journal, 6(3), p. 640. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2008.640.

EFSA (2015) ‘Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for vitamin E as α-tocopherol’, EFSA Journal, 13(7), p. 4149. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4149.

EFSA (2024) ‘Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin E’, EFSA Journal, 22(8), p. e8953. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8953.

Huang, J. et al. (2019) ‘Relationship Between Serum Alpha-Tocopherol and Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality’, Circulation Research, 125(1), pp. 29–40. Available at: LINK.

Kohlmeier, M. (2015) Fat-Soluble Vitamins and Nonnutrients: Vitamin E, in: Nutrient Metabolism: Structures, Functions, and Genes, pp. 514–525. Elsevier. Available at: LINK.

Qureshi et al. (2015) ‘Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Annatto δ-tocotrienol in Healthy Fed Subjects’, Journal of Clinical & Experimental Cardiology, 6(11). Available at: LINK.

Rafique, S. et al. (2024) ‘Comparative efficacy of tocotrienol and tocopherol (vitamin E) on atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in humans’, Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 74(6), pp. 1124–1129. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.9227.

Sen, C. et al. (2000) ‘Molecular basis of Vitamin E action – Tocotrienol potently inhibits glutamate-induced pp60(c-Src) kinase activation and death of HT4 neuronal cells’, The Journal of biological chemistry, 275, pp. 13049–55. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.275.17.13049.

Sen, C.K. et al. (2007) ‘Tocotrienols: The Emerging Face of Natural Vitamin E’, Vitamins and hormones, 76, p. 203. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0083-6729(07)76008-9.

How do we deal with the increasing number of cases of dementia?

Helle Egebjerg

November 15. 2024

How do we deal with the increasing number of cases of dementia?

The short answer is that we need to focus much more on prevention.

And as long as the public sector only steps in once diseases have occurred, prevention is something we ourselves are responsible for.

In 2022, of the 266 billion kroner budgetted for public health, the Danish health authorities spent only 7% on prevention and health promotion, e.g., spending on information campaigns.

Even in the first version of A Comprehensive Danish Brain Plan, the focus seems to be mostly on treating diseases of the brain once they have occurred.

This despite the fact that it is estimated that almost half of dementia cases could be prevented. Of course, the number is probably even higher, as only 2-3% of Alzheimer’s cases are due to genetic predisposition.

What is the status in Denmark regarding the number of people with dementia?

In Denmark, there are just over 96,000 persons aged 65 or above living with dementia.

The number is expected to grow to more than 134,000 people by 2035.*

Among people aged 65 and over, there are approximately 8,000 to 8,700 new registered cases of dementia per year in Denmark. This corresponds to approximately 22 to 24 new cases per day all year round.

There are just over 400,000 relatives of people with dementia.

Think about that for a moment!

This corresponds to almost everyone in cities like Roskilde and Herning combined having dementia today, and in 10 years, everyone from the town Fredericia also having dementia.

In effect, every year, everyone in a city the size of Sorø would also get dementia.

Not only that, everyone who lives in Aarhus and Aalborg is a relative!

Dementia is something that concerns us all.

Our lifestyle has a great influence on the risk of dementia.

There is broad agreement that our lifestyle influences the risk of developing dementia. This is apparent if we look at Videnscenter for demens (the Danish Knowledge Center for Dementia), at the latest Lancet report, or at reports from skilled doctors and researchers in this field. I would especially like to mention Dr. Dale Bredesen’s work on the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s with an Orthomolecular approach and Chris A. Knobbe’s research in relation to the responsibility of vegetable oils for our lifestyle diseases, including dementia*.

It is positive to see that the Knowledge Center for Dementia is focusing on how we can reduce the risk of dementia. They recommend the following:

  1. Keep your brain active
  2. Be social
  3. Get some exercise
  4. Quit smoking, cut down on alcohol, and eat healthily
  5. Control your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure

According to the Lancet Commission’s 2024 update on dementia, promising new evidence for dementia prevention is highlighted.

This report estimates that there is potential to prevent almost half of all dementia cases by eliminating 14 identified risk factors.

The 14 risk factors are:

  1. Low education and cognitive inactivity
  2. Hearing loss (untreated)
  3. High LDL cholesterol
  4. Depression
  5. Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  6. Physical inactivity
  7. Diabetes
  8. Smoking
  9. High blood pressure
  10. Obesity
  11. Excessive alcohol
  12. Social isolation
  13. Air pollution
  14. Vision impairment

If we look more specifically at Alzheimer’s, Dr. Dale Bredesen has researched and developed a program for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Dale Bredesen’s program is structured in three steps: 1) remove things that can lead to cognitive impairment, 2) maintain optimal health, and 3) enable the reconstruction of the brain’s neural network.

Dr. Bredesen points out the importance of keeping an eye on a number of biomarkers throughout life that have an influence on the development of Alzheimer’s.

Ideally, we could reduce chronic inflammation, ensure optimal nutrient levels, hormones and NGF (nerve growth factor), avoid diabetes, get rid of toxins, avoid vascular diseases, and ensure better brain reconstruction after brain trauma.

The biomarker tests Dr. Bredesen recommends relate to toxins and pathogens, nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, long-term blood sugar levels and other factors that can reveal a lack of insulin sensitivity. These are also tests that reveal inflammation. Also important are, optimal levels of CoQ10, glutathione, homocysteine and hormones, among others.

In addition, he recommends tests for the toxins mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, organic toxins, herbicides, mycotoxins, and antibodies against pathogens such as borrelia and herpes.

Regarding vitamins, it is especially important that we are NOT deficient in Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E.

With respect to minerals, it is especially important that we are not deficient in magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium, and potassium.

With regard to fatty acids, it is especially important that we do not have a deficit of the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA and that the balance between the pro-inflammatory Omega 6 and the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 is optimal.

Dale Bredesen has developed a program called ReCode.

It is based on a lifestyle and diet pyramid that supports a well-functioning brain.

At the bottom is a foundation of quality sleep, KetoFLEX 12/3, and physical activity.

KetoFLEX 12/3 is partial fasting. The recommendation is that we should not eat in the last 3 hours before we sleep and that at least 12 hours should pass before we eat again after the last meal of the evening.

Partial fasting has many health benefits, including increased insulin sensitivity and the increased ability of the body to use both glucose and ketones as an energy source, as well as an anti-inflammatory effect, all of which are important factors for brain health.

Then we should make sure to eat lots of colorful vegetables with low carbohydrate levels and get healthy fats from avocados, nuts, and olives. Avoid vegetable oils rich in Omega 6, such as sunflower oil, corn oil and grape seed oil. Make sure to consume spices such as turmeric and saffron as well as green tea, as they have important anti-inflammatory properties.

The next layer in the pyramid is upgrading our gut microbiome with prebiotics, fermented foods, and foods high in resistant starch.

Then comes the layer in the pyramid with proteins and good fats. The brain in particular needs Omega 3 from wild-caught fatty fish, as well as choline and B vitamins from eggs. And This also includes berries. Eat a variety of berries and wild organic blueberries, which are the best choice.

At the top of the pyramid is what we are allowed to have just a little of, e.g., chocolate snacks. Alcohol should be avoided, as it is a neurotoxin.

The importance of reducing the intake of vegetable kernel oil is further documented by Cf. Chris A. Knobbe’s extensive work. His hypothesis is, that the root of today’s lifestyle diseases is that we started eating kernel oils such as sunflower oil and grape seed oil, etc. This also applies to the occurrence of dementia.

So, there is hope ahead in terms of doing something about the incidence of dementia, but it requires daily choices for each of us. A brain-friendly diet does not include vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid (LA) / Omega 6 fatty acids, especially sunflower oil, corn oil, and grape seed oil should be avoided.

What can you do today?

Throw away your vegetable seed oil and never buy it again!

So, out with sunflower oil, corn oil and grape seed oil. Out they go!

Read the product labels carefully, as vegetable seed oil is found in many finished products, from pesto to tuna in oil. It is easy to see the contents. There is a surprising occurrence in some oat drinks and as a surface treatment for organic raisins.

The best alternative is to eat only pure foods that do not have an ingredient list!

Top 10 brain foods that you should always have in your kitchen:

  • Fatty fish: herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and wild salmon
  • Avocado
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Eggs
  • Olives and good olive oil
  • Wild blueberries
  • Walnuts
  • Turmeric with pepper
  • Dark chocolate

Top 10 supplements:

  • EPA and DHA from algae oil or fish oil
  • EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) olive oil
  • Coconut oil or MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil
  • Multivitamins and possibly extra Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin D
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Glutathione
  • Pre-, pro- and postbiotics
  • Ginkgo biloba
  • Turmeric with pepper
  • Saffron

From here, just start filling the house with lots of good brain food.

Enjoy your meal.

Take good care of yourself and those around you and remember to embrace life, especially those people close to you who have had memory lapses. They deserve it.

Helle Egebjerg Andersen
Cand.pharm. and lecturer

 

Sources:

https://www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/nyheder-analyser-publ/bagtal/2023/2023-10-11-sundhedsudgifter2022

En samlet dansk hjerneplan skal styrke indsatsen mod sygdomme i hjerne- og nervesystem

FAKTA-ARK OM DEMENSSYGDOMME Hvad er Alzheimers sygdom?

Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission

Forekomst af demens i Danmark

Dr. Dale Bredesen; The End of Alzheimer’s

Christ A. Knobbe; The Ancestral Diet Revolution

“Multivitamins”. What are they?

Claus Hancke

August 5. 2024

“Multivitamins have no effect”, “Multivitamins do not prolong life”, Multivitamins are a waste of money” and other similar headlines we have now seen in the past weeks in various
Danish newspapers and other media.

The observational study
All these headlines are based on an observational study from the United States that has been published June 26. this year.

An observational study is a study in which researchers “observe” different data, such as cohort studies and cross-sectional studies.

Observational studies are a relatively cheap research method because they do not require an intervention into the behavior of an experimental group. More simply, they involve observing how the selected data are distributed in relation to a certain behaviour such as taking a supplement and a certain outcome such as quality of life or mortality.

In the current study (Multivitamin use and mortality risk in 3 prospective US cohorts, JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(6):e2418729), data from three such observational studies were used. From the data, it was concluded that there is no significant effect of multivitamin use on life expectancy, which is the factor that has been focused on in the study.

Strangely enough, the focus is on life expectancy even though the authors themselves write in the introduction that the population’s motivation for taking multivitamins is to prevent disease.

But the incidence of disease does not appear in the data we see presented in the article in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). The authors focus only on the length of life. They actually use the word mortality, but it is rather meaningless, since the mortality is approx.100% for us humans.

The investigation has been heavily hyped by the mainstream media, so we have to take it seriously., We need to clear away the worst misunderstandings.

The strange thing is that if this study had shown that multivitamins were healthy and good for us, it would not have been accepted for publication precisely because it was an observational study. Because such observational studies rank low on the scale of evidence in scientific studies.

The reason is that observational studies have quite a few sources of error, sources of bias. The data in the study come from people themselves, who have answered the questions that the researchers have asked. Moreover, the study is neither half, nor fully or double blinded, so it requires extreme objectivity from researchers. But for now, let’s ignore study quality, bias and the usual researcher bias when we talk about vitamins.

Let’s look at what these “multivitamin pills” really are.

When I write like that, it’s because these standard multivitamin pills from the supermarket are also not my cup of tea. Most multivitamin pills contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, typically 100% of the recommended daily dose, in Denmark also called the RI (reference intake). This RI dose is far too small for some substances (vitamin C, vitamin D, selenium, etc.), while, especially for iron, it is far too large. Other ”multivitamins contain largely unabsorbable salts of some of the substances (magnesium, selenium etc.)

Briefly about iron
Those who have heard my lectures for the past 30 years also know that you should not buy vitamin pills with iron, unless you have been diagnosed with iron deficiency or are pregnant in the last trimester.

The body normally loses about 2 mg of iron per day. Since most multivitamin pills contain about 14 mg of iron, there is a theoretical net surplus of 12 mg of iron each day. And this iron accumulates in a protein, the phase reactant ferritin.

In this way, over the years, simply by taking multivitamin pills, you can build up a supply of iron in this ferritin. Iron is one of the most powerful catalysts for the formation of free radicals (ROS), which, in excess, can cause great damage to cell membranes and DNA in particular.

If a small child is brought to the emergency room because he has eaten a whole jar of ordinary multivitamin pills from the supermarket, then the doctor worries primarily about one thing; it is the intake of the large amount of iron.

Iron is easy and quick to raise the level in the body if you lack it, but incredibly difficult to get rid of if you have have too much. It must be done with intravenous treatment with substances such as Desferoxamine or EDTA, both of which bind iron. But it is difficult and slow. The age-old bloodletting method is almost faster.

Serum Ferritin is an important marker, and if it is above 200 µg/l, there is an increased risk of cardiac vascular diseases and cancer. So you have to be careful with iron. It is a double-edged sword.

Summa summarum: Never take multivitamin pills with iron, unless you have been diagnosed with iron deficiency in the form of low S-Ferritin.

Back to the study
When you consider that a cohort of people has been taking these multivitamin pills for years, then you suspect that they have obtained both good and bad ingredients. Honestly, it is completely impossible to come up with a qualified assessment when you (and the researchers) really have no idea what the people answering questionnaires have consumed.

I could easily formulate a multivitamin pill that mainly has a negative effect on the body. The pill will be cheap. With sufficient advertising money, it would probably be sold by the large supermarket chains, which look at price, discounts and shelf life.

I could use sodium selenite as the selenium. It is quite cheap, and I could declare it as selenium. It just that it’s hardly absorbed into the body. So the effect that can halve the incidence of heart disease and death, well, it will not occur.

I could use chromium chloride as chromium. It is quite cheap, but it is also quite inactive in comparison to chromium yeast, in which chromium chloride is converted to GTF chromium (glucose tolerance factor), which stabilizes blood sugar. Chromium chloride does not have this effect, but can be declared as chromium on the packaging, and then most people think that they get enough.

Every single one of the ingredients found in multivitamin pills can be declared in this way, even if the ingredient is in a (often cheap) form that has no positive biological effect. As I wrote above, you can easily construct a very cheap pill with a fine declaration, but without any kind of positive effect.

This is not to say that there are only such “junk pills” in the study. I just want to illustrate that when you have not defined the quality or content of what the study participants have actually eaten, it is more than difficult to form an overview of something as varied as the term “multivitamin pills”.

And when the product being studied is not a well-defined product, it is, to put it mildly, frivolous to conclude anything health related from the given data, and the authors are content with concluding, that they saw no difference in mortality risk in the two groups.

Let me end by saying that vitamins and minerals rarely help anything.
– You just mustn’t lack them.

The most important thing is, of course, a healthy diet, and where this fails in terms of content, you should supplement with vitamins and minerals of good quality.

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke
Specialist in general medicine

Can you influence your biological age?

Claus Hancke

29 January 2024

The short answer is: “Yes. Of course you can.”
The difficult question is: “How much?”

It is not rocket science to figure out that you reduce your chances of a long and good life if you sit in solitude on the sofa all day, smoking, eating chips and drinking cola, sleeping too little and weighing too much. You age faster. It seems to be common knowledge.

Therefore, it is right up our street to start changing such habits if you want to increase the chance of a good and long life, i.e. slow down the speed at which you age. This is what is popularly called lowering one’s biological age.

This question is brought up to date by a popular Danish TV broadcast with mention of research done at the Danish state hospital, Rigshospitalet, where researchers are trying to influence the rate of aging so that you age more slowly or may become a little younger from a biological point of view.

And here they have also tackled the above-mentioned, specific bad habits, after which they “calculate” the biological age before, during and after the intervention.

So how do you calculate this biological age? It is, of course, a purely theoretical age, based on expected remaining life, calculated from an algorithm which is constructed according to the parameters that are now believed to affect life expectancy and the speed of aging in 2024.

The same persons may have a completely different biological age in 5 years, when science has exposed completely different parameters that affect life expectancy even more strongly. This particularly concerns various blood tests, i.e. biochemical parameters, where we are constantly getting smarter.

One of the most reliable measurements of a person’s biological age is probably the measurement of the remaining telomeres in the genetic material of the cell nuclei. These telomeres shorten during cell division, and when we have no more, we die. Many international researchers have been interested in this for the past 20 years, including the Swedish professor Urban Alehagen, who, as mentioned in a previous newsletter has researched the life-extending effect of Q10 and selenium.

In the above-mentioned TV broadcast, the various lifestyle measures have been supplemented by taking a pill with Nicotinamide Riboside, which supports the cells’ energy production.

Many have asked me what it is, and to bring clarity to the many abbreviations and biochemical contexts, I have made a small presentation which can be viewed on Youtube. It is difficult to describe these biochemical processes in a newsletter, which is why we supplement with this video.

Nicotiamide Riboside is only one of many forms of vitamin B3, all of which contribute to increased energy production in the cells’ power plants, where the cell makes its energy, the so-called mitochondria.

We consume vitamin B3 as nicotinic acid or nicotinamide, after which it is converted to nicotinamide riboside (NR) and then to nicotinamide mononucleoside (NMN), which is then converted to what it is all about, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the cells .

(NAD has the property that it can alternate between two oxidation stages NAD+ and NADH, thereby contributing to energy production together with Q10.) This takes place in the inner membrane of the mitochondria.

Whether you consume NR or NMN or Nicotinamide is a question of how far down the synthesis pathway you want to start. Overall, the end result will be roughly the same, just with a difference in the amount of NAD formed.

I apologize for the many abbreviations and the somewhat difficult explanation, which I hope my little video can make up for.

Supplements can be exciting and good, and even life-prolonging. But don’t forget the most important things:

A healthy diet, daily exercise, a good night’s sleep, avoid being overweight and stick with your friends from your youth. You won’t get new ones. Stop smoking and moderate your alcohol consumption. It all helps to raise your quality of life and slow down the aging process.

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke
Specialist in general medicine

The Vitality Council’s 7-minute video about NAD can be seen here:
https://youtu.be/66BTyE6c5UU
However, Danish is spoken and it is unfortunately not subtitled.

Patent or not, that is the question

Claus Hancke

November 16, 2023

Is it really necessary to have a patent and billions of kroner before the media takes an interest in sensationally good results?

The other day in the newspaper Politiken, you could read an article (1) about Ozempic and Wegovy /Semaglutide, including an interview with Professor Jens Søndergaard, who stated that a recent study from the Cleveland Clinic had shown a 20% reduction in serious cardiovascular events after 4 years of treatment, which is such a great medical breakthrough that he had never seen anything like it, and compared it to the discovery of penicillin. -This is really great.

Semaglutide costs DKK 2,400 per month and has side effects in the form of upset stomach and nausea.

The result is quite impressive, even if it is a relative risk reduction rather than an absolute risk reduction. But there are now other scientific studies from this year that have shown far more impressive results.

What if there were a treatment that after 4 years showed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality of over 50% at a price of DKK 369. per month and completely without side effects? … What??
Yes, that is precisely the conclusion of the 10-year follow-up of the 2013 study (2) of Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 in combination.

The study (3) was previously described in the Vitality Council’s newsletter of 23 April 2023. However, that is not what I want to focus on here. It is rather the selection of news in the media that I want to discuss.

What really surprises me is that a risk reduction of 20% for cardiac events draws huge headlines and benevolent admiration whereas an equally valid study, which even shows a reduction in cardiovascular mortality of over 50%, is not even mentioned in the same newspapers -and you can’t deny the quality of this study.

Is it because it’s too good to be true that the media don’t want to bother writing about the scientific article, or does it absolutely have to be an expensive prescription drug with side effects before it’s interesting?

Actually, Professor Urban Alehagen also doubted his own results, which is why he analyzed them again and again from different sides but came to the same result.

And he is not the only one, as numerous previous studies have shown consistent increased survival with selenium and/or Q10.

Senior physician Svend Aage Mortensen at Rigshospitalet published several fine studies (4) of Q10 against heart failure but without their winning any resonance in the very orthodox medical profession.

Substances such as Coenzyme Q10 cannot be patented. Is that where the dog is buried? After all, a patent opens up possibilities for absolutely exorbitant earnings and the resulting marketing, press coverage, etc., just as there are funds for further research, publications, press, etc. -A self-reinforcing wheel that just goes faster and faster.

Substances that cannot be patented easily drown in the media stream because there is no great interest when there is no big money involved. But that is precisely why one should be even more interested in the serious research that takes place with these unpatented products. Professor Alehagen’s studies have clearly shown that an expensive, patented product is not necessary to halve the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.

It is simply incredible that the selenium and Coenzyme Q10 study has not found a place on the front pages of the media.

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke MD
Specialist in general medicine

Refs.

  1. Politiken 13/11-2023
  2. U Alehagen et al. Int J Cardiol 2013;167:1860-1866.
  3. U Alehagen et al. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 759
  4. https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/biof.5520180210

Treatment of the aftermath of Covid-19 and damage after mRNA vaccines

Claus Hancke

September 20, 2023

Tens of thousands of Danes have suffered long-term consequences from the Covid-19 disease and just as many have suffered serious late consequences after the Covid-19 vaccinations.

During the past two years, the Vitality Council has received many requests to put together a concise and easy-to-understand program for the treatment of the above-mentioned late sequelae, which have affected a large number of Danes who have not been able to get help in the public health system.

In our newsletters from 20/1-22 and especially 4/7-22, various treatment methods for covid-19 and the consequent injuries after covid-19 vaccination are described.

This newsletter is an update of these combined with the international experiences that has gradually been gathered.

There is much evidence that the consequences after Covid-19 disease (long covid) and after mRNA vaccination follow roughly the same pattern, and they can both be described as a “spike protein disease”.

Since the authorities have neglected and directly opposed the prevention and early treatment of covid-19, it is naturally something that the Vitality Council takes up.

As the authorities and media also downplay the amount and seriousness of side effects from the mRNA vaccines, the Vitality Council must make up for this letdown.

The spike protein is the part of the covid-19 virus that wreaks havoc in the body and causes the disease symptoms. Since the vaccines are a gene therapy that causes our cells to produce precisely this spike protein, it is obvious to treat long-Covid in the same way as the vaccine side effects.

Read much more about this in the newsletter from 4/7-22, where the biochemical backgrounds are also reviewed.

The highly esteemed cardiologist Peter McCullough gave a speech on 13/9-23 in the European Parliament (1), where he warned that 4% of the European population was in constant danger of dying due to the mRNA vaccines, and that the vaccines have been to blame in lots and lots of cardiac arrest in younger, healthy people.

He also said that removing the spike protein is problematic because the vaccine has coded the cells to continue producing it.

However, the protein is more sensitive when circulating in the blood than when it has entered a cell. And that is why research has been conducted in the USA into treatment with direct ultraviolet irradiation of the blood, which has succeeded in reducing the amount of virus and the important marker “D-dimer”, which is a risk marker for blood clots.

In almost all vaccinated people, an increased D-dimer is seen compared to non-vaccinated people.

Many are ill long after the vaccination. A disease which could actually be called “Long-vax”. But often explained away as “Long-Covid”, – even if you have not been ill from covid.

In order not to drown in an argument about whether it is covid or the vaccine that is more harmful, I would prefer to call both “Spike protein disease”, since it is the spike protein that is the culprit, whether you are have been infected with it, or you have produced it yourself after vaccination.

But what can you do once you have been vaccinated and have “spike protein disease”?

In the past year, hundreds of doctors have collaborated internationally with their clinical results, and there is gradually agreement on some basic principles very well described in an easy-to-read overview article (in Danish) from the World Council for Health (2), and in our own Orthomolecular News service there are several good articles on the subject (3).

Here are the main points in the treatment of Spike protein disease:

Anti-inflammatory diet with plenty of vegetables and fruit, healthy fats (butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil), healthy proteins (eggs, light meat, shellfish and fish) without ready-made processed food, alcohol, sugar, sweets, chips, etc.
There are a number of excellent articles on the web and, for nerds, a large number of scientific articles (4).

Ivermectin is a prescription drug primarily intended for scabies and parasites, but has also potent antiviral properties. It prevents the spike protein from binding to the ACE2 receptor in the cell membrane.
Preferably taken at 0.3 mg/kg daily for 1-2 months. Has been known for decades and has a very high level of safety. Do not take together with Quercetin, as they counteract each other. Ivermectin is unfortunately very expensive in Denmark.

Hydroxychloroquine is a drug to prevent malaria, but has also been shown to be able to block the spike protein’s binding to the ACE2 receptor. Often dosed 200 mg 2 x daily for a week and then 200 mg daily for 3 weeks. An old, well-known and cheap medicine with high safety, which in Denmark is available on prescription.

Nattokinase is a fibrinolytic enzyme derived from the microorganism Bacillus natto and found in fermented soybeans in natto, a traditional Japanese dish.
Available as a dietary supplement and has fibrinolytic properties (prevents blood clots). The dose is typically 100 mg daily.

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid from fruit and vegetables with powerful antioxidant properties, just as it also blocks the binding of the spike protein. In addition, it facilitates the uptake of zinc into the cells, whereby enzymes for virus replication are inhibited.
Quercetin and Ivermectin compete for the same receptors, which is why simultaneous treatment with these two will weaken the effect. Quercetin is often taken at 100 mg daily.

Vitamin C is strongly antiviral and an antioxidant, is tolerated in very large doses and can be given both intravenously and in tablet form. Depending on the condition, it can be taken as powder, tablets, liposomal or intravenously at a doctor.
If you take it yourself, you start with 2-3 grams twice a day, and if there is a need, you slowly increase the dose by a few grams a day until the stool starts to become loose. Then you cannot achieve a better effect that way.
If it is a serious condition where larger doses are necessary, then it must be given intravenously.

EPA/DHA are potent anti-inflammatory fatty acids and are usually taken as fish oil capsules.
There are also algae-based products that are excellent. Take 2 grams morning and evening – typically corresponding to 4 capsules.

The other recommendations should basically be taken as follows:

Vitamin D3 80 µg (3200 IU) daily is immune stimulating and dampens a possible cytokine storm.
Zinc 50 mg daily inhibits virus replication.
Magnesium 300-500 mg daily (depending on whether it is Mg-citrate or Mg-carbonate) may possibly taken as oil. Necessary for the effect of vitamin D.
Vitamin K2 100 µg daily is, among other things, anti-inflammatory.
Selenium 200 µg daily is antiviral and antioxidative. Selenium yeast is absorbed best.
NADH + Niacin for cellular energy
Coenzyme Q10—for cellular energy
N-acetylcysteine 600 mg daily. Is an antioxidant.
Melatonin 3 mg before bed is anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.
Perhaps low dose Hydrocortisone 5 mg daily to reduce the inflammation.
Perhaps LDN (low-dose Naltrexone) 4.5 mg daily, which is believed to be immune stimulating.

In severe cases, treatment must be done by a doctor, and here there can be a good effect of Intravenous vitamin C and Hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

The list is long, and it is not intended that you should take everything mentioned. But it is a good starting point for the doctors and others who are at a loss when faced with a person with spike protein disease long after vaccination.

And if you still have doubts about whether you should take a new mRNA vaccine, listen again to Dr. McCullough’s speech in the European Parliament! (1)

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke MD
Specialist in general medicine

  1. https://rumble.com/v3hwcgm-dr.-mcculloughs-speech-at-the-european-parliament.html
  2. https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SpikeDetoxSummary_DANISH.pdf
  3. http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/index.shtml
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=anti-inflammatory+nutrition

Q10 and selenium protect the heart

Claus Hancke

April 23, 2023

Supplementation of Q10 and Selenium over a 4-year period
could halve cardiovascular mortality.

A  short  time ago a very important scientific article was published.

The article was an offshoot of the sensational article by researcher Dr. Urban Alehagen and colleagues from 2015, who showed massive cardiovascular protection with supplementation of Q10 in combination with selenium.
Alehagen and colleagues then carried out a follow-up of this study, but not only that. They have also sought to dig into the actual cause of this positive effect, which was a halving of cardiovascular mortality after 4 years of supplementation.

The logic is straight to the point. The vast majority of cardiovascular diseases are caused by atherosclerosis, and this is caused by a combination of inflammation, i.e. a local response to tissue damage and oxidation (here rancidity). Without these two factors, atherosclerosis does not occur.

Briefly, the mechanism is that oxidation turns LDL3 cholesterol rancid, which is thereby “eaten” by a type of white blood cells called monocytes via a structure on the cell surface called a “scavenger receptor”. This means that LDL cholesterol is directed around the usual LDL receptor, which could otherwise easily block intake. But the scavenger receptor cannot stop its intake of LDL cholesterol if it is oxidized, because LDL in this form acts as a free radical. And that is exactly what the scavenger receptor is designed to let into the monocyte. However, since the intake cannot stop, even though the monocyte is probably so crowded, it swells up and is seen under the microscope as a large white blob. And when there are many of these monocytes together, it looks like foam. Therefore, these “overfed” monocytes are called “foam cells”.
Oxidation is thus required for a monocyte to become a foam cell.
When the monocyte circulates in the bloodstream, it will react if it finds an area, e.g. the blood vessel wall, where there is inflammation, e.g. due to high blood pressure. The monocyte will search for the inflamed area, penetrate the vessel wall (into the subendothelial layer), where it will perish and leave behind a fatty layer of oxidized LDL3 cholesterol. This will increase inflammation and attract even more foam cells, which in turn perish, leaving behind more of the rancid fat, which is gradually consolidated by fibrin and finally stabilized by calcium, which is the last step in atherosclerosis.

The entire above process will not take place unless there is both increased inflammation and oxidation.
And precisely selenium and Q10 inhibit both inflammation and oxidation. Therefore, it is perhaps not so strange that they prevent cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk of dying from it.

Q10
The body’s cells produce energy in order to function, and this energy requires Q10 in the cells’ internal power plant, the mitochondria.
Unfortunately, there is a natural decline in the body’s production of Q10 as we age, and it is therefore natural to supplement this.
Q10 is a substance that the body produces in almost the same way as it produces cholesterol. Q10 and cholesterol are actually sister molecules that look very similar. So when you take a cholesterol-lowering medication, you also lower the production of Q10. You should therefore be aware that you often lack Q10 if you take cholesterol-lowering medication.

Selenium
Selenium is a substance that we absolutely must not lack, and numerous studies have confirmed over the years that selenium deficiency can lead to, among other things, heart failure, cancer, metabolic disorders, arthritis, childlessness, atherosclerosis, increased inflammation and a number of immunological failures, which were particularly relevant in the corona era.
There are thousands of articles that cement heavy research into selenium, such as a study of selenium deficiency related to cardiovascular disorders and inflammatory conditions. Since cardiovascular disorders are also initiated by inflammation, it is natural to investigate this together.
Previous studies have also shown that low selenium in the blood was the cause of increased inflammation, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

The current study mentioned above is also primarily aimed at finding the biochemical mechanism behind this effect.

As mentioned above, it is based on Alehagen and colleagues’ article from 2015, and it is evidence with a very high degree of reliability, as it was a double-blind, randomized, prospective study. The participants were healthy elderly with an average age of 76 years. 165 received 200µg Selenium + 200mg Q10 daily, and 161 received placebo. The treatment lasted 4 years, after which various parameters were measured.
They were particularly interested in measuring the change in Sirtuin1, an enzymatic protein (deacetylase), which is important for the survival of cells when they are exposed to oxidative stress, because Sirtuin1 increases the effect of certain antioxidants.
But not only that. Sirtuin1 also inhibits the so-called NFκB signal, which is a substance that otherwise produces a strong inflammatory response.
So if you can increase Sirtuin1, you will thereby be able to inhibit inflammation and oxidation, – in other words, the two factors, which are mainly responsible for, among other things, cardiovascular diseases.
After a 4-year intervention period, the SIRT1 concentration was found to be significantly increased (from 252 to 469 ng/ml) in the active group and decreased (from 269 to 190 ng/ml) in the placebo group.
In a 10-year follow-up period, 25 in the active group and 52 in the placebo group died of cardiovascular disease, and the 77 who died had significantly lower SIRT1 concentration than the rest.
A small wrinkle in the study is that the so-called microRNA is also affected in a direction that inhibits the aging of the cardiovascular system. Micro-RNA contributes to the regulation of the gene activity. This has very far-reaching consequences for epigenetics, that is different modifications of DNA, which can turn genes on or off, and will of course be explored intensively in the future.

In this scientific trial, Alehagen and colleagues have shown that just 4 years of Selenium and Q10 supplementation inhibits oxidation and inflammation, and halves cardiovascular mortality over a 10-year period.

Now that selenium and Q10 are effective in inhibiting oxidation and inflammation, it is not surprising that they can halve the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
It is more strange that this is not standard advice from the medical profession when the evidence is so solid.

Take care of yourself and others.

Claus Hancke MD
Specialist in general medicine