Energy Crisis

Wow, I meet a World War II POW camp survivor today. He was imprisoned not far from Dachau. He had some stories to tell!

He came to me because he needed help with selecting a multivitamin that he could take. The VA has him on Coumadin, so the multi cannot contain vitamin K. I am asked about this kind of situation often, so I have some ready suggestions for people to choose from. While we were talking he mentioned how tired he was and was hoping the multi would help his energy levels.

In general, the first thing I suggest to a cardiovascular patient for energy is CoQ10. This vitamin-like compound is part of the Krebs cycle in the body and is vital for energy. While our bodies can produce it, that goes down with age. It is also particularly important to the health of the heart and brain.

CoQ10 has a structure that is similar to vitamin K, however, so taking it with out the direction of his doctor would be hazardous for my new friend. After a quick little bit of research, I had ruled out adaptogens like ginseng and rhodia rosea, both of which are renowned for their energy support. Of course any stimulants were right out.

I decided to take a step back and look at the Krebs cycle again. If we cannot supplement CoQ10, then maybe we can help the other parts of the process along. First up – Magnesium. Nope, it seems Coumadin does not do well in the presence of minerals. Yep, that's right, this drug to treat a person does not do well in the presence of the building block of life. And they say supplements are a con-game!

Turns out, he can supplement with malic acid and D-ribose to support the Krebs cycle, as both of these are not contra- indicated with Coumadin. Fantastic! These are major building blocks to ATP in the body. It took an hour of research, but was more that worth it. I got to help a World War II veteran and a POW camp survivor feel better. No day that has that in it can be bad!