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Sulphate (sulfate)
@christian @jaj I completed 10 days of epsom salt baths on the weekend. 1kg(4 cups) salt per bath, lasting 1hr. Haven't noticed any super positives reactions, but will now keep up with one or two soaks per week, see how that goes.
@orion Maybe you've already been replenished with sulfate and magnesium. The obvious effects have started to fade too. Yesterday evening, I didn't notice any particular effect. Today, I'm chirpy and open towards others, kind of unusual b/c I can be pretty dour. To me, it's become blatantly obvious that first and foremost my SIBO is a problem, rightly followed by confirmed hypervitaminosis A, in the blood (it's in the ninties). I can't eat beans so have started to down some activated charcoal first thing in the morning. I think this has a compounding effect.
@christian Not sure if I am deplete or replete of Mag and Sulfur, but doing these baths is easy, would just wish to see more concrete positives like you did. I did AC for about 6 months, but it felt like if could have been binding up too much, as I would get really hungry, so moved on to using beans.
I think for me, it just seems that I need to keep on going low VA and let the months/years pass, as the improvements do continue, just a snails pace!
I think the baths help if low magnesium and/or low sulphate is a problem for you. I think both were for me but everyone is different. They don’t suit everyone. It’s a simple thing to try.
Greg Nigh thinks that SIBO is often the body’s response to lack of sulphate. However, adding sulphate may not immediately cure the SIBO once it’s established (NTs recommend herbal ‘killings’ and I think Tim had success with this that he’s talked about). Greg Nigh’s ideas are theory though and although they make sense to me, may not be correct. My NT Anne Pemberton believes the Greg Nigh theory and I trust her so that puts more weight (for me) on it being correct as she works with a lot of clients.
@christian at least having a high serum retinol you know you have an issue (mine was in the 70s which is high in a women). Also better high than very low as at least you are mobilising and excreting. Very low serum retinol and high vA in the liver is a worse combination from what I’ve gathered from Garrett Smith’s videos.
@orion Yeah, it's eays to take these baths. How cool is it to relax in the bath and read something or just daydream and at the same time get important nutrients absorbed. 🙂
I think it's a good sign when you don't see a profound effect from a single intervention like Epsom salt baths. To me, this means you are fairly healthy, you have a fairly robust system in place. I, on the other hand, feel as if I'm still standing on shaky grounds b/c I'm supplementing with lots of different stuff, and right now they make a difference. The lower vA blood levels drop, the more robust the body becomes, fewer supplements will be needed to feel good, at least that's what I suspect will be happening for me.
How much AC did you take? I take a table spoon full first thing in the morning. I don't know how it affects iron and other minerals, AC absorbs all sorts of stuff in the body, not just toxic bile. When you say you took it for six months, it makes me less concerned about depleting minerals and other important nutrients.
Have you ever tested blood vA levels? I'd be curious to know where you're at. This sounds like an accomplishment as if you reached a particular level in a video game when you go under 50 or under 30 vA blood levels. 🙂
@jaj I had to give up soaking in a tub, period, never mind the Epsom salts. My skin has become much too dry to enjoy a long soak, and I miss that terribly. I have mag spray, so I'm okay there. But I believe soaking is essential to absorbing the Epsom salts, isn't it?
@christian Not sure how close to robust health I am 😉 still issues with really good long deep sleep, and skin that it just way too oily, which causes skin problems, but I am getting closer to those healing, million times better than before I started low VA.
I did 1Tbsp AC before bed for about 6month, then moved on to trying beans. I did the first year low VA on strict lean meat and white rice. I tested with psyllium after AC also, but that really really messed up my sleep. I do brown rice, potatoes and oatmeal now few times a week, and mainly stick to a bean medley I make (black, pinto, black-eyed, cannellini). Oatmeal really does give me huge bile dumps, as it always causes bloating then diarrhea about 6hr after consuming one cup dry cooked, I see this as a good sign.
Have not tested serum VA yet, no easy access for me. But I did high dose:
dairy, cod liver oil, retinyl palmitate, accutane, liver, multi-vitamin, eggs, carrot, retinA on skin
At the peak, I was basically orange, and people commented 🙂 I think I have ways to go!
@christian I miss the way I used to be able to deep sleep for long stretches pre-accutane, I have not had two nights consistent sleep for a decade, but like I mentioned it has improved a great deal.
Yes to dial back time, give teen self a few pointers! I went on AC first, because that was before the group started the soluble fiber experiments, and I had it laying around from previous attempts at using it. I went full Ray Peat ideals too for a long time, and just got worse and worse like most, using tons of supplements, hormones, and pounding vitamin A
@orion Oh, that's a long, frustrating decade. Has the difficulty to sleep properly ever effected you at work? That you weren't able to perform as well as you wanted? Or somehow, had to reduce the hours you work?
I'm working on it to reconcile with my past self. 🙂
Yeah, I'm still big on supplementation, also a good customer at idealbsdc.com. 🙂 I hope this will get better too, b/c it's money that I could use otherwise. Maybe the Ray Peat ideal isn't really achievable without supplements, probably without thyroid at least.