The Most Important Supplement To Take If You're On Statins, Plant-Based Compounds That Increase Testosterone & Bone Density, Japanese Anti-Aging Secrets & More With Dr. Barrie Tan.

Ben Greenfield

Mar 23, 2024

Episode description

Experiencing muscle discomfort from statins? Curious about natural ways to alleviate these symptoms and boost your heart health?

In this episode, explore the role of geranylgeraniol (GG) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in supporting muscles affected by statins with repeat guest, Dr. Barrie Tan, the world’s foremost expert on annatto, geranylgeraniol (GG), vitamin K in the form of MK-4 and vitamin E in the form of tocotrienols. Get ready to discover the benefits of these essential compounds that support cardiovascular health and muscle function, especially in individuals taking statins.

A scientist first and foremost, Dr. Tan earned his Ph.D. in chemistry/biochemistry from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and spent several years as a professor at UMass. Dr. Tan has committed himself to the research and development of phytonutrients — natural compounds found in plants that reduce and slow chronic disorders.

Dr. Tan is credited with discovering a form of vitamin E called tocotrienol from three major sources: palm, rice, and annatto — a natural dye and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree, known for its potential health benefits, including antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Editor of two prestigious books on tocotrienol and founder of the International Tocotrienol Conference, Dr. Tan was dubbed the “Tocotrienol King” by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a highly respected and sought-after cardiologist.

Dr. Tan has held roles of Chief Scientific Officer and Scientific Board Member for multinational organizations. His career includes periods working in association with the US Armed Forces and a Prince of Thailand. He has successfully launched multiple businesses in the nutrition industry and owns an array of patents and intellectual property, keeping him at the forefront of scientific innovation.

He is an internationally celebrated and sought-after speaker, having presented at multiple respected conferences in the field including; IFT, ADA, ASN, IHS, A4M, NPA, AACR, ICIM, IAOMT, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Dr. Tan is currently the President of <

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Avoid combining tocopherol and tocotrienol for optimal vitamin E benefits

Standard vitamin E, tocopherol, is antagonistic and interferes with the function of the more potent tocotrienol form, so they should not be taken together.

#supplement

Support bone and artery health with Tri-K supplement

A product called 'Tri-K' from Designs for Health combines vitamin K1, MK-4, and GG to support bone health and prevent arterial calcification.

#supplement

#vitamin-K

Understand how body synthesizes vitamin MK-4 from K1

The body creates the vital vitamin MK-4 by taking the 'head' of vitamin K1 from plants and attaching a 'tail' made from the molecule GG.

#vitamin-K

Supplement GG to boost low-normal testosterone levels

In a clinical study, supplementing with GG increased testosterone by about 20% in men who were on the lower end of the normal range.

#supplement

#testosterone

Mitigate statin side effects with CoQnol supplement

The product 'CoQnol' from Designs for Health combines ubiquinol with GG specifically to mitigate the side effects of being on a statin medication.

#statin

#supplement

Address statin muscle pain by understanding GG depletion

Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are caused by a depletion of GG, which is required for the body to synthesize skeletal muscle protein.

#muscle

#statin

Understand statins' impact on Geranylgeraniol and CoQ10 levels

The reason CoQ10 levels drop when taking statins is because statins first deplete Geranylgeraniol (GG), which is the essential building block for CoQ10.