A reader wrote:
“Sorry to bug you again but I learn *so* much from your posts! If it interests you, I wonder if you might do an analysis of equilibrant. I did a search and didn’t find mention of it on your site. When I started taking it, I very quickly went from about 100 to 1000 steps a day. I find that if I don’t keep taking it, I am prone to certain types of crashing or viral flares. It’s keep something under control. Dr. John Chia would say it’s an enterovirus. I’d love to know what you think.”
When I get a request like this, it interests me to see if some component has been off my radar and should be.
The contents are
| Serving Size: 6 Tablets | |||
| Servings Per Container 15 | |||
| Amount Per Serving |
|
||
| Vitamin A (as retinyl acetate) 2,000 IU | 40% | ||
| Vitamin D (as cholecaciferon) 150 IU | 38% | ||
| Calcium (as calcium carbonate) 600 IU | 60% | ||
| Selenium (as high selenium yeast) 30mcg | 43% |
The items above are IMHO non-significant. Vitamin D levels are insignificant, etc. with the possible exception of selenium. Wikipedia mentions “. It is also found in three deiodinase enzymes, which convert one thyroid hormone to another…Selenium deficiency is rare in healthy, well-nourished individuals. It can occur in patients with severely compromised intestinal function…The effect of selenium deficiency on health remains uncertain”
“Selenium (Se) is an important micronutrient for many organisms, which is required for the biosynthesis of selenocysteine, selenouridine and Se-containing cofactor.” [2016]
“Epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse association between selenium levels and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis that can potentially progress to colon cancer.” [2015]
” The results of RFLP showed that the faecal microbial flora in the selenium-enriched probiotics group changed the most (numerically) as compared to the Probiotic or sodium selenite group” [2015]
” Importantly, the nanoparticles showed strong growth inhibition toward S. aureus at a concentration as low as 1 ppm. . Interestingly, growth of E. coli was unaffected at all concentrations tested.” [2016]
“Bacterial cells usually possess low tolerance to selenite stress and also low ability to reduce high concentrations of toxic selenite. Here, high tolerance to selenite and selenium bioaccumulation capability were developed in mutated clones of probiotic and starter bacteria including Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis, Lactobacillus casei and Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis by food-level strain development process and clone selection. All mutant clones possessed increased glutathione concentration and glutathione reductase activity.” [2015]
For more on Selenium and the microbiome see this post.
| Propietary Herbal Blend 1,500 mg | |
| Astragalus Root Extract | + |
| Shrubby Sophora Root Extract (ku shen) or Sophora flavescens | + |
| Olive Leaf Extract | See this page |
| Licorice Root Extract | See Core: Licorice |
| Shittake Mushroom Extract (Lentinus edodes) | + |
- Astragalus [Note: CFS induced may a poor match] – note there are hundreds of species
- A Chinese herbal decoction, Danggui Buxue Tang, improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by food restriction and forced swimming in rats[2011].
- Myelophil, an extract mix of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix, ameliorates chronic fatigue: a randomised, double-blind, controlled pilot study[2009].
- Astragalus membranaceus flavonoids (AMF) ameliorate chronic fatigue syndrome induced by food intake restriction plus forced swimming[2009].
- Synergy of Astragalus polysaccharides and probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bacillus cereus) on immunity and intestinal microbiota in chicks[2009].
- Effects of mushroom and herb polysaccharides, as alternatives for an antibiotic, on the cecal microbial ecosystem in broiler chickens.[2004]
- Sophora flavescens
- In vitro anti-reovirus activity of kuraridin isolated from Sophora flavescens against viral replication and hemagglutination. [2015]
- Anti-rotavirus effects by combination therapy of stevioside and Sophora flavescens extract. [2014]
- “Planktonic S. mutans showed susceptibility to all of the extracts and S. mutans biofilm exhibited the highest level of sensitivity for the extracts of S. flavescens.” [2013]
- Antimicrobial effect of sophoraflavanone G isolated from Sophora flavescens against mutans streptococci[2013].
- ” Most prenylated flavonoids (7-13) [of Sophora flavescens] displayed potent inhibitory activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria except E. coli, with minimum inhibitory concentrations values ranging from 4.40 to 27.7 μM, and weak or no activity against fungal strains tested.” [2011]
- Shittake Mushroom
- “Numbers of predominant cecal bacteria, in particular, E. coli, bifidobacteria, and lactobacilli, were significantly increased with increases in the Lentinus edodes extract dose.”[2004]
- “This study showed that the relatively low concentration (0.1% to 0.5%) of polysaccharides from Lentinula edodes stipe… can enhance the survival rate of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum during cold storage.” [2013]
- ” Lentinus edodes is the most studied species and seems to have a broad antimicrobial action against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.” [2012]
- Biodegradation of an organoselenium compound to elemental selenium by Lentinula edodes(shiitake) mushroom [2012].
Bottom Line
The herbs have antibiotic characteristics with the sweet spot of not impacting E.Coli (which is typically low with CFS) but other species. They also impact staphylococcus aureus (and other staphylococcus). My usual response for such herbs is rotation — perhaps take this mixture for the initial rotation and then switch to these herbs on an individual basis.
The role of selenium with probiotics suggests that it should be taken with probiotics. Since selenium is not likely to develop resistance (but excessive selenium is toxic), taking some with probiotics (whenever you take probiotics) is suggested. There are significant results for some digestive disorders at 100 microg/day.
CFS Remission 