Forbidden Knowledge

The amino acid L-Arginine is considered the most potent Nutraceutical ever discovered, due to its powerful healing properties, and is referred to by scientists as the Miracle Molecule. The remarkable properties of L-Arginine were validated by the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine, and since then have created a frenzy of interest in the Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical fields.

Medical researchers have gathered enough clinical evidence to bring L-Arginine to the forefront of modern medicine as an accepted treatment for a variety of human ailments. The L-Arginine phenomen is changing standard treatment methodologies in heart disease, immune function, adiposity-generated diseases, genetic growth deficiencies, high blood pressure, sexual disfunction, and human aging.

Columbia University refers to L-Arginine as the "magic bullet" for the cardiovascular system. Over 10,000 L-arginine citations were complied by Columbia University researchers in their quest to document the clinical benefits of this simple amino acid. It is now taught to medical students at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The Nobel Prize landmark discovery of the functions of Nitric Oxide (NO) elucidated the fact that without NO, human life would be impossible. Even more revolutionary was the irrefutable evidence that L-arginine is the body's chief source for creating Nitric Oxide.

Twenty years ago, the idea that a simple and humble amino acid could change the face of medicine would have been dismissed. Now, physicians, researchers, and scientists are embracing the effectiveness of L-arginine and its use has become mainstream. In fact since the addition of this page to the Forbidden Knowledge website, people from all over the world find us in their quest for knowledge, and has become the third most veiwed page on the site.

Please study for yourself the facts and benefits of L-Arginine use. Other supplements can also be good for the cardiovascular system such as Vitamin C, CoQ10, EDTA, nattokinase, policosanol, arjuna, D-ribose, beta carotene, Vitamin E, polyphenols, tumeric, DEHA, magnesium, garlic, essential fatty acids omega 3 & 6, ginkgo biloba, lutein, selenium, L-taurine, L-lysine, L-proline, L-carnitine, L-citrulline, OPC's like pine bark and grape seed extracts, B complex vitamins B1 - B3 - B12 and folic acid.

Again, do your own research, but for best results, research shows that L-arginine should probably be taken separate from most other supplementation for best results, as certain supplements will interfere with the absorption of L-arginine, however, L-Citrulline has been shown to boost nitric oxide production when used in conjunction with L-arginine and research shows the levels should be from 200-1000mg per 5000mg of L-arginine. L-arginine is best taken on an empty stomach and not eating for an hour of two after taking; if you must eat, avoid proteins in this time period. If you get an upset stomach or diarrhea (these are very rare) when taking L-arginine, you may take some carbohydrates to help prevent this. Do not take less than 5 grams in a dose (5,000mg) as it may not give you the results you seek. For most people, the most likely time to take it would be right before bed or upon first awakening. If you are going to take double or triple doses you will have to do some advance planning to spread it into individual 5 gram doses throughout the day. Although taking 10 or 15 grams at one time will not likely harm you, it won't likely be as effective as separating them into individual 5 gram doses. Another tip some have found useful is to take a dose in the middle of the night if you generally have your sleep interrupted by a need to urinate.

Do not take L-Arginine if; you are under 23 years old, diagnosed with cancer, pregnant or lactating women, males with prostate disorders or high PSA values. There have been some reports of herpes flare-ups (i.e. cold sores) while on L-Arginine as well. There are no well-known drug interactions with L-arginine other than nitrate drugs (i.e. nitroglycerin) or vasculogenic drugs (i.e. Viagra); these could vasodialate blood vessels too much or drop blood pressure too low, although there have been no reports of this adverse event.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult with your doctor about interactions with prescription medications or supplementation you may be taking. Work with your doctor if you wish to get yourself off prescription drugs.

"The Arginine Solution" - James Thornton, Robert Fried Ph.D., Woodson C. Merrell

Well that's a question you should never ask someone who is trying to sell you a product. I will give you my honest opinion, and viewers of the TV show will know of my integrity on this issue. I do offer a brand called Empirical Labs which is not available in health food stores or the internet. It is a product marketed similarly to Standard Process, which is available only to health care professionals with certain credential qualifications. I thoroughly test the products I offer on myself, and have tested others on myself. I also listen carefully to other people's experiences with the products they are using and below you will find some of the more common brands I have tested, found, or investigated. Contact me if you want this product, but I have to add a small amount for postage.

Look for free base form L-Arginine or the pyroglutamate variety. Incorrect ingredients in L-Arginine products can block L-Arginine's entry into the body as a free form amino acid. The L-form (left-handed) of Arginine is acceptable for human use, while the D-form (right-handed) is not. The D-form of L-Arginine is an example of an unacceptable form of L-arginine, though there are many other unacceptable forms, including L-arginine antagonists. Unfortunately most labels will not tell you what type is in the bottle or may only say "pharmaceutical grade".

Most brands of L-Arginine out there are not aimed at the cardiovascular market, so be weary of products with too many ingredients as this can reduce or cancel out nitric oxide production (no protein!). L-Arginine on its own is fine except that it tastes terrible! Might as well be drinking gasoline. So look for a blend that has something to improve the taste, which usually involves the addition of a sweetener of some kind. Since high glycemic formulas (any product that contains corn syrup, glucose, glucose polymers, sugar, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrins, honey) is something never recommended, look for either stevia or Xylitol as a sweetening agent (no artificial sweeteners - danger, poison!). Liquid products are good too, and would have the benefit of anti-oxidants if the base were a juice such as goji, noni, mangosteen, tart cherry, etc., and these juices have the sugars needed to make the product taste better.

L-Arginine powder on its own should do the job, but the addition of L-Citrulline (anywhere from 200mg to 1000mg per 5000mg of L-Arginine) will boost nitric oxide production considerably.

I thoroughly test the products I offer on myself, and have tested others on myself. I also listen carefully to other people's experiences with the products they are using and below you will find some of the more common brands I have tested, found, or investigated. If you would like your favorite brand shown or tested here, tell me about it.

Health Food Store brands of L-Arginine - There are countless out there, most of which are geared toward the muscle toning/fitness market. L-Arginine powder on its own should do the job, but the addition of L-Citrulline (about 200mg per 5 gr dose) will boost nitric oxide production. Capsules are the most readily available form of L-Arginine in the stores and bypass the taste issue all together, but unfortunately you generally have to take about 10 capsules to get your 5-gram maintenance dose. They are also rather costly when you consider typical bottles of capsules will cost you about 14-15 dollars for a 9-10 day supply. You can buy the L-Arginine powders in bulk for as low as $40 for a 90-day supply @5gr/day if you shop around enough on the internet, but you have to figure out a way to deal with the taste.

Empirical Labs "L-Arginine" - right off the bat I'll have to admit that this is what I offer my clients, so do your own research. This brand is only available to health care professionals. You won't find this product in stores, eBay or the internet. I offer it for $36 per bottle, which is a 60-day supply @5gr/day. I also have a one-month supply bottle for $20. It is a powder that you mix with water and takes about 2-3 minutes to dissolve before you drink it. This is touted as a big disadvantage to the sellers of liquid L-Arginine (oh my, you have to wait all that time for it to dissolve!). It has the basic ingredients that I believe is necessary for a cardiovascular-care product: L-Arginine (5gr), L-Citrulline (200mg), and for taste improvement has citric acid and stevia (a natural herb sweetener that is also safe for diabetics). With the addition of these last two ingredients, it has a palatable taste. Personally I took this product for six weeks @5gr/day and improved my DPA scores by 4-5 years in that time frame. The main advantage to this product is the price. It is about one-quarter the price of most of the others (compared below) on a per-serving basis. Although price should never be the sole deciding factor, I believe price to be a big factor here since it appears all the products with 5gr of L-Arginine seem to be as effective as the others, and you will want to stay on L-Arginine long term. I also have a bottle of 90 capsules (about 9-10 day supply) for $12, but as with other capsule products there is no L-Citrulline in them. Contact me if you want any of these products, but I would have to add a small amount for postage and handling if you don't get them from me in person.

Eniva "Vascular Advantage" price varies, but most will sell it for about $75 per bottle, which is a 30-day supply at 5.5gr/day (their website shows it retailing @ $85 per bottle). It is a powder you mix with water and has the same ingredients as the product above but also includes L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, L-Ornithine, L-Proline, Gamma Oryzanol, Transferulic Acid and Vitamin C. The L-Citrulline content is a bit higher @250mg but is still about in the correct proportion because the dosage of L-Arginine is also a bit higher per serving. I have some clients taking this product and have heard favorable comments about this product, and have seen equivalent DPA results as the product I offer. Although I have not personally tested this product myself, I can see no reason not to recommend it - if you can afford it! Eniva is a well-respected brand that many people like, but I don't really have any personal experiences with their products. Because of the marketing nature of this product, the price is rather high, but you may be able to find it through some distributors at a discount. You can get a bottle for about $50 if you become a distributor.

Formor "Cardio Cocktail" price $75 per 28oz bottle which is a 28-day supply @5gr/day. It is a liquid product, has a palatable taste, and must be kept refrigerated after opening as with most other liquid products. Discounts are available on this product if you join in their multi-level marketing family. If you buy/sell enough of the stuff you can get the price per bottle down to around $44 (plus shipping) a bottle (64 bottles per month rate!). I have personally tested one bottle of this product and have found like all others I have tested with L-Arginine that it does work to bring down DPA scores. With me it was about 2 years of my DPA scores in 28days @5gr/day. Personally I like the product as it does have a lot of other beneficial ingredients, but because of the MLM nature of it's marketing, the price is about four times that of what I offer while still doing the same job as it's intended marketing target clientele - Heart Disease. This is the product most DPA owners offer to their clients, the reason being the way it is marketed to DPA owners. I was considering offering this product to my clientele, but it's hard to justify it's higher price in my mind. Formor has a similar product called "Arginex" which is a stripped down version of Cardio Cocktail that is offered at $40 per 28oz bottle which still has a 5gr daily dose of L-Arginine for 28 days, but the company doesn't promote this product much and doesn't offer deep discounts to it's distributors like the Cardio Cocktail, so no one is making much money on its sale - hence the lack of promotion for the product. The only other real possible disadvantage to these products besides the price is that they must be kept refrigerated, so you would have to get some of the even more expensive individual travel packets if you were away from home. If you can afford the price of this product - go for it! I can get you bottles of Cardio Cocktail for $65 a bottle if you want them. Update: in June 2008 Formor came up with a slightly different formula with a supposedly better taste, a new label, a new bottle, four additonal ounces in the bottle, and a higher price of $82.50. I have not tested this new version yet.

Nature's Sunshine "RG-MAX" price about $50 per bottle, which is a 20-day supply at 5gr/day. Curious thing about this powder unlike the others; the wide-mouth jar is much larger than other powders, apparently because the sweetener used to make this product palatable is Xylitol, a favorite with this company. There appears to be actually more Xylitol than L-Arginine in this product! Most other companies add stevia as a sweetener to improve the taste of their products, and since stevia is quite a bit sweeter per serving than Xylitol, less is needed. It's taste is palatable and has the addition of a berry-like flavor some may find enjoyable. This product is fairly new to the L-Arginine scene, but the company is a well respected and has been around for 35 years so I wouldn't have a problem recommending their products overall, but I have not had a chance to test this product yet. Based on the ingredients I see, it think it should work fine, however the lack of the inclusion of L-Citrulline is curious since there is a lot of research out there to suggest about 200mg/day can help boost nitric oxide production even more when included with the L-Arginine, and literature promoted by Nature's Sunshine even says this. For this reason alone I would have to have some evidence to see if it is as effective as those that do include L-Citrulline. The price is about as steep as the higher priced liquids when compared as a per-dose basis, partly because of the way this company presents its products to the consumer. If you are a member to their line of products you can get a 25% discount. To be a member you have to buy at least $40 of product at retail once per year to qualify for the discount. A slight disadvantage, but you may like some of their other products, or may already be a member. If you can afford it, I can probably recommend it.

Herbalife "Niteworks" price about $49 per bottle, which is a 15-day supply at 5gr/day, or a larger bottle at about $90 per bottle for a 30-day supply at 5/gr/day. Since the release of Dr. Louis Ignarro's book "NO More Heart Disease" and the statement there that no one was making a product based on his recomendations, I was excited to hear he had later teamed up with a company to do just that! Well here it is with his recomendations from the book that includes L-Citrulline, Vitamins C & E, Folic Acid, L-Taurine, Lemon Balm Extract, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Interestingly the product has an undisclosed amount of L-Citrulline (label says "proprietary blend" of 5.2gr of L-Arginine and L-Citrulline), but based on the book it is probably 5000mg of L-Arginine and 200mg of L-Citrulline, so I'm sure the product has these in the right proportions. Looks like a great product, although I don't know why they decided to improve its taste with Sucralose as a sweetener. As with all the other above multi-level marketed products, I have pains that such a potentially great product costs so much because of it. If you become a distributor, I am told you could get it for about half the retail price. I'm sure I can recomend it since it is a product based on this Nobel Laureate's research on Nitric Oxide/L-Arginie, but I have not personally tested this product. Again, if you can afford it and don't have a problem with the sweetener used in this product, go for it.

Dr. Matthias Rath's "Cellular Health program" These series of products by a great organization and accompanying book by Dr. Rath called "Why Animals Don't Get Heart Attacks... But People Do" base their premise of heart disease correction primarilly on Vitamin C, L-Lysine and L-Proline. Great potential here from great research with a great number of testimonials and following, including the backing of the late two time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling for his work with Vitimin C. Most of these products do not contain L-Arginine, however there is certainly something to be said of Vitamin C for blood vessel health, in fact it appears to be the key for long term health. I am currently doing my own research in this area, so keep posted. Very possibly these products could be a great addition to taking L-Arginine based products. If you want to go on Dr. Rath's endorsed products and are anywhere near the Ann Arbor Michigan area, please contact us for discount cardiovascular screenings for research purposes.

The key point is to get on any effective L-Arginine product that you can afford!

Remember too that much higher doses of Vitamin C have been shown necessary to maintain arterial flexibility and endotheliem health. I hope to have a section on this page soon on that topic, but do your own research in the meantime.

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