Nutraceuticals and
Phytotherapy

• 01Module 21

  "If it's natural, it can't hurt"

  It can. Plants and concentrated nutrients have a real pharmacological effect. Ginkgo, turmeric and omega-3 at high doses increase the risk of bleeding with anticoagulants; 5-HTP and saffron with antidepressants can cause serotonin syndrome; and concentrated green tea extract, at 800 mg/day or more of EGCG, especially on an empty stomach, is on the liver injury list. The e-book brings together interactions, the liver and pregnancy in quick-reference tables.

• 02Module 1

  "Supplements are all the same, only the brand changes"

  They are not. The same name on the package can hide completely different products: ephedra supplements have been found with an actual content very different from the label, Tribulus preparations contaminated with anabolic steroids and Ginkgo biloba extracts that failed identity testing. The result depends on the species, the part of the plant, the extract studied, the standardization and the chemical form: magnesium bisglycinate does not behave like magnesium oxide. Each monograph says what to check.

• 03Modules 2 and 3

  "The more antioxidants, the better"

  Not so. Isolated beta-carotene in smokers and high-dose synthetic vitamin E showed no benefit or an increased risk: in the SELECT study, 400 IU/day of synthetic alpha-tocopherol was associated with more prostate cancer in healthy men. The e-book follows a different logic: ensuring the cofactors of the antioxidant enzymes (selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium) and the Nrf2 activators.

• 04Module 7

  "Tribulus raises testosterone"

  A systematic review concluded that it does not, in humans. Methoxyisoflavone, ecdysteroids and GH secretagogues follow the same line: sold for mass gain, with no consistent increase in testosterone, muscle mass or strength in trials. Meanwhile, creatine monohydrate, 3 to 5 g/day, is the most effective and safe ergogenic supplement available, according to the position of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

• 05Modules 5 and 12

  "A good formula is one with lots of active ingredients"

  Two or three well-chosen active ingredients, at an adequate dose, usually outperform formulas with dozens of components at token doses. In metabolic phytotherapy, combining complementary mechanisms (absorption, insulin sensitivity, inflammation and microbiota) is worth more than raising the dose of a single active ingredient. The e-book organizes the choice by each patient's dominant axis: in obesity, there are eight axes of intervention.

• 06Modules 8 and 18

  "Hair loss is solved with a hair formula"

  Before any nutricosmetic, the e-book calls for measuring ferritin, vitamin D, zinc and TSH and, in women, assessing signs of hyperandrogenism: correcting low ferritin usually has more impact than any hair formula. And biotin has proven benefit only in people with a deficiency, and it also distorts test results such as TSH, free T4 and troponin.

The e-book is not a menu for self-medication. The choice of active ingredient, dose and duration of use depends on individual assessment, lab tests and current medications, and is the responsibility of a licensed professional, within the rules of their professional board. What it delivers is the complete reasoning, from the pathophysiological axis to the active ingredient, with the level of evidence for each one in plain view.