Replied by Art from California on 12/28/2025

Is your husband already using the supplements mentioned in the original article? That should be the starting point for your husband to discuss with his nephrologist. While he is having that discussion he should also ask about Magnesium Glycinate, Silymarin and Inulin as these are all good for CKD while having very good safety profiles as well as other potential health benefits.

On the magnesium glycinate the nephrologist will have to test your husbands magnesium level regularly to get to the optimal level. Too much magnesium is not good and too little magnesium is not good, but optimal around 2.7 to 3.0 mg/dl. Ideally, getting as much of that magnesium from food as possible is also a good way to go. Magnesium deficiency is common in CKD.

Here is a link to 25 foods that are high in magnesium :

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/foods-that-are-high-in-magnesium

Regarding the silymarin, it was previously thought that to mainly be useful for the liver, but newer studies are suggesting that it is beneficial for the kidneys also as discussed here :

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4205984/#:~:text=Recent evidence suggests that silymarin, protein and nucleic acid synthesis.

Here is a relevant quote from the link :

' Recent evidence suggests that silymarin may be just as important for kidney health as for liver. Silymarin concentrates in kidney cells, where it aids in repairing and regeneration by increasing protein and nucleic acid synthesis. '

People with CKD also have gut dysbiosis and inulin can help increase beneficial bacteria while reducing uremic toxins seen in people with CKD as discussed by Google here :

' Inulin is a promising dietary component for CKD management, primarily by targeting the gut-kidney axis to reduce the burden of uremic toxins, offering benefits beyond what a low-protein diet alone might provide. '

Inulin is a prebiotic powder that is mixed with water and sipped throughout the day.

Because of the serious nature of CKD, all supplements your husband takes should be approved and supervised by his doctor/nephrologist to insure his safety and compatibility with any prescription medications he is taking.

It is worth mentioning that melatonin and inulin will synergize to help fight the gut dysbiosis seen in CKD and because melatonin enhances vitamin D receptor (VDR) the melatonin will help optimize the vitamin D that your husband is getting.

I'm glad to hear that DMSO helped your husband's COPD!

Regarding the nasal polyps, Xlear Nasal Spray may offer some benefit because it contains Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) and Xylitol. Xylitol helps breakdown biofilms and also acts as an antibacterial and anti inflammatory. GSE also has antibiofilm, anti inflammatory and antimicrobial effects which should all be useful in the fight against nasal polyps.

Regarding the cognitive decline in my friend that I wrote about, she is now 83 and still very sharp! I attribute her recovery to all of the supplements that she took, but feel that the Lithium Orotate, Melatonin and Vinpocetine were three of the more important ones and you and your husband can discuss these three with his nephrologist and doctor.

Previous studies have mentioned that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has shown significant benefit for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia via manipulation of the gut microbiome. Recent studies of lithium orotate suggest that it may help cognitive decline via inhibition of the protein/enzyme GSK3b, but other studies also indicate that lithium orotate also has an altering effect on gut dysbiosis so it is actually going after cognitive decline through multiple methods of action that are known to be important in cognitive decline.

I hope this information is helpful to you and your husband!

Art