This summary is the result of a detailed study I have made based on reading a whole range of papers published by Dr Marty Hinz and his colleagues as well as papers he refers to published by other researchers. It is certainly not finished, but I’m now ready to share what I have learned so far.
I became interested in this protocol after reading a post by Bassofspades. I would like to thank him for that. I believe this protocol may be useful to PD sufferers. It is complementary to the thiamine treatment of Dr C which has already served me very well indeed.
I am a research scientist (chemist/physicist) but this is not my field of expertise, so I do not have the years of experience necessary to criticize in detail what I have read and I therefore may have missed certain points. I would also point out that Dr Hinz operates from a commercial clinic rather than from a fundamental research environment.
From his publications and case studies Dr Hinz makes many hypotheses and assertions, but also REFUTES certain practices that are currently used in treating PD. Based on what I have read his conclusions appear to be credible, logical and are certainly interesting but I am not convinced that they are yet fully proven. However, Marty Hinz is certainly extremely knowledgeable about PD and deserves to be read. His protocol is based on a model of how PD originates and how any treatments (or nutrients) that are administered may interfere with each other, either over time or concomitantly. His publications are very difficult to understand, partly because he makes no attempt to summarize or simplify, but also because the interacting processes of cell biology and metabolism are themselves extremely complex.
His initial assertion is that PD occurs because of nutrient imbalance and can be treated or mitigated using natural nutrients. Before you disregard this approach as a health food diet plan, I should add here that L-Dopa, the most common PD medication currently used, is a naturally occurring nutrient. What he calls nutrients are therefore not what we would call food, but are chemicals that the body naturally uses or produces to function properly. In his protocol he administers these in balanced amounts, avoiding overdosing and conflicts, to ensure that cells have the availability they need to correct previous imbalances. The Hinz protocol uses what are called co-factors and precursors. These are naturally occurring substances that the body uses to make or help make the molecules that are deficient in PD sufferers.
A complex processes
To give you an insight into the interconnected processes, lets take a look at how L-Dopa and AADC interact to make dopamine. Make your own schema to visualize the process.
Tyrosine is the precursor of L- Dopa, which in turn is the precursor of Dopamine that is in short supply in PD patients. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that we need for nerve cells to communicate properly.
AADC (L-amino acid decarboxylase) is an enzyme (co-factor) which is used to convert (metabolize) Tyrosine into L-Dopa and L-Dopa into dopamine in the brain.
AADC is also the co-factor for the production of the neurotransmitter Serotonin from 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan). PD patients also suffer from insufficient Serotonin.
These two processes (and many others may be in competition for the use of AADC such that administering L-Dopa may increase the production of Dopamine, but at the same time cause Serotonin deficiency if too much L-Dopa is administered and there is not enough AADC to satisfy both processes at once. Too much L-Dopa is therefore detrimental. When too much is administered, according to Hinz, L-Dopa is no longer a simple nutrient, but becomes a drug with side effects.
These competitive processes are very common and may lead to what Hinz calls Relative Nutritional Deficiencies (RND). New RNDs can be caused by the medication used to treat illnesses like PD. I will come to the special case of Carbidopa-induced RND and Hinz’s alternative treatment later.
Vitamin B6 controls the production of AADC and some 300 other enzymes. These are called B6 dependent enzymes. Without ample vitamin B6, these processes stop.
You see how everything is interconnected even in this simplified example.
Neuroprotection
Hinz starts by addressing the origin of PD that he and others attribute to dopamine neuron damage to synapses caused by lipophilic neurotoxins (found e.g. in pesticides). The most powerful protection against these neurotoxins is Glutathione. Current treatments do not deal with this. Severe glutathione deficiency is known to occur before PD symptoms occur. Early symptoms may be a reversible RND caused by a deficit of Glutathione The precursor of Glutathione is L-Cysteine and the cofactors, essential to produce L-Cysteine are vitamin B6 dependent enzymes. The first component of the Hinz protocol is therefore to ensure an adequate and balanced supply of both L-Cysteine and vitamin B6 administered simultaneously.
Dopamine and Serotonin production
The key elements here are the precursors Tyrosine and 5-HTP. For patients who do not need direct L-Dopa supplements, Dopamine and Serotonin can be sourced from Tyrosine and 5-HTP, provided there is an adequate supply of Vitamin B6 to produce the AADC needed to metabolize Tyrozine to L-Dopa and 5HTP to Serotonin. These are in competition and should be administered simultaneously.
The special case of L-Dopa/Carbidopa drugs.
Carbidopa is integrated into L-Dopa drugs only to mitigate nausea caused by artificial dosing of L-Dopa (in doses that make it a drug rather than a nutrient).
Carbidopa binds to and then deactivates Vitamin B6 therefor deregulating all processes dependent on B6 including the production of AADC. The subsequent metabolism of L-Dopa to Dopamine is then compromised as are all AADC related processes. In this case the initial surge of dopamine production due to absorption of L-Dopa is followed by a collapse of the process caused by Carbidopa depleting AADC. The Hinz protocol requires a complete elimination of Carbidopa over a period of 30 days combined with a higher dose of vitamin B6 to boost AADC.
5-HTP is proposed as a superior alternative to Carbidopa without the side effects and without depleting B6 or AADC.
The 4 main components of the protocol are therefore all natural nutrients
Vitamin B6, L-Cysteine, L-Tyrosine, 5-HTP.
For patients using L-Dopa, this was sourced from D5 Mucuna 40% L-Dopa.
I should emphasize that Hinz recommends that this protocol should only be used under medical supervision from medical professionals certified to carry out necessary tests and adjust the dosing to balance the needs of the patients.
Much of the information can be found in this one publication and references therein, but it is unbelievably indigestible. Happy reading
So, if one does not get nausea from L-dopa 40%, basically, all you need for the Hinz protocol are B6, L cystine, and L tyrosine along with mucuna ? or...did I entirely miss everything ?
Not quite, you missed out 5-HTP. This plays 2 roles : to boost the production of serotonin (or at least to prevent it becoming deficient when L-dopa is boosted) and to mitigate nausea from L-dopa when taken as Mucuna 40%. I don't know whether Mucuna 40% L-dopa creates as much nausea as synthetic L-dopa. I know that when I took Ropinirole, which does the same thing as L-dopa, I had bad nausea.
twice when I took 5HTP , among B complex, I ended up in the hospital. Any idea why? How do you take these supplements (when) and do some not interact well?
Bravo, Albert! This is a great summary. There are a few other co factors in Neuroreplete. Altogether its 5-HTP, L-Tyrosine, L-Lysine, Vitamin B6, Folate (Folic Acid), Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Calcium citrate. Then in addition as you mentioned there's cysteine and mucuna L-dopa.
Ive been using this for over a year and it has been wonderful. With the addition of thiamine, even better.
Your post is a great place to start for people who are interested in learning about the Hinz protocol. Thank you for posting and i appreciate that you mentioned me in there. Glad i could help you and the group!
good morning Bass and thanks for your encouraging comments.
It is true that the pills Dr Hinz uses in his protocol contain other ingredients than the four I mention.
For simplicity, I did not discuss them since they do not play a direct role in the philosophy of the treatment nor in the mechanisms involving dopamine or serotonin. They are however there for a purpose I assume.
Lysine plays a role as a precursor of glutamate, the most significant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Under certain conditions, particularly ketosis, less glutamate is metabolized and more becomes available for the purpose of synthesising GABA. GABA is a major neuroinhibitor in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Its adequate supply and function is critical for pain control. Glutamine is the dietary amino acid that is the precursor of GABA.
Lysine is however highly available in meat and eggs, but not in cereals. Its inclusion may be there to boost its availability to those on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Glutamine is also a precursor to glutathione, which brings us back to cysteine.
Minute amounts of selenium are present to detoxify neurons of heavy metals, especially cadmium and mercury.
Folic acid (folate) has been discussed several times on this site. I don’t have an opinion on it.
I don’t know why citrate is in the pills. You can get plenty from lemons along with Vit C, so I count these two as general supplements.
I Have 3 questions for you.
1) I understand that you started the Hinz protocol before B1. Do you have an opinion on which one gave what kind of benefit and how they were complementary for you ?
2) Where you on L-dopa/carbidopa before the Hinz protocol and if so how did the transition go ?
3) Since starting Hinz + B1 have you been able to reduce the dose of Mucuna L-dopa ?
I have ordered the four supplements (Vitamin B6, L-Cysteine, L-Tyrosine and 5-HTP) to test what benefit I get at the lower doses, so I intend test out B1 + Hinz in that order.
1. Yes I started the Hinz protocol many months before b1. The benefits i enjoyed from the Hinz protocol were reduction in tremor, apathy,depression, anhedonia and anxiety. Since starting b1 in February 2018 it has further improved the above as well as increased energy and stamina and clarity of thought. I started with an UPDRS of low 30s, Hinz protocol took it down to low 20s. Thiamine took it down to nid teens. Now as i do my own psychological work that I have been detailing in recent posts im down to an updrs score of maybe 3. My only remaining symptoms being poor handwriting and occasional hardly noticeable tremor.
2. I experimented with minuscule amounts of carbidopa (sinemet) for about 2 months and felt very little if any effect from that. Tgats when I started learning about the Hinz protocol. I got off sinemet and on the protocol immediately. There was no issue transitioning. Within 3 weeks we figured out my dosage and ive been improving steadily since.
3. One year into my protocol, which was 4 months after starting b1, I was feeling so well that I tried to reduce my mucuna by a third. Within one week i was having a huge increase in symptoms! I went right back on my prescribed dose and was back on track again after another week. Scared the hell out of me.
Thanks for your swift and full reply. You've set the bar very high, but I'll try to reach it. Hinz's articles help me to understand the processes involved and rationally decide the next step. It's a pity they are so badly written. However the references are a big source of info. Keep in touch.
I haven't found any products that correspond to those proposed in the article : CysReplete and NeuroReplete. As far as I know, you can only buy these through a Dr who applies the protocol. That combination is expensive.
I have calculated the doses from the median values used by patients in Hinz's trial. These can be found be studying these 2 tables and the corresponding texts :
As you can see the dose values vary widely due to the requirements of some patients with very severe problems. Because of this I don't use the mean values which are distorted by a small number of patients on very high doses, but consider the median values to be much more representative since they were used by 45% of all patients and the lowest group on 1 Neuroreplete pill per day (13% of all patients).
The median group (45% of all patients) corresponds to patients taking 1 NeuroReplete pill twice per day and 2 CysReplete pills three times a day + 300 mg B6 and a low starting dose of Mucuna. To resolve severe problems of nausea for patients with greater need for Mucuna, the dose of NeuroReplete is increased (increasing both 5-HTP and Tyrosine) and a tyrosine supplement is also given. You can see from Table 1 by comparing the average dose to the median dose that the dose of 5-HTP is increased approx. in proportion to Mucuna, whereas the dose of tyrosine can be increased at a very much faster rate.
Clearly, as soon as dosing requirements (of Mucuna to control PD symptoms and 5-HTP to control nausea) exceed that of the median value of 2 NeuroReplete pills per day, EXPERT MEDICAL SUPERVISION from one of Hinz's accredited Drs is ESSENTIAL.
Looking at these median figures (2 Neuroreplete and 6 Cysreplete per day) what are the daily doses for the 4 main supplements taken in the trial ?
THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION. I have simply extracted these figures from the doses given to the first and median group, 1-2 neuroreplete pills). Please take medical advice before using these supplements.
Wow! Thanks a million for your advice. It is very difficult for ordinary people like me to apply this protocol. Best that I get in touch with the professionals. Let us know how it will work out for yourself.
Bass, I have a few questions: Did you have personal contact with Dr. Hinz? If you did/do, how much does he charge and is it a monthly payment or a one time therapy payment? Does he have to provide his therapy through personal contact for life? I know there are several clinics who apply the Hinz protocol. However, there isn't any in my state. Could it be done through webcam from wherever I find a good clinic to use the Hinz protocol? Besides this protocol and B1, are you taking any additional vitamins/supplements? Also, can this Hinz pill be purchased anywhere or does it have to be purchased from Dr. Hinz?
I got lucky. I got my protocol set up by a dr named Robinson in Lakeland, Florida. Unfortunately, very unfortunately , he passed away last July. He just charged me for regular visits and he sold the meds. He was trained by Hinz. Now that i know what I need and the amounts, i just get it on my own through various web distributors. I dont recommend this unless you have experience. Contact Hinz at CHK Nutrition and ask for a recommendation for a provider near you. That's what I did. 877-538-8388 there are many that make Skype appointments. They are expensive so beware.
He used to take Mucuna 40%, but he felt a little high Now he is on 20% which is 140mg L-dopa and he says is the right dose (2-3 a day). Does it have to be 40% L-dopa?
This is really interesting since it also contains Vit C, lysine and folic acid. My only concern is the dosing of 5- HTP at 150mg compared to 37.5 mg for NeuroReplete. Dr Hinz insists that best results will be obtained by balancing supplements involved in competitive inhibition and in his trial most patients dont exeed 75 mg 5-HTP. (see my reply on calculating doses in this thread).
I know, Wriga, it's not exactly Hinz's Neuroplete, but that's the closest I have found. DR is 4 capsules, could it work with three? Don't know, but I might give it a go and see what happens. His Mucuna intake is 20% L-dopa and Hinz protocol is 40% L-dopa.
I was very interested in your post, it was easy to understand and I get lost when I read complicated technical details. From your post and what I have read in the Forum and other places on the internet I am getting a better grip on this disease. Thank you. Suffering Socks 5.11.2018
Thanks for this file Bass, it does help to get to understand the processes, but it reads more like a promotional flyer than a scientific paper. What really got me going was a reference in Hinz's paper to an article by A Slominski dealing with another competitive process between the production of L-Dopa and Melanin from tyrosine.
I dont think it's related. I seem to remember reading somewhere that dopamine is also black. Melanin is a very different and much bigger polymeric molecule (or several molecules).
I've read research that high dose melatonin (300 mg) administered rectally shows promise. There is a PDF of the research out of Denmark, I think it is a clinical trial. Unfortunately, I don't know how to link it. The document is easy to find in a Google search.
I'm interested in your opinion as an addition to the Hinz protocol.
This is so interesting and thank you. I’m new to health unlocked and registered as I am trying to supporting my sister, with my retired nurse hat on. We are just about to start Dr Constantini B1 protocol, which he has advised her to half her L/C dose as he feels some of her symptoms are from the L/C dose so the breakdown highlighting the competition in the process is really interesting. Is anyone aware of a practitioner in the UK using this protocol?
Is he still practising medicine? Do a search on google or check Quackwatch. I mean Dr Marty Hinz.
Thanks for info. Indeed complex for someone not familliar with this domain.
Would you please help with an answer on this, by 7 January we shiukd kniw what to do:
my mum started directly on mucuna first, 4 pills per day, each if 300 mg of Mucuna (for 5 months already). No idea how much levodopa in this pills.
She had an improvement of mood but not really on the movement which it is still slow, maybe a bit better.
But now doctor who is not happy aboutucuna at all, insists on her to finally make the alopat levodopa carbidopa test on her for 2 weeks to tell if it is parkinson of parkinsonism.
Is it dangerous if she takes levodopa carbidopa for 2 weeks?
Can she stop easily after these two weeks of test if she wants so?
We live in Romania, doctors do not wang to hear about natural things like mucuna or amino acids. Could we have to an abroad doctor, online or by call, skype etc.
After 2 months on this protocol I haven't felt any significant benefits. I tried different doses and up to 1.6 g equivalent dose of L-dopa in mucuna. This lead to nausea so had to reduce it. I now do not believe that 5-HTP is an effective AADC decarboxylase inhibitor. Rather disappointed !
Has anyone else tried the Hinz Protocol with good results ?
I followed the Hinz protocol successfully for 3.5 years. My PD odyssey:
From my diagnosis of PD in September 2013 to June 2015, i.e., 1.7 years, I had been taking Sinemet ( 3/day X 25/100 C/l) and Azilect (1/day X 1 mg). But I was wary of the side effects of the meds, esp. the dyskinesia I had heard about. So starting in June 2015, I went cold turkey on the previous meds and switched over to the Hinz protocol, under the telemedicine care of Dr. Alvin Stein, a research colleague of Dr. Hinz. When Dr. Stein retired one year later, I was transferred to the care of a talented naturopath. I continued doing the Hinz protocol under his supervision until December 2018.
Since the Hinz protocol worked so well for me, subduing my symptoms quite well--including the main one of tremor--why in the world did I go back to Sinemet, which was much slower to turn on (3 hours vs. 30 min) and gave much less on time (perhaps 1-1.5 hours vs. 3-4.5 hrs.)? I did it for the greater convenience and mobility: popping pills is easier than spending 10-15 minutes weighing out powders , mixing in applesauce, etc., and carrying my whole armamentarium for dosing (dishes, utensils, powders, and digital scale) is much less practical than carrying extra pills in my pocket. So what about my fear of the side effects of Sinemet? I am trusting in the High Dose Thiamine protocol of Dr. Costantini to rescue me from them. Mind you, my trust in HDT is still in the category of blind belief. Although i've been doing it for half a year, I still haven't found my optimal dose.... at least so far as I can tell. It may be that the HDT doesn't do its magic for me. For now, I'm content to hang in there and hope for the best.
Yes, well, a home remedy inspired by the Hinz Protocol. I understood the Hinz Protocol involves 8-10 days on I-V amino acids with added nutrients. Is that right? I didn't see where you were getting the amino acids in your home treatment plan. My brother has PD, diagnosed over eight years ago. I recommended a plan to him about a year after diagnosis but he totally refused it. I spent seven years trying to convince him to try it. Finally, I heard of the Hinz Protocol through the John Gray Mars Venus website. This gave me a better understanding of the role of amino acids and other nutrients, thus a little more persuasive leverage. Meanwhile, my brother deteriorated to the point of unable to stand, unable to keep balance while walking, body stiffened, spastic, Jaw and body violently shaking, unable to get comfortable in any position, completely unable to care for himself. After eight weeks on the home remedy amino acid and nutrients plan he had refused for seven years, he was back in his shop scrapping out armatures with a sawzall and vice, for several hours a day. Walking by himself, dressing himself, tying his own shoes, etc. With my limited experience, just with my brother, and with the radical improvement in a short time, I'm hesitating to spill my guts on the whole subject. I've had very limited cooperation from my brother's caregivers and given the simplicity and repulsiveness (to some) of the protocol, I hesitate to say anything about it. It's pretty straightforward from my point of view, but others don't see it that way. This is my first post ever, so I'm going to pause here and see if the messaging system is working.
Hello, Your messaging is certainly working and I’ve been following this for a while now, as my sister is on the B1 protocol but tremor and some lethergy persists so wondering if low doses of this protocol may be an option. What regime have you put your brother on?
I've mostly been on the chat line with interested people. Over the years I've learned a little here and there about PD and have persuaded my brother to try some things, and I think he's benefited. I've taken every single thing I've recommended for him myself, even though I don't have PD. I've been attracted to the very novel approach of using foods for “medicine” so that none of the remedies have conflicted with whatever the doctors may have my brother taking. He's on L-dopa and Carbidopa. His home is a stressful environment, because when he was doing so poorly last year, his wife decided to move across the country and sell their home of 30 years. Stress to the max, yet he continues to improve if only slightly at times. My point is that the program he is on is apparently effective in less than ideal conditions, with less than ideal commitment and participation. It looks like it works to the degree that he does it, but I'd like to see some other people try it and be able to give a report of their experience, refine it, improve it, before throwing it out there. I'm on the chat line with a couple of PwP, and they're helping me clarify my thoughts, so I should get ready to post something on my own profile.
There's far too much to write here, but briefly it's this: First, regarding the amino acid/nutrients I-V program mentioned above, isn't that the same thing as the "Neurotransmitter Restoration Therapy (NTR)" which is practiced widely today for drug addiction recovery and dopamine receptors' healing? If PwP can benefit from the same treatment that helps drug addicts, couldn't they also be hurt by the same drugs that give addicts the “shakes?” The amino acids seem to be widely accepted and practiced for both addicts and PwP. I'm wondering if taking the amino acids made the difference between Wriga's experience (above), and that of BassofSpades who seems to have been phenomenally successful with it?
If you're wondering about my brother's home protocol, since he had neither the physical ability, the interest in, nor the money to go to a clinic for treatment, there were a number of remedies given at home, including the amino acids (by mouth), B-vitamins, micro-nutrients, on the one hand, and a half dozen more things. Those were, first, a few things to straighten out the gut's microbiome. That's a big serious topic, the gut-brain connection, and how to change it. Second, some powerful detoxifying agents, and third, I picked three of my favorite cancer remedies. Michael J. Fox and Mayo Research Center have long recognized the connection between PD and Melanoma. Fighting PD requires fighting cancer, in my view. Fourth, there is an enzyme, currently being studied at Washington University, St. Louis, that shows promise of possibly healing the blood supply to the dopamine receptor centers of the brain. My brother is taking an enzyme product at home that we hope may also do this; we have long years of personal experience with its use for other purposes with possibly comparable results. Fifth, I recommended my brother take cod liver oil just because it heals everything, including nerves, brain, eyes, heart and all the most sensitive processes in the body. The best brands I know of are “Sonne's #5” and “Carlson's lemon flavored.” The dosage is between one and two Tablespoons per day. That's the best place to start, and if you want to know more about what we did for the other things listed above, send me a chat, I'd like to know how well it works for you.
There's more: We haven't mentioned a glutathione resource, better vitamin C, pure water, exercise, sugar, food sensitivities, the carrageenan inflammatory, or a powerful alkalyzing, therefore detoxifying common food. I'm not ready to make a public display of what I've learned yet because while I've proven it all in my own personal experience, the only person to benefit with PD so far is my brother and that isn't the perfect case because of limited participation.
In summary, we have gathered together some powerful food-based remedies that go a long way towards healing the brain, healing the gut, healing possible nerve damage, purging the toxins, and fighting the related cancers. Many readers can think of things you already know that do these things. If you want a more full discussion of each, for now, send me a chat. Let me know which part of the above you would like to discuss first.
I'm so very grateful for your explanation. I don't have the education to explain this the way you did, but I understand what you said. It gives me the confidence to pursue this therapy. Thank you.
I’ve been using the Hinz protocol for over three years with good success. By adding B1 to it I’ve got myself down to just one dose of the protocol a day( not recommended, but it’s working still) . For cost savings , I’ve outsourced everything but the patented pills and seem fine. Once a day was a godsend with the protocol.
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Now he is on 20% which is 140mg L-dopa and he says is the right dose (2-3 a day). Does it have to be 40% L-dopa?
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Protocol supports hwp.
