Clinical and research medicine has long searched for keys to overcome bacterial resistance when treating patients for recurrent or stubborn infections. Researchers have found various means to overcome bacterial resistance in many cases. They have produced whole new classes of antibiotics, They have altered old antibiotics over and over, either increasing their killing power or…
I often feel like a street preacher, proclaiming time and time again the interconnectedness of our body systems. At other times, I feel a little crazy, talking to myself about the very same things. Here, both déjà vu’s come to the fore as I did not see this one coming but “feel” like I should…
Menopause, defined simply as the ceasing of menstruation, brings with it a plethora of changes to a woman’s body. Although there are a variety of reasons for a woman’s monthly cycle to stop, the most common one is menopause due to hormone loss, and specifically, estradiol, or estrogen loss. Although we are increasingly seeing women…
Lemons to lemonade…. It can seem such a long way from one to the other- at least from our mortal perspective. Today, I meditated upon an old favorite – Psalm 147. In past years, it has provided great comfort. I hope that each person taking the time to read this will take more time to…
The science of the gut microbiome exploded in recent years. More and more connections arise from lab experiments at a dizzying pace. This time we learn that certain Bacillus and Staphylococcus aureus don’t get along in the neighborhood. Staph aureus makes headlines as a nasty bug, even at times a superbug resistant to multiple antibiotics,…
Epidemiological studies either peer back into time looking for patterns or arrange monitoring of future variables looking for the same patterns. Data is analyzed and … sometimes nothing. When a pattern does arise out of the fog, they then have to go searching for biological links. Patterns may only indicate correlation but not causation, meaning…
When Life Hands You Lemons……Rest by Dr. Potter’s amazing wife Rest. It’s such a nice word. It’s such a popular concept. But, why does it seem so elusive? In our frenetic culture, the rest is often talked about but seldom practiced. Then, there is that all too pervasive human tendency to fear and fret- even…
Racial disparities in terms of varying prevalence for different diseases may have a multitude of causes underneath the surface. Sometimes genetics raises its guilty hand. Sometime geographical factors like sun exposure, fish intake, or local toxins may cast their vote in a person’s health future. Researchers entered into a study in JAMA (Journal of American…
Functional Medicine MD’s like myself spend a lot of time tracking down evidence. We spend long periods of time working through complicated health stories with our patients. We also spend time tracking down helpful studies that guide us in caring for patients who have not received answers from conventional medicine. The field of mycotoxicity or…
The concept of cancer cells living off sugar has grown in recent years from just a functional medicine legend into mainstream science. Apparently, cancer does more than just grab a few morsels of glucose from the bloodstream like other cells. Scientists uncovered mechanisms by which mouse leukemia cells diverted glucose away from the body’s other…