The world of medicine must constantly learn what it does not know. This requires a level of humility and a measure of hunger. With the advent of COVID, we have all faced the unknown of a novel infection which required us to admit that we had much to learn about viruses and their diseases. The…
Despite decades of food industry propaganda blaming fat as the scapegoat, more and more research points towards sugar as being a major contributor to inflammation in the diet. Many studies have correlated sugar consumption with a variety of inflammatory conditions. Scientists are not, however, satisfied with correlations. We want mechanisms of action to be clear…
While correlation does not equal causation, the presence of various mold and yeast species in Norwegian daycare centers does suggest the need for more research. A number of other studies have suggested a connection between mold and yeast in children’s environments and the development of allergies and asthma. These researchers did not work necessarily towards…
In a world where pain and fever are a common affliction, sufferers (and their parents) appreciated having therapies which relieve these discomforts. Both pharma and natural medicine offer a list of substances which work to relieve pain and fever. With this list of options, most parents recognize that any therapy may have risks, even if…
The world of conventional medicine seems to continue in its doubt of natural therapies until its own methods prove a natural therapy worked… and then they hijack it for a medication. Once again, researchers have found omega 3’s, in this case the EPA form, to have significant benefit for patients with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, of…
Firefighters in a burning building will check doors and rooms for fire or smoke. If something is not right, they activate resources to address the issue. Natural Killer cells function in a similar way: they patrol our cells asking each one how things are going. Depending on the response they get, the Natural Killer cells…
Most are aware of vitamin D and vitamin C as well as minerals like zinc, but do you know about the role that iron plays in our immune defenses and microbial invasions like Lyme? As functional medicine strives to optimize the terrain for potential or actual microbial attacks, we must consider the battle over iron…
The tool of “Metabolomics” looks to revolutionize how we view children’s chronic diseases. The basic lab markers of yesterday revealed shadows of underlying dysfunction. Metabolomics works to shine clearer light deeper into the actual mechanisms of our next generation’s growing chronic illness epidemic. Today’s article of interest shares insights into how this developing tool has…
Overview The loved and hunted amino acid derivative, N acetyl cysteine, offers a number of potential benefits to those seeking to recover from or prevent the occurrence of several diseases and conditions. Those of us practicing functional medicine love its multifaceted uses (as noted below). For some reason government regulators are hunting it and considering…
Many younger patients come to our office with a life-disruptive mix of random symptoms that have lasted years, sometimes with a prior diagnosis of POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and they want answers. These patients primarily complain of dizziness, palpitations, passing out, difficulty exercising, and other cardiovascular symptoms. Most also complain of seemingly vague…