Iron Wars: Bacteria and Lyme

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…

Metabolomics and Children’s Chronic Diseases

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…

NAC – N Acetyl Cysteine Supplement Review

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…

Introducing POTS

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…

When the Pipes Cause Inflammation in the Fat

Researchers continue to search for the mechanistic connection between obesity and increased inflammation which all agree occurs in our epidemic of metabolic diseases.  UT Southwestern scientist believe they may have uncovered at least one connection.  Fibro inflammatory progenitor cells found in the walls of fat tissue blood vessels could link obesity and inflammation. Countless studies…

Children’s Lives Impacted by Early Life Adversity

Our fallen world provides numerous examples of how adversity can impact our health.  None of you need convincing of that reality and therefore this study appears bland at first.  But read a little further and you will see that the researchers uncovered effects on children’s executive functioning and changes in stress hormones.  They found measurable…