We like to stay on top of the latest news in functional medicine and nutrition. If you do too, you’ll find our monthly, easy-to-digest compilation of research and news articles right here. Check back regularly to find updates, or follow us through our newsletters and social media to ensure you don’t miss any.
Inability to smell peppermint? A clue to early-stage dementia
Fluoride and reduced IQ – more, compelling data
Nail in the coffin for high carb diets? Large Lancet study says so.
Why caloric restriction extends lifespan – the EPIGENETIC key
Broccoli compounds prevent leaky gut
Fathers’ diet and lifestyle create heritable epigenetic traits
Asthmatic children overprescribed antibiotics
The secret to thriving, not just surviving
Methylmercury in infant rice cereals
Manipulating mitochondrial networks for healthy aging
Inability to smell peppermint? A clue to early-stage dementia
Losing your sense of smell can be a clue to detecting early-stage dementia. This is particularly valuable since there are important lifestyle and dietary changes that can help prevent progression towards Alzheimer’s disease and even REVERSE cognitive decline. If neuroplasticity sounds all too remarkable, catch up with the research and clinical practices behind that statement by following these links:
Fluoride and reduced IQ – more, compelling data
High fluoride exposure while pregnant is associated with reduced IQ scores in children. What’s especially relevant about this research is that it is a prospective birth cohort study, following a relatively large group of 997 mothers and their children for more than a decade. That’s pretty much the ‘gold standard’ of research.
Nail in the coffin for high carb diets? Large Lancet study says so.
High carbohydrate (not high fat) diets are associated with higher risk of total mortality, according to a recent study published in the prestigious Journal, The Lancet. All types of fat intake (including saturated) were associated with lower mortality rates, and higher saturated fat intake was associated with lower risk of stroke. Saturated and/or unsaturated fat intake did not increase the risk of heart attack. The study was a large, multi-country prospective cohort study of 135,335 individuals. Have the tables truly turned for you? Do you include healthy sources of fat in your diet?
Why caloric restriction extends lifespan – the EPIGENETIC key
So-called EPIGENETIC DRIFT explains why caloric restriction can extend lifespan. As we age, our DNA methylation patterns (master epigenetic ‘switches’) change. The more rapid the changes, the faster we age. But caloric restriction has been shown to reverse those DNA methylation changes. In fact, in monkeys fed 70% of their normal caloric intake, DNA methylation patterns were comparable to young monkeys. Do you incorporate any form of caloric restriction?
Broccoli compounds prevent leaky gut
All you broccoli haters out there – did you know that compounds in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables can help improve intestinal integrity and reduce ‘leaky gut?’ The integrity of your intestinal barrier is important for protecting against toxin insult, inflammation-based diseases, allergies and food sensitivities, autoimmune conditions and even depression. We’ve updated our ‘master list’ of factors that affect intestinal permeability with this new addition: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/2016/08/01/expanding-our-view-on-leaky-gut-beyond-the-onoff-idea/
Fathers’ diet and lifestyle create heritable epigenetic traits
Attention all future fathers! The food that you’re eating now can affect the health of your future offspring. The mechanism for this is through methylation – specifically patterns of methylation on your DNA that are directly affected by your diet and lifestyle, and that are passed on at the time of fertilization. Science also tells us that Dad’s exposures to environmental toxins before conception create unhealthy DNA methylation patterns that are also passed on to future generations.
Asthmatic children overprescribed antibiotics
Children with asthma are 1.6 times more likely to be prescribed antibiotics despite research showing that they have no increased need. At the same time, gut dysbiosis (as can be triggered by antibiotics, stress, and dietary factors), is an underlying factor in the development and perpetuation of asthma and allergic disease. Time to realize this doesn’t add up.
The secret to thriving, not just surviving
Thriving “comes down to an individual experiencing a sense of development, of getting better at something, and succeeding at mastering something.” According to this latest research, it helps to have a combination of some of the following attributes from each list (do you? Post below…)
A: Is optimistic, spiritual or religious, motivated, proactive, enjoys learning, flexible, adaptable, socially competent, has self-esteem
B: Has opportunity, employer/family/other support, challenges that are manageable, calm environment, high degree of autonomy, is trusted as competent
Methylmercury in infant rice cereals
Feeding baby mercury? Tests of 199 different infant rice cereals found high levels of methylmercury contamination. The EPA sets a reference daily maximum of 0.1 mcg/kg/d for pregnant women, but there are no limits specified for infants. Based on the findings, an infant eating rice cereal would be ingesting between 0.004 and 0.123 mcg/kg/d, which at the top end goes beyond the adult limits during pregnancy. Rice is a grain that is especially vulnerable to heavy metal soil contamination, including mercury and also arsenic. We recommend choosing rice products that have been tested for contaminants.
Manipulating mitochondrial networks for healthy aging
Mitochondrial health is a core topic in Functional Medicine. Mitochondria are the energy powerhouses of our cells and while their function does decline with age, factors such as calorie restriction and intermittent fasting can reverse or delay that progression. It’s why we include fasting mimicking and intermittent fasting practices in our Methylation Diet program for optimal gene expression and healthy aging.
