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.
Imagine if we could link health insurers with farms instead of pharmacies
More evidence for probiotic use in RA, but misses the full FxMed approach
Endocrine disrupting chemicals and increased diabetes risk
Aluminum in the brains of autistic children – small study takes first direct measurements
Rules for organic eggs may lose ‘outdoor access’ requirement
New human research also shows physical affection changes the infant epigenome
Imagine if we could link health insurers with farms instead of pharmacies
What does pharmacy giant CVS’s takeover of heavyweight health insurer Aetna mean for the future of healthcare? One where health insurance is tied ever closer to pharmaceutical interventions for sure. Having a health service provider own and make revenue from a health insurer means we can anticipate conflicts of interest and likely a lack of incentive to incorporate non-pharmaceutical, safe dietary and lifestyle interventions. But if you’re in the buying mood, CVS, why not consider a chain of gyms, or a real food producer and distributor?
More evidence for probiotic use in RA, but misses the full FxMed approach
Restoring a healthy gut flora is a key Functional Medicine consideration in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), just as it is in any autoimmune disease. There are a nice couple of recent reviews on the use of probiotics in RA which are worth knowing about and adding to your files, demonstrating reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, which is an indicator of joint destruction in the disease. The bottom line – probiotics have some decent evidence behind them for RA and are an important piece of the puzzle, but they have to be used as part of a holistic Functional Medicine approach that addresses all areas of the FxMed matrix. In the words of one my mentors, Dr. Sydney Baker, who I had the chance to learn from again this past weekend, “if you’re sitting on two tacks and you just remove one, you don’t feel 50% better.” You can read an example of a FxMed approach to RA here. More about RA in this podcast.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals and increased diabetes risk
Chemicals in personal care products such as hair sprays and deodorants cause hormonal disruptions that increase the risk for diabetes. It behooves us all to reduce our exposure and choose natural/safe options whenever we can, and especially those who are struggling with glucose control despite dialing in their diet to avoid refined carbohydrates, sugars, and grains. Specific chemicals found linked with diabetes include PCBs (found in lower quality fish, meat, and dairy), BPA, phthalates, and traffic pollution. We recommend the EWG’s Skin Deep database as a good resource for ‘safe’ personal care products.
Aluminum in the brains of autistic children – small study takes first direct measurements
A piece of the autism puzzle: heavy metal toxicity. We’ve known that levels of toxic metals are higher in autistic children, in general, than in their healthy peers, and that heavy metals, such as aluminum are directly toxic to the central nervous system. In the first study that we know of to directly measure aluminum levels in the brain tissue of autistic children, levels of aluminum were ‘among the highest values yet recorded in human brain tissue’. Genetic and nutrient variation related to ability to detoxify heavy metals is likely one reason why only some children are more susceptible, even when similarly exposed.
Rules for organic eggs may lose ‘outdoor access’ requirement
As regulations change and the rules for how organic foods are produced becomes murkier and less restrictive, our commitment to local farms and community sellers becomes even more important. Know where your food comes from! In this latest egg-saga, pressure from large egg producers is over-riding smaller organic farms who are advocating for more stringent rules about what ‘outdoor access’ means.
New human research also shows physical affection changes the infant epigenome
Cuddling babies changes their DNA methylation patterns, according to new research that confirms the ground breaking animal studies led by Moshe Szyf PhD. Consistent differences in methylation were apparent between children at age four and a half who received a lot of contact as infants versus those who received little contact. Although the precise effects of these changes remain unknown, the significance of being able to alter epigenetics even in how we interact with others is huge.
