happy family

Lead Toxicity: What you need to know for you and your family.

Functional Medicine for Consumers, Functional Medicine for Professionals1 Comment

Since my time in a laboratory at the start of my career in 2006, where I was a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine (including principal author on the Nutrient & Toxic Elements chapter), I have had lead on the brain, as it were. Given the fact that the research is pretty clear that ANY lead exposure is a problem (especially in kids and in pregnancy), I pay attention to lead – in all of my patients, in myself and my daughter. In my wider family. I am a firm believer that we need to make, at a minimum, an annual sweep of general toxin status in the body. And when we identify something, move forward with appropriate steps for removal and treatment.

Scientific research

Research & News RoundUp

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This month, we are sharing short summaries of some of the key research and news pieces that we have been paying attention to. Our focus spans intriguing questions about health and nutrition, from the potential risks of fish oil supplementation to the role of grip strength in aging. We also dive into the effectiveness of different protein sources, the temporary aging effects of pregnancy, and the controversial impact of multivitamins on longevity. These five topics shed light on emerging findings and the need for a nuanced understanding of nutrition and health. Join us as we explore these important insights!

Brain Health 101: How To Nutritionally Support A THRIVING Mind For Years To Come.

Brain Health 101: How To Nutritionally Support A THRIVING Mind For Years To Come

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If you prioritize your health, you’re likely familiar with the foods and supplements that support muscle growth, heart health, and a robust immune system. But have you considered your brain health? Our cognitive well-being underpins our aspirations, achievements, and life experiences. We all aspire to be among the remarkable few whose minds seem as sharp and vital at age 80 or 90 as they did at 30 or 40. So, how can we start nurturing our brain health today, to maximize supporting for a healthy mind for decades to come?

man hanging from pull-up bar

Grip Strength – Are You Underutilizing This Predictor of Aging and Health?

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Grip strength declines with age – this is an unwelcome change I’ve noticed even in myself, despite a good, consistent resistance training habit through adulthood. Jars that were completely uneventful for me, I need more effort to open, or resorting to using a jar-opening tool. This is in part, what makes me interested in grip strength.

Video Blog: Does Multivitamin Use Increase Mortality Risk?

Functional Medicine for Consumers, Functional Medicine for Professionals, Research, News & Ideas, Uncategorized1 Comment

Could taking a daily multivitamin actually increase mortality risk (i.e. risk of death)? This video blog takes a deep dive into the problematic research methodology of a 2024 research study on multivitamin use and mortality risk which caused a stir on popular media and news outlets.

pomegranates

Immune Health as You Age: How Urolithin A Is Revolutionizing Longevity

Functional Medicine for Consumers, Functional Medicine for Professionals2 Comments

Often, we only think of our immune system seasonally— as something we need to boost during winter months to bolster our ability to fight colds and flu. However, we should be thinking about our immune health daily as a system in our body that is susceptible to aging, just like our brains, muscles, and other critical organs. As we age, the immune system undergoes significant changes that contribute to increased vulnerability to infections and disease. Even our risk of cancer goes up with age due to a decline in immune system function. Exciting new research involving urolithin A shows a promising new way to target immune aging, offering potential strategies to maintain a more resilient immune system as we grow older.

clock

The Most Affordable Lab-Based Epigenetic Age Tool – The PhenoAge Calculator

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Biological “clocks” based on epigenetic age have been around for just over a decade. Steve Horvath, a PhD scientist at UCLA launched the field with his original 2013 pan-tissue clock that predicted chronological age with head-turning accuracy. Other researchers subsequently crunched their own epigenetic (DNA methylation) data and applied advanced mathematical models to similarly predict age with their own “clocks”, resulting in a suite of available epigenetic age assessments – each with similarities but also notable differences. Some of these are more widely available for non-researchers to use than others.

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Valuable Insight into Gut Health from DUTCH Hormone Testing

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When seeking health advice, we’ve all heard the recommendation, “start with the gut.” Whether we have high cholesterol or heavy periods, it always somehow comes back to the gut, right? Why is that? Well, it’s probably because the state of our gut affects the health of every organ system in our body, and because of this, a healthier gut tends to improve how we feel and function on a day-to-day basis. Many people only think to use a stool test to evaluate gut health, but the DUTCH Test may also yield valuable insights through its measurement of cortisol, hormone metabolites, and organic acids.

Video Blog: Interpreting the Latest (Controversial) Research on Fish Oil

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  In this 15-minute video blog segment, Dr. Fitzgerald discusses a controversial study on fish oil and cardiovascular disease that was published in the British Medical Journal earlier this year titled Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study with former clinic resident Tish Campbell PhD. Find the study full…