Butyrate bottles

Short-Chain Fatty Acids: Strengthen the Gut-Brain Health Connection with Butyrate

Functional Medicine for Professionals2 Comments

All SCFAs have wide-ranging therapeutic benefits, but in this article we’ll focus on butyrate as a therapeutic agent for gut and brain health. Butyrate is the food for the colonocytes, the thin layer of cells that comprises the lining of the large intestine. Within the intestinal environment, it protects and supports the mucosa, gut motility, and the commensal bacteria of the colon. Although butyrate is largely present in the gut, it can also have effects on the brain via the gut-brain axis, as well as by lowering inflammation, stabilizing DNA structure, and sequestering harmful metabolic by-products like ammonia.

Mother Dirt Acne Package

Acne, the Skin Microbiome and Salicylic Acid Treatment

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There has been a lot of published research lately around the role of our skin’s microbiome on overall immune health as well as the impact bacterial dysbiosis has on different diseases. The bacteria Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) — one of the most abundant strains of bacteria in most people’s facial microbiome — has long been associated with acne lesions. But, how does acne occur and how does our microbiome impact it?

Blood test tubes in centrifuge. Plasma preparation in medical h

The Journey to “Evidence-Based” for Functional Labs

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In the Functional Medicine space, we all desire to be described under the banner of “Evidence-Based.” What does that mean, and how do we get there? In this article I will attempt to address the laboratory component of this question from the perspective of a company in the middle of this ongoing journey. The value of self-critique and continual self-examination: There is a pattern I have witnessed in the Functional Medicine Lab industry that needs to be challenged from within. We develop tests, leverage them as much as we can, and then wait for competitors or critics to raise objections or questions. If those objections never come, we may be tempted to push forward without continuing to pursue both analytical and clinical validation. Continuous self-critique is critical!

Woman suffering from SIBO

Beyond Breath Testing: Using the GI-MAP to Uncover the Other Players in SIBO

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SIBO is on the top of everyone’s mind these days. In this sponsored blog by Dr. Amy Rolfsen, ND at Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory, we review why SIBO breath testing by itself just isn’t enough. To design an effective treatment protocol the first time, we need the whole picture of gut health, including digestion, immunity, commensals, pathogens, opportunists, and more. There are many useful scientific tidbits in this well-referenced blog, and I hope you read, comment, and share! Enjoy!

How to do an elimination diet

Navigating an Elimination Diet: Creative Solutions to Common Challenges

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Callout to clinicians:  Yes, we still prescribe the tried-and-true elimination diet for many people, although we’re aware that increased hypersensitivity can occur in a small subset of individuals. Read on to see how we’re identifying and customizing an elimination plan for these vulnerable individuals. – DrKF Have you ever noticed that you feel bloated after…

Foods high in iodine

Iodine Deficiency, Breast Health, and Hormone Balance

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Iodine was discovered in 1811 by French chemist Bernard Courtois while processing ingredients for gunpowder. In extracting sodium salts from seaweed by treating it with sulfuric acid, he observed a purple vapor rising from the seaweed. This substance was eventually named iodine, from the Greek word for the color violet, ioeides. Iodine is an essential trace element necessary for the production of all hormones in the body and proper function in the immune system.[2] It plays a vital role in several aspects of health, including:

Healthy food

Why We Need to Evolve the Evidence Base for Personalized Nutrition and Functional Medicine

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I deeply appreciate this important topic brought to us by Dr. Michelle Barrow as she answers questions put to her by our Nutrition Programs Director, Romilly Hodges. This exchange was prompted by Dr. Barrow’s recent peer-reviewed publication – Transforming Personalized Nutrition Practice – a worthwhile read which came across Romilly’s desk earlier this year. After all, personalized nutrition is a core component of the Functional Medicine toolkit. As a profession (of both functional medicine and personalized nutrition practitioners), we need take steps to bridge the gap between currently-accepted evidence models and what is actually needed to support our practice. We need to ask the hard questions; and take the steps to build a better model. It’s something I have proposed before, and I am absolutely delighted to continue to champion. – DrKF

Woman having painful stomach ache during working from home,Female suffering from abdominal pain,Period cramps,Hands squeezing belly,Stomach pain

Uterine Fibroids: Mechanisms, Treatment Challenges and the Power of Embracing a Functional Approach

Functional Medicine for Professionals7 Comments

Uterine fibroids are a huge, underappreciated issue. They are the most common gynecological disorder, affecting nearly half of women younger than 40 years old, and far more (~80%) for those older. Frankly, I don’t think we are doing enough to help these patients. Fibroids are the leading indication for hysterectomy in the US, accounting for 39% of all hysterectomies each year, and while some are asymptomatic, symptoms include heavy and prolonged periods, difficulty with intercourse, bowel dysfunction, non-cyclic pelvic pain, low back pain, urinary frequency and urgency, and constipation. Because not all fibroids cause heavy bleeding, their impact can be missed, think: refractory constipation or incontinence. Conventional treatments include pharmacotherapy, surgical interventions, and uterine artery embolization, however, these treatments leave much to be desired. Oral contraceptives are used to manage bleeding, and even after myomectomy, fibroids often recur and 10% of women will undergo hysterectomy within 5 – 10 years.