FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE BLOG
Includes over 800 monographs reporting on emerging studies in the medical and scientific literature of practical clinical importance, easily searched for content.
Antioxidants in excess can increase inflammation and blunt benefits of exercise
Antioxidants, even glutathione, taken in excess can increase rather than ameliorate harmful inflammation...The use of antioxidants must be calibrated with careful consideration of the balance between protective and suppressive effects according to the needs of the individual patient.
Autoimmune inflammation can elevate serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D
I have found that patients with an autoimmune component to their case often have elevated 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D (calcitriol). This is not the 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol metabolite) that we always test to determine vitamin D3 sufficiency. Often with normal and even low vitamin D3 levels, patients with various degrees of active autoimmunity are testing for elevated 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D levels. Now research published in PLOS One (Public Library of Science) shows how autoimmune inflammation and elevated 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D are associated.
Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with childhood antibiotic exposure
Inflammatory bowel disease includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease where the immune system attacks the large intestine and small intestine respectively. Considering the emerging science on the profound importance of the human micro biome for immune system maturation, regulation and tolerance, a study just published in the journal Pediatrics offering evidence that antibiotic exposure in childhood is associated with inflammatory bowel disease comes as no surprise.
Lyme disease, neuropsychiatric symptoms and autoimmunity
As with other chronic infections, the most devastating effects of Lyme disease can occur from the immune system losing tolerance for normal tissue as it cross-reacts while attacking the pathogen. A paper just published in The Open Neurology Journal reviews the body of knowledge on the neuropsychiatric symptoms of Lyme disease and other infections as an immune mediated neurodegenerative disorder, enlarged by a wealth of citations.
Lymphoma and autoimmunity
Lymphoma and other hematologic malignancies ('blood cancers') have been shown be previous investigators to be linked to autoimmunity. The authors of a paper just published in the Journal of Autoimmunity illustrate how epigenetic mechanisms can imbalance immune function in a way that contributes to both autoimmunity and hematologic malignancies such has lymphoma, leukemia, etc.
More evidence for an immune/inflammatory imbalance in both bipolar disorder and teenage suicide
More evidence for an immune/inflammatory imbalance in both bipolar disorder and teenage suicide
Apple polyphenols each day may help keep intestinal inflammation away
Apple polyphenols each day may help keep intestinal inflammation away
Depression as a dysfunction of the immune system
Depression as a dysfunction of the immune system
Patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for vascular disease
Patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for vascular disease
Helicobacter pylori infection and autoimmune diseases
Helicobacter pylori infection and autoimmune diseases
Magnesium, inflammation, insulin resistance and diabetes
Magnesium, inflammation, insulin resistance and diabetes
Gluten sensitivity and childhood disorders of learning, behavior and development
Gluten sensitivity and childhood disorders of learning, behavior and development
Type 2 diabetes in children can have an autoimmune component
Type 2 diabetes in children can have an autoimmune component