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.
ALS treatment: start long before clinical symptoms
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) has a long presymptomatic period during which neuroprotective interventions can be applied.
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and Helicobacter pylori
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by antibody destruction of platelets...based on the findings of clinical reports emerging over the past 20 years, health organizations around the world increasingly suggest the detection and eradication of H. pylori as a treatment for ITP.
Gluten free labeled foods not always gluten free
Gluten free labeling is, sadly, not a guarantee of safety for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity as demonstrated in a study recently published in the Journal of Food Protection.
Vertigo and dizziness associated with thyroid autoimmunity
Vertigo and dizziness can occur when the vestibular system (parts of the inner ear and brain that process sensory information to control balance and eye movements) is disturbed. "...the present study demonstrates the existence of a clear relationship between thyroid autoimmunity and subclinical vestibular damage, regardless of thyroid function. "
Overactive bladder: urine is not sterile
Overactive bladder, and the often more painful condition interstitial cystitis (IC) and painful bladder syndrome (PBS) occur in the absence of infection and should be investigated for an autoimmune basis...A fascinating paper just published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology demolishes the dogma that urine is sterile by using advanced methods to prove that the urinary bladder has its own microbiome.
Hair loss frequently associated with autoimmunity
Identifying hair loss as associated with early immune system dysregulation not only permits proper treatment of the presenting complaint but becomes an opportunity to ward off progression to more debilitating autoimmune disease.
Fibromyalgia, a brain-based disorder
Fibromyalgia is characterized by an abnormally lowered threshold of sensitivity to a variety of stimuli due to impairment in the brain's ability to properly process sensory signals, as reflected in a study just published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Nuts reduce inflammation and all-cause mortality
In the absence of allergy, the evidence supports the consumption of nuts as wholesome foods with anti-inflammatory and metabolic benefits, exactly what paleo diets intend to accomplish.
Gout: updates in diagnosis and treatment
Gout diagnosis is rendered less invasive and more practical in the general clinical setting and treatment more sustainable by recent advances.
Eating disorders and the causative role of autoimmunity
Eating disorders are multifactorial; like other psychiatric conditions the causative role of auotimmune neuroinflammation is coming to the fore as evidenced by a study just published in PLoS One.
Schizophrenia risk increased by maternal inflammation
Schizophrenia is well recognized to have a neuroinflammatory component, and a study just published in the American Journal of Psychiatry links maternal inflammation during pregnancy as reflected in elevated CRP (C-reactive protein) levels with a markedly increased irisk of schizophrenia in offspring.
Nigella sativa, a true 'wonder medicine'?
Nigella sativa, also known as black cumin, produces seeds with a mind-boggling wealth of medicinal virtues. For colleagues and others who may not be familiar with the abundance of scientific evidence for the use of Nigella sativa seed extract in clinical practice, this selection of citations serves as an introduction to its wide range of indications.
Acne, a disorder of dysregulated inflammation
Acne vulgaris case management with sustainable, functional methods requires its recognition as a disorder of inflammation associated with loss of immune tolerance for a commensal skin bacteria.
Depression and brain inflammation
Evidence for the role of brain inflammation in depression is proliferating as noted in a report published recently in JAMA. Certain biomarkers including the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and TNF, and CRP are standing out...
'Chronic' Lyme disease overdiagnosed according to original expert
'Chronic' Lyme disease, according to Dr. Allen Steere who first identified the spirochetal contagion caused by ticks in the town of Lyme, Connecticut, is a seductive but all too often misleading diagnosis that may prevent patients from finding the care that they need.
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.
Neuropsychiatric illness in non-celiac gluten sensitivity
Neuropsychiatric illness can result from neuroinflammation due to a variety of causes. Recent studies offer more evidence that depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders can be a manifestation of non-celiac gluten sensitivity. A paper published in Gastroenterology Research and Practice explores the pathophysiologic mechanisms by which gluten sensitivity can present as a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions in the absence of celiac disease.
Chronic fatigue is experienced through the brain
An important study just published in PLOS One reveals a primary mechanism by which the fatigue of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is experienced in the brain, and that this is associated with immune inflammatory activation.