MAY 1, 2023 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
More than 3 million people live with inflammatory bowel disease and many struggle with food anxiety I see a lot of patients with IBD despite the fact that I am not a gastroenterologist. IBD is a condition that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that often leads to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding. IBD can also lead to fatigue, weight loss, malnutrition, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Specific foods are not known to trigger IBD flares. IBD is different from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), food allergies, and food intolerances, as it is a chronic inflammatory condition of the entire digestive tract (Crohn’s disease), or specifically, the large intestine (ulcerative colitis), which can inhibit absorption and impair digestion.
I do test for food allergies ( Ig G testing) as well as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Most gastroenterologists do not test for SIBO. I believe in a thorough analysis of the microbiota in all patients . In the past 10 years we have come a long way in gastrointestinal diseases. I also believe that medications not be prescribed for many of the diseases and supplements/herbs do a fine and even sometimes a better job
Patients with IBD often associate their gastrointestinal symptoms—abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, nausea or even vomiting—with the foods they eat There is not one diet for all I incorporate various dietary modifications looking at their blood diet and food sensitivities by Ig G All patients with IBD are unique and therefore should discuss diet and nutrition This is essential
Until tomorrow…
APRIL 27, 2023 HAIR GROWTH
As I started to lose my hair I become obsessed with using herbs to grow my hair. I did not want a hair transplant, hair plugs etc. The reason I shaved my head at one point was to see if I ever lost all my hair how would I look. I liked it and did it for two summers. Now I keep my head shaved all the time I have found 'my mixture' to get my patient’s hair longer
I began to lose my hair when I was a vegan I wasn't eating enough protein and my hair started to thin. So protein is very important in maintaining hair. There are some basic supplements that are essential for hair growth. These are Vitamin A, Vitamin C Vitamin E, Biotin, Zinc, and Selenium. I like hair formulas also to contain L-cysteine and methionine. In addition I utilize a MSM shampoo (Methylsulfonylmethane) After studying in Ithaca NY with 7Song I began a search in old herbal books by Culpepper, Sauer and others for hair growing herbs. I have had much success with Horsetail (Equisertum ssp), Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Fennel (Peucedanum officinale) and Milk Thistle (Silybum maranum) . I am not a Tradional Chinese Herbalist, but learniong on my own from reading and seminars. If I had more time I would enter a 4 year program, but....
There are 3 chinese herbs I see in the literature that stimulate hair growth. These are Fo-ti (Polygonum multiforum) Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralea corylifolia) and Han Lian Cao (Eclipta prostrata)
The reasons for hair loss are very misunderstood. Is it autoimmune, congenital alopecia, a thyroid issue or build up of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)? This hormone, DHT is responsible in both men and women. Excess of DHT in the hair follicle causes it to begin shrinking, which changes the natural resting and growth phases of the hair. This hormone builds up around the follicle like wax.
Follicles do not last-- they eventually die. The others have build up wax so no more follicles and the hair begins to thin and then you have hair loss. To increase scalp circulation you can massage your scalp.
Until tomorrow
APRIL 26, 2023 EMF
There are a lot of questions about EMF (electromagnetic field) radiation and how it affects our bodies! From Wi-Fi dangers to microwave radiation, EMFs are all around us.
The full impact of EMFs on human health is largely a question mark; however, many studies conclusively verify harm to humans, including an increased risk of several forms of cancer. There are many devices and supplements I see in newsletters and on line that supposedly protect you against EMF I think you can start by eating an anti-inflammatory diet and taking some basic antioxidants. I would start by taking liposomal; glutathione and tumeric ( Curcuma longa ) I also like to take and diffuse essential oils to protect me
Although essential oils have long been used in traditional and alternative health practices, in recent years researchers have also begun to study their purported health benefits. Essential oils are aromatic, concentrated plant extracts that have a wide range of uses, from creating the scents that emerge from aromatherapy diffusers to adding fragrance to lotions, soaps and other beauty products.
The essential oils I diffuse for EMF protect are lemongrass, lavender and peppermint Some essential oils also may have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Using essential oils in your daily life can change your life
Until tomorrow…
APRIL 25, 2023 RELAXING HERBS
Regular restful sleep is one of the most important components for maintaining health. If you have disrupted sleep it does not allow for proper digestion or sufficient time to make new hormones and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) which are essential to our well being. We need these neurotransmitters to wake up with energy. Do you wake up tired? I used to! No longer. We do know that inadequate sleep has been proven to decrease work performance, alertness, memory and cognitive function and put stress on your relationships (personal and professional). Lack of sleep decreases your quality of life. Do you want that?
A study has shown that a decrease in sleep by one and half hours will result in a decrease of daytime alertness by 32%. Wow!
A large cohort study of more than 3500 patients ages 35 and over found that the optimal sleep duration of 7 - 8 hours could predict better health outcomes.
There are many remedies for sleep- conventional prescriptions as well as botanical. There are also vitamins/supplements that have been used as remedies to sleep. Some of these are theanine, pro som, and myopcalm The Bach remedy called Rescue Remedy is another valuable sleep agent. You must find the proper sleeping agent for you if you have difficulty.
I want to mention two botanicals that I am fond of for sleeping.
One is Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata). The alkalids and flavinoids in Passion flower are stronger sedatives and relaxants than other botanicals. It has the ability to restore debilitated nerve centers by promoting proper nutrition uptake at a cellular level. It supports a calming and relaxing effect on the body during times of stress. Every person in New York City needs Passion Flower. The leaves and the vines contain the many alkaloids as harmaline, harmine etc . There are also lots of bioflavinoids such as quercitin, rutin etc in the plant. I love history of plants so this is no exception. It was first discovered in Peru in 1569 by a Spanish physician/botanist, Nicolas Monardes. In the 1800's it became popular with the Victorians of England.
The second botanical is Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora ) It has a relaxing and calming effect on the body. I like Skullcap because I find it can be used during the day to restore balance to an overworked individual. This is me. I utilize skullcap daily during the work day. I feel rested. It does not put me to sleep, but restore my energy and balance during the day and then I get a better restful sleep at night. This plant is a nervine and has plenty of flavinoids, ligans, and tannins. The best known flavinoid is appropriately called scutellarin.
Until tomorrow…
APRIL 24, 2023 INFLAMMATORY HERBS
Not everyone will like the taste of a herbal tea blend. The herbal tastes can be bitter, sour, sweet and salty. Examples of bitter herbs are bayberry, sweet bay, fenugreek, thyme vervain horehound and lobelia. Examples of sour herbs are rose hips and many other sour fruits; The examples of sweet herbs are anise, slippery elm, fennel and angelica. The salty herbs are chickweed, okra, mullein, plantain and marsh mellow. bOTANICAL BOUNTY MAKES GREAT TEA BLENDS ( WWW.BOTANICALBOUNTY.ORG )
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has done extensive studies and research on Curcumin. This is the active component in tumeric. The herb is Curcuma longa. The oral absorption of curcumin is generally poor due to its low solubility and instability in the intestinal environment.
There are many herbs I would use to help regulate the inflammatory response mechanisms and the detoxification enzymes. Both play a crucial role in supporting the cardiovascular , immune, neurological, joint and connective tissue functions.
I use the following the following herbs to maintain a natural balance of the cyclo oxygenase enzymes ( COX 1 and COX 2). I want the body to be in harmony. I want the herbs to scavenge free radicals and save the body.
In addition to Curcumin I would use
1. Rosemary ( Rosmarnus officinalis)
2. Holy Basil ( Ocimum tenuuiflorum)
3. Green tea ( Camellia sinensis )
4. Gunger ( Zingiber officinalis)
5. Barberry ( Berberis vulgaris)
6. Japanese knotwood ( Polygonum cuspidatum)
Until tomorrow...
APRIL 20, 2023 FATIGUE
There are many causes of fatigue individuals I see within my practice. Fatigue can be caused by an underactive thyroid, chronic Epstein Barr Infection ( especially when reactivated due to COVID in the past three years) food allergies, heavy metal intoxication and even food allergies. There are many integrative treatments for fatigue once you find out the underlying cause. There are one group of herbs called adaptogens which I use regularly. In the American Botanical Council HerbalGram an article appeared which I found interesting
“Disease-related fatigue is a primary feeling of fatigue caused by a disease itself or its treatment. For fatigue reduction, many patients are given alternative and complementary treatments. A widely used therapy for fatigue is ginseng (Panax spp., Araliaceae), which has two major subgroups — Asian ginseng (P. ginseng) and American ginseng (P. quinquefolius). Around 40 compounds have been identified from ginseng that offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antitumor, and antiaging effects. Recently, the efficacy of ginseng supplements on disease-related fatigue have been published but with conflicting results. As such, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize and pool the available data to determine the overall effects of ginseng supplements on disease-related fatigue.
I found the results interesting to read At the conclusion, based on the results, the authors conclude that ginseng supplementation has a moderate benefit for reducing disease-related fatigue among patients with various diseases, especially cancer. The authors suggest that the associated mechanisms may relate to ginseng’s role in enhancing energy metabolism and reducing lactic acid accumulation. The authors suggest that lactic acid leads to fatigue, but lactate is not actually the cause of muscle fatigue and is instead a preferred energy source. “ Reprinted from ABC’s Herbalgram I use many adaptogenic herbs for fatigue I usually test for cortisol salivary levels and then determine the treatment options
Zhu J, Xu X, Zhang X, et al. Efficacy of ginseng supplements on disease-related fatigue: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). July 1, 2022;101(26):e29767. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000029767.