Brandon LaGreca
Microbiome research is changing the way we practice medicine. After decades of refining the optimization of probiotics, we must now consider the nuances of prebiotics and postbiotics. Think of prebiotics as food for the gut microbiome and postbiotics as health-aiding metabolites produced by microbes. Add to this the consumer trend of sampling and shipping one’s…
Read MoreImagine an AI that can make a detailed analysis of how exposure to this endocrine-disrupting environmental toxicant is interacting with that microbiome-disrupting herbicide, in the context of someone with a certain genetic single-nucleotide polymorphism who is also taking multiple medications.
Read MoreConstipation can be a frustrating condition. There are many reasons for getting backed up, and it can take some detective work to discover the underlying cause.
It is worth the time and effort to investigate the root of constipation and not become reliant on harsh purgatives. Laxatives have side effects, including a loss of bowel tone with long-term use.
Read MoreIt’s called the Active Denial System (ADS). The Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office of the U.S. Department of Defense Non-Lethal Weapons Program investigated the ADS for deployment for crowd control by aiming a “man-sized (1.5 m) beam of millimeter waves (not microwaves) at a range up to 1,000 meters. It will have the same compelling non-lethal effect on all human targets, regardless of size, age and gender.”
Read MoreYet with any disease diagnosis, even the most devastating ones, it is possible to “work the problem” by sweating the small stuff. With cancer, that may be all we have control over.
Read MoreDigestion is way too important of a process to entrust to a gastroenterologist. Being your own advocate begins with eating a whole food, nutrient-dense diet and using simple approaches to improve digestion rather than blunting digestive fire with acid-suppressing drugs like proton pump inhibitors. We have to appreciate that the combined contributions of gastric acid, bile acid, and enzymes are a fiery cauldron of transmutation.
Read MoreConventional allopathic medicine operates on a split paradigm. The primary medical initiative is to heroically swoop down when disaster strikes. A car accident or heart attack will bring about a quick and decisive intervention. In managed care, it gets a little more gray. Symptom management may take precedence over addressing the root causes of disease, often because they stem from environmental and lifestyle factors that are unacknowledged or lack solutions within the biomedical model.
Read MoreAll life stems from air, earth, and water. We are all literal and metaphorical extensions of the Earth, as manifested as living soil. No matter what ends up on our plate, the components of that meal derive from elemental forces that amalgamate to form the biodiversity of life.
Read MoreAs any experienced gardener knows, the health of the soil determines the fate of the planted seed. With COVID-19, it is possible that the activity of the virus is not the root cause of illness and death but a proximate cause. A breakdown in the relationship between our health and our relationship with nature is the true reason so many have fallen ill.
Read MoreThe other common deterrent to peaceful slumber is the inability to fall asleep, otherwise known as sleep-onset insomnia. This is a multifactorial problem, chock full of nuance, so realize there may be one or more causes that need to be addressed if you suffer from this type of insomnia.
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