microbiome

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 39

Maternal Nutrition and the Microbiome – Part I

This was a tricky topic to drill down into one article – so I split it into two. Bear with me on this topic as it is so important in the grander scheme of maternal and child health.
The microbiome by definition: the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment.
Pregnancy is a dynamic event where a woman’s body changes radically, including epigenetically, hormonally, immunologically and physiologically in order to conceive and carry a baby to term. Pregnancy has always been a scientific fascination because of these changes. Now, we add the microbiome to the list, as it is the latest area of research that is shedding light on how pregnancy outcomes are determined.
Part I
This was a tricky topic to drill down into one article – so I split it into two. Bear with me on this topic as it is so important in the grander scheme of maternal and child health. The microbiome by definition: the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment. Pregnancy is a dynamic event where a woman’s body changes radically, including epigenetically, hormonally, immunologically and physiologically in order to conceive and carry a baby to term. Pregnancy has always been a scientific fascination because of these changes. Now, we add the microbiome to the list, as it is the latest area of research that is shedding light on how pregnancy outcomes are determined…… also two sections on covid vaccines and disease…
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 36

Literature Review this Week

1) From Cell Host and Microbe – “The microbiomes of cesarean-born infants differ from vaginally delivered infants and are associated with increased disease risks. Vaginal microbiota transfer (VMT) to newborns may reverse C-section-related microbiome disturbances. Here, we evaluated the effect of VMT by exposing newborns to maternal vaginal fluids and assessing neurodevelopment, as well as the fecal microbiota and metabolome. Sixty-eight cesarean-delivered infants were randomly assigned a VMT or saline gauze intervention immediately after delivery in a triple-blind manner…… and much more about the cutting edge science of today. Also a piece on napping followed by the recipe of the week.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

 

 

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 31

THE NUTRITIONAL STUDIES
We know that the foods that we consume affect our intestinal microbiome, our immune system, our metabolism and therefore have a significant effect on inflammation. Is this knowledge translatable to asthma? Let us look specifically at nutrition as it relates to Asthma. Are there specific diet studies available that lead us toward a unified diet for better asthma health? Can we make good recommendations for our patients on a macronutrient basis with fats, carbohydrates and protein ratios and types. Do we have data to support certain micronutrient needs in asthma and how a diet could provide these nutrients? How much can we trust the data?…..
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 29

Literature Review:
1) Is loneliness tied to an increase in death risk? A new study in Nature says yes to a degree of the pooled effect size of 1.32 for all cause mortality. (Wang et. al. 2023) In effect, that is a very large effect of the variable loneliness on death risk. Why would this be? Many reasons come to mind. The greatest of which is the control that our mind wields on our immune system. If we think in negative and in sad terms over a period of time, the immune system will shift into a pro inflammatory state and weakened pathogen killing which has massive downstream effects on physiology.
2) In an impressive inoculation study in the UK, researchers gave the ancestral strain of SARS2 to test subjects and then followed them for 2 weeks in quarantine……..
Enjoy
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 24

Breastfeeding Versus Formula
Science versus Opinion
I read with somewhat of a frustrated feeling a recent article in Scientific American entitled: It’s Okay Not to Breastfeed by Kavin Senapathy. In principle, the reality of this statement is reasonable. Then you read the article as to what makes this reasonable. She states: “Exclusive breastfeeding is not imperative, and the “breast is best” mantra can be harmful to babies and parents, especially among marginalized people.”(K. Senapathy 2023) Again, at first blush this may seem reasonable. Let’s dig into the science and the truth of breast versus cow milk based formula for optimal health for a child. Does formula in all of its forms work for infant nutrition in order to grow and survive in a reasonable way? The answer is a resounding yes, however, this does not tell the whole story, far from it…..
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #43 Subinoy Das, MD – Ear Infections and Sinus Disease

This weeks guest is Dr. Subinoy Das. Dr. Das is the chief executive officer and medical director at US institute for advanced Sinus Care and research. He is the former Director of The Ohio State University Sinus and Allergy Center, and an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s best sinus surgeons and has received multiple awards as a U.S. board-certified otolaryngologist including a Presidential Citation in 2015 from the American Rhinology Society. In addition, he is a former Research Associate of the Center of Microbial Pathogenesis at the Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His NIH funded research was awarded the 2013 Fowler Award (top basic science research award in otolaryngology) for his work on detecting the cause of sinus infections.
We crossed paths at the University of Virginia where Dr. Das received the Alfred Burger Award for the top pre-medical student at the University before completing his medical degree at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he was elected President of his class, received Alpha Omega Alpha Honors, and received the Richard Bowman Scholarship for the top clinical performance. He then attended the University of North Carolina for residency and completed a fellowship in advanced sinus surgery and anterior skull base surgery at the Medical College of Georgia.
He is a leader in minimally invasive sinus surgery, does not use nasal packing, and has helped to develop leading instruments/techniques used in sinus surgery including working on diagnostic tests and therapies to reduce the use of antibiotics for sinus disease, advanced computer guided surgery systems, hydrodebridement therapies for sinus disease, and custom molecular-based therapies to avoid sinus surgery.
Today, we dive into the upstream causes of sinus and ear disease of children and adults. This is especially interesting because of the changes that occurred during COVID leading to new understandings of viral induced disease in humans.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #40 Kara Fitzgerald ND – Aging and A Younger You

This weeks guest is Dr. Kara Fitzgerald. What would say if I told you that you can reverse your biological aging process? What would you say to having some control over how you age from a health perspective? You would be all in right! Well I am and Dr. Fitzgerald is our teacher this week.
She received her doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first Counsel on Naturopathic Medicine-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, PhD. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Fitzgerald is the lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine and is a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)’s Textbook for Functional Medicine. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The first publication from the study focuses on reversal of biological aging and was published 04-12-2021 in the journal Aging. She has published a book titled Younger You as well as a companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics and offers Younger You Programs, based on the study.
Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty at IFM, is an IFM Certified Practitioner and lectures globally on functional medicine. She runs a Functional Nutrition Residency program, and maintains a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine and an active blog on her website, www.drkarafitzgerald.com. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
This is a podcast that you do not want to miss! This is an amazing discussion on methods to reverse and or stall biological aging.
Enjoy,
Dr. M