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Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 8

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Itaconate, what is it and why does it matter?

Science Heavy – skip to the bold for take home if you want to avoid the science.

The biggest takeaway from this complex science is this: High fat, high sugar diets (Ultra Processed Foods) are associated with decreased itaconate activity and increased inflammation. The science further answers the question of whether we should allow ultra processed food in schools.

Ultra Processed Foods likely reduce itaconate production driving inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and gut dysbiosis, which could worsen active disease. Lower itaconate levels likely impair your body’s ability to resolve inflammation, potentially leading to prolonged issues with healing and repair. To support itaconate’s anti inflammatory activity, shift away from UPFs toward an anti-inflammatory diet (e.g., Mediterranean, rich in vegetables, omega-3s, and fiber) to reduce inflammation, support gut health, and enhance itaconate’s immune-regulating effects.

Science:…..

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 7

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Let’s dive into articles that have been critical to understanding type 2 diabetes and Insulin Resistance: the Ominous Octet and now the Egregious Eleven from the BMC Medicine paper and the 2009 Diabetes paper by Dr. Ralph DeFronzo. Peter Attia recently interviewed Dr. Defronzo and I am on listen #3 because it is so good and yet incredibly complicated. This piece is a compilation of that interview and reviewing Dr. DeFronzo’s papers.

“…all too often, the risk factors for these disorders are not addressed promptly in clinical practice, leading to irreversible pathologic progression… Traditional approaches to treatment involving sequential therapy, in which agents are added only after one has failed, contribute to clinical inertia and often prevent goal attainment, leading to adverse outcomes…. in turn contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. In contrast, early diagnosis and prompt, intensive intervention, often with initial combination therapy, leads to faster goal attainment and improved outcomes for at-risk patients.” (Handelsman et al. 2023)(Schwartz et. al. 2024)

…literature review.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 6

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This is such an important topic to cover, even for a pediatrician. Dementia!

This problem is slated to exponentially worsen in the coming decades. And it starts at birth!

​In the intricate landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), emerging research underscores a pivotal yet under explored facet for the why?, the brain’s energy immunometabolism. A recent study by Patel et al., titled “Global Energy Metabolism Deficit in Alzheimer Disease Brain,” delves into this domain, revealing significant metabolic disruptions that may illuminate novel upstream causes and possible therapies.

​ For the better part of the last few decades, all AD research centered on the amyloid and tau plaques as the causative problem. However, billions of dollars and many drugs later, this hypothesis has crashed and burned. Failed therapies coupled to the skyrocketing volume of AD patients in the US over the next few decades will burden the US healthcare system and families alike. Folks, we need better answers and therapies rapidly. Thus, I have been following this information on and off over the years looking for answers. Last month, Dr. David Perlmutter gave an excellent lecture on microglial cells in the brain and their impact on AD and neurocognition in general. One paper that he cited was the Patel paper. Let’s look at it.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 5

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Picture this, a tiny, 30 nm, relentless RNA virus named norovirus slips into your life, uninvited, and turns your gut into a battlefield. It’s not the flu. Forget that “stomach flu” misnomer. It’s a Caliciviridae family member, a nonenveloped, single-stranded RNA ninja that thrives in making chaos. As a pediatrician, I’ve seen it wreak havoc in kids and parents alike, and it’s a master of surprise.

It just played Risk in my GI tract last week. Not Fun!

Let’s unpack how it infects, spreads, and toys with us humans, straight from the AAP’s Red Book (2024) and other research. Norovirus causes an estimated 1 in 15 US residents to become ill each year as well as 71,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths annually, predominantly among young children and the elderly.

Norovirus doesn’t knock, more so it sneaks in, needing under 100 viral particles to ignite trouble. You’re sipping contaminated water, munching an oyster from a shady bay, or your toddler’s unwashed hands after a playdate deliver the payload. It’s mostly fecal-oral, stool to mouth via food, water, or surfaces. But don’t sleep on aerosolized vomit. One hurl in a crowded daycare, and airborne particles linger, landing on toys, doorknobs, you name it for days. Did I say lingering! Smart viral spread!

Gorilla warfare is on!

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 4

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What is measles – a refresher?

Measles is a serious, highly contagious and potentially deadly viral infection. It is caused by an RNA paramyxovirus. It is spread by contact with droplets from an infected person’s nose, mouth or throat. Sneezing and coughing can aerosolize the droplets and increase the range of infectious spread. Symptoms usually develop 8 to 10 days following exposure to an infected individual. A sick individual is contagious for 4 days before and 4 days after symptom onset. The reproductive rate is very high at 12+ meaning that 1 person will infect 12 and those 12 will get 12 more sick (144) and then 144 X 12 = 1728 X 12 = 20,736 and you are off to the exponential races….Plus, The Shock of a New Diagnosis: A Stoic Path Through the Storm.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 3

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Literature Review

1) Microplastics in the Brain – From Science Advances: “Human health is being threatened by environmental microplastic (MP) pollution. MPs were detected in the bloodstream and multiple tissues of humans, disrupting the regular physiological processes of organs. Nanoscale plastics can breach the blood-brain barrier, leading to neurotoxic effects. How MPs cause brain functional irregularities remains unclear. This work uses high-depth imaging techniques to investigate the MPs within the brain in vivo. We show that circulating MPs are phagocytosed and lead these cells to obstruction in the capillaries of the brain cortex. These blockages as thrombus formation cause reduced blood flow and neurological abnormalities in mice. Our data reveal a mechanism by which MPs disrupt tissue function indirectly through regulation of cell obstruction and interference with local blood circulation, rather than direct tissue penetration. This revelation offers a lens through which to comprehend the toxicological implications of MPs that invade the bloodstream.” (Huang et. al. 2025)

This weeks podcast is a direct look at the world of toxicology and the human consequences of exposure over time. Microplastics are the new and next trouble maker on the planet. This study raises the concern that micro and nano plastics can and do enter the brain and will disrupt and thus alter brain physiological processes. More time to answer the true risk reality. Not good. and more….Plus a letter about MAHA from Dr. Jeffrey Bland, a serious take on preventative medicine as opposed to disease pharmaceutical centric medicine.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 2

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Klotho Protein and Longevity

I am reposting this information from last year because it is going to stay on my mind and I would like everyone to be aware of this peptide and the future of healing and what we can do now to be healthy. The science here is one part fascinating, one part complicated and equal parts necessary.

Ok, it is time for a potential log step shift in the human understanding of neurological decline with age starting from birth.

Enter the peptide, (C)Klotho, named after the greek goddess of fate who spins the thread of life for all. The Klotho protein was discovered by researchers looking at mice that aged faster than the general mouse population. These mice were noted to have a shortened lifespan, stunted growth, renal disease, blood vessel calcification, cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, pulmonary disease, cognitive impairment, multi-organ atrophy and fibrosis. (Prud’homme et. al. 2022) When they looked closer, these mice were found to have hypoactive klotho proteins leading to an explosion of research over the past two decades to understand why. The next question was, could the hyperactive state provide an anti aging effect? To be clear the word anti aging should really say delayed inevitable aging.

The answer was a resounding yes!…..

Dr. M

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