Tag Archives: allergies

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 16 Issue 18 – Autism and Microbiomes

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Autism and Diagnosis

Metabolites and Phenotypes

In a brand new paper entitled. “Elevated Microbially-Derived Metabolites in Autism: A Possible Diagnostic Screening Test for a Distinct ASD Phenotype,” Dr. Flynn and colleagues investigated whether specific urinary metabolites produced by intestinal microbes could serve as predictive biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder. The study proposes that a large subset of children with autism may represent a biologically distinct phenotype characterized by markedly elevated microbial metabolites, which the authors term ASD-MDM (Autism Spectrum Disorder associated with Microbially-Derived Metabolites).

The investigators analyzed urine samples from 52 children with ASD and 47 typically developing (TD) controls, ages 2–11 years. They measured microbial metabolites derived primarily from phenylalanine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and yeast metabolism. These were chosen because decades of autism, microbiome, and metabolic research have repeatedly implicated abnormalities in microbial metabolism of aromatic amino acids, especially phenylalanine and tryptophan, along with evidence of elevated fungal/yeast metabolites in subsets of children with ASD.

The findings were striking. Children with ASD demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of many microbial metabolites than controls. Some metabolites were elevated by hundreds to thousands of percent, and in certain children concentrations were reported to be 100–1000 times higher than the highest levels observed in any control participant. Twenty-three of twenty-four measured microbial metabolites were higher in ASD participants. Ninety percent of the ASD participants (45 of 50) had one or more extremely elevated MDMs. Particularly notable were elevations in compounds related to p-cresol, p-cresol sulfate, phenylacetylglutamine, indole derivatives, and arabinitol, suggesting abnormalities in microbial metabolism involving aromatic amino acids and yeast overgrowth…. Also, Inflammation and Allergy.

Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 14 Issue 14

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Allergy Season and School – What is your plan?
Spring is coming and maybe even here already in Carolina. School is in full swing for kids and they are filled with joy and excitement. They are back outside enjoying sports and play. For the parents of allergy suffering kids, this is a time for check ups, medicines and the countless forms required by school. I know! What a pain!
The goal for parents and educators is to limit missed or unproductive school days due to asthma and allergies and to get the most out of the learning environment for all children. My goal is to help children be symptom free or as close as possible while also focusing on reducing mucous development which is a direct precursor to bacterial sinus and ear infections….and more
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 32

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Asthma, Allergies and Nutrition – The Story Part III – THE NUTRITION STUDIES – THE TO DO
There is good quality data on specific parts of a diet or nutritional plan as it relates to asthma. This section will detail these micronutrient and macronutrient benefits and how to implement them in an overall asthma plan. We will start by looking at a list of high quality nutritional interventions and then follow with an expanded view of a few critical players…… and a second section of mothers and death risk perinatally.
To your health,
Dr. M

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

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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 30

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Asthma, Allergies and Nutrition – The Story
Here is a long form look at asthma and allergies as I am preparing a lecture on asthma and allergies for a conference in October. I will break it up into a few parts for your consumption.
  • Asthma is now well known to be an inflammatory disease based on the response to anti-inflammatory medications and pathophysiological evidence making it a prime candidate for anti-inflammatory nutritional interventions.
  • The Standard American Diet is filled with pro-inflammatory highly refined and processed foods that are laden with excessive amounts of sugar and unhealthy fats thus promoting inflammatory pathways that exacerbate disease.
  • The genesis of the inflammation is now believed to start in part in the intestinal and pulmonary microbiomes with the loss of immune tolerance. The intestinal microbiome is highly responsive to whole food dietary alterations.
  • Uric acid, a by product of fructose metabolism, is becoming a known driver of inflammasome activation and local tissue inflammation
  • We will discuss in depth the food choices that lower the inflammatory burden, the asthma phenotype and the food immune reactions that exacerbate disease……..

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issues 4,6 and 8

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SPA Audiocast Newsletter Letters 4, 6 and 8

In this issue we discuss the story of fructose, letting go and forgiveness and preparation for allergy season. There is a lot of news to use in this audiocast for allergy season preparation and how to release emotional hurts.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

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