Detoxification / Toxins
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder where neurons that make the neurotransmitter dopamine, responsible for human movement, are destroyed.1,2 Furthermore, such a condition has reached and affected approximately 4 million individuals, worldwide.1(120) Said condition is progressive in nature and characterized by a multisystem disorder affecting vulnerable populations, suspected to double in…
The liver is the largest organ in the body providing vital functions such as energy production, detoxification, as well as storing copper, iron, triglycerides, lipid-soluble vitamins, and glycogen.1 Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is condition which threatens said functions and affects as much as 30% of the adult population; a disease now considered a predominant…
Heavy metals are ubiquitous in the air, soil, and water. Such levels came into existence from extraction of metals, industrial sewages, agricultural fertilizers, batteries, and electronic industries.1 Since water and hydration are essential to maintaining human health, it is equally critical to ensure drinking water quality. The following will explore water filtration as a means…
A toxin is a poisonous substance capable of causing death or serious debilitation.1 Westernized societies have levels of toxic agents dramatically higher than those of the pre-industrialized era, which now exists in food, air, water, pharmaceuticals, xenobiotics (man-made chemicals), and endotoxins (toxins from microbes and metabolic reactions).2 Such a ubiquitous distribution of compounds place individuals…
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by chronic relapse and inflammation along the intestine.1 CD is an autoimmune disease exhibiting an exaggerated immune response followed by a lowered tolerance towards food antigens and bacteria native to the gut.1(3899) Such processes eventually manifest as a chronic inflammatory response1(3899) Other factors also contribute to…
Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO) is a condition defined by an excessive concentration of fungal microorganisms inhabiting the small intestine (SI). Such a condition is often found amongst immunocompromised individuals or those who use antibiotics with symptoms ranging from belching, indigestion, bloating, diarrhea (leading to nutrient deficiencies), nausea, and gas (Erdogan & Rao, 2015). However,…
In this author’s last post, low stomach acidity (high pH), micronutrient maldigestion/malabsorption, causes/symptoms of high pH, and solutions to mitigate such conditions were considered. However, low stomach acidity can induce systemic affects where other physiological disruptions occur along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, to include gut dysbiosis (Pizzorno & Katzinger, 2012). As such, the following will…
Sears (2017) stated that heart disease, among other maladies, is a condition driven by inflammation. Sources of inflammation are widespread to include environmental (i.e., heavy metal exposure), lifestyle (i.e., sleep deprivation and stress), and nutrition (omega-6 rich processed foods) factors (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014; Irwin, Olmstead, & Carroll, 2016; Umamaheswaran, Dasari, Yang, Lutgendorf,…
Lipids may still become oxidized despite sufficient serum levels of CoQ10, vitamin E/A, and beta-carotene. Serum levels indicate the presence of said micronutrients, not necessarily the activity and/or proper form of the same. For example, vitamin A (retinol) levels can be within normal ranges, but if retinol-binding protein (RBP) is low (transports retinol), retinol will not…
Selenium (Se) is a micronutrient that is a component of larger proteins (i.e., selenoproteins) involved in such processes as redox reactions, antioxidant activity, reproduction, immune function, and thyroid metabolism (Thomason, Chisholm, McLachlan, & Campbell, 2008). Deficiencies in Se have been associated with viral infections, inflammatory disorders, male infertility, altered immune function, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and…