Nutrients are often divided into two groups. There are macronutrients that the body needs in large quantities, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. On food labels, these macronutrients are measured in grams (g). And then there are micronutrients — vitamins and minerals that the body needs in much smaller quantities for normal growth, development, and function. Quantities of micronutrients are given in milligrams (mg). While macronutrients get the most press — in the context of diets to lose weight, reduce fat, increase muscle mass, and increase energy — it is often micronutrients that steal the headlines in news stories related to illness and preventing infection. Take, for example, the recent worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Many articles, as well as published reports, highlight the potential benefits of vitamins C and D and the mineral zinc in boosting the body’s immune system to fight this deadly virus and other disease-causing microbes. However, micronutrients […]
For thousands of years, people have been searching for the mythical fountain of youth — a spring that purportedly adds years or even decades to the lives of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Spanish conquistador Ponce de León has long been the poster child for allegedly stumbling across this mystical water feature in the 16th century. But even as early as the fourth century B.C., Alexander the Great is claimed to have found a healing “river of paradise.” In many ways, we are still on a quest to discover the fountain of youth, though now the search has turned to science — medications, supplements, or therapies that hold some promise of turning back the hands of time and restoring our health and vigor. Today, more and more evidence points to peptides as the anti-aging solution we have long been seeking. Peptides are short chains of amino acids (between
Does it feel like no one can figure out what is wrong with you? Have you tried medications, but nothing really makes you feel better? Does it seem like every time you get one problem under control, a new problem begins? Autoimmune disease is quietly killing our country. Doctors have said for decades that heart disease is the number one cause of death, followed by cancer and autoimmune diseases. Yet a paradigm shift is taking place. Science now shows that atherosclerosis and cancer have autoimmune components in their early stages. Atherosclerosis, which was previously considered a fat-storage disease of the blood vessel wall, is now recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease. And what is the only system of the body that addresses inflammation? Your immune system! With this insight, we now believe autoimmune conditions are the primary mechanism behind getting sick and dying. Therefore, autoimmune disease is now the number
Have you ever paused to consider the contaminants that you’re exposed to each and every day? The simple fact is, we live in an increasingly toxic world. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, we’re exposed to high levels of environmental toxins. These come in the form of biotoxins (such as mold toxins); toxins from bacterial, fungal, and viral infections; toxic chemicals such as pesticides; heavy metals; air pollution (smog); and dust and other irritants. Harmful chemicals can also be found in food, beverages, clothing, cleaning products, home construction materials and furnishings, and electronics and electronic emissions. When the toxins in our bodies exceed the body’s innate ability to detox, we are at an increased risk of developing one or more of the following environmentally acquired illnesses (EAIs): Allergies Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases Asthma Autistic spectrum disorders Autoimmune diseases Cancer Chronic inflammatory response
While COVID-19 continues to besiege the human population, it has had a positive impact, at least temporarily, in some of the most polluted areas on our planet. Images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA) pollution monitoring satellites show the stark contrast in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels over China before and during their quarantine (when transportation and industries were largely shut down). Nitrogen dioxide is a noxious gas emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities. Imagine what would happen if we were able to stop polluting the planet, filter pollutants out of the environment, and focus our efforts on restoring healthy ecosystems in air, land, and water. Within a matter of years, we would see a big improvement in the environment overall. In just a few decades, we would start to notice increasing populations of diverse plants and animals as balance was
Meet the Patient is a series here on the BioDesign Wellness Center blog that showcases actual patients we have treated over the years or are currently treating. It goes without saying that we do not reveal the identity of these patients, changing their names and certain details about their cases in order to ensure their privacy. Our reason for us asking our patients to allow us to share their stories — again anonymously — is for the benefit of the reader who is or knows someone struggling with a similar health condition. It’s for those who perhaps have not received an accurate diagnosis or effective medical treatment. It’s for those who might be giving up hope of ever feeling healthy, energetic, and happy again. Our objective with these case studies is to restore a belief that optimal health and fitness can be achieved, even for those who are chronically ill