Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) has been in the news a lot as of late, and since we’re not shy about the benefits of its proper and informed application, we’re going to start this week’s post off with just the facts about the primary male sex hormone. Fact No. 1: Testosterone use in the United States tripled between 2001 and 2011 and then started to level off until 2014, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to men that using testosterone to delay some of the effects of aging might increase their risk of heart attack and stroke. Fact No. 2: The FDA also required a label change to inform doctors and patients of the possible increased risk. Fact No. 3: After the FDA issued its warning, testosterone use dropped dramatically. Between 2013 and 2016, testosterone prescriptions dropped 48 percent for established users and 62 percent for […]
In Part 1 of this two-part series on leaky gut and intestinal permeability, we explained what leaky gut is, described its symptoms, and revealed its most common causes/triggers. We also pointed out that many in the conventional medical community still do not recognize leaky gut as a legitimate medical illness. However, those of us in the medical community who are more familiar with diagnosing and treating the condition believe otherwise. We know that there are several lab tests for diagnosing leaky gut (or ruling it out), and we have witnessed the positive impact treatment has had on the lives of our patients. In this part, we describe the various tests we use for diagnosing or ruling out leaky gut and the treatment protocol we follow to restore gut health, address related conditions caused by leaky gut, and start making our patients feel better overall. Testing for Leaky Gut There are
So much has been written about leaky gut that is has almost become a household phrase. “Hi Mom, how’s your leaky gut today?” Well, maybe it’s not that well established, but we can tell you that when our medical team started in practice, most doctors in the conventional medical field considered leaky gut to be holistic quackery. In fact, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (the GI Society) continues to claim leaky gut is a myth. (Although they do recognize “increased intestinal permeability in those who have Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, in individuals receiving chemotherapy, and those who have a high intake of bowel-damaging substances such as aspirin and alcohol.”) Even though much of the conventional medical community is reluctant to recognize leaky gut as a legitimate medical condition (or insist that it is somehow different from “intestinal permeability”). We here at BioDesign Wellness are encouraged by the increased discussion
Over the Fourth of July weekend, it is estimated that Americans will consume 150 million hot dogs, 700 million pounds of chicken, and 190 million pounds of beef. They’ll spend over $1 billion on beer and another $568 million on wine. That doesn’t account for the number of soft drinks, chips, crackers, and tasty desserts that will be consumed over the long holiday weekend. Celebrating the holidays with family and friends and sharing snacks, meals, desserts, and beverages of all kinds are great ways to relax, release tension, and rejuvenate our minds. But depending on what we eat and drink, and how much, and what we do before and after, a long party weekend can take its toll on the body. To make the holidays healthier, we recommend a few ways to prepare your body for any overindulgences, moderate your consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages, recover any ground lost
Welcome to Part 2 of our two-part series about glutathione treatments. In Part 1, “The Mother of All Antioxidants,” we explained the importance of maintaining a healthy ratio of reduced-to-oxidized glutathione, presented common illnesses that arise when imbalances are left untreated, explained the benefits of reduced glutathione (GSH), and revealed the risks of “self-medicating” with over-the-counter GSH supplements. In this part — Treating Common Health Conditions with Glutathione — the focus shifts to specific illnesses and other health conditions that can be improved with the addition of glutathione supplementation, and we also explain the types of glutathione supplementation we use here at BioDesign Wellness Center (because the method of delivery can have a big impact on its effectiveness). Lung Diseases Smoking tobacco causes oxidative damage to lung cells mainly due to the additives in most tobacco products. Research shows glutathione can help to clear the oxidative damage in the lungs
If you are aging prematurely, feeling run down or depressed, or are suffering from lung disease, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, or any of a number of auto-immune or inflammatory conditions, one of the underlying issues could be that your body is running low on reduced glutathione (GSH). A powerful and normally abundant antioxidant, glutathione protects cells from oxidative stress — a condition that ensues when free radicals overwhelm the body’s ability to regulate them. Abundant amounts of glutathione are required in the liver and brain to reduce inflammation, support healthy detoxification, reduce infection, protect DNA, and support the clearance of medications. As the “mother of all antioxidants,” glutathione has a wide array of positive impacts on the body. It can help to support the liver following alcohol consumption, reduce some of the negative impacts associated with smoking, and speed recovery from viruses, infection, exercise, and injuries. In Part 1 of this