ONE in FIFTY-NINE children are affected by autism today! (Further research shows these numbers to be higher but we’ll stick with what the CDC has to say.) That right there, is terrifying to me. What else is terrifying? I have a son, and 1 in 37 boys are diagnosed with autism compared to 1 in 151 girls. ​

But wait- the United States spends THE MOST on healthcare… So why are our children progressively becoming autistic?

I’m going to address just two reasons in this blog:

• The Standard American Diet (SAD)
• The overuse of antibiotics and medications

​We need to be eating REAL food. Your body cannot function properly without the good proteins, the good carbs, and the good fats that it needs. Moreover, your body needs essential nutrients. An essential nutrient is a nutrient required for normal body functioning that cannot be synthesized by the body. This means the body cannot make these nutrients! Essential nutrients include vitamins, dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids.

​High glutamate levels have been associated with autism. What even is glutamate? Glutamate is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. What does this have to do with the SAD diet? MSG can increase glutamate levels. (I know you’ve seen MSG on food packages) MSG is short for monosodium glutamate and it is a popular ingredient in processed foods. Glutamate needs two important vitamins to support metabolism and conversion, Vitamin B3 and Pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (P5P) which is the active coenzyme form of Vitamin B6. In a primarily processed food diet, glutamate continues to be in excess, while P5P and Vitamin B3 stay deficient. I’ve added a short blerp below of this supporting pathway.

Alright, I think that’s enough biochemistry pathways for this blog! Let’s move onto the overuse of antibiotics and medications.
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I thought this was interesting, xanthurenate is a functional marker of Vitamin B6 and is a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan. (Remember I already stressed B6 above) Use of medications such as oral contraceptives, anti-hypertensives (high blood pressure medications) and bronchodilators (asthma inhalers) and exposure to tobacco smoke as well as pesticides can all contribute to deficiency in B6.

​But let’s get into the biggest culprit, leaky gut syndrome or hyperpermeability. Leaky gut is a very common problem. Basically, it’s a condition that occurs when there is inflammation and the “pores” lining the GI tract stay open too long. This means toxic by-products in the digestive tract will be absorbed into the blood stream and taken into the liver. Leaky gut is associated with a wide range of general symptoms and is an underlying factor in autism. 

If our tight junctions are open too wide, toxins from the gut will spill into the bloodstream causing allergies and dozens of other ailments. Triggers for gut dysfunction can develop from poor diet, overuse of antibiotics, and/or overuse of medications. I will be doing another blog on hyperpermeability, so let’s keep this children/autism related!
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The digestive tract is one of the most important immune support organs. To get right to the point, scientists have discovered that the body has two brains – the one we all know in our skull and a vitally important one found in our gut called the enteric nervous system. The magnitude and complexity of the enteric nervous system is unreal, it contains as many neurons as the spinal cord. The human gut is sterile at birth but is quickly colonized. By one year of age, it looks similar an adult profile, but still unique to that child. Total adult load is estimated at 1,800 genera, 40,000 species, 1-2kg in weight, 100 trillion in number and possesses 100 times the genes found in the human genome.

​The overgrowth of candida and other species of yeast in the gut, mainly in children, can be due to overuse of antibiotics and sugar in the diet. This can lead to the formation of abnormal, toxic organic acids associated with attention deficit disorders and autism. 

Do you suffer from acne? Well, you’re not alone! Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease in the United States affecting almost 85% of the people between the ages of 12 and 24. Most times we associate acne with teenagers, but it can affect people of all ages.  Moreover, many adult women experience acne due to hormonal changes associated with their menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or starting/stopping birth control pills. Roughly eight million people visit the dermatologist every year for their skin!
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There are three factors that influence the Formation of acne:

• The overproduction of oil (sebum)
• Irregular shedding of dead skin cells causing irritation of the hair follicles of your skin
• An excessive buildup of bacteria

​Acne is usually on your face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and scalp and shows itself as:
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Whiteheads- These are created when the openings of hair follicles become clogged and blocked with oil secretions and dead skin.
Blackheads- These are like whiteheads but are open to the skin surface and dark.
Pimples- These are reddish, raised spots that signal inflammation/infection in the hair follicles.
Cysts- These are thick lumps beneath the surface of the skin, made by the buildup of secretions deep inside hair follicles.

​Acne occurs when the hair follicles become plugged with dead skin cells and oil. Each follicle is connected to a sebaceous gland and everyone has roughly 5,000 sebaceous follicles.

​Conventional medicine deals with symptoms. Which means, their solutions for acne include lathering on potions/lotions and taking antibiotics and/or strong liver-damaging medications. Fortunately, there is Functional Medicine, which addresses the root cause. Diet (like sugar intake), lifestyle, and supplementation has an immense impact on acne. If you want to get answers for your unrelenting acne, please contact us today!

This is an incredibly hot topic and I’ve been waiting to blog about it. There is going to be a ton of science, buckle up! Acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in America. Did you know acetaminophen overdose is one of the most common poisonings? There are more than 600 medications that contain acetaminophen as an active ingredient, this includes over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) medicines. Here are some common medications that have acetaminophen:

• Tylenol®
• Sudafed®
• DayQuil®
• Theraflu®
• Midol®
• Vicks®
• Alka-Seltzer Plus®
• Oxycodone®
• Vicodin®
• Fioricet®
• Butalbital®

“Tylenol can’t be that bad for me if I can buy it over the counter, right?” WRONG. A study done by John P. Forman, M.D., a clinical fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital, found that women between the ages of 51 to 77 who took more than 500 mg of acetaminophen daily had a 93% increased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)! It also revealed that women between the ages of 34 to 53, who took more than 500 mg of acetaminophen daily, had double the hypertension risk compared to non-users.

Taking 1,000 capsules of Tylenol in a lifetime doubles the risk of end stage renal disease. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1994) Let me put that into perspective, if you take two Tylenol, three times a week, after a year you’re almost a third of the way to 1,000 capsules. 

The Beasley Study published in 2011, assessing a total of 322,959 adolescent children from 113 centers in 50 countries, shows astonishing statistics:

• A 46% increased risk of asthma at ages 6-7 years in kids who received acetaminophen for fever in their first year of life
• A 48% increased risk of runny nose and red, itchy eyes at ages 6-7 in kids who received acetaminophen for fever in their first year of life
• A 35% increased risk of eczema at ages 6-7 in kids who received acetaminophen for fever in their first year of life
• 22% of severe childhood asthma is linked to acetaminophen use during the first year of life
• 38% of severe childhood asthma is linked to acetaminophen use later in childhood

Why is this? The study found that acetaminophen depletes glutathione which can eventually lead to blood vessel damage. Glutathione is very powerful antioxidant, arguably the most powerful, in the body. It protects the body against free radical damage and is critical in the body’s detoxification process. Basically, it’s an essential component to the body's natural defense system. It can be found in virtually every cell in the body- that’s 30 to 40 trillion cells. Fun fact: Google calculates Pi to 30 trillion digits on its Cloud (my high school math teacher is going to appreciate that).​
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Glutathione is composed of three amino acids- glycine, cystine, and glutamate. Let’s break these down:

• Glycine aids in collagen formation, making up around 35 percent of the collagen in the human body. It also helps regulate nerve impulses in the central nervous system (CNS), mainly those of the spinal cord, retina, and the brainstem.
• Cystine is one of the few amino acids that contains sulfur. Sulfur can be called a superhero of the body, working as a potent antioxidant, protecting your cells from damage.
• Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in our brain and central nervous system (CNS). Neurological disorders like: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer Disease, Stroke/Ischemia, and Epilepsy have been associated with glutamate deficiency. 

The highest concentration of glutathione is found in the liver. Some refer to the liver as the glutathione reservoir. The liver is our primary detoxification organ. Depletion of glutathione has  been correlated with lower immune function and increased vulnerability to infection due to the liver's reduced ability to detoxify.

Low glutathione is a risk factor for many chronic diseases and is associated with:

• Reduced antioxidant capacity, increased risk of oxidative damage and chronic illness
• Reduced ability to detoxify environmental toxins and metabolic byproducts
• Compromised gut lining, altered immunity, and reduced exercise endurance
• Reduced S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) synthesis and methylation (SAMe helps produce and regulate hormones and maintain cell membranes.)

With every medication there are pros and there are cons, it’s up to you as the consumer to weigh these out. There truly is a time and place, a need and want, for everything. If acetaminophen is something you or your family takes regularly and you want to find an alternative, please contact Stittleburg Restorative Health Care for more information! The body was made to heal itself, damage done by acetaminophen can be helped, it’s not too late. 

​I’m going to be very straightforward, this blog post is predominately for women, sorry guys! Yes, guys have toxic emotions as well. But today, I am catering to females. However, I see that eye roll (insert a man’s name)- I will be posting a man inspired blog post as well!

As a clinician, it would be foolish to overlook the significant impact and influence psychological factors (thoughts and emotions) have on our immune system. The medical literature has overwhelming proven that psychological events alter brain and hormonal activities and to the surprise of many, the brain and endocrine systems have physical contact with each other and with the immune e system. What does this mean? Negative thoughts, emotions, actions, and situations can impact your physical well-being.
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These toxic emotions are called stressors. A stressor is defined as “any sort of external or internal challenge that disrupts the physiological equilibrium or homeostasis of an individual.” Psychology and medicine define stress as anything that causes a stress response, eliciting a fight-flight response and/or an alarm reaction. For example, when you think about a situation where you were hurt or abused, do you feel emotional pain? Does your heart beat a little faster? THAT is stress.

A book written by Archibald Hart called Adrenaline and Stress, explains that stress begins in the mind but ends in the body. There is no such thing as stress only being in the mind. This means, there will be consequences in our physical bodies, due to negative thoughts or emotions. However, it’s important to realize that there are positive impacts with positive thoughts and emotions. Even more interesting is the discovery by Mason, in 1971, that different attitudes affect different immune cells in different ways, affecting how we respond to different invaders or antigens.

Did you know there is an association with autoimmune diseases and self-hatred? While we attack ourselves with our thoughts, words, or actions, we see a consistent conditioned autoimmune response potentially resulting in an autoimmune disease. Clinical research shows that specific negative emotions with self-bitterness are involved in the formation of auto-antibodies. According to scientific researcher, Singh, certain negative emotions elicit the body to produce specific auto-antibodies that only attack a specific cell or organ in our body.

Okay, I’m done slamming you with science. I now want to transition into a huge part of why women have toxic emotions and how to help. RELATIONSHIPS! Now, I’m not just talking about a relationship with your significant other. I’m talking ALL relationships- girl friends, guy friends, bosses, mother, mother-in-law, Susan from church- you get my drift. These all have either a positive or negative impact on your mental/emotional health, which correlates to your physical health, as stated above. 

​Do your girl friends empower and push you to do better and be better? Or do they nit pick on any and everything you do- to constantly cast shade and judgement? The people you surround yourself with have a HUGE impact on your life. I read a quote the other day saying, you are who you surround yourself with, and I couldn’t agree more. If your “friends” aren’t supporting your achievements, honey, they aren’t your true friends. Don’t keep toxic people in your life because “you’ve known them since childhood”. Cut. The. Cord. 

​Did you know that today, in 2019, on average, a woman working full time earns 80.7 cents for every dollar a man working full time earns? Do you think your boss undervalues you? Speak up- obviously in a professional and respectable manner. The other day I was talking to a mom friend who well deserved a raise, a raise that was long ago promised. She did her homework- comparable positions with comparable experience, went to a couple interviews, received other job offers, and presented this to her boss to show HER worth. He was thoroughly impressed. She left that office with the raise.

Empowered women empower women. Let’s spread love, not hate.
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If you would like more information on what toxic emotions are doing to your health, don’t hesitate to contact us. After years of added stress, your hormones have taken the brunt, we are here to help them function correctly. 

Let’s Talk (Cheap) Supplements!

With so many people experiencing nutritional and mineral deficiencies, feeling stressed out and tired, the supplemental industry has taken off. I read a study the other day stating that 50% of Americans take a multivitamin and one in five adults take an herbal supplement. Money doesn’t grow on trees, everyone loves to save money, I get it. But what are you truly putting into your body when taking cheap, uncertified supplements, not purchased from your Health Care Professional? The answer, no one truly knows! Supplements that aren’t certified are full of nasty fillers and synthetic ingredients, with little to no active ingredients. 

Ugly Truth #1- Most supplements you find on grocery store and drugstore shelves, haven’t been tested for safety or efficacy by the FDA before marketing! Read that again, that’s scary. There is a law called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) that defines how dietary supplements are regulated. The law states that it is the responsibility of each manufacturer to show that a product is safe and effective before marketing that product. The FDA has no authority to do its own safety review before a product is made available to the public. Some companies do their own testing of raw materials and final products, but some do not. Product analyses are completely voluntary. High-quality companies will pay for third-party testing to confirm the presence of ingredients, the potency of ingredients, and the absence of contaminants. Common contaminants that are tested for include heavy metals, solvents, pesticides, and microbes.

Ugly Truth #2- The FDA does not certify supplement-manufacturing facilities. Sure, the FDA requires that companies follow current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), but there’s no certification for this. cGMPs require that the manufacturing facility be clean, climate-controlled, and run with good quality-control procedures. cGMPs have to do with how products are made—they have nothing to do with what is actually in the final product.
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Ugly Truth #3- The FDA does not standardize dosages or forms of ingredients in dietary supplements. Magnesium is mineral that nearly 50% of Americans are deficient in. Off the top of my head I can think of 5 different forms of magnesium: magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide and magnesium glycinate. What form and/or dosage is sold on the shelves? I have no idea. One form is fantastic for muscles, one is great for digestion, and one will give you diarrhea- just for starters. Do you take an iron supplement? Iron sulfate causes the common side effect of constipation, whereas iron citrate formulated with vitamin C is most readily digested and absorbed. The form of the ingredient, the dosage of the ingredient, and the formulation of the entire product all influence whether or not a dietary supplement will be effective. This is information you should trust your Health Care Provider with.

Take it from me, I am a bargain shopper. I love garage sales, I love thrift stores. I love things that are free, that I will probably never use- but you never know! Something you just can’t skimp on, is what goes into your body. You are doing more harm than good with taking supplements from the grocery store and drugstore! With the Emerson Quality Program℠ we can assure you of your product. At Stittleburg Restorative Health Care we utilize Emerson's Gold Partner Brands. This means that they test every lot of every ingredient in the products they manufacture, far exceeding FDA requirements. Ensuring the highest level of quality has been in Emerson’s DNA since day one.

Please contact us today for a supplemental consultation! You can place your order online and it’s shipped right to your door. Now, that’s pretty neat!

Referenced:
1. Nutrition Business Journal. Practitioner Channel Deep Dive. 2017 
Content referenced from Emerson Wellevate site https://edu.wellevate.me/three-minute-difference/a-conversation-on-quality-3-things-new-patients-need-to-know/

Let’s talk PCOS:
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What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? PCOS
Definition- A common endocrine system disorder for women of reproductive age, symptoms may vary woman to woman.
Direct symptoms:

• Irregular Menses (scant, prolonged, heavy, absent, painful)
• Excess Androgen (facial + body hair, acne, greasy skin)

Indirect symptoms:

• Abnormal Insulin
• Abnormal Blood sugar
• Infertility
• Abnormal Cholesterol and Lipoproteins
• Depression and Anxiety

​What causes PCOS? Well, the exact cause is unknown! BUT genetics, hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, and inflammation play a role! The good news?! THREE out of the FOUR can be REVERSED! Now, what am I talking about? Well clearly you can’t reverse your genetics, however, wouldn’t that be nice… Having a hormonal imbalance creates elevated androgens (a group of hormones related to male traits) and makes it harder for the ovaries to release a mature egg. Having insulin resistance causes a change in how the cells of the body react to insulin. The inflammation is the final frontier. 

It is now clear that PCOS is often associated with profound insulin resistance as well as defects in insulin secretion--> Dunaif, A. (1997) Endocrine Reviews. 18(6): 774-800
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I’ll drop some more peer reviewed articles for my research loving folks

• Ehrmann, David A. (2002) Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Current Diabetes Reports. 2(1): 71-76.
• González, Frank. et al. (2005) Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Development of Insulin Resistance and Hyperandrogenism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &Metabolism. 19(1).
• Baillargeon, Jean-Patrice. Nestler, John. E. (2005) Polycystic Ovary Sydrome: A Syndrome of Ovarian Hypersensitivity to Insulin. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 91(1).

So what causes insulin resistance?

• Sugar
• Too Many Carbohydrates
• Low Muscle Mass
• Inflammation
• Too much adipose tissue
• Too many trans fats
• Nutrient deficiency – Chromium, Zinc, Selenium
• Chronic High Cortisol – Dysregulation
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Lack of Sleep

Did you know, in 2005, Boston University researchers found a link between high total cholesterol and cognitive performance?!

• 789 men, 1005 women
• Free of dementia and stroke
• Followed for 16-18 years
• Cognitive tests ever 4-6 years

Results – Significant positive linear association between total cholesterol and measures of verbal fluency, attention/concentration, abstract reasoning, and a composite score measuring multiple cognitive domains. – Penelope K. Elias, et al., Psychosomatic Medicine 67, no. 1 (2005); 24-30

Remember when I said PCOS could be overturned? Well, check these out…

• Dale, PO. et al. (1992) Body weight, hyperinsulinemia, and gonadotropin levels in the polycystic ovarian syndrome: evidence of two distinct populations. Fertility and Sterility. 58(3): 487-491.
• DeUgarte, MD. et al. (2005) Prevalence of insulin resistance in the polycystic ovary syndrome using the homeostasis model assessment. Fertility and Sterility. 83(5): 1454- 1460.
• González, Frank. et al. (2005) Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Development of Insulin Resistance and Hyperandrogenism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &Metabolism. 19(1).

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I’m just slamming you with research today.

The previous three articles had the same hypothesis--> What if chronic daily inflammation created by a toxic, 24/7 high stress, sugar dysregulated, high cortisol lifestyle could cause PCOS? Hence, the reversal (and I’m not talking about wrestling).

Diet, exercise, and proper supplementation can give you your life back from PCOS. It’s time to get back to health! Please contact Stittleburg Restorative Health Care to see how we can help you!

Have a Happy Fourth of July,
​Dr. Taryn