Fibromyalgia is a condition of complex aetiology and up to 2% of the population with a higher frequency in females are currently diagnosed.

The symptom profile includes chronic, widespread pain, abnormal processing of pain and increased sensitivity to external stimuli, along with fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms and changes in memory, mood and sleep.

The relationship between the contents, metabolites, barrier and immune response of the gut and organs and function in the body are becoming well understood, albeit there are many nuances associated with this relationship yet to be quantified.

One area in which the dynamic interaction between the gut and a specific organ is rapidly rising up the knowledge tree is the ‘gut and liver axis’. In large part this is due to the increase in the prevalence of liver related inflammation, of which non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a global problem. For with the global rise of obesity and the associated metabolic syndrome, there has been an equally alarming and related rise in the incidence of NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) – the hepatic manifestations of the metabolic syndrome and the predominant chronic liver diseases worldwide[1]

Functional gut problems such as IBS remain a considerable challenge to both clinician and patient. Finding safe and simple interventions as therapeutic strategies is an important part of ongoing research. Many practitioners are familiar with the use of the amino acid L-glutamine as a nutrient that confers benefit to gastro intestinal tracts experiencing increased levels of permeability and translocation of immune activating components such as LPS.

Dr Elisabeth Philipps Ph.D takes time out from her busy schedule to catch up on some great tomes. Summer is officially here! It’s that time of year when the long, hot and sunny days stretch out ahead of us and there seems like plenty of time to do all the things that we’ve been meaning

Liquid gold. Golden milk. That brilliant saffron-hued spice. We hear a lot about turmeric these days—also known as Curcuma longa—a member of the ginger family, and native of Southeast Asia.[i]  Valued for its brilliant hue and distinctive spicy-bitter flavor, its use as a dye, a spice, and in religious ceremonies dates back nearly 4000 years.[ii]^,[iii] Turmeric is a mainstay in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, thanks in large part to curcuminoids—three bright golden-colored, lipophilic polyphenols (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin), collectively known as “curcumin” that are derived from the plant’s rhizomes.[iv]^,[v]  The main component of the root is a volatile oil containing turmerone.

A Novel Galactofucan Sulfate Extract Enhances Immunity, Inactivates Viruses Naturally and Reduces Inflammation. Interest in fucoidans surged when scientists began to study the world’s longest living people on the island of Okinawa… the Okinawan diet, which includes more than a dozen varieties of seaweed, is now considered one of the healthiest diets in the world.

An Interview with Polymer Chemist Helen Fitton on Fucoidan

Biography: Helen Fitton, BSc, MSc, PhD, is an applied chemist and the chief scientist for Marinova Pty Ltd, a biotechnology company headquartered in Tasmania, Australia, and dedicated to the development and manufacture of active biological extracts from marine macroalgae. Dr. Fitton is adjunct senior researcher at the University of Tasmania. She has contributed to 35 published research papers and 3 book chapters. She has also coauthored several peer review articles summarizing the scientific literature on fucoidans.

Focus: Your background is in polymer chemistry. Tell us a little about that, and how you came to specialize in fucoidans.

Join award-winning Educator, International Speaker and Functional Neurologist, Dr. Titus Chiu, in this ninety minute webinar as he explores the Brain-Gut Axis and teaches you a brain-based, neural network approach to healing the gut. About As Functional Medicine practitioners, we’re aware of the intimate connection between the gut and brain in what is known as

If you’ve ever tried to breathe through a straw or felt as if an invisible gorilla had your chest in a vice, or simply had to focus all your will and attention on drawing each breath—if you’ve ever had a bad asthma attack, you know how frightening asthma can be.

One in every 13 Americans suffers from this chronic lung disease characterized by ongoing airway inflammation, episodes of bronchoconstriction, and trouble breathing.[1] An estimated 39.5 million people (12.9%), including 10.5 million (14.0%) children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetimes.[2] Asthma is the top reason for missed school days in children.[3] In 2008, the group of children aged 5–17 years who each had one or more asthma attacks in the previous 12 months missed, in total, 10.5 million days of school. Adults who were employed and who each had one or more asthma attacks during the previous 12 months missed, in total, 14.2 million days of work due to asthma.[4] Researchers estimate the annual cost of asthma in the United States is around $56 billion.[5]

BIOGRAPHY   Laurie Hammer, NTP, received her degree in nutrition from the Nutritional Therapy Association in Tumwater, Washington, which is approved by the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP).  She practices at Walker Chiropractic & Wellness in Algona, Iowa.

My practice largely centres around women aged  35–60, and for about 80% of them, I recommend an botanicalformula that contains lingzi (Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as reishi), gancao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, commonly known as Chinese licorice), ku shen (Sophora flavescens, commonly known as shrubby sophora), and Morinda citrifolia (commonly known as noni fruit).  I have found that this formula helps relieve adrenal “fatigue” (better understood as a dysfunctional hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) and naturally optimizes cortisol. I have also found it to enhance my clients’ mood.