Integrative medicine最新文献

Thirteen years ago, IMCJ published editorial 11.1, "How Much Iodine Should We Prescribe?" We explored the controversy around the safety and efficacy of supplemental iodine. We looked at the incidence of deficiency, epidemiological population studies of thyroid disorders, safety of various dosages, the need of special populations for larger dosages, and the unreliability of laboratory measures to determine an individual's iodine deficiency. We also sought the guidance of several highly experienced doctors of nutritional/integrative/functional/natural medicine. Their opinions ranged from conservative recommendations to aggressive supplementation in those with specific conditions. In this editorial we reviewed the research to help advance our understanding of iodine supplementation.

The physiology of life is complex. The process of understanding its complexity necessarily required simplification and focus on the molecules and biochemical pathways required for life. This focus resulted in huge benefits for understanding life and disease. However, the simplification process itself led to missing or dismissing a lot of important physiology critical for health. The result has been a lack of recognition of many factors important to health, not just life, such as losing many plant molecules when food is grown chemically rather than organically, focusing on major pathways while missing critical secondary pathways, and lacking recognition that single nucleotide variation evolved to adapt to widely diverse food molecules and vitamers. This editorial focuses on the complexity of food molecules, nutrient activation, and biochemical pathways that have thus far lacked recognition, with particular emphasis on the B6 vitamers.

Madsen et al.'s unadjusted results do not support rejecting the causal link between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism. The summary statistics and errors in the original publication warrant the release of the raw data. Madsen et al. is a cornerstone publication that forms the basis of the claim that vaccines do not cause autism, and thus, correctness and transparency need to be ensured.

Introduction: Infantile hemangiomas are common benign vascular tumors in the pediatric population, but they rarely present as unilateral facial swelling in infants, making such cases atypical and warranting further investigation. This case report presents a one-month-old male with unilateral facial swelling, raising suspicion for an atypical infantile hemangioma and possible PHACE syndrome, which includes posterior fossa malformations, hemangioma, arterial anomalies, coarctation of aorta or cardiac defects, and eye abnormalities.

Case presentation: A one-month-old male presented with right-sided facial swelling without systemic symptoms. Initial imaging suggested mild parotitis, but the persistence and progression of swelling led to a reassessment, ultimately diagnosing a hemangioma.

Discussion: This case emphasizes the need for early imaging and multidisciplinary care in atypical cases to address potential syndromic associations, such as PHACE syndrome, which can carry significant morbidity if overlooked. Treatment with propranolol gradually reduced swelling, and multidisciplinary follow-up is ongoing to monitor for complications.

Background/objectives: Lyme disease (LD) and its co-infections present significant diagnostic and treatment challenges due to their complex interplay with neurological symptoms, immune responses, autoimmune reactions, and mental health conditions. Standard two-tier LD testing often fails to detect cases, necessitating expanded serologic and functional testing. Following CARE Guidelines, this case series examines ten clinical narratives of LD, highlighting the limitations of standard diagnostic methods, the potential benefits of specialized testing, and the need for an effective paradigm for LD management.

Methods: A multidisciplinary approach grounded in integrative medicine was adopted. Diagnostic methods included advanced serological panels (e.g., TICKPLEX^®), co-infection testing, functional immune markers, Cunningham Panel testing for neuropsychiatric Lyme presentations, and imaging. Treatments included traditional antibiotics, botanical antimicrobials (Cryptolepis, Artemisinin, Biocidin), mitochondrial and neuroprotective support (CoQ10, NAD+, magnesium), nutritional therapies, detox support, immune system support protocols, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, and methylene blue protocols.

Results: The findings from this case series demonstrate the heterogeneity of LD manifestations across different ages, genders, and backgrounds. Compared to promising specialized testing, standard laboratory tests often misdiagnose LD and its co-infections as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, autism, and psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, integrating diverse treatment modalities, including combination and rotational antibiotic therapy, IV ceftriaxone for neurological cases, detoxification support (glutathione IV, vitamin C IV), and immune modulation with intravenous immunoglobulin, helped manage symptoms. Herxheimer reactions were effectively managed with antioxidant and detox therapies. Patients receiving long-term maintenance therapies, including herbal antimicrobials and gut microbiome support, showed fewer relapses.

Conclusions: This case series advocates for a holistic, patient-centered approach. It emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive diagnostics that consider external factors, including post-vaccine symptom exacerbations, immune dysregulation, personalized treatment strategies, and ongoing research to improve LD management. These findings provide an evidence-based framework for physicians to integrate conventional and natural medicine strategies to optimize LD care.

Background: Functional nutrition is a holistic approach that uses advanced diagnostics to treat diseases based on a root cause analysis, followed by personalised dietary interventions, supplements, physical exercise, stress management, and environmental modifications.

Objectives: This case report discusses the functional nutrition approach adopted to manage gastrointestinal and thyroid dysfunctions in a 40-year-old female. The approach included root cause analysis and advanced diagnostic tests such as gastrointestinal microbial array tests (GI-MAP) and pathogen-associated immune reactivity screen (Array 12).

Case presentation: Root cause analysis of the patient presented with gastrointestinal symptoms, chronic fatigue; sleep issues, and hives, revealed inflammation, infection, dysbiosis, and thyroid disorders. The comprehensive approach included an initial three-month protocol, followed by six-month maintenance and thyroid protocols. Interventions included elimination and anti-inflammatory diets, nutraceutical regimens, and lifestyle modifications such as exercise. Post protocol, the patient lost 10 kg with improved gastrointestinal symptoms, better energy levels, relief from skin problems, and sound sleep.

Discussion: Resolving the underlying infection and inflammation with a personalized diet and essential nutraceuticals improved gut health, sleep patterns, energy levels, and body weight.

Conclusion: Advanced diagnostics combined with functional nutrition principles can potentially lead to successful management of gastrointestinal and thyroid disorders.

Animal and human biochemistry and physiology developed over millennia under widely varying environments and available sources of nutrition. The genome evolved to optimize survival and reproduction in surprisingly diverse ways. A clinically important aspect of this evolution is that SNP manifestations changed to match the variants in food molecules required for life such as vitamins. This editorial discusses the interaction between SNPs and vitamers, the varied forms in which vitamins occur.