Environmental Medicine
The Invisible Threat: Understanding Microplastics in the Functional Medicine Space
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, providers are often the first line of defense when it comes to addressing new concerns your patients face. One emerging point of focus is a misunderstood, invisible adversary: microplastics. These tiny particles have become a bigger part of our day-to-day lives, and as aRead
Prenatal Exposure to Environmental Chemicals Linked to Increased Childhood Body Mass
Over the past few decades, concern has been steadily increasing over the prevalence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in our environment and their effects on human health. Used in everyday products such as plastics, personal care items, and pesticides, common endocrine-disrupting chemicals include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinatedRead
Home Microbiome Protocol
The human microbiota is influenced not only by diet but also by outside environmental factors. Our living spaces have their own microbiomes, full of bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and other microorganisms. They come from people, pets, and things that enter our homes. Removing environmental toxins where possible and allowing beneficial microbesRead
Mother’s Exposure to “Forever Chemicals” During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Childhood Obesity
A new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives shows that the children of women who are exposed to PFAS while they’re pregnant are more likely to be obese.
Exposure to Hydrocarbons Increases Arthritis Risk
Research published in the journal BMJ Open found that exposure to compounds caused by burning coal, oil, wood, and tobacco can increase risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Plastic Particles Alter Sex Hormones
While most research has focused on plastic additives like BPA, a study in Particle and Fiber Technology found that base plastics like nylon can produce endocrine-disrupting effects.
Nitrates from Water May Raise Prostate Cancer Risk
Nitrates from tap and bottled water may play a role in prostate cancer, says a new study in Environmental Health Perspectives. Spanish researchers studied men with and without prostate cancer to determine the connection between waterborne nitrates and prostate cancer odds. Nitrates contaminate certain water supplies via agricultural fertilizers andRead
Zonulin: A Key to Understanding Leaky Gut & Certain Diseases
Over the past 15 years, a growing body of published research supports the hypothesis that the protein zonulin is a key modulator of the tight junctions between enterocytes in the intestines. Here is a brief overview of Zonulin From Wikipedia: Zonulin is a protein that modulates the permeability of tightRead
Obesity – An Obesogen Review
The second installment in a 3-part series focusing on obesity was recently published in Biochemical Pharmacology, largely devoted to examining the evidence for the obesogen hypothesis, i.e., the proposal that environmental chemicals play a role in the growing overweight/obesity pandemic. This review specifically defines obesogens as chemicals that increase white adipose tissue massRead
Mercury Pollution Found in Mayan Ruins
Archeologists have unearthed areas of mercury pollution beneath the soil where ancient Maya civilizations lived — the pollution is so heavy that it poses a potential health hazard even today. According to a review article in Frontiers in Environmental Science, mercury pollution can be traced back to the Maya ofRead