Hi @sheetalramchandani1 – first off, apologies for the delay in replying to your thread. I’m not sure why we didn’t get the notifications or how we missed them. I’m glad you reached out to us by email to let us know!!

Second – thank you so much for sharing this wonderful news about the fibroids shrinking! Isn’t the body fascinating? It has the ability to heal when given the right environment to do so! Truly so so happy for you!!

To answer your questions,

1. I recommend you watch the session we had with Dr. Felice Gersh which was on menopause and bHRT. Of course any medication comes with risks, but as she very clearly states, the risks of low hormones are much worse. Please make time to watch it here. Very insightful!

2. Breast calcifications can occur for various reasons and while bHRT can influence breast tissue, it’s not usually a direct cause of calcification.

3. As a general rule, I always cycle on and off supplements every few months to give my body a break. Supplements, just like medications, need to be processed by the liver so it’s always a good idea to give the body a break from supplements. Medications however should be followed as suggested by your physician.

Hello @adoobeh99 – you’re correct in wanting to support gut health when joint pain is involved since many contributing factors do begin in the gut. Below is a list taken from this handout on Joint Pain from the Symptom Dictionary which highlights root cause factors:

• Gut dysbiosis (imbalance in the normal gut microbes and/or overgrowths)
• Persistent viral infection
• Food sensitivities, especially dairy, gluten & nightshade vegetables
• Histamine overload due to low DAO enzyme synthesis (B6 is importantforthis)
• Low cortisol from chronic stress
• Toxicity (heavy metals, mold & mycotoxins, pesticides, etc)
• Overuse, injury, or surgery ofthe joint itself
• Low muscle mass/sedentary lifestyle
• Insufficient protein intake and/or low stomach acid (poor digestion & absorption)
• Nutrient insufficiencies: B6, B12, vitamin C, omega-3, 6, 9, magnesium

As you can see, the first 4 are gut/immune related, but I just wanted to highlight that there can be many other reasons for joint pain, so a probiotic may not be sufficient. Please read through the Symptom Dictionary handout for additional lifestyle and dietary recommendations to consider.

Now to answer your question more specifically about the type of probiotics and brand, this study looked at oral spore-based probiotic supplementation and found they reduced symptoms indicative of “leaky gut syndrome”.

Those strains mentioned in the study are found in MegaspreBiotics probiotics by Microbiome Labs.

Hope this helps.

Hi @Bahareh – your assessment and plan look great, however I’d like you to think a little deeper into why steatocrit might be high and the implications.

Steatocrit is a marker that looks at the level of fat in the stool, so in your assessment, why would that be?

To help, here are possible reasons for high steatocrit:

-pancreatic insufficiency (we need digestive enzymes, especially lipase to break down fats) – is there an issue with blood sugar regulation perhaps?

-bile acid insufficiency (we need bile to emulsify and break down our fats) – is there biliary tract congestion? Issues with liver?

-high dietary fat intake?

-SIBO or parasitic infection leading to maldigestion and malabsorption? – this may help you determine whether or not a parasite cleanse is needed.

Regarding your question about loose stools when taking black seed oil, PC and sodium butyrate… all of these are fat-based compounds, and since you have issues digesting or absorbing fats as seen by a high steatocrit, they might be triggering loose stools. Supporting fat digestion will likely make all the difference.

Keep an eye on the toilet for signs of progress… please watch this video “what is stool” from the Gut Health Masterclass to better understand what can cause fatty stool, and pay particular attention to the signs that I discuss at 2min 6 sec onwards.

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@Annie – it’s hard to find organic dried cranberries in bulk without added sweeteners and oils because they add the oil to prevent it from sticking. However I did a little search and came up with “Honestly Cranberry” which sells a 16oz bag of dried cranberries: https://honestlycranberry.com/shop/ols/categories/unsweetened-dried-cranberries?utm_source=chatgpt.com

And for bulk organic nuts and other dried fruits other than cranberries in California, checkout Jaffe Bros:

Organic nuts: https://organicfruitsandnuts.com/orshnu.html

Organic dried fruits: https://organicfruitsandnuts.com/driedfruit1.html

But note that not all of their dried fruits are unsweetened and without added oil.

honestlycranberry.com

Unsweetened Dried Cranberries

No added sugar, juices, or oils - Unsulfured and 100% natural

@Annie – I would actually NOT do that because the mist of water will be creating humidity which is exactly what we want to avoid for mold growth.

Instead, using a cotton ball with 10-20 drops of essential oils with antifungal properties in a sealed off space can help reduce mold growth & mycotoxin production in that problematic space.

And for hard to reach spaces, baking soda infused with essential oils blown into those areas or dust it like a turkey baster is a better approach.

Essential oils with antifungal properties include cedar, rosemary, ajwain, holy basil, cumin, tea tree, thyme, cloves, frankincense, eucalyptus, pine, and citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit).

And the nasal passages are mostly affected, so I usually recommend clients to focus on those cavities with sinus probiotics instead of the ears.

All of these recommendations are discussed in Dr. Jill’s course “9 things to do while still living in mold” which you said your mom went through already so that should be sufficient.

Hi @Annie – the ingredients seem decent, and I like that there’s transparency regarding the source of the flavors vs. lumping it as “natural flavor” which is mysterious and often synonymous with MSG.

My only concern, however, is giving this to children, knowing that cassava byproducts (e.g., cassava starch, cassava flour, etc.) are often very high in lead. This issue does not apply to cassava when consumed as a whole food, but specifically to its processed byproducts.

Electrolytes have become very trendy but one must keep in mind that they can be very high in sodium, so they should be used during times of heavy sweating, high stress periods, or during loss of fluids (e.g. diarrhea, vomiting, etc) to replenish lost electrolytes.

If you’re interested in a whole food electrolyte beverage, we have a recipe here that you might be interested in.

And I love witnessing those a-ha moments @Bahareh ! You’re doing a great job – keep it up!

@naslam1603 good question! It has to do with practicality, cost and effectiveness.

Porcine kidneys are used for DAO supplements because they’re rich in the enzyme, are biologically similar to humans so they’re effective for absorption, and are easier to process compared to lamb or beef kidneys. They’re also more widely available and cost-effective, which makes them a more practical choice. While lamb or beef kidneys might work too, they haven’t been studied or standardized as much, and they’re harder to source and process for supplements. So that’s why porcine is the go-to option for now.

@Annie you certainly can combine your own. So Nuzest is a clean pea protein – single ingredient. Kirkland’s whole organic hemp seeds (from Canada) offers a heavy metal free option for hemp seeds which can be easily blended if making a smoothie for example. I haven’t done any research on heavy-metal free rice protein powders only, but if you do come across a brand, please ask for their COA (certificate of analysis) since I can assume it will be higher in arsenic.

@Kkol I buy the Vivani dark chocolate brand at Organic Foods & Cafe

@Annie – so both of the plant based options I shared above are complete proteins by having all 9 of the essential amino acids. And both options test for heavy metals.

Nuzest is purely pea based, and the Ora Organics protein is a blend of pea, rice, hemp, chia and pumpkin seed plus enzymes and superfood nutrients.

Since Ora Organic is a blend, the addition of rice protein for example balances the lower methionine content in pea protein, making the blend more robust in EAAs.

However, if you compare the two gram per gram, Nuzest will have slightly more protein per serving since it’s not diluted with other nutrients like Ora Organics.

@naslam1603 – Yes, I recall your concern regarding pork-derived products. Unfortunately, this is currently the only available form, and it has proven to be quite effective. I have had Muslim clients who chose to use it when it was medically necessary, but of course, it remains a deeply personal decision which I respect.

Hi @Nadine – are you experiencing any symptoms? The OAT does show presence of yeast, and the Mycotox does show elevated Ochratoxin, a mycotoxin, as well as MPA which is a gas that often indicates recent exposure to mold.

How soon after the remediation did you retest? Did they check the whole house or only your daughter’s bedroom? And have any detox efforts been introduced to help reduce overall toxins from the body?

Also keep in mind that the Mycotox test measures the level of mycotoxins excreted in urine, so as the body starts to detoxify better, it’s not uncommon to see higher levels on a re-test. That’s why looking at the person’s symptom profile in parallel is important.

@Annie – ah yes, it’s mixed with other antioxidants in the “other ingredients”. But it’s normal to have phospholipids like choline to help with absorption.

In that case, checkout Readisorb’s Liposomal Glutathione (cleaner & much higher dose per serving) and Design for Health’s Liposomal Glutathione as other options without phosphatidyl choline in the main ingredients.

@Annie – that’s amazing to hear! If you don’t mind sharing the cost and if it’s possible to do familial fecal transplant through self-pay, I’d love to know so I can pass on the info to others who may need it in the future.

And I’m so happy to hear that your brother has improved as well! Don’t underestimate the toxic effects of mold – even after someone has left the moldy environment as it can colonize in the body. I believe we discussed saunas/sweating in a different thread, correct? Sweating is a great way to detox mold & mycotoxins. I really like the Therasage Portable Sauna, as it keeps the head out of the direct heat. I have an affiliate discount code: BERN for 10% off.