Bernadette_Abraham
Forum Replies Created
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@Kkol we do in fact have some information about Methylene Blue from our guest expert session with Lucas Aoun. You can see the timestamps below the video to skip to the part where he discusses methylene blue.
Let me know if you need more info.
bbettermembership.com
Taking Your Health to the Next Level with Dr. Lucas Aoun (September 15, 2022) B Better
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Hi @naslam1603 – there could be many different reasons for mild dilated cardiomyopathy such as genetics, chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or thyroid disorders, as well as toxins and infections that affect the heart such as viral myocarditis. Therefore, the proper support all depends on the cause.
Nutritional deficiencies like thiamine (vitamin B1) and selenium could also be at play.
We also know that SARS-CoV2, the virus responsible for Covid-19 virus was leading to cases of myocarditis, especially in younger populations. The mechanism behind that involves SARS-CoV-2 directly infecting heart muscle cells, triggering an overactive immune response, and causing excessive cytokine release, which leads to inflammation, cell death, and damage to small blood vessels that impair heart function.
Would you say your symptoms started before or after Covid? Worth a discussion with your doctor.
One other thing I’d like to mention is that we determined previously that you’re being exposed to mold. Mold exposure can affect the heart indirectly by causing inflammation, stressing the immune system, and reducing oxygen levels due to respiratory issues. In some cases, toxic substances from mold (like mycotoxins) can harm blood vessels or put extra strain on the heart. So if you’ve been dealing with this symptom well before Covid, I would still recommend remediation to remove that exposure to mold.
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@naslam1603 dehydration is no joke! That’s why hydration is one of the health pillars I discuss in the Beginner’s Health Roadmap.
Thank you for sharing – it’s a good reminder to hydrate before AND after sauna use. And hydration is not only about drinking water, but also replenishing those lost electrolytes through sweat!
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Hi @Kkol – sorry to hear that your wife is in a flare at the moment.
I can also understand why the doctor is suggesting to remove the hot nodule if she’s complaining of a choking sensation, but if she’s against it, then definitely get a 2nd opinion because you’re right to question the removal otherwise.
A good friend of mine recently had thyroid surgery, so I reached out to her for the name of her endocrinologist. While she mentioned that her doctor isn’t an endocrinologist, she highly recommends her thyroid surgeon, Dr. Roger Moukarbel, at CMC. Of course, as a surgeon, there’s always a tendency to lean toward surgery, but she said that out of all the specialists she consulted (and there were many), he was the most conservative. In fact, he even presented “no surgery” as an option, which she really appreciated. She’s now being followed-up with Dr. Moukarbel’s endocrinologist colleague at CMC simply for follow-ups on her medication but she still recommends seeing him despite being a surgeon.
If you haven’t yet watched the Thyroid Balance course, I’d encourage you to watch the following videos about Graves’ and thyroid autoimmunity to hopefully help address the root causes while being managed by medication:
- Protect Your Thyroid (things to avoid)
- Autoimmune Disease Facts
- Graves’ Disease
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis
In terms of best way to support your wife, it’ll be similar to other autoimmune conditions: optimize digestion and gut health (especially addressing dysbiosis and enhanced intestinal permeability), assess and replete nutrients, identify and remove food sensitivities, adopt an anti-inflammatory diet, balance the immune system (especially via T-regulatory cells), reduce toxic exposure and burden, and manage symptoms, including improving sleep and reducing stress.
For Graves in particular, consider:
- Herbs that suppress thyroid hormone production naturally
- Bugleweed (usually the most effective but may have synergistic efficacy when combined with the following two as well)
- Lemon balm
- Motherwort
- HerbPharm makes a tincture that combines all three in lower doses if needed for long-term use.
- If these are used, thyroid function should be monitored closely. Consider adding one at a time in order to ensure they are well tolerated (and, of course, factor in any allergy considerations).
- Eliminate known exposure to fluoride as her thyroid may be particularly vulnerable to toxicity from this element (e.g., toothpaste, fluoridated municipal water, tea). Chlorine, fluorine, and bromine compounds can all directly interfere with the appropriate action of iodine in the body, including the formation of thyroid hormone.
Testing you may want to consider pursuing:
- Micronutrient testing (especially to assess nutrients that are critical for well-balanced immune function – vitamin D, vitamin A, Zinc)
- Food sensitivity testing (combo IgA and IgG or IgG with complement). I really like KBMO testing.
Since she’s taking medication and is currently in a flare, any supplements should be discussed with her physician to make sure it’s safe for her to do so.
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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.
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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.
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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.
bbettermembership.com
Gut Health Masterclass B Better
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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
No added sugar, juices, or oils - Unsulfured and 100% natural
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@Kkol it’s definitely an option to consider especially with a choking sensation since it’s minimally invasive. By the way, the name of the endocrinologist given to me by my friend is Dr Donatella Casiglia at Mediclinic.
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@naslam1603 both options work. If using natural sea or Himalayan salt, I often recommend using “sole” (pronounced solay) to my clients which is saturated salt water because that ensures you’re getting in the full trace mineral profile in that salt as opposed to what you may or may not get from a pinch of salt.
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And I love witnessing those a-ha moments @Bahareh ! You’re doing a great job – keep it up!
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@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.
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@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.
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@Kkol I buy the Vivani dark chocolate brand at Organic Foods & Cafe
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@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.
