Chronic Disease

Dispelling the Mythology Of Low Midlife Metabolism

By Erik Goldman

It’s a common clinical scenario: A middle-aged patient comes in, saying something like, “I used to be so thin and now I’m not. I exercise as much as I did when I was younger, and I eat the same. But I keep gaining weight. I just can’t keep it off. It must be my metabolism.” […]

Diet, Inflammation, and Immunity: Modern & Traditional Perspectives

By Erik Goldman

Ayurveda–India’s 4,000-year-old system of medicine–can provide modern healthcare professions with many time-tested, lifestyle-based approaches to mitigate the burden of chronic inflammatory diseases that affect so many of our patients. In this free webinar, the core faculty members of the Maharishi International University (MIU)–the leading US ayurvedic training center–share their experience applying ayurvedic principles for improving […]

Anti-Nutrients: Finding the Forest for the Trees

By Deanna Minich, PhD, CNS, Contributing Writer

In recent years, a number of prominent health influencers have embraced the idea that there is a “plant paradox,” and that people should stop eating kale and other common vegetables because they’re allegedly full of toxic “anti-nutrients” such as lectins, oxalates, goitrogens, tannin, and phytates. In promoting this view, they are overturning decades of research—as […]

Eosinophilic Esophagitis on the Rise, Responsive to Diet Changes

By Erik Goldman

Prevalence of eosinic esophagitis is rising the US. Though seldom life-threatening, this condition is highly burdensome for those affected. Over the long term, it can have detrimental impact on nutritional status and overall health. Fortunately, EoE is often responsive to dietary interventions if carefully implemented, said Bethany Doerfler, MS, RD, at the 2023 Integrative Healthcare […]

Probiotics in Clinical Practice: Simple Stories, Complex Realities

By Erik Goldman

Twenty years ago, “the microbiome” was an obscure little domain within microbiology, and the term probiotic, to the extent anyone had heard it at all, usually meant eating yogurt and fermented vegetables in the vague hope it would promote longevity.  Today, the microbiome is one of the most widely known and fastest growing healthcare phenomena […]

Frequent Coffee Consumption Reduces Womens’ Diabetes Risk

By Erik Goldman

Good news for women who love coffee. Those who drink 4 or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily have a markedly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who drink less than one. That’s the conclusion from a recent prospective study involving 4,522 women with prior histories of gestational diabetes, who were […]

UPshots: Nutrition Research Roundup

By Janet Gulland, Contributing Writer

Research on vitamins, herbs, and nutraceuticals continues to grow worldwide. Here are summaries of a few recent studies that have grabbed our attention here at Holistic Primary Care. Modified Atkins Reduces Seizures in Drug Resistant Epilepsy A modified Atkins diet—a less restrictive version of the “classic” high-fat, low carb ketogenic diet—can reduce seizure frequency and […]

Injunction Slows CA’s Physician “Gag” Law

By Erik Goldman

Advocates for medical freedom of speech won a significant, if limited, victory in late January when Senior US District Judge William Shubb issued a preliminary injunction that hinders the implementation of AB 2098—a new California law aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19 “misinformation” and “disinformation.” The law, which passed the California legislature last summer […]

Intermittent Fasting and Immune System Rejuvenation

By Rob Silverman, DC

The following article is excerpted and adapted from the new book, Immune Reboot: Your Guide to Maximizing Immunity, Restoring Gut Health, and Optimizing Vitality. When the body is dealing with chronic disease or low-level systemic inflammation, the immune system becomes dysregulated. It becomes imbalanced, and clogged with old white blood cells that aren’t functioning well. […]

Food Insecurity Drives Healthcare Spending

By Erik Goldman

Food insecurity, which currently affects more than 60 million Americans, is a serious problem in its own right. But it is also a major driver of increased healthcare spending, according to data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Deepak Palakshappa, MD, an internist at Wake Forest University, led a team that analyzed data from 14,666 […]