Functional Medicine

FDA Leaves NAC In Regulatory Limbo

By Erik Goldman

After nearly two years of contention, the Food and Drug Administration has signaled that it will not ban the use of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) in dietary supplements. At the same time the agency refuses to reverse its steadfast position that NAC is a pharmaceutical ingredient which, by definition, excludes it from the supplement category. This leaves […]

Eyeing Practice Evolution, Fullscript Acquires Emerson

By Erik Goldman

Fullscript CEO Kyle Braatz is on what he calls a “forever” mission: to establish a comprehensive technological infrastructure for the transformation of integrative and functional medicine into simply “medicine.” With the acquisition of its main competitor, Emerson Ecologics, Fullscript has taken a major step toward fulfillment of that mission. The deal, announced in mid-March, will […]

My Personal Battle with Omicron

By Jon D. Kaiser, MD, Contributing Writer

In early January, I travelled to Mexico to attend the Dead and Company “Playing in the Sand” music festival at a resort in Cancun. The entire resort was booked by the festival promoter for attendees, and the staff were extremely careful and diligent about Covid-19 prevention measures. All attendees needed to provide proof of vaccination, […]

Assessing Early Stage Cardiovascular Damage

By Charles K. Bens, PhD, Contributing Writer

A number of assessment tools can be used to determine if a patient is at risk of myocardial damage caused by cardiometabolic disease and/or COVID infection. Many of these tests also reflect the general dysfunction of cellular metabolism that underlies a host of chronic conditions. Vitamin D3 Level: There are so many good reasons to […]

Addressing the Repair Deficits That Underlie Chronic Pain

By Russell Jaffe, MD, Contributing Writer

Roughly one in five people suffers from chronic pain of some sort. It is one of the leading causes of disability, reduced productivity, and escalating medical care costs.  While pain is often multifactorial, there’s a lot we as clinicians can do to help our chronic pain patients once we understand the relationship between inflammation, repair […]

VITAL: Vitamin D, Omegas Reduce Autoimmune Disease Risk

By Erik Goldman

Data from the massive Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) show clearly that daily supplementation with 2,000 IU of vitamin D can reduce the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and other autoimmune conditions. Omega-3 fatty acids, at a dose of 1,000 mg per day also mitigated risk, but to a lesser degree. “Vitamin D […]

Ten Nutraceuticals for Repairing Cardiovascular Damage

By Charles K. Bens, PhD, Contributing Writer

Emerging research is challenging the long-held belief that tissue damage following myocardial infarction is permanent and irreversible. For decades, the conventional medical view has been that damaged myocardium cannot regenerate, owing to the fact that heart cells are not as readily replaced as are other cells in the body. Several research teams around the world, […]

What We Know About Omicron

By Leo Galland, MD, Contributing Writer

As the Omicron blizzard sweeps across the country, so many questions have emerged. My comments here are based on available scientific data and, where indicated, on my clinical experience with the latest surge. Here are a few key points we can safely say we know about the Omicron variant: It is Highly Transmissible: Omicron is […]

Preventing COVID-19 with Nasal Sprays

By Leo Galland, MD, Contributing Writer

In my search for strategies that can limit Covid-19, I’ve discovered a potential role for non-toxic anti-viral nasal sprays. You may want to consider them for yourself and your patients, in situations in which you or they are potentially exposed to the virus, including work, travel, school or social encounters. The mucosal lining of the […]

SCNM’s Scalzo Institute Charts New Directions in Herbal Research

By Erik Goldman

With an ambitious mandate to study botanical medicine “at the cellular, molecular, and cultural level to create novel botanical solutions that support people, plants, and planet,” the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine aims to refine our understanding of herbs. The new Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical equipment, […]