[bernadette]

 don’t feel shy to ask your questions. Happy to help!

[bernadette]

Hi  – as mentioned in the Gut Health Masterclass, iron is absorbed thanks to having good strong stomach acid in the stomach, which allows it to be better absorbed in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Given that your daughter has IBD, this will further compromise absorption (iron is already difficult to absorb), therefore your focus should be on supporting absorption with sufficient gut healing therapies (and removing any offenders contributing to inflammation like food sensitivities, gut overgrowths, etc), in addition to ensuring she has optimal stomach acid production. I share all of these in detail in the Gut Health Masterclass if you haven’t already watched it.

As for iron-rich foods, I would highly recommend you try introducing organic liver into their diets. You can make a buttery liver pate (I will make a note to add the recipe in Resources for you), hide it in beef/hamburgers in a ratio of 3:1 ground beef to liver, or dice them small and freeze them so they can swallow them like supplements with meals.

Also, have you read the book “Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet” by Elaine Gottschall? It’s a great starting point for dietary guidance for those with Chrohn’s, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, and chronic diarrhea. 

Hope this helps give you some better guidance and direction on how to handle the low iron levels.

[bernadette]

Hi – so glad you’re here with us too! Ok, there’s a lot to unpack here as there can be many possible contributing factors, but I will do my best to offer some guidance and clarifying questions to hopefully give you some direction.

Dark circles under the eyes could point to food sensitivities/allergies (here is the handout in Resources, especially since you’ve struggle with that symptom since childhood. Have you tried an elimination diet before? Dairy and gluten are very often culprit foods so you can look at the dairy and gluten elimination handouts for more details on all the types to remove initially.

Dark circles could also point to issues with liver detoxification or kidney dysfunction. Have you seen a doctor to run some tests?

There is a possibility that your thyroid medication may be contributing to your loose stools. TSH alone is not enough to indicate whether or not there is optimal thyroid function. If your stools are more loose, your medication may need to be adjusted. Loose stool however, could also be due to dysbiosis or some form of gut overgrowth. The Gut Health Masterclass will help troubleshoot with this, if that’s a contributing factor.

You mention not feeling good. What symptoms are you referring to exactly?

[bernadette]

 I have not seen a direct connection between mold and amenorrhea, however that’s not to say that there isn’t a secondary link. Mold can disrupt our gut microbiome balance which can impair serotonin synthesis. Serotonin, as you may be aware, is a neurotransmitter that can affect the brain and hormone cascade. And we know that serotonin plays a stimulatory role in the brain for the synthesis of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH), which makes our sex hormones.

From a nutrient perspective, serotonin is also made from a series of conversions beginning with tryptophan, an amino acid protein. You did not mention your type of diet, but does it include enough animal protein? Are you digesting and absorbing your protein with enough stomach acid? Gut health masterclass will help you troubleshoot this.

The conversion from tryptophan to serotonin also needs nutrients: iron, B vitamins (especially B6), copper, magnesium. Again, are you eating a diet that provides these nutrients? Are they optimal?

So to summarize, dysbiosis (from mold or other causes) & nutrient deficiencies can impair serotonin production, which can affect the brain-hormone cascade. Also, you mentioned that your face gets red and itchy at times. This sounds like a histamine reaction and gut dysbiosis can affect the DAO enzyme needed to break down extracellular histamine. Again, we need a good amount of B vitamins to break down histamine. 

A trial with 50mg of 5-HTP (with B6) support twice daily to begin (morning and afternoon) would be an interesting test to see if it helps. Of course, please speak with your practitioner as 5-HTP is contraindicated in those who are taking antidepressants or other medications that might directly affect serotonin synthesis or uptake.

Hope this helps!

[bernadette]

Great tip Mishaa. It’s absolutely fine to do this if there’s no kidney disease.

[bernadette]

Hi Dara, can you please provide a little more history so I can better guide you as fatigue can have many possible root causes. 

When did your symptom start? 
Do you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet? 
Are you taking an acid suppressing medication or diabetes medication like Metformin? 
What are your stress levels like (rate them 0-10)? 
When did you start the injections? What’s the dosage being given? 
Did you develop anxiety since taking them? 
Do you have any amalgam fillings in your mouth? 
If you have any labs, what is your MCV and MCH level on a CBC (complete blood count).
Did anyone measure MMA (methylmalonic acid) level for you along with B12? What was your serum B12 level, along with iron and ferritin?

Let’s start with these…

[bernadette]

Hi  – yes, indeed ashwagandha is best known for its anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and stress-relieving effects thanks to its effect on the HPA axis and ability to reduce cortisol and improve sleep. 

Studies on ashwagandha have used dosages of 250–600 mg/day of a root extract. The most common dosing protocol is 600 mg/day divided into two doses, with one taken in the morning with breakfast and the other in the evening.

Regarding its use with autoimmunity, ashwagandha has been found to have both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory action, so it really depends on the individual and the state of their autoimmune dynamic. If there is concern over immunostimulatory effects, then L-Theanine, taurine, and other calming compounds and herbs like valerian, passionflower, lavender are other options to consider to help reduce anxiety.

Hope this helps.

References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32021735/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34858513/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31517876/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27055824/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/

[bernadette]

Hi Claire – I actually have a handout about varicose veins in the Symptom Dictionary. You can take a look at it here. Hope it helps guide you better.

And you’re correct, liver congestion can be at play as a possible contributing factor.

[bernadette]

Hi Patti – so fibroids (either uterine or breast) are usually due to estrogen dominance, which is a result of 1 or all 3 of these scenarios:
1.  Exposure to xenoestrogens – outside sources of estrogen from environmental chemicals like phthalates, glyphosate, triclosan, parabens, etc which have estrogenic effect in the body. You can share this post of mine on social media. You can also share this handout on toxin avoidance in the Resources.
2. Lower progesterone to estrogen ratio. Is she peri-menopausal? Is there a PCOS dynamic that can lead to anovulation and therefore no progesterone production? Possible insulin resistance?
3. Lack of hormone clearance. Once we make and use hormones, we need to clear them from the body. Being on birth control depletes B vitamins which are needed for phase 1 detox. Is she constipated and not flushing toxins and spent hormones in stool? Is there gut microbial overgrowths perhaps causing a re-circulation of spent hormones? Is there liver-biliary tract congestion? She’d likely benefit from the Gut Health Masterclass if you’d like to recommend she joins.

For rapid relief, black cohosh is usually helpful for uterine fibroids. If she has fibrocystic breasts, literature has shown that 3mg iodine/day can reverse the condition but keep in mind that it’s contraindicated for Hashimotos or thyroid disease.

Hope this helps give her some direction and better guidance.

[bernadette]

 any amount of grounding is beneficial. Our ancestors used to ground all day so the more the merrier. If you can get in an hour per day, that would be ideal. It’s ok to split it up into shorter bouts throughout the day. But even getting in a few minutes if that’s all the time you have, is still worth it. Any amount of grounding is better than none at all.

[bernadette]

 – yes, there are many different grounding products available (https://www.earthing.com/) BUT… make an effort to remove as much dirty electricity and EMF exposures around you when using them. I have in mind to bring in Bryan Hoyer as one of the guest experts to speak more to us about this topic. He’s a fellow nutritionist and geo-biologist / EMF expert. I took his course (hosted with Nick Pineault known as the “EMF Guy”) and it was so eye opening.

You may also be interested in this article/post I wrote about grounding surfaces in case you don’t have access to grass or sand: http://bernadetteabrahamblog.com/are-you-vitamin-g-deficient/

[bernadette]

Hi Jen – yes you can use the same milk kefir grains for making coconut kefir. It’s the same recipe/process except you use coconut milk as your milk of choice. Enjoy the benefits! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[bernadette]

Hi Claire – glad you’ve kicked

There are a few mechanisms of action that can cause hair loss post-covid:

1. Possible iron anemia: it’s normal for the body to sequester ferritin (the storage form of iron) when there’s an inflammatory dynamic such as a virus. The pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 in particular increases something called “hepcidin” in the liver, which regulates and impairs iron absorption. So test your hemoglobin, iron and ferritin levels. Ferritin should ideally be between 50-70ng/ml for a menstruating woman. Anything higher than that can indicate the sequestering of ferritin as I mentioned, which means there’s still an inflammatory dynamic or a simmering infection going on.

2. Immune nutrient depletion: during a viral infection, it’s possible that certain nutrients become depleted to help produce white blood cells necessary to help the body fight. In particular, I would test zinc and vitamin A, both of which are needed (in addition to iron) for thyroid conversion from T4 to T3. Hypothyroidism is a common cause of hair loss.

3. Folate deficiency: the immune system requires a lot of folate – especially folinic acid (NOT folic acid). Growth of hair requires a lot of folate as well – especially folinic acid. If your immune system uses the majority of your folinic acid, your hair is left with very little. The result? Your hair becomes undernourished and falls out. B vitamins work well in combination if looking at supplementing. I like Thorne Basic B capsules or just a B12/B9 combo like Seeking Health’s HodroxyB12 with Folinic Acid lozenges. These can also be tested in blood.

Here’s a great study on this: https://jag.journalagent.com/ijmb/pdfs/IJMB-75047-ORIGINAL_INVESTIGATION-YORULMAZ_ERTUG.pdf

4. Stress: when the body is in a sympathetic dominant state, digestion gets compromised, and hydrochloric acid production decreases in the stomach. Without good stomach acid, we don’t break down and absorb our proteins and other key nutrients needed for good thyroid function and hair growth. The Gut Health Masterclass covers this in more detail. Adrenal support and stress reduction is key!

Hopefully these mechanisms of action help you understand how multi-faceted the causes can be.

[bernadette]

Yes, it’s amazing how many women report improvements with seed cycling.  here is the post Claire is referring to: https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4QrYyJnjv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[bernadette]

Hi Rana, quercetin is a natural flavanol commonly found in fruits and vegetables (i.e. onions, apples, berries, buckwheat, citrus fruit) and works as a potent antioxidant in the body.

It has many uses and is often suggested for various circumstances but it does also have some warnings to be aware of:

1. It suppresses histamine release from mast cells, calming the immune system (and therefore allergic and asthmatic responses)*  It’s often formulated with other synergistic ingredients (e.g. bromelain, vitamin C, nettles – better taken on an empty stomach to be a helpful addition).
-Dosage: 500-1000 mg, 1-2x per day as needed (occasionally 3rd dose per day, short-term is fine), starting a full month prior to strong seasonal allergy time.

2. It dilates blood vessels by increasing nitric oxide production and reduces blood pressure in those with hypertension**
-Dosage: 500mg 2 x daily

3. It reduces inflammation from LDL oxidation*** and potentially reduces triglycerides (early data)****

4. Quercetin can help raise low glutathione levels (our body’s most powerful antioxidant and main detoxifier of heavy metals)*****
-Dosage: 500mg 2 x daily

5. Quercetin is contraindicated while one is taking antibiotics. It may inhibit COMT SNPs (part of phase 2 detox), which may increase risk of estrogen-mediated cancers; caution if COMT is already slow.******

Hope this helps answer your question as to when/what it is used for.

References:
* http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22470478 
** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9718001 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17951477 
*** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20828867 
**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23359794
******http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584901008127
******https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/81/2/316/1656122