Sepsis is an extreme inflammatory reaction of the body’s immune system in response to severe infection. It is a leading cause of death, claiming around 300,000 lives per year in the USA.
Sepsis can be a complication of viral infection, such as influenza or coronavirus.
A study of 167 sepsis patients in intensive care units showed that those receiving high dose intravenous vitamin C had significantly improved chances of surviving.
Half of the patients were randomly selected to receive vitamin C infusions every six hours for four days. Patients who did not receive vitamin C had a 46% risk of death within a month, while those receiving vitamin C had a significantly improved risk of 30%.
After the four days of treatment, 19 standard-car patients had died, while only four of the patients treated with vitamin C died. Nine of the vitamin C patients were able to leave the ICU during the treatment, while only one of the other patients could leave.
A follow-up appointment after 30 days found that patients receiving vitamin C had spent 11 days out of ICU, compared to eight days from the standard care group. Over 60 days, the vitamin C group enjoyed a full week less in ICU.
“When you take vitamin C orally you cannot develop any kind of a meaningful blood level of vitamin C – not even in massive doses,” said lead study author Dr. Alpha Fowler III, professor of medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University. He points out that by giving vitamin C intravenously, it is possible to reach blood levels 3000 times higher than possible by taking the vitamin orally. “And at that point it’s no longer just a vitamin. It becomes a very potent anti-inflammatory agent. And that is what’s saving lives.”
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Coronavirus infections are in the news, with an entire city in China shut down and international travellers screened for infection.
Viral diseases such as those caused by coronaviruses and influenza viruses can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can result in acute, sometimes fatal lung injury.
One promising potential treatment for the condition is high dose intravenous vitamin C.
A paper published in the World Journal of Critical Care Medicine describes the treatment of a patient with confirmed virus-induced ARDS. For the first time, doctors at Virginia Commonwealth University administered high dose intravenous vitamin C to treat ARDS.
The 20-year old patient, who had no significant medical history, had contracted the virus while holidaying overseas and on her return home to the US had suffered acute respiratory failure.
The patient was admitted to the ICU. She was treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a treatment in which blood is removed from the body, carbon dioxide is removed and red blood cells are oxygenated. ECMO is used when conventional ventilation is no longer effective due to the injury to the lungs.
At this point, high dose vitamin C injections began on a six-hourly basis.
After 12 days in hospital, the patient was released, with no need for oxygen treatment. Tests carried out one month later showed she had completely recovered.
This outcome shows that high dose intravenous vitamin C could be an effective new treatment for patients with virus-induced ARDS. Larger clinical trials are now needed to learn more about this promising new therapy.
Our injectable nutrient clinic supports patients with a variety of health conditions. Click here to learn more.
Inflammation plays a role in many diseases. Targeting inflammation has led to breakthrough treatments in recent years, for conditions ranging from autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, to some cancers.
Now researchers are looking beyond the blood-brain barrier, once thought to be impermeable, and finding evidence that inflammation could affect our brains as well as our bodies. Professor Edward Bullmore from Cambridge University is hopeful that research into brain inflammation could one day lead to new treatments for depression, dementia and psychosis.
It is well known that depression and inflammation are linked – but researchers need to know if inflammation is actually the cause of depression. Recent experiments have shown that brain inflammation can cause changes in brain function in the areas of the brain known to be involved in depression and other disorders.
Studies reviewing previous clinical trials of anti-inflammatory medicines for conditions like arthritis have found a significant improvement in mental health scores in patients receiving anti-inflammatory drugs. New research is planned to test specifically for mental health outcomes.
Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease may also benefit, with research underway into potential treatments, including non-drug treatments focused on diet, obesity, stress, the gut microbiome and gum disease – one trial in the US is investigating whether more effective tooth brushing to minimise low-level gum inflammation could protect us against senility.
At Professional Integrative Medicine we have a lot of strategies to assess inflammatory drivers and support patients with evidence based natural anti-inflammatory approaches. We often find factors such as food sensitivities, environmental toxins and nutrient deficiencies can be drivers for stress and autoimmune disease.
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A new hypothesis from researchers at the University of Toronto links a vitamin deficiency with schizophrenia and could have profound implications for treating psychosis in developing nations.
Mothers who experience famine in the first trimester of pregnancy are twice as likely to have offspring who develop schizophrenia. Researchers have long suspected a nutrient deficiency is to blame, and the new hypothesis suggests it could be niacin, also known as vitamin B3.
Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson from the University of Toronto came up with the idea after seeing a study done in India that showed a link between schizophrenia and a variant of a gene that reduces the body’s ability to process niacin, which occurs in meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Identifying the gene variant could also explain another medical mystery – why some people with schizophrenia do not develop reddened skin with a burning, tingling sensation in the same way that most people do when given high doses of niacin. These patients may simply be unable to absorb the vitamin.
The niacin hypothesis also fits with a now-rare disease known as pellagra. Between 1906 and 1940, pellagra was the leading cause of death in psychiatric institutions in the USA. Its symptoms include dermatitis, dementia and death, and in up to 10% of cases leads to active psychosis, which mimics schizophrenia. Treatment with niacin quickly and permanently cures the condition, which is now rare thanks to the widespread fortification of flour with niacin.
Pellagra patients usually present with a bad rash, but in people with the gene variant that reduces niacin uptake, patients could show the symptoms of psychosis without the associated dermatitis, leading to a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia.
Fuller-Thomson suspects that such misdiagnosis might be occurring in poorer countries. Studies by the World Health Organization show that patients with schizophrenia in developing countries recover at a higher rate than those in the West. This discrepancy could be explained if some of those patients did not actually have schizophrenia at all, but instead were suffering from pellagra. In such cases, their symptoms could be cured simply by being in a hospital where niacin-rich food was served to them.
The new hypothesis could allow many patients in poorer countries to be quickly and cheaply healed, and it also sheds new light on the connections between nutrition and wellbeing. This knowledge could also lead to broader applications in western countries, as the chemical drivers of brain function become clearer and better understood.
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New research from Ohio University suggests that current tests for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often called ‘bad cholesterol’, are dangerously misleading when used to predict the risk of heart attack and coronary disease.
Studies have shown that approximately three quarters of heart attack patients have LDL cholesterol levels that did not indicate they were at risk. The new research suggests it is not the level of LDL in itself that poses a risk, but the concentration of one sub-class of LDL.
The researchers found that Subclass B of LDL was the most damaging and most likely to lead to atherosclerosis. They conclude that it is actually the ratio of Subclass B LDL to the other two subclasses, A and I, that is critical to assessing risk.
The discovery could lead to more accurate diagnosis of heart health risk in the future.
We offer testing that measures the different subclasses of LDL. Contact us to find out more.
One in 20 children have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour, and attention problems.
For up to 40% of children with ADHD, drugs are either not effective in treating the condition, or result in unpleasant side effects.
A new study shines a light on Omega-3 deficiency and how supplements can help some patients.
Some previous studies have shown that Omega-3 fish oil may help with symptoms, but in some cases the symptoms seem to get worse.
The latest study from King’s College, London, is the first to look at whether the children given the Omega-3 supplement were deficient in Omega-3 to begin with. Subjects were divided into two groups, one receiving the Omega-3 supplement and the other receiving a placebo.
After 12 weeks, they found that the children who were deficient in Omega-3 improved over the 12 weeks, becoming more attentive and vigilant. However, those children who were not deficient to begin with actually experienced a worsening of some symptoms, including impulsivity.
The results suggest that there is an optimal level of Omega-3, and too much or too little can both lead to worsening symptoms.
The researchers say their results suggest that Omega-3 supplements may be beneficial, but for some patients could actually be detrimental, highlighting the importance of appropriate supervision from their doctor.
Our clinic now offers Omega-3 testing. A simple blood test can measure the amount of red blood cell Omega 3:6 ratio and also measure trans-fats. This is a brand new service we offer in the form of a test kit that patients can take home and send away for a full report.
New research from the Netherlands suggests that a range of commonly used medications can alter the population of gut microbes, and some can raise the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Researchers looked at 41 drug categories and examined stool samples from people who did and did not take the drugs. Some of the trial subjects had irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.
Of the 41 drugs, 18 had major effects on the gut microbiome, with eight increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance.
The categories that had the most impact were: PPIs used to treat indigestion and other gut complaints; metformin, a type 2 diabetes treatment, along with antibiotics and laxatives.
Seven other categories were linked to significant changes in gut flora populations, including SSRI antidepressants and oral steroids.
While the results are preliminary, it is another indication that our gut microbiome needs to be considered in many aspects of our health, including in relation to common medicines.
Our clinic supports patients with all aspects of their health and wellbeing. Contact us to find out more.
Our bodies produce vitamin D on exposure to UV light. When people get less UV exposure, due to living at higher latitudes where there is less sunshine, or for other reasons, they are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D, and at higher risk of developing a range of diseases, including multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. Canadian researchers recently looked at the connection between our gut microbiome and vitamin D.
The researchers looked at two groups: one had taken vitamin D supplements for three months, while the others had not. All but one of the group that did not take the supplements were deficient in vitamin D.
Both groups were then given three sessions of full body UVB light exposure, which raisdd the levels of vitamin D in both groups.
The group that had not taken supplements had a less diverse and balanced gut microbiome to begin with, but after the UV sessions, their microbiomes were indistinguishable from the group that had taken supplements. The changes were noticeable in one week.
The researchers say their experiment shows that vitamin D was the main driver in the shift in the microbiome of the test subjects, underlining how important the vitamin is in our overall health.
Our injectable nutrient clinic supports patients with a variety of health conditions. Click here to find out more.
VIDEO – watch well-known integrative medicine advocate Dr Mark Hyman discuss the benefits of IV nutrient treatments.
Our injectable nutrient clinic supports patients with a variety of health conditions. Click here to find out more.
We all have favourite foods, and the microbes that live in our guts are no exception.
Researchers fed different diets to mice to find out which types and components of dietary fibre encouraged healthy gut microbiomes.
“Fibre is understood to be beneficial. But fibre is actually a very complicated mixture of many different components,” says senior author Jeffrey Gordon, a microbiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Moreover, fibres from different plant sources that are processed in different ways during food manufacturing have different constituents.”
Gordon and his researchers looked at 34 different food-grade fibre preparations. These were sourced from food manufacturing processes and included byproducts such as fruit peels that are often discarded.
By analysing the response of gut bacteria in mice fed particular types of fibre, the researchers were able to identify the sources of fibre that most encouraged microbe growth and metabolic activity.
The research further illustrates the importance of the role played by our gut microbiomes and could lead to better sources of dietary fibre in future.
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Iron deficiency anaemia was responsible for more than 100,000 hospital admissions in the UK in one year. Lack of iron can lead to heart problems and infections, along with complications during pregnancy.
Your body needs iron to produce haemoglobin, which transports oxygen to your cells. A lack of iron can lead to symptoms including:
In some cases an iron deficiency can be due to diet, but there are other possibilities including internal bleeding from a variety of conditions.
Iron is found in foods such as red meat, pulses, wholegrains, dark leafy greens, apricots, prunes and figs. Iron supplements may also be required, although side effects including abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea. These side effects are less common with supplements that have been formulated for optimal absorption.
If you suspect you may be deficient in iron, it is important to see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Our injectable nutrient clinic supports patients with a variety of health conditions. Click here to find out more.
A new analysis of medical research shows potential benefits of nutrient supplements for treatment and prevention of mental illnesses including depression and schizophrenia.
In a paper recently published in World Psychiatry, the official journal of the World Psychiatric Association, researchers analysed 33 previous studies investigating the effectiveness and safety of nutritional supplements in the treatment of common and severe mental illness.
PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids, which includes omega 3) showed the strongest evidence as being beneficial for depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Folates showed promise in the treatment of depression and schizophrenia, while N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) may benefit mood disorders and schizophrenia.
Crucially, all of the nutrient supplements had good safety profiles, with no evidence of serious adverse effects or issues with psychiatric medications.
Our injectable nutrient clinic supports patients with a variety of health conditions. Click here to find out more.
Click here to read the original research paper.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal found that a common vitamin supplementation substantially reduced the risk of cancer death.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, one that many people are deficient in. The study looked at 52 previous medical trials involving more than 75,000 people. It found that vitamin D supplements reduced the risk of death from cancer by 16%.
Vitamin D is produced by the body on exposure to sunlight, meaning many people who don’t or can’t spend time outdoors have low levels. The nutrient is also found in low levels in milk, some fish and egg yolk, so vegans and people with dairy intolerances are at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Essential for bone growth and repair, low levels of vitamin D have long been linked to bone and muscle pain, increased risk of death from cardiovascular conditions, cognitive impairment in older people, and severe asthma in children.
The new study is further evidence of the importance of maintaining healthy levels of this crucial vitamin.
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First we must point out that drinking wine is not a medical treatment for depression! The compound, known as resveratrol, is famously found in red wine, but this does not mean that wine is medicine.
Resveratrol occurs naturally in the skins of grapes and berries. Researchers in China have looked at the way the compound interacts with brain signalling chemicals and found that it appears to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The research, from Xuzhou Medical University in China and published in the journal Neuropharmacology, relied on cultured mouse neurons to investigated the effects of resveratrol on two chemicals found in the brain, known as phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).
PDE4 is a family of enzymes that break down cAMP, which is a messenger within brain cells that passes on signals from outside the cell. Previous research suggests that stress hormones such as cortisol can lead to higher levels of PDE4, reducing levels of cAMP.
In the new study, resveratrol reversed the increase in the levels of PDE4 and prevented the decrease in cAMP. Researchers believe that resveratrol could become an effective alternative to existing depression medications, however, a lot more research needs to be done to confirm its effectiveness.
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The importance of nutrition to our health is becoming clearer and clearer. A recent study published in the journal Nature showed that the effectiveness of cancer treatments improved thanks to a diet low in a particular amino acid known as methionine.
Methionine is an essential amino acid – our bodies can’t make it so we need to get it in our diet. It is found in many foods, with meat and eggs particularly rich in the substance.
While we do need it, too much methionine could work against us. A 1993 study found that rats lived longer when methionine in their diet was restricted. Now this new research suggests that reducing methionine intake could have anti-cancer effects.
The study showed that feeding a low-methionine diet to mice slowed tumour growth. Then, the researchers found that a low dose of a chemotherapy drug – too low to slow tumour growth on its own – was effective when combined with a low-methionine diet.
They also found that reducing methionine intake helped slow tumour growth in conjunction with radiotherapy, in a type of tumour that does not usually respond to radiation treatment.
When researchers fed humans a restricted methionine diet, they saw similar metabolic changes to those seen in the mice.
While any improvement in our understanding of cancer is valuable, it is important to be aware that cancer is a complex problem and there are no simple solutions. The researchers warn that this research is in its early stages and that reducing methionine intake could actually increase the growth of some cancers in humans.
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