World Summits Reviews

More and more scientists today are turning from the traditional medicine standpoint to the natural and holistic approaches thanks to the growth of the integrative medicine itself also due to the internet global communication, world summits, seminars and conferences.

I have been testimony of all of this from years, participating to many of these summits and s seminars, courses and programs, and following a variety of scientists worth of trust and respect. My involvement with this new science began years ago when I learned about the Blood Type Diet of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a famous naturopath and epigenesist. This diet has been heavily discussed and under critics, but also validated from customers over many years. The book that made him famous, “Eat Right 4 Your Type” sold millions of copies around the world.

The theories and opinions differ among same naturopaths and nutrition specialists, especially in regard of diets, and here is where people feel confused. Many of these diets are nutritious and balanced, but they contradict each other in some category.

Unfortunately, scientists are the same victims. Research and technology today are growing and changing so fast that there is not time to adjust to a new find and to research because a new hypothesis, or statistical data rejects the previous.

One of these common issues for most people is the “Fat dilemma”, and relation to cardiovascular health. Dr. Mark Hymann with his ‘Eat Fat Get Thin” has revolutionized theories and old believes, but things seem to be still under review and updating.

Personally, I understand and believe that good fats are essentials to our health, and for the variety of benefits as for cardiovascular and brain health, joints and vision and more, but I still believe that too much fat in general is not good for the health, and the blood type also relates.

It looks like that blood type A and AB individuals with an enzyme deficit that breaks down fats, the ALPI, intestinal alkaline phosphatase, cannot digest fat easily, for they flow in circles and deposit on the arterial’s wall. Also, the natural viscosity of blood for these types added to stress due to high levels of cortisol makes things only worse for the cardiovascular health. With type O, instead, the cardiovascular problem looks to be more related to carbohydrates since this type is more intolerant to these.

Dr. D’Adamo agrees that cholesterol is not the simple marker for cardiovascular disease and recognizes the benefits of this molecule, and benefits from diet and lifestyle, but as many others feels that too high levels of LDL need to be under control. All the medical professional admits that particle size or not, the oxidized are dangerous, and from a famous book, “The Cholesterol Myth”, even HDL particles can be dangerous as LDL, based on size.

Dr. Michael Murray, a famous Bastyr University-related naturopath and New York time best seller author, as well, mentions the importance of the CRP, inflammatory factor, as a greater cardiovascular risk than cholesterol, and of apolipoprotein (a) as a more dangerous marker of risk for CVD, even more of stroke and atherosclerosis, in his book entitled “Cholesterol and Heart Health”.  So as apolipoprotein (e) is a risk marker for Alzheimer disease, as much as toxins exposure and lifestyle.

In a recent summit organized from Dr. Mark Hyman – “Broken Brain”- and which was gathering most of the scientists mentioned in this article, Alzheimer seems to be still an open wonder with not a precise cure, but with very good prospective of prevention, even more than those we all are aware.

Lifestyle, nutrition and exercise, the most important, avoidance of toxins, unhealthy environment and stress, of course. They all have been enhanced as much better tool than genetic diagnostic. They were mentioning that people with genes cannot get the disease while others with no genes could because of lifestyle.

The discovery of the benefits of vitamin B12 has been of fatal importance besides the many more adjuvants of supplementation for brain health, like, for example, the curcumin antioxidant, and the many brain stimulants, but even more important the omega’s 3 fatty acids and polyphenols found mainly in specific fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Daniel Amen, very famous psychiatrist, and even more for his book, “Change Your Brain Change Your Life”, New York time Best Seller, ADD types of classification and analysis, and much more, also has evaluated new treatments for major brain disease and dysfunctions.  The Brain Warrior Course– one of his variety of courses on brain health- analyzes healthy lifestyle prototypes to follow, and mainly in consideration of keeping a healthy brain at any age.

More encouraging are the therapies for lowering cholesterol and managing so cardiovascular health and strokes avoiding the use of medical prescriptions like statins, unless an episode has already manifested, in this case also naturopaths agree the use to be necessary.

The cardiovascular theme has been also well discussed in one of the revolutionary summits–The Heart Revolution—by participating scientists from around the world, including many of the doctors I follow.

The main emerging and as already addressed lately intensively, the sugar related cause more than fats, so as emerged in the Broken Brain summit, the sugar and refined grains are the major problem and cause of inflammation and degeneration, as we all now know. Even more revolutionary though are some new theories and hypothesis that were emerging from the Heart Revolution summit in regard of heart and soul, spirituality and love. Heart and circulation system discussed and analyzed under a totally different point of view.

Universe connections, magnetism effects, the earth and the heart; the heart evaluated not simply as a pump, but in the contest of the influence of the vegetative nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic. Very fascinating and interesting theories.

One of these doctors was expressing that a heart attack with death it is not simply caused from typical preconditions we know, or from arterial plaques, but mainly from imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic.

We all are under stress, and with fight response from sympathetic while the parasympathetic regulate and balance this response with calming effects, if this activity is low for genetic reasons or other clinical reasons, or for missing the spirit for positive attitudes, here is when a heart attack may come.

What about grains and wheat and all the ultimate discordance in regard. Grains are so important for everyone but looks like to be the major contribute of inflammation and autoimmunity development, so as of obesity if mainly processed grains. The Mediterranean diet empathizes the whole grain and many other diets allow the healthy and ancient grains mainly as source of fibers for intestinal health and lowering cholesterol, but it looks like that for people with sensitivities, of course, there will derive problems.

Another controversy in the naturopathic world also heart related is over soy. Soy is good for lowering cholesterol, and a main food for types A and AB, but is considered a goitrogen for thyroid, and cause of food intolerance. Many products specify that they are free from soy, as well as from gluten or dairy products. But, for atrophic thyroid should not be a problem, same as for cruciferous vegetables, in addition these last one, as they say, cooked should not preserve this effect.

Thyroid disease is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and around the world, mainly because of gluten sensitivity, toxins and environment pollution, immune imbalance and nutrient deficiency, but the root cause can be also microbial or viral.

The Hashimoto’s Institute was one of the first courses on thyroid diseases and Hashimoto’s that did introduce me to other famous naturopaths:  Dr. Izabella Wentz, pharmacist and naturopath, Dr. Andrea Nakayama, a nutritionist with a deep insight outlook, well-known and appreciated Dr. Alan Christianson, thyroid and adrenal specialist, New York Times bestseller and author of the “Adrenal Reset Diet” among other books, and Dr. Suzy Cohen, natural pharmacist and author of another New York Times bestseller, “Thyroid Healthy”, and many more books, as well the other doctors till these days.

Dr. Alan Christianson has also created a program called “Thyroid Reset” where in different steps treats the whole course of thyroid disease from diagnosis to reverse of symptoms, and of the autoimmune process through monitor of diet, lifestyle, toxins, and elements which are beneficial or not in case of thyroid disease.

Dr. Datis Kharrazian, other thyroid specialist and author of books on thyroid disease establishes that if there are high levels of anti-TPO, anti-tireo-peroxidase antibodies in Hashimoto’s, thyroid autoimmune disease, they attach to the cerebellum damaging the tissues and causing brain inflammation and brain fog, which means lower concentration and mental fatigue.

Ataxia, which causes loss of balance, can be caused either from gluten sensitivity or anti-TPO. Gluten sensitivity is the worse trigger for Hashimoto’s thyroid disease, but there are many other causes also of microbial and viral origins as Dr. Izabella Wentz describes in all her works and books mainly addressing the root causes. She also has organized a world documentary on this subject and seminars–one of this, The Thyroid Secret, and written number of books and protocols for thyroid disease.

Autoimmunity is even more discussed as much as the microbiome. The microbiome of the community of friendly microbes in our intestine, or microbiota, has been genetically mapped as it has been done with the genome project to identify the genes responsible for a certain strain of bacteria and correlation with pathologies, and production of specific metabolites to better identify friendly bacteria to include in probiotics.

Probiotics are the main recommendations of all naturopaths and traditional doctors today. Prebiotics are even more prescribed.  These are meant to feed the good bacteria of the intestinal flora, mainly fibers, insoluble fibers, and good fats.

The importance of the diversity of foods to feed the good bacteria, and not simply this, has been also well discussed in these summits.

Fixing the gut is most important thing to curing most diseases, and this statement is very well known at this time. Friendly bacteria do a lot of the work of supporting our general health; if there is leaky gut there are a cascade of consequences, mainly due to inflammation of the intestinal wall.

Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability means that if we are intolerant or sensitive to some food or overload ourselves of toxins, we cause intestinal inflammation and imbalance in our intestinal flora or microbiome, eating non- healthy foods we feed the bad bacteria. Leaky gut or porous intestine manifests with loosing of the intestinal wall junctions, (tights junctions) and abnormal permeability. Because of the permeability undigested proteins flow in the system causing inflammation and from here a variety of problems like allergies, food sensitivities, and autoimmune process later with time, or neurological inflammation, and cancer.

The immune system does not recognize fragments that cannot be digested totally because of missing the enzymes, or because overloaded and reacts against them as invaders producing antibodies. This is one of the typical mechanisms of autoimmune disease, and this why the importance of digestive enzymes to cure inflammation besides antioxidants. In other case there is cross-reactivity, which means that the immune system reacts to different antigens or allergens with similarity of structure of the binding site (the one that will bind to the antibodies), so for example if one is allergic or sensitive to a pollen or dust can be also to a food with the same structural binding-site site.

More hypotheses have been formulated to justify the autoimmune process.  In the case of molecular mimicry, some molecules from foods, usually those that are potentially allergenic, with the same structure as- or like to body tissues or molecules- are responsible to cause the immunological reaction. The immune system has a memory function. If a food is no tolerant, the system produces antibodies against and will use same antibodies to react against its own tissues because of the similarity to potential allergens in foods.

Dr. Alessio Fasano, Italian researcher at Harvard University has been one of the main contributors of the leaky gut theory. He has identified a protein responsible of increasing intestinal permeability, and which opens the tight junctions. This protein named zonulin results to be product in excess in people with autoimmune disease, and mainly Hashimoto’s disease.

Dr. Tom O’Bryan, the author of the “Autoimmune Fix”, the book were all the autoimmunity mechanisms are well explained and clarified, has produced a documentary on this theme entitled Betrayal, to express the betrayal of our immune system toward ourselves because it doesn’t recognize its own tissues and reacts against stimulating the process of autoimmunity. He also discusses gluten sensitivity and intolerance intensively; he travels the world to give lectures and continue to participate to seminars and summits on the themes.

Another important factor influencing the flow of partially digested proteins through the intestinal wall is the stomach acid level.

Our stomach needs acid to digest proteins, and this is another of the well-treated subjects of the Blood Type Diet Science of Dr. Peter D’Adamo.  This is the reason why blood type A and AB individuals with lower stomach acid content cannot digest animal proteins very well and so they need the support of digestive enzymes like Pepsin, or Betaine, or of Bromelain whose property mechanism is based on the pineapple enzyme, to mention some, or of natural elements like lemon, or vinegar to help to make acid. Lemon is also good for blood fluidity for those with thick blood and at risk of coagulation process as much as fish oil.

The connection leaky gut and leaky brain, or blood brain barrier permeability, another intensively discussed argument. Molecules trough the blood flow can reach out the brain and pass the wall of protection because of its permeability due to different attacks, mainly toxins that we introduce in body even if not responsible, or aware; the consequences of this are inevitable, brain inflammation and neurodegeneration, but, fortunately, if treated in time reversible till obviously there is not degeneration. Lifestyle and diet mainly and supplementing with beneficial fats like omega’s and caprylic oil, the one in coconut oil and few more elements. From most recent Microbiome summit organized from Dr. R. Kellman, the emerging has been that there is a brain microbiota responsible also for our behavior, character, mood and psychology.

An Italian doctor participant, Dr. Mark Ruggiero has been describing this theory and effects on humans, and way to treat for balancing the brain flora as well. The strains are the same that affects the gut, but the amount is different, much less.

He was speaking in regard of Autism in another summit and mentioning already his sort of mix of yogurt formula to replace the original colostrum to fix the gut of kids affected from autism.

The point is that the microbes itself do not do the same job if not in their natural environment, for it is necessary recreate the same original ones, and this is also why the importance of prebiotics. A cardiologist becoming very famous on internet, Dr. Steven Gundry agrees with this concept giving much importance to the nourishment of the good gut flora. He is also the author of “The Plant paradox Diet” which has revolution some recent believes in regard of foods, but also validate under my opinion Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s theories in regard of the “food lectins”

Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, co-founder of the Bastyr University and author of several best seller books also has been participating to some of the summits and seminars and introducing his hypothesis of toxins as a major contribute of disease, even more emphasizing the importance of glutathione, the most important body antioxidant. One of his latest books on toxins, “The Toxin Solution” has been published recently. Detoxification is always the first step to follow to clean our body of all the toxins and Dr. Pizzorno has also a variety of weekly menu of recipes, as well as most of the books on diet, and protocols of detoxification.

Dr. Ben Lynch also Bastyr graduated naturopath and molecular specialist is instead the major representative for the MTHFR mutations and methylation process and author of number of courses, summits and seminars in regard.

MTHFR is the gene resulting in deficit of methylations, very important chemical process at the molecular level and for several body’s functions.

These mutations are associated with problems mainly related to cardiovascular and neurological inflammation, hypertension, thrombosis, strokes, anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, MS, dementia, Alzheimer, autism, and more.

The main concept in naturopathy is to find the root cause, investigating, doing deep data research to find the cause of the disease and not simply to cure the symptoms. The idea is to live in harmony with nature, in spirituality and love, to stay away from toxins as much as possible, to follow a clean and balanced diet, to supplement properly, to sleep well, to exercise and practice healthy activities, do what we enjoy, and live at our best.

Thanks for reading

Mariarosaria Malham

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