Medicine Outside the Box: Clinical Experience as Evidence Base
By Gerard Guillory, MD - 2/24/16
Standardized clinical practice guidelines have become the norm in modern medicine. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute publishes guidelines for the management of cholesterol; the American College of Rheumatology publishes guidelines for the management of arthritis; and the American College of Gastroenterology publishes guidelines for the management of inflammatory bowel disease. The list goes on. There is certainly merit to these (and other) practice guidelines. They set quality standards and make the practice of medicine more consistent. Published medical studies inform practice guidelines and establish what has become known as “evidence-based medicine.”
Will Private-Practice Medicine Survive?
Dr. Gerard Guillory, MD
In recent years, physicians have been making an exodus from private practice to take salaried positions in hospitals or with managed care organizations. Whereas 57% of all US physicians were in private practice in the year 2000, that statistic dropped to 37% in 2013. A recent report predicts that only 1 in 3 physicians will be practicing independently by the end of 2016.
Are GMOs Creating Leaky Guts?
Dr. Gerard Guillory, MD
We talk a lot about digestive health in our practice and have a very successful protocol to correct what is commonly known as “leaky gut.” In leaky gut, the intestinal barrier breaks down and allows passage of undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxins into the body. Think of the small intestinal lining like a cheesecloth providing the largest interface between our bodies and the outside world. If you were to puree food in a blender and put it through a cheese cloth, the liquid would pass through and the solids would stay on top. If the cheese cloth were leaky, the solid chunks would pass through too. This is what it is like to have a leaky gut.
Leaky gut is almost always present in digestive conditions, such as celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and can precede many inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Think of it like this: when intestinal barrier function is lost, foreign particles enter the body, the immune system becomes activated, and the body becomes inflamed. We see this pattern in arthritis, psoriasis, migraines, and even depression.
Vitamin D – An Effective Treatment for Insommnia
By: Dr. Gerard Guillory, MD
Vitamin D is sometimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin” because our bodies synthesize vitamin D when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun. It is also categorized as a fat-soluble vitamin because it is found in a few fatty foods, including fish liver oil, beef liver, and egg yolks. More accurately, however, vitamin D should be categorized as a hormone. Vitamin D has activity in most cells of the human body. It increases our ability to absorb calcium, assists in fighting infections, and even improves mood.
HEALTHY HOLIDAY EATING
Tuesday, December 1st 6:30pm
Join Care Group nutritionists Sheila Gannon and Jeanne Parsons for tips on how to maintain healthy eating during the holiday frenzy.
Studies Suggest Calcium May Not Strengthen Bones
Older adults are currently advised to consume a total of 1000-1200 mg of calcium per day to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures, but this recommendation has recently come under scrutiny. Two comprehensive reviews of the literature, published in the online version of the British Medical Journal, suggest that neither dietary calcium nor supplemental calcium strengthen the bones. One review analyzed 59 studies and concluded that increasing calcium intake provides an initial and small increase in bone mineral density with no ongoing benefit after 1 year.[i] Another review analyzed 52 studies and concluded that increasing calcium intake does not reduce the risk of fracture.[ii] This information adds fuel to the calcium controversy, which was spurred in recent years by evidence that supplemental calcium may increase the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.[iii]
Calcium Intake Does Not Reduce Fracture Risks
We are excited to announce our new Shop The Care Group website!
As a valued customer, we think you will appreciate the convenience this website will provide in ordering supplements. After you create your account, your personal information will be saved for future orders (e.g., shipping & billing address). Come see the new website where we offer all your favorite products at competitive prices. We are committed to simplifying the confusion regarding which supplements are most effective and offer them in the spirit of a co-op. The new site will be available on Thursday, October 29, 2015.
www.shopthecaregroup.com
Why Vitamin D Might Cause Erectile Dysfunction and How to Fix It
Dr. Gerard Guillory, M.D.
I had a patient quit taking vitamin D because he thought that it caused erectile dysfunction (ED). I have now seen this happen in several men. This seems contradictory, as vitamin D is thought to improve cardiovascular and sexual health: studies actually show that the more depleted a man is in vitamin D, the more likely he is to have severe sexual dysfunction. It turns out that when vitamin D actually creates sexual problems, it may reveal important information about deficiency of another nutrient—a mineral that is involved in more than 300 reactions in the body.
A few months ago I had the opportunity to listen to 30 of the world's leading authorities on gluten sensitivity as part of a podcast series. It was the most informative educational program in which I have participated. I recently read a thought provoking article by an expert in gluten sensitivity and educator. He is one of those 30 top authorities on the subject. His article referenced how gluten can affect the brain and should be considered a factor in contributing to people with depression or even Parkinson's disease.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Hippocrates
We at The Care Group wholeheartedly agree with Hippocrates who made this comment some 2000 years ago. The problem is there is so much conflicting information and frank misinformation regarding proper diet that many of our patients don’t know which way to turn when trying to make healthy nutritional choices. Proper nutrition is at the foundation of optimal wellness and for that reason we have nutritionists on staff to help you navigate this process. Although general guidelines are helpful, an individualized program developed for you and your family takes into account your specific concerns, health conditions, dietary preferences and goals.
Traditional medicine focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Once the diagnosis is established, the diagnosis is cross-checked with the list of medications used to treat that particular disorder. Often times, the medications chosen are merely treating symptoms, rather than the root cause of the problem. This is often referred to as the “disease-drug” model.
The integrative or functional medicine approach focuses on prevention and, when problems present themselves, seeks to find the underlying cause. This approach is relatively simple and consists of identifying those things that might be making you sick and eliminating them, while at the same time replacing any identified deficiencies, be they hormonal or nutritional.
Congratulations! By completing the leaky gut protocol you have taken an important step in optimizing your health. Chances are you have seen significant improvements in the past month and are eager to find out what’s next?
If you want to experience more improvement, consider the following:
Personalized Nutrition Consult
Many of our patients benefit further from a personalized nutrition consult with our clinical nutritionist or health coach. They both realize that change is a process that occurs over time. They work with you each step of the way to create a personalized, sustainable plan that facilitates healing and promotes optimal health. We always encourage you to bring in your significant other, particularly if they do most of the cooking, to maximize the experience. In this way a custom, personalized nutrition plan can be created which takes into account your individual goals, needs, and dietary preferences.
Inflammation - the good and the bad
Testimonials
Sensitivity to monosodium glutamate and aspartame (abdominal pains, bloating)
For 15 years, Neil Wiese regularly experienced abdominal pains and bloating that lasted all day, nearly every day.
"I went through many, many doctors," Wiese says. "I even went as far as the Mayo Clinic. Nobody could figure out what it was." In 2004, he attended a seminar by Dr. Guillory and, afterward, went to visit the doctor. After conducting tests and ruling out a number of potential causes, Dr. Guillory focused on the possibility that Wiese's digestive problems were related to monosodium glutamate (MSG), a widely used food additive.
Dr. Guillory recommended that Wiese avoid foods containing MSG. In addition, he recommended that Wiese steer clear of the artificial sweetener aspartame as well as high fructose corn syrup, also used as a sweetener. "I went on the diet and watched everything I ate," Wiese says. "I also kept a diary. And in the course of a month or so, I was better. I have slowly continued getting better for the last couple of years. My life has changed dramatically. It's a miracle for me."