Background: Vitamin D is important for musculoskeletal health and may have significant implications for maintaining physical activity in elderly patients. Our goal was to investigate whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels are associated with pre-operative physical activity in patients who are offered elective knee or hip joint replacement surgery. Methods:…
This is our most exciting issue to date. We continue our mission to bring you the most relevant clinical information and concepts regarding restorative medicine. We begin this issue with several original research articles in the areas of bone health, inflammation, and prostate cancer. Sadeq Quraishi, MD, MHA, MMSc, Elizabeth…
Obesity is a major issue in developed countries. Regulating thyroid hormones is a growingly popular adjunct in a comprehensive approach towards weight loss. Despite growing popularity, there is a lack of knowledge about underlying pathways. This review investigates the thermogenic properties of thyroid hormone on brown adipose tissue (BAT), white…
Abstract Autoimmune thyroid diseases, including Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, are the most common autoimmune conditions in humans. There is significant morbidity associated with thyroid autoimmunity, and typically ongoing management is required to control disease presentation and reduce sequelae. Thyroid tissues contain the highest concentration of selenium in the body,…
Abstract Nutrigenomics is the study of the effects of food and food constituents on gene expression. The study of nutrigenomics may have a major impact in the development of tailor-made food, supplements and beverage products in the near future. The “genetic nutritioneering” concept summarizes the information on how diet, supplements,…
Abstract In the following paper, we will review the available literature on synergy and additive effects involving medicinal herbs and herbal extracts. Several types of synergistic interactions are discussed, including apparently inactive constituents enhancing the effects of apparently active constituents within and between herbal medicines, various herbal compounds altering the…
Abstract Rosmarinic acid (RosA) is an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylactic acid. RosA has a number of beneficial biological activities, including antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress is recognized as a common factor in many neurodegenerative diseases and is a proposed mechanism for age-related degenerative processes as…
Abstract Peripheral metabolism plays a significant role in maintaining thyroid hormone expression in local tissues. The thyroid secretes thyroxine (T4) at substantially greater levels than triiodothyronine (T3), relying on peripheral mechanisms to convert T4 to T3. Peripheral control is exerted through a number of pathways. These pathways include deiodination, facilitated…
Chelation therapy, a treatment long undervalued by conventional medicine, has been used by alternative medicine practitioners to alleviate various metabolic toxicities. In particular, there has been significant controversy around its use in patients with coronary artery disease. We performed a focused review of the recent National Institute of Health (NIH)…
Objective: To determine if oral artemisinin is safe and has a short-term effect on prostate specific antigen (PSA) kinetics in patients with prostate cancer (CaP). Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: A private naturopathic urology clinic in Seattle, WA. Patients: All artemisinin-treated CaP patients were identified retrospectively between 2005 and 2008.…
Objective: To determine if aqueous, polysaccharide-containing Echinacea purpurea extracts taken orally increase pro-inflammatory cytokine responses ex vivo. Design: In two separate studies, the levels of TNF-alpha (TNF), interleukins 2 and 6 (IL-2 and IL-6) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) secreted by phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy adults…
