Back Clinic Functional Medicine Team. Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
By changing the disease-centered focus of medical practice to this patient-centered approach, our physicians are able to support the healing process by viewing health and illness as part of a cycle in which all components of the human biological system interact dynamically with the environment. This process helps to seek and identify genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that may shift a person’s health from illness to well-being.
Excessive belching, burning, or burping after eating a meal?
Excessive usage of antacids?
If you are experiencing any of these situations, then you might be experiencing Crohn�s disease and how it is affecting your gut system.
The human body and the gut microbiome have a wonderful connection as they help balance each other out. The human body protects the organs and the systems from harmful factors that are from the outside, while the organs and the systems help make sure that the body is functioning properly. With the gut system, it helps the body by providing food to be digested and can help transfer hormones from the gut to the brain. Even though the gut can help make sure the body is functioning correctly, it can be prone to dysfunctions from factors that can harm the gut system. Inflammation, intestinal permeability, and other harmful factors can cause the gut not to work properly. It can cause many problems that can hurt the body, and if it is not treated, it can turn into chronic illnesses.
Crohn�s Disease and The Gut
A recent study that was published in 2019, researchers have discovered that there is a critical link between IL-1? (interleukin-1?) and the gut microbiome. What IL-1? is, is that it is a protein that controls the inflammation in the gut. Researchers were shocked about this information and were able to find that by blocking the IL-1? protein since it is a pro-inflammatory protein in the gut, it can cause a significant decrease in the severity of intestinal inflammation of Crohn’s disease.
Surprisingly there are some more research and information about the effects of anti-ILalpha treatment for helping out the body. The research shows that a study was being controlled by changing the body�s intestinal microbial ecosystem and even correcting mucosal dysbiosis. What this treatment does is that it decreases the ratio of Proteobacteria to be Bacteroidetes, while also decreasing the Helicobacter species as well as increasing Mucispirillum schaedleri and Lactobacillus salivarus. With these microflora modifications being linked, they can provide similar biological effects that steroids have been able to produce in the body, thus considering to be the gold standard for treatment.
With these findings, they show the diversity and balance of how the gut microbiome plays a huge role not only in gastrointestinal health but also playing a role in the health of the immune system and the inflammatory response in the body. Even though this study has been tested on subjects and further research is still needed, it gives many researchers hope for finding some therapeutic targets for any patients that may be suffering from any of these deliberating conditions. The findings can provide the rationale for medical researchers to help conduct a clinical trial for blocking IL-1? for patients that have IBD.
Studies on Crohn�s Disease
Studies have shown that IBD, Crohn�s disease, and ulcerative colitis, are autoimmune conditions that causes multiple triggers that will chronically stimulate the immune system over a long period in the body. These autoimmune conditions can cause the immune system to become overburden and be unable to function properly. What comes with these autoimmune conditions is chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation has become the result of function loss, thus leading the body to have chronic gastrointestinal ailments.
These can be characterized by diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and other crippling manifestations that can greatly affect a patient�s quality of life and overall health and wellness. Studies have shown that there is no surprise that the microbial composition of the GI tract can play a huge role in the development of IBD. The studies found that imbalance or dysbiosis are associated with an increase in intestinal inflammation that may cause IBD. Research has shown that the intestinal microbiome can greatly impact the body�s immune health since 70% of the immune system lies within the GI tract.
Studies have demonstrated that there are events, both chemical and molecular, that can shift the microbiome and exacerbate disease activity in patients that have IBD. Although there is a contrast for healthy individual’s gut microbiomes that are shown to be much more stable. Furthermore, the science shows that E. coli can proliferate in IBD during flare-ups in the body. When this happens, it can further contribute to the patient’s symptoms and the progression of the disease.
When a person is trying to get healthier, the best way to do it is by avoiding pro-inflammatory foods that can cause the gut to have inflammation. Studies have found that processed foods, sugars, and trans fats can cause inflammation. The best way to be healthy is to increase the intake of an anti-inflammatory diet that is rich in antioxidants, have high omega-3s, and have a high dosage of prebiotic and probiotic supplements. With these healthy options, they can assist with the inflammatory response within the GI tract to help reduce the IBD flare-ups. With certain bacteriophages, they have been shown to infect and inhibit the growth of E. coli, which surprisingly has also been shown to help reduce the symptoms and can even potentially slow the progress of IBD.
Conclusion
With more and more research discovering the link between Crohn�s disease and the gut system is truly remarkable as researchers and scientists are finding ways to calm down and even prevent inflammation from happening. By eating healthy, nutritious food that contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties can help the body dampen the effects of inflammation and improve the overall health and wellness of the body. Some products are here to help the body and provide support to the gastrointestinal system.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
References:
Jurgelewicz, Michael. �New Study Demonstrates Fasting-Mimicking Diet Reduces Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pathology.� Designs for Health, 15 Mar. 2019, blog.designsforhealth.com/node/974.
Jurgelewicz, Michael. �New Study Demonstrates Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Can Reach Remission with Diet Alone.� Designs for Health, 4 Jan. 2018, blog.designsforhealth.com/si-42214/new-study-demonstrates-patients-with-inflammatory-bowel-disease-can-reach-remission-with-diet-alone.
Jurgelewicz, Michael. �New Study Identifies How the Microbiome Is Disrupted in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.� Designs for Health, 7 June 2019, blog.designsforhealth.com/node/1036.
Matsuoka, Katsuyoshi, and Takanori Kanai. �The Gut Microbiota and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.� Seminars in Immunopathology, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4281375/.
Menghini, Paola, et al. �Neutralization of IL-1? Ameliorates Crohn’s Disease-like Ileitis by Functional Alterations of the Gut Microbiome.� PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 26 Dec. 2019, www.pnas.org/content/116/52/26717.
staff, Science X. �Researchers Discover Critical Link to Controlling Inflammation in Crohn’s Disease.� Medical Xpress – Medical Research Advances and Health News, Medical Xpress, 16 Dec. 2019, medicalxpress.com/news/2019-12-critical-link-inflammation-crohn-disease.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter.
Team, DFH. �Discovery of a Critical Link between Crohn’s and the Gut Microbiome.� Designs for Health, 5 Mar. 2020, blog.designsforhealth.com/node/1208.
The University offers a wide variety of medical professions for functional and integrative medicine. Their goal is to inform individuals who want to make a difference in the functional medical fields with knowledgeable information that they can provide.
If you are experiencing any of these situations, then it might be something that may be attacking your immune system. Why not try to add some beta-glucan into your diet and overall health.
Throughout the last several years, beta-glucans have been gaining much attention due to the emergence of medicinal mushrooms in Western cultures. Across the country, studies have found that beta-glucans have been ubiquitous in the health food stores due to their immunomodulatory properties and cancer-protective effects. Since edible fungi have been known as the main source for beta-glucans, surprisingly though beta-glucan can be presented in a variety of foods like oats, barley, seaweeds, and yeast. Beta-glucan can also be found in dietary supplements for the body to consume.
Beta-glucans
Beta-glucan is technically a non-starch polysaccharide, a prebiotic fiber that is formed by ?-1,3 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds. With beta-glucan, it can possess numerous health benefits depending on the molecular structure of each type of bond. Studies have shown that beta-glucans that are found in cereal grains can help lower cholesterol levels and can effectively bind serum cholesterol. Beta-glucans can even play a beneficial role in obesity, metabolic disorders, and other chronic non-communicable diseases. Since beta-glucans are a prebiotic fiber, research shows that they can play a significant role in promoting a healthy microbiome in the body. It means that beta-glucan can stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria species, mitigating pathogenic ones, and even modulating inflammation to optimize the gut environment in the body.
Beta-glucans for Immune Support
In a 2019 study, it stated that �the relationship between immunity and nutrition is considered to be completely interconnected.� More studies have shown that beta-glucan can act on several immune receptors that can stimulate immune cell activity. This includes T-cells, macrophages, neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells. One of the studies showed how beta-glucans could pose modulatory effects on both the innate and adaptable branches of the immune system. One of the protein receptors is known as dectin-1; this protein receptor is on the surface of macrophages and dendritic cells.
What dectin-1 can do is that they can initiate and regulate the innate immune response by insoluble binding ?-1,3, and 1,6 glucans, plus it has become essential for controlling infections in the body. While water-soluble ?-glucan can bind to the CR3 receptors, thus triggering the adaptive immune response to the body. With ?-glucans, they can enhance phagocytosis while also triggering the release of various interleukins and cytokines, thus possessing cytotoxic anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that TNF-?, IFN-?, and NF-??, can help to support the regulation of the T-helper cell 1 and Th-2 balance for immunological homeostasis for the body. Surprisingly in other articles, they talked about how yeast-derived ?-1,3/1,6 glucan can be delivered as an oral supplement for the winter months. The article study showed how it demonstrates its protective effects against upper respiratory tract infections in the body. The study even showed how it could reduce the upper respiratory tract infection symptoms that are already in older adults that have been infected. Another study showed that ?-glucan have cytoprotective abilities from viral infections and provide immunomodulatory properties to the body and the immune system.
With the population of many individuals, it turns out that the elderly population can benefit from the ?-glucan compound. With this compound, everyone can have a healthy immune system, especially during the cold and flu season. Having a healthy immune system is important because that way, the body can protect itself from harmful pathogens through functional medicine, healthy nutritious food, and supplements. By using these options, the body can heal itself and can dampen the effects of cold and flu symptoms.
More Research on Beta-glucan
Research studies have shown that ?-1,3 glucan from the fungal cell wall is one of the key ingredients for vaccines. The research shows as well that ?-glucan can produce robust humoral and cellular immune responses for the body when it is exposed to antigens. What is interesting is that ?-glucan is known to exert antioxidant activities in the body. With their reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging abilities, they can exert the antioxidants into the circulatory system and the mucosal immune system. There is a study that shows that ?-glucan in barley can possess a higher total of antioxidants significantly at a better capacity than oats and yeast. The study showed that ?-glucan could be subdivided into two groups depending on whether specific receptors are involved or not. It also stated that ?-glucan could be validated as a functional food ingredient.
Conclusion
All in all, ?-glucan is an amazing non-starch polysaccharide prebiotic fiber that has amazing properties that can help the body. ?-glucan can be found in mushrooms and a variety of other foods like seaweed and oats. This compound can help boost up the body’s immune system and can dampen any harmful pathogens effects that the body has come in contact with. This compound�s beneficial properties are amazing for anyone that consumes it and even added it to their daily diet. Some products combined with ?-glucan can support the immune system with hypoallergenic nutrients and targets amino acids.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
References:
Bacha, Umar, et al. �Nutraceutical, Anti-Inflammatory, and Immune Modulatory Effects of ?-Glucan Isolated from Yeast.� BioMed Research International, Hindawi, 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5587958/.
Chan, Godfrey Chi-Fung, et al. �The Effects of Beta-Glucan on Human Immune and Cancer Cells.� Journal of Hematology & Oncology, BioMed Central, 10 June 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2704234/.
Fuller, Richard, et al. �Yeast-Derived ?-1,3/1,6 Glucan, Upper Respiratory Tract Infection and Innate Immunity in Older Adults.� Nutrition, Elsevier, 23 Mar. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900717300539.
Jurgelewicz, Michael. �New Study Demonstrates Novel Yeast-Derived Beta-Glucan Provides Immunomodulatory Effects in Older Adults.� Designs for Health, 21 Oct. 2018, blog.designsforhealth.com/si-42214/new-study-demonstrates-zinc-supplementation-improves-clinical-outcomes-from-traumatic-brain-injury.
Levitz, Stuart M, et al. �Exploiting Fungal Cell Wall Components in Vaccines.� Seminars in Immunopathology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4329074/.
Nakashima, Ayaka, et al. �?-Glucan in Foods and Its Physiological Functions.� Euglena, Co., Ltd., 14 Aug. 2017.
Nakashima, Ayaka, et al. �?-Glucan in Foods and Its Physiological Functions.� Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29491277.
Team, DFH. �Modulators of Immune Health: Beta-Glucans.� Designs for Health, 26 Mar. 2020, blog.designsforhealth.com/node/1219.
Team, DFH. �Mushrooms for Nutritional Medicine.� Designs for Health, 14 Feb. 2019, blog.designsforhealth.com/node/952.
Vetvicka, Vaclav, et al. �Beta Glucan: Supplement or Drug? From Laboratory to Clinical Trials.� Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 30 Mar. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479769/.
The University offers a wide variety of medical professions for functional and integrative medicine. Their goal is to inform individuals who want to make a difference in the functional medical fields with knowledgeable information that they can provide.
Keeping hormones in balance can be a tough challenge. There are many individuals with hormonal imbalances and they don’t even know it. Despite�tests for abnormal thyroid function, they don’t always acknowledge a thyroid that isn�t functioning properly. The same can be said for the adrenals. When they are overtaxed, the imbalance that follows can be quite challenging. There are top-quality natural remedies for hormonal imbalance.
How to tell
Under-producing glands will have some symptoms that are different from glands that are over-producing. But there are some symptoms that are shared across the board.
If you notice that you experience several of these symptoms, it could point to a hormonal imbalance:
Weight loss or gain without doing anything new/different
A chiropractor, naturopath, or specialist can help you determine if you have a hormonal imbalance. Medical doctors often prescribe medications, but in most cases, the imbalance can be corrected with a natural treatment. These treatments are highly beneficial in treating hormonal imbalances. They can be done separately or combined.
Herbs & Oils
There are several herbs and essential oils that work wonders when it comes to balancing hormones. Ashwagandha is at the top of the list for treating overactive or sluggish thyroid as well as overtaxed adrenals. It’s available as a tablet, capsule, in powder form, or as a liquid. Mixing � to � teaspoons of powder into some milk with honey and drinking it just before bed can help sleep, calm stress and balance the hormones. Various oils like clary sage, lavender, and sandalwood help reduce stress and promote wellbeing. Hormonal balance comes as a natural result. Put 3 to 5 drops in a diffuser and breathe in.
Nutritional Balance
Hormonal imbalance can often be the result of stress, whether emotional stress from everyday life or physical stress from poor habits like not getting the proper amount of sleep and not maintaining a proper diet. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are vital for heart health, vibrant skin and hormonal balance.
Other nutrients include vitamin D, B complex, and magnesium. If not getting enough in the foods you eat, then consider supplements. Give the body a great boost by taking probiotics and reaping the healing properties of bone broth. Bone broth is available in powder or liquid or you can make your own. There is intense nutrition in broth so incorporating it into your diet is a very wise decision.
Natural Balance
Chiropractic is a powerful treatment for hormonal imbalance. It focuses on the heart of factors that cause the body to go out of balance and treats the problem at the root. It can relieve stress in the body and reduce and eliminate pain, which can contribute to hormonal imbalances. It is considered one of the best natural treatments for hormonal imbalance because it brings the body back into balance.
The whole-body approach that chiropractic offers means that you get recommendations on:
Healthy diet
Exercise
Lifestyle changes
All of these work together to balance your body and balance hormones for a healthier, happier you.
Methods in treating inflammation are the focus of this video. Dr. Alex Jimenez presents a discussion of natural ways to treat inflammatory cascades. Knowing what are the best supplements are presented. This is a safe alternative that is well researched.
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Dr. Alex Jimenez RN, DC, MSACP, CCST
PODCAST: Dr. Alex Jimenez and his crew focus on making several facts about the COVID-19 pandemic clear. Currently, there is no definitive cure for COVID-19. But what can we do then you may ask? Dr. Alex Jimenez, chiropractor in El Paso, TX, and his crew presents Antiviral Strategies that have scientific substantiations from healthcare professionals around the world. In a moment where information is spread without scientific support, we must look into the research studies that have sound science evidence in order to understand non-fiction from what the true science has presented. These are difficult times and very scary times. We present a body of information present from the works of Dr. Alex Vasquez. His information at time cryptic and found in his writings do shed some light and direction which many of us can take in order to prepare for optimal support from our own immunity. The scientific community is clear. Again, at this time there is no cure for COVID-19. This does not mean we must not look at a way to optimize our immunity. Specifically, since there is much that has been studied in the ways the Antiviral Stategies can prepare our bodies. Dr. Alex Jimenez and his crew continue to discuss Antiviral Strategies and how these can improve our immune system. – Podcast Insight
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Thank You & God Bless.
Dr. Alex Jimenez RN, DC, MSACP, CCST
PODCAST: Dr. Alex Jimenez, chiropractor in El Paso, TX, and Dr. Marius Ruja, chiropractor in El Paso, TX, ultimately discuss the reasons why choosing a functional medicine approach can safely and effectively improve overall health and wellness. The world has shifted in health care. There’s no time more than now which has started to look to the cause of disease as the present day focused on functional medicine approaches, methods and protocols. We discuss the “why” to choose the option of functional medicine in the present day health care system. Functional medicine focuses on natural treatment approaches to promote the healing of the human body. In this day and age, functional medicine may be essential to help improve our immune system. – Podcast Insight
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Thank You & God Bless.
Dr. Alex Jimenez RN, DC, MSACP, CCST
PODCAST: The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated our country into a heightened level of awareness. We start with our families and we start in our homes. Dr. Alex Jimenez, chiropractor in El Paso, TX, and Dr. Mario Ruja, chiropractor in El Paso, TX, discuss their perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic as healthcare professionals. Following the CDC’s guidelines, including staying at home, and washing your hands, has been recommended to help control the COVID-19 pandemic, among other CDC guidelines. Dr. Alex Jimenez and Dr. Mario Ruja continue to discuss the changes that the world is going through as countries learn to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and other modern circumstances. – Podcast Insight
If you have enjoyed this video and/or we have helped you in any way please feel free to subscribe and share us.
Thank You & God Bless.
Dr. Alex Jimenez RN, DC, MSACP, CCST
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
