Dimensions of Wellness Healthcare

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality With These 9 Indoor Plants

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

When NASA first published its “Clean Air Study” in 1989, it recommended the use of several indoor plants to remove toxic agents from the air.

Sick building syndrome and plants

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that people experience when spending time in a building, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms usually get worse the longer you're in the building and get better after you leave. Other people in the building may also have symptoms.

The theory is that the person is reacting to toxic agents in the atmosphere.

As a result, NASA recommends placing one toxic agent-filtering plant for every 100 square feet of home or office space in order to keep air quality at its utmost finest.

What Are These Toxic Agents (Pollutants) & Why Are They Dangerous?

Environmental Pollutants, Physical Risks and Where These Can Be Found

The Following 9 Indoor Plants Have Been Found To Improve Your Home's Air Quality

1. Peace lilies

Peace lilies are effective at removing all five of the toxic agents from indoor air, as mentioned on NASA's list.

2. Hardy garden mum

These colorful perennials is the only other plant on the NASA study found to be effective at removing all five toxic agents.

3. Bamboo palm

Bamboo palms only filter two out of NASA's five identified toxic agents, both formaldehyde and xylene.

4. Snake plant

The snake plant is quite effective at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen and are effective at removing four out of the five toxic agents, only missing out on ammonia.

5. Devil's ivy

Devil's ivy is great at purifying your air. They have been found to be effective at removing: Benzene, formaldehyde and xylene.

6. Boston fern

The good old Boston fern is a popular houseplant, as it is safe for dogs and cats. This fern is effective at reducing levels of formaldehyde and xylene.

7. Aloe vera

In addition to being great for your skin, aloe vera can filter out benzene and formaldehyde.

8. Red-edged dracaena

Referred to as “the song of India,” this plant has been found to be effective at filtering benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene.

9. Chinese evergreen

This plant native to tropical areas of Asia will filter out benzene and formaldehyde.

Unfortunately, Peace Lilies, Hardy Garden Mum, Snake plants, Devil's ivy, Aloe Vera, Red-edged dracaena and Chinese evergreen are toxic to dogs and cats. They are not recommended for homes with pets

Dr. Grisanti's Comments

NASA recommends one plant every 100 square feet - which is about 9.2 square meters

In a home of about 1800 square feet in size (roughly 167 square meters), NASA recommends 15-18 houseplants.

However, the exact number depends on what plants you opt for - you'll need fewer plants if they are larger and more efficient at reducing toxins.

Incorporating more plants in the home, not only has an impact on our physical and mental health, but they look great too.

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References:

Official NASA Plant Paper

//www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/NASA-PlantPaper.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796751/
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/sick_building_factsheet.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/sick-building-syndrome

** Always consult with a physician or healthcare practitioner with significant integrative or functional medicine training before starting any of the above recommendations.

You can find a qualified and certified functional medicine practitioner by going to: www.FunctionalMedicineDoctors.com

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his functional medicine community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com for more information on our training in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University's Certification Program (CFMP) www.functionalmedicinedoctors.com. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Grisanti is required

Glyphosate (RoundUp) and Cardiovascular Disease

Glyphosate (Roundup) and Cardiovascular Disease

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

Glyphosate is a worldwide commonly used herbicide and is the primary toxic chemical in Roundup™, as well as in many other herbicides.

A growing number of clinical studies have discovered glyphosate exposure to be a cause of many chronic health problems including heart disease.

It can enter the body by direct absorption through the skin, by eating foods treated with glyphosate, or by drinking water contaminated with glyphosate.

Some studies have shown cardiac electrophysiological changes associated to glyphosate.

Glyphosate exposure has been implicated as the potential cause of diffuse electrophysiological depolarization and repolarization conduction abnormalities, including prolonged QTc, intraventricular block, and AV conduction delay. These changes can lead to the development of life-threatening arrhythmias.

Some studies suggests that glyphosate has atherogenic potential, regardless of the concentration and route of exposure. It is recommended to considered testing your patients suffering cardiovascular challenges for glyphosate exposure.

Testing for Glyphosate

Treatment:

There are several things you can do to minimize — and even eliminate — glyphosate contamination

The most effective way to reduce glyphosate exposure is to avoid living in areas where glyphosate is applied and to avoid eating GMO foods or animal products such as milk or meat for which GMO foods were used to feed the animals.

It must also be emphasized to eat organic produce!

The following should also be included in your glyphosate detox protocol:

1. Citrus pectin

2. Alginates (purified from kelp)

3. Glycine

4. Gingko biloba

5. Organic Iceland kelp

6. Probiotics and prebiotics

7. Infrared sauna

References

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0748233721996578
https://www.heartrhythmcasereports.com
https://jphe.amegroups.com/article/view/3665/4415
https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/glyphosate-test
https://draxe.com/health/glyphosate-toxicity/

www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

How to Detoxify Plastics (Phthalates)?

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S., CFMP

As we discussed in the first article, over accumulation of phthalates in the body has the potential to be a major contender for a series of health challenges.

One of the first questions I am commonly asked is where am I getting this exposure from?

Exposure to plasticizers can come from skin absorption of cosmetics, body lotions, hair gels, shampoos, and deodorants. You can ingest them from water, PVC (water) pipes, detergents, and foods. We also can inhale them from airborne adhesives and glues, building materials, school/business supplies, furnishings, auto interiors, solvents, plastics, lubricants, insect repellants, vinyl flooring, carpet tiles, vinyl wallpaper, body toiletries, artificial leather, adhesives, dyes, and toys. Don't forget that plastics coat every wire in the electrical systems of our homes, offices, appliances and computers. As the wires heat, the plastic coating outgases into the air.

So as you can see, plastics are everywhere and, to be quite honest, they are difficult to avoid.

The best most people can do is to be certain they are doing everything they can to effectively and efficienctly eliminate any build-up of plastics (phthalates) in the body.

Before I move on to the 3 step protocol to detoxify plastics, it is first important to determine your level of accumulation. For some people they are fast metabolizers and quickly eliminate any exposure to plastics or for that matter most environmental toxins. On the other hand, there are many people who have a poorly functioning detoxification system and will unfortunately accumulate plastics as well as other environmental toxins.

The best way to determine your level of accumulation or toxic burden is to get tested. The recommended lab test is called GPL-TOX Profile (Toxic Non-Metal Chemicals) (https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/gpl-tox)

Phthalates & Parabens Profile

How Do We Get Rid of Them?

Let's look at 3 ways you can help your body detox it's plastic overload:

1: Since they are detoxified through glucuronidation, take IndolPlex and Calcium D-Glucarate each 2 twice a day.

2: Having 2 or more servings of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables a day revs up the detoxification of plastics. These include cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, mizuna, watercress, arugula, turnips, collard greens, kale, rutabaga, and more.

3: A third way to get the phthalates out is with your Far Infrared Sauna. It is important to have a health professional knowledgeable in the best protocol for using the Far Infrared Sauna.

Meanwhile, considering the level of plastics we are exposed to on a daily basis it may be necessary for slow metabolizers and accumulators of plastics to regularly follow a detox protocol as listed above.

I like to conclude and be certain that everyone understands the seriousness and potential danger of an over accumulation of plastics in the body. Your present and future health depends on doing your due diligence to clear your body of these environmental toxins.

Reference:

Rogers S, Detoxify or Die, Prestige Publishing, 2002

www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com

Mercury Toxicity: The Great Mimicker

Ronald Grisanti D.C., DABCO, DACBN, MS, CFMP

Mercury toxicity is the great mimicker of a host of health challenges.

Here is a sample of what one should know about mercury toxicity.

1: Mercury is known to denervate nerve fibers, similar to the pathology of multiple sclerosis. In other words, it makes it so the nerves do not work.

2: Mercury can leak into the blood-brain barrier and reduce nerve conduction velocity and visual evoked responses, diagnostic tests used for multiple sclerosis.

3: Mercury can inhibit the action (binding) of happy hormones, like serotonin, at the synapse (nerve to nerve connection) leading to depression.

4: Mercury can cause hearing loss.

5: Mercury can decrease norepinephrine and dopamine activity at synapses, damaging our molecules of emotion. This can make a person lack zip, enthusiasm, joy, and creativity and make him anxious, insomniac, and terribly tense.

6: Mercury can create peripheral neuropathy, auto-immunity and interferes with synapse transmission, decreasing infection control so the unsuspecting victim gets recurrent sinusitis, prostate or gum infections, as examples.

7: Hidden mercury toxicity can be at the root of a resistant Candida infection. Sometimes you just cannot clear Candida symptoms until you get rid of the mercury.

8: Mercury is also a major undiagnosed cause of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

9: Whenever we see someone resistant to all treatments, there is a high probability mercury toxicity is at the root of it.

10: Mercury toxicity can create any baffling neurologic disease as well as impair cure for any disease of other body systems.

One of the most common symptoms we see from mercury toxicity is that of terrible body burning and baffling pain that migrates.

But what neurologist looks for mercury toxicity?

And you certainly will never find it by doing an MRI.

Instead, folks get fictitious diagnoses like erythromelalgia, fibromyalgia, idiopathic neuropathy, neurosis, idiopathic pain syndrome, or hypochondriasis.

Reference:

Rogers SA, Detoxify or Die, Prestige Publishing, Syracuse NY, 2002

Compliments of Functional Medicine University www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

Mold & Anxiety

Mycotoxins (Mold) and Anxiety

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

Emerging evidence between depression, anxiety, and exposure to mold has surfaced. It is thought to be associated with many complex health problems. Black mold species such as Aspergillus, Fusarium and Stachybotrys produce mycotoxins that are toxic to central parts of the body, including the brain.

Many mycotoxins are neurotoxins causing lesions in the brain in the grey matter and the white matter. This directly affects the frontal cortex, cause dopamine dysfunction which can create psychological disorders like anxiety or depression. These disorders occurs when the nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed. Without dopamine, the nerve cells in that part of the brain cannot properly send messages.

Mold is a biotoxin, and it releases toxic gas and spores into the air. When the toxins enter your body, via skin or air, the toxic gases cause a disturbance in many organs, including your brain.

Brown University conducted a series of cases linking mold, anxiety, and depression back in 2007. This was a large study, analyzing data from 5,882 adults in 2,982 households. Molds are toxins, and some research has indicated that these toxins can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of the frontal cortex.

Mold spores act as irritants, which can trigger the body to mount an immune response. This can lead to inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation in the brain can impair cognitive function, and in the case of chronic inflammation, this can lead to long-lasting cognitive impairment.

Mold is a sometimes silent and yet formidable trigger of symptoms. It is lurking in our homes, offices, cars, washing machines, and bathrooms without notice. It is quite literally a silent but deadly killer of our immune system and trigger of brain-related issues. If you have been exposed, you must detox mold from your body as soon as possible.

One of the best test to detect mycotoxins is from Great Plains Laboratory (https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/gpl-tox)

Here is a sample report from Great Plains Laboratory--https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/GPLTOXReport.pdf

If you find you have mold (mycotoxin) exposure it is recommended to consult with your physician for the best treatment.

It is also imperative to do a deep dive into your home or work environment to identify where the mold is coming from. If mold is discovered the next step is to hire a professional company do a mold remediation.

References:

https://news.brown.edu/articles/2007/08/depression-and-household-mold

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3179161

https://www.clinicaltherapeutics.com/article/S0149-2918

Compliments of www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com

Multiple Sclerosis: A Trigger Identified

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S., CFMP

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a serious chronic neurological disorder in which the insulating cover of nerve cells (myelin sheathing) is destroyed. This is referred to as demyelination.

As of 2008, between 2 and 2.5 million people are affected globally

As the disease progresses, the nerves malfunction leading to an inflammatory cascade that damages the brain and spinal cord (CNS).

Four common symptoms of MS include:

Eye pain
Numbness, tingling, or a pins-and-needles sensation anywhere in the body that doesn't go away after two weeks
Swelling of the limbs or trunk
Intense itching sensation, especially in the neck area

There are four types of MS.

1: Relapsing-remitting MS- this is where a person will have a period of symptoms followed with a period where there will be no symptoms.This is the most common type of MS.

Unfortunately, the next three are progressive and symptoms tend to not go away.

2: Primary progressive—this is associated with the disease being progressive with no remission.

3: Secondary progressive—this is associated with initially having remissions followed with progressive deterioration and more remissions.

4: Progressive relapsing—this is associated with an initial progressive onset where there were no remissions. However, later as the disease progresses a person may experience remissions.

Diagnosis

Unfortunately there are no specific antibody tests for MS. The disease is confirmed “only” after the person has neurological symptoms twice and lesions are found on an MRI. It is important to note that one episode of the common symptoms that resolve and never come back is considered negative for MS.

Triggering Theory

Scientists in the field of immunology have been searching for the potential “triggers” that cause the immune cells to attack the myelin sheathing.

Scientists have posed the question, “is something damaging the insulation of nerve cells”? The literature including functional medicine practitioners has supported a few triggers such as gluten, Epstein Barr, vitamin D deficiency, heavy metals toxicity and microbial pathogens.

Today we will spend a little time on the issue of infectious disease as a potential trigger of MS.

The medical research has identified elevated amounts of immunogobulins in 95 percent of MS patients. This suggests that the brain is aggressively battling an infection.

It is interesting to note that the pathogen most commonly involved in this fight infecting the brain is Chlamydia pneumonia.

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have found that 50% of C. pneumoniae are also made inside the central nervous system as well as the brain.

Further studies have revealed enthusiastically that the eradication of Chlamydia pneumonia via the antibiotic, minocycline helped improve the symptoms of rapidly worsening MS patients

References:

Contini C1, Seraceni S, Cultrera R, Castellazzi M, Granieri E, Fainardi E. Chlamydophila pneumoniae Infection and Its Role in Neurological Disorders. Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis. 2010

Chen X1, Ma X, Jiang Y, Pi R, Liu Y, Ma L. The prospects of minocycline in multiple sclerosis. J Neuroimmunol. 2011 Jun;235(1-2)

Fainardi E1, Castellazzi M, Tamborino C, Seraceni S, Tola MR, Granieri E, Contini C. Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific intrathecal oligoclonal antibody response is predominantly detected in a subset of multiple sclerosis patients with progressive forms. J Neurovirol. 2009 Sep;15(5-6):425-33.

Szczucilski A1, Losy J. Infectious agents in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Przegl Epidemiol. 2006;60 Suppl 1:160-5.

Compliments of Functional Medicine University www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

Seven Ways Plastics Damage the Body

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S.,CFMP

Plastics (or the chemical name, phthalates) are now considered the number one pollutant in the human body. They make products flexible, and durable, and these chemicals are also in items you would not consider to be plastics, like pesticides, detergents, cosmetics, medications, or your shampoo. They are found everywhere. It is difficult to completely avoid them.

You can live in the most pristine place on planet earth and still find animals polluted with plastics.

It is an interesting fact that plasticizers are over 10,000 to 1,000,000 times higher in our bodies than any other toxins that have been found in EPA studies.

Unfortunately once in the body, these plastics do enormous damage.

7 Ways Plastics Damage the Body

1: Phthalates damage the chemistry of fatty acids most importantly, the fatty acid, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). This is the fundamental chemistry necessary for making every cell lining or membrane. These fatty acids are the foundation for brain health including memory and recall.

2: Phthalates can create a zinc deficiency which will compromise the metabolism of vitamins A and B-6. In turn this could lead to conditions such as indigestion, depression, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and accelerated aging.

As a quick side note the combination of low zinc and low DHA can lead to chronic inflammation. Medical literature has clearly identified chronic inflammation as one of the most common underlying pathologies of most diseases leading to auto-immune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, MS) to cancer and heart disease.

3: Phthalates has been found to be responsible for damaging the pancreas leading to diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome X.

4: Phthalates has been found to lower sulfation. This means that you are no longer able to effectively detoxify like you should. This in turn can lead to a whole host of health challenges.

5: Phthalates damage hormone function, especially thyroid and testosterone.

6: Phthalates can poison the peroxisomes needed for the control of the chemistry of cholesterol. They can cause high cholesterol while at the same time keep cholesterol from forming the “happy hormones” (neurotransmitters) of the brain.

7: Phthalates can damage the body's ability to make catalase. Catalase is absolutely essential for devouring up the hydrogen peroxide that cancer cells make to allow them to metastasize or wildly spread throughout the body. Lack of catalase is a reason why many cancers briefly seem to be in remission after treatments, only to resurface months or years later with lethal consequences.

These are only 7 of the devastating effects of plastics in our bodies. Many diseases will never be cured until the phthalates are out.

Reference:

Rogers S, Detoxify or Die, Prestige Publishing, 2002

www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality With These 9 Indoor Plants

Glyphosate (RoundUp) and Cardiovascular Disease

Glyphosate (Roundup) and Cardiovascular Disease

How to Detoxify Plastics (Phthalates)?

How to Detoxify Plastics (Phthalates)?

Mercury Toxicity: The Great Mimicker

Mercury Toxicity: The Great Mimicker

Mold & Anxiety

Mycotoxins (Mold) and Anxiety

Multiple Sclerosis: A Trigger Identified

Multiple Sclerosis: A Trigger Identified

Seven Ways Plastics Damage the Body

Seven Ways Plastics Damage the Body

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