INSULIN RESISTANCE ARTICLE
March 1st, 2021
It is time for the most important article of the year.
This article is deep and shallow. It is science heavy and straight to the point. It is long and necessary. It is probably the most important piece that I have written in a decade.I hope that you will take the time.
Read it twice.
What is insulin resistance?
This is a very complex question that needs a nuanced answer versus the theories of old. We will look at this topic in one run over two newsletters as it will be too difficult to break up in to 4 or 5 and understand.
Volume 11, Letter 11
March 1st, 2021
Insulin resistance is one of the most important preventable human diseases.
It is a key cog in the machine of metabolic disease and co-morbid death. To understand insulin resistance is to understand the etiology of environmental genetic mismatch and gives us a true understanding of the devastating effects on human physiology..
Dr. M
Unifying Theory of SARS2COVID19
February 22nd, 2021
For the Unifying Theory of SARS2COVID19 pathology that was published in September, please follow this link. In this piece, I lay out what appears to be the pathway to infection and subsequent significant illness. It will be updated in the coming months.
Opinion time continued from #2 above:
Epidemiologist Benjamin Linas has written a very thought article on why schools should be open now based on science. It is entitled, "I’m an epidemiologist and a father. Here’s why I’m losing patience with our teachers’ unions." (Linas B. 2021) I could not agree more. This is a recipe for disaster for our children. As Dr. Linas aptly states, "So, here we are, nearly one year into our national project in remote learning. It is clear that we did what was needed when Covid-19 struck. But it is also quite clear that our solution — remote learning — is failing our children and our families."
ASD Disorders
February 22nd, 2021
The newsletter metrics say that roughly 10% of the readers only tune in to the COVID newsletters whereas 90% read every week. Therefore, I replayed this article from last week based on its critical importance for all to bear witness to.
Autoimmune based Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD - Maternal autoantibody induced autism accounts for roughly 18% of all autism cases to date. The study in Molecular Psychiatry from January 2021 found that through machine learning they could identify autoantibody biomarkers that were 100% associated with autism when found in a specific pattern. In other words, the mothers of autistic children with autoimmune antibodies targeted against certain proteins in the infant's developing brain in utero were noted in 100%
Coronavirus Update 30
February 22, 2020
This week, the CDC stated that people who have received the authorized COVID-19 vaccines do not need to quarantine after exposure to a person with COVID-19 assuming they meet all of the following criteria:
1) They've received both vaccine doses, and at least 2 weeks have passed since the second dose
2) They are within 3 months of their last dose
3) They've not developed COVID-19 symptoms since their exposure
This is a welcome change for everyone in the work environment.
Volume 11, Letter 10 Coronavirus Update 30
Volume 11, Letter 10
Crowds, indoor environments, poor ventilation and TIME remain the recipe for a negative COVID19 outcome based on your personal risk of metabolic disease and genetic weakness for viral surveillance.
Latest numbers google/CDC show that cases peaked in early January and continue to aggressively trend down in all states.
The United States is now likely past 30% of its population having been vaccinated or previously infected. Couple this with warming weather patterns, effective social distancing, lack of holiday events and we have a recipe for a significant pause in case numbers.
What is a whole grain?
February 15th, 2021
We consider oats, wheat, barley, rye, corn, rice, sorghum, grasses and millet when unprocessed to be whole grains as long as they contain all of the original parts of the grain kernel.
Grains contain three parts: 1) germ; 2) endosperm; 3) bran
The germ is the plant embryo that contains many antioxidants and prevents the seed from being hurt by microorganisms. The endosperm is the starchy storage tissue that provides the energy for growth of the seed. The bran contains the fiber, vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. We need all of it.
New News
February 15th, 2021
1) Proton Pump Inhibitors, PPI, are linked to increased asthma risk
A new article in the JAMA Network noted that patients that used a proton pump inhibitor for gastro-esophageal reflux disease, GERD, had an almost two fold increased risk of developing asthma over time. This is an association study and not causative.
What do we know about the link between the two?
Asthma is well known to be a genetic disorder of immune dysregulation that has environmental triggers going all the way back to birth and early childhood.
Volume 11, Letter 9
February 15th, 2021
Autoimmunity continues to haunt humans whether we are discussing COVID pre or post illness, autism or the more than 100 chronic diseases that we see in clinic. Hot off the press, we have data looking at the antecedent risks for autism in children. It appears that 18% of these cases are related to maternal autoantibodies against parts of the developing child's brain.
Preventing autoimmune antibody formation in the body is a critical first step in avoiding most chronic diseases.
Dr. M
Section III
For the Unifying Theory of SARS2COVID19 pathology that was published in September, please follow this link. In this piece, I lay out what appears to be the pathway to infection and subsequent significant illness. It will be updated in the coming months.
SECTION 2.0
February 8th 2021
Airline safety continues to be good with effective masking, ventilation and pre flight testing. Airlines have very high quality HEPA filters that can pull viral particles out of the air while flying. The incidence of COVID infections is still tied to ineffective mask wearing, improper ventilation, and prolonged flight times assuming the flight has an asymptomatic COVID positive person on board.
If you are going to fly, comply with all rules as they are very effective.
Dr. M
Coronavirus Update 29
February 8th, 2021
It is amazing to think of where we are compared to a year ago. So many predictions. Most of them wrong. None of this is surprising. First, the good news. We are continuing the trend in the right direction. The variants circulating now have not significantly changed the infection trend in the US, yet.
The bad news. The real concern now is can we get the virus under control before mutations start to stack up and thwart the vaccine effort. As an RNA virus, SARS2 makes a lot of replicative mistakes during it's self copying events. Many are corrected but some are not. If the mutation confers a benefit to the virus,
Volume 11, Letter 8 Coronavirus Update 29
February 8th, 2021
Crowds, indoor environments, poor ventilation and TIME remain the recipe for a negative COVID19 outcome based on your personal risk of metabolic disease and genetic weakness for viral surveillance.
Latest numbers google/CDC show that cases peaked in early January and have aggressively trended down in all states. It appears that the holiday damage is finished and wave number three is leaving us.
North Carolina's Governor and Legislature are now recommending in person learning which is a shift in policy and a welcome change for our children's mental and physical health.
Reboot from 4 years ago from my friend Chris Nagy.
February 1st, 2021
As we are dead in the middle of winter, many of us still have cold days ahead. This time of year often brings "cooped up" feelings and many of us tend to feel downright dull and depressed.
Twenty-five percent of the US population suffers from a significant drop in mood and energy during the winter, often known as the "winter blues." Of those suffering with the winter blues, more than 20 percent develop seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Common symptoms of SAD include weight gain, lethargy, fatigue, irritability and decreased sociability.
Have you experienced any of these symptoms in winters past?
Vitamin D and Covid
February 1st, 2021
Dr. Peter Attia is one of the best data analyzers and seekers of truth. In his most recent post, he noted the truth behind the COVID vitamin D question. He states:
"The risk of infection depending on vitamin D levels is hard to determine. It may not prevent you from getting disease. The risk of COVID-19 severity and vitamin D levels is also not so clear cut. The published literature suggests that sufficient vitamin D status is either really beneficial, beneficial, or inconsequential. It is likely beneficial for decreased risk of severity, given what we know about immune system health and function.
Volume 11, Letter 7 Microbiome Health and Probiotics
February 1st, 2021
Help Your Microbiome
1) Eat a very diverse diet that is predominantly plant based
2) Emphasize the ingestion of fiber based complex carbohydrates
3) Eat food that is the least processed and as fresh as possible
4) Avoid foods that are known to cause intestinal distress, extremes of bowel function including diarrhea and/or constipation. This includes food allergies and sensitivities
Section 3.0
January 25th, 2021
For the Unifying Theory of SARS2COVID19 pathology that was published in September, please follow this link. In this piece, I lay out what appears to be the pathway to infection and subsequent significant illness. It will be updated in the coming months.
SECTION 2.0
January 25th, 2021
A new report in Science Magazine shows us that our saliva holds some clues to SARS2 hospitalization risk and death. The higher the viral load in the saliva which represents deeper lung disease, the worse the outcome will be according to new research. This is in line with earlier studies showing us that when the viral volume increases and the immune system is unable to control the viral replication, the next event to occur will be the cytokine elevation and systemic inflammation that is the hallmark of severe COVID disease. Testing the viral load in the saliva early in the course of disease may add a layer of predictability for disease modification through medicine.
Volume 11, Letter 6 Coronavirus Update 28
January 25th, 2021
Long one this week.
Lots of facts and opinion!
It is TIME!
Back to School!
RESULTS:
Virtual Learning Continues to Come with a Cost
January 18th, 2021
Wang and colleagues looked at over 120,000 children during a 5 year period including the home confinement of the pandemic this year. They found that during the home confinement of the COVID-19 pandemic there appears to be a significant myopic or nearsighted shift for children aged 6 to 8 years of age. It has been well known that a lack of focus on the distant horizon coupled with a persistent focus on a close screen or book will promote myopia and the need for glasses or contacts.