Vitamedicine
Nutrition | Naturopathic Medicine | Lifestyle Medicine | Public Health
The Clinical Utility of Minerals: A snapshot. Part 2
New journal article has been published. Optimum nutrition is the foundation for optimum health. Minerals play a fundamental role in optimising health and managing chronic disease. This snapshot aims to introduce the clinical utility of the minerals copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and silica, such as the functions, deficiency signs and symptoms, and uses of these minerals. Some of the functions of these minerals include synthesis of haemoglobin and red and white blood cells, immune function, metabolic regulation, energy production, synthesis of neurotransmitters, bone mineralisation, bone health, formation of connective tissue, and cognitive function.
Reference: McEwen BJ. The Clinical Utility of Minerals: A snapshot. Part 2. J ATMS. 2022 28(2): 81-84.
Sunrise after rare alignment of the planets
I was up after 4 AM to observe the rare alignment of the planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury). Was amazing. Took photos and will be looking over them later. Hopefully have some good ones. Here’s the sunrise afterwards. I love how the sun looks like it’s dripping onto the horizon
World Environment Day
Today is World Environment Day
In the universe are billions of galaxies
In our galaxy are billions of planets
But there is #OnlyOneEarth
Let’s take care of it
#OnlyOneEarth is the campaign for World Environment Day 2022. It calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect, and restore our planet.
World Environment Day should be every day
Vitamin K2: Natural Medicine Week
Vitamin K2 is essential for blood health, vascular health, and normal coagulation.
Vitamin K dependent proteins include procoagulants (e.g., prothrombin), anticoagulants, osteocalcin (regulator of mineral deposition), matrix Gla protein, periostin (tissue regeneration, mediates cell activation, inhibition of calcification), among others.
There is increasing evidence that micro-calcification plays a role in atherosclerosis and is an active player in plaque progression and destabilisation.
Vitamin K2 has shown beneficial effects in arterial stiffness, vascular calcification, and micro-calcification.
In the Knappen study, healthy postmenopausal women received either placebo or MenaQ7 (180 micrograms/day) for 3 years. MenaQ7 favourably affected bone strength. MenaQ7 significantly decreased age-related decline in bone mineral content and bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. MenaQ7 significantly decreased the loss in vertebral height of the lower thoracic region at the mid-site of the vertebrae.
A 3-year double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy postmenopausal women found that 180 micrograms/day of Vitamin K2 (MenaQ7) decreased arterial stiffness compared to placebo.
Supporting Natural Medicine Week
References:
Sato T, et al. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 31;12(4):965.
Florea A., et al. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2020 Mar 2,
Knapen M.H., et al. Thromb Haemost. 2015;113(5):1135-44.
Presented for information purposes only. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to a health professional.
Chocolate: Natural Medicine Week
Chocolate is amazing! Chocolate is an abundant source of flavanols such as epicatechin, catechin, procyanidins, theobromine, and numerous minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
Studies indicate that chocolate has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplatelet, antithrombotic, anti-atherogenic, and vasodilatory properties.
Chocolate has been found to modulate glucose metabolism and can reduce endothelial dysfunction, blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic), inflammation, C-reactive protein, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and atherogenesis.
Chocolate can also improve lipid profile by decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxidised LDL cholesterol, and increasing high-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Additionally, chocolate can improve flow-mediated dilatation, insulin sensitivity, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chocolate has also been associated with overall better health, optimism, feeling happier and less lonely, and having better psychological wellbeing.
I love chocolate!
Supporting Natural Medicine Week
Reference: McEwen B. Medical Synopsis: The cardiometabolic benefits of chocolate – can chocolate be the elusive elixir to optimum health? Adv Int Med 2018; 5(2): 80-81
Presented for information purposes only. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to a health professional.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a multipurpose mineral that is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions.
It plays an important physiological role, particularly in the brain, heart, and skeletal muscles.
Magnesium is involved in the synthesis of ATP, DNA, and RNA, mitochondrial health, neurotransmission, and nitric oxide metabolism.
It is involved in the maintenance of normal muscle and nerve function, neurotransmitters, bone strength, heart rhythm, and the immune system.
Celebrating Natural Medicine Week.
Reference: McEwen BJ. Magnesium: The multipurpose mineral. J ATMS. 2021; 27(3):140-141.
Natural Medicine Week
Welcome to Natural Medicine Week
Natural Medicine Week, 23-29 May 2022, aims to promote, educate, and raise awareness of the important role natural medicine practitioners play in the health and wellbeing of Australians, proudly supported by the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society
Meditation May
Meditation May
I meditate everyday. For Meditation May I would like to bring attention to the health benefits of meditation. For each day in May, take time out to meditate, or do nothing, slow down, and take in the amazing things in your life.
Meditation has been found to improve mood, cognition, attention, creativity, self-awareness, present-moment awareness, and quality of life.
Meditation has been found to effectively reduce stress, anxiety, depression, pain, chronic pain, chronic pelvic pain, fibromyalgia, migraine, heart rate variability, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Reference: McEwen B. Meditation
in the management of endometriosis. JATMS 2021; 27(1): 22-23
Earth Day 2022
Earth Day 2022
Invest in Our Planet
Earth Day 2022 is focused on accelerating solutions to combat our greatest threat, climate change, and to activate everyone to do their part.
Let’s bring back the health of our planet. Every day is Earth Day!
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and gas), which produces heat-trapping gases. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change. The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history.
Warmer temperatures over time are changing weather patterns and disrupting the usual balance of nature. This poses many risks to human beings and all other forms of life on Earth.
Latest Podcast: Formulating & Compounding in Practice
Had the pleasure of discussing product formulation, compounding, ingredient combinations and clinical aspects, specifications, evidence, health claims (indications), dosage and dosage instructions, labelling, marketing, product quality and stability, regulations, and Listed Medicines in Australia.
Mentoring with Geraldine:
https://mentoringwithgeraldine.com/2022/01/11/ep-127-dr-brad-mcewen-formulating-compounding-in-practice/
The 12 Pillars of Vitamedicine
Vitamedicine is a personalised person-centred holistic system of health care with a core set of philosophies, principles, and practices. Vitamedicine looks at the whole person, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and environmentally, and focuses on the person’s individual needs. It aims to address the underlying causes of disordered health and promote optimum health. The uniqueness of everyone is taken into account with vitamedicine. Vitamedicine is integrative in nature and utilises the integration of traditional knowledge and science.
The 12 pillars of Vitamedicine are:
First, do no harm
Treat the whole person
Identify and treat the cause
Prevention and health promotion in all areas
The healing power of nature and that of the body
The health professional is a teacher
Regular hydration
Nourish with wholefoods
Support with herbal medicines
Daily physical activity and regular movement
Mindfulness
Sleep and rest
Lifestyle medicine underpins, strengthens, and reinforces the 12 pillars of vitamedicine. I will be going into more detail for each pillar of Vitamedicine in future posts.
Reference: McEwen B. Vitalism and Vitamedicine. JATMS 2021; 27(4): 200-207.
Vitalism and Vitamedicine
Vitalism is the doctrine that life originates in a vital principle that is distinct from other forces. There is a belief that there is a vital force operating in the living organism. All living things are sustained by a vital force, there is a vital force within all living things, and that the vital force guides life. There is a force that surrounds us. Matter in the form of living cells acts differently from the same matter in dead cells. Vitality and the vital force are essential philosophical, fundamental, and integral elements of natural medicine. Vitality has numerous meanings, such as the state of being strong and active, energetic, dynamic, aliveness, animative, resilient, and having a meaning in life. Vitalism and the vital force could be referred to as intelligent design.
Vitamedicine is a personalised person-centred holistic system of health care with a core set of philosophies, principles, and practices. Vitamedicine looks at the whole person, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and environmentally, and focuses on the person’s individual needs. It aims to address the underlying causes of disordered health and promote optimum health. The uniqueness of everyone is taken into account with vitamedicine. Vitamedicine is integrative in nature and utilises the integration of traditional knowledge and science.
The pillars of vitamedicine are: First, do no harm; Treat the whole person; Identify and treat the cause; Prevention and health promotion in all areas; The healing power of nature and that of the body; The health professional is a teacher; Regular hydration; Nourish with wholefoods; Support with herbal medicines; Daily physical activity and regular movement; Mindfulness; and Sleep and rest.
Reference: McEwen B. Vitalism and Vitamedicine. JATMS 2021; 27(4): 200-207.
Formulating for a brighter future
Had fun presenting at the Complementary Medicines Association Annual Conference yesterday. I presented on “Formulating for a brighter future: Business as Unusual”.
The conference was amazing and a highlight event for the industry. Looking forward to the next conference in 2022.
The future is bright for nutritional and herbal products.
Remembrance Day 2021
On Remembrance Day we pause to remember those men, women, and animals who have served and those who have died in all wars and peacekeeping operations.
This year, Remembrance Day Service reflects upon 21 years of service in the 21st century. The past 21 years have seen Australians serve all over the world in conflicts, peacekeeping, and peacemaking missions. Here at home, the Australian Defence Force has supported our community through some of the most challenging experiences of our generation – from floods to bush fires and in the front lines of the current pandemic.
We remember. Lest we forget.
World Chocolate Day
World Chocolate Day
Chocolate is amazing! Let’s celebrate.
Chocolate is an abundant source of flavanols such as epicatechin, catechin, procyanidins, theobromine, and numerous minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
Studies indicate that chocolate has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplatelet, antithrombotic, anti-atherogenic, and vasodilatory properties. Chocolate has been found to modulate glucose metabolism and can reduce endothelial dysfunction, blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic), inflammation, C-reactive protein, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and atherogenesis. It can also improve lipid profile by decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxidised LDL cholesterol, and increasing high-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Additionally, chocolate can improve flow-mediated dilatation, insulin sensitivity, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Chocolate has also been associated with overall better health, optimism, feeling happier and less lonely, and having better psychological wellbeing.
McEwen B. Medical Synopsis: The cardiometabolic benefits of chocolate – can chocolate be the elusive elixir to optimum health? Adv Int Med 2018; 5(2): 80-81
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