Functional Medicine Research with Dr. Nikolas Hedberg

The combination of hydrochloric acid, lipase, and pepsin combine to create the acidic gastric juices found in the stomach. These healthy stomach acid levels serve as a first line of defense for the gastrointestinal system, preventing infectious agents from reaching the intestines. A normal gastric pH is considered to be present with pH values >3, with values below 4 capable of killing bacterial invaders within 15 minutes. Gastric juices with a pH >3 mark the beginning stages of...

A new paper entitled, “Impaired Vagal Activity in Long-COVID-19 Patients” sheds light on the vagus nerve’s involvement in Long-COVID-19. COVID-19 is divided into three phases of infection: 1. “Acute COVID-19” (signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection up to 4 weeks). 2. “Ongoing symptomatic COVID-19” (from 4 weeks up to 12 weeks). 3. “Post-COVID-19 syndrome” (signs and symptoms persist beyond 12 weeks). Click here to learn more about the Hedberg Institute Membership. Study Methods 30...

Histamine is often overlooked as a cause of chronic health problems yet the fix for this issue can be quite straightforward. In this article, I cover the details of histamine and how to follow a low histamine diet. Histamine intolerance (HIT) affects approximately 1% of the population. Approximately 80% of those affected are middle-aged.1 Histamine intolerance occurs when an individual has more histamine in their system than they can breakdown. Excess systemic concentrations of histamine can...

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that five out of every 100 Americans over the age of 12 have hypothyroidism. The prevalence of this disease increases with age.(1) This makes hypothyroidism the most common disease arising from a hormonal insufficiency.(2) Gender is an influencing factor, as women are three to seven times more likely to develop hypothyroidism than men.(1) Known risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing this disease include having a family history...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Palmer Kippola on how to beat autoimmune disease and her new book "Beat Autoimmune: The 6 Keys to Reverse Your Condition and Reclaim Your Health". We had a great talk walking through her F.I.G.H.T.S. protocol which includes food, infections, gut health, hormones, toxins, and stress. Our focus in this interview was on practical strategies for those with autoimmune disease to implement right away into their lives. Palmer has dealt...

Functional medicine practitioners often take a “Foods First” approach, recommending dietary modifications to improve health. However, for those with low stomach acid, diet alone may not be enough to ensure adequate nutrition. Low stomach acid can impair digestive ability, causing nutritional deficiencies even in those individuals consuming an optimal diet. This article will focus on the main digestive chemical associated with the stomach, hydrochloric acid. The causes of low stomach acid and...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Sally Norton in a discussion about how oxalates affect your thyroid and your health. We covered what oxalates are and how they can damage the body. We also discussed how oxalates affect gut health, liver health, thyroid health as well as all the symptoms and associated conditions connected to oxalates. If you're really struggling to get well, but your diet appears to be healthy, oxalates may be the missing link. Full Transcript on...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Dr. Theodore Belfor in a discussion on cranial facial development and airway resistance. If you have read James Nestor's new book "Breath" then you are aware of Dr. Belfor's work. We talked about the causes of abnormal cranial development and how this causes airway resistance and a number of health problems including sleep apnea, insomnia, IBS, bruxism, and more. Our cranial bones don't form properly when we aren't breastfed and...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Dr. Ron Parks in a discussion about COVID-19 and the mental health crises. Dr. Parks has written a new book "COVID-19 and Mental Health Crises" which we discuss as well as a variety of other topics that can help those afflicted by this pandemic. The mental health aspects of COVID-19 are often overlooked with more of a focus on the physical aspects of the illness, medications, vaccines etc. As usual in the United States, mental...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Tom Fabian, PhD in a detailed discussion about the GI-MAP stool test interpretation. We covered virtually every aspect of the GI-MAP stool test including what the test results mean and how to use them in clinical practice. Dr. Fabian has tremendous knowledge of the gut microbiome and the intricacies of the GI-MAP stool test markers. This is a vital interivew to listen to if you're utilizing the GI-MAP stool test in your practice....

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Robb Wolf about his new book and documentary Sacred Cow. We had a great conversation dispelling some of the myths about meat and saturated fat as well as climate change, plant-based diets, sustainable agriculture, veganism, cattle and methane, and the ethics of eating animals. This was a well-rounded interview packed with information that should help people make better decisions about what they eat but also become educated about...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Ashok Gupta about his limbic system retraining program. Trauma of any kind can change the brain and nervous system in a way that prevents one from getting well. Many people never get well because they don't address the underlying trauma that has triggered or contributed to their health challenges. If you've tried eating right, exercising, sleeping well, taken the best supplements, and managed your stress, but you still aren't...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Dr. Deb Matthew about her new book on male sexual health "Why Can't I Keep Up Anymore?: A Guide to Regaining Energy, Focus, and Peak Physical & Sexual Performance for Men Over 40". We discussed the causes of male sexual dysfunction, lab testing, causes of low testosterone, stress and cortisol levels, sex hormone binding globulin, testosterone replacement methods, how sleep affects hormones and much more. This book isn't just for...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview my friend and colleague Cass Nelson-Dooley, M.S. in a discussion on how to heal your oral microbiome. Cass recently published the book "Heal Your Oral Microbiome" and we discussed many important topics about this often overlooked health issue. We discussed what conditions may be connected to a dysbiotic oral microbiome, how oral microbiome dysbiosis affects your health, health sweeteners, strategies to heal the oral microbiome,...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview dietician Tracey Long in a deep discussion about how to overcome mold and biotoxin illness. Tracey has firsthand experience with mold and biotoxin illness so she brings a unique and valuable perspective to this topic. We discussed Tracey's personal journey with mold and biotoxin illness, how to test your home for mold, lab testing, associated conditions, symptoms, and management strategies to get well. Full transcript on How to...

The Paleo Diet is a popular diet that can work well for many chronic diseases, especially autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s disease. However, the Paleo Diet can be somewhat restrictive which can result in deficiencies if the dieter doesn’t carefully review their food and micronutrient intake. Iodine is one important micronutrient that may become depleted on a Paleo Diet. The Autoimmune Paleo Diet is an even more restrictive diet so the same deficiency may happen. Let’s review what the...

I would like to report on the new product GI Meal Select from Moss Nutrition. With the increasing prevalence of gut disorders, we need more strategies to help patients get well quickly and effectively. GI Meal Select has been carefully formulated to address many aspects of gut healing in an affordable and effective product. GI Meal Select is designed to provide optimal nutrient sustenance so it can act as a stand-alone meal replacement. It is easy to digest, pleasant tasting, and reasonably...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview Dr. Sam Yanuck in a discussion about his latest paper on COVID-19, written with co-authors Drs. Joseph Pizzorno, ND, Helen Messier, MD, PhD, and Kara Fitzgerald, ND. Their excellent paper outlines a phased approach to COVID-19 with specific strategies on prevention, management throughout the infection, and into the recovery period. Dr. Yanuck has an erudite understanding of the immune system which you'll find to be extremely useful...

“Adrenal Fatigue” is a term used for many years by alternative medicine practitioners but does it exist? This is certainly a term that I have used for some time but not in the way that most practitioners use it. I will use terms at times that are widely searched for on the internet so that I can spread the science behind these terms but it doesn’t necessarily mean that I endorse the term or subscribe to the existence of a condition. There are a few published papers that tackle this very...

In this episode of Functional Medicine Research, I interview naturopathic physician Dr. Ilana Gurevich on overcoming inflammatory bowel disease. We had a deep discussion about testing and treatment options for inflammatory bowel diseases including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. We covered diagnostic testing, the pros and cons of stool test markers, probiotics, fiber, digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, gut healing nutrients, diets like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, helminths,...