From eNewsletter 7/14/2021
DID YOU KNOW that a recent study in Neuropharmacology suggests that addiction could be associated with genetic predisposition of the dopamine pathway? Where have you heard of that before ;) Although many people try illicit drugs like cocaine or heroin, only a small proportion develop an addiction. The interaction found between reward-seeking traits and the drug-taking experience show that predisposition to addiction has a genetic basis, specifically dopamine receptors. While the goal of this study focused on drugs, the dopamine pathway is sensitive to myriad addictive substances, and none more potent than sugar. In the hundreds of genetic screenings we've done, it is common to see a genetic connection between altered dopamine pathways and sugar cravings, and occasionally the extreme state of sugar addiction. If you wish to assess your dopamine genetic predisposition, our Pure Genomics wellness screening covers four dopamine variations.
Announcements
2021 Bonnie C. Minsky Award Recipient Once per year, Bonnie gives a scholarship to one graduate student at University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health. The 2021 recipient of the Bonnie C. Minsky Award is Amanda Montgomery. Amanda is a Registered Dietitian and first-year MPH Student in the Community Health Sciences. She is a member of Radical Public Health and a Research Assistant with the Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Committee. She has worked as a Community Dietitian for five years and is currently the Community Health Education Manager at Heartland Health Centers. She is passionate about food justice, compassion-based nutrition and reducing anti-fat bias within public health and health care systems. She is so proud to have been selected as the recipient of the Bonnie C. Minsky Award. As a Registered Dietitian, she is passionate about nutrition and has spent her entire career working to increase health equity. She believes that every person deserves access to resources that support health including affordable, culturally relevant foods, accessible health care and safe play spaces. She hopes to work for a social justice focused health care organization, impacting both communities and the health care system. She wants to work in partnership with communities to create relevant, sustainable solutions to health inequities, and to support them in creating systems of food and eating that allow them to connect to their culture and fill them with joy.
Food Intolerance Test Blood Draw Update Next available Saturday blood draw date for the Biotrition food intolerance test is September 18th.
Text Us To better serve your needs, we now have the ability to accept text messages. Simply type in (847) 498-3422 and text away!
UPDATE - COVID-19 Vaccine Information We updated this document Monday, July 12th.
Virus Prevention And Treatment Vaccines will minimize COVID-19 related mortality and hospitalizations, but SARS-CoV-2 is not going away, as evidenced by its ever-mutating variants. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus we fight. There are influenza (flu), norovirus (stomach flu), adenovirus (common cold), and four other coronaviruses (common cold), among others.We highly recommend continuing your immune support. For more information, refer to our Prevent and Fight Viruses 2.0 Protocol.
COVID-19 Condition Monograph For those interested in conventional and integrative treatments for COVID-19 with over 250 references, this is our COVID-19 Condition Monograph.
Post-COVID Syndrome The official diagnosis for post-COVID syndrome (PCS) are symptoms that last for 12 weeks or more. If you, a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor is suffering from PCS, diligently following our Post-COVID Syndrome Action Plan for purchase, or free to paid members here, can bring measurable improvement.
PARTICULAR WITH OUR PRENATALS
Steve and Bonnie: We are often asked why we are so particular with the prenatal multivitamin/minerals we recommend. We are so particular that we were compelled to work with a supplement manufacturer years ago to create one that met every possible scenario to assure our clients are covered with optimal nutrient sources and dosages. The science backs us up.
A recent study in Nutrients evaluated 180 commercial prenatal supplements and found that they varied widely, often contained only a subset of essential vitamins and minerals, and the levels were often below the authors recommendations. They implore a critical need to establish recommendations for optimal levels of vitamin and mineral supplementation before and during pregnancy.
Multivitamin Without the Mineral
The main issue we have with prenatals is that they are often multivitamins only, not multivitamin/minerals. Vitamins are not the only essential nutrients women need prenatally and during pregnancy. Calcium, and especially magnesium, are critical minerals not only for prepping to conceive, but for the fetus and mother during pregnancy.
Malabsorbed, Poor Quality Nutrients
It boggles the mind that some of the worst multivitamins for any group, when it comes to sources and quality, are prenatals. It should be the other way around.
For example, rarely will you see a prenatal that contains activated B-vitamins for women with a genetic predisposition that does not allow them to absorb B-vitamins optimally. B-vitamins are critical for healthy maturation of the fetus, especially when it comes to utilizing folate. Most prenatals have folic acid, but not the methylated form of folate that is easily absorbed. Another example are the critical minerals zinc and vitamin D (sometimes D2, not even D3), that are often woefully low.
Many prenatals, especially those by prescription so that they are covered by insurance, have awful excipients (other ingredients) such as artificial colors, talc, corn starch, among others.
More Than Just a Prenatal
What most health professionals do not understand is that a prenatal multivitamin/mineral is the foundation nutrients, but needs to be augmented with other essential nutrients for an optimal pregnancy. We almost always recommend an omega-3 fatty acid supplement and probiotic. In our clients that have a genetic predisposition for not getting enough choline, we would recommend this as well.
As the authors of the Nutrients study alluded to, the prenatal and pregnancy cycles are the most important time to deliver the best sources and dosages of nutrients. Unfortunately, the opposite is true, and this needs to changed immediately. In the interim, you can always ask us what prenatal is best for you.
PRENATAL AND PREGNANCY UPDATE These eNewsletter articles are reserved for paid NCI Well Connect Members. You can get them by signing up here for a one year membership.
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