Dear Doctor: One patient’s frank insight into brain injury, mental health, and chronic illness

Mathias is a patient who has been working with Dr. Kharrazian to manage his sports-related brain injury and related chronic health conditions. He has shared this as an open letter to all practitioners. It is posted here with his permission. This is a follow-up to my case history. It has been an intense struggle to…

Vagus nerve causing gut symptoms? 4 vagus exercises to help heal your gut

Is your brain causing your leaky gut? One of the ways brain dysfunction can contribute to leaky gut is through poor vagus nerve activity. The vagus nerve is a large nerve that sends communication back and forth between the organs and the brain. When the brain is in poor health it can inhibit vagal nerve…

Glutathione for managing autoimmune disease

Every day our bodies work hard to cope with the effects of environmental toxins, food intolerances, inflammatory diets high in sugar but low in nutrients, sleep deprivation, and chronic stress. To minimize the damage, it’s important to support levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant produced by the body. This can be done by taking glutathione…

New food sensitivity issues on AIP? The oral tolerance protocol

Oral Tolerance Part I: Sensitive to multiple foods and not getting better? Here’s why If you’re managing your autoimmune disease, chronic health disorder, or brain health, then you’re probably familiar with the autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet, also known as the leaky gut diet or autoimmune paleo protocol. Prior to its rebranding online, functional medicine practitioners…

Gut problems not getting better? Consider gut autoimmunity

The immune system is responsible for protecting us from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other pathogens. However, many factors of modern life have created exploding rates of immune-related disorders, including autoimmunity — a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys body tissue. Although autoimmune disease can affect any part of the body, many people…

Beyond erectile dysfunction: Male hormones and autoimmunity, inflammation, and brain health

While male hormone imbalance is not a topic that gets as much press as female hormone imbalance, it is nevertheless vital to men’s health and well-being. It is important for practitioners and patients to understand the factors that underlie male hormone imbalances so the root caused can be addressed, instead of routing patients automatically to…

SCFA – Gut bacteria’s ally in taming autoimmunity and inflammation

Healthy gut bacteria is key to managing autoimmunity and other chronic disorders in part because they produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), compounds that help modulate the immune system and dampen inflammation. The primary SCFA we look at in relation to immune health is called butyrate. Butyrate is so important to intestinal cells they will…