Herbs and spices, how to know if they contain heavy metals; New findings on bifidobacteria and why you need to care; Dr. Redfield's comments and your immune system
Immune support may be more important now than in previous years
Herbs, Spices, and Heavy Metal Contamination
Recently I shared a study examining the benefits of herbs and spices to promote healthy gut bacteria.
The FDA does not currently set a limit for heavy metal amounts allowed in herbs and spices. Consumer Reports found many popular brands contain high levels of arsenic, lead, and cadmium, even organic brands.
Of the brands CR tested, one stood out head and shoulders above the rest with little to no heavy metals present. It was Simply Organic. I buy herbs and spices in bulk at a health food store, so it is not a name brand, and therefore, unless I send the herbs to a lab, there is no way to know the metal content.
Heavy metals were found in organic and non-organic brands.
Read the CR article for the complete list of products, herbs, and spices tested. The Simply Organic brand may be the optimal choice until we know more. It is a familiar brand that can be found in most grocery stores. You can also order their spices online at simplyorganic.com
Source
https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/your-herbs-and-spices-might-contain-arsenic-cadmium-and-lead/
Bifidobacterium, Covid, the New mRNA Injections and What One Gastroenterologist Discovered
I have been reading about Dr. Sabine Hazan, a gastroenterologist interested in the gut microbiome and its impact on our health. She discovered that people who did not get severely sick from covid had more significant amounts of bifidobacteria, whereas those who did get very ill had little to none.
She also made a couple of other important discoveries, including that for some people, after the new injections, their bifidobacteria levels decreased and that not all food products, such as a kefir product that stated it contained bifidobacteria on the label, did not have any.
Why is this so important?
Her microbiome research points to the importance of a healthy gut for immune support. Her findings also indicate that it may be wise to rotate food and probiotic supplements due to the lack of oversight. Hence, you may not be consuming the probiotic strains you think you are—another reason to stick with reliable, tested, and professional probiotic supplements.
Dr. Hazan is involved in research on microbiome health in various health conditions such as psoriasis, obesity, and C diff infections.
You can check out her research on progenabiome.com
If you want to know more about your gut health, what strains your gut is populated with, and how it affects your health, contact me for a stool test with a consult to review your results. The kit can be mailed within the US except to NY and NJ.
Dr. Redfield’s Comments on the Next Virus and What to Do About it Now
Dr. Redfield, previous CDC director, has mentioned that we will likely see a more dangerous pathogen due to the gain of function research within the next several years.
Early in 2020, I began to post tips and baby steps to improve health and immune function. My philosophy then and still today is that if you make a small change each month, consider where your health will be in 12 months. As we can see, it would have helped immensely, yet much of that information was suppressed.
Yet, it still applies. If you have not focused on your health, there is no better time to start than today. Everyone has different concerns to address. If you do not know where to start or what to address, please contact me to see if my individualized protocols suit you.
Bottom Line: Eat whole foods as much as possible; your plate should look pretty and colorful; sit down to eat and chew eat a bite of food thoroughly; add in intermittent fasting one to two times per week unless health issues do not permit it; snack less; add movement into each day, take only the supplements that you need and take only quality supplements, experiment with different foods, herbs, and spices.
Note: I can't entirely agree with everything Dr. Redfield states, but he raises some valid concerns in the brief video below.
Source