Mold detox advocates have entrenched themselves around their particular ways to treat those who have been exposed to these natural toxins. Who, though, is right? One researcher looks solely to a pharmaceutical called cholestyramine. Another tries to a variety of binding agents.  A third eschews any binder and just advocates anti-fungals.  The outcome can be as confusing any political struggle, and it’s your health on the line.  This article offers 1 piece of evidence why we at Sanctuary use a mix of binders, including, but not limited to, cholestyramine.  Several practical problems make choosing a binder a little more challenging.  First, there are dozens of mycotoxins which affect humans, with different ones having different molecular structures that bind better with different therapeutics.  Second, many patients have exposures to more than one mold toxin, meaning they may need more than one binder or a binder that absorbs all toxins present.  Third, much of our research looks to animal studies in the agricultural industry, data we have to extrapolate to humans.  This is not unusual in medicine, as scientists often test animals before humans, but the proportion is particularly heavy with mycotoxins because we have a multi-billion dollar industry trying to keep animals healthy and heavy to sell at market.  We take studies from their industry and do our best to apply the information to humans.  Once we recognize these obstacles and do our best to apply reasonable inferences to humans, we watch how patients respond.  Thankfully, it appears that there is more than one way to skin a cat and more than one way to detox a human.  (No offense to cat lovers.) With mold, once we’ve identified the specific toxin, we have some flexibility to find which binder therapy is tolerated and effective for the person sitting in front of us. Back to the study in the spotlight.  Researchers wanted to find a mix of binders, knowing that one single binder would not cover every toxin. Therefore they wanted a binder combination which could remove as much of the common animal feed toxins as possible.  Testing what came out of an animal eating pounds of grain with varying amounts of mycotoxin contamination was not feasible, so they did their testing in test tubes with similar conditions to that of a farm animal stomach.  By simulating stomach acid in the test tube, they combined different binder mixes with a measured amount of mold toxins.  They looked at different aflatoxins, including Aspergillus, ochratoxin A from aspergillus, zearalenone from fusarium, and deoxynivalenol (also from fusarium mold species). They looked at clays which are known for binding mycotoxins, choosing bentonite as the one with best profile for binding due to its molecular structure.  They looked at cell wall products of Saccharomyces yeast including glucans and mannans which are known to bind mycotoxins.  They looked at humic acids, a decomposition product of organic material with complex structures.  Their best performing mix of binders contained a mixture of 70% modified bentonite, 20% yeast cell wall, and 10% humic acid.  It removed 97 to 98% of each aflatoxin, 94% of the ochratoxin, 97% of the zearalenone, and 97% of the deoxynivalenol, starting with a slightly larger amount of each toxin than they expected to be in the animals’ actual feed. This success rate was comparable to other commercial toxin binders on the agricultural market, though they do not name these commercial binders.  One other comparison with these commercial binders that needs to be further explored is whether this natural binder also absorbs nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.  The paper notes that many commercial binders are know to bind nutrients as well. The paper further references a separate systematic review of 68 publications, looking at different binding agents.  The findings of that review indicated that activated carbon (charcoal) had the highest absorption capacity, followed by clays. This paper does not provide a definitive answer for which binder is best for your specific mycotoxin, but it does suggest that a mix of binders has a higher potential of working than any single binder.  In helping our patients restore a healthier more abundant life, we think this multi-binder approach has been very successful and makes sense with studies like these.  Not everyone gets better on a single prescription binder, and not everyone needs antifungals, but an experienced mold detox provider can help pick out the best detox agent for the individual and guide them through using it.  That’s our daily method.   Original Article: Feizy, J., Rahimi, A., Tabari, D. G., Zarghami, M. R., Jahani, M., & Moradi, E. (2025). Optimization of modified bentonite mycotoxin binders for enhanced adsorption efficiency under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. Scientific reports, 15(1), 27513. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13249-z

Some would say the world is a rat-race, but today we focus on a food race between old-fashioned whole foods delivered by nature and new-fangled ultra-processed foods delivered by Big Food and its technology.  In a sense, striving for excellence, especially in producing food for growing populations, is not inherently a bad thing.  Understanding food, both how to produce it and how to judge its health, is a worthy goal, but like any race, the criteria makes a huge difference.  Whether we prioritize health or prioritize scalability and sustainability results in immensely different outcomes for the race. A recent study by Virginia Tech researchers compared ultra-processed foods and whole foods in terms of how either might change appetites.  Other studies indicate that many of the ultra-processed foods have adverse health effects, like obesity and cardiometabolic effects.  In the Virginia Tech study, teenagers who ate 2 weeks of a 80%-plus ultra-processed diet went on to eat more food when it was offered, even though they had just eaten in the hour prior.  In other words, the teenagers ate more when not hungry, a pattern known for increasing obesity risk. Researchers used a classification system called NOVA which divides foods into whole foods, processed foods, and ultra-processed.  Whole foods are completely unprocessed or minimally processed by combining with other whole foods or cooking.  Process foods include things like baked breads and canned vegetables that combine ingredients via simple methods.  Ultra-processed foods include soft drinks, pre-packed meals, and artificially flavored products, foods that are created through industrial processing with ingredients not normally found in your kitchen. The participants in the study were rather limited in number and the teens were the only group who demonstrated this effect.  However, if teenagers are more prone to extra caloric intake when eating a higher ultra-processed diet, then this could set them up for poorer health outcomes later in life. Studies like this and others would make us wonder why speakers like Jasmin Hume at Davos’s ‘World Economic Forum’ would express frustration at RFK Jr. for increasing regulations against synthetic additives, as seen in this video on X . Even besides this, we know that industry is not happy with RFK Jr.’s changes.  Companies run by CEOs like Jasmin Hume are working to find new food sources because they believe the world’s population growth will lead to overpopulation and starvation.  Rather than encouraging farmers to refine their work of growing food, bees and furrows and all, this industry would rather ramp up processed-food production (with integrated AI).                   While we can argue till the cows come home about contemporary politics, we should look at the scientific reality: many studies indicating that increased amounts of ultra-processed foods have negative effects on health.  Helping our patients restore healthier, more abundant lives means pointing them to healthier whole-food life-styles.  Studies like this and many others bolster our position that our teens and children should carefully limit their consumption of ultra-processed foods. The food choices we make today shape our children’s health tomorrow. If you’re concerned about ultra-processed foods and want guidance on nourishing your family with real, whole foods, we’re here to help. Explore our programs and take the next step toward healthier habits.   Original Article: Maria L. M. Rego, Emma Leslie, Emily Schmall, Bailey Capra, Summer Hudson, Monica L. Ahrens, Benjamin Katz, Kevin P. Davy, Valisa E. Hedrick, Alexandra G. DiFeliceantonio, Brenda M. Davy. The Influence of Ultraprocessed Food Consumption on Energy Intake in Emerging Adulthood: A Controlled Feeding Trial. Obesity, 2025; DOI: 10.1002/oby.70086   Thanks to Science Daily: Virginia Tech. "Why ultra-processed foods make teens eat more when they aren’t hungry." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 December 2025. < www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043055.htm >.

From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. [ Proverbs 18:20 ]   Modernity is the domain of the expert. In the eyes of many, white lab coats ought to rule the world, deciding policy in government and running the church and regulating precisely how you raise your kids. It seems, on the first blush, at least plausible. Those who know so much about a topic cannot but be the best arbiters of the matter, we think; they have the technical skills, and we don’t. What this first impression misses is the fact today’s proverb points to. Technical skills play second fiddle to relationship (if often a very important second fiddle). Relationships are the building block of life. We are born as children to parents, and that first relationship shapes how we live the rest of our lives, gives us strengths and weaknesses. We have siblings and friend. We find spouses. We build relationships in vocation and recreation and church. In a sense, too, we have a relationship with ourselves, alternating between instructing and correcting ourselves, seeking to cultivate righteousness. Above all, we are defined by our relationship to God. Technical skills- knowing how to do something- are very important in vocation. If I don’t know how to drive a tractor, I ain’t gonna be making my living driving that tractor, save I learn. But ask: how do I learn? How do I get a job? I form a relationship. I find a teacher; I find somebody whose tractor I can work with, even if it’s my prospective employer. I find an employer, too, and form some sort of relationship with him. Or I buy my own tractor and start building relationships with clients. Modern society is intensely transactional, admittedly, and we’ve made strides in eliminating the human element of hiring, work, etc. You can’t form a real relationship with an AI, just the one-sided facsimile of one. This abstention from relationship, however, is an unrighteous (Matt. 28:18-20) and unhealthy way to live. Man was made to live in relationship with other men; God declared as much in Genesis as pretext for the creation of the relationship which would create all future mankind: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for   him” (Gen. 2:18). Proverbs here is warning us of the reality of human life, the reality we’ll not flee except by extreme impudence: we become fruitful and find joy only in relationship. Our tongues are therefore of great concern for us, as central tools in finding that relationship. Whether in our heads to God, with our tongues to each other, or with our fingers on keyboards, we use language to develop the relationships which are the beauty and means of God-honoring, joyous life (Phil. 4:4). With my tongue, I break relationships, casting myself into economic decrepitude and isolating myself from that good company which brings not only joy but righteousness (John 13:34-35; Prov. 27:17). Or I can heed God’s advice and use my tongue to create those relationships which honor Him and bring both participants to greater peace and virtue. Thus, though perhaps physical satiety will evade me (Ps. 73:13-15), I can have satisfaction which looks forward to eternity. Relationships, after all, have alone of what we make on this earth the potential to last beyond our deaths and the death of this world. Speaking of which: we must not take this admonition of the use of the tongue as an excuse. Yes, a tongue which flatters or poisons or lies, which creates a relationship that has no regard for God or His truth, that tongue can bring physical satisfaction, a full stomach and warm toes and four walls with a roof. For a while. Even with all that, though, we must weigh current pleasure and ease against eternity, remembered that “… friendship with the world is enmity with God[.] Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). The most important relationship which we can have, the only relationship which produces final satisfaction, is our relationship with our God. In this, we should heed the admonition of Isaiah 58: “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;   then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (v13-14). Written by Colson Potter God bless.

A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. [ Proverbs 18:19 ]   Strong relationships hold strong, and when they break, they break like a thigh bone forced into a Z-shape: badly, brutally, and apparently irreparably. Few relationships are as strong, at their base and in their premise, as that of brother with brother, sister with sister. We do not term our closest friends ‘like a brother’ without cause. So when brothers find themselves in enmity, the enmity oft becomes deep indeed, destroying their peace and altering their lives, driving cavernous wounds across them both, equipped as they are to reach deep into each other, unequipped as they are to protect themselves from each other. Perhaps I say the obvious when I note that the damage needed to break a relationship is proportional to the strength of that relationship. Marriage takes much more to rive apart than your relationship with your last cashier at the grocery store. Conversely, though, such relationships present many more opportunities for damage and can build that damage up over time. Every opportunity which can strengthen and grow and re-affirm a relationship is also an opportunity to harm it, and when the relationship is already strong, that harm can be magnified by the strength of the relationship. Forgetting something my sister needs is a much greater insult than forgetting what my third cousin’s next door neighbor needs. Not that the news is all worrisome. Strong relationships have a marvelous capacity to heal, when they are between people of growing maturity (and not the stagnant or regressive immaturity fostered by the world). This healing is not automatic, though. A strong relationship does cause its members to give each other leeway and more ready forgiveness, but such forgiveness only stretches so far. It mends the wound of the deed itself, but it does not amend that the deed was done. If I steal fifty bucks from my close friend, he’ll forgive me, but he’ll remember that I am the sort of person who steals fifty bucks. Unless I actively complete my repentance, that lessening of relationship will persist. What do I mean when I speak of “actively completing my repentance”? Repentance is ‘turning away.’ The first step, of course, is the turning of heart which we express by apologizing, the internal despising of the deed or the neglect which inflicted the harm. If this is as far as we go, however, we don’t go far at all. The second step is as integral to full healing as the first: working out that repentance in our lives. As I discuss as length in an article on redemption arcs in fiction , repentance’s fullness requires active conquest of the sin. Just as faith which does not produce works shows itself to be a dead faith, without the vitality integral to true faith (James 2:14-17), so also repentance without fruit of righteousness is merely cosmetic, is even hypocrisy. Just as we give no credence to the man who says he loves his wife and follows that up with a cavalcade of abuses and adulteries, so we also properly accord no weight to the repentance which is succeeded by a cavalier repetition of the sin. If the repentance is real, the sin will not be easily repeated; if the sin does repeat, it will come only against evident struggle by the sinner to resist the temptation, will be followed by restitution and renewed struggle against the sin. So strong relationships do not really heal themselves, but they present much more opportunity for healing than their weaker brethren. My siblings, my parents, my loved ones, I will seek to reconcile with them. When they harm me, I will seek to be reconciled with them, to work towards the healing of my relationship, not by forgetting the harm but by remedying it. When I harm them, I will seek to restore them and my relationship with them, abhorring my sin in heart and in life, working with diligence to make right what I put wrong. However, once such relationships break, they break with a hurt and a depth which their lesser brethren do not match. Divorce is legendarily vicious for a reason: the marriage covenant is among the closest relationships possible for humans. Two people bind themselves to be one flesh, and when one or both parties choose to tear that apart, to rend the bonds and despise the blessings (Mark 10:8-12), they inflict on themselves and on their ex-spouse wounds which weep with blood, tearing open easily and repeatedly. Such harm is horrendous and slow indeed to heal, never quite closing, in all likelihood, on this earth. Many relationships never recover; some cannot (Jer. 3:1); a few, by His grace, become as strong as or stronger than before, despite the scars (literal and spiritual). In such circumstances or in the throes of the damage which leads theretoward, one choice is surely fatal to all reconciliation: a spirit of quarrel. The spirit which refuses to admit fault, which asserts its own righteousness, which seeks the other’s harm, which wants vengeance, which seeks to indulge the damage done to it, that spirit is an effectual bar to all healing, particularly in its possessor. His wounds he will tear open merely for the pleasure of wanting to tear open the other’s wounds. The relationship cannot recover while this spirit remains un-submitted to God, un-humbled; the other person may heal, but the relationship cannot. Of all the relationships which have been broken, none was so strong and none was broken so sharply as the relationship between God and man (Gen. 3). God made man in His image (Gen. 1:26), and we spurn that, acting in a spirit of rebellion all our days (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 53:1). What marvel it is, then, that God sees fit to give us spirits of repentance and of faith (Ez. 36:26; Mark 1:15)! By His grace we are brought to repentance; by His grace, we are given to mend that relationship which alone brings true joy. God bless.

The health of our nation is declining—not only in adult cardiometabolic health, but in how early poor cardiometabolic health now begins. While rates of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease continue to rise in adults, we must recognize a sobering reality: the tsunami of cardiometabolic disease has not yet peaked . More children are now entering adolescence with obesity, elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol levels—conditions that were once considered adult diseases. As this trend accelerates, the wave of early cardiometabolic disease will continue to rise. If we, as a society, continue to hit the snooze button and avoid confronting this reality, future generations will face earlier disability and even premature death from largely preventable conditions. A recent article published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes  highlights just how concerning this trajectory has become. Among U.S. children ages 12 to 19: 18% are considered prediabetic 53% have elevated cholesterol or triglycerides 15% already have high blood pressure for their age These are not benign findings. They are well-established risk factors for heart attacks and strokes later in life—and increasingly, sooner rather than later. Parents and healthcare providers alike should be deeply concerned. We know that childhood habits strongly shape adult health outcomes. Lifestyle patterns established early tend to persist, for better or worse. For children already showing signs of cardiometabolic risk, continuing on the same trajectory leads nowhere good. The question is no longer if  intervention is needed, but who will be the first to respond to the alarm? The article also highlights a growing strain on the healthcare system. There are simply not enough pediatric cardiovascular specialists to care for the rising number of children with hypertension and dyslipidemia. Waitlists often stretch for months—months during which disease progression continues unchecked. The authors urge pediatric primary care physicians to step in. While I was trained through a dual residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics with formal cardiovascular training, most pediatricians were not. This epidemic was not part of their expected scope of practice. Without clear consensus guidelines and adequate training, many feel understandably hesitant to move forward. Other specialists, such as endocrinologists, nephrologists, and obesity medicine providers, may help shoulder part of the burden, but the greatest opportunity for impact is being missed. Prevention remains our most powerful intervention. The most scalable, effective solution begins not in specialty clinics, but in homes. Educating and empowering parents to improve family nutrition—without shame, restriction, or diet culture—offers tremendous potential to alter this course. Teaching families how to eat well while keeping food enjoyable and sustainable can help defuse the looming tsunami before it reaches shore. Given the ongoing and worsening shortage of healthcare providers across much of the country, we are unlikely to close the medical care gap anytime soon. What we do  have, however, are millions of parents already “on location.” With the right tools and support, they can guide their children toward healthier habits from the start. That work begins with parents themselves. When parents model healthier choices in nutrition, movement, and daily routines, children follow. By restoring a focus on the family—prioritizing shared meals, active time together, and consistent routines—we create a strong foundation for lifelong health. Final Thoughts from Dr. Potter If we want our children to avoid the cardiometabolic tsunami bearing down on their future, we must stop hitting the snooze button—and stop relying on inadequate solutions. Empowering parents to live healthier lives and pass those habits on to their children offers our best chance at raising a generation that is healthier, more resilient, and able to live truly abundant lives. If your child is already showing signs of cardiometabolic risk, or you want to prevent those risks from developing, now is the time to act. Learn how our family-centered, preventive approach can help you create lasting health for the next generation. Original Article: Amanda M. Perak, Carissa Baker-Smith, Laura L. Hayman, Michael Khoury, Amy L. Peterson, Adam L. Ware, Justin P. Zachariah, Geetha Raghuveer. Toward a Roadmap for Best Practices in Pediatric Preventive Cardiology: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 2023; DOI: 10.1161/HCQ.0000000000000120 Thanks to Science Daily: Northwestern University. "A wake-up call for kids' poor heart health: U.S., Canada need resources to manage high demand of youth with heart disease risk factors." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 August 2023. .

While a mom’s belly should be the safest place for a developing baby to start his life, his mom’s exposure to toxins will affect the children’s life even after birth.  The evidence is clear: prenatal toxins and stressors can matter to his future.  Besides adding to this evidence, this study also confirms biological individuality.  Not every child suffers the same ill effects as others because individual genetics determine how impactful a given toxin is on a person. Researchers from the University Children’s Hospital in Basel, Switzerland analyzed data from the Bern Basel Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort study in regards to the levels of 1 proteins measured in newborn’s cord blood.  The 449 healthy babies in this BILD study were divided into different groups based on the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and PM10 (particulate matter of 10 microns size).  The researchers’ prior analyses had shown that newborns demonstrated changes in their lung function and immune function from such toxins.  This study looked at whether these toxins could affect autophagy and ageing processes in the newly born babies. Autophagy processes concern how our cells recycle themselves and various damaged components, like proteins, to prevent the accumulation of potentially harmful materials.  Think about our cells and organs taking trash out regularly so it doesn’t get in the way.  Ageing processes and cell remodeling methods are needed for our bodies to continue functioning long term. The researchers looked at NO2 and PM10 since they are common sources of pollution from vehicle emissions along with smoke and wear from tires or brakes.  By looking at which babies were exposed to more of these toxins and comparing the levels to the levels of 11 different potential proteins, they found changes in autophagy and in levels of 3 proteins.  For two proteins, SIRT1 and IL-8, their levels were decreased while another protein, Beclin-1, increased in those exposed to more NO2 and PM10.  Some lesser changes in other inflammatory related proteins were also noted. While those findings were clearly related to levels of NO2 and PM10 exposure, they also noted patterns which did not depend solely on the amount of toxin exposure.  While their study did not elucidate the reasons why, they hypothesized that genetic differences played a role in these variations. Ultimately, moms and their babies need clean air, at least as clean as possible. We live in a fallen world where some toxins are a part of life, but we can work as individuals and as a society to make an expecting mother’s exposures as low as possible.  That work includes educating others about the results of these studies as well as working to influence our world to care better for our air and water sources, particularly on a local level.  Helping everyone live healthier, more abundant lives requires this and more.   Schedule your first conversation with our Patient Support Team to discuss your symptoms, history, and next steps toward healing. Original Article: Watson, P. (2023, September 12). Exposure to air pollution while in the womb is linked to adverse changes in cell processes in new-born babies - ers - european respiratory society. ERS. https://www.ersnet.org/news-and-features/news/exposure-to-air-pollution-while-in-the-womb-is-linked-to-adverse-changes-in-cell-processes-in-new-born-babies/ Thanks to Science Daily: European Respiratory Society. "Exposure to air pollution while in the womb is linked to adverse changes in cell processes in new-born babies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 September 2023. < www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230912110206.htm >.   Other Studies with Similar Findings: University of Edinburgh. "Air pollution poses risk to thinking skills in later life." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 February 2021. < www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210202113744.htm >.   Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "Mix of stress and air pollution may lead to cognitive difficulties in children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 January 2020. < www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200116155436.htm >.   The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "Prenatal air pollution exposure linked to infants' decreased heart rate response to stress." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 October 2019. < www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191030073326.htm >.

The internet serves as a sort of battlefield of opinions for so many topics, from medicine to politics to religion. The debate over the safety of fluoride has been one of those channels you could tune into whenever you wanted to watch the two sides grapple, wielding not just opinions but studies to try and disprove the other’s position. Today, we share one of the recent studies indicating that at some point, a child can get too much fluoride and suffer some cognitive effects. Before throwing fluoride completely into the trash, keep the dosages in mind as you read this study comparing cognitive performance in Ethiopian children who were exposed to different levels of fluoride in water supplies. The anti-fluoride camp has proclaimed for years that this substance was really a toxic byproduct of other industrial production looking for a profitable dumping ground. There is truth to the reality that the countless gallons of fluoride added to our water supply comes from industrial byproducts. That does not automatically mean that we should shun the chemical. The practice of finding beneficial uses of industrial byproducts is not inherently evil. On the other hand, the pro-fluoride camp loses credibility for many when they will not acknowledge the studies demonstrating some negative effects to fluoride. Like any therapy whether administered to individuals or to populations it can have both positive and negative effects. We need honest evaluation of whether the large-scale fluoridation of water supplies is a good idea. The present study does not definitively answer whether we should continue large scale fluoridation of water, but it does support the stance that children can get too much fluoride. In the study, they looked at children in Ethiopian villages and compared children using water from high fluoride wells versus those with lower fluoride. Other variables were relatively well matched given the common lifestyle of these children. The primary variable depended on the levels of fluoride in their primary water supply. The study compared 74 children using tests of their ability to draw familiar objects like animals and a computerized memory test. For children with higher fluoride levels, they showed higher errors on the drawing test and the memory tests. While they did not attempt to study the mechanism for this correlation, the authors did call for more research to understand the safe levels for fluoride and how this chemical impacted neurodevelopment. This was also based on animal research demonstrating that fluoride can cross the placenta and blood-brain barrier as well as epidemiological links between higher exposure and lower IQ levels. Once again, this study is not a final word on the matter of fluoridated water. The levels in the Ethiopian water supply were much higher than levels found in U.S. water supplies. Nevertheless, we must evaluate the total exposure children receive through water and toothpaste. The combined levels may be causing neurocognitive effects that can be avoided. Helping our future generations live healthier, more abundant lives means providing safe water and wise public health policies. Concerned about what’s really in your family’s water and how it could be affecting your child’s developing brain? At Sanctuary Functional Medicine, we believe in informed, balanced decisions rooted in science, not fear or denial. Schedule a consultation to review your child’s environmental exposures and support healthy neurodevelopment.   Original Article: Tewodros Rango Godebo, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Biniyam Alemayehu, Arti Shankar, Amy Wolfe, Nati Phan. Association between fluoride exposure in drinking water and cognitive deficits in children: A pilot study. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 2023; 100: 107293 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107293   Thanks to Science Daily: Tulane University. "Excess fluoride linked to cognitive impairment in children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 October 2023. < www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231026161112.htm >.

At Sanctuary Functional Medicine, we have a steady stream of new patients who come to us with mold toxicity problems, some anticipating the diagnosis and others not. Either way, once we are confident in the diagnosis, the “why me and not them?” question arises. It boils down to an interplay of differences in genetics, differences in toxic exposures (exposome), and differences in the types of mold which live in one’s environment. Genetics Confirming a diagnosis of mold toxicity begins with a good history, but laboratory testing is required for diagnostic confidence. We look at markers of biotoxin reactivity like Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1, C3a, and C4a among others. We also look at urine mycotoxin levels to confirm exposures and to which molds someone was exposed to. These labs confirm our clinical suspicions that someone is affected by mold toxins, but still do not explain why they are affected. Beyond these tests, we could look at human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing, a genetic test that tells how the immune system handles biotoxins, including the mold biotoxin. These HLA markers affect how antigens (biotoxins in this case) are processed. The differences in processing play a large role in influencing the patient’s ability to get rid of mycotoxins. The markers also tell about the expected intensity of a person’s response to these ubiquitous mycotoxins. Due to these HLA differences, biotoxins make some people sick even at levels which do not even affect others. While we looked at these genetic markers in the past, we no longer test these unless requested. If someone is demonstrating biotoxin reactivity in the other tests and has mycotoxins in their urine, we do not really need to speed a few hundred more dollars to tell them that they are sensitive to mold toxins. That is a foregone conclusion. We can move on and treat them without spending that money on tests which do not change how we treat them. We will need to do other tests down the road on their home and repeat blood work on them later. The money for genetic testing will be better spent on tests which actually impact on how we treat patients. Besides HLA differences, other genetic factors may magnify or diminish a patient’s sensitivity to mold. The glutathione pathway, given its role in detoxifying some mycotoxins, may play a role. It is likely that many other pathways interact as significant factors in a person’s ability to clear mold toxins. I would not be surprised if genetic variants in Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1, the inflammatory pathways, as well as other detoxification pathways, are eventually found to affect sensitivity to mycotoxins. Some of the information on these pathways is still being studied. Again, there is little need to test these in detail. Our protocol does not need that information in order to help patients recover their health and their lives. Exposome In addition to genetic variations causing differing toxin sensitivities, different combinations of toxins often synergize. Chronic infections and life stressors can also amplify or modify the intensity of the toxin’s effects on a person. Even with unfavorable mold detoxification genetics, some may not manifest symptoms if amplifying factors remain absent. The exposome, or the collective set of toxins in a person’s environment, may trigger mold illness when organic compounds or heavy metals tip over the immune system. It is basically a “1+1=3” situation. Either toxin alone might not trigger illness, but the two together can pack a devastating punch. Another amplifier of mold illness includes stress. Stress, in many forms, may work in concert with mold toxicity. Our patients tell life stories of emotional and physical abuse or traumatic events. The physical stress of a head trauma is one such example. We know that head trauma may trigger leaky brain or a chronic inflammatory state in the brain. This may allow mycotoxins or other toxins to reach deeper into the brain, triggering more damage than it could have done alone. Emotionally stressful events, between the surge in cortisol and the firing up of the fight or flight system, can also augment mold’s effects. Adding the direct chemical effects of mold toxins on the limbic system’s fight or flight response together with the emotional stressor sets the stage for chronic neurologic and emotional symptoms. With the reality of COVID since 2020, this coronavirus and its often-persisting Long Covid syndrome adds another complicating exposome factor. Early in the pandemic we discovered that the virus was triggering strong biotoxin reactions. While any viral infection will temporarily elevate TGF beta 1, we found that our patients who were reporting relapses in their mold toxicity symptoms had higher TGF beta 1 levels for longer periods of time. When reports of Long COVID patterns were published, we realized that the list of symptoms almost perfectly overlapped with mold toxicity and Lyme disease. Basically, post COVID is a biotoxin illness, likely from the spike protein. With these realizations, we also found that most of our mold toxicity therapies were helping the post COVID patients. We just needed to make some adjustments and ramp up therapies for a time. As the pandemic has continued, we are now seeing many first present with Long COVID without their knowing about a pre-existing mold toxicity or Lyme disease. They had been living life relatively well, maybe with minor symptoms, when COVID knocked them off their feet. Then Long COVID keeps them pinned. To help these patients overcome, we look for the pre-existing conditions that predisposed them to Long COVID. In order to help them overcome Long COVID, we also have to address the mold toxicity. Without addressing this underlying mold toxicity, we don’t see as much improvement in their condition and they seem to worsen again every time they get COVID acutely. Only by addressing the whole picture do these patients have a chance at full recovery. Types of Mold and Mycotoxins Which species of mold happens to grow in a home or workplace also determines whether a person becomes ill. Many outdoor molds, either by their inherent nature or their environmental milieu, produce minimal impact on human health. Yes, poisonous mushrooms do grow in the forest which intoxicate or poison the foolish adventurer, but our primary concern lies with molds that grow on water damaged buildings and release volatile toxins into the indoor air. The outdoor molds garner more of a reputation for their ability to trigger allergic symptoms. The water damaged building associated molds are more likely to produce toxins which harm both microscopic neighbors and other larger organisms like humans. Not only do they make toxic chemicals, they also inhabit closed environments - our homes, our offices, and other buildings - where their toxins can accumulate. If outdoors, even these molds may never concentrate enough airborne toxin due to winds and the sheer volume of space. Indoors, especially if ventilation is poor, they can accumulate in high enough concentrations to create a toxic punch for the unsuspecting and genetically vulnerable. The indoor molds produce various classes of mold toxins based on their species. The classes vary immensely in their structure and complexity. Chemically, some are simple structures while others are quite complex. Some target mitochondria while others target hormonal systems. Some primarily dysregulate the immune system. A few aflatoxins, like those from peanuts, even increase cancer risks.   TAKE HOME POINTS Genetic Differences Influence Susceptibility HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) Differences Immune system genetics Affect the processing and recognition of antigens Testing is not necessary for successful therapy Other genetic differences Possibly Glutathione Pathway Possibly Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 Others yet undiscovered Testing is not necessary for successful therapy   Exposome Sum total of toxins and stressors to which one’s body has been exposed Presence of multiple toxins amplifies the effects of each… 1+1=3 Includes psychosocial stressors which affect body’s balance Since 2020, COVID spike protein also acting as biotoxin illness trigger Can cause mold toxicity symptom relapse Can unmask subclinical mold toxicity Symptoms and therapy similar to other Biotoxin illnesses including mold   Types of Mold and Mycotoxins Outdoor molds tend to trigger more allergic responses Their toxins blow away in the wind without accumulating Indoor molds (those growing in water damaged building) produce more toxins These volatile toxins accumulate in the building Humans breathe them in Molds toxins are called mycotoxins They come in many shapes and sizes They each cause different bodily responses.

The study of interest today seems pretty “Duh!” Just about every parent will attest to the effects of teenage hormones on their sweet little pre-teen.  But there is something here much more critical to the future health of our children!  This study looked at the effects of synthetic hormones known popularly as “birth control” or “the pill” on the impulsivity of teenage rats.  Their findings strongly suggest that dosing hormones in teenage rats similarly to how we dose them in our children could affect brain maturation during these critical years.  By the end of rat adolescence, the treated rats were more impulsive and took more risks than the untreated rats. Years of science have uncovered a seemingly endless number of effects that reproductive hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone have on children’s developing brains.  Meanwhile, throughout the past few decades, parents have watched as their children, especially girls, have entered puberty earlier and earlier.  Something is impacting children’s hormones in the environment.  Simultaneously, the sexual revolution’s extension into more teenagers becoming sexually active earlier and earlier has brought hormonal birth control into common practice for these teens.  Besides the desire to avoid unwanted teenage pregnancies, these synthetic hormones are also being used to cover up girls’ polycystic ovarian syndrome and acne.  With such a high frequency of young girls using this medication we need to know how it is affecting them in the long run. Other studies have looked at various effects such as future fertility rates, future female cancer rates, and other conditions, but this gives us a look at the effects of such drugs on a developing brain.  In their study they compared rats receiving hormones during their teenage years to genetically identical rats without extra hormones.  At the end of rat adolescence, they compared the two groups in terms of various behavior tests and found significant differences.  The rats who had received the synthetic hormones displayed more impulsivity and more risk taking.  One example was that the hormone treated rats would remain in more open spaces, a life-threatening habit if they were in real world circumstances. After the behavioral tests, the researchers sacrificed the rats and examined their brains under a microscope.  The major change was that the axons of the nerve cells had thicker myelin sheaths around them.  Myelin, a wrapping of fat, serves to support the transmission of nerve impulses along these axons which are the “wires” connecting one nerve to another.  While the researchers did not draw a direct connection between the myelin and the behavior, they did measure levels of these synthetic hormones in the brains and found those drugs to be present.  Each of these findings is a correlation rather than a proof of connections, but the experiment does strongly suggest that such drugs may have unexpected and undesirable effects on rat teenagers. Whether or not this will be proven to occur in human teens is left to be seen.  We cannot intentionally choose to compare a group of teen girls forced to take birth control against a group who are not allowed to take birth and then dissect their brains after behavior tests.  No double blinded placebo-controlled study is ethical in this situation.  Instead, someone will have to devise an observational study which does its best to compare those teens on the pill versus those who never took it.  Some surrogate behavioral markers will have to be identified and measured around age 18 to 20 and attempt to determine if the two groups are different.  As complicated as this sounds, it will be much harder to obtain clear data from such a study and even harder to get such findings into the medical journals or news media.  Likely the hardest thing will be to change the practice of thousands of health care providers and the perceived benefits of millions of sexually active teens. For those of us in functional medicine or even just concerned Christian providers, we want to take seriously the potential for harm of any therapy upon our patients.  While early sexual activity has its own set of problems, if this study does reflect what is happening in our teen patients’ brains, we should be informing parents and their teens of this risk.  Helping teenagers grow into healthier more abundant lives as adults requires awareness of such risks and education of everyone involved.  Our patients deserve that.  Our commitment to do no harm before God requires that.  Giving risk-taking teens something that makes them more likely to take risks undermines all of that. Concerned about how hormones and environmental exposures may be impacting your child’s developing brain? Don’t rely on assumptions—get informed. Read more, ask questions, and partner with a provider who looks at the whole picture of your teen’s health, development, and long-term wellbeing. At Sanctuary Functional Medicine, we’re here to help families make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions for their children’s future. Focus study: Caldwell, Emily. “Hormonal Contraceptives in Teens May Alter Risk Assessment.” Hormonal Contraceptives in Teens May Alter Risk Assessment, 12 Nov. 2023, news.osu.edu/hormonal-contraceptives-in-teens-may-alter-risk-assessment/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.   Thanks to Science Daily: Ohio State University. "Hormonal contraceptives in teens may alter risk assessment, rat study suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 November 2023. .

Iron is a one of the most important minerals in our bodies. It is responsible for our body’s energy, oxygen transport, and overall vitality. Yet, iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide. This most often comes with symptoms such as chronic fatigue, paleness, brittle nails, weakness, and even compromises the immune system. Whether you're an athlete, a busy parent, or are someone who struggles with iron deficiency, ensuring you get enough iron is essential.   Why is iron important? Oxygen Transport: Iron is a key component of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Energy Production: Without enough iron, your body struggles to produce ATP (cellular energy), leading to sluggishness, weakness, and even brain fog. Immune Support: Iron strengthens your immune system, helping your body fight off infections and heal faster. Low iron could mean impaired immune function. Hormone Regulation: Iron is necessary for proper thyroid function and hormone production, affecting metabolism and mood if it is out of balance.   How do I make sure to get enough iron? I recommend aiming for a balance of animal and plant-based sources from your diet daily. Animal based sources are the most bioavailable, meaning your body absorbs it more efficiently. Plant sources need a bit of help being absorbed and are most beneficially consumed with vitamin C rich foods or a vitamin C supplement to help increase absorption.   Here are the top iron rich foods to add into your diet: Liver (beef, chicken, pork) Red Meat (beef, lamb, bison, venison) Shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters) Sardines Eggs Lentils & Beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans) Tofu & Tempeh Dark Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard) Pumpkin Seeds & Hemp Seeds Quinoa Almonds   Another way to ensure you get enough iron is to start cooking your food in cast iron!  – Cooking in a cast-iron skillet naturally increases the iron content of your food, especially with acidic foods like tomato sauce.   For more tips and tricks on how to increase nutrients in your diet, sign up for our newsletter, follow us on social media, or set up a consult with one of our providers so we can help you restore joy through nutrition!

If you have been looking for a new way to eat healthier, support your local community, or get your kids involved in the kitchen, try eating seasonally! If you are local to middle Tennessee, you know there are so many wonderful farms and farmers markets to explore all year round. If not, I still encourage you to investigate what options might be out there for buying local produce. Here are some reasons why it’s a good idea for you and your family:   Local produce has more nutrients! Once a piece of produce is picked, it starts to lose nutrients, and therefore, the closer to the harvest time, the more nutrients the produce will have. Most local markets pick their produce within 24 hours of selling at the market; this is great news for nutrient content! Recent studies have shown that the farther away the produce travels, the less nutrients the produce had. One study in particular shows that the vitamin C content of broccoli was cut in half when it was shipped from out of the country, versus locally. Additionally, we get more nutrients from the soil of local produce. Not only does the soil of our produce have nutrients for the plants, but it also has nutrients for us! The soil has its own microbiome, and when we eat the plants from it, we get some of those healthy bacteria as well. This is another reason why it is important to get high quality produce because it directly affects our microbiomes! Researchers have proven that local and organic farms have healthier soil microbiomes than conventional farms, so when in doubt, buy local or organic. You get to know your farmer! Another benefit of buying local produce is that you get to know the people growing what you are eating. This is a great benefit because you can go directly to the grower and ask what the produce is being sprayed with, and what their standards and growing practices are. Sometimes, you can even go right to the farm and see the process of it all right in front of you. Talk about transparency! It helps the local economy. When you buy from local farmers and markets, it keeps the money in the community and 100% of that purchase goes to that small business, rather than when you buy produce at a big business grocery store. It also helps create more jobs in the community as the demand for the local farms grow. It increases creativity in the kitchen. Checking out your local market and seeing what they have on a weekly basis can be a fun way to help switch things up in the kitchen. If you are someone who likes to try new recipes, it is always exciting to find something new at the market that you can incorporate into your dinner or meal prep. You can even make a game out of it with your kids by having them scope out the new produce item each week. It will help get them involved in the process, and they will be a lot more likely to try and even eat the new produce item, especially when they were involved in the process of adding it to dinner!   Resources https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17852499/ https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/7   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8465994/     So, what’s in season this spring and how can I incorporate it? In Tennessee, we have these produce items available: Asparagus, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Collard Greens, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Spinach, Zucchini, Strawberries, Raspberries   Try some of these recipe ideas created by our Functional Registered Dietitian: Tricolor Spring Slaw 1 Head of Red Cabbage, Shredded (about 2-3 cups) 1 cup Shredded Carrots 1 cups of Broccoli stems cut into thin sticks 1 cup Broccoli florets chopped into ½ inch pieces ½ red onion sliced Dressing: Combine ¼ cup mayo, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, juice of ½ a lemon or 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, and pinch of salt and cracked black pepper, 2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup  Combine all cut and prepped veggies into a large bowl. In separate small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified and then pour over the vegetable mixture and stir to coat them. Cover the slaw and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Serve chilled and enjoy!   Strawberry Kale Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing 4 cups of Lacinato/Tuscan Kale, shredded or chopped 4 cups of Baby Arugula or Spinach 1 lb. of Strawberries, sliced 1 cup Blueberries 1 cup Pecans 1 lb. Protein of Choice (Grilled chicken or Salmon is recommended) 1 large Avocado, sliced or diced OR ¼ cup sheep/goat feta cheese Dressing: Whisk together ¼ cup balsamic vinegar + 1-2 garlic clove, minced + 1-2 Tbsp. honey + 1/3 Tbsp. olive oil + pinch of salt + pepper Combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl starting in the order of the ingredient list. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large pourable measuring cup and pour the dressing overtop or serve on the side and have your guests pour their own portion. Serve with salad tongs & enjoy!   Creamy Pea Pesto with Zucchini Noodles 2 Medium Zucchini, spiralized into noodles, or about 3 cups of zoodles (fresh), patted completely dry with paper towel 1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes, halved ½ block of feta cheese (4 oz.) or substitute mozzarella 1 lb. grilled or baked or grilled protein of choice (We recommend Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp) 2 Tbsp. Olive oil Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste For homemade pesto (makes 1 cup): 2 cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced 1 cup of Fresh Basil 2-4 Tbsp cup Olive Oil 1/2 cup Fresh Peas, blanched Pinch of Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste 1 cup baby arugula 1-2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend to desired consistency. It should be slightly liquid to coat the noodles. Directions: In a medium sauté pan, add the olive oil to coat the bottom and add in the zucchini noodles. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until slightly soft, tossing the noodles to cook evenly. Put in a large bowl and add the arugula and then pour in the pesto and toss to coat all the noodles and arugula. Add on top the protein, tomatoes, and feta and serve with a side of carbs to complete the meal. You can toss in some of your favorite gluten free spaghetti to the zucchini noodles as an option for a complete carbohydrate.

With a reported 65 million people worldwide dealing with Long COVID at some point, we have enough research (about time) that indicates that a variety of mechanisms contribute to Long COVID including micro-clots in blood vessels and ongoing inflammation. However, despite a few years under our research belts and millions of people affected, the article points out that we still don’t have approved therapies for this debilitating condition. Despite the inability of the conventional medical world to approve therapies, the article points out that many therapies are showing promise in helping these millions. Long COVID has become unavoidably accepted to be a condition lasting 2 months after the initial viral infection. Other infections have left patients with long term effects for decades: Lyme, EBV, and others. Yet COVID’s impact is so widespread that mainstream medicine cannot deny it. It includes a long list of symptoms which sound very much like biotoxin illness (think chronic Lyme and mold toxicity) and can be just as debilitating. From a scientific perspective, the list of potential mechanisms by which Long COVID disrupts lives is very intriguing. From a clinical or patient standpoint, this list of multiple different mechanism exposes both how many symptoms Long COVID has and a variety of therapies, treatments with different effects on different people. The list of likely mechanisms include lingering virus, tiny blood clots from the spike protein, ongoing inflammation, triggering autoimmunity, mast cell activation, gut bacteria disruption, and mitochondrial problems. This variety also makes studying therapies a little difficult; no one size fits all. Some researchers have focused on prevention, testing out the possibility that early treatment with antivirals or vaccines might prevent future Long COVID. Other therapies like low-dose naltrexone have shown some success, by lowering immune activation and lowering the ability of platelets to stick together and form clots. Some have tried to removed the micro-clots with a filtering process called apheresis. A variety of other medications for other conditions are being studied also to see if they help Long COVID. Famotidine, a reflux medicine, may help through lowering mast cell activation triggered by the virus. IVIG, used for immune support and PANS/PANDAS, is being trialed to down regulate spike protein inflammation. Even the diabetes medicine metformin may prevent long COVID by lowering a signaling pathway involved in metabolism. Many natural therapies are also getting attention. We have been using quercetin for a while to help with mast cell activation, but it also has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin is a long time favorite for lowering inflammation. Probiotics and synbiotics (probiotic plus food for them) have shown benefits in many. Vitamin C, coQ10, Vitamin D, magnesium, and creatine have improved mitochondria function in others. Even hyperbaric oxygen therapy and acupuncture have shown some promise. Beyond these possibilities mentioned by this article, we see some patients respond to other therapies. This includes the infamous horse dewormer, also known as ivermectin. It also includes addressing previously-existing toxicities the patient was unaware of until COVID set the dumpster on fire in their bodies. We also use natural enzymes to break down the micro-clotting that decreases blood flow to brain and muscles along with enzymes to break down the spike protein. Of course, none of this is officially approved and we could just focus on physical therapy, on the very slow rehabilitation that many long COVID clinics offer. Many take this option and see slow improvement, but we have seen faster improvement with targeted therapies that match our patient’s symptoms and suspected mechanisms. That is the most critical key to remember: not all Long COVID patients are exactly the same. Separating them out into different groups definitely makes helping them much easier than trying to a one-size-fits-all approach. Helping patients restore healthier, more abundant lives always requires a big scoop of individualizing the protocols.      Get started with Sanctuary today! Learn more about our programs and schedule your first conversation with our Patient Support Team.   Original Article: Jingya Zhao, Yingqi Lyu, Jieming Qu. Insights into potential therapeutic approaches for long COVID. Frontiers of Medicine, 2025; 19 (5): 879 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-025-1149-z   Thanks to Science Dialy: Higher Education Press. "Long COVID may be fueled by inflammation and tiny clots." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 January 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107225532.htm