Blog

By Dr Beth Baldwing In part 1 of this blog post, we discussed the use of inositol for insulin resistance and related conditions. However, in the late 1990s and early 2000s researchers were largely focused on the effects of inositol on mood. A link between insulin resistance and depression has been established since, and may eventually provide one possible mechanism of action. (1) ​A 2014 meta-analysis suggested that inositol may be beneficial in depression, particularly premenstrual dysphoric disorder. (2) Numerous smaller studies found inositol to be effective for a spectrum of disorders that usually respond to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (3), including panic (4) and obsessive-compulsive...

By Dr Beth Baldwin, ZRT Lab We are living in an age of insulin resistance. Excessive intake of calories and refined carbohydrates decreased physical activity, and chronic stress increases insulin secretion and decreases insulin sensitivity. This creates a vicious circle of requiring more and more insulin to shuttle glucose into cells. Years or possibly even decades before the elevations in blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C associated with type 2 diabetes, fasting insulin increases, and this high insulin is at the core of metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Recently published research suggests that insulin resistance also doubles the risk...

By Dr. Tracy Tranchitella, ND  There it is again! That distinct flutter in your chest that kicks up your heart rate and leaves you feeling a bit breathless. It might feel as though your heart just skipped a beat or flip-flopped in your chest and you’re left wondering, “Did my body just take me on a little roller coaster ride or was that a heart palpitation?” For most women without underlying cardiovascular issues, the experience of a heart palpitation can range from a mild sensation to moderate discomfort, not because they are typically painful, but because they can make you...

By Dr. Tracy Tranchitella, ND Acute inflammation has a purpose and occurs when we are injured or sick and need to mobilize an efficient immune response to heal an injury or attack an infection. When all goes well, the response of the immune system is swift and complete. The job is done, the immune cells recede, and the clean-up crew disposes of the debris. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, tends to linger without purpose or resolution. It may be the leftover remnant of an acute inflammatory process that never fully resolved, or it may exist as its own process...

Written By Dr Allison McAllister It’s an everyday occurrence when someone calls the doc line at the lab and wants to know how they can change the labs to improve their patients’ symptoms. However, it’s important to take a step back and look at what labs can tell us. While it’s true that abnormal lab findings can contribute to symptoms – high thyroid-stimulating hormone reflects hypothyroidism, high testosterone reflects polycystic ovary syndrome, and hyperandrogenism or low cortisol may contribute to fatigue. Yet, in many other conditions, labs reflect the medical condition happening in that patient’s body and not a cause...