In the study researchers found that the white unhealthy type of fat cells shrink under sun’s blue light. This breakthrough helps explain why we tend to pack on the pounds in winter regardless of no change in diet/activity. And this may very well lead to light-based treatments for obesity and other related issues like diabetes. Read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5703708/

I am interviewed for an article in Voyage LA about how I got into nutrition and my views on risk-taking in business and personal life. Read the article here: https://shoutoutla.com/meet-christina-santini-clinical-nutritionist-specializing-in-biological-medicine/ and feel free to share it.

Okay, that’s a bit of a generalization, and it depends to a certain extent what your diet mainly consists of. I have always thought, it was completely missing the boat, both when it comes to our health and common-sense, when people started developing these theories of anti-nutrients in plant-foods. I.e. thinking that a low thyroid issue was due to eating too much broccoli. No one eats that amount of broccoli - it’s just plain unrealistic. And now we finally have the science to stop talking about this nonsense. Yet on the flipside: anti-nutrients do become an issue these days, because we are seeing the rise of so many ridiculous extreme diets i.e. the rise of raw vegan green detox fad type of extremist diets. It is entirely possible to eat so monotone and restrictive, that you are actually eating too much of a select type of anti-nutrient group, resulting in health issues in the long run. Click on to read the study debunking the theory of anti-nutrients.

Parasites do not just inhabit the stool - thus testing for parasites is highly inaccurate through stool-testing. Easily we will be told that we are parasite-free, when fact is - it is more likely we have parasites than not. According to CDC 33% of Americans have parasites - and probably more. I recommend simply treating parasites 3 months with botanicals. 70% of parasites are microscopic, so you won’t see them in the toilet, but if you happen to be the lucky host of other types, they will be visible. Everybody who has travelled, eaten sushi or undercooked meat, has pets etc. they should do a parasite cleanse. And obvious symptoms are digestive issues, bloating, skin rashes, and extreme difficulty gaining weight in some cases (only if you have a tape-worm infection though). I have seen quite a few underweight men, who simply cannot gain weight for the life of them regardless of strength training - and turned out they had a most unwelcome guest in the form of a tape-worm eating up all their nutrition. A stool-test will not be accurate in detecting this in most cases - simply treat it, and see what ends up in your toilet in the next 3 months time. These critters are opportunistic and thrive in body’s with a high toxic load, and can impair liver, kidney and gallbladder functioning. Here is a study explaining how parasites inhabit different parts of our body, and thus why testing for parasites in stool is similar odds to winning the lottery (obviously no one wants to win this lottery, but hey, it is what it is) Download the study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6842148/pdf/13071_2019_Article_3791.pdf Okay, that’s all for now folks. Moving on to a more appetizing topic. Cupcakes anyone?

Research has shown that one of the parameters linked to migraines involves stuff that affect the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCC) (1).

Extensive evidence has been published clearly showing that the EMF exposure we get from our smartphones, ipads, wifi etc. can act to produce excessive activity of the VGCCs in many cell types, suggesting that these may be direct targets of EMF exposure. (2)

Conclusion: turn off wifi when not using it and turn off data, wifi and bluetooth on your phone when not using it to minimize unnecessary exposure. Download your music, podcats etc. that you want to listen to - and listen to it with mentioned settings turned off to avoid frying your brain up slowly everytime you want to rap along to 50 cent or whatever.

These are times when we need to understand the importance of faith. We need to behave less like sheep and to think outside the box and ask critical questions - not anarchy, but simply using our common sense, which is a sense many of us have buried a long time ago. We need to focus on the things which connect us as human beings rather than what separates us, and to understand the fundaments of how freedom vs. fascism works.

Not just what you eat but when you eat. I’ve written an article on how meal-timing is key for hormone regulation, weight-loss and blood sugar: https://www.healthwebmagazine.com/healthy-living/blood-sugar-and-hormone-regulation/ And this is also why intermittent fasting is not for everyone long-term: especially women’s hormones are sensitive to fasting over 12-14 hours and will see negative impact on metabolism, estrogen and adrenals if longer fasting is practiced long-term.

“Some edible plants, such as tomatoes (rich in iron, calcium, selenium, zinc, vitamins B and C, quercetin and naringenin), berries (rich in essential elements, vitamin C, anthocyanin and catechin), onions (rich in selenium, quercetin and vitamins B and C), garlics (rich in sulphur-containing compounds, essential elements and vitamins C and E) and grapes (rich in vitamins, essential elements and anthocyanin) are of special importance as natural antagonists to cadmium and lead toxicity and should be consumed on a regular basis. These dietary supplements are an affordable option, with fewer side effects than chelation therapy, for the billions of people around the world who are inadvertently exposed to toxic metals on a daily basis. Other nutrients also have the potential to alleviate cadmium and lead-induced pathogenic effects. For example, royal jelly protects against cadmium-induced genotoxicity and oxidative stress in mice, due to its antioxidant effects. Algae such as Spirulina and Chlorella can attenuate cadmium or lead toxicity in the liver, kidneys and brain of animals. Spirulina also has marked anti-teratogenic effects in cadmium-injected pregnant mice. Oral administration of a high dose of Spirulina significantly decreased the frequency of foetuses with exencephaly, micrognathia, and skeletal abnormalities induced by cadmium. Moreover, Spirulina has been reported to reduce the quantity of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes and micronucleated normochromatic erythrocytes in blood cells of cadmium-exposed mice (both the mother and the foetus). These algae possess many dietary antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, phycocyanobilin and carotenes, which enable them to alleviate toxic metal-induced oxidative stress.”

The WHO considers safe levels of fluoride in drinking water to be <1mg per liter. Studies find just 1.5mg/L of fluoride in water is linked to a reduction in the thyroid hormones T3, T4, and TSH. We know very little about whether everyday products like fluoride-filled toothpaste is an issue health-wise - is the dosage to small to matter or is it a dealbreaker in long-term use? We don’t know, because we have not been able to test for it til now. And we can’t really treat what we can’t test for, unfortunately. Low thyroid function is epidemic today. Part of the reason may be heavy metals in addition to halogenic chemicals, like fluoride, and the other part is typically related to mineral deficiency, such as iodine (also opportunistic viruses, such as Epstein-Barr often is implicated in thyroid issues). According to WHO 40% of the world population live in areas where iodine is deficient. I just now got hold of a new testing method for fluoride, which has been on my wish-list for the last decade. In this test we will be testing all minerals, heavy metals, certain vitamins and now also fluoride. I am super excited that I am able to offer clinically proven test method for this compound. Book the “heavy metal + mineral analysis” in the online booking calendar to get your fluoride levels checked.

Dr. Maryanne Demasi is a former medical scientist who completed her PhD in Medicine at the University of Adelaide. Her research focused on the pathology of Rheumatoid arthritis and potential therapies. Her innovative research has appeared in several internationally published medical journals. Leaving her lab coat behind, Maryanne accepted a position as a political advisor and speechwriter for the South Australian Minister for Science and Information technology portfolios. She advised on issues concerning Intellectual Property and commercialisation of research. Maryanne was headhunted by the ABC ‘s Catalyst program in 2006 and gained a reputation for reporting on relevant and sometimes controversial medical stories. She has won numerous accolades for her work and in 2008, 2009 and 2011 was awarded the National Press Club of Australia’s prize for her excellence in health journalism.

A September 2020 meta-analysis concludes there is a significant relationship between autism and concentrations of lead and mercury in the body - read it here:

https://www.dovepress.com/the-relationship-between-the-level-of-copper-lead-mercury-and-autism-d-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PHMT and book your appointment to get tested for heavy metals, minerals and vitamins here. This is especially important when deciding on vaccination programs etc.: to know your heavy metal load beforehand.

Right now we have access to a host of testing that is able to give us insight into why we suffer from various chronic diseases. And that is of course really amazing. I am talking about testing stuff related to toxic load i.e. pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, mycotoxins, bacteria imbalances, microbiome, genes and so forth. However, the question is always WHAT are we not testing for today (and thus largely going undetected, undiagnosed and untreated). Following are the parameters I foresee will play a big impact in the near future once wee begin to figure out ways to measure how a person is impacted by them. This is especially true when it comes to figuring out causes of adrenal/chronic fatigue, stress, insomnia and stubborn issues still left unresolved by today’s methods.

Perhaps your asthma is just a mold toxicity and totally reversible - imagine that. “Of the 21.8 million people reported to have asthma in the U.S., approximately 4.6 million cases are estimated to be attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home.” From a 2007 joint study conducted by the EPA and Berkeley National Laboratory - click here to read it.

The no. 1 thing that has personally affected my weight the most in my life has not been my eating or exercise habits, but times when sleep has been sketchy - I could literally feel myself gaining weight from week to week during poor sleeping periods. We can’t eat or exercise our way out of lack of sleep. The only cure for lack of sleep is sleep. Here is a study exploring the connection between weight issues and poor sleep: “Late bedtimes and late wake up times are associated with an unfavorable activity and weight status profile, independent of age, sex, household income, geographical remoteness, and sleep duration.” Read the full study in: Sleep. 2011 Oct 1; 34(10): 1299–1307. Published online 2011 Oct 1. Sleep Duration or Bedtime? Exploring the Relationship between Sleep Habits and Weight Status and Activity Patterns Tim S. Olds And so the next question is how do we reset our circadian rhythm?

Having had an infection with lung aspergillus myself which was misdiagnosed as astma, it is amazing how little we know about how toxins affect and present in the human body today. Read the full article here. (click through to the blog if link doesn’t work)

PS. No, I no longer have “astma” - the issues lasted approx. 4 months, and treatment for mold solved it. The source was a contaminated AC in a house I had rented for a short 1 month stay. Yes, that’s how toxic mold stuff is, if we don’t address it.

“Conclusion: Vegetarian men have more depressive symptoms after adjustment for socio-demographic factors. Nutritional deficiencies (e.g. in cobalamin or iron) are a possible explanation for these findings, however reverse causation cannot be ruled out.” There has been a lot of studies on health benefits of vegan/vegetarian diets - both pro and con. Some show improved health aspects and some do not. Many of the health benefits are likely associated with simply choosing whole foods over processed foods and not exclusion of meat. Otherwise there would be no case for the carnivore diet which is currently trending.

“Decreased Diabetes type 2 risk at high intake of high- but not of low-fat dairy products suggests that dairy fat partly could have contributed to previously observed protective associations between dairy intake and diabetes type 2”

Read the full study here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25832335/

And keep in mind that what shows up as the most allergenic compounds when we doo food allergy testing are casein and lactose - both very low in butter and cream, hence the reason small amounts of these full-fat items carry health benefits to them, especially as they contain butyric acid which is key for healthy gut flora.

Researchers are investigating the role of fungi in current epidemic. Read the article here: https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-covid-19-news-scientists-discover-drug-resistant-hybrid-fungus-aspergillus-latus-involved-in-lung-infections-of-certain-covid-19-patients and remember to get yourself checked for mold and toxic load BEFORE you get sick!

“Findings from our systematic literature review and meta-analysis of RCTs fail to support the efficacy of low-fat diet interventions over higher fat diet interventions of similar intensity for significant long-term clinically meaningful weight control. Previous trials comparing low-fat diet interventions with “usual diet” or minimal intensity control groups have mislead perceptions of the efficacy of reductions in fat intake as a strategy for long-term weight loss. In fact, comparisons of similar intervention intensity conclude that dietary interventions lower in total fat intake lead to significantly less weight loss compared with higher fat, low-carbohydrate diets. Health and nutrition guidelines should cease recommending low-fat diets for weight loss given the clear lack of long-term efficacy over other similar intensity dietary interventions. Additional research is needed to identify optimal intervention strategies for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance, including the need to look beyond variations in macronutrient composition.”

Read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667723/ and remember that all this seemingly confusing back and forth research basically taps into our need for both fat, protein and carbs - too much or too little of anything is never a good thing in the long run.

Overall, our current data demonstrate that maintenance on a KD may impair glucose tolerance over time and have detrimental effects on the ability to mount a sufficient insulin response to a high-carbohydrate meal. The effects on glucose homeostasis, however, are rapidly reversible upon resumption of a high-carbohydrate diet. Finally, despite the effects of a KD on peripheral insulin and glucose tolerance, responsivity to the anorectic effects of central insulin is enhanced. The results of these studies underscore the necessity to fully examine how dietary macronutrient manipulation affects multiple metabolic parameters to identify potential consequences.” Read the full study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903931/ The main take-away being that because something is good short-term, that doesn’t mean it’s good long-term.