Letter from the Publisher

Jonathan Collin, MD

Shorts
Jule Klotter

What Clinicians Should Know About Lab Testing: How to Test the Lab and the Test

Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, CLS
Although several types of lab tests to measure antibodies are available, ELISA tests are the most accurate – if a lab follows the four core principles of immunology lab testing.

Literature Review & Commentary
Alan R. Gaby, MD

Curmudgeon’s Corner
Raking the Forest Floor

Jacob Schor, ND, FABNO
A conversation with Kurt Beil, ND, leads to thoughts about ways to incorporate exposure to nature as a prescription for health.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Microbiome Profiling and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
David Quig, PhD
PCR-based microbiome profiling shows that fecal microbiota transplantation is more effective than a low FODMAP diet to restore intestinal health.

Functional Gastroenterology Bolus
Steven Sandberg-Lewis, ND, DHANP
“Slightly” Anemic?

The Clinical Importance of Mineralocorticoid Screening in Hypertension

Andrea Gruszecki, ND
Primary aldosteronism, which can produce hypertension and cardiovascular disease, may respond to nutritional and lifestyle measures.

Female Physiology, Copper Metabolism, and Oxidative Stress
Judith Bowman, MD
High copper levels can lead to mood disorders, painful menstrual cycles, and adverse reactions to estrogen supplementation.

Evaluation of Abnormal Liver Enzymes

Keivan Jinnah, ND, MSOM, LAc
This is an in-depth look at using AST and ALT liver enzyme values to help identify the cause of liver inflammation.

Testing for IgG, IgG4, and IgA-Mediated Reactions: Beneficial Implications for GI Health, Mood Disorders, Respiratory Health, and More
Chris D. Meletis, ND
Testing for IgG, IgG4, and IgA antibodies can guide diet choices that lead to symptom improvement in a range of disorders.

Our Cover Story

Ketamine for Depression and Mood Disorders

Erica Zelfand, ND
Erica Zelfand, ND, an integrative family physician, specializes in psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology (PNEI). She was one of the first physicians in the country to enroll in above-board training in MDMA-assisted therapy through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). In this article, she explains how the inexpensive anesthesia drug ketamine can produce rapid improvement in mood and behavior disorders.

Clinical Due Diligence: Drug Interactions with Cannabis and Cautions for Practitioners: A Clinician’s Perspective
David G. Knox, MD
With increasing use of cannabis, doctors need to become aware of possible drug interactions and how to reduce adverse efffects.

A Personal Account of the Trials to Assess Chelation Therapy – The End of the Beginning?
Gervasio A. Lamas, MD, FACC, FAHA, FESC
The principal investigator of the TACT program is leading two new studies that need patients with diabetes to test the value of chelation therapy in preventing heart events and treating critical limb ischemia.

Psychiatry Redefined: Integrative Medicine for Binge Eating
James M. Greenblatt, MD
Amino acid supplementation is the first step in dealing with food cravings and treating binge eating.

Healing with Homeopathy
Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, MSW
Rajan Sankaran: The Eight-Box Method, Commemorating 26 Years of Study with My Mentor

Curmudgeon’s Corner
Jacob Schor, ND, FABNO
Mean Platelet Volume
A long-reported but little-understood value in complete blood tests, mean platelet volume, may provide information about metabolic processes that occur with cancers and other diseases.

The Perfect Storm: Explaining the Loss of Microbiome Diversity and the Epidemic of Chronic Degenerative Diseases
Ross Pelton
The agricultural practices of industrial farming decrease soil health, food quality, and directly affect gastrointestinal health and the microbiome—leading to chronic disease.

Generativity

Peter D’Adamo, ND
Machines That Learn: Differential Diagnosis and Botanical Insights

Researched Nutritionals Product Discussion: BDNF Essentials™, BioDisrupt®, and HistaQuel®

Debby Hamilton, MD, MPH

Editorial

Modern Medicine Neglects the Basics
Alan R. Gaby, MD

Letters to the Editor

• P-Hacking, Cherry-Picking and Data Dredging
• Response to Moldy Buildings, CIRS, Sick People and Damaged Brains

Book Review

Depression: The Mind-Body, Diet and Lifestyle Connection by Ray Griffiths
review by Dr. Nasha Winters

ONLINE ONLY

Urinary Mycotoxins: A Review of Contaminated Buildings and Food in Search of a Biomarker Separating Sick Patients from Controls

Ritchie C. Shoemaker, MD, and David Lark
The presence of mycotoxins and metabolites in urine may be from contaminated food and has been found in healthy people. This article questions the use of antifungal treatment based on urinary testing.