Michael Carter, MD

Functional medicine: a layman’s guide to health

Aired on: March 26, 2021

Episode Description

Functional medicine is an approach to look at the underlying causes of health problems. Dr. Carter will discuss the importance of looking at underlying causes and steps we can all take to progress on the path towards optimal health

Michael Carter, MD

www.realhealthclinic.com

www.healthrevivalpartners.com

There are biomarkers as measures of where we are on health continuums

His journey

  • He was an anesthesiologist for 16 years and had to retire because he developed glaucoma
  • He then went into cosmology surgeon and stem cells
  • He then transitioned into functional medicine to look at root causes of medical conditions
    • He found traditional medicine only maintained conditions rather than improving these conditions.
  • Seven years ago, he partnered with Dr. Lewis who partnered with Dr. Tripp
    • They wrote a book on Alzheimer’s
    • He became the corporate medical director of that clinic Real health Clinic
  • He trained with Dr. Bredeson who successfully reverse cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
  • He learned that he had a whole host of medical conditions
    • Including adrenal issues- phase III of adrenal fatigue
    • He gained weight, was fatigued, had GI symptoms, developed gluten and dairy sensitivities
    • Had yeast , parasites and an overgrowth of bad bacteria
  • He then learned about subacute infections
    • Lyme, chlamydia pneumonia, Epstein Barr Virus, mycotoxin from mould
    • These are missed in the traditional model in examining glaucoma
    • 25 % population are sensitive to mould

The eye is a window into potentially getting Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease

  • Glaucoma and macular degeneration are precursors indicating something is going on in the brain
  • Glaucoma is the Alzheimer’s of the Eye and Alzheimer’s Disease is the Glaucoma of the brain
    • He learned that h pylori was implicated in glaucoma
  • Diseases can be generated by non optimal functioning of many different metabolic symptoms and toxins

Weight loss

  • Low carb diets are difficult
  • One should not be on a ketogenic diet for more than three to four mounts
  • Want to get into a Mediterranean diet
    • Vegetables, fruits, berries
    • Moderate protein consumption (grass fed)
    • Intermittent fasting eats twice a day
    • Does not count calories
    • Eats smoothies with plant based protein with spirulina
    • Juices celery, beets
  • Look at thyroid
    • Hashimotos ; body making antibodies to thyroid
    • If t 3 is low, metabolic rate is reduced
      • Typical thyroid panels do not measure total T3, free T3, antibodies, reverse T3,

Fat loss

  • Can freeze fat; takes about 10 sessions

Bioidentical hormones

  • Can be beneficial, but he found he could right a persons’ hormone status without bio identical hormones

Adrenal function

  • Look at the adrenal function
  • Cortisol should be high in the morning and low at night
  • Progesterone/ prenenolone steal
    • Cortisol is made from progesterone and prenenolone (mother hormone)
    • For women, progesterone is a calming or “happy” hormone
    • If stressed, progesterone is taken to make more cortisol which reduces progesterone
      • Solution is to give DHEA, progenolone, vitamin C
      • This can rebalance the adrenal glands
  • Desiccated adrenal gland can be beneficial
  • Licorice root helps be careful if have high blood pressure
  • Ashwaganda, rodiola, cordiceps                    
    • Ashwaganda, rodiola are adaptogens meaning they help the adrenals go in their needed direction
  • Allopathic measures do not properly assess adrenal functioning
  • A salivary test giving a 24 hour view of cortisol

Moulds

  • Test in urine or antibody tests
  • Make sure liver is OK to do detoxification
  • Typically our livers are struggling from the foods we eat, environmental toxins
    • Many people are developing fatty liver
    • Helpful for liver
    • N acetyl cysteine (NAC)
      • Precursor to glutathione helps detoxify
    • Binders (
      • Charcoal, certain clay
      • F boulardi (also is a probiotic) helps reduce candida
      • Cholystemine (prescription)
      • biochemical research product contains many different binders

Sinusitis

  • is often from mould

Alzheimer’s Disease Types

  • Inflammatory
    • from foods, gut dysbiosis (creates LPS- lipopolysaccharides)
    • rom viruses such as Epstein Barr Virus
  • type 1.5 from high blood sugar
    • The brain has insulin resistance and cannot use insulin efficiently
    • Alzheimer’s disease diabetes type iII
    • type I diabetes insulin deficiency, islet cells not making insulin
    • type II diabetes. Insulin resistance
  • Type2
    • Atrophic
      • Have a decrease in hormones (per above), chronic fatigue syndrome, low thyroid, low sex hormones
      • These hormones are critical for cognitive functioning
  • Type 3. Toxins
    • Eg mould, can be a major cause
      • Younger people are getting Alzheimer’s disease
    • Heavy metals
      • Mercury in fillings these off gas into the brain
      • Mercury and aluminum in vaccines
        • Thimerisol
        • Mercury in fish as water ways have been contaminated
    • Glyphostate
      • interferes with detox pathways
      • interferes with intercellular communication
      • opens brain and intestinal barriers
  • Type 4 Vascular
    • Decrease in blood flow
      • He likes to measure blood flow
      • Carotid scan
    • Can be compromised by inflammation and pathogens
    • SPECT and brain scans to see brain flow
  • Type 5 Traumatic
    • Any head injury don’t have to lose consciousness

Example. One pt on cholesterol-lowering drugs

  • Pt lost her memory
  • He believes cholesterol should be between 220 and 240
  • Crp and homocysteine, ESR,  in measuring inflammation more important
  • Insulin is more  important
  • If have high LDL, oxidized lDL, have to be more vigilant
  • Cholesterol does not cause heart attacks

He has studied mechanisms to stimulate patients’ stem cells

Corona

  • Everyone needs to boost immune system
  • Can be personalized
  • High levels vitamin C  2 grams per day preferably liposomal
  • and vitamin D (critical)
    • Recommends testing vitamin D levels
  • Zine 20 – 30 mg per day
    • Can lower copper levels
  • Multi vitamins
  • Selenium
  • Quercetin
  • Cod liver oil

People don’t have a lack of medication, they have a lack of the nutrients that help our healt