Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Lyme Detox 101 Basics

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/lyme-detoxification-101-the-basics  Video Here (Approx. 5 Min)

Updated: 6/13/22

By Dr. Marty Ross

How to Detoxify in Lyme Disease

In this video and written article, I describe basic steps a person can take to detoxify in Lyme disease. The basic steps include:

  • eating organic foods to avoid toxins
  • living in a mold free environment to prevent absorption of mold toxins
  • avoiding toxic chemicals in your home
  • supporting liver detoxification with glutathione
  • promoting regular bowel movements to eliminate toxins
  • drinking plenty of water to support kidney detox and to promote regular bowel movements
  • sweating through sauna or exercise as tolerated
  • binding toxins in the intestines with binders if needed

A Word About Feeling Toxic

Often people report they “feel toxic” in Lyme treatments.  A major cause of feeling toxic is due to excessive cytokines the immune system makes as it tries to control Lyme infection.

A good way to deal with “feeling toxic” is to lower cytokines and work to remove the toxins triggering the cytokines. Read more about how to lower cytokines in Control Cytokines: A Guide to Fix Lyme Symptoms & The Immune System. Two basic steps that support lowering cytokines are to take liposomal curcumin and to use liposomal glutathione.

The Basic Steps to Lyme Detox

Keep Toxins Out

Start with your diet – eat organic foods. These do not contain harmful poisons. For specific diets I recommend see The Best Brain, Inflammation, Pain, Energy, and Detox Diet Ever and Elimination Diet to Find Problem Foods.

Avoid toxins in your environment. This includes mold toxins. Also use green cleaning supplies. The fumes and gasses of toxic cleaning supplies get absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs.

Support Toxin Removal by The Liver, Intestines, and Kidneys

From the blood, toxins are cleaned out of the body by the liver. The liver transforms toxins from fat-based forms to water-based forms by tagging them with water-based chemical groups. In the intestines the tagged toxins are then moved out of our bodies through the stools. However, if a person does not have regular bowel movements, bacteria in the intestines can remove the water-based tag. If this happens, the now fat-based toxins move into the blood. Fiber in the diet and water intake promote regular bowel movements. In addition, fiber can bind the fat-based toxins so that they do not get reabsorbed.

Some use coffee enemas for detox. The tannins in coffee irritate the intestine lining causing bowel movments. There is a very small effect of coffee promoting more toxin release by the liver – but this is quite small. Because they have similar effects promoting bowel movements, I find using fiber and water in the diet is easier than coffee enemas.

Fiber & Water Support Detox

Water. It is important to drink 1/2 of your ideal body weight in ounces daily (ie: a 150-pound person should drink 75 ounces of water a day). This helps to flush the kidneys and promotes regular bowel movements.

Fiber. To bind toxins in the intestines and to promote regular bowel movements have 3 or more servings a day of fiber. Foods rich in fiber are beans, legumes, and whole grains. Apples are also a good source. To determine how much to have in a serving, I advise that a clenched fist is roughly equal to two serving sizes.

Support Liver Detoxification

Liver detoxification requires glutathione. Glutathione is a very powerful antioxidant generated in all cells and used in the liver to detox fat soluble toxins. Faced with toxin excess, the liver can exhaust its glutathione supplies. Most forms of oral glutathione are poorly absorbed. However there are sources designed for improved absorption which microscopically wrap the glutathione in fats called phospholipids. This type is called liposomal glutathione. For more information see Glutathione: The Great Fixer.

In my practice, I find that glutathione is more effective at promoting detox than other products like Nutramedix Burbur and Pinella. I do not recommend these supplements, but go with glutathione instead.

Sweat to Remove Toxins

Sweating through exercise, hot baths, or using infrared saunas can help remove toxins. When you heat up and sweat, toxins move to the liver and some move to your sweat. About 80 percent are cleared by the liver and about 20 percent are removed in the sweat. For more information about saunas and hot baths see Far Infrared Sauna Detox: More Than Sweat.

Use Binders to Remove Toxins

At times it helps to bind toxins in the intestines so they cannot get absorbed into the bloodstream using binders. Binders include bentonite or zeolite clay, activated charcoal, silica, humic acid and fulvic acid. Some companies make products which contain a number of these binders together in one pill.

Probiotics and Detox

Healthy bacteria that line the intestines remove toxins. In Lyme disease it is common to have unhealthy bacteria in the intestines due to herbal or prescription antibiotics and the stress of the illness. Rebuilding the healthy lining with high quality probiotics can help with detox. For more information about probiotics see Probiotics in Lyme Treatment.

Dosages For Supplements in This Article

Glutathione

Liposomal Glutathione 400 to 500 mg 1 to 2 times a day. An example of liposomal glutathione shown to raise cell levels of glutathione is Tri-Fortify by Researched Nutritionals. (3)*

Curcumin

Liposomal Curcumin 500 mg 1 or 2 pills 3 times a day. An example of liposomal curcumin is Meriva 500 SF by Thorne.

Probiotic to Support Healthy Intestinal Function and Detox*

Multi-biome by Researched Nutritionals 1 to 2 pills 1 time a day. This product is a soil-based spore-forming probiotic that includes strains of Bacillus scientifically proven to support intestinal health. It also includes human strains of probiotics too. This product does not require refrigeration.

Binders to Support Detox*

GI Detox + by Biobotanical Research or MycoPul by Researched Nutritionals 1 to 2 pills 1 time a day. Do not take any medicines or supplements beginning 30 min before taking these binders through 2 hours after taking these binders. The reason for this is binders will bind your supplements and prescription medicines too. You can eat any time, but the best time to have a small amount of food or a meal is 30 minutes after taking the binder.

Disclaimer

The ideas and recommendations on this website and in this article are for informational purposes only. For more information about this, see the sitewide Terms & Conditions.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

  1. Pizzorno, J. The Toxin Solution: How Hidden Poisons in the Air, Water, Food, and Products We Use Are Destroying Our Health–AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO FIX IT. New York, NY: HarperCollins; 2017.
  2. Pizzorno J. Glutathione! Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal. 2014;13(1):8-12.
  3. Sinha R, Sinha L, Calcagnotto A, Trushin N, Haley JS, Schell TD, Richie Jr JP. Oral supplementation with liposomal glutathione elevates body stores of glutathione and markers of immune function. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2018;72:105–111.
  4. Lynch, B. Dirty genes. New York, NY: HarperOne; 2018.
  5. Ballatori N, Krance SM, Notenboom S, Shi S, Tieu K, Hammond CL. Glutathione dysregulation and the etiology and progression of human diseases. Biol. Chem. 2009;390:191–214. doi:10.1515/BC.2009.033.
  6. Gulcubuk A, et al. Effects of curcumin on proinflammatory cytokines and tissue injury in the early and late phases of experimental acute pancreatitis.. Pancreatology. 13(4):347-354.
  7. Lee DW, Gardner R, Porter DL, et al. Current concepts in the diagnosis and management of cytokine release syndrome. Blood. 2014;124(2):188-195. doi:10.1182/blood-2014-05-552729.
  8. Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Curcumin. Micronutrient Information Center; Phytochemicals website. lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/curcumin Accessed August 18, 2018.
  9. Lu SC. Glutathione synthesis. Biochimica et biophysica acta. 2013;1830:3143-3153
  10. Pall M. Approaches to curing chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, gulf war syndrom, and possibley many others. Townsend Letter. 2010 (Feb/March) http://www.townsendletter.com/FebMarch2010/cureNO0210.html Accessed August 19, 2018
  11. Peacock BN, Gherezghiher TB, Hilario JD. et al. New insights into Lyme disease. Redox Biol. 2015;5:66–70. doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2015.03.002.
  12. Shachar I, Karin N. The dual roles of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the regulation of autoimmune diseases and their clinical implications. J Leukoc Biol. 2013;93(1):51–61. doi: 10.1189/jlb.0612293.
  13. Zhao F, Gong Y, Hu Y, Lu, M, Wang J, Dong J, Qiu F. Curcumin and its major metabolites inhibit the inflammatory response induced by lipopolysaccharide: Translocation of nuclear factor-κB as potential target. Molecular Medicine Reports. 2015;11:3087-3093. doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.3079
  14. Markowiak P, Śliżewska K. Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Human Health. Nutrients. 2017;9(9):1021. Published 2017 Sep 15. doi:10.3390/nu9091021

Category:

Detoxing, diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Lyme, Supplements

Inquiry to the Inspector General for Scientific Integrity of the Klempner Antibiotic Trials For Lyme Disease

https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/30864725

Inquiry to the Inspector General for Scientific Integrity (Klempner antibiotic trials)

Carl Tuttle

Hudson, NH, United States

Aug 26, 2022 — 

The open inquiry below has been acknowledged by the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General and Director of the Office of Research Integrity. Dr. Peggy Fischer has since retired so I am now communicating with her superiors. Updates to follow…

———- Original Message ———-
From: CARL TUTTLE <runagain@comcast.net>
To: “pfischer@nsf.gov” <pfischer@nsf.gov>
Date: 08/22/2022 1:29 PM
Subject: NIH funded study in 2001 ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000938
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
Dr. Peggy Fischer
Associate Inspector General for Scientific Integrity
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1135
Arlington, VA 22230

Dear Dr. Fischer,

I would like to call attention to the 2018 letter below addressed to Dr. Mark Klempner Principal Investigator of the so-called “Klempner Antibiotic Trials” for Lyme disease (NIH funded in 2001) which by the way were stopped after only 90 days.

The reason for contacting you is strait forward; I believe (as do countless others in the medical/academic fields) that these studies were fatally flawed and set the stage for unimaginable pain and suffering all across America. The letter to Klempner below describes the issue and the attached document with over 360 references concluding the exact opposite of the Klempner findings, warrants an investigation.

Persistence of The Lyme Disease Bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wypdcr45cfmq16d/Persistence3.docx?dl=0

This “cherry picking” of the Klempner Antibiotic Trials by our Public Health Officials and Infectious Diseases Society of America has got to stop because all other evidence is pointing to an antibiotic resistant/tolerant superbug which would put Lyme in a different class of infection altogether, one requiring an immediate response similar to a Manhattan Project.

Since there is a 6-year time limitation [1] for occurrences of research misconduct to be brought to the attention of an institution or the Department of Health and Human Services, I’m not claiming misconduct here. I’m asking for your assistance as Associate Inspector General for Scientific Integrity as to what can be done to rectify the divergence between what Klempner has reported vs all the other equally important evidence.

A response to this inquiry is requested.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl Tuttle
Hudson, NH

Reference

[1] Requirements for Making a Finding of Research Misconduct
https://grants.nih.gov/policy/research_integrity/requirements.htm
___________________________________________

2018 letter addressed to Dr. Mark Klempner (There was no response)

From: Carl Tuttle <runagain@comcast.net>
To: mark.klempner@umassmed.edu
Cc: michael.collins@umassmed.edu, ddutko@hanszenlaporte.com, ryan.kantor@usdoj.gov, michelle.seltzer@usdoj.gov, william.rinner@usdoj.gov, makan.delrahim@usdoj.gov, tickbornedisease@hhs.gov, Elias, John, officeofthechancellor@umassmed.edu
Date: 04/27/2018 7:53 AM
Subject: Persistent Borrelia Infection in Patients with Ongoing Symptoms of Lyme Disease

April 27, 2018

University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, Massachusetts 01655
Attn: Mark S. Klempner, MD, Executive Vice Chancellor, MassBiologics

Dr. Klempner,

I would like to call attention to the attached study recently identifying chronic Lyme disease in twelve patients from Canada.

Persistent Borrelia Infection in Patients with Ongoing Symptoms of Lyme Disease
http://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/33

All of these patients were culture positive for infection (genital secretions, skin “Morgellons” and blood) even after multiple years on antibiotics so there was no relief from current antimicrobials. Some of these patients had taken as many as eleven different types of antibiotics.

In contrast, your 2001 antibiotic treatment study found; “no evidence of B. burgdorferi in a total of more than 700 different blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples from the 129 patients in these studies.”

Two Controlled Trials of Antibiotic Treatment in Patients with Persistent Symptoms and a History of Lyme Disease
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200107123450202#article_references#t=references

Not a single positive Dr. Klempner? Doesn’t this statistically prove that your methodology was fatally flawed?

Did you culture skin and genital secretions as the Middelveen paper reports? It would appear that you conveniently stopped looking after your results supported the existing thirty year dogma; chronic Lyme does not exist.

Persistent Lyme disease is not new and has been intentionally/deceitfully suppressed for decades as described in the Vicki Logan case identified in the following letter to past CDC Director Barbara Fitzgerald:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xaul84dqmqgbre0/Brenda%20Fitzgerald%20MD%20Director%20CDC.docx?dl=0

In 1991 B. burgdorferi had been isolated in culture from Vicki Logan’s CSF (CDC’s laboratory in Fort Collins CO.) despite prior treatment with 21 days of IV cefotaxime and 4 months of oral minocycline.

The dishonest science here in the U.S. has denied chronic Lyme which stifled research to find a curative approach. Now the rest of the world is suffering. 

We have lost nearly four decades to this 21st century plague due to the racketeering scheme identified in the RICO lawsuit filed by SHRADER & ASSOCIATES, LLP against the Infectious Disease Society of America, seven IDSA Panelists and eight insurance companies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has aligned itself with the seven IDSA Panelists identified in this lawsuit.

Court Document:
https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LymeDisease.pdf

Lyme is an incurable disease when not treated immediately which is spreading across North America and deceitfully misclassified as a low-risk and non-urgent health issue. Patient experience is describing a disease that is destroying lives, ending careers, causing death and disability while leaving victims in financial ruin. Current antimicrobials are ineffective for eradicating all forms of the Borrelia spirochete.

Public outcry has been ignored for decades while the Centers for Disease Control sat on evidence that this infection was not easily treated with a one size fits all treatment approach as dictated by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Once again your studies were fatally flawed while supporting the controlling dogma leaving hundreds of thousands if not millions worldwide with a persistent infection and absolutely no relief. We have another AIDS on our hands.

Carl Tuttle

Independent Researcher

Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH

Cc: -Michael F. Collins, Chancellor

-The Tick Borne Disease Working Group

-US Department of Justice

-Daniel R. Dutko, HANSZEN LAPORTE

________________

For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research, Treatment

Tickease Founder On Dangers of Ticks, What We Need to Know About Prevention

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/tickease-founder-on-ticks/

TickEase Founder Dan Wolff on Dangers of Ticks, What We Need to Know About Prevention

By |
 

Dan Wolff, aka: “Tick Man Dan,” wore a tie emblazoned with images of ticks to his wedding. He regularly wears shirts and even a wristwatch with pictures of the arachnids on them. He has two tattoos of the creepy, blood-sucking pests permanently inked onto his left leg. He even goes on tick hunting expeditions, and he keeps jars of them around his home. This may strike some people as weird, but for Wolff, they’re conversation starters on a subject he’s passionate about. Plus, it’s part of how he makes his living. Tick Man Dan’s mission is simple: to educate the public on the dangers posed from the diseases and parasites carried by ticks, and to promote his brand, TickEase. The company makes a set of specialty tweezers designed by Wolff himself that are meant specifically for the removal of ticks and their nymphs once embedded in a person.

When I spoke to Wolff via Zoom from his home in Massachusetts, I learned more about ticks in one 40-minute sitting than I had learned my whole life. We spoke about TickEase and their Tick-Kits, proactively preventing issues, and his general enthusiasm for these tiny creatures that are capable of causing such big problems.  (See link for article)

___________________

SUMMARY:

  • Out of necessity, Wolff created Tickease when he couldn’t find a good tick removal device – particularly for an embedded nymph (which is as small as a poppy seed).
  • Unfortunately Wolff regurgitates the “warmer weather gets more ticks” mantra – essentially propelling the ‘climate change’ myth regarding tick and disease proliferation. 
    • Ticks are marvelously ecoadaptive and can survive virtually all weather by burrowing under leaf litter and snow – and anything else they can find. 
    • The repeated mantra of “climate change”, wildlife proliferation, and surburban sprawl ignores the very real spreading of ticks by our own government who has experimented on ticks for decades.
    • Willy Burgdorfer, the “discoverer” of Lyme disease was a researcher at the Rocky Mountain laboratory where he weaponized ticks by force-feeding them numerous pathogens.
  • Ticks can be active year-round – proving their ecoadaptability.  They can go into a dormant state called diapause due to a anti-freeze-like substance in their bodies which actually feeds the Lyme bacteria.
  • Wolff found ticks can wake up fast with a feeding frenzy if there are periods of cold interrupted by a sudden increase in temps. Please watch this short video demonstrating how quickly this can happen.
  • Wolff dispels the myth that it takes 36 hours for ticks to transmit Lyme.  (It can happen in a few of mere hours)
  • He also points out that viruses can be transmitted in minutes and that ticks carry far more than just Lyme.
  • When removing a tick, do not agitate it or get the contents of the abdomen on you.

For more:

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Prevention, Ticks, Transmission

Kentucky Has Fastest Growing Lyme Disease Outbreak in the US & is Surging in WV, Ohio, & Nebraska

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11125379/Kentucky-fastest-growing-lyme-disease-outbreak-insurance-data-suggests

Kentucky has the fastest growing lyme disease outbreak in the US, insurance data suggests – while disease is also surging in West Virginia, Ohio and Nebraska, as experts warn more forest cover is allowing diseased ticks to advance south

  • Insurance claims data showed Kentucky, West Virginia, Idaho, Ohio and Nebraska had the biggest upticks
  • But New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts had the largest outbreaks in the country, data showed
  • Experts said that ticks were expanding their range thanks to growing forest cover and deer populations
  • But surging awareness of the disease thanks to high-profile cases such as Shania Twain may also be behind some of the uptick in insurance claims
  • FAIR Health – which has one of the largest databases in the country – collected the data

By Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published:

Kentucky has the fastest growing Lyme disease outbreak in America, insurance claims data suggests — as experts warn global warming is allowing more aggressive northern ticks to advance into southern and midwestern states. 

Statistics showed Kentucky was recording 10 claims per 100,000 people in 2021, up from just five in 2016 — a doubling in five years. West Virginia, Idaho, Ohio and Nebraska each also saw claims surge more than 60 percent over the same period.

Experts warn that higher seasonal temperatures have opened up new habitats for ticks in more mountainous areas, which may be fueling the rise in cases.  (See link for article)

__________________

**Comment**

For anyone paying attention at all to the events of  the past two years, it’s become obvious that things are often not what they seem.  Public health officials have lied repeatedly due to severe conflicts of interest, and science has been hijacked to the highest bidder.  The corruption in an unholy alliance between government, Big Pharma, mainstream media, research institutions and scientific journals has finally been exposed for what it truly is.

When you understand this simple albeit painful truth, it also then becomes obvious that science has been completely politicized and can not be trusted at face value. This is clearly seen in the area of “global warming,” and is a rouse to obtain access to huge government funding and unbridled power to monopolize and control by imposing ludicrous, ineffective regulations that are unobtainable and will destroy entire economies.  While there are definitely environmental concerns, “global warming” is being used to divert attention away from climate engineering – which is very real.

There’s a similar thing happening in Lymeland.  Like an experienced magician using slight of hand, we are told repeatedly in a mantra that ticks are migrating and transmitting disease due to a warming climate.  This has been proven to be false by independent researchers who do not have to cow-tow to the political message to obtain highly sought after government research grants.  The spin-masters want our attention on the climate rather than on the fact our own government is behind tick and disease proliferation.  This is pointed out in Kris Newby’s book “Bitten,” as well as through interviews with people who have studied this for decades. Bioweaponization of things found in nature is not new, and the government will do anything to cover this up – including lie using propaganda techniques.  They then come after others who disagree with anything they say and accuse them of the very things they do themselves.

Don’t be fooled by the accepted narrative no matter how many times it is repeated.
Question everything and do your own homework.  Make sure you are getting information from multiple sources – particularly ones that disagree.

Category:

Lyme, Ticks

The Fuss About Intestinal Microbiome in Lyme Treatment

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/intestinal-microbiome-function-protection-strategies  Video Here  (Approx. 2 Min)

Intestinal Microbiome Function & Protection Strategies in Lyme Disease Treatment

Dr. Marty Ross

Aug. 23, 2022

Intestinal Microbiome Function & Protection Strategies Image

Intestinal Microbiome Considerations in Lyme Treatment

The exponential growth in research on the activity and importance of the intestinal microbiome indicates the important role the bacteria, viruses, yeast, and parasites living in our intestines play in health. This is especially true in chronic illnesses like Lyme disease and tick-related infections.

As a person considers using antimicrobials to treat Lyme and related infections, they must weigh risks and benefits. There is the risk of harm to the gut microbiome. But for most people the benefit of using antimicrobials is a return to a quality life that makes this risk worthwhile.

In this article, I describe the role of the microbiome. I also layout strategies to protect the gut microbiome using

  • herbal antibiotics rather than RX antibiotics when possible,
  • diet,
  • exercise, and
  • probiotics.

Bricks and Mortar of The Intestinal Microbiome

According to intestinal microbiome expert Gomaa:

  • “The intestinal microbiota consists of more than 1500 species, distributed in more than 50 different phyla”.
  • “As a result of their abundance in the digestive tract, bacterial species make up to 60% of the feces dry mass. Fungi, protists, archaea, and viruses are also present in the gut flora, however, less is known about their activities.”

The Institute for Functional Medicine teaches that 90 percent of the genetic material in human bodies comes from the viruses, bacteria, yeast, and parasites that make up the microbiome.

Key Functions of the Intestinal Microbiome

A well balanced microbiome

  • supports a healthy immune system,
  • decreases inflammation,
  • protects against intestinal infections,
  • promotes cell growth and proliferation,
  • supports the blood vessels,
  • regulates the hormonal systems,
  • provides brain and nerve signaling,
  • supports and regulates mental health
  • promotes bone density,
  • provides energy to the body,
  • makes key vitamins and metabolic chemicals,
  • makes neurotransmitters,
  • eliminates toxins,
  • eliminates allergens, and
  • more.

How to Protect the Microbiome in Lyme Disease

Use Herbal or Prescription Antibiotics Only if You Have Symptoms

If someone tests positive for an infection like Lyme, but has no symptoms, I do not recommend herbal or prescription antibiotics. First, the test could be a false positive. Second, even if the test is true, I do not want to disrupt the microbiome and potentially cause more long-term harm down the road.

When Possible Choose Herbal Over Prescription Antibiotics

In my experience, herbal antibiotics cause less disruption of the gut microbiome. I say this because I rarely see intestinal yeast overgrowth infections when someone is on herbal antibiotics. I see intestinal yeast overgrowth infections much more frequently when someone is using prescription antibiotics. The presence of intestinal yeast overgrowth means the microbiome is out of balance.

Unfortunately, I am not able to find any research that supports the idea that herbal antibiotics are less harmful to the gut microbiome – but clinically they seem to be.

In each of my articles on how to treat Lyme and related infections, I provide herbal antibiotic options with a description of the relative chances the herbs will help versus prescription options. For more information see the Infection Treatment Plans chapter on this site.

Emphasize Plant-Based Food

Fiber in plant-based diets supports a healthy microbiome much better than foods found in the SAD (Standard American Diet). Types of diets rich in plant-based foods include Mediterranean style diets and plant-forward paleo type diets. And obviously, vegetarian diets do this too!

Exercise for Microbiome Health

Athletes tend to have healthier intestinal microbiomes than those that do not exercise regularly. This finding has to be interpreted with some consideration that athletes may also tend to eat healthier as they focus on all aspects of health.

I do recommend exercise to my patients, but at a level that does not flare a person up. In Lyme and tick related illnesses this may mean no exercise is good, or a 5 minute walk, or even long-distance running if a person can tolerate it.

Use Probiotics During Treatment

Probiotics are shown to protect and maintain microbiome health. There are a variety of probiotics including

  • human strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus
  • spore-forming soil-based strains like Bacteroides, and
  • healthy yeast like Saccharomyces boulardii.

For my patients, I recommend they take human and spore-forming strains together. At times I also recommend adding Saccharomyces Boulardii.

For an extensive article on how to use probiotics during treatment and which products I recommend see: Probiotic Strategies in Lyme Disease Treatment.

Disclaimer

The ideas and recommendations on this website and in this article are for informational purposes only. For more information about this, see the site-wide Terms & Conditions.

References

  1. Gomaa EZ. Human gut microbiota/microbiome in health and diseases: a review. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 2020;113(12):2019-2040. doi:10.1007/s10482-020-01474-7 (View)
  2. Lynch SV, Pedersen O. The Human Intestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(24):2369-2379. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1600266 (View)
  3. Sharon I, Quijada NM, Pasolli E, et al. The Core Human Microbiome: Does It Exist and How Can We Find It? A Critical Review of the Concept. Nutrients. 2022;14(14):2872. Published 2022 Jul 13. doi:10.3390/nu14142872 (View)

About the Author

Marty Ross, MD is a passionate Lyme disease educator and clinical expert. He helps Lyme sufferers and their physicians see what really works based on his review of the science and extensive real-world experience. Dr. Ross is licensed to practice medicine in Washington State (License: MD00033296) where he has treated thousands of Lyme disease patients in his Seattle practice. 

Marty Ross, MD is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine and Georgetown University Family Medicine Residency. He is a member of the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) and The Institute for Functional Medicine.

Category:

diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Lyme, Treatment