 |
Bambini September 2017 Newsletter
|
|
|
Intermittent Fasting for Kids
As of 2014, the CDC reports that 71% of adults in the US are either overweight or obese -- yikes! And children are
not far behind. What can we do?
Over last few years, interest in various forms of intermittent fasting has grown at an extraordinary rate. Some of these include Michael Mosley's 5:2 diet, OMAD (one meal a day), the crescendo diet, and alternate day fasting.
Fasting has a number of advantages:
-- It has been done for centuries as part of religious traditions such as Lent and Ramadan.
-- It is affordable, simple, convenient, and effective. There are no special foods, calculators, meal plans, etc. that need to be purchased.
When Canadian
nephrologist Jason Fung MD, author of
The Obesity Code and
The Complete Guide to Fasting, was asked by the mother of an 8 year-old if he could safely skip breakfast, Dr. Fung responded:
It is no problem for your son to skip breakfast if he is not hungry. If his body is refusing food, there is no reason to force it in. The problem arises when people skip breakfast and use that as an excuse to eat a donut at 10:30.
Is your son or daughter significantly overweight? Could some form of intermittent fasting help him or her safely and effectively move toward a healthier weight? The
answer is yes -- but we suggest working with a Bambini clinician to develop a practical, sustainable, customized plan.
|
|
Biocidin vs Banderol
One is a shotgun, the other a rifle!
Biocidin is a cocktail of about a dozen herbs -- including bilberry, noni, milk thistle, echinacea, goldenseal, garlic, shiitake, white willow, and black walnut plus several essential oils. An ounce retails for $60; the newer liposomal form runs $79.
Although there are no published studies on Biocidin, there is plenty of clinical info on most of the components. Anecdotes and testimonials suggest the cocktail is strong enough to cause die-off symptoms unless precautions (i.e. charcoal, bentonite) are taken. Suggested ped dosing is 1 to 2 drops per 10 lbs. of body weight per day divided into 2 - 3 doses.
Banderol, on the other hand, is a single-entity product by NutraMedix. An extract of the bark from the South American otoba tree, it retails for about $40 per ounce. It's said to have a broad spectrum of activity -- not only against Lyme, but also other bacteria like bartonella, fungi, viruses, and babesia. Moreover, one report indicated that it has anti-inflammatory properties as well.
Stephen Buhner, whose opinion we respect, advises that there is
little published research on the safety and efficacy of Banderol. With a dose range of 1 to 30 drops, we likewise recommend a degree of caution.
|
|
Polio Titers
Two years ago, the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication concluded that wild poliovirus type 2 has been eradicated worldwide. The last detected case had occurred in 1999.
Last year, in response, Quest and Labcorp stopped testing for this strain. Makes sense.
Last month, we were notified by the NYS Department of Health, that if a parent wants to reduce the number of polio shots their child receives by getting a titer done, the blood work will have to include the type 2 strain -- knowing full well that this blood test is no longer available. Go figure! (drop to the
bottom of this page for details).
|
|
Intranasal Insulin
Just about everyone thinks of insulin as the primary treatment for diabetes, but researchers have found that, when administered as a nasal spray, it can improve memory, mood, and self-confidence! Indeed, back in 2004, Christian Benedict and associates at the University of Lubeck
made these discoveries during their study on the effects of 8 weeks of intranasal insulin on 38 subjects. No effect on blood sugar was seen.
Five years later, doctors in Munich reported their findings on intranasal insulin on 6 children with 22q13 deletion syndrome. Better known as Phelan-McDermid syndrome, the disorder is characterized by profound developmental delay with autistic features. After a year of treatment, these children showed marked improvements in gross and fine motor activities, cognitive functions and educational level. Last year, a group from the Netherlands
confirmed these findings in a larger study.
Although some biohackers have
posted instructions on how to obtain insulin without a prescription and administer it intranasally, we strongly recommend that you discuss this potential treatment option with your child's clinician. We credit Dr. Aimal Khan for bringing this research to our attention.
|
|
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
|
If you do not already receive our monthly e-newsletter,
click here or go to the
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
