Understanding genetics, genes and personalised medicine Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. We collect your DNA by using abuccal smear (using a small brush or cotton swab) to collect a sample of cells from the inside surface of the cheek. We can think about DNA as the library […]
PROGESTERONE
(With thanks to my late colleague and good friend Mike Cushman from Pharmaceutical Compounding New Zealand) Progesterone “for gestation” – is the hormone of pregnancy. Produced in the ovaries, progesterone prepares the uterus lining to enhance implantation of the fertilized ovum. If implantation does not occur then progesterone thickens the vaginal mucus, assists the fallopian […]
Oral Contraceptives
Oral contraceptives are used for the prevention of pregnancy and are in common use around the world. They can also be indicated in other medical conditions such as abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis and supporting female sexual development. Long-term use of oral contraceptive medication may have an effect on the nutritional status of the body. Certain […]
ESTROGENS
(With thanks to my late colleague and good friend Mike Cushman from Pharmaceutical Compounding New Zealand) Making estrogens safe naturally Why experts are saying that cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli help prevent sex hormone related cancers. Dr Jonathon Wright the eminent nutritional medicine specialist described that we all know Grandma was right when […]
TESTOSTERONE
(With thanks to my late colleague and good friend Mike Cushman from Pharmaceutical Compounding New Zealand) Testosterone and growing up When a girl reaches puberty it is testosterone that stimulated her growth of pubic and underarm hair. At the same time there developed testosterone receptors in the nipple of her developing breasts and a heavy […]
HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is used for the treatment of symptoms experienced during menopause, lack of vaginal mucous or urethra irritation, and the prevention and management of osteoporosis. It is also used for conditions such as loss of ovary function or uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance. Long-term use of HRT medication may have an […]
Oxytocin – the Love Hormone
In a breakthrough study from Stanford University School of Medicine, researchers have shown that oxytocin — known as the “love hormone” because of its important role in the formation and maintenance of mother-child bonding and sexual attachments — is actually involved in a much broader range of social connections. The researchers discovered that oxytocin released […]
MTHFR – Easier to Say than Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase!
The MTHFR gene, technically referred to as Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, is a key enzyme required to metabolise homocysteine. Mutations of the MTHFR gene may cause elevated (and toxic) blood levels of homocysteine. Read below for more information on this important chemical. We are all born with 2 MTHFR genes, one inherited from each parent. Some people have a genetic mutation […]
Understanding genetics, genes and personalised medicine
We can think about DNA as the library that tells our cell factory how to make the proteins that are essential for our very being. It is the proteins that do the work of the cell and ultimately dictate biological processes and cellular fates. The genetic material that we acquire from our parents consists of […]
Are You a Mutant? Anxiety and MTHFR
Ongoing research implicates MTHFR genetic mutations for not only mood disorders such as anxiety and depression but also in cases of multiple miscarriages, fibromyalgia, strokes, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, migraine, ADHD, Alzheimers Disease and even autism. In a honest and insightful article, journalist Elisa Black chronicled her journey with anxiety. With a life- long experience of crippling anxiety and poor […]