In 2010, Laura de Magistris and colleagues published a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition that compared intestinal permeability in children with autism, their first-degree relatives, and healthy controls. They found significantly elevated intestinal permeability in 36.7 percent of children with autism, compared to 4.8 percent of controls. This is the phenomenon often called “leaky gut”: tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells become loose, allowing larger molecules (partially digested food proteins, bacterial endotoxins, microbial fragments) to pass through into the bloodstream where they trigger immune responses. When this happens, several cascades unfold. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin shed by gram-negative bacteria, enters circulation and triggers systemic inflammatory cytokines that can cross the blood-brain barrier and activate microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. Food peptides that should have been digested into amino acids reach the bloodstream and provoke immune memory and food sensitivities. Mast cells, distributed throughout the gut, lung, and brain, become primed and start releasing histamine, tryptase, and inflammatory mediators in response to ordinary stimuli. The gut-immune-brain axis is one continuous loop, and dysfunction at any node propagates throughout the system. Digestive Enzyme Insufficiency A separate but related problem has emerged from endoscopic biopsy studies in children with autism: many of them simply cannot digest sugars and carbohydrates properly. In 1999, Karoly Horvath and colleagues evaluated 90 children with autism undergoing endoscopy and found that 49 percent had at least one deficient disaccharidase enzyme (lactase, maltase, sucrase, palatinase, or glucoamylase), and 20 percent had deficiencies in two or more. Lactase deficiency was the most common. A 2011 study by Williams and colleagues, published in PLoS ONE, confirmed and extended these findings, also documenting altered intestinal microbiota associated with the carbohydrate digestion impairment.

Heart disease, while still the #1 cause of mortality in the developed world, can be prevented and even reversed with nutritional interventions. Considering that heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the developed world, anything that can prevent or reduce cardiac mortality, or slow or even reverse the cardiovascular disease process, should be of great interest to health professionals and the general public alike. So, with this in mind, let's look at a small but significant sample of natural, food-based alternatives to these drugs through the lens of the clinical and biomedical literature itself. Three Natural Substances that Reduce the Risk of Heart-Related Death - Omega-3 Fatty Acids: There is a robust body of research indicating that the risk of sudden cardiac death decreases with higher omega-3 fatty acid intake. Going all the way back to 2002, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study titled, "Blood levels of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death," which found: "The n-3 fatty acids found in fish are strongly associated with a reduced risk of sudden death among men without evidence of prior cardiovascular disease." Another 2002 study, published in the journal Circulation, found that Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces total mortality and sudden death in patients who have already had a heart attack. - Vitamin D: Levels of this essential compound have been found to be directly associated with the risk of dying from all causes. Being in the lowest 25% of vitamin D levels is associated with a 26% increase in all-cause mortality. It has been proposed that doubling global vitamin D levels could significantly reduce mortality. Research published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology in 2009 confirmed that lower vitamin D levels are associated with increased all-cause mortality, and that the effect is even more pronounced for cardiovascular mortality. This finding was confirmed the same year in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, and again in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

1. High-protein animal foods Your body craves nutrients, not just calories. Protein from real sources like beef, eggs, lamb, fish, and dairy keeps you genuinely full, stabilizes blood sugar, and kills cravings at the root. Ever tried to overeat ribeye? It's basically impossible. And that's partly because of those endogenous GLP-1 pathways firing exactly like they're supposed to. 2. Cut the ultra-processed stuff These foods are literally engineered to override your satiety signals. Bliss point formulation, hyper-palatable flavor combos designed so you can't stop eating. Remove them and suddenly your body remembers how to say "I'm done." Wild concept. 3. Time-restricted eating Constant grazing keeps insulin elevated and fat-burning locked out. Eating within an 8-10 hour window gives your body time to actually access stored energy. No late-night snacking. Let your biology do what it already knows how to do. 4. Strength training + daily movement Muscle is your metabolic advantage. More muscle means better insulin sensitivity, better nutrient partitioning, better everything. Lift something heavy a few times a week. Walk every day. Your body composition shifts when you give it a reason to. 5. Quality sleep + morning sunlight Poor sleep jacks up hunger hormones, increases cravings, and promotes fat storage. Your entire hormonal cascade depends on your circadian rhythm. Morning sun sets it. 7-9 hours of sleep protects it. Treat this like the foundation it is. Your body already knows how to regulate weight. It's been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years without pharmaceuticals. You just have to give it the right environment: real food, movement, rest, sunlight. And get the processed interference out of the way. The GLP-1 pathway isn't some pharmaceutical discovery. It's ancient biology. The drugs just mimic what your body does when you feed it properly. So whether you're on a GLP-1, thinking about one, or just trying to lose weight the old-fashioned way...

Researchers at Loma Linda University Health report that eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in adults age 65 and older. Their findings suggest that regular egg consumption could play a role in supporting long-term brain health. The study found that people who ate at least one egg per day for five or more days each week had up to a 27% lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "Compared to never eating eggs, eating at least five eggs per week can decrease risk of Alzheimer's," said Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, a professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study's principal investigator. Even smaller amounts of egg consumption were associated with benefits. Eating eggs just 1 to 3 times per month was linked to a 17% reduction in risk, while those who ate eggs 2 to 4 times per week saw about a 20% lower risk, Sabaté said. The research, titled Egg intake and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort linked with Medicare data, was published in the Journal of Nutrition. Scientists conducted the study to better understand how diet, a factor people can change, might influence the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. Eggs contain several nutrients that are important for the brain, Sabaté said. They are a rich source of choline, which the body uses to produce compounds such as acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine that are essential for memory and communication between brain cells. Eggs also provide lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that build up in brain tissue and have been linked to better cognitive performance and lower levels of oxidative stress. In addition, eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids, and the yolk is especially high in phospholipids, making up nearly 30% of total egg lipids. These compounds play a key role in how neurotransmitter receptors function. Finally, eggs have not impact whatsoever on heart disease. In other words, eating eggs do not affect your risk of having more heart issues.

Here are seven simple food tips to help keep you cool: 1. Water. Our bodies can consist of up to about 75% water (less as we age) and during this extreme heat we lose a lot of that fluid to sweat. Even mild dehydration will sap your energy and make you feel tired. Keep your body fluids replenished with plain water and skip the sugary sodas which can actually further dehydrate you. Even if you are working or playing outside, that means ditching the sugary sports drinks and trying instead some ice cold natural coconut water which replaces electrolytes without adding sugar. 2. Watermelon. Juicy fruits are in season during the summer and their water content helps to bring our temperatures down. In addition to watermelon, try grapes, peaches, nectarines and plums. They are also easy to digest so your body doesn't get overheated working to process them. 3. Cucumbers. Lots of vegetables harvested in the summer are also full of cooling water, especially the cucumber, synonymous with cool. Other good choices are tomatoes, celery and leafy greens. Toss them all together in a great summer salad. 4. Spicy gazpacho. You might think that it's a good idea to avoid the added heat of spicy foods in this weather. However, although hot peppers will heat you up and make you sweat, the moisture they generate actually cools you off. That's why some of the warmest countries are known for the spiciest cuisines. 5. Fish. Avoid heavy meats which are warming and raise your exertion level and body temperature just in digesting them. Go for a lighter protein source like a light fish, or vegetable sources of protein, like cold beans tossed in a salad. 6. Sorbet. Although you might be craving a summer ice cream cone, remember that dairy products are rich and heavy and hard to digest especially if you overdo it. Go small on the portions or better yet settle for an all fruit sorbet or just plain fruit. 7. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Coffee, tea and alcohol all have diuretic properties and the loss of fluids will make you feel even warmer. If you do indulge, go easy and don't forget tip #1 – hydrate with water!