Lawrey Calabro - Naturopath

17/09/2025

Testing homocysteine matters! If you, like me, have a strong family history of cardio/vascular disease or the myriad of other diseases that methylation plays a role in, you need to delve deeper. This is something I recommend testing for most women that consult with me. Then, if high, we can figure out the why. I've been delving into many "MyDNA" reports with clients this month. Small, custom changes to nutrition and supplements can make a BIG difference to your health when done consistently over time. To find out your unique needs just book a time and I'll work with you to find it out. You can feel better!

📖 “She was treated for psychosis for years… but the cause was MTHFR deficiency.”

A 56-year-old woman lived under the label of psychosis for years. Medications. Hospital visits. No answers.

Then came the collapse and a coma.

🧠 MRI revealed white matter disease
🧪 Labs showed homocysteine ~200 μmol/L
🔑 The missing piece? Severe MTHFR deficiency

👉 Within 3 months of targeted treatment (betaine, B12, folinic acid), she woke up.
But the damage was irreversible, and paraplegia remained.

⚡ Here’s the lesson:
Earlier testing could have changed everything.
A simple homocysteine test may be the difference between decline and recovery.

💡 Why this matters for you:
High homocysteine isn’t “just a number.” It’s a 🚨 red flag for brain health, mood disorders, and long-term wellness.

✨ Knowledge is prevention.
✨ Prevention is power.

11/09/2025

Environmental toxins and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Naturopathic care has long advised caution in the area of environmental toxin exposure as both a trigger and perpetuating factor in chronic disease. Be vigilant in detoxing your environment and minimizing exposure to toxins where you can.

The role of environmental toxins in the development of autoimmune diseases is an area of growing scientific interest and concern. While genetic predisposition plays a key role in autoimmunity, increasing evidence suggests that environmental exposures may trigger, exacerbate or accelerate autoimmune processes in genetically susceptible individuals.

Now a large US government study has found a higher rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk in women after exposure (through farm work or as farmers' wives) to certain common insecticides and fungicides, but not most herbicides.

"In sum, our findings provide robust evidence that some insecticides may contribute to risk of developing RA in women," the researchers wrote. "Further studies are warranted especially for widely used insecticides, such as malathion, carbaryl, and pyrethroids, given ongoing residential and public health uses such as mosquito control, and residential or personal uses such as permethrin-treated clothing."

This is not the first time that agricultural chemical exposure has been linked to RA risk. Such an association was found in one analysis from the Women's Health Initiative, involving household and garden products.

In the current study, participants in the Agricultural Health Study were recruited in North Carolina and Iowa during 1993-1997, including around 32,000 women who either worked directly on farms or were farmers' spouses. They completed detailed questionnaires, which included questions about contact with 50 pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, at enrolment and at an initial follow-up conducted in 1999-2003. Additional follow-ups were performed periodically through 2021, with participants asked whether they had been diagnosed with RA or other conditions. The authors also reviewed participants' Medicare claims for RA diagnoses.

After excluding participants with insufficient data, the group compared 410 incident RA cases with 21,850 non-cases. "Ever use" of specific chemicals was counted in each of these groups. Associations between RA risk and individual chemicals were adjusted for age, state of residence, education level, smoking history, body mass index, and exposure to other "correlated" pesticides.

With these adjustments, the following pesticides had significant associations with incident RA, expressed as odds ratios (ORs):
• DDT: 1.89, 95% CI (confidence interval) 1.30-2.75
• Lindane: 1.97, 95% CI 1.12-3.47
• Coumaphos: 2.32, 95% CI 1.29-4.19
• Permethrin/pyrethroids on livestock: 1.76, 95% CI 1.16-2.69

Additionally, strong trends falling short of statistical significance were seen for malathion, carbofuran, and permethrin/pyrethroid insecticides on crops.

Among herbicides and fungicides, significant ORs were found for these products:
• Metribuzin (a herbicide): 2.74, 95% CI 1.67-4.48
• Captan: 1.78, 95% CI 1.13-2.83
• Metalaxyl: 2.49, 95% CI 1.49-4.16

Limitations to the current analysis included that pesticide exposure was self-reported and recorded only as "ever used" without quantification. Also, many individual pesticides had been used by only a handful of participants with incident RA.

For more information see: http://bit.ly/47kBBi1

29/08/2025

✨ Clinic + Life Highlights This Week…

💃 Happy Dance Moment - (sure it'll be to my daughter's Kpop songs..but whatever)

Client’s gastroenterologist said she can finally ditch Somac (PPI) 🎉-ridiculous she’s been on it this long considering her chronic anemia.  After a year of work, her body’s ready to make its own stomach acid again (goodbye mineral-blocking meds 👋). She’s got natural supports in place to prevent rebound hyperacidity (even though that wasn’t why she was taking it in the first place), so we're covering all bases from here.  Bring on the mineral repletion!

🌸 Period Pain Breakthrough
Supporting a client with severe endo + adeno (no surgical removal option atm it’s so severe). After 4 months on a nervous system + pain protocol, her pain levels dropped dramatically 🙌. Hormone testing then showed high cortisol 😵‍💫, sluggish estrogen detox ♻️, and even a sneaky chemical endocrine disruptor 🧪. Now I can fine-tune her plan with herbs + nutrients. Healing = onion layers 🧅… peel one back, reveal the next. 

🔥 Perimenopause Club
Many of my clients are here right now (me too 😅). Peri is a rollercoaster: one month you’re zen, the next you’re ready to move countries + disown your family and set fire your your job or business - well just for 3 days 🤯😂. You see, I stopped my herbs and… let’s just say, I won’t be doing that again. Herbs back on board = family harmony, business intact, and travel plans for some R&R, rather than running away to be a hermit 😉. My golden rule (since age 22): no major life decisions the week before my period. AND don't stop the herbs...until your Naturopath says so.

🧪 Nerd Corner
Loving the new ENDOMAP test from Nutripath! Think DUTCH (popular hormone test) but more affordable 💸 and it checks for hormone disruptors too, along with some important organic acids markers. Game changer for personalised care, I’ll be re-visiting my own hormones with this test in a few weeks too.

✨ Takeaways -
From digestive relief to hormone wins, every layer peeled back = one step closer to feeling good again. And sometimes, we get to celebrate with a little happy dance 💃 at the desk, after we take our peri herbs!

26/05/2025

🦋 Thyroid Health, Autoimmunity & Estrogen: The Body's Protective Wisdom

Thyroid health is a delicate dance between hormones, the immune system, and your body’s natural healing intelligence.

🌿 Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s)
This common thyroid condition occurs when your immune system mistakenly targets the thyroid gland—leading to inflammation, fatigue, and hypothyroidism. But is this “attack” always harmful… or might it be a protective adaptation?

🔬 Enter TETRAC – More Than Just a Thyroid Hormone Derivative
TETRAC (tetraiodothyroacetic acid) is derived from T4 but doesn’t activate thyroid hormone receptors in the traditional way. Instead, it blocks T4 and T3 from stimulating cell growth via the αvβ3 integrin receptor.
This action may be one of the body’s tools to limit unregulated cell proliferation—including in thyroid cancer. Think of it as nature’s “brake pedal” against runaway growth. 🧬

💗 Estrogen (Estradiol) & Thyroid Cancer Risk
Women are significantly more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. Why? One reason may be estradiol, which can upregulate that same αvβ3 integrin receptor and stimulate growth signals in thyroid cells.
In some cases, estrogen dominance may also exacerbate autoimmune thyroid conditions, triggering or worsening Hashimoto’s.

🧠 Is Autoimmunity a Kind of Wisdom?
Rather than a system gone rogue, what if the immune response in Hashimoto’s is an adaptive process to neutralize growth-promoting signals—like those from excess estrogen or unregulated T4 activity?
TETRAC’s growth-inhibiting role supports this idea: the body may be working to restore balance by reducing overstimulation of thyroid tissues.

As always we must …

🌱 Support the Healing Response
You can help your body through:
✔️ Supporting liver detox pathways to modulate estrogen

✔️ Nourishing thyroid tissue with selenium and other important co-factors (where appropriate)

✔️ Using adaptogens and immune-balancing herbs - a Naturopath’s tool kit has many options that can be customized to you.

✔️ Trusting that sometimes, the body’s “attack” is a recalibration, not a malfunction.

10/04/2025

18/03/2025

So why is your iron status low? Reach out to investigate WHY! (especially if you are not responding well to oral iron supplements)

Our research into single nutrients for the Nutrient Prescriber's Program led to some truly fascinating discoveries.

One of the most exciting revelations was a little trick nature has in store for people who menstruate...

Creating this program has been a rewarding journey, both intellectually and personally. By the end, it felt like we had come full circle, returning to a more holistic understanding of health. ❤️✨

19/02/2025

Time to rethink B12 sufficiency? New research suggests that so-called “normal” B12 levels might not be enough to protect brain health, especially with age. ⚠️

A study published in Annals of Neurology found that older adults with lower (but still normal) B12 levels had slower processing speeds and more brain lesions. Researchers are calling for updated recommendations and earlier intervention to help prevent cognitive decline.

This adds to the growing evidence that functional B12 insufficiency can impact the nervous system long before it shows up as anemia. For older adults (especially those with neurological symptoms), B12 supplementation might be worth considering even if blood levels look “fine.”

Read the article: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/02/429491/healthy-vitamin-b12-levels-not-enough-ward-neuro-decline

18/01/2025

The best 3 words I read this week...

🌿"NO SUSPICIOUS NODULES"🌸

Over the past year, I’ve been working closely with a client who came to me with Graves' disease, suspicious thyroid nodules ranked TI-RADS 3 and TI-RADS 4 (nodules can sometimes progress to thyroid cancers - so are watched closely - this client had even done a fine needle biopsy), and a complex autoimmune picture. Together, we’ve embarked on a journey of healing through natural medicine, and the results need to be shouted from the mountaintop!

✅ Highlights of Her Progress:
✨ Reduced nodule size and improved thyroid health—her latest ultrasound now declares no suspicious nodules!
✨ She’s off carbimazole, maintaining thyroid function naturally.
✨ Autoimmune activity is calming, though we continue addressing lingering thyroiditis.

Herbal medicines, tailored to her unique and changing presentations - like the beautiful healing Motherwort, Self Heal and Bugleweed pictured here 🫖, targeted nutritional supplements 🥗, and personalized lifestyle interventions have played a pivotal role in her transformation. Now, in the later stages of therapy, we’re:
1️⃣ Tackling stealth viruses with refined herbal blends.
2️⃣ Supporting gut health for long-term balance.
3️⃣ Shifting out of “Cell Danger Response” freeze with vagus nerve stimulation therapy.

🌼 This is a testament to how powerful natural medicine can be—even in serious situations. If you’re dealing with thyroid autoimmune issues (including hyperthyroid tendencies), let’s explore your path to healing.

💻 Book your consultation today (link in bio)!

✨ Natural healing is possible. Let’s discover it together 🌿

🌿

13/12/2024

Mmmm...chocolate. Been working with quite a few endurance runners and adventure racers this year. We always talk about gut permeability and how intense exercise can change it. This is a great study on the benefits of cacao. Enjoy the read...with some dark chocolate of course 🍫

Still on the topic of chocolate, a recent clinical trial in elite athletes found that supplementation with a polyphenol-rich dark chocolate nullified the increase in gut permeability induced by intense exercise.

Gut barrier disruption can lead to enhanced intestinal permeability, which allows endotoxins, pathogens and other proinflammatory substances to move through the intestinal barrier and into local tissues and our circulation. This phenomenon is now linked to a substantial range of chronic diseases including autoimmunity and, via neuroinflammation, depression, dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome and autism, to name a few. Not surprisingly, given our recent awareness of the clinical significance of gut barrier disruption, any discovery about agents that can improve gut barrier integrity is of substantial medical significance.

Intense exercise over a prolonged period increases intestinal permeability, which can be further worsened by the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Hence intense exercise provides a useful human model to assess effects on gut barrier integrity.

The aim of this study was to assess the degree of intestinal permeability in elite football (soccer) players and to examine the effect of cocoa polyphenols on intestinal permeability induced by intensive physical exercise. Biomarkers of intestinal permeability, such as circulating levels of zonulin, a modulator of tight junctions, occludin, a tight junction protein, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocation, were evaluated in 24 elite football players and 23 amateur athletes. Moreover, the 24 elite football players were randomly assigned to either a dark chocolate (40 g per day, >85% cocoa) intake (n = 12) or a control group (n = 12) for 30 days in a randomised controlled trial design. Biochemical analyses were performed at baseline and after 30 days of chocolate intake.

Compared to the amateur athletes, elite football players showed increased intestinal permeability, as indicated by higher levels of zonulin, occludin and LPS. After 30 days of dark chocolate intake and intense exercise, substantially increased intestinal permeability was found in the elite athletes not consuming dark chocolate. In the active group, no changes were observed. In vitro, polyphenol extracts significantly improved intestinal damage in the human intestinal mucosa cell line Caco-2. These results suggest that chronic supplementation with dark chocolate as a rich source of polyphenols can positively modulate exercise-induced intestinal damage in elite football athletes.

The therapeutic effect was quite large. After 30 days of training, the control group showed increased levels of LPS compared to baseline (from 31.5 ± 4.8 pg/mL to 46.5 ± 5.15 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Similar large increases were seen for zonulin and occludin compared to baseline (from 2.63 ± 0.49 ng/mL to 4.65 ± 0.97 ng/mL, p < 0.001 and from 0.96 ± 1.88 ng/mL to 1.42 ± 0.37 ng/mL, p = 0.003), respectively. In contrast, the levels of LPS, zonulin and occludin did not change compared to baseline in the elite football players consuming dark chocolate for 30 days (from 29.2 ± 7.75 pg/mL to 31.7 ± 8.37 pg/mL, p = 0.561, from 3.06 ± 1.40 ng/mL to 3.50 ± 1.25 ng/mL, p = 0.150, and from 0.88 ± 0.32 ng/mL to 0.86 ± 0.37 ng/mL, p = 0.99), respectively.

For more information:
https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbclip/issues/2024/issue-746/dark-chocolate-reduces-gut-permeability/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37836487/

23/10/2024

🌟 Clinic Highlights! 🌟

Wow, the last few weeks have been an energizing journey! ☀️✨ It's amazing to see so many people diving into their wellness plans and embracing their health from a holistic perspective.

💪 Met a driven woman in perimenopause struggling with fatigue, sleep issues, and nutrient deficiencies. She was so relieved to find a practitioner who listened to her and understood what she was going through.  We’re on a mission to uncover what her body needs and bring back her vitality with herbal medicine and tailored nutrients. 🌿💖

👶 Spoke with a beautiful mom-to-be in her third trimester! She’s focusing on a healthy birth and postpartum while managing her thyroid health. With a mix of conventional and naturopathic therapies, she’s set for this precious phase of motherhood! 💕🤰

🌼 I also checked in with a client battling chronic eczema since childhood. After just a few days off gluten and dairy, she shared: “Good news, after only a couple of days off gluten and dairy the dermatitis drastically improved on my forehead and scalp. I also received compliments saying my face looked less 'puffy.'” 🎉✨ Her compounded herbal cream is keeping her skin well hydrated whilst reducing inflammation and restoring skin barrier integrity.  We’re excited to continue her journey to better skin and overall well-being.

There were so many more clients I saw these last few weeks - each one so unique and inspiring.  I’m so grateful to work with such strong women facing challenges like perimenopause, thyroid issues, and more. Together, we’re harnessing the power of Natural Medicine to heal! 💖🌿

👉 Tag someone who inspires you!

24/09/2024

‘You’re f*cking losing your mind!’ She replied, when I asked my Naturopath friend Lawrey Calabro what we should we talk about on our online chat about peri/menopause…
She went on to describe how most of her clients (including myself) feel at times at the moment…

Thus Thursday 26th, 11.30am (Melbourne/Syd time)

Zoom link in comments to join

26/04/2024

Long term use of PPIs are problematic in more ways than one. The fact you can now buy Nexium over the counter is disturbing. See a Naturopath for some healing alternatives to acid suppression (you need stomach acid to breakdown your foods and absorb critical minerals - which is why long term use is also associated with osteoporosis). It's gut barrier dysfunction that is the problem here most of the time. We lose our protective layer in the stomach when under stress, in response to infection (hello H.pylori), in response to a highly processed diet, or when we lack of critical healing nutrients like zinc. Many of my clients have managed to move away from using PPIs after we've worked together to heal the gut lining and identify/resolve the triggers of gut dysfunction. With amongst some effective therapies, just to name a few!

A recent study has revealed that the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), common medications for heartburn, may increase the risk of dementia by 33%.

Analyzing over 5,700 individuals, researchers found the heightened risk applies to users beyond 4.4 years. With millions relying on PPIs like esomeprazole, omeprazole, and lansoprazole, this research prompts a reevaluation of long-term gastro-intestinal treatment strategies.

Learn more about the implications for cognitive health, read the full article here: https://mindd.org/research/10-1212-wnl-0000000000207747/