Jasmin Sturm - naturopath & herbalist

31/10/2025

Due to the high number of submissions the amount of glysophate residue on grains wont be raised! Good news but not still not ideal

After carefully considering industry, stakeholder, and public feedback on a proposal to change maximum residue levels (MRLs) for glyphosate in wheat, barley and oats, New Zealand Food Safety has decided to set a limit of 0.1mg/kg (the same as the current default level) and to restrict the permitted....

29/10/2025

17/10/2025

As the weather warms up, we start to feel more like lighter foods, and a great way to start the day is with a healthy smoothie.

It is easy to pack nutrients into your smoothie. See attached photos for my Nutrient dense smoothie handout.

15/10/2025

A study using high quality curcumin (the active constituent in Turmeric) and Boswellia for arthritis in the hands/ fingers.

Hand osteoarthritis (HOA) is a degenerative joint disease that primarily affects the distal and proximal interphalangeal joints (DIP/PIP) and the first carpometacarpal joint at the base of the thumb, causing pain, stiffness, reduced grip/pinch strength, and characteristic bony nodules (Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes). Compared with knee or hip OA, HOA more often presents in mid-to-late life women, frequently involves multiple small joints symmetrically, and impairs fine motor tasks rather than weight-bearing function.

High-quality herbal trials in HOA are rare; most phytotherapy studies focus on knee OA. That’s why a recent Belgian multicentre, double-blind trial of standardised Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Boswellia serrata extracts is noteworthy: over 3 months, the combination achieved a statistically significant reduction in pain versus placebo and was generally well tolerated.

The double blind, randomised controlled trial included 162 adults with symptomatic hand OA (mean age, 63.1 years; 76.5% women) who reported hand pain on ≥ 50% of days in the prior month and ≥ 48 hours before baseline, with pain ranging from 40 to 80 mm on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) in at least one hand over the last 24 hours. The primary outcome was the mean change in finger pain on both hands during the past 24 hours on the VAS over 3 months.

At 3 months (intention-to-treat analysis), patients who received the plant extracts had a greater mean VAS pain reduction of 24.7 mm compared with 16.2 mm in those who received placebo (difference, -8.5 mm; P = 0.03); similar benefit was observed at month 1 (difference, -7.0 mm; P = 0.04). Patients receiving the plant extracts vs placebo also showed significant improvements in the patient global assessment (difference, -9.6 mm; P = 0.01) and quality of life score (P = 0.01) at month 3. There were no significant differences vs placebo for the number of painful/swollen joints, functional score, grip strength and analgesic consumption.
The number of adverse effects did not differ significantly between the two groups, and most of them were unrelated to the use of plant extracts. However, one patient taking the herbal combination developed acute hepatitis, judged as “probably related” (no further details provided).

The trial intervention was two tablets/day of a product containing Curcuma longa (turmeric) standardised dry extract: 237 mg, providing 200 mg curcumin and Boswellia serrata oleoresin: 51 mg, standardised to 65% boswellic acids and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): 3.6 μg (144 IU). (Note there is an error in the paper that states each tablet contained 1.4 mg of vitamin D (56,000 IU). Whoops!) Higher doses of these herbs might well achieve a better result.

This was a robust, well-designed RCT with a clinically relevant primary endpoint and a statistically significant and moderate benefit vs placebo.

For more information see: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/combination-plant-extracts-shows-promise-hand-osteoarthritis-2025a1000h5o?ecd=mkm_ret_250830_mscpmrk-OUS_InFocus_etid7668522&uac=48709HJ&impID=7668522

and

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40554037/

10/10/2025

What sort of health concerns do I help children with?

✅ Digestive health: tummy aches, bloating, constipation, runny poos, encopresis, tummy bugs
✅ Anxiety, resistance to sleeping, waking up repeatedly, moodiness, separation anxiety
✅ Hyperactivity, ADHD, poor concentration, lack of motivation
✅ Constant infections: coughs, colds, sore throats, earaches, runny noses, chestiness, viruses, gum infections, tummy bugs, impetigo
✅ Skin: eczema, sores that don’t heal, itchiness, rashes
✅ Allergies, sneezing, hay-fever, itchy throat, sinus, mouth breathing, watery eyes
✅ Sporting injuries, sore muscles, growing pains, leg cramps

Read more below.

Which services are most suitable for children & teenagers? ✅ Hair Testing (particularly for digestive, skin symptoms or allergies) ✅ Naturopathy (using food (nutrition) supplements / flower essences/herbal medicine or homeopathy as required and lifestyle guidance) ✅ Bowen Therapy (body aches, ...

06/10/2025

want to learn how to properly clear you lymphatic congestion? Join this 5 day challenge ...

06/10/2025

I recently posted a study suggesting that non-antibiotic drugs may have an unexpected disruptive effect on gut flora. Now a study from Australia has generated findings suggesting that certain drugs might also contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While antibiotic overuse is a primary driver, emerging evidence suggests that non-antibiotic medications (NAMs) may also play a role. The authors note that this concern is particularly relevant in residential aged care facilities (RACFs), where both NAMs and antibiotics are frequently used.

They investigated nine NAMs commonly used in RACFs, including ibuprofen, diclofenac, paracetamol (acetaminophen), furosemide, metformin, atorvastatin, tramadol, temazepam and pseudoephedrine at gut-relevant concentrations in a test tube model of ciprofloxacin-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli.

Findings showed that ibuprofen and paracetamol significantly increased mutation frequency and conferred high-level ciprofloxacin resistance. Whole-genome sequencing identified mutations in the regulatory genes GyrA, MarR, and AcrR, with the latter two correlated with overexpression of a key drug efflux pump (a bacterial defense mechanism). Co-exposure to two NAMs further elevated mutation rates and ciprofloxacin resistance levels. Mutants showed ≥4 fold increased resistance, not only for ciprofloxacin but also for other antibiotic classes such as β lactams, levofloxacin and minocycline. Notably, ciprofloxacin resistance rose by up to 32 fold.

The authors suggested their findings underscored the overlooked role of NAMs in driving AMR and highlighted the need to reassess polypharmacy risks in aged care settings.

The University of South Australia’s official media release (dated 26 August 2025) emphasised that common painkillers "quietly fuel one of the world’s biggest health threats: antibiotic resistance" by increasing bacterial mutations and resistance.
However, it should be noted that this work needs to be repeated, and the findings were laboratory-generated and may not reflect the real-world situation.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40855113/

06/10/2025

I just noticed I have a new google review!

06/10/2025

There is quite a difference between feeling EXHAUSTED and feeling TIRED.

🔆 Exhaustion is that deep fatigue that robs you of your memory, your cognition, your focus.

🔆 Exhaustion is when you feel ‘unrefreshed’ every single day on waking – well that’s an understatement isn’t it? You feel like you have been ‘hit by a truck’ and drag yourself from the bed.

🔆Exhaustion often feels like all of you aches and you are run down

🔆 Tiredness on the other hand comes naturally when we have done a little too much. We collapse into bed but wake with energy and purpose.

🔆 Tiredness comes after long days and takes a little extra rest, sleep or nutrition to ‘right itself’.

🔆 So there is quite a bit of difference. And if the tiredness keeps happening it leads to exhaustion and BURNOUT.

☀️Many of my clients find their fatigue borders on or is described as exhaustion. This is because things have become imbalanced in their life and a good sleep just doesn’t lift their energy enough.

🔆 Tiredness is totally normal; exhaustion is a sign that you have been living a life that isn’t quite right in balance.

🔆I choose to use the term DEPLETED when talking of exhaustion. When we are depleted, there is very little joy in life and we might feel almost depressed. Depletion depicts this state perfectly as when life is not in balance, depletion occurs – possibly due to low amounts of minerals, vitamins, rest, joy, satisfaction, selfcare.

🔆 Depleted people are the clients I see most. If we don’t take care of things as they come up it can become overwhelming.

🔆 If this sounds like you, I highly encourage you to book in and work with me. One consultation wont be enough to correct this depletion…. It took months to become depleted and it takes a daily commitment to change.

There are a number of options and ways we can work together.

👉 21daywholefoodcleanse
👉 Hair test package
👉 Or the Total Transformation Package fpr body, mind and soul.

DM me and we can have a chat to work out what suits you the best.
You are worth it!

06/10/2025

What an excellent article about constipation and digestion!

Constipation is such a common ailment, and medications such as laxatives do not address the root cause(s).

They unfortunately have side effects, from:

- Mineral loss from fluid shifts, such as magnesium, sodium and potassium
- Reduce the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, Vitamins A, D, K and E
- Bile flow disruption

Let alone 'laxative dependency', where the gut becomes reliant on chemical stimulation to move.

From lazy bowel syndrome aka reduced natural motility after long-term laxative use.

Neuro-muscular dysfunction of the colon

More in our blog on how to address the root causes of constipation...

https://www.newschoolofnutrition.com/post/a-journey-through-the-gut-the-ins-and-outs-of-constipation

03/10/2025

Gluten is in wheat, barley, rye, spelt and oats (well sometimes).

People with Coeliac disease cannot tolerate gluten at all. It makes them very unwell, and causes long term damage to their intestinal wall. Another long term effect is poor absorption of nutrients which can xontribute to fatigue, thyroid disease, and anxiety.

The test for this must be done via the medical system.

A lot of people seems to react to wheat. There are a few reasons:
- wheat is sprayed with glyphosate (Round Up) prior to harvesting and this herbicide has quite an effect on our gut via the processed wheat

- There are also chemicals in the wheat which may predispose some people to reactions in their body.

- Food intolerances. Wheat is often highly processed and we get exposed to it in packaged foods.

I find wheat comes up frequently (but not always..) in hair testing. It definitely runs in families. Some people have all the grains come up. Others just have wheat.

Do you suffer from these symptoms?
Consider cutting wheat out of your diet. You’ll also need to familiarise yourself with the labels on packaged foods as wheat is hidden in there under many different names)

Or consider getting a Hair Test for Food and Environmental intolerances.

Link in my bio

03/10/2025

Fascia is a layer of fibrous connective tissue that surrounds muscles, blood vessels and nerves throughout your body, both internally and beneath the skin.

Tight Fascia = emotional stagnation.

I have had personal experience of this stagnated fascia due to a long history of holding my emotions in my body. This has caused me a lot of pain and physical discomfort. (I have had a form of fibromyalgia.)

Bowen Therapy has worked wonders for my body - when I was experiencing the most body pain, Bowen was the only thing I could tolerate.
During a Bowen session you release these emotions without having to so any deep work. It creates the space for them to be released effortlessly.
Are you ready to release blocked emotions?

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