Southeastern Integrative Health and Wellness

03/01/2026

Exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, is as effective and in some trials more effective then talk therapy or medication for depression, with group exercise being especially powerful.

Running, swimming, cycling, and brisk walking are all forms of aerobic exercise - they all work to get your heart rate up for a sustained period of time.

Similar effects are seen for anxiety, with both resistance and aerobic exercise shown to be successful at alleviating symptoms.

A sweeping review of global research suggests that exercise—especially aerobic activities like running, swimming, and dancing—can be one of the most powerful ways to ease depression and anxiety. Across tens of thousands of people aged 10 to 90, exercise consistently reduced symptoms, often match...

02/27/2026

This large study of people following different healthy diets showed that most added around 2 years of life on average.

Most interesting was that when they broke down what part of the diets was having the biggest impact, fiber was the common denominator.

Fiber can be thought of as the scaffolding that holds fruits, vegetables, and whole grains together. In the body it is fuel for beneficial bacteria in the gut and it is also an important part of detoxification.

A recent study suggests that 5 healthy dietary patterns are associated with improved longevity, and close adherence to these eating plans could add up to 3 years life expectancy.

02/26/2026

Not all exercise is "good" exercise. Ultramarathons, which are running races over 26.2 miles, have been shown to cause anemia (low iron levels) after the race in many participants.

This study took blood from runners before and after the race. After the race, the blood showed more markers of inflammation and oxidative stress and the red blood cells showed signs of physical damage, presumably from how hard they were being pumped throughout the body during the race.

Running extreme distances may strain more than just muscles and joints. New research suggests ultramarathons can alter red blood cells in ways that make them less flexible and more prone to breakdown, potentially interfering with how they deliver oxygen throughout the body. Scientists found signs of...

02/23/2026

This is pretty cool, living at higher altitude has been shown to protect against diabetes. It turns out that red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen throughout your body, absorb large amounts of glucose (sugar) from the blood when they are starved of oxygen.

At higher altitudes the air is thinner and there is less oxygen.

Living at high altitude appears to protect against diabetes, and scientists have finally discovered the reason. When oxygen levels drop, red blood cells switch into a new metabolic mode and absorb large amounts of glucose from the blood. This helps the body cope with thin air while also reducing blo...

02/12/2026

This promising small trial of overweight patients with Crohn's disease showed that the group that limited their food intake to 8 hours per day showed a significant reduction in inflammation and a healthier microbiome at the end of the 12 week trial.

Many people with Crohn's are underweight, so it's important to make any major dietary changes with the support of a clinician, but it's great to see something as simple as changing when you eat (not even what you eat!) as having a major impact on this disease.

A new clinical trial suggests that changing when you eat could make a meaningful difference for people living with Crohn’s disease. Researchers found that time-restricted feeding, a form of intermittent fasting that limits meals to an 8-hour daily window, reduced disease activity by 40% and cut ab...

02/04/2026

Chronic stress can cause leaky gut, leading to inflammation and depression. A molecule that we make called Reelin, found throughout the body including the brain, has been found to be lower in people under stress. This study showed that a small Reelin injection reversed stress-induced leaky gut. Previous studies have shown that a Reelin injection was able to reverse depression. Both of these studies were done in pre-clinical animal models. Hopefully clinical trials will come soon.

Chronic stress can damage the gut’s protective lining, triggering inflammation that may worsen depression. New research shows that stress lowers levels of a protein called Reelin, which plays a key role in both gut repair and brain health. Remarkably, a single injection restored Reelin levels and ...

01/30/2026

Eating foods high in Vitamin C can create healthier skin. This cool, two part study showed that just 250mg of Vitamin C per day in food (the study had people eat 2 sungold Kiwi per day) led to measurably thicker skin, a sign of collagen production. It also showed that the Vitamin C from food traveled to the outmost layers of the skin where it can act as an antioxidant.

Vitamin C doesn’t just belong in skincare products—it works even better when you eat it. Scientists discovered that vitamin C from food travels through the bloodstream into every layer of the skin, boosting collagen and skin renewal. People who ate two vitamin C–packed kiwifruit daily showed t...

01/28/2026

Hope everybody is staying safe and warm out there with these temperatures! Don't forget those essentials for cold and flu prevention - Vitamin D and Zinc. Reach out if you want more specific guidance.

01/13/2026

Improvements in a mouse model of autism were found when they were given 3 common supplements - zinc, serine, and branched chain amino acids. Interestingly, when each supplement was given on its own there was no effect.

Scientists saw that a trio of supplements improved brain connectivity and social behaviour in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in three different mouse models.

01/10/2026

Not all plant based diets are the same. Eating a whole foods, plant based diet, with minimally processed ingredients has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk by 40%.

That benefit goes away when the plant based foods are ultra-processed - things like potato chips and sweetened fruit drinks.

Researchers tracking over 63,000 adults found that high-quality, minimally processed plant foods significantly reduce cardiovascular risk. But when those plant foods are ultra-processed, the advantage disappears—and can even backfire. Some ultra-processed plant diets increased risk by 40%. The stu...

01/09/2026

Kimchi is a fermented food that I often recommend for its probiotic benefits. Like yogurt and sauerkraut kimchi contains beneficial bacteria that can help create a healthier gut and contribute to overall good health.

In this 12 week study participants were given either kimchi in a pill or a placebo, at the end of the study the health of certain immune cells was measured. The study found that the immune cells were better regulated - better able to mount a response when needed and just as importantly, better able to shut the response down when done.

Book a visit today to learn what foods can help you meet your health goals.

Kimchi may do far more than add flavor to meals—it could help fine-tune the human immune system. A clinical study using advanced single-cell genetic analysis found that regular kimchi consumption strengthens immune defenses while preventing harmful overreactions. Researchers observed improved acti...

01/06/2026

This interesting study in mice looked at blood in the portal vein - the portal vein connects what is absorbed from the intestines to the liver where it is then sent to the rest of the body. What they found is that the mouse genetics, diet, and antibiotics all affected the compounds being produced by the gut bacteria and some of the compounds are altered by the liver, a standard blood test would never pick them up.

Future research will look at each compound, how they are produced, and what their effect is on both the liver and the rest of the body.

Scientists found that certain molecules made by gut bacteria travel to the liver and help control how the body uses energy. These molecules change depending on diet, genetics, and shifts in the microbiome. Some even improved insulin response in liver cells when tested in the lab. The findings could....