Virtual Integrative Specialists

02/26/2026

To my supporters of naturopathic medicine! — We NEED Your Voice!

Right now, the U.S. Department of Education is proposing a rule that would take naturopathic medical degrees off the federal “professional degree” list — which means future ND students could be limited to as little as $100,000 total in federal student loans, instead of the much higher limits currently available for professional healthcare degrees. This change would make it far harder for aspiring naturopathic doctors to afford school and could dramatically reduce the number of NDs entering the workforce — at a time when preventive, whole-person care is more needed than ever. 

If naturopathic medicine isn’t protected under this classification:

• Students will face costly private loans with fewer protections. 

• Healthcare workforce shortages (especially in primary care & rural areas) will worsen. 

• The future pipeline of licensed naturopathic doctors will shrink when we need them most. 

Please take 2 minutes to visit the Legislative Action Center and send a message asking your representatives to keep ND degrees on the professional list so students can continue to access the financial aid they need:

🔗

Founded in 1985, the AANP represents licensed naturopathic doctors, students, and allied healthcare professionals nationwide.

10/18/2025

Hormone Replacement Therapy is protective against Alzheimers!
In a large study that differentiated hormone type in 10 million women, continuing HRT after 65 was not linked to higher
dementia risk.

Background Females represent approximately 70% of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases and the literature has proposed a connection between the decreased estrogen levels during menopause and an increased AD risk. Previous investigations have predominantly focused on assessing how hormone therapy (HT...

10/14/2025

Read this article to see if your protein powder is on the list for elevated levels of lead. It’s important to keep your dietary lead levels very low for optimal health.

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

10/04/2025

🌿 We’re Hiring Naturopathic Doctors — Join VIS! 🌿
Virtual, collaborative, and values-driven.

Virtual Integrative Specialists (VIS) is expanding! We’re seeking licensed (or soon-to-be licensed) naturopathic doctors in Washington State who want to focus on patient care — not admin.

At VIS, you’ll enjoy:
✅ 100% virtual practice — work from anywhere
✅ Done-for-you infrastructure (EHR, billing, scheduling, marketing)
✅ Mentorship, weekly chart reviews, and a supportive ND cohort
✅ Flexible hours (minimum 12 patient hours/week)
✅ Steady patient flow from our marketing team
✅ Clinical autonomy + meaningful collaboration

You’ll be a great fit if:

You’re passionate about root-cause, whole-person care

You thrive in collaboration and mentorship

You want to practice medicine without burnout

👉 Apply today at: www.seattle-naturopath.com/careers

Bring holistic, patient-centered care to more people — without burning out.

You became a naturopathic doctor to help people heal.At VIS, we make it possible to do just that with the support, systems, and freedom you need to thrive.

10/02/2025

Is your migraine medication causing rebound headaches? There's a high chance they are if you are using your medication more than 10 times a month.

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a common neurologic disorder with enormous disability and suffering and plays a significant role in the transformation from episodic to chronic headache disorders. Multiple terms have been used to describe MOH such as analgesic rebound headache, drug-induced head...

09/26/2025

After 6 months, Bergavit R(®) reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol, while HDL- cholesterol increased. In addition, a significant increase in LDL-1 was accompanied by decreased small, dense LDL-3, -4, and 5 particles. This study also showed a reduction in Carotid artery wall thickness! Amazing supplement!

This is the first study investigating the effects of Bergamot flavonoids supplementation on cardio-metabolic risk in dyslipidemic subjects. Bergavit R(®) (Bergamot juice extract) supplementation significantly reduced plasma lipids and improved the lipoprotein profile. cIMT was also reduced signific...

08/26/2025

The profound interconnection between thyroid dysfunction and metabolic conditions underscores the significance of an integrated management approach for these pathologies. This review highlights the necessity of implementing routine thyroid function screenings in diabetic patients undergoing treatment with GLP-1 RAs, aiming to optimize clinical and healthcare management; for example, it may be beneficial to include thyroid function tests, particularly TSH measurement and an annual thyroid ultrasound in people with diabetes’ routine tests. Furthermore, in patients with a family history of MTC, it would be useful to measure calcitonin annually.

The increasing utilization of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus has raised interest regarding their impact on thyroid function. In fact, while these agents are well known for their efficacy in ...

08/12/2025

Hormonal contraceptives lower testosterone in women!

BACKGROUND; Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) reduce levels of androgen, especially testosterone (T), by inhibiting ovarian and adrenal androgen synthesis and by increasing levels of s*x hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Although this suppressive effect has been investigated by numerous studies ove...

08/01/2025

Hormone replacement therapy protects against pancreatic cancer! This risk decreased by 35% in women who used MHT 1–2 years and by 60% in women who used MHT ≥ 3 years compared to women with

The role of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in the development of pancreatic cancer is inconclusive owing to small studies and lack of proper study design. This population-based matched cohort study included all Swedish women who used systemic MHT ...

06/12/2025

We are now providing care to the entirety of Washington State with virtual visits. Encompassing care from Seattle to Spokane, Yakima to Wenatchee, you don’t have to drive across the state to get great healthcare. VIS is 100% virtual — offering the same connection, depth, and diagnostic expertise you’d expect from in-person care.

05/23/2025

exposure to metals constitutes a significant risk factor for CVD, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, and PAD. There is also convincing evidence that higher plasma or urinary levels of metals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium are associated with subclinical CVD, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and electrical and functional disturbances in the myocardium. The totality of evidence supports the notion that environmental metal exposure increases the risk of premature cardiovascular death by contributing to CVD progression, severity, and clinical outcomes.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10356104/ #:~:text=Lead%20and%20cadmium%20levels%20in,formation%20and%20increased%20atherosclerotic%20plaque

04/24/2025

Hormonal contraceptives can hide PCOS symptoms on a uterine ultrasound!

This study aimed to assess the effect of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) on polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) and serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in Korean women with polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS). This university hospital study ...