Feel Better, Be Better John Stavrakos MS, MD

09/16/2022

09/16/2022

09/10/2020

Hi all - please move on over to our new clinic site on FB, Heritage Regenerative Medicine!

Feel free to also look over our official website:

Discover The Heritage Health Process You no longer need to sit on the sidelines of life - your joint pain, lack of energy, and side effects of unwanted weight gain can be treated!   Our process isn’t just a one and done, ‘let’s hope this works’ procedure. Our medical team, led by second ge ...

05/08/2020

PLEASE FOLLOW MY CLINIC'S NEW FG PAGE, HERITAGE REGENERATIVE MEDICINE!

Hey everybody!

I'd like to thank you all for your support in liking my page and your feedback on my postings. I'd like to invite you all to follow my new page that's linked to my clinic (opening soon) in Charlotte, NC. Type in "Heritage Regenerative Medicine" and you should be able to find it.

The new page will continue to post articles and commentaries like the ones seen here, but will additionally have video blogs I'll post regularly on a variety of subjects related to my passion for regenerative medicine and healthy living, as well as information specific to the clinic itself, should anyone decide to drop by :-).

I look forward to seeing you there!

JS

https://www.facebook.com/Heritage-Regenerative-Medicine-109673944034954/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

We focus on getting you back to being a participant. Not a spectator in life.

05/08/2020

Horrifying. I haven't been able to research all the claims, but the ones I've read about certainly jive with what others are saying around the nation. If 1/5 of her claims about Fauci and his cronies are true (what's known about him already is scary enough), then suddenly conspiracy theories don't sound so paranoid after all.

The older I get the more I realize how badly I was misled in medical school and after as to what many of the "right" solutions were for treatment, and just how badly billionaire elitist interests and Big Pharma have colluded to pervert what's best for patients in preference to what's best for lucrative patents. Unknowingly, most physicians of my generation were complicit in this.

Watch and decide for yourself.

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing mankind he didn't exist."

Prior to the completion of the full-length documentary we'll be releasing a series of vignettes. The first installment features renowned scientist, Judy Mikovits PHD.

04/26/2020

Please check out my new site, Heritage Regenerative Medicine! This is the site that will be linked with my clinic (opening this summer), and where most future posts will be directed. See you there!

https://www.facebook.com/Heritage-Regenerative-Medicine-109673944034954/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

We focus on getting you back to being a participant. Not a spectator in life.

04/26/2020

From a friend of mine (and you know who you are - thanks! ;-)).

Here's some perspective on what the latest research shows - and how ridiculously overblown the original mortality estimates were. I'll repeat the blurb about Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist from Imperial College, who estimated 2+ million deaths in the US, and 500K deaths in the UK, who quickly backtracked his estimates. In 2001 Ferguson predicted 150,000 deaths in the UK from Mad Cow disease in the end ,157 died from it.

In California, based on the numbers of patients tested for COVID-19, the # of those testing positive, and extrapolating the data out to rest of the state, you have a *0.03%* chance of dying from COVID-19 (over 13% of the population has been verified to be infected, with the actually number of infected being much higher, but the mortality rate staying the same). We are not seeing the homeless in San Francisco or LA dying off in droves, as would be expected from a virus this supposedly lethal. That should be a clue.

In New York state, 649,325 people were tested, with 39%, or 256,272 testing positive for COVID-19; extrapolating that data out would mean that likely 7.5 million New Yorkers are COVID-19 positive out of a population of 19 million. The number of deaths as of this study was 19,410 (which is certainly overblown, as thousands of patients who were never tested for COVID-19 were listed as COVID-19 deaths, as were those who died by other means, and happened to be COVID-19 positive).

Even with this inflated number, the lethality rate of COVID-19 is 0.1% in the state of New York overall (and heavily skewed towards the elderly and/or already ill, much lower for younger and healthier patients). Of all those patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in New York, 92% have recovered.

In the US overall, 822,590 people have tested positive for COVID-19 out of over 4 million tested - extrapolating those stats out would give an infection rate of about 64 million Americans.

What do we see with the flu in the US, year in, year out? Infection rates of 50-100 million people, and mortality rates of around 37,000 to 60,000 on average (as high as 80,000 in a really bad year).

What else are we seeing? Well, people with conditions that need urgent medical attention too afraid to be admitted to hospitals for fear of COVID-19 infections, and suffering without medical care. I'll be interested to see how many died at home from MI, stroke, hyperglycemia induced coma or respiratory distress from influenza or congestive heart failure when this is over, hospitals laying off staff right and left, and doctors at risk of closing their offices for good due to the inability to see patients and pay their bills. We already have a shortage of physicians in this country; did anyone think two steps beyond what this will mean in the long run for the sick in this nation? It's not looking good.

When this all started, there were lots of unknowns and more questions than answers, and radical steps were taken based on seriously flawed models. We now have REAL data based on over two months of experience and more knowledge of when the virus actually hit us months before we were aware. EVERY STUDY shows that he prevalence of COVID-19 goes up and up, while the mortality stays the same, (all those B.S. COVID-19 diagnoses of death notwithstanding) - i.e. the lethality of COVID-19 is being shown to go lower and lower, on a par with the common flu.

Shelter the sick, take precautions with those at risk, and let life resume it's normal course before irreparable damage is done to the economy - in the end, the economy is about people making a buck to be able to feed, protect and care for their families, and that's what we're ruining. The needs of the many supersede the needs of the few; and we're *not* helping either the many nor the few on our current path of action.

Dr. Erickson COVID-19 Briefing

04/13/2020

From my friend and fellow physician, Dr. Pete Motolenich:

"The patients aged 65 years and older also were the most likely to have one or more underlying conditions, at 94.4%, compared with 86.4% of those aged 50-64 years and 85.4% of individuals who were aged 18-44 years, the investigators reported.

Hypertension was the most common comorbidity among the oldest patients, with a prevalence of 72.6%, followed by cardiovascular disease at 50.8% and obesity at 41%. In the two younger groups, obesity was the condition most often seen in COVID-19 patients, with prevalences of 49% in 50- to 64-year-olds and 59% in those aged 18-49, Dr. Garg and associates wrote."

It underscores what physicians have been telling people since time immemorial - age is an important factor, but not the only factor in determining how you get through a medical crisis. Your biological age - in large part determined by your overall health that includes good lab work, being near an ideal body weight, low fasting insulin level (< 10) and the lack of habits that affect your body badly (smoking, excessive sugar intake, inactivity) ALL play into this.**

The numbers of children and teens who have succumbed to COVID-19 are, thankfully, astonishingly low, ditto for young adults. But the devil, as always, is in the details. Take a look at the particulars in these cases; when you see the alarming news of a 27 year old dying of ARDS from viral infection, and you later learn that he was a smoker, morbidly obese and prediabetic, it starts to make sense.

You can't do anything about your chronological age, but it's within your power to work on improving your biological age. And it just might save your life.

**What I found interesting in a webinar I just listened to from a national expert was that patients with chronic lung disease are actually underreported in the data for having severe to critical COVID-19 infections compared to the general population, when we would assume the opposite. Some of the ideas being postulated that having a chronic respiratory ailment protects the body against COVID-19 through an as yet unidentified immune response, or perhaps the lack the same number of ACE2 receptors on the cells in their lung tissues (the receptor that the "spike" or S-protein, of the virus attaches to), even the idea that their treatments (corticosteroids, nebulizers, interleukin inhibitors) provide protection against the virus.

According to a new US surveillance network, hypertension was the most common comorbidity followed by CVD and obesity among older adults hospitalized with COVID-19.

04/07/2020

04/02/2020

SUPPLEMENTS AND TIPS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE RESPONSE TO COVID-19

As worry continues to mount over the increasing death toll that the coronavirus is exacting worldwide, a sense of helplessness leading to panic has begun to set in among many people. The way you fight fear is with hope backed by knowledge. In this posting, I'd like to go over some simple things you can do to strengthen your immune system against COVID-19. For those who are older, have respiratory issues, and/or major medical issues this is especially important:

*Disclaimer: While I am a board certified physician, I'm not an immunologist. I do, however, have a focus on regenerative medicine and hormone replacement therapy, as well as natural medicine. What I'm about to say is informed opinion, but still opinion. It's up to you whether you wish to follow this advice - when in doubt, speak to your physician as well.

NUTRITION: Americans taken as a whole are overfed and undernourished; poor nutrition leads to a bevy of conditions that are telltale signs of this problem: obesity, many autoimmune conditions, psychological distress, sleep disturbance, irritability, cognitive issues (e.g "brain fog"), fibromyalgia, et. al. In short, there are very few disease processes (excluding some genetic and acquired ones - e.g. Huntington's disease and radiation sickness respectively) that you can't find a cause or exacerbation due to a lack of good nutrition. Poor nutrition and a weakened immune system go hand in hand. To a predator like COVID -19, this is like a hungry lion seeing a lame wildebeest on the Serengeti.

Two sayings come to mind:
1) Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food. - Hippocrates
2) he food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. - Ann Wigmore

Please consider the following supplements during this pandemic:

1. VITAMIN D3
If money or circumstances dictated that you could only take one supplement, I'd pick Vitamin D3. It's essential for a host of bodily functions, including immune boosting of B and T cells; the lack of vitamin D is well documented as causing an increased risk in autoimmune and infectious diseases.

Most patients I see are Vitamin D deficient (your lab values should be between 40-100, optimally between 60-100). A dose that many take is 5,000 IU (international units) a day for maintenance (some people take as much as 10,000 IU/day, but only for 3 months or less - too much Vitamin D can cause problems). The minimum dose I'd recommend now is 2,000 IU/day, but in most cases, 5,000 IU will keep your levels up. As it's a fat soluble vitamin, it's best when taken after a meal.

*I use BioTe's ADK (Vitamin A, D3 and K combo capsule) - great combo. Available on Amazon.

2. ZINC
the immune building properties of zinc have been well established for decades - most of us have taken zinc dissolvable tablets (Zicam) or lozenges (do NOT do zinc nasal swabs - too much expose to the nasal lining can permanently affect your sense of smell). A common dosage is 80mg/day; if you have a weakened immune system, consider double that dose.

Go to any pharmacy and you'll see oodles of zinc options - they're cheap and effective. Zinc citrate is one of the best absorbed types and has a less bitter after taste than other formularies like Zinc gluconate.

3. PROBIOTICS
At least 60% of your immune system resides in your gut (going back to why people who eat lean meats, fish and their veggies have fewer health issues than those who eat McDonalds regularly). A good probiotic will help to stabilize the microflora (the collection of beneficial bacteria) in your gut, which work in symbiosis with your body to help digest certain foods and keep inflammation down to limit occurrences of Leaky Gut Syndrome (show me an overweight, insomniac, "I ache all over" patient who's prone to chronic infections and in most cases you've got someone with LGS).

A healthy gut leads to a healthier immune system - ask anyone who has revamped their diet to a healthy one; the weight comes off easier, the skin clears up, joint aches and pains plummet or go away....and you can fight illnesses like COVID-19 better.

There are lots of probiotics out there; most come in capsule form, so if you're not a fan of swallowing those little gelatin oblong things, you can open them up and sprinkle them on your food. I use BioTe Multi-Strain Probiotic 20B personally (yep, it's on Amazon).

4.ASCORBIC ACID (aka VITAMIN C)

"I have not seen any flu yet that was not cured or markedly ameliorated by massive doses of vitamin C"
- Robert F. Cathcart, MD

*I know I said Vitamin D3 would be the 'go-to' supplement to take if you had to choose one, but truthfully I'd put vitamin C up there at the same level of importance.

Quick question: does the name Dr. Fred Klenner ring a bell?
If not, please commit his name to memory, as Dr. Klenner is one of the great unsung heroes of the 20th century. In the late 1940's Dr. Klenner theorized that the antibacterial and antiviral properties of vitamin C could be used to combat the polio virus that was ravaging the United States. By infusing high dose vitamin C solution by IV into patients stricken with early onset polio (some of whom had already developed weakness in their legs), Dr. Klenner successfully REVERSED the disease and all symptoms in over 60 patients. I kid you not. Look it up.

Vitamin C in high IV in high doses has been used to treat a host of illnesses, from shingles (often relieves the pain in hours and halts the process) to bacterial infections, and even shrinks and kills carcinoma tumors (the cancer tumors can't distinguish Ascorbic acid from sugar - and they LOVE sugar - so it acts like a Trojan Horse, once invited in it destroys the cells - ask me if you want details).

Since most of us luckily don't need or have access to IV vitamin C, it's much simpler to take oral preparations, which in the settling of a taking it as a preventative measure is typically just fine. Since vitamin C is not nearly as well absorbed orally as in the bloodstream, higher doses are typically needed.

I'd recommend a minimum of 3,000 mg/day; if you are out and about occasionally (e.g. going to a busy store) and expose yourself to strangers who may have COVID-19, up it to 4,000 mg per day. As a health care professional who sees patients who are often infirm and more likely to be infected, I do 4-5, 00 mg every day, and I ramp it up to 6,000mg when I start feeling any flu- or cold like symptoms.

As with zinc, vitamin C is super cheap and you can buy in bulk and not break your wallet. The pills are easy to crush with the back of a spoon and sprinkle into a drink if you're not a fan of swallowing them whole. DON'T miss out on vitamin C.

5. HUMIDIFIERS

This isn't a supplement, but it's your ally in fighting viral infections. Viruses don't do well at all with both heat (>75 degrees F) and humidity > 35%. If you notice the casualty rate of the pandemic, it tends to be much lower in hot, humid nations like the Philippines or Brazil; the weather is certainly a factor. Set up a humidifier or two (or three) for your house and keep them going for a few hours day and night. Thank God there are now models that don't have that annoying filter you have to clean the gunk out of - just wash them out with white vinegar once a week.

I hope you found this helpful. I'll follow up with other things (medical and in-house) that can help with fending off COVID-19 so that we can remain happy and healthy. Be well and stay safe!

John Stavrakos MS, MD

03/28/2020

https://www.mdlinx.com/physical-medicine-rehab/top-medical-news/article/2020/03/27/7633688/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ajm_49703&uic=ZZ28DF4FE367AE4EF5A2EE98B5C128A2E3

Between social distancing and self-quarantining, grocery store shelves are stocked with limited supplies as many people try to stock up knowing they can't leave the house for 14 days. Debra Silverman, a Mayo Clinic dietitian, says that shopping for 14 days at home doesn't have to become stressful......

03/19/2020

https://www.betternutrition.com/supplements/5-ways-to-use-colloidal-silver

Silver has been used medicinally for centuries, dating back to the days of Hippocrates. Ancient Mediterranean civilizations used it to promote the purity and safety of their drinking water.