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Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is best understood today as a condition where three things meet and feed each other: an imperfect skin barrier, an over-reactive immune system, and changes in the microbes that live on the skin. The idea that bacteria play a meaningful role in eczema did not come all at once; it grew out of many observations over decades. The very bacteria most often implicated, staphylococci, were first described in pus by Alexander Ogston in the 1880s, which established that these microbes were common inhabitants and causes of skin infections long before eczema itself was studied in molecular detail. (CDC)

By the 1970s clinicians and microbiologists were noticing a striking pattern: inflamed eczema skin is frequently crowded with a single species, Staphylococcus aureus. In a widely cited paper from the mid-1970s, J. J. Leyden and colleagues showed that S. aureus was present at much higher numbers on eczema lesions than on healthy skin, and follow-up studies in the 1980s confirmed higher carriage and density of the bacterium on both lesional and apparently normal skin of people with atopic dermatitis. Those clinical microbiology findings shifted thinking from “eczema is only an immune or allergic disease” to a model in which microbes help drive flares. (PubMed)

Laboratory work over the next decades explained how the bacteria make things worse. Certain strains of S. aureus produce a mix of molecules — toxins, enzymes and so-called superantigens — that directly damage skin cells, break down the barrier, and powerfully stimulate immune cells. Some toxins punch holes in keratinocytes (the main skin cells), other proteins act like potent signals that make immune cells release inflammatory chemicals, and proteases can expose nerve endings that produce intense itch. Together, these bacterial products turn a vulnerable patch of skin into a site of escalating inflammation. Reviews and experimental studies over the 1990s–2020s summarized and confirmed these mechanisms. (PMC)

At the same time, genetic discoveries clarified why some people are more vulnerable in the first place. A landmark 2006 genetics paper led by Colin N. A. Palmer and collaborators showed that loss-of-function mutations in the gene for filaggrin — a protein that helps form and hydrate the outer layer of skin — are a major risk factor for developing atopic dermatitis. People with filaggrin defects have a weaker barrier, so irritants and microbes get in more easily; that helps explain why the bacterial overgrowth pattern is so common in eczema. The filaggrin discovery shifted research and treatment emphasis toward protecting and repairing the skin barrier, not only suppressing inflammation. (PubMed)

More recently, DNA sequencing and careful sampling have shown that S. aureus doesn’t just passively sit on eczematous skin: particular strains adapt to the inflamed environment, acquire mutations, and express genes that increase their capacity to stick, make toxins, and survive the local conditions. Genomic studies and microevolution analyses in the 2010s and 2020s have mapped those changes and made it clear that the interaction between host (skin + immune system) and bacteria is dynamic — the skin environment shapes the bacteria and the bacteria shape the immune response. (news.mit.edu)

All this history explains why modern treatments take a mixed approach. Restoring the barrier (moisturizers, emollients), calming the over-active immune response when needed (topical steroids or newer targeted drugs), and reducing the harmful activity of bacteria (short courses of antibiotics in some cases, antiseptic washes, or newer anti-virulence strategies) can all be useful — and they work best when combined thoughtfully. One recent innovation, developed by researchers at The University of Hong Kong, is a plant-based moisturizer called Anesinin that aims to “tame” S. aureus by suppressing the bacteria’s toxin production rather than killing the bacteria outright; this is an application of the anti-virulence idea that emerged from the biological studies described above. Early reports are promising but larger clinical trials and peer-reviewed data will be needed to know how broadly and durably such products help. (tech-transfer.med.hku.hk)

In short, eczema is not a simple autoimmune attack but a condition where a weak skin barrier, a sensitized immune system, and sometimes opportunistic bacteria together create a self-reinforcing loop of itch, inflammation and barrier breakdown. The historical arc — from Ogston’s 19th-century description of staphylococci through the 1970s clinical associations, the 2006 filaggrin genetics breakthrough, and the genomics and mechanistic studies of recent years — shows how the field moved from seeing eczema as purely “immune” to seeing it as an ecosystem problem in which bacteria can be important drivers.

(Source : ChatGPT)

Anesinin is a new plant-based moisturizer developed at HKUMed that uses what scientists call an “anti-virulence” approach to help people with eczema. Rather than acting like an antibiotic that tries to kill the bacteria on the skin, Anesinin contains natural compounds that make certain eczema-associated bacteria — especially strains of Staphylococcus aureus that commonly live on eczematous skin — stop producing the toxic proteins and other substances that provoke inflammation, itch and skin damage. In simple terms, the bacteria are converted from “trouble-makers” into quiet neighbours: they remain present on the skin but no longer release the chemicals that trigger flare-ups. (tech-transfer.med.hku.hk)

The science behind that idea is a broader field called anti-virulence therapy. Traditional antibiotics target bacterial life processes so the microbes die or stop growing; anti-virulence approaches instead target the specific tools bacteria use to cause harm — for example the toxins they secrete, the signals they use to coordinate toxin production (called quorum sensing), or the sticky films (biofilms) they build. By blocking those harmful behaviours, an anti-virulence product reduces the damage and inflammation the bacteria cause without strongly upsetting the rest of the skin’s microbial community and without putting the same evolutionary pressure on bacteria to develop drug resistance. That’s why researchers describe Anesinin as “taming the toxicity” of the bacteria rather than killing them. (PMC)

How that translates into a person’s experience is fairly straightforward: if the skin isn’t being repeatedly exposed to bacterial toxins, the immune system calms down, the redness and itch go down, and damaged skin can begin to repair itself. HKU’s team reports that some users notice less itch within a few applications and visible improvement within days; one case described in the publicity even reports a patient able to reduce stronger treatments after stabilizing with the formula. Those are encouraging early signs, but they come from initial reports and real-world use rather than large, published clinical trials, so scientists are careful to say that more formal testing is needed to measure how well the product works across many people and to confirm the best way to use it. (tech-transfer.med.hku.hk)

Two practical advantages of this strategy are worth noting. First, because the formula doesn’t rely on antibiotics or repeated steroid use, it could reduce dependence on those treatments and their side effects. Second, because it doesn’t aim to kill bacteria outright, it is less likely to drive the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains — an important public-health consideration. At the same time, anti-virulence approaches have scientific challenges (for instance, showing they work reliably for many patients and identifying exactly which bacterial pathways are being blocked), so the scientific and medical community will want peer-reviewed studies and longer follow-up before declaring this a definitive replacement for existing therapies. (OUP Academic)

(Source : ChatGPT / TheStandard)

Homeopathic practitioners explain the slow pace of many homeopathic cures by the way they view disease and the way remedies are chosen and given. Rather than treating a single symptom, homeopathy aims to stimulate the body’s own regulatory processes and correct deeper “constitutional” imbalances. Because chronic conditions are seen as the outcome of long-standing disturbances, practitioners expect the body to respond gradually: first with small shifts in symptoms or patterns, then with more stable improvement over weeks or months.

Another reason for the length of treatment is individualization. A homeopath selects a remedy based on a wide picture of the person — their overall constitution, temperament, triggers, and pattern of symptoms — so finding the right remedy and potency can take time. Practitioners typically give a remedy and then observe how the patient changes before deciding whether to repeat the same remedy, raise or lower the potency, or switch to a different remedy. That “observe and adjust” cycle naturally stretches the timeline.

Homeopaths also use conservative dosing and spacing. Remedies are often given infrequently and allowed to act; frequent or large doses are avoided because they are believed to confuse the organism’s response. For chronic problems the recommended strategy is therefore patience: a few doses, then a period of observation, rather than continual changes. Some patients show an early improvement that later plateaus; that pattern prompts a reassessment rather than an immediate abandonment.

Practitioners sometimes expect a temporary “aggravation” or the resurfacing of old symptoms as part of the healing process. They interpret such changes as signs the remedy is acting on deeper layers, not necessarily as treatment failure. Because of that, they advise continuing under guidance and only changing course after a careful evaluation, usually after several weeks to a few months of treatment.

Finally, non-remedy factors lengthen the process: lifestyle, diet, topical care, allergens, stress management and environmental exposures all influence chronic skin conditions. Homeopaths often work alongside these factors, and improving them can be slow. If a condition worsens, shows infection, or causes major distress, most practitioners (and conventional clinicians) recommend stopping the homeopathic approach and seeking conventional medical care.

One useful thing to add is expectation management. Homeopaths often stress that improvement isn’t always linear: symptoms may shift, migrate, or fluctuate before stabilizing, which can feel confusing if you expect steady progress. That’s why they emphasize regular follow-ups rather than self-adjusting remedies.

They also note that plateaus matter: if nothing meaningful changes after a reasonable observation window, it’s not a failure — it’s a signal to re-evaluate the remedy choice, not to persist indefinitely. In their view, patience is important, but so is knowing when to change course deliberately rather than out of habit.

(Source : ChatGPT)

Longtemps conseillée pour son apport en oméga-3, en vitamines et en protéine, la consommation de saumon fait désormais l’objet d’une mise en garde auprès des autorités sanitaires. En cause : la contamination de sa chair par des polluants organiques, des métaux lourds et des microplastiques.

Les poissons, principale contamination aux métaux lourds

La France est aujourd’hui l’un des plus gros consommateurs de saumon, en se hissant au 4ème rang mondial et au 1er rang au sein de l’Union européenne, avec une consommation de 270 000 tonnes en 2021. Il est de loin le poisson préféré des Français, qui sont plus de 70 % à en consommer, avec une moyenne de 3,8 kg/personne en 2022 selon le décompte de FranceAgriMer.

Mais depuis quelques années, les autorités sanitaires alertent quant à la consommation de produits de la mer, et particulièrement de saumon. En effet, certaines études récentes mettent en garde quant aux taux de polluants retrouvés dans les graisses de ces animaux qui, une fois consommés, contaminent les êtres humains à leur tour.

En 2021, l’Agence nationale Santé Publique France révélait dans une étude sur l’exposition aux métaux lourds, que « l’ensemble de la population est concernée » par cette contamination. En ce qui concerne le saumon, celui-ci affiche des teneurs inquiétantes en mercure, en cadmium, en plomb ou en arsenic.
Lorsque leur concentration devient trop importante, ces métaux peuvent être à l’origine de maladies graves. Le mercure et le plomb sont notamment liés à des atteintes du système nerveux et du développement, tandis que le cadmium et l’arsenic sont surtout associés à des dommages rénaux et hépatiques. À long terme, leur ingestion accroît également le risque de cancers et peut affecter la reproduction.

Des saumons contaminés aux polluants organiques

En ce qui concerne le saumon, les métaux lourds ne sont pas les seules sources d’inquiétudes. Ils font partie des poissons les plus contaminés aux polluants organiques – les dioxines et les PCB. Ces substances, très persistantes, se fixent sur les graisses et s’accumulent tout au long de la chaîne alimentaire. Le saumon, poisson gras, les concentre donc plus facilement dans sa chair.

À long terme, une exposition excessive est associée à des effets similaires à ceux des métaux lourds. La consommation de saumon – contaminé par les uns et les autres – augmenterait donc significativement le développement de maladies liées à ces substances.

Ces contaminations s’expliquent d’abord par la pollution des milieux aquatiques liée aux activités agricoles et industrielles, qui diffuse des polluants persistants dans l’eau et les sédiments.

En élevage, elles sont renforcées par l’alimentation des poissons, souvent à base de farines et d’huiles issues de poissons sauvages déjà contaminés. Les polluants s’y bioaccumulent et se retrouvent ensuite concentrés dans des espèces grasses comme le saumon.

Microplastiques : une contamination diffuse mais réelle

À l’échelle mondiale, 70 % des saumons proviennent d’élevage, ce qui vient également avec son lot de complications. Dans ce cadre, la question des microplastiques s’impose comme une problématique majeure, car les saumons d’élevage en contiennent en grande quantité.

Dans leur rapport “Poissons hors sol”, les associations Seastemik et Foodrise estiment qu’un saumon d’élevage de cinq kilos contient environ 523 microplastiques. Rapporté à la consommation moyenne des Français, cela équivaut à près de 398 microplastiques ingérés par personne et par an.

Face à ces constats – et pour limiter les risques d’exposition à ces polluants – l’Anses préconise de ne pas manger de poissons plus de deux fois par semaine, et de varier les espèces. Mais certains vont plus loin, à l’instar de l’association Seastemik, qui encourage à ne plus consommer de saumon.

(Source : LaReleveEtLaPeste)

Dans les Hauts-de-France, 27 communes dépassent la limite réglementaire de fluopyram dans l’eau potable, selon l’ONG Générations Futures. Un fongicide toujours autorisé, au cœur de controverses sanitaires. Les concentrations atteignent jusqu’à 17 fois le seuil de qualité.

Une eau non conforme, depuis plusieurs mois voire plusieurs années. Dans les Hauts-de-France, 79 000 personnes sont exposées à des concentrations de fluopyram dépassant la limite réglementaire, selon l’ONG Générations Futures. "Nous avons constaté ces non-conformités grâce à 'dans mon eau', notre outil développé avec l’association Data for Good, qui permet de rendre visibles et transparentes les données liées à la qualité de l’eau potable", indique l'ONG.

Ce fongicide potentiellement dangereux demeure autorisé en France. Présent dans 37 produits, 127 tonnes de ce produit ont été épandues en 2023 — notamment dans des cultures de céréales, de pommes de terre, de betteraves ou encore d’arbres fruitiers. Toutefois, sa concentration ne doit pas dépasser 0,1 µg/L. Or, dans 27 communes de la région, des dépassements importants ont été constatés, avec des concentrations en moyenne 4 à 5 fois plus élevées que la limite de qualité. 24 communes sont concernées dans le Pas-de-Calais et trois dans le Nord.

Selon les données initialement consultées par l'ONG Générations Futures sur le site du ministère de la Santé, 19 communes de la Somme étaient également concernées. Toutefois, la Communauté de communes du Pays du Coquelicot a entretemps contesté cette alerte. Les analyses citées — supprimées du site gouvernemental depuis, selon Générations Futures — concernent un captage à Irles. Or, "si l’Agence régionale de santé y poursuit ses analyses, ce captage n’est plus exploité par la société Eau du Coquelicot depuis janvier 2022. Ainsi, il n’alimente plus aucun foyer de la Communauté de communes du Pays du Coquelicot." Les 19 communes mentionnées sont aujourd’hui desservies par le captage d’Aveluy, dont les contrôles confirment une eau conforme aux normes sanitaires.

27 communes concernées

"La concentration maximale a été retrouvée à Inchy-en-Artois dans le Pas-de-Calais, avec un taux de 1,778 µg/L mesuré le 13 août 2025, soit plus de 17 fois la limite de qualité", précise ainsi Générations Futures. Ces concentrations en fluopyram atteignent, dans deux communes, "plus de 10 fois la limite de qualité réglementaire."

Si ce fongicide n’est pas officiellement classé dangereux pour la santé humaine par l’agence européenne des produits chimiques (ECHA), les risques inquiètent la communauté scientifique — à tel point que l’Autriche a proposé de le classer comme cancérogène suspecté. En effet, il appartient à la famille des SDHI (Succinate déshydrogénase inhibitors), des substances dont le rôle est de détruire les champignons et les moisissures qui se développent dans les cultures en bloquant leur respiration.

Problème : son mode d’action affecte également les êtres humains. "Dès 2018, un collectif de chercheurs, spécialistes de la respiration cellulaire, a donné l’alerte sur cette famille de fongicides, ce mécanisme d’action pouvant être responsable chez l’homme de maladies neurologiques ou de cancers", indique l’ONG.
En 2023, l’Anses a abaissé ses seuils toxicologiques, mais cette expertise est contestée : trois chercheurs estiment que les données disponibles, jugées de mauvaise qualité, justifient des seuils encore plus stricts et davantage de précautions.

De potentiels troubles neurologiques ou cancers

Un suivi renforcé des concentrations en fluopyram a été mis en place par l’ARS. Selon Générations Futures, il semble s’être interrompu dès octobre au niveau de plusieurs unités de distribution d’eau potable, malgré des dépassements persistants des seuils de qualité. L’ARS Hauts-de-France estime que ces non-conformités n'empêchent pas la consommation de l'eau.

Cette conclusion nous interroge, en raison de la mauvaise évaluation du potentiel cancérigène et, surtout, parce qu’il n’existe pas, à l’heure actuelle, de valeur sanitaire (Vmax) établie pour le fluopyram dans l’eau potable", souligne l’ONG lanceuse d’alerte. En l’absence de ce seuil, les autorités sanitaires recommandent par précaution de restreindre la consommation d’eau dès le dépassement de 0,1 µg/L, avec une tolérance portée à 0,142 µg/L selon le HCSP. Or, ce seuil est dépassé dans dix réseaux alimentant 30 communes et plus de 10 000 habitants, sans information officielle du public ni restriction d’usage à ce stade.

Une molécule particulièrement persistante

"D’autres éléments devraient normalement inciter à une gestion prudente de la situation", ajoute Générations Futures. Le fluopyram, classé parmi les PFAS — dits polluants éternels — se dégrade lentement en acide trifluoroacétique (TFA). Une molécule particulièrement persistante dans l’environnement et "qui passe à travers la quasi-totalité des méthodes de traitement de l’eau potable". Si le suivi du TFA ne débutera qu’en 2027, sa présence "ne fait quasi aucun doute".

À cette situation s'ajoutent d’autres polluants présents au-delà des limites réglementaires et sanitaires, comme les nitrates ou les perchlorates. À Vaulx-Vraucourt par exemple, le fluopyram, les nitrates et les perchlorates dépassent les seuils. "A minima, l’eau devrait être interdite à la consommation pour les femmes enceintes et nourrissons", estime Générations Futures.

Dans un contexte de contamination multiple, le HCSP rappelle ainsi que "toute dérogation provisoire est d’autant moins acceptable (...) y compris à des concentrations inférieures mais proches des limites de qualité et dont les effets en mélange sont encore méconnus".

Générations Futures lance l'alerte

Générations Futures alerte l’Anses sur des contaminations au fluopyram et demande une réévaluation des autorisations de mise sur le marché (AMM). "Cette pollution de l’eau potable par le fluopyram est une énième illustration des conséquences de l’usage intensif de pesticides et de l’inaction des pouvoirs publics pour protéger les aires d’alimentation de captage", affirme Pauline Cervan, toxicologue chez Générations Futures. "Cette inaction conduit une nouvelle fois à exposer les populations à des substances dangereuses et à mettre les collectivités et producteurs d’eau potable dans des situations très difficiles, les techniques en place étant le plus souvent insuffisantes pour traiter les pesticides. Il est urgent de prendre des décisions fortes visant à protéger enfin la ressource en eau."

Alertée dès janvier 2025 par des analyses non conformes, l’Anses indique instruire le dossier et attendre des données complémentaires, une position que Générations Futures juge trop lente au regard de la répétition des dépassements. Elle dénonce plus largement l’inaction des pouvoirs publics face aux pollutions des captages et appelle les députés à voter une proposition de loi, le 12 février, pour renforcer la protection de l’eau potable.

(Source : France3Regions)

Researchers at University College London (UCL) have uncovered a key mechanism that helps the body switch off inflammation – a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for chronic diseases affecting millions worldwide.

Inflammation is the body's frontline defence against infection and injury, but when it doesn't switch off properly, it can drive serious health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Until now, scientists didn't fully understand how the body decides to stop the immune 'fight' response and start healing.

Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals that tiny fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins act as natural brakes on the immune system. These molecules prevent the overgrowth of certain immune cells, known as intermediate monocytes, that can cause chronic inflammation – linked to tissue damage, illness and disease progression.

For the study, healthy human volunteers were given a tiny injection of UV-killed E. coli bacteria into the forearm, which triggered a short-lived inflammatory reaction – pain, redness, heat and swelling – similar to what happens after an infection or injury.

Volunteers were split into two groups: prophylactic arm and therapeutic arm.

At different times the volunteer groups were given a drug called GSK2256294, which blocks an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which naturally breaks down epoxy-oxylipins.

Prophylactic arm: Participants received the drug two hours before inflammation began, to see if boosting epoxy-oxylipins early could prevent harmful immune changes. In this group there were 24 volunteers – 12 were treated, 12 untreated (placebo).

Therapeutic arm: Participants received the drug four hours after inflammation started, mimicking real-world treatment once symptoms appear. In this group there were 24 volunteers – 12 were treated, 12 untreated (placebo).

Both approaches showed that blocking the enzyme sEH with GSK2256294 raised epoxy-oxylipin levels, accelerated pain resolution, and sharply reduced levels of intermediate monocytes in blood and tissue – the immune cells linked to chronic inflammation and disease. Interestingly, the drug did not significantly alter external symptoms, such as redness and swelling.

Further tests revealed that one epoxy-oxylipin, 12,13-EpOME, works by shutting down a protein signal called p38 MAPK, which drives monocyte transformation. This was confirmed in lab experiments and in volunteers given a p38-blocking drug.

Our findings reveal a natural pathway that limits harmful immune cell expansion and helps calm inflammation more quickly.

Targeting this mechanism could lead to safer treatments that restore immune balance without suppressing overall immunity.

With chronic inflammation ranked as a major global health threat, this discovery opens a promising avenue for new therapies."

Dr. Olivia Bracken, first author, UCL Department of Aging, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine
Corresponding author Professor Derek Gilroy (UCL Division of Medicine) said: "This is the first study to map epoxy-oxylipin activity in humans during inflammation.

"By boosting these protective fat molecules, we could design safer treatments for diseases driven by chronic inflammation."

He added: "This was an entirely human-based study with direct relevance to autoimmune diseases, as we used a drug already suitable for human use – one that could be repurposed to treat flares in chronic inflammatory conditions, an area currently bereft of effective therapies."

Why epoxy-oxylipins?

Scientists chose to study epoxy-oxylipins because these fat-derived molecules were known from animal research to reduce inflammation and pain, but their role in humans remained unknown. Unlike well-studied inflammatory mediators, such as histamine and cytokines, epoxy-oxylipins are part of an underexplored pathway that scientists believed could naturally calm the immune system.

Next steps

The discovery opens the door to clinical trials exploring sEH inhibitors as potential therapies for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Bracken said: "For instance, rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in which the immune system attacks the cells that line your joints. sEH inhibitors could be trialled alongside existing medications to investigate if they can help prevent or slow down joint damage incurred by the condition."

Dr Caroline Aylott, Head of Research Delivery at Arthritis UK, said: "The pain of arthritis can affect how we move, think, sleep and feel, along with our ability to spend time with loved ones. Pain is incredibly complex and is affected by many different factors. We also know that everybody's pain is different.

"That is why it is important that we invest in research like this, that helps us understand what causes and influences people's experience of pain.

"We are excited to see the results of this study which has found a natural process that could stop inflammation and pain. We hope in the future that this will lead to new pain management options for people with arthritis."

The study was funded by Arthritis UK and involved researchers at UCL, King's College London, University of Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, USA.

(Source : NewsMedical)

Study finds dietary fiber effectively cuts levels of two most common and dangerous Pfas, with more research planned.

Consuming higher amounts of fiber reduces levels of toxic Pfas “forever chemicals” in human bodies, a new peer-reviewed pilot study suggests.

The research found fiber most effectively reduces Pfos and Pfoa, among the two most common and dangerous Pfas. Each can stay in bodies for years, and federal data shows virtually everyone has the chemicals in their blood.

The researchers are “excited” about the results of studies on mice and a small human population, said Jennifer Schlezinger, a paper co-author with Boston University. A larger study is in the works.

“We’re still mid-experiment but we’re seeing very promising things,” she said. “The key is that this is feasible, accessible and economical.”

Pfas are a class of about 15,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down in the environment.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has found no level of exposure to Pfos or Pfoa in drinking water is safe. They have a half-life in human blood of anywhere from two to five years, by most estimates.

That means the body expels half the amount of the chemical that is in blood during that period. Depending on blood levels, it can take decades to fully expel Pfas.

Military bases are often Pfas hotspots that have exposed untold numbers of service members to the chemicals, and the US Department of defense is funding the research.

The authors theorize that dietary fibers form a gel that may stop cells lining the gut from absorbing the Pfas. They note that fibers form a gel that impedes the absorption of bile acids, leading to increased bile acid elimination in feces.

Bile acids are chemically similar to long-chain Pfas, and the Pfas can move into the gut with the bile. The mechanism in the gel-forming dietary fibers that eliminates bile acid seems to do the same thing for Pfas. Schlezinger said insoluble and soluble fibers were needed, and those can be added to a glass of juice. Oat beta glucan is also effective. It should be taken with meals because that is when the body largely produces bile, which needs to be timed with fiber consumption.

Pfoa and Pfos are classified as “long chain” Pfas, which means that they are among larger compounds in the chemical class. The fiber seemed to generally work well at capturing and discharging those via feces, but did not work as well for smaller “short-chain” Pfas.

Short-chain Pfas are excreted through urine, but long chains are not.

Cholestyramine, a cholesterol drug, has also been used to reduce Pfas blood levels. But it has been found to create frequent, large, hard stools in mice, Schlezinger said. Fiber, by contrast, creates easy-to-pass stools, and has added health benefits, she noted.

(Source :  TheGuardian)

This week I got a lot of “THIS IS REALLY SCARY” messages from patients and friends after a recent study linked phthalates in plastic food containers to over 13% of all global heart disease deaths in 2018. It seems like each week brings a new microplastics headline; did you see the one about how the human brain contains 7 grams—roughly the weight of a takeout spoon—of microplastic particles? 
Breathe. We are not turning into walking, talking Tupperware. But we can take steps to reduce our exposure. 

It’s true that microplastics are bad for us. They contain hormone-disrupting chemicals including phthalates and BPA that have been shown to increase inflammation, disrupt the gut microbiome, impair immune function, and cause oxidative stress to cellular structures. Micro and nanoplastics have now even been found in arterial plaques in patients with heart disease; a NEJM study linked these “jagged-edged particles” to a 4.5 times higher risk of heart attack and stroke.  So, what can you do? Can you eliminate microplastics from your life entirely? 

Short answer: No. I saw an article about birds on a remote uninhabited island whose bodies are now 30% plastic thanks to their trash consumption. If that’s how it’s going on a remote island, there’s no escape in modern civilization.

So then can you remove the microplastics you’ve already absorbed? Also unfortunately, no—at least not fully.  But here’s what we can do: We can minimize further exposure and support the body’s natural detoxification processes. Think of microplastic exposure like sun damage. You can’t go back and undo every sunburn—but you can wear sunscreen and protective clothing to prevent a future burn, and help the body do its job healing when you are exposed. In the case of microplastics, that means helping your body release some of the harmful chemicals plastics carry with them (like BPA).

Here’s what I’m doing to avoid exposure and release known toxins: 

✅ Switch to glass containers.
Microwaving plastic releases up to 4.22 million microplastic particles and 2.11 billion nanoplastics—from just one square centimeter. It’s why I skip hot takeout in plastic containers. Who wants chemical soup with their noodles?

✅ Choose loose-leaf or non-plastic teabags
A single plastic tea bag releases 11.6 billion microplastics per cup. I love herbal tea, so I’m using loose-leaf and brands like Harney & Sons and Tea Pigs that have non-plastic, non-toxic bags.  

✅ Cut back on shellfish.
Mussels, clams, oysters, shrimp, anchovies, and sardines are microplastic sponges. As much as this Baltimore girl loves shrimp and crab, I lean on salmon for my omega-3s instead. I order from Seatopia, which tests every one of their products to ensure zero detectable microplastics and less than 0.1 PPM of mercury. 

✅ Choose rock salt over sea salt.
Sea salt comes from evaporated seawater (which now has a microplastic cocktail floating in it). Rock salt is plastic-free. Look for one without additives like Wild Pink Salt. 

✅ Take a broccoli sprout supplement. 
Sulforaphane, found in cruciferous vegetables—especially broccoli sprouts (which have 100x higher concentration than actual broccoli)—supports the NRF2 pathway, one of the body’s natural detoxification systems. Sulforaphane can’t flush out plastic particles, but research suggests it binds to microplastic chemicals (BPA, BPS, phthalates) making them water-soluble so that the body can excrete them. I take Thorne’s Broccoli Seed Extract (50mg Sulforaphane Glucosinolate) to help my liver do this important job. 

✅ Get 30-50 g of fiber per day.
Beyond broccoli, dietary fiber may help remove PFOS and PFOA—two of the most common “forever chemicals” found in microplastics—from your gut. If I get 30g of dietary fiber that’s a good day—50g is a great day. 

What I’m Reading This Week

#1 The FDA just approved the first Alzheimer’s blood test

Nearly $50 billion dollars in pharma research later, and we still haven’t found a cure for Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, we have been systematically ignoring the fact that we can get ahead of this disease, which starts developing 20 years before symptoms emerge. Being proactive with diagnostic testing is one of the ways we shift the trajectory of our health. I’m a huge proponent of testing early and often. By testing more broadly, from MRIs to bloodwork, we learn more about who really needs intervention, and we become more proactive about our health as a society.  The new Alzheimer’s test approved by the FDA this month is a win for preventative health. The blood test detects amyloid plaques in the brain with over 90% accuracy, significantly improving upon the current 60% diagnostic accuracy rate.  A test like this would be useless and scary however if there was nothing you could do about your Alzheimer’s risk. But that is not the case. Alzheimer’s is significantly associated with poor cardiovascular and metabolic health. (It’s sometimes called “Type 3 Diabetes.”) That means a meaningful percentage of Alzheimer’s cases are preventable or reversible.
In my practice, we use protocols similar to Dr. Dale Bredesen’s paradigm-shifting ReCODE, which focus on optimizing heart health (cholesterol) and metabolic health (blood glucose) markers to lower the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.

Given 13 million people are projected to be living with Alzheimer’s by 2050, here are the people I’m telling to get this new blood test: 

Anyone over 55
Anyone over 30 with two copies of the APOE4 variant or one copy of the APOE4 and one copy of the APOE3 allele (By the way, before you delete your 23 and Me account, save a copy of the raw data. You can bring it to us at Parsley and we can help you analyze your genetic risks.)
Anyone over 30 with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, elevated cholesterol, or a high waist-to-hip ratio (0.9 or higher for men and 0.85 or higher for women)
Anyone over 30 with a family history of Alzheimer’s 
Anyone over 55 experiencing symptoms of cognitive decline 

#2 Drinking raw milk is 840 times more likely to make you sick compared to pasteurized milk. 

I actually appreciate why proponents of raw milk (including some of my friends) are so passionate about it. 
Animal milk is a living food (like breast milk)—probiotics, enzymes, immunoglobulins, proteins and fats give it much of its health benefits. The pasteurization process denatures these fats, enzymes, and immune products, and eliminates healthy bacteria, reducing a large part of milk’s nutritional value. Industrial farming practices also expose dairy products to pesticides and antibiotics. 
The truth is, if you’re a healthy adult, the absolute risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk is pretty low. But since there are other ways to get the nutritional benefits of raw milk that don’t also come with the risk of severe illness (especially for kids, pregnant women, and those who are immunocompromised), I don’t recommend drinking it. 

Here’s what I do recommend: 

🥛 Make or buy nutritionally dense nut milk. Making nut milk is actually really easy. Blend nuts, water and a date (optional) in your Vitamix and strain it. If it were more complicated than that, I promise you I wouldn’t do it. When I buy milk, I buy unsweetened, organic, carrageenan-free almond or macadamia milk. 
🦠 Focus on fermented dairy. Organic yogurt and kefir provide probiotics and bioactive peptides that support gut health and immune function. These offer some of raw milk’s key benefits—and they’re pasteurized first, so they’re safe.
🐮 Supplementing with bovine colostrum may benefit gut health. I sometimes prescribe it for people with intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut). 

#3 Is bioelectric-medicine the next frontier in longevity?

I’ll never forget when I first trained in functional medicine and learned about something called the Tennant BioModulator, which uses low-level pulsed electrical currents to stimulate cells as a therapy for pain, improved cellular function, and tissue repair – I was fascinated. I had learned in my medical training that the human body is one big electro-chemical gradient. Every second, charged ions are flowing back and forth across your 37 trillion cells sending electrical impulses throughout the body.  We use this all the time when it comes to heart health and cardiology (e.g. pacemakers); but I always found it strange that we don’t use this fact more broadly in therapeutics. So this week I was excited to see the WSJ article on two new devices that harness the body’s electrochemical gradients.  SetPoint Medical is developing an implantable device that stimulates the vagus nerve to regulate inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In clinical trials, 50% of patients experienced symptom relief after six months. The company is seeking FDA approval and plans to test the device for conditions like Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Another device from Novocure employs low-intensity, alternating electric fields to interfere with cancer cell division; it’s already approved to treat glioblastoma and mesothelioma, with ongoing trials exploring pancreatic and lung cancers. I think that non-pharmaceutical therapeutics for chronic disease are truly the next frontier and that harnessing the energy currents of our bodies to heal makes so much sense. I’m excited to see this field evolve.  For now, maybe it’s time to stop making fun of our friends with their amethyst ion mats after all! If someone wants to send me one, at this point I wouldn’t say no And if you don’t have an ion mat, a reminder that practices like deep breathing, meditation, cold exposure and even humming can activate your vagus nerve. 

How to be healthier than ever this week

Love as medicine: Recently I had a very fun talk with my friend Dr. Erika Siegel on the role of love and relationships in building a comprehensive longevity protocol. Don’t miss the key takeaways I shared on Instagram.

Replace your nonstick: I’ve been loving my Caraway pans. Non-toxic (free of forever chemicals and microplastics), nonstick, and they actually look good on the stove. Use my discount code: ROBIN10 for 10% off.

Drink your EVOO: A study of 90,000+ people found that consuming 1 tablespoon of olive oil daily cuts dementia-related death risk by 28%. Wild. I down a spoonful of the good stuff every morning with my supplements.

As always, this newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health decisions or changes to your treatment plan.

(Source :  RobinMerzinMD)

Sulforaphane is a small, naturally occurring compound produced when certain cruciferous vegetables — especially broccoli sprouts — are damaged (for example by chopping or chewing). In the plant it exists as a precursor called glucoraphanin; an enzyme called myrosinase converts glucoraphanin into active sulforaphane when the plant tissue is disrupted. Because broccoli sprouts contain far higher levels of the precursor than mature broccoli, they are commonly used in research and supplements aimed at delivering sulforaphane. (PMC)

At the cellular level, sulforaphane works mainly by switching on the body’s “detox and antioxidant” defenses. It activates a master regulatory protein called Nrf2, which then increases the production of dozens of cytoprotective enzymes (often called phase II detoxification enzymes and antioxidant proteins). Through Nrf2 activation and related pathways, sulforaphane reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, improves the removal of potential carcinogens, and can influence gene expression and even epigenetic marks that affect how cells respond to damage. These mechanisms are the biological rationale for much of the interest in sulforaphane. (PMC)

Because those mechanisms are broadly protective, researchers have tested sulforaphane in many contexts. In laboratory and animal studies it shows anticancer effects (slowing tumour growth, enhancing detoxification of carcinogens), neuroprotective actions (reducing inflammation and protecting neurons), and beneficial effects on metabolic health (improving markers of insulin resistance and liver function). These preclinical results are consistent and biologically plausible, which is why clinical researchers have pursued human trials. (PMC)

Clinical evidence in people is promising but not yet definitive. Small human trials have shown that sulforaphane-rich preparations can activate Nrf2 in tissues and change biomarkers of oxidative stress and detoxification within days, and several pilot or phase-II studies have reported improvements in specific conditions — for example, small randomized trials of broccoli-sprout–derived sulforaphane reported measurable symptom benefits in some people with autism spectrum disorder and biomarker changes in trials of cancer prevention and metabolic health. However, many clinical studies are small, differ in the preparations and doses used, and need independent replication before firm clinical recommendations can be made. (ClinicalTrials)

Two practical points affect how well sulforaphane works in the real world. First, the amount of active sulforaphane produced depends heavily on how the vegetable is prepared and on the presence of active myrosinase; cooking at high heat destroys the enzyme and reduces conversion, whereas chopping and allowing a short rest before light cooking preserves more activity. Second, individual differences in gut bacteria influence how efficiently the precursor is converted to sulforaphane in the digestive tract, so the same serving can produce quite different blood levels in different people. These sources of variability help explain why trials of whole-food preparations and supplements sometimes give mixed results. (PMC)

Safety appears acceptable at doses used in most clinical studies, with gastrointestinal upset being the most commonly reported side effect; long-term safety and optimal dosing are still under study. Because sulforaphane modulates important cellular pathways, people taking prescription drugs, those with specific health conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding people, or anyone considering high-dose supplements should discuss this with a clinician before starting use. Overall, sulforaphane is a compelling, biologically plausible nutraceutical: strong preclinical data and promising early human trials support further research, but larger and more rigorous clinical trials are needed to establish clear therapeutic roles, standardize dosing, and identify which patients are most likely to benefit. (PMC)

(Source : ChatGPT)

In homeopathic practice the choice of Mica for skin problems follows the same basic logic that governs remedy selection generally: the practitioner looks for a close match between the specific symptom picture shown by the patient and the characteristic symptoms recorded for the remedy in the materia medica. Mica’s traditional portrait emphasizes poor tissue nutrition, weakness of assimilation, chronic debility and local signs of dryness or roughness. When a patient presents with long-standing, undernourished-looking skin—thin, scaly patches, slow healing of chapped areas, persistent fissures or mucosal dryness—these visible, physical features are read as the sort of “local” manifestations that Mica (especially in low potencies such as 2CH) is thought to address.

Underlying that matching process is the homeopathic principle of “like cures like.” Provers and clinical tradition have associated Mica with disturbances of the connective tissues and mucous surfaces; thus a homeopath reasons that a dynamized preparation of the mineral can gently stimulate the organism’s reparative and nutritive functions where those tissues are failing to thrive. Because Mica is a mineral (a phyllosilicate) and is usually insoluble, practitioners commonly use triturations and low centesimal potencies to convert the crude substance into a form thought suitable for influencing concrete, bodily symptoms rather than deep emotional or highly acute states.

A further element of the logic is individualization. A homeopath will not prescribe Mica solely because a patient has eczema or dry skin; instead the remedy is favoured when the skin signs sit within a wider pattern—for example, a person who tends to be thin, has sluggish digestion or poor appetite, lacks recovery after illness, or shows other signs of nutritional insufficiency. In practice Mica is often paired with supportive measures (emollients, nutritional advice, attention to digestion and hydration) and with follow-up doses at low potency so the practitioner can assess whether the skin texture, healing rate and general vitality are improving. If the pattern shifts or other symptoms emerge, the prescription is revised.

Clinically, homeopaths expect changes with Mica to be gradual and primarily physical: improved skin turgor, less cracking, faster mucosal healing and a general sense of increased tissue resilience. Because these are modest, slow changes, Mica is typically presented as an adjunctive remedy for chronic, stable skin conditions rather than a rapid treatment for acute, inflamed, infected or extensively spreading lesions. Responsible practitioners therefore emphasize that serious signs—marked infection, extensive ulceration, systemic symptoms or rapidly worsening eczema—require conventional medical assessment and treatment alongside any homeopathic approach.

In short, the logic for using Mica in skin problems is built from matching the remedy’s materia-medica picture to a patient’s specific, long-standing physical signs of poor tissue nutrition and dryness, employing low potencies and trituration to address concrete bodily symptoms, and integrating the remedy within a broader care plan that monitors response and does not replace conventional emergency or medical therapy when needed.

(Source : ChatGPT)