Functional Medicine Research with Dr. Nikolas Hedberg, DC
144 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 70 ratingsFunctional Medicine Research with Dr. Nikolas Hedberg, DC covers cutting-edge research on Functional Medicine. Dr. Hedberg covers the latest research on thyroid disorders, gut health, autoimmune disease, nutrition, hormones and much more. If you’re tired of long-winded podcasts without useful information that actually works, then this show is definitely for you.
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Episodes
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and the RDW Test
March 30, 2018 14:53 - 12 minutes - 8.8 MBSometimes very simple tests provide a significant amount of valuable information when it comes to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. One simple blood test is the red blood cell distribution width or RDW test which is included in the complete blood count (CBC). A recent study found that patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have higher levels of RDW. What is RDW? RDW is basically a measure of the variability in size of your red blood cells. The greater the variability in size, the higher the RDW test r...
Dr. David Brady Interview
March 23, 2018 15:58 - 56 minutes - 39 MBIn this episode of The Dr. Hedberg Show, I interviewed Dr. David Brady about the new GI-MAP stool test by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. We discussed many topics including autoimmune disease, stool testing, stealth infections, gut infections, the gut microbiome and much more. This is the stool test I use in my practice to identify bacterial dysbiosis, viruses, parasites, yeast, and overall digestive health. Nikolas: Well, welcome everyone. This is Dr. Hedberg. And welcome to The Dr. Hedb...
DUTCH Test Founder Mark Newman Interview
March 16, 2018 13:02 - 1 hour - 48.9 MBIn this episode of The Dr. Hedberg Show, I interview DUTCH test founder Mark Newman. We covered a lot of detailed information about hormone testing and why the DUTCH test is superior in many ways to other forms of hormone testing. Here is a transcript of my interview with Mark Newman on the DUTCH Test Dr. Hedberg: Okay, well, welcome, everyone. This is Dr. Hedberg and welcome to "The Dr. Hedberg Show." I'm excited today to have Mark Newman on the show, and Mark is the founder of Precision A...
Hashimoto’s Disease Interview with Rachel Hill
February 28, 2018 17:24 - 40 minutes - 28 MBIn this episode of The Dr. Hedberg Show, I interviewed writer and thyroid advocate Rachel Hill of The Invisible Hypothyroidism. We discussed Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism, and many connections to these illnesses. Rachel suffers from thyroid issues herself so we can learn a lot from her about her personal experiences. I urge everyone to listen or read and connect with her through her website and social media which I have linked to at the end of the transcript. Here is a transcript of...
The Gut-Brain Axis with Dr. Jeff Moss
February 09, 2018 13:16 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBIn this podcast, I discuss the gut-brain axis with Dr. Jeff Moss. This was a fascinating conversation about the latest research on the connection between gut microflora and it's intimate connection to the brain and nervous system. We talk about this connection with neurotransmitter imbalances, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, Alzheimer's disease, Autism, gut healing strategies and much more. Here is the transcript of my conversation with Dr. Jeff Moss on the Gut-Brain Axis: Dr. Hedber...
How to Cure Insomnia
January 26, 2018 14:55 - 48 minutes - 33.7 MBApproximately 90 million Americans now suffer from some type of sleep disturbance. Rejuvenating sleep is an extremely important and fundamental part of feeling great and healthy. Unfortunately, too many of us are plagued with insomnia and miss out on sleep's wonderful healing properties. You'll become more inflamed and more insulin resistant simply by getting 6 hours of sleep or less. Your immune system will also suffer significantly if you don't get enough sleep making you more prone to c...
How to Overcome Insomnia
January 26, 2018 14:55 - 48 minutes - 33.7 MBApproximately 90 million Americans now suffer from some type of sleep disturbance. Rejuvenating sleep is an extremely important and fundamental part of feeling great and healthy. Unfortunately, too many of us are plagued with insomnia and miss out on sleep's wonderful healing properties. You'll become more inflamed and more insulin resistant simply by getting 6 hours of sleep or less. Your immune system will also suffer significantly if you don't get enough sleep making you more prone to c...
Do You Need the MTHFR Test?
January 22, 2018 12:29 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBWhat is the MTHFR test? The MTHFR test or methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase test has become extremely popular due to a number of alternative medicine practitioners promoting it as the source of many chronic illnesses. But is it something you should worry about? This test is basically looking for two types of genetic mutations known as C677T and A1298C that affect the MTHFR enzyme involved in folate metabolism in your body. Proper MTHFR enzyme function ensures that homocysteine is properl...
Shannon Garrett Hashimoto’s Disease Interview
December 18, 2017 19:08 - 51 minutes - 35.9 MBIn this interview on The Dr. Hedberg Show, I had a great time talking to Shannon Garrett about Hashimoto's disease. We started by talking about Shannon's personal journey with Hashimoto’s disease. And then we got into how stress triggers Hashimoto's disease as well as emotions and early adverse life events in childhood and how they connect to autoimmune disease as an adult. Shannon's book Hashimoto’s: Finding Joy in the Journey. The many shades and stages of grief and Hashimoto's disease....
Are artificial sweeteners bad for you?
October 13, 2017 13:29 - 19 minutes - 14.1 MB"The dose makes the poison." ~Paracelsus Are artificial sweeteners bad for you? I recently received an email from another alternative medicine practitioner stating that “he couldn’t believe I recommended artificial sweeteners on my website!” My response was, “So let me get this straight if one of your patients asked you if she could have a Diet Coke once a month you would say no?” So many things in our world have become so black and white that people have forgotten about moderation as a se...
Meditation for Anxiety and Depression
October 06, 2017 11:36 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBMeditation for anxiety and depression is something I highly recommend for everyone suffering from these symptoms. Sometimes some of the most powerful tools to improve your health are built right into your own body and are absolutely free. Most of you are probably in a state of information overload with your mind racing at night, feeling stressed, out of control and you just can’t seem to calm down your mind to a state of happiness, clarity, and well-being. I've been meditating almost every...
Does the Autoimmune Paleo Diet Work?
September 22, 2017 14:26 - 23 minutes - 16.7 MBThe autoimmune paleo diet (AIP) also known as the autoimmune protocol diet is an extremely popular diet these days for autoimmune disease but there has never been any studies done to evaluate if it actually works. Although testimonials should be taken into account, and there are many all over the internet, the ultimate test for validity is a clinical trial. As of August 29th, 2017, we now have a study that looked at this diet and how effective it was for autoimmune disease. The paper is e...
Are GMOs Bad For Your Health?
April 24, 2017 14:01 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBGMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are one of the most contentious topics in the world today. We should however, consider the following questions: What do we really know about them? Are these concerns justified? People are so passionate about this issue that some misguided individuals have actually rioted and vandalized crops in Oregon, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Philippines. This mob behavior is similar to the burning of women at the stake for committing imaginary crimes...
Hepatitis C Virus and Hashimoto’s Disease
April 07, 2017 19:22 - 12 minutes - 8.75 MBWhat is Hepatitis C? The Hepatitis C Virus infects the liver and it can spread to other body tissues such as the thyroid gland. Once inside the thyroid gland, it multiplies and may cause Hashimoto’s disease. Hepatitis C has also been found to trigger arthritis, diabetes, autoimmunity to the liver, Sjogren’s syndrome, and autoimmunity to the kidney. Chronic infection of the liver causes liver cirrhosis and even liver cancer. What are the symptoms of Hepatitis C? This can be the tricky part be...
Dr. Izabella Wentz Interview
March 31, 2017 14:51 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBIn this exciting interview on The Dr. Hedberg Show, I interviewed Dr. Izabella Wentz about everything Hashimoto's disease. We had a great conversation and covered some very practical information that everyone can use right away. Here are the topics we covered in the interview: How did you become interested in the thyroid? What are some of the common root causes of Hashimoto’s? You’ve now worked with over a thousand people with Hashimoto’s and figured out that you can accelerate healing an...
Epstein Barr Virus and Hashimoto’s Disease
March 10, 2017 15:28 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBEpstein-Barr Virus or EBV is a herpes virus (Herpes 4) that is significantly connected to Hashimoto’s disease and many other autoimmune diseases. It is the most common infection I see in my patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Testing for Epstein-barr virus is fairly straightforward but treatment can take a long time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR96Gt9hWLQ How do you get infected? Epstein-Barr Virus is transmitted by saliva resulting in mononucleosis (“mono”) also known as “the kiss...
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Helicobacter Pylori
March 03, 2017 12:20 - 15 minutes - 11.2 MBDiscovered in 1982 in those with gastritis and ulcers, Helicobacter pylori or “H. pylori” is one of the most common infections connected to Hashimoto’s disease and also Graves’ disease for that matter. Like Yersinia enterocolitica and Epstein-Barr Virus infections, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can be triggered by H. pylori through a process called molecular mimicry which basically means that the infection looks similar to your thyroid tissue so the immune system attacks the infection and the thyro...
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Yersinia Enterocolitica Infection
February 24, 2017 12:57 - 13 minutes - 9.35 MBYersinia enterocolitica is one of the most common infections I see in my patients who have Hashimoto’s disease. Let us explore some basic information about Yersinia so you can understand it better and how it relates to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. http://youtu.be/50IUuPMSPp0 What is Yersinia enterocolitica? Yersinia enterocolitica is a gram-negative bacteria that causes yersiniosis usually caused by drinking contaminated milk or water or eating raw or undercooked meat, usually pork (chitlins). ...
Stacey Robbins Interview
December 09, 2016 18:49 - 34 minutes - 24.4 MBIn this episode of The Dr. Hedberg Show I interview Stacey Robbins! This was a very unique interview because we didn’t focus on biochemistry, but rather how Hashimoto’s can affect your life and your relationships. Stacey Robbins (Certified Health Coach and Certified Yoga Instructor RYT200) is an award-winning Author, Speaker, and Integrated Wellness Coach. She is honored to work with senior executives in global organizations and is a trusted advisor to influential thought leaders, film pro...
Hypothyroid Mom – Dana Trentini Interview
November 29, 2016 21:44 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBIn this podcast episode I interview Dana Trentini, the founder of the well-known Hypothyroid Mom blog. I really enjoyed our talk, in particular discussing thyroid issues with someone who is so passionate about thyroid health. Dana Trentini created the thyroid advocacy blog Hypothyroid Mom. Dana launched her blog on October 1st, 2012, in memory of the unborn baby she lost due to hypothyroidism. She set out on a mission to learn all she could about hypothyroidism and to share her discoveries ...
The Thyroid and Thyroid Hormones
October 10, 2016 10:15 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBThe thyroid is a small gland that lies in the neck about the level of the Adam’s apple and weighs approximately one ounce. It produces thyroid hormone and calcitonin. The parathyroid glands are very small and lie on the outside portion of the thyroid gland and secrete parathyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone ignites your metabolism so you can burn fat and produce energy. We will be focusing on thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is stimulated to make thyroid hormone by thyroid-stimulating hor...
The Gut Thyroid Connection
September 28, 2016 11:49 - 22 minutes - 10.7 MBThe gut-thyroid connection is one of the most important and overlooked aspects of healthy thyroid function. Did you know that many diseases can be traced to a breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract? 70 percent of your immune system resides in this area - your gut, and the GI tract has many important functions for your health including digestion, nutrient absorption, elimination, detoxification, hormone metabolism and energy production. 99% of the neurotransmitters in your body are actuall...
The Ferritin Level Test
September 21, 2016 11:02 - 16 minutes - 7.89 MBThe ferritin test may be the most important blood test you ever get, especially if you have a thyroid problem. When I began my training in the diagnosis and management of internal disorders immediately after graduation, one of the first things we studied heavily was blood chemistry analysis. My teachers always stressed the importance of taking a careful look at iron levels in the blood and a rare test known as the ferritin test. What is ferritin? Ferritin is an iron-containing protein and is...
The Thyroid Adrenal Pancreas Axis
September 18, 2016 12:03 - 26 minutes - 12.5 MBThe thyroid-adrenal-pancreas axis is one of the most important connections in understanding and healing your thyroid. In addition to gastrointestinal and blood sugar disorders, adrenal gland dysfunction is one of the most commonly seen imbalance in today’s society. Adrenal gland imbalances are also one of the major factors that cause thyroid hormone imbalance. Stress from work, relationships, electronics, poor diet choices such as consumption of refined carbohydrates and trans fats, infect...
Gluten and Hashimoto’s Disease
September 06, 2016 23:40 - 9 minutes - 4.55 MBUnderstanding the importance of gluten and Hashimoto's disease may be the key factor in healing your thyroid. The Link Between Gluten and Hashimoto's Disease Has your doctor talked to you about the link between gluten and Hashimoto's Disease? Hashimoto's Disease is an autoimmune condition that causes 90% of all cases of hypothyroidism. Gluten is a combination of proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt and many others. Ongoing scientific research indicates that there is a da...
Adrenal Fatigue: Everything You Need to Know
August 30, 2016 21:37 - 19 minutes - 9.12 MBWhat is Adrenal Fatigue? "Adrenal fatigue" doesn't technically exist despite what many people have read on the internet. Adrenal fatigue is a term used by many alternative healthcare practitioners but there is no evidence that it is actually a condition. I'll use the term "adrenal fatigue" however throughout this article to simply describe a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that is out of balance. Adrenal fatigue basically means that your adrenal glands are out of balance with the brain...
Thyroid Symptoms in Women
August 26, 2016 01:28 - 18 minutes - 8.88 MBLow Thyroid Symptoms in Women are Widespread Thyroid symptoms in women are sadly prevalent today. In general, women are more vulnerable to thyroid disorders than men for a variety of reasons. It is estimated that as many as ten percent of women suffer harmful effects from underactive thyroid, a condition also known as hypothyroidism. Thyroid symptoms in women are more frequently caused by the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Up to ninety percent of all cases of hypothyroidism are ...
Three Things You Can Do For Anxiety
July 18, 2016 22:58 - 25 minutes - 12.1 MBIn this podcast, I chat with Michael Diettrich-Chastain about three things you can do for anxiety. We discussed the importance of having a daily routine that you sustain for a long time in order to get the best results. The following can be extremely helpful for anxiety that you can implement into your daily routine: Meditation Journaling Some type of movement such as exercise or just a walk in nature Spending more time with people and removing yourself from isolation Taking a br...
Is Facebook Making You Sick?
June 23, 2016 14:45 - 20 minutes - 9.86 MBIs Facebook making you sick? Many have the false belief that Facebook was created for the benefit of people to stay in touch and see what their “friends” are up to. In actuality, Facebook was created strictly to gather as much data as possible about its users for the single purpose of making a profit. Is Facebook Having an Ill-Effect on your Health? Is Facebook making you sick - nothing more than a “rat wheel” filled with advertisements, negative injections of news, agendas, depersonalizati...
Health Benefits of Sardines
June 15, 2016 19:15 - 14 minutes - 6.97 MBOne of my all-time favorite healthy foods is definitely sardines. This was certainly an acquired taste and I had to learn the hard way that some brands are absolutely disgusting and others taste great. The picture above shows the three brands of sardines I eat the most. Why are sardines so great? Sardines are nutritional powerhouses containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, high-quality protein, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, thiamin, rib...
How to Improve Digestion
June 01, 2016 14:44 - 22 minutes - 10.9 MB“All disease begins in the gut.” --Hippocrates Was Hippocrates right over 2,000 years ago? I would have to agree with him a majority of the time when it comes to chronic diseases. A healthy digestive system begins with excellent digestion so let’s go over some tips to help you improve your digestion. Firstly, I’d like to briefly cover the reason why your digestion may be out of balance. What causes bad digestion? Eating very quickly while on the run and not completely focusing on your meal...
How to Beat Depression Naturally
April 26, 2016 15:28 - 37 minutes - 17.7 MBIn order to understand how to beat depression naturally, we must understand what causes depression. Inflammation and depression For many years there has been a generally accepted cause of depression with the treatment revolving around neurotransmitter manipulation through antidepressant medications. It has become quite clear however that inflammation is at the core of depression, anxiety, insomnia and other mood disorders in many people. And, you can beat depression naturally! Antidepressa...
Osteoporosis: Is the key to building bone building muscle?
March 15, 2016 10:51 - 29 minutes - 13.8 MBThe rate of osteoporosis continues to increase despite new drugs and an increase in vitamin D and calcium supplementation. Could it be that the focus on building bone has been going down the wrong path of drugs, supplements and hormone replacement? Although all of these can potentially help build bone, the key really lies in building lean muscle mass. As we age, we also lose muscle mass (known as sarcopenia) which results in the following health problems: Frequent falls resulting in bon...
What Causes Hypothyroidism?
March 11, 2016 14:52 - 24 minutes - 11.7 MBHave you ever wondered what causes hypothyroidism? Are you suffering from any of the following symptoms? Fatigue Weight Gain and difficulty losing weight Hair Loss Depression Cold Hands & Feet Constipation Insomnia Dry Brittle Nails Lack of Motivation Muscle pain Your thyroid could be a major contributing factor to these symptoms. Your thyroid may have been checked by your physician, but were you evaluated for autoimmune thyroid disease? What causes hypothyroidism? The...
Ketogenic Diet Benefits
March 09, 2016 10:20 - 29 minutes - 13.9 MBWhen I was bodybuilding in the 1990’s, we used to use the ketogenic diet to burn off that extra bit of stubborn fat. We would only do it for about 3-4 days however and would then cycle the diet for 2-3 weeks maximum. The ketogenic diet works well to burn fat while preserving muscle mass which is extremely important when you are dieting because lean muscle mass is vital for good health. What is ketosis? The ketogenic diet converts the body into a fat-burning metabolism known as ketosis which...
The Low FODMAP Diet
February 25, 2016 19:35 - 15 minutes - 7.32 MBWhat are FODMAPs and how do I follow a low FODMAP diet? FODMAPs or Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols are a specific type of carbohydrate found in certain foods that you must avoid if you are following a low FODMAP diet. The family of FODMAPs include: Lactose from dairy products. Fructans: garlic, onions, wheat etc. Galactans: legumes such as lentils, beans, soybeans etc. Fructose: honey, certain fruits, high fructose corn syrup etc. Polyols: stone fruits such as...
Monolaurin Interview With Dr. Jeff Moss
January 25, 2016 20:01 - 25.8 MBIn this interview with Dr. Jeff Moss I discussed all of the health benefits and uses of monolaurin which is one of my favorite supplements for infections and healthy immune system function. The interview is about twenty minutes but it is packed with great information. What is Monolaurin? Monolaurin is a "monoester" formed from lauric acid which is a medium chain fatty acid. Monolaurin is the main antiviral and antibacterial found in human breast milk as well as in coconut. Monlaurin works ...
Curcumin Benefits
November 11, 2015 15:39 - 22 minutes - 10.9 MBCurcumin is a powerful antioxidant derived from turmeric root used heavily in traditional Indian cuisine. Turmeric is a close relative of ginger which I use quite a bit to improve digestion and reduce inflammation. Curcumin was first used about 4,000 years ago in Chinese and Ayruvedic medicine. Curcumin has a tremendous amount of research behind it and it is one of my favorite natural anti-inflammatories. But it's powers don't end with inflammation. Research has shown that curcumin has t...
Health Benefits of Zinc
May 15, 2015 15:19 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBWe all have favorites and my favorite mineral may very well be the mighty Zinc. Sometimes I go back and forth between magnesium and zinc but I always tend to lean towards “Heavy-Z”. It is estimated that zinc is involved in 300 enzymatic reactions in the body most of which involve the immune system and repair of body tissues. In order to simply burn fat, carbohydrates and metabolize protein you need healthy zinc levels. Zinc is important for chemical detoxification, growth, development, immune...
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease Thyroid Nation Radio Interview
March 27, 2015 14:12 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBI was recently interviewed by Diana Bowman on Thyroid Nation in a discussion about Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism Diana : Hi everybody! Welcome to the third week, episode three, of Thyroid Nation Radio Talk Show Live and Podcast. I'm Diana Bowman, founder of thyroidnation.com. Tiffany: And I'm Tiffany Mladinich [SP] of gratefulgarden.biz. Diana: Also known as Diana and Tiffany, bringing you the voices of thyroid advocates, clinicians, bloggers and thyroid thrivers everywhere. In jus...
Hashimoto’s Disease and Hypothyroidism Radio Interview
January 20, 2015 20:21 - 21.1 MBI was recently interviewed by The Natural Nurse - Dr. Ellen Kamhi discussing Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism on the Progressive Radio Network. This was one of my favorite interviews and I really enjoyed talking to Dr. Kamhi. Here is a list of the topics we discussed during the interview: What got you started in working with patients who have thyroid disorders? Why do so many people suffer from a thyroid problem? What are the most common causes of thyroid disorders? What test...
Epstein-Barr Virus and Autoimmune Diseases
January 16, 2015 18:23 - 1 hour - 21.5 MBIn this interview I discuss the connection between Epstein-Barr Virus and Autoimmune Disease You can listen to the interview above or read the transcript below: Dr. Brady: Dr. Hedberg lectures all over the place, a lot of integrative medicine conferences. He's published in many journals. He teaches advanced functional medicine courses with Functional Medicine Town, professional co-op and as adjunct faculty with Hawthorn University. Dr. Hedberg has found that many chronic diseases are a resul...
Autoimmune Disease: The Infection Connection
January 13, 2015 21:04 - 1 hour - 22.1 MBIn this interview I discuss the connection between infections and autoimmune disease which I call the Infection Connection. That being said, let's get on with it. Let me introduce our speaker for tonight. Dr. Nikolas Hedberg is a good friend of mine. I've known Nik for, I think somewhere around 10 years now, we both went to one of the same schools in our careers, not at the same time, but we, I guess, met at a, I think, an internal disorder conference in New Orleans, I think was the first tim...
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease Podcast
December 02, 2014 15:01 - 23.4 MBIn this interview I discuss Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Graves' Disease with Linda Lizotte. Linda: This Linda Lizotte, I'm the co-founder of Designs for Health, nutritionist and I'm happy to interview Dr. Nikolas Hedberg tonight. Let me tell you a little bit more about his background. Dr. Nikolas Hedberg, he's a D.C., D.A.B.C.I. He's a board certified chiropractic internist by the American Board of Chiropractic Internist. His practice is in Asheville, North Carolina where he focuses on autoim...