Dr. Ruscio Radio, DC: Health, Nutrition and Functional Healthcare

It's an all-too-common experience in healthcare for patients to feel unheard and unseen by healthcare providers, who can sometimes prioritize lab results over their patient's experience. And this isn't limited to conventional medical doctors or specialists. It happens in functional medicine, too. And when it happens, the patient is profoundly underserved. In this video, I speak with Danielle, a fo...

At the Ruscio Institute for Functional Medicine, we personalize care based upon a four-part order of operations: History Symptoms Treatment response Lab work In the third and final video of my patient education series, I explain how our process ensures a science-driven, patient-centered model that results in better outcomes than a model based upon emotion, algorithms, and marketing. https://youtu....

One of the core principles guiding our work at the clinic is the idea that treating the patient - rather than just lab numbers - leads to better outcomes and at less cost. In the second video of my 3-part patient education series, I explain how relying on lab work - from allergy testing, SIBO tests, and adrenal cortisol tests - rather than treating the symptoms, is less likely to result in benefit...

Scientific research tells us that treatment approaches in functional medicine are best decided by looking at patients and their symptoms rather than allowing lab results to dictate those decisions. In this video series, I provide a short checklist to help educate patients and clinicians about best practices. Video 1 discusses why weeding out unnecessary tests reduces costs and improves health outc...

Today we answer listener questions, including: Is leaky gut real or is it a theoretical marker? Without a functioning thyroid gland, can healing gut issues make a difference in my need for thyroid meds? Could the Prep Diet for SIBO tests provoke a false positive? Do your probiotics absorb well in the small intestine? What is the appropriate probiotic dosage for young children? Is NMN (an anti-agin...

The latest batch of clinical research into probiotics therapy includes findings about the effectiveness of probiotics for children with IBS and other conditions, respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, athletic performance, C. difficile, chronic diarrhea, and more. I also discuss the importance of moving away from strain-specific and species-specific bias in probiotics use, the pitfalls o...

The first installment of our monthly patient support call covers a lot of ground. We discuss: The use of probiotics vs. yogurt for treating SIBO Addressing emotional trauma to help patients find relief from physical symptoms Time frames for using antimicrobials to improve gut health Constipation as a symptom, and the role of antimicrobials in addition to diet and other approaches A case study desc...

Today's podcast episode features the latest gut health research, my thoughts on how these studies fit into what we're doing at the clinic, and how I use the information in the studies to consider whether we're practicing in accordance with current science or if we need to consider modifying our approach. This latest batch of studies examines: The impact of low FODMAP diets on IBS A meta-analysis o...

Health technology tools such as the Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device can help you improve your metabolic health by providing a picture of how your lifestyle factors – including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, and sleep – affect your blood glucose levels. However, these tools are only as good as the user's mindset and basic understanding of the science behind the numbers. Dr. Ronesh Sinha...

There are a lot of incentives in the functional health marketplace to rely on lab testing to make treatment decisions. Unfortunately, this model often serves the bottom lines of lab companies better than it serves patients. At the clinic, we use a science-guided framework that is oriented to improving clinical outcomes rather than just focusing on lab results. Our patient-centered approach speaks...

Today we will cover listener questions including: What is the role of hunger and satiety in digestive problems? Do elemental diets help gastritis or ulcers? What are your thoughts about taking probiotics while doing immunotherapy cancer treatment? Is pea protein ok on a low sulfur diet? Does frequent nausea mean I have gut issues? What is a good starting dose for DHEA? Does taking HCL stop normal...

Anyone who's dealt with symptoms of mold toxicity such as brain fog, insomnia, fatigue and digestive disturbances has likely also experienced the fear and worry that often arises in response. These psychological symptoms can make an already distressing situation even more stressful. In this podcast episode, I provide an update for listeners about what happened after mold was discovered in a second...

High quality health research provides evidence that is robust, ethical, and can be used to support good healthcare decision-making. It improves the lives of patients by enabling healthcare providers to effectively determine the root of problems, make informed decisions about patient care, and avoid the guessing games that can plague attempts to diagnose complex health issues. However, when a study...

When a group of researchers looked at 1800 patients to see which condition was most strongly associated with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), they were surprised to find hypothyroidism at the top of the list. A number of other studies over the last few years have pointed to a significant connection between bacterial overgrowths in the gut and thyroid health. Most importantly (and shoc...

Sleep is a cornerstone of health, and the field of sleep medicine encompasses a variety of devices, therapies, products, and lifestyle modifications to help those with sleep disorders. However, it can be difficult to navigate your way through all of the research and content on sleep health. On this podcast, physical therapist Zac Cupples and I break down the approaches in a hierarchical fashion fr...

This podcast episode is one in a series that reviews the current state of research on various aspects of gut health. I delve into recent studies on Crohns' disease and elemental diet, the relationship between H. pylori and GERD, Aloe extract for IBS, the association of SIBO and heart failure, and much more. https://drruscio.com/gut-health-research-updates-1 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is avai...

MCT oil is a nutritional supplement widely used for weight loss, cognitive health, improved metabolism and keto diets. It offers many benefits for those who are unable to break down dietary fats and is helpful for lowering blood sugar, improving insulin resistance, and supporting cognitive function, as well as for patients with Alzheimers and Crohn's disease. Although safe for most people, MCT oil...

Beth had a long history of gastrointestinal issues, a diagnosis of Hashimoto's, chronic fatigue and several food intolerances… to name a few. She was taking thyroid medication as prescribed, but it didn't seem to help. Then, she started working with Dr. Joe Mather from our clinic, who worked through our science-based, algorithmic process to find a better way. Beth and Dr. Mather worked together, f...

What's the best diet for brain health? Research into this topic is still preliminary and suggests a few different approaches. However, eating to control inflammation and manage blood sugar is most important. Here, we'll dive into the best dietary strategies for improving cognition, mood, beating brain fog and more. https://drruscio.com/best-diet-for-brain-health/ My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You i...

There is much existing clinical research on probiotics, and more studies are emerging on a regular basis. In this podcast episode I review 10 studies that examine the effectiveness of probiotics for improving gut health, liver function, mood, sleep, children's issues, and more. I also cover pointers for practitioners to keep in mind when prescribing probiotics for patients. https://drruscio.com/pr...

Blood glucose holds keys to many important health markers including metabolic health, insulin levels, and our risk for chronic disease.  The Continuous Glucose Monitoring device provides a simple, non-invasive way to track your blood glucose in real time, and see how your diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors affect your levels. Kara Collier, co-founder of Nutrisense, discusses this important...

The protozoa Blastocystic hominis, long thought to be a cause of IBS, is receiving renewed attention in the functional and integrative medicine field. A growing body of evidence shows that Blasto may be benign in its impact and, in fact, may not even be a parasite as was previously assumed. In this podcast episode, I review a sampling of studies that examine the prevalence of Blasto in patients wi...

Sleep is as important for our overall health as diet and exercise, and yet many people struggle to get a full night's rest on a regular basis. Prolonged bouts of insufficient sleep can lead to brain fog, mood issues and fatigue. But when it comes to improving sleep quality, there are many approaches, therapies, and devices to choose from. In this podcast, I talk sleep medicine with Dr. Nik Hedberg...

If you have SIBO, it's important to choose a diet that will help you get your symptoms under control while you work on healing the bacterial overgrowth that's at the root of the problem. But selecting a diet that fits your needs can be challenging. In this article, I break down the various dietary options for SIBO and explain how to decide which one is right for you. https://drruscio.com/sibo-diet...

Monitoring your progress on a keto diet is essential to helping you meet your health goals, whether you want to lose weight, increase your energy levels, reduce inflammation or improve brain and heart health. On this episode of the podcast I speak with Jim Howard, developer of the Biosense Ketone Breath Monitor. The Biosense offers a convenient way to measure your blood ketone levels throughout th...