Glutathione: The Master Antioxidant for Anti-Aging By Dr. Samantha Larkin, ND Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in maintaining good health. It is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids – cysteine, glutamine, and glycine. Glutathione is a critical component of the body’s detoxification system, helping to remove harmful toxins and chemicals…
The Magical Microbiome: A Guide To Digestive Reset Proper digestion and gut health is the foundation of a healthy body. Our gut houses 70-80% of our immune system that stems primarily from the microbiome- The bacteria, yeast, viruses and other microbes that reside in our gut. The role of these “bugs” is vast. They not…
Getting to know your monthly cycle is a powerful tool as you work to naturally balance your hormones. Many women at Wildcraft Medicine are working through hormone imbalances – from mood, stress, gut health, thyroid, and more. Or they’re looking for the best approach to preparing their body to come off birth control and trying…
How Stress Can Contribute to Reproductive Hormone Imbalances Below are diagrams of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axes responsible for the production of cortisol and reproductive hormones. These hormone axes involve multiple organs and stimulating hormones. In this post, we will discuss some of the ways that chronic stress (whether that be physical or…
PCOS What is PCOS? Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of oligomenorrhea (infrequent menses) and amenorrhea (lack of menses) in women. It is a complex condition consisting of metabolic, hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian and adrenal interactions with both environmental and genetic factors playing a role in its development. It is characterized by anovulation, excess…
Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is one of the most common causes of secondary amenorrhea, accounting for 20-35% of cases according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. The loss of menstrual periods in FHA is due to disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, typically in response to stress, caloric restriction, weight loss and/or…
Female Menstrual Cycle During women’s reproductive years, our hormones should be fluctuating throughout the month. These hormonal fluctuations are orchestrated between glands in the brain and the ovaries called the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (HPG axis). Their purpose is to release eggs for possible fertilization and prepares the uterus for possible implantation. As we dive into some…
Menstrual Irregularities: Dysmenorrhea What is Dysmenorrhea? Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful menstrual periods. Dysmenorrhea is common, and in about 20% of women it can be severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. Dysmenorrhea is not only associated with cramping, but also with other symptoms like low back and leg pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea,…
What is SIBO? So far in our discussions about comprehensive stool analyses, we have discussed a few different imbalances we can see in the gastrointestinal microbiome – growth of unwanted microbes/infectious organisms, lack of beneficial bacteria, and potentially pathogenic overgrowth of expected/commensal bacteria. Today we will be introducing a new imbalance: growth of normal/expected bacteria…
Why Invest in a Stool Analysis? Part II In our previous blog post, we discussed how stool analyses can be helpful in forming effective treatment plans for individuals with GI symptoms. However, the health of our GI tract and microbiome has system-wide effects beyond just digestion. It is possible to have imbalances in the GI…