Parasites Cleanses: A Fad for PTs to Know About

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Here's the transcript:

Hey, it's Dr. Wells here from St. Augustine Beach, Florida. Just wanted to talk today about parasites and how there's a popular trend going around for parasite cleaning. In fact, one of my wife's friends were bringing it up and just thought I would kind of touch on some of the research on it.

There's definitely some sort of trends going around that there's a fear that certain parasites can cause issues like inflammation, allergies, skin problems, fatigue. I guess the notion is that you could take some herbal concoction and sort of shed them. There's some research looking at pumpkin seed and things and fibers that will sort of push some of the worms out of the intestines and things.

Overall, the research shows that if you have intestinal worms, you probably would know about it. You would be really ill. You'd have leukocytosis.

You'd have multiple...

By Dr. Sean Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a molecule that has gained attention in recent years due to its potential role in enhancing longevity and healthspan. Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPTs) ought to be aware of NMN as many clients have begun taking them and are unaware of new data and legal challenges ahead. NMN is a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme involved in various cellular processes, including energy metabolism and DNA repair. Research on NMN supplementation in humans is ongoing, and while there is some promising evidence, it's important to note that the field is still evolving, and more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.
Here is a research summary of NMN use in humans up to my knowledge cutoff date in September 2021:

1. NAD+ Levels: One of the primary reasons for interest in NMN is its potential to boost NAD+ levels in cells. NAD+ declines with age, and...

Collagen Supplementation for Joint Pain and Arthritis: Does it Really Work?

By Dr. Sean M.Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

Recently I was presenting at the annual conference of Athletic Trainers' Association of Florida (ATAF) and I was overwhelmed by one consistent question: why didn't you talk about collagen supplementation? My talk was specifically on orthopedics for older adults and naturally I focused on osteoarthritis (OA) and how important exercise and diet are for that condition. I did touch on some supplementation, but I left off collagen because my last examination of this supplement, using one of my favorite websites Examine.com, yielded mediocre results. However the participants at the sports medicine conference piqued my interest and convinced me that perhaps I had missed something -- almost every single one of these participants had some form of joint pain or stiffness and felt significantly better after taking collagen daily. So, back to...

Dr. Wells is excited to dive into the Ultra Processed People audiobook and will be offering his opinion and summaries with periodic videos and updates. As many of you know, ultra processed foods negatively impact health and rehabilitation, so this book is important to the physical therapy profession. Stay tuned for more!

In the meantime, check out our 3 board-approved continuing education courses on Nutrition specific for Physical Therapists. Enroll today in our new bundled course offering and save 20%, a value of $60!

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Learn about the Top 5 Functional Foods to Fight Inflammation and Pain in Physical Therapy.

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By Dr. Sean M. Wells, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, CNPT, Cert-DN

At Nutritional PT we talk a lot about how food can impact the gut microbiome. But as Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPT), did you know that exercise has been shown to influence the gut microbiome? Studies have found that regular physical activity can increase the diversity and abundance of beneficial gut microbes, such as Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, while reducing the abundance of potentially harmful microbes, such as Clostridium and Bacteroides.

New Research

A recent study demonstrated that alpha diversity increased among normal-weight and overweight adult individuals with moderate increases in physical exercise durations. Compositional alterations were primarily observed among normal-weight individuals. These findings indicate that even small increases in PA duration by overweight individuals can improve beneficial microbe abundance and diversity in the intestines, which has huge implications for PTs working...

I recently finished the Huberman Podcast with Dr. Panda, an known expert in the area of intermittent fasting and circadian rhythms. It was an awesome podcast covering many topics -- be sure to check it out! After listening to this podcast it got me thinking about my own published research in intermittent fasting and how it stacks up against certain dietary patterns, especially a plant-based diet.

We have discussed intermittent fasting before in other blog posts, as well in our 3 course certification bundle. In short, intermittent fasting is adapting the feeding schedule of person to restrict food to certain times or certain days. A classic intermittent fasting schedule that I used in my research was one day of feeding and one day of fasting. Obviously this works well for animal and insect models but in humans it can prove to be difficult for compliance. As such, many researchers, and clinicians now, use a more palatable for of intermittent fasting commonly known as time-restricted...

A Guide to Processed Foods for PTs

By Dr. Sean Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

Physical therapists are leading the charge to help clients improve not only their rehabilitation status but also their health problems. Many of these chronic health problems stem from poor lifestyle choices like poor sleep patterns, excessive stress, and bad nutrition. One key element in nutrition that Doctors of Physical Therapy can make a big impact on is education around reducing processed foods. 

In the past my team and I have recommended using Dr. Greger’s stoplight method for limiting processed foods. The system was easy to understand and convey during patient education; plus, Dr. Greger loves his information being spread in order to improve health. Now, a new method of categorizing processed foods has emerged: NOVA.

NOVA is a food classification system that groups foods based on the extent of processing they undergo. The system was developed by researchers in...

Preventing Muscle Mass Loss

By Dr. Sean Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

As physical therapists (PTs) we do our best to optimize our older clients' strength, balance, and functioning. Obviously, our mainstay interventions focus on exercises, balance training, and adaptive equipment. In our courses, we highlight the importance of Vitamin D status and protein consumption for older adults, to improve balance, strength, and prevent sarcopenia. A recent study in Nature Aging highlights yet another potential dietary component that impacts muscle function: ceramides.

Ceramides, a sphingolipid, which is a type of fat, has been shown to reduce muscle mass and functional capacity in rodents. Moreover, it has been shown that offering ceramide-inhibiting medication effectively reverses sarcopenia, which is very promising for human studies. In the current study the authors examined older adults with a genetic variant to inhibit ceramides. The results showed these adults...