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Beyond Curcumin: The Other Bioactives in Turmeric (White Paper Excerpt)

The therapeutic potential of turmeric has been disproportionally focused on curcuminoids. However, clinical trials have shown that preparations of whole turmeric have shown some clinical benefit.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | February 14, 2024

The Complex Relationship Between IBS and SIBO

The relationship between IBS and SIBO is controversial and not well-understood. Dr. Guilliams reviews the available research on the associations between the two conditions.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | November 15, 2023

Omega 3 Fatty Acid Testing and Supplementation

Omega-3 Index: An Actionable Nutrient Status Biomarker

O3I is a biomarker of omega-3 nutrient status, which is proven to be a remarkable measure of overall health risks and closely tied to food-derived and supplemental omega-3 intake.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | September 27, 2023

Cardiometabolic Health

Ketogenic Diets for Cardiometabolic Outcomes: What Is the Evidence?

A growing body of research has been published regarding the keto diet’s effect on cardiometabolic measures, but practitioners should be aware of the following considerations before encouraging patients to implement versions of the keto diet.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | May 3, 2023

Fundamental Principles for Building Immune Strength

Pharmaceuticals and pharmacological immunomodulating agents are often reactionary approaches to building immune system strength. For true resilience, patients must build the ten foundational principles of immune health.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | January 11, 2023

The HPA Axis: A System Beyond the Stress Response

The HPA axis is responsible for more than just stress response and chronic disease. It is one of the most critical surveillance systems in the body, designed to coordinate metabolic resources with metabolic needs.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | December 14, 2022

Nrf2 Activation: A Key Regulator of Detoxification

The Nrf2 pathway is one of the important genomic regulators protecting the cell from environmental stressors by managing the antioxidant and detoxification processes within most cells.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | November 23, 2022

Cardiometabolic Health

Cardiometabolic Health

Cardiometabolic Differences: EPA vs. DHA

Studies show both mechanistic and clinically-relevant differences between the fatty acids, EPA and DHA, which potentiates targeted therapeutic uses for either EPA or DHA.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | September 19, 2022

MTHFR: Treating Genes or Patients?

In the discussion about nutrition, genetics and genomics, invariably the topic of methylation and genes related to methylation will find their way into the discussion. Chief among the genes mentioned in such conversations is MTHFR.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | September 9, 2022

Folate Supplements: Differences and Benefits

The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) developed dietary folate equivalents (DFEs) to reflect the higher bioavailability of supplemental folic acid compared to that of food folate. The intake recommendations for folate are provided in the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) as micrograms (mcg) of DFEs.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | September 16, 2021

Musculoskeletal Health

Strontium: Still a Viable Therapy for Bone Health

Strontium (Sr) is an alkali earth metal, with characteristics very similar to that of calcium; though having an atomic weight nearly double that of calcium. First discovered in the 18th century, this trace element is found in ground water, ocean water and in various foods such as leafy green vegetables and some seafood. The ability for Sr to naturally accumulate in the bones of animals after being fed small doses was first published in 1870. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that human studies were first published.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | January 16, 2021

Berberine and the Gut Microbiota: A Bidirectional Relationship

There are many phytonutrients that have a bidirectional relationship with the gut microbiome. That is, the nutrient affects the types and/or metabolic activities of the gut microbiota, and the activities of the gut microbiota affect the bioactivity of the phytonutrient, typically through metabolism to more bioavailable and/or more bioactive compounds. The popular phytonutrient compound, berberine, is a classic example of this bidirectional relationship.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | July 16, 2020

The Innate Immune System is More Adaptive Than You Think

A few weeks back I spoke at the Microbiome 2.0 Symposium, part of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute's Mastering the Implementation of Personalized Lifestyle Medicine series. This was one of the first live events that I have attended since March of 2020! I was tasked with teaching on a variety of topics, but my first lecture focused on the gut-immune interface. As part of this lecture, I included a few slides designed to remind the clinician audience how the immune system interprets self from non-self, or more specifically, harmful vs. non-harmful encounters.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | August 16, 2018

Benefits of Spore-Forming Probiotics

In the past two decades, there have been few areas of research that have expanded as greatly as that which explores the importance of the human microbiome(s), especially the nuanced relationship between the bacteria in the GI tract and their human host. It is not uncommon to see papers published, weekly, showing the potential connection between metabolic activity within the gut microbiome and some important human pathophysiology.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | October 16, 2017

The Emergence of Autoinflammatory Syndromes

Most clinicians are familiar with autoimmune disease mechanisms. Typically, these define situations where effectors within the adaptive immune system (i.e., immunoglobulins or T-cell receptors) bind inappropriately to...

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | October 16, 2017

The Term "Adrenal Fatigue" Should be Abandoned

Sometimes, when we endeavor to understand and describe complicated medical topics, there is a temptation to find a simple explanation to cut through that complexity. Sometimes these simple explanations can help bridge the knowledge gap for a while, but as our knowledge grows, those explanations lose some of their original usefulness (i.e., "good" and "bad" cholesterol). In many cases, those oversimplified explanations actually become a hindrance to helping clinicians and patients understand the important mechanisms and solutions related to their chronic conditions.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | November 16, 2015

The Role of Stress and Nutrient Availability in Circadian Metabolism

In the last several years, I dove into the research exploring the intersection between circadian rhythm and the HPA axis. As most of you probably know, normal cortisol production follows a predictable circadian output, which rises sharply upon awakening (the cortisol awakening response, or CAR) and then drops quickly over the next few hours, gradually declining and reaching its nadir late at night. What many may not know is that glucocorticoid receptors (i.e., cortisol receptors), found in almost every tissue, are vital in helping to maintain peripheral circadian rhythm, which can greatly influence cellular metabolic function.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | December 16, 2014

Neurotransmitters, Mood and the Perception of Stress, Part 3

The hypothalamus is directly innervated by neuronal systems that produce neurotransmitters, such as serotonin (5-HT), dopamine and norepinephrine (NE), that are involved in mood regulation and play various other roles in cognitive health. During the acute stress crisis, the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system is stimulated to help maintain morale. However, during chronic stress or depression, the reward system is down-regulated by stress mediators, resulting in anhedonia.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | June 16, 2013

Neurotransmitters, Mood and the Perception of Stress, Part 2

When we talk about "stress," or allostatic load, in terms of the perception of an event, we must realize that these "events" must first be translated into neurochemical signals before they trigger the HPA axis. Therefore, the sensitivity and outcome of translating these events (whether they are ongoing events, memories of past events, or stressful anticipation of unrealized events), is highly dependent upon signaling from other neurotransmitters. In fact, the signaling neurotransmitters that manage mood and affect often overlap with measures of HPA axis activation, and cannot be easily distinguished in some subjects.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | May 16, 2013

Neurotransmitters, Mood and the Perception of Stress, Part 1

When we talk about "stress," or allostatic load, in terms of the perception of an event, we must realize that these "events" must first be translated into neurochemical signals before they trigger the HPA axis. Therefore, the sensitivity and outcome of translating these events (whether they are ongoing events, memories of past events, or stressful anticipation of unrealized events), is highly dependent upon signaling from other neurotransmitters. In fact, the signaling neurotransmitters that manage mood and affect often overlap with measures of HPA axis activation, and cannot be easily distinguished in some subjects.

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | April 16, 2013

Managing the Exposome

Two related fields of study, both owing to the emerging science of genetics and genomics, are beginning to help us discover the role toxins play in human health and disease. The first is toxicogenetics, which describes how the genetic differences between certain individuals allow for varying susceptibility to different toxins. Since there are hundreds of different enzymes involved in our detoxification pathways, many individuals carry gene variants (polymorphisms) that allow for more efficient conversion and removal of toxins than others. Those individuals with slower detoxification pathways for a given toxin will show signs of toxicity at much lower doses than those with normal detoxification capacity. These differences often complicate "cause-and-effect" studies in large populations that carry over into the clinic. That is, just because a large epidemiological trial does not find a statistically significant relationship between exposure to a particular toxin and a particular health outcome (the average of all genetic variants), does not mean that such a relationship does not exist in the genetically-susceptible patient. Read more

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | December 16, 2011

Re-assessing the Notion of "Pregnenolone Steal"

When clinicians measure salivary cortisol and DHEA (DHEA-S) to assess stress and HPA axis function, it is common to find DHEA levels below the reference range in a number of individuals. A common explanation for the depletion of DHEA and other hormones (e.g., progesterone, testosterone) due to chronic stress is the phenomenon known as "pregnenolone steal." This notion basically states that since all steroid hormones use pregnenolone (derived from cholesterol) as a precursor, the elevated secretion of cortisol caused by acute or chronic stress will inevitably result in less available pregnenolone to serve as a precursor for the production of DHEA and other down-stream hormones. Read more

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | April 16, 2011

Dysbiosis or Adaptation: How Stable is the Gut Microbiome?

One of the greatest paradigm shifts in medicine over the past few decades has been the unfolding discoveries revealing the metabolic influence of the human microbiome, especially that which resides within the gastrointestinal tract. Indeed, it is difficult to find a medical discipline that is not actively investigating the potential role played by the gut microbiome in human health and disease. Read more

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | February 16, 2011

Age-Associated Changes Impacting Immune Function

Newborns have an immature immune system and are vulnerable to infectious agents. The immune system begins to mature with appropriate interaction with antigens and is enhanced by the changing microflora of the gut throughout adolescence and adulthood. Of course, aging affects all the systems of the body, and the immune system is no exception. The changes in immune system function that result from aging have been well characterized and are known as immunosenescence. Read more

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | September 16, 2010

Canary in the Coal Mine: AMD and the Lifestyle Synergy Model

Since doing my initial research for The Original Prescription, in which I discuss the benefits of lifestyle synergy, I keep running into more and more data confirming the overall health benefit of multiple "signals" coming from a variety of lifestyle decisions. Read more

Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD | June 16, 2010