Revive Your Health Naturopathic

20/08/2025

Adventure as an antidote to menopause - sounds like a great plan! This change in our hormones is a great opportunity to change how we value our time, become a little more able to choose using your time, and planning to follow a better path of health into healthy age.

Women's lives shouldn't be dictated by biology, or society. We spoke to We spoke to Dr Naomi Potter, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society Kate Rew and expedition leader Jo Bradshaw about why menopause is the ideal time to seek adventure...

19/08/2025

Massage helps to move lymphatic fluid around the body, so it makes sense that gentle massage to face, scalp and neck can help support brain clearance.

A groundbreaking discovery suggests that a simple face and neck massage could help the brain stay cleaner and healthier. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have identified a network of tiny lymphatic vessels just beneath the skin in the face and neck of mice and monkeys. These vessels drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which removes harmful proteins such as beta-amyloid, a major contributor to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Previously, scientists believed these vessels were located deep in the neck, making them hard to stimulate. But with special dyes and a new type of anesthesia, they found them much closer to the surface. To test their function, the team created a small device that gently stroked the animals’ faces and necks. Just one minute of this massage boosted CSF flow by nearly three times, with older mice showing fluid movement similar to young mice.

Early tests in monkeys reveal similar promise, and researchers have even identified comparable vessels in human cadavers. While more studies are needed, including trials in Alzheimer’s models, this gentle, non-invasive method could one day help people reduce brain waste buildup, potentially slowing age-related decline and lowering disease risk.

19/08/2025

For anyone who has suffered with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this research may help to feel validated. If a pathway to see why it happens, means that management, understanding and treatment should also improve. Many factors of CFS can be helped with diet and gut support, alongside nutritional management. Please see me in clinic to help.

For decades, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), was dismissed by many doctors as “all in the mind.” Now, the largest genetic study of its kind has uncovered eight genetic signals that suggest real biological roots for the illness.

The UK-based DecodeME project analyzed the genomes of more than 16,000 patients — most of them women — who met strict diagnostic criteria, including the hallmark symptom of post-exertional malaise (severe fatigue after activity).

Researchers found eight replicated genetic markers, many active in brain tissue and the immune system. Some of these genes are linked to chronic pain and immune responses to infection, potentially explaining why many patients report ME/CFS symptoms following viral or bacterial illness, and why cases surged after COVID-19.

While the genetic signals are modest and not exclusive to ME/CFS, they provide the strongest evidence yet that the condition has a biological basis. Importantly, this could reduce stigma, help identify drug targets, and move ME/CFS research onto the same footing as other genetic conditions.

Follow Science Sphere for regular scientific updates

RESEARCH PAPER 📄
DecodeME collaboration, "Initial findings from the DecodeME genome-wide association study of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome." (University of Edinburgh Research Explorer)

16/08/2025

Further to my low iron post of this morning, here is Dr Lin with the research showing that low vitamin A can lead to low iron. I read this research last week too, and have been checking how to supplement this in a safe and effective manner, in order to build up stores, to support iron uptake. Great to see the research getting out there. Eat lots of yellow and orange vegetables - vitamin A is also great for eye health, and supports the mucous membranes in the body.

Could Iron Deficiency Actually Be a Sign of Vitamin A Deficiency?

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies worldwide, especially in pregnant women and children. It's often treated with iron supplements—but what if the root cause isn't just iron intake?

Compelling evidence suggests that vitamin A deficiency is a key driver of iron-deficiency anemia, and that addressing vitamin A status is critical for improving iron metabolism.

How Vitamin A Supports Iron Utilization

Vitamin A plays a central role in several aspects of iron regulation:

Mobilization from stores: Vitamin A facilitates the release of stored iron from the liver, making it available for hemoglobin production.

Enhanced absorption: It supports iron absorption in the gut by maintaining the integrity of intestinal mucosa and regulating the expression of iron transport proteins.

Red blood cell production: Vitamin A works synergistically with iron and erythropoietin to support healthy erythropoiesis (the creation of red blood cells).

Why Iron Supplementation Alone Often Fails

Many clinical studies have shown that iron supplementation alone often fails to correct anemia, particularly in populations where vitamin A deficiency is also present. Without adequate vitamin A, the body struggles to utilize iron effectively, even if intake is sufficient.

At-Risk Populations: Children and Pregnant Women

Children under five and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to both iron and vitamin A deficiencies. These groups often present with persistent anemia that doesn’t improve with iron supplementation alone, especially in regions with limited access to animal foods or fortified products.

Unintended Consequences: Has Fear of Vitamin A Worsened the Problem?

In recent decades, there’s been increasing caution around vitamin A due to concerns over toxicity—especially during pregnancy. However, broad recommendations to restrict vitamin A intake (particularly from nutrient-dense animal sources like liver) may have unintentionally contributed to widespread subclinical vitamin A deficiency, impairing iron metabolism and worsening the global burden of anemia.

It's a powerful example of how isolated nutrient advice can overlook complex nutrient interdependence.

Vitamin A Supplementation Programs: Beyond Vision and Measles

Global health initiatives have long used vitamin A supplementation to prevent blindness and reduce child mortality, especially in relation to measles outcomes. However, less widely known is the fact that vitamin A supplementation can significantly improve iron status when combined with iron—more so than iron alone.

Clinical studies confirm:

Improved hemoglobin levels

Better response to iron therapy

Reduced severity and incidence of anemia

A Functional Perspective: Nutrients Don’t Work in Isolation

This evidence reinforces a key principle of functional nutrition: nutrients interact, and addressing one deficiency often requires correcting imbalances elsewhere.

When iron deficiency doesn’t respond to supplementation, look deeper—vitamin A might be the missing link.

15/08/2025

Low iron. I see this every week in clinic. Patients being told their blood tests are fine, but still feeling exhausted, and when I see their results, it’s obvious they are too low in iron.

Answers? Most supplements are too harsh on the gut. And the gut is often the problem, with poor absorption of iron. It can also be a lack of other vitamins, which hinder iron absorption. See me in clinic for gut support, quality absorbable supplements, and an interest in hearing how you feel. Book online: www.reviveyourhealth.com.au

“National guidelines by the Royal College of Pathologists Australia were updated in 2021 to define iron deficiency as a ferritin level below 30 micrograms per litre (μg/L) for adults, eliminating a long-standing s*x bias that meant women needed to have significantly lower ferritin levels than males to be diagnosed. Some pathology services, including Laverty, 4cyte and NSW Health Pathology use the same.”



https://www.theage.com.au/national/gaslit-dismissed-and-treated-as-hypochondriacs-the-gender-divide-in-iron-deficiency-20250729-p5mioa.html

Ignored by doctors for years, Abigail almost died, with one doctor in the end saying she had the blood count of a shark attack or car crash victim.

29/07/2025

Drinking enough water, particularly in older age, is key to remaining healthy in this study. If you struggle to drink enough, aim for small amounts regularly, and more earlier in the day. A glass on waking. Herbal tea throughout the day. Aim for clear to pale coloured urine by lunchtime. See me in clinic for a tailor made herbal tea, or discussion about your health. www.reviveyourhealth.com.au and click “Book Now”.

“Our results indicate that serum sodium range 138–142 mmol/l is associated with lowest risk of chronic diseases and/or premature mortality. This range corresponds to more conservative definition of normal range proposed by Kumar and Berl. Since decreased body water is the most common reason for increasing sodium concentration, these results suggest that for people whose serum sodium exceeds 142 mmol/l, consistently maintaining optimal hydration may slow down aging process.”

People whose middle-age serum sodium exceeds 142 mmol/l have increased risk to be biologically older, develop chronic diseases and die at younger age. Intervention studies are needed to confirm the link between hydration and aging.

26/07/2025

Today I am at a seminar on psychoneuroimmunology.. I am getting a lot of extraordinary information, but this appealed me to (mother of a circus performer, what can I say!). If you want your kids' brain to re-set and calm, get them to hang upside down.. Worth a read.

Hanging upside down stimulates our vestibular system.By hanging upside down, you can reduce sensory related meltdowns in autistic children.

23/07/2025

This is a great finding, as it is something you can do at home. Beetroot juice also shows support for cancer, and overall wellness. Get out the juicer!

“The older age group experienced a notable decrease in the mouth bacteria Prevotella after drinking the nitrate-rich juice, and an increase in the growth of bacteria known to benefit health, such as Neisseria. The older group had higher average blood pressure at the start of the study, which fell after taking the nitrate-rich beetroot juice, but not after taking the placebo supplement.”

The blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice in older people may be due to specific changes in their oral microbiome, according to the largest study of its kind.

21/07/2025

This article may help those who have lived with pain and felt unheard. At the end, it has advice on self advocacy for seeking resolution and help for getting answers to dealing with pain. Pain can be treated in a number of ways. You may need to change diet or habits, you may be helped by reducing inflammation and receiving therapies such as remedial massage. Supplements such as curcumin, PEA, willow bark and boswellia can be effective for long term management of pain. Please see me in clinic to discuss your health. www.reviveyourhealth.com.au and click “Book Now”.

“My brain was lying to me, telling me it wasn't real. But it was."

20/07/2025

I have found fish oils to be effective for depression. In addition, this research shows the reduction of aggression. With fish oils, it is important to take good quality, and even more important to get high enough quantities of the EPA and DHA levels. I recommend at least 1000mg EPA daily, and the fish oils which I stock offer 750mg EPA and 250mg DHA per capsule, making them a good choice when trying to achieve high quantity intake. Please see me in clinic to discuss further.

“Across all the trials, a modest but noticeable short-term effect was found, translating to up to a 28 percent reduction in aggression across multiple different variables (including age, gender, medical diagnosis, and length and dosage of treatment).”

Keep calm and try omega-3.

20/07/2025

The current issue with harm being caused by taking too much vitamin B6 is common and would be avoided if vitamins were only able to be prescribed by prople who understand them. I have several patients who realised that their neuropathy was caused by taking a pharmacy magnesium with 50mg of B6. Had they bought it from me, I would have prescribed a different form of magnesium without the B6, as it was too much in addition to other supplements. Please take care when buying supplements, as many add the same nutrients and vitamins, and it can create problems. By having your health reviewed by a naturopath, you will ensure that this problem is avoided, and that you are taking supplements which are needed for your best health. Please see me in clinic to discuss your health.

Wellness giant Blackmores is the target of looming legal action over supplements containing a vitamin linked to symptoms including nerve damage, twitches and migraines.

20/07/2025

It has been cold, and everyone has been sick. Please book in to see me, and if you are currently unwell, book an online consultation. I have beautiful herbs and nutrients for immune support, and love it when people get their herbs to take BEFORE they get sick. It is easier to stay well, than to get well. Book online: www.reviveyourhealth.com.au and click "Book Now".