Kerri Nichols Naturopathic Clinic

25/09/2025

Chronobiology is the scientific field that studies how biological processes are organised in time and regulated by internal clocks. These rhythms influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone secretion, metabolism, immune function and behaviour. Chronobiology also explores how internal clocks interact with environmental cues (like light, food and temperature), and how disruptions (such as shift work, jet lag or disease) affect health.

The evidence is accumulating that artificial light at night does far more than just disrupt sleep. Studies show that the glow from devices, streetlights, and other night-time sources confuses the body’s natural rhythms, which evolved to synchronise with the periods of light and darkness.

A recent ‘Genomic Press Innovators and Ideas’ feature in Brain Medicine profiled the groundbreaking work of neuroscientist Dr. Randy J. Nelson, focusing on his research into the far-reaching effects of disrupted circadian rhythms on both brain performance and overall health. As the current chair of the Department of Neuroscience at West Virginia University, he has devoted the past ten years to uncovering the lesser-known risks posed by exposure to artificial light at night. His studies reveal that night-time light does much more than reduce sleep quality; it can impair immune responses, spark neuroinflammation, interfere with metabolic processes and alter mood regulation. For example, clear links between circadian disruption and metabolic disorders have been found, potentially contributing to the obesity epidemic. Perhaps most concerningly, the research shows direct effects on mood regulation, with implications for understanding depression and anxiety disorders.

“Circadian rhythms are a fundamental aspect of biology, and much is known from foundational science about them,” Dr. Nelson explains. “However, little of this foundational science has been translated to clinical medicine.”

The research also extends to healthcare workers themselves. One clinical trial is investigating whether blue light visors can help night shift nurses reset their circadian rhythms, potentially improving their sleep quality, cognitive performance and mood. Could similar interventions help other shift workers across various industries maintain better health despite irregular schedules?

One of Dr. Nelson’s most provocative proposals involves recognising time-of-day as a crucial biological variable in all research. He argues that experimental results can vary dramatically depending on when studies are conducted, yet this information rarely appears in scientific publications.

“The answer to an experimental question may depend in part on the time-of-day when the question is asked,” Dr. Nelson notes. This observation has profound implications for research reproducibility and could explain why some studies fail to replicate previous findings.

This research carries immediate practical implications for public health. Simple interventions like reducing evening screen time, using warmer light colours after sunset, and maintaining consistent sleep schedules could significantly impact health. His work suggests that respecting our evolutionary heritage by aligning modern life more closely with natural light patterns could prevent numerous chronic health conditions. Nelson recently published a book with Oxford University Press entitled, “Dark Matters,” to help the general public appreciate the importance of good circadian hygiene for health and wellness.

I am growing increasingly interested in the concept that, due to artificial lighting, modern living has led to a deficiency of melatonin exposure. This chemical (and indeed phytochemical) is not just a sleep hormone, but functions as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and immune and cardiometabolic regulator. These pleiotropic benefits make it a compound of interest in healthspan medicine, chronic disease prevention (including cancer and cognitive decline), and mitochondrial therapy. My preference is to supplement with phytomelatonin.

For more information see: https://scitechdaily.com/the-surprising-ways-nighttime-light-wrecks-your-brain-and-body/

18/09/2025

Another good reason to eat our vegetables 🥒 😊🌿

Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a metabolite naturally produced from glucobrassicin after the consumption of cabbage family vegetables. It has attracted scientific interest for its potential health benefits, particularly in hormone regulation and cancer prevention. DIM influences oestrogen metabolism by promoting the conversion of oestradiol into less potent metabolites, which may reduce oestrogen dominance-related conditions. But it also has antimicrobial properties.

In a novel finding, scientists have recently discovered that DIM can cut plaque-causing bacteria in the mouth by 90%. The human mouth provides an ideal environment for bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans, a key contributor to tooth decay. After eating, S. mutans thrives in the warm, sugary conditions inside the mouth, forming a sticky biofilm on the teeth. This biofilm leads to plaque buildup, erodes enamel and causes cavities.

The study found that DIM was able to attenuate S. mutans biofilm formation by 92%. Also, treatment with DIM lowered extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production and decreased its durability significantly under acidic conditions. EPS is the protective, gel-like matrix secreted by bacteria that surrounds the cells in a biofilm. These anti-biofilm and anti-virulence properties of DIM against S. mutans bacteria in an "oral setting" provide clear evidence for its usefulness in reducing biofilm formation, and potentially for caries prevention.

“The molecule, which was found to have low toxicity, could be added to toothpastes and mouthwashes to greatly improve dental hygiene,” says lead author Prof. Ariel Kushmaro.

In the meantime, I guess we can chew on the tablets!

We might also wonder if DIM can exert antibiofilm properties elsewhere in the body, such as in the gut and bladder. In other test tube studies, DIM consistently prevented biofilm initiation and weakened EPS matrix production across Gram-negative, Gram-positive and fungal pathogens at low- to mid-micromolar concentrations. It was less effective against established/mature biofilms, but did show antibiotic synergy.

If you want to generate significant amounts of DIM in your digestive system (from the stomach downwards), bloodstream and ultimately urine, you will need to eat your Brassica vegetables raw and chew them well. Anyone for coleslaw?

Unfortunately, you can’t generate DIM in your mouth by chewing on cabbage; we need our stomach acid for that.

For more information see: https://scitechdaily.com/natural-molecule-wipes-out-90-of-cavity-causing-plaque/
and
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37370336/

17/09/2025

Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary is an expert in women’s health & hormones 🌿

Heavy menstrual bleeding is a clear sign that estrogen was high for most of that cycle, even if it looks low on the day you happened to test. The symptom speaks for itself, which is why body literacy (understanding your cycle) can sometimes be more important than lab work.

For example, it’s completely normal for estradiol to drop to menopausal levels during the period.

Of course, high estrogen is not the only cause of heavy bleeding. Fibroids, polyps, adenomyosis, and other factors can all play a role. But if flow is heavy (for whatever combination of reasons), that means there was a substantial amount of estrogen in the preceding weeks. Otherwise, the uterine lining could not have built up enough to bleed that much.

Check out my article/podcast/YouTube video: Natural treatment of heavy periods: https://www.larabriden.com/natural-treatment-of-heavy-periods/

And ask me in the comments.

27/08/2025

Herbal Medicine is amazing 🌿

Thyroid nodules are common and affect half of the general population by the age of 60 years. The causes are believed to be due to hypothyroidism, mutational changes or autoimmunity. They can be associated with over- or underactivity of the gland and may sometimes be malignant.

Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) has been used in Turkey to self-treat thyroid dysfunction such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Now a controlled clinical study has evaluated the impact of dill on patients with thyroiditis and benign thyroid nodules. They were divided into two groups: placebo (n =35) and dill group (n = 33). Dried and ground dill (300 mg) was put into capsules and patients on active treatment were given three capsules per day for 90 days. Various tests were conducted at the beginning and end of the study, including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg), and C-reactive protein (CRP), and thyroid nodule dimensions were measured by ultrasound.

After 90 days, compared to the control group, the dill group exhibited significantly decreased TSH (by an average of 19% from a mean starting value of 2.69 compared to a 16% increase in the control group, P = 0.009), fT4 (P < 0.001), anti-TPO (P = 0.001), CRP (P < 0.001) and nodule size (by an average of 7.3% compared to a 4.5% increase in the control group, P < 0.001).

The authors concluded that dill suppressed inflammation of the thyroid gland, reduced nodule size, and lowered TSH levels in patients with thyroiditis and nodular goitre. The daily dose used was relatively low and higher doses might deliver a greater magnitude of clinical effects.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40329862/

24/08/2025

Every medication has side effects!

A new and rather alarming study has found that many drug medications targeting various systems in the human body might also change our microbiome so that pathogens can colonise the gut more easily and cause infections. The study, directed by Professor Lisa Maier of the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT) and the Cluster of Excellence ‘Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections’ (CMFI) at the University of Tübingen, has been published in the elite journal Nature.

The researchers studied 53 common non-antibiotics, including allergy remedies, antidepressants and hormone drugs. Their effects were tested in the laboratory in synthetic and real human gut microbial communities. About one-third of these medications promoted the growth of Salmonella, bacteria that can cause severe diarrhoea. Lisa Maier, senior author of the study, says, “The scale of it was utterly unexpected. Many of these non-antibiotics inhibit useful gut bacteria, while pathogenic microbes such as Salmonella are impervious. This gives rise to an imbalance in the microbiome, which gives an advantage to the pathogens.”

The researchers observed a similar effect in mice, where certain medications led to greater growth of Salmonella. The consequence was severe disease progression of salmonellosis, marked by rapid onset and severe inflammation. This involved many layers of molecular and ecological interactions, such as reduced total biomass of the gut microbiota, harmed biodiversity or the specific elimination of microbes that normally compete for nutrients with the pathogens.

“Our results show that when taking medications we need to observe not only the desired therapeutic effect but also the influence on the microbiome,” says lead author Anne Grießhammer.

The researchers recommend that the effect of new medications on the microbiome should be systematically included in research during development – especially for drug classes such as antihistamines, antipsychotics or selective oestrogen-receptor modulators. These findings call for pharmaceutical research to be rethought: in the future, medications should be assessed not only pharmacologically, but also microbiologically. “If you disrupt the microbiome, you open the door to pathogens – it is an integral component of our health and must be considered as such in medicine,” stresses Maier.

However, it is important to emphasise that this research is preliminary and needs to be confirmed, and its impact in humans has still not been clearly established. These findings contrast with the growing insight from herbal research indicating that many phytochemicals in medicinal plants have the opposite effect, acting as prebiotics and thereby enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria.

For more information see: http://bit.ly/3VcNRK0

28/07/2025

My clinic will be open for Naturopathic consultations on Friday’s 🌿 if you would like to make an appointment commencing from August 15th please DM me 😊🪴

22/03/2024

Aspect Skincare free products 👏👏👏
Receive a free Purestat Cleanser, Phytostat Moisturiser & SPF 50+ when you purchase ANY two products from the Aspect range! 💗

27/02/2024

Vaccine mandates have been ruled unlawful.

It’s been a long time coming but today a little bit of justice has finally been served.

Congratulations to the brave police officers and paramedics who stood up to the tyranny of the State government and their minnions who violated people’s human rights.

I hope this sets a precedent for other employees to sue employers who violated human rights by enforcing Covid vaccine mandates.

04/12/2023

Looking for a Christmas Gift?
The Aspect Skincare Luxe Travel Kit is available from my clinic, $60 🎄🎁

11/10/2023

Aspect Kits are in stock! The Luxe Travel Kit is a perfect size to take away for a weekend 👌 only $60 and available from my clinic 😊

03/07/2023

Aspect skincare products give you results 😊

15/06/2023

Brighten your skin this winter with these 2 fabulous masks from Aspect Skincare available from my clinic 👌