Leesa Webb - Naturopath and Remedial Massage

14/04/2026

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An antioxidant that is abundant in certain mushrooms seems to ease period pain by neutralising damaging molecules in the uterus that may contribute to the discomfort.

12/04/2026

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Can the regular intake of kava (Piper methysticum) prevent cancer? This question was first raised in an interesting ecological study by G Steiner in 2000. An ecological study is an observational study where analysis is done at the group or population level rather than in individuals, comparing average exposure levels with average disease rates across populations such as countries or regions. The study compared age-standardised cancer incidence with estimated per-capita kava consumption across Pacific Island nations using 1980s registry data. Higher kava intake was associated with lower cancer rates: Vanuatu consumed 6.7 kg/person/year with a male cancer incidence 70.9/100,000, Fiji 2.8 kg with cancer incidence of 75.0/100,000 men, and Western Samoa 2.2 kg with 90.2/100,000. Lower-intake regions such as Micronesia (1.4 kg) exhibited 132.9 cases per 100,000, New Caledonia (0.6 kg) 182.0/100,000, and non-kava populations (at the time) such as Hawaiians 311.9/100,000. The inverse correlation was very strong, with overall cancer incidence about one-quarter to one-third that of non-kava populations, despite high smoking rates. However, the ecological design, possible under-reporting and confounding factors mean causality cannot be strongly inferred.

While this type of ecological study has never been repeated for kava, what has emerged since then is a more mechanistic and translational line of evidence, mainly around to***co-related lung cancer risk. 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (commonly known as NNK) is one of the most prevalent and potent pulmonary carcinogens in to***co products that increases human lung cancer risk. A 2020 pilot clinical trial in active smokers showed that one week of kava increased urinary total NNAL (a detoxification product of the to***co carcinogen NNK), reduced urinary 3-methyladenine (a DNA damage marker), reduced urinary total ni****ne equivalents, and lowered cortisol-related biomarkers, supporting a biologically plausible anti-carcinogenic effect.

That was further investigated in a 2024 randomised human study, again in smokers, where one week of kava significantly increased NNAL-N-glucuronide by 1.58-fold (P = 0.0003) and NNAL-O-glucuronide by 1.27-fold (P = 0.01) in 0-to-6-hour urine samples. NNAL-N-glucuronidation is largely mediated by the gene UGT2B10, so the study analysed several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this gene. The four variants examined are associated with reduced enzyme activity, and carriers did indeed show lower baseline NNAL glucuronidation, indicating weaker detoxification capacity. Kava still increased glucuronidation here, but the rise was smaller than in people with the normal genotype, suggesting that reduced-function UGT2B10 variants limit both natural detoxification and the response to kava.

For more information see:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11149250/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32102948/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39001862/

05/04/2026

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Your gut lining isn’t just a digestive surface — it’s one of the most important immune barriers in your body.
It’s a single layer of epithelial cells held together by structures called tight junctions. These junctions decide what gets through and what stays out. Nutrients pass. Bacteria, endotoxins, and undigested food particles don’t.
Alcohol disrupts this system at every level. Ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde directly damage epithelial cells and dissolve the proteins that form tight junctions. A 2000 study in Alcohol found that even a single binge episode significantly increased intestinal permeability within hours.
Once the barrier is compromised, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) — endotoxins from gut bacteria — leak into the bloodstream. Your immune system responds with systemic inflammation. This is called endotoxemia, and research published in Gut has linked it to liver damage, brain fog, joint pain, mood disturbances, and skin conditions.
What makes this especially problematic is the recovery timeline. A study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology found that intestinal permeability can remain elevated for 10–14 days after a single episode of heavy drinking. Weekly drinking means the gut barrier never fully reseals — you’re living in a state of chronic low-grade permeability.
Your gut also produces roughly 90% of your body’s serotonin and houses 70% of your immune system. When the lining is compromised, both systems take a hit.
The good news: the gut lining regenerates faster than almost any tissue in the body — if you give it the chance. 🧬

30/03/2026

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27/03/2026

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A large international genetic study has identified vitamin B1 (thiamine) metabolism as a surprising factor influencing how often people have bowel movements. Published in Gut (January 2026), researchers analysed genetic data from 268,606 individuals of European and East Asian ancestry to investigate stool frequency, a commonly used proxy for gut motility. They identified 21 independent gene loci, including 10 novel signals implicating bile acid synthesis (KLB) and cholinergic signalling (COLQ). Fine-mapping pointed strongly toward two genes involved in thiamine transport and activation, SLC35F3 (a thiamine transporter) and XPR1 (phosphate exporter essential for thiamine activation).

This B1 connection was then reinforced by the scientists’ analysis of observational data from nearly 100,000 UK Biobank participants. It showed that higher dietary (food-derived, supplemental intervention was not assessed) thiamine intake was associated with more frequent bowel movements, with the strength of this relationship significantly modified by an individual’s genetic profile. Specifically, the combined SLC35F3/XPR1 genotype score significantly modulated this effect (p

21/03/2026

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What seems impossible is unfolding in gut-brain axis research centers where scientists have demonstrated for the first time that specific gut bacterial species — including Lactobacillus reuteri and Bifidobacterium longum — directly produce serotonin precursors and GABA in the intestinal lumen, with these molecules crossing into circulation and measurably altering brain neurotransmitter levels — providing the first direct mechanistic evidence that gut dysbiosis causes depression through neurotransmitter depletion, not merely correlates with it.

The study transplanted microbiomes from depressed human donors into germ-free mice — the animals developed identical depression-like behavioral signatures within 14 days, with their brain serotonin levels dropping by 40% compared to controls receiving healthy donor microbiomes. Reversing the dysbiosis with targeted probiotic restoration eliminated depressive behavior within 7 days. This is not a correlation. The bacteria are the cause. Every antidepressant prescribed while the gut microbiome remains broken is addressing the symptom while ignoring the factory that makes the molecule the symptom requires.

19/03/2026

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Pregnancy massages are great for a calm mum! 🤰

Research shows that your nervous system began forming long before you were born.

Inside the womb, your body was learning from your mother.
Her breath.
Her stress levels.
Her emotions.
Her sense of safety or lack of it.

Through something called prenatal programming, a mother’s internal state can shape a baby’s developing stress response system. Stress hormones like cortisol can cross the placenta, influencing the baby’s brain and nervous system. If her body was often in survival mode, yours may have been wired to expect the same.

This can impact things like:
- how easily you feel overwhelmed
- how safe you feel in your body
- how quickly you go into fight, flight, or freeze

And it didn’t stop at birth…

The tone of her voice.
The look on her face.
The way she held you.
The energy she carried.
The pace of her life.

All of it continued shaping your nervous system. Because before you could self-regulate, you had to co-regulate.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness and understanding.

Because if her body didn’t feel safe, your body may still be bracing, holding tension, scanning for danger without even knowing why.

So much of what you feel didn’t start with you.

It’s intergenerational. Passed down through patterns, biology, and what we now understand as epigenetics.

Not always as clear memories, but as implicit imprints in the body.

And while you may carry patterns that don’t serve you, you also carry her strength, resilience, and her ability to survive.

Here’s the part that matters most:

Inheritance is not destiny.

What was wired, can be rewired.

Your nervous system is not fixed.

Through new experiences, safe relationships, breath, movement, and awareness, you can begin to show your body something different.

A slower pace.
A softer breath.
A sense of safety where you no longer have to brace.

This is how generational patterns begin to shift.

Not just through thinking, but through the body.

And it can start with you.

18/03/2026

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17/03/2026

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14/03/2026

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A recent laboratory study suggests that tamarind, a fruit widely consumed in Asia and Africa, may help the body eliminate microplastics.
Microplastics—tiny plastic particles now detected in human blood, organs, and even brain tissue—are difficult for the body to remove naturally and may pose long-term health risks.
Researchers found that certain compounds in tamarind seeds can bind to microplastic particles, potentially helping the body gather and expel them.
In controlled experimental settings, participants who consumed tamarind extract showed higher levels of microplastics in their waste compared to control groups.
The study was conducted by researchers at Tarleton State University in Texas, who are investigating plant-based compounds that may help remove microplastics from biological systems.

28/02/2026

https://www.sciencealert.com/hidden-virus-found-in-gut-bacteria-is-linked-to-colorectal-cancer?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQPusJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0Mwd0WDxvWFPn_thqVYkHLdDLm18V-DloNTYtVOoYfa4pqUQxXbVkH9b45s_aem_sOQK3ZJLjxic5sON0niNIw

Researchers have made a significant step forward in understanding how gut bacteria, and specifically a newly discovered virus, can contribute to colorectal cancer – one of the most common forms of cancer in the developed world.