September 12, 2024 • 37 mins
Optimal health begins in your gut! In this episode of Nutrition Nutz, we are excited to feature naturopathic medical doctor Mark Stengler, who shares insights from his book, "The Holistic Guide to Gut Health." Learn how a healthy gut can transform your brain, skin, heart, and immune system, and discover practical strategies for enhancing your gut health through diet, supplements, and stress management. Dr. Stengler also discusses his collaboration with Emerald Labs and the importance of quality supplements in achieving wellness.
Have you ever wondered about the biochemical magic behind methylation and nutritional supplements? Dr. Stengler breaks down the role of leaky gut syndrome and its increasing recognition in mainstream medicine, supported by reputable sources like Frontiers in Immunology and Harvard. He also dives into his work with Emerald Labs, emphasizing the benefits of hypoallergenic, additive-free supplements. Gain insights into the significance of methylated nutrients and how understanding the methylation process can elevate your health.
Addressing adrenal and thyroid health is crucial for many, and in our final chapter, Dr. Stangler brings his expertise to the table. We talk about common nutritional deficiencies, the impact of soil depletion, and the often misunderstood concept of adrenal fatigue. Learn how to test for adrenal function and the role of supplements, like Adrenal Health, in maintaining adrenal function, with a special focus on Sensoril Ashwagandha. We also explore natural approaches to managing thyroid dysfunction, including supplements like Thyroid Health and Hashimune Health, the critical role of iodine, and ways to address thyroid issues beyond synthetic medications. Don't miss out on this comprehensive guide to naturally supporting your adrenal and thyroid health for overall wellness.
Use coupon code "NUTZ" (in your cart) for 15% off your entire order of featured products on our sponsor's website: HollyHillVitamins.com.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jim Wilk (00:00):
Welcome to Nutrition Nut, where we explore
breakthroughs in nutritionscience, wellness trends and
dietary supplements.
You'll hear from industryleaders, health practitioners
and research scientists givingyou cutting-edge insights and
actionable tips for living yourhealthiest life.
I am your host and also headnut, Jim Wilk, certified
(00:21):
nutritionist.
Thanks to our main sponsor,hollyllyhillvitamins.
com, the place for greatselection, service and prices.
Welcome all my fellow nutritionnuts.
(00:49):
Well, today I'm excited to haveback naturopathic medical
doctor Mark Stangler.
Dr Stangler and I have done afew shows over the years and
I've always found them to beinformative and enlightening,
and I hope today will be noexception.
Dr Stangler received hisdoctorate of naturopathic
(01:11):
medicine from the NationalUniversity of Natural Medicine.
He also has a master's ofscience in human biology from
Liberty University.
Additional degrees include amaster of Religious Studies and
a Bachelor of Arts in LiberalArts.
In addition, dr Stangler has aCertificate in Advanced
Metabolic Endocrinology from theMetabolic Medical Institute.
(01:34):
He has completed coursework inlogic and reasoning from Oxford
University.
He is also the author andco-author of more than 20 books,
including one of my favorites,the Best-Selling Prescription
for Natural Cures, also Outsidethe Box Cancer Therapies and
Healing the Prostate.
He has published severalpeer-reviewed medical journals,
(01:57):
including the InternationalJournal of Family and Community
Medicine, endocrinology andMetabolism International Journal
, and also the Journal ofNutritional Health and Food
Engineering and AlternativeTherapies in Health and Medicine
.
He was voted in 2021 Doctor ofthe Decade by the International
Association of Top Professionals.
(02:18):
He has served on a medicaladvisory committee for the Yale
University ComplementaryMedicine Outcomes Research
Project and he and his wife, drAngela Stengler.
They run the Stengler Center forIntegrative Medicine, ncinitas,
California.
So if you're in the area, gotto go see him there.
(02:38):
So today I think we're going todiscuss adrenal thyroid support
and hopefully maybe touch onsome anti-aging stuff, which is
such a growing field these days.
He is also associated withEmerald Labs and the cool thing
about Emerald Labs is thatthey're an additive-free
(02:59):
supplement company.
We're going to go into a littlebit about that.
There's so many companies on themarket that he uses these
formulations in his well.
He's actually the formulatorfor most of their products and
he uses them in his practice.
So we're going to go over someof those and talk about some of
the trademarked ingredients andwhy the company, in my opinion,
(03:22):
is one of the better ones outthere.
The company, in my opinion, isone of the better ones out there
.
So hang in there.
And here's Dr Mark Stangler andon the line, as promised, we
have Dr Mark Stngler.
Thank you so much for joiningus today, dr Mark.
I appreciate it.
We go back a long ways and donea few old radio shows together
and I'm really thrilled to haveyou on here today on the podcast
(03:43):
.
And you're out in Californiaand got to get out there one day
and see, I wish we had aStengler Clinic here on the East
Coast here.
Dr. Mark Stengler (03:52):
I hear you.
Jim Wilk (03:54):
Definitely be one.
You have to just spread out alittle bit more.
I've talked about a few of thebooks that you've written in the
past and I see you came outwith a new publication on the
gut biome, and can you explain alittle bit how it went into
that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (04:08):
Yeah, my new book is the Holistic Guide to
Gut Health, and what I do in thebook is I really go through the
science.
You know, for the layperson,how the gut really affects every
organ system, every cell in thebody.
We know there's this connection, you, this connection between
your gut and your brain, yourskin, your eyes, your muscles,
joints, heart, liver, immunesystem, everything, and so, to
(04:31):
be healthy, as you know, a lotof this is influenced by the gut
, which is the gatekeeper.
So in a book I do focus a loton the small intestine and the
concept, the real concept, ofleaky gut, and then, of course,
I get into the microbiome aswell and then again how you can
understand the connectionbetween your body and the gut,
as well as, obviously, digestiveproblems, but then how to
(04:53):
repair the gut health throughdiet and supplements and stress
reduction and things like that.
Jim Wilk (04:59):
I heard recently that some of the medical field, the
traditional medical field,allopathic medicines.
They don't really think ofleaky gut as a real problem out
there, or they don't like thename or something.
How do you feel about thatthere?
Dr. Mark Stengler (05:13):
Well, you know it's interesting.
So what I did in the book is Iwent through and I quoted major
medical journals whoacknowledged leaky gut was real.
For example, like one reference, I reference Frontiers in
Immunology obviously verymainstream and here's a quote
from them Disruption of theepithelial barrier increases
(05:34):
intestinal permeability,resulting in leaky gut syndrome.
So I took all these majormedical journals and I quoted
them in there, because you know,I hear the same thing.
I even quoted a quote fromHarvard who acknowledged leaky
gut was real.
So yeah, it's actually in theliterature pretty good.
Jim Wilk (05:50):
That must be frustrating, I'll tell you.
Dr. Mark Stengler (05:53):
Yeah.
Jim Wilk (05:54):
Okay, so you have your clinic.
You run along with your wifeAngela there, and how long have
you been doing that now in theclinic?
Dr. Mark Stengler (06:02):
Yeah, I'm hitting my, just finishing my
29th year.
Jim Wilk (06:05):
Oh gee, goodness gracious that's great and it's
thriving, I hope.
Dr. Mark Stengler (06:10):
Yeah, we're doing well.
Doing well In spite of theCalifornia economics and
everything else going on, herewe're doing good Good good.
Jim Wilk (06:18):
Well, we're here going to be talking about a company
that I really enjoy having orparticipating with.
It's called Emerald Labs andI'd like you to discuss I know
you do a lot of the formulationsfor them and I will go into
that.
Tell me something a littleabout the company and why did
you decide to align yourselfwith them?
Dr. Mark Stengler (06:38):
Yeah, so Emerald Labs actually connected
with the owner, ick Simpson boy.
I think we're hitting probably17, 18 years ago, and I found we
were very like-minded.
So we had the Emerald Labs andthey do their own manufacturing.
But what attracted me to theircompany was they really were the
leaders in makinghypoallergenic formulas.
So you know, as a holisticdoctor, we're also very
(07:01):
sensitive about chemicals andpurity of ingredients and all
that.
And well, in my opinion, thesupplement world is much better
than the pharmaceutical world.
You know there is a variationin the quality of supplements
out there, which we all know.
And so I found, wow, emerald'sreally the leader in
hypoallergenic, not using likebinders and fillers and dyes and
(07:21):
soy and sugar and gluten andall that.
I'm like, wow, this is exactlywhere I focus off my patients.
So we really resonated on thatlevel.
And then the fact that theywere open to creating formulas,
formulas that we would use asholistic doctors with patients,
meaning things have studiesbehind them, human studies.
We're using the same types ofconcentrations of extract, the
(07:41):
same doses of studies, beingmore comprehensive, more
clinical, and between those twothings that's where we really
hit it off together, and so I'vebeen working with him I think
almost 15, 20 years now.
Jim Wilk (07:54):
Yeah, I recall his integrity.
It's rare to see he's soparticular about what goes into
his products that he'll doprocesses.
You know, folks, there's a lotof manufacturing processes out
there for making supplements andstuff.
He does it the I wouldn't wantto say the old-fashioned way,
but he does it.
Speed is not important to himand it's the quality and the
(08:18):
reason why a lot of othercompanies use binders and
fillers and things like that,because it makes the process
easier but not necessarilybetter.
And I always admired that abouthim.
Dr. Mark Stengler (08:29):
No, you're exactly right, and that's why,
when they are a manufacturer ofsupplements, they cannot do the
large runs at a time like othercompanies, because it is more
involved process and the speedwill be slower.
But that's what we have to doto have the highest quality and
purity.
So you're right.
You understand that perfectly.
Jim Wilk (08:48):
Yeah, and all the trademarked ingredients that he
uses explain to people what thatmeans when you see a trademark
ingredient in a supplement.
Dr. Mark Stengler (08:57):
Yeah, generally the trademark
ingredients.
These are, say, herbal extractsor other nutrients which have
human studies on them, you know,published peer-reviewed human
studies, and then they'retrademarked.
And so we're always in ourformulas or in our combination
formulas and single ones too,where we are using ingredients
which have human publishedstudies behind.
We want to make sure thesethings work on the right dose
(09:19):
and concentration and the safetyand all that.
And so you'll see thesetrademarked ingredients.
Yes, they cost themanufacturers more money, but we
want to guarantee we're usingthings that have been proven to
work.
We don't want theoreticalthings, we want things we know
work.
So you'll see those in ourproducts for sure, a lot of
trademark ingredients which havehad the studies done on them.
Whereas a lot of companies theymay use maybe the same herb or
(09:41):
nutrient, it's not exactly thesame.
It doesn't have the humanstudies.
Could it work?
Yeah, it could, but will itwork as good?
Maybe not.
Right, exactly, and I might'veknown this, but I have to
apologize, I forgot.
Do you know why it's calledEmerald?
Why did he use that term?
That's a good question.
I don't recall.
(10:01):
I should know the answer tothat.
I'm going to find out.
Jim Wilk (10:03):
I mean, he doesn't look Irish to me for some reason
.
I don't know.
Dr. Mark Stengler (10:07):
No, that's great.
He looks more like British tome.
But that's a good question.
I'll have to check that out.
Jim Wilk (10:14):
All right, so let's get into a little bit here.
You know, I see a lot ofclients and all of a sudden and
I don't know if you've noticedthis people are actually asking
for methylated products out here, methylated nutrients, and I'd
like you to put it again intolayman's terms there, also for
myself, because I'm no scientist.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthe methylation process and why
(10:36):
it's important.
Why does Emerald Labs use someof these methods?
Dr. Mark Stengler (10:41):
Right?
Well, methylation is abiochemical term and it
basically means in our cellsthere's all these biochemical
processes occurring, thousandsof reactions per second really
and so one of the things thatoccurs in our cells is called
methylation, which is a fancyway of saying you're taking a
carbon and three hydrogen andit's being attached to different
molecules, and what that allowsto happen in biochemistry
(11:03):
allows for energy to be produced, it allows your detoxification
pathways to work properly, itallows your body to make
hormones and neurotransmittersso obviously very fundamental
processes in the body andmethylation.
It requires different nutrients, requires things like magnesium
, for example, but it reallyrequires B vitamins, b12, folate
(11:28):
the natural folate and B6 andsome B3.
So when you get supplementslike these B vitamins, you can
get them in their methylatedform, which means they're in the
form which, when you take them,absorb into your bloodstream,
go to your cells.
They're ready for your cells touse.
When you use like synthetic Bvitamins, let's say like folic
acid, which is a man-madeattempt to duplicate naturally
(11:50):
occurring folate, like you findin food, say like in oranges,
beans and things like that, andso, because it's a little bit
different structure, it has togo through a series of
metabolism in your cells to bein its active final form.
So obviously, if you're one ofthese 60% of the population
where our genes are such wherewe really have some issues
(12:10):
trying to take those synthetic Bvitamins and then processing
them into their active finalform, well, we need to bypass
that and that's what Emerald, Ithink, was one of the first to
do it and always have done itfor many, many years and using
like methylated B vitamins, solike the methylcobalamin B12,
the methylfolate, et cetera, andso then your cells can utilize
them right away and then thatcan help in things like your
(12:32):
mood and your energy and yourdetoxification and hormone
balance and all that and evenyour immune system function.
Jim Wilk (12:39):
And how does the genes play a role in this?
They say in the United Statesthere's like half the people
they inherit that normal genebut a lot of them have a weaker
variations of it.
How does that come into play?
Dr. Mark Stengler (12:52):
Yeah, so we all have these methylation genes
.
The one we're referring to moreis like MTHFR.
There's two primary types of it.
I won't get into the detailsbut, yeah, about half of the
population.
The way our genes are, if we'reusing synthetic B vitamins there
can be issues, there can beproblems metabolizing our cells
so we can get the benefits fromit.
So then if we use themethylated form, where it
(13:14):
doesn't have to go through allthese different steps to be
processed, so to speak, finalactive form, then our cells then
can use those B vitamins andmake the energy and help the
detoxification systems, help ourcell DNA, repair all these
important processes.
So in my mind I mean, why wouldanyone not want to use
methylated B vitamins, which youknow a lot of the forms,
(13:35):
especially like to be honest,especially things like in the
pharmacies and stuff?
You know these cheap B vitamins.
They're usually not methylated,so people are not getting the
best kinds and for some peopleit's very, very important.
For example, if you're a womanand you're, you know, planning
to be pregnant, become pregnant,and you, you know, in half the
population, we have an issue.
Or maybe you're in the 25% ofthe population, we have a big
(13:55):
problem where you inherited avariation from both parents, not
just one.
Well, you know, we know nowthat could that predispose you
to having birth defects withyour child, or maybe a person
prone to depression.
Studies have shown that peoplewho have this genetic variation,
if you don't get the methyl ABvitamins, you're more prone to
depression because you can'tmake the serotonin, the dopamine
(14:17):
, these neurotransmitters, thesechemicals that influence our
brain.
You can't make them effectivelyand so the brain can't work by
magic.
So this can be very importantfor you know, especially certain
people.
Jim Wilk (14:29):
How do people go about finding out if they have this
gene problem?
I guess it's a little easiertoday than it was years past.
Dr. Mark Stengler (14:36):
Yeah, I mean there's a couple ways they can
do it.
I mean, you know, nowadaysthere's labs online where you
could get the MTHFR gene testedor be under a methylation panel.
But the regular labs thatdoctors use can run it too.
You know the large labs doctorsuse around the country.
It can be run, you know as well, by your general practitioner.
So either way, you can do it onyour own or have your doctor
(14:58):
order it and you can.
You know you can see.
Now, the reason that can behelpful is, let's say, you've
got one copy.
Well, you know you have someissue, you know, with
methylation.
You still want to use them.
You know methylated B vitaminsare going to be the best, but if
you have two coffees then evenmore so important, you know that
you're using them and you knowletting your, you know your
(15:18):
siblings and or the otherchildren and stuff.
You know they should get testedtoo Because, look, you could
prevent a lot of health issueswhich you don't have to suffer
with because it's a simple thingto deal with.
And, lastly, you could be moreprone to having elevation of an
amino acid called HOMO-15.
And when that's elevated in theblood, that is a risk factor
(15:38):
for dementia, stroke andrheumatoid arthritis and the
treatment medically is the same.
You know, whether you see aholistic doctor or you know kind
of a conventional doctor, thesame thing.
You give them methylated folateand B12 and that helps deliver
to break it down, so thisprotein is not creating
inflammation in the bloodstream.
Jim Wilk (15:58):
Yeah, folks.
So it pays to maybe find outwhat the family's been going
through over the years and seeif you get things tested like
that.
I think it's a great idea andthat homocysteine is kind of
like a hidden problem for peoplethat when you get your normal
lab work you don't usually seethat.
But there are some companiesout there that test for that
kind of thing also with theinflammation and all that stuff
(16:21):
like that.
Do you guys do that at yourclinic at all?
Dr. Mark Stengler (16:23):
Do you have to testing there or oh,
absolutely yeah, we always dohomocysteine as a screening test
because we do see it fairlycommonly and, again, all the
regular labs operate.
So it's just a matter ofgetting your doctor to run it or
, like I said, nowadays you canoftentimes get labs done on your
own too.
So everyone should be screenedfor the homocysteine level
because it's a very simple thingto treat if it's elevated very
(16:46):
simple with these methylated Bvitamins.
Jim Wilk (16:48):
Well, inside the Emerald Labs multis they use the
methylated form of the Bvitamins, I'm assuming.
Dr. Mark Stengler (16:55):
Absolutely yeah.
Jim Wilk (16:56):
And there's new evidence recently in the last
year or two about how importantmultis are, especially for
cognitive health.
There's some new studies doneon that that people who take a
good multivitamin have lesscognitive problems.
Have you come across that atall?
Dr. Mark Stengler (17:10):
Yes, I have, and there have been other
studies that have shown thatpeople who have adults who have
more adequate levels of B6, o8,and B12 have the lower risk of
dementia and Alzheimer's, and soI think a lot of that goes back
to the methylation and also nothaving elevated homocysteine.
So you're right, there's beenseveral studies now showing
(17:32):
adults and seniors who have moreadequate levels versus those
who have low levels or deficient.
They are more prone to havingthat issue.
Why not use the methylated whenthey're available with
companies like Emerald?
Jim Wilk (17:43):
Yeah, and that's great by talking to someone who runs
a clinic as yourself, thatpeople think that they're eating
properly, even these days, andwe get enough nutrients from the
farm there, from the ground,but you're in experience with
testing people and things thatwe're not getting all the
nutrients that we could possiblyutilize.
(18:04):
Oh, very much true In our diet,yeah.
Dr. Mark Stengler (18:07):
Yeah, no, very much true, Because with our
patients we do routinely runnutrient levels.
Now we may do limited panels,so things like B12, magnesium,
iron, omega-3, things like that,but we have other expanded
panels where we check 40nutrients and, yes, the average
person definitely hasnutritional deficiencies and
government studies have shownthat to be the case.
(18:28):
You know, it is alwayssurprising how many patients we
see, for example, like withlower B12 levels, b12, like when
you become a senior.
If you have B12 deficiencywhich, by the way, statistically
is one in every four seniors Imean that in itself is a risk
factor for dementia.
Your brain actually studiesshow your brain actually shrinks
when you're deficient in B12.
(18:51):
So people may be wondering whywould I be low on B12?
Well, it could be because weage, or maybe under stress, or
you have chronic illness, you'renot producing enough stomach
acid intrinsic factor stomach toabsorb it in your small
intestine.
Some people avoid red meatcompletely, which is the main
source of B12.
Maybe you're on medicationswhich deplete you of B12.
(19:11):
You know antidepressants, birthcontrol pills for younger
people.
So anyways, there's manydifferent reasons why we see
these nutritional deficiencies.
In addition, of course, ourfoods don't have the levels they
did 50 years ago because of thesoil being depleted and things
like that.
Jim Wilk (19:27):
Right.
Have you noticed in your clinic?
Vegans are having a problemwith B12 sustainability.
Dr. Mark Stengler (19:34):
Yeah, we do see the B12 low fairly commonly.
We also see the omega-3 fattyacids low Right.
We don't see the protein levelsbeing low.
We were taught that in school30 years ago.
We don't see that.
But yeah, the B12, the omega-3,we see that very commonly.
Jim Wilk (19:50):
Interesting, very interesting.
A couple of things I wanted todiscuss today and some hormonal
things.
And we get these questions alot about their adrenals and
their thyroid.
So let's talk a little bitabout that, because I think
Emerald makes a fantasticformulas here that you guys you
have formulated.
And adrenal I've heard over theyears too that some of the
(20:12):
mainstream doctors out therethey don't believe in a adrenal
fatigue, so to speak.
They don't really understandthat term or opt to use that
term at all.
How does one know if theiradrenals are working properly or
not?
I know thyroid, there's tests,we'll talk about the thyroid in
a few minutes but are theretests for their adrenal
(20:33):
functions that people can do?
And how would they come see yousaying, hey, doc, my adrenals
are exhausted.
Well, how do they know that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (20:41):
Well, there's a few different ways we can
test that.
First, we can do blood work.
We can test adrenal hormoneslike pregnenolone, dhea,
cortisol preferably before ninein the morning, so you can be
done with blood.
You can do urine tests whichwill measure those as well.
And then my favorite is salivatesting, because we can do
multiple samples, save thecortisol in one day and just see
if it's running low the wholeday.
(21:01):
I prefer that test.
And I think the problem inmedicine is things changed in
the last 15, 20 years.
It used to be.
You had like a kind of acontinuum where someone you know
has healthy adrenals versussomeone who's having problems.
And then nowadays, basically inmedicine, they're like well,
hey, you either have majoradrenal disease, which is rare,
(21:23):
they call it conditions likeAddison's, where you just aren't
producing enough cortisol, butall the people left in between,
so we have suboptimal adrenalfunction.
You know you got fatigue, youcan't handle stress.
Well, you got sleep problems,you can't handle inflammation,
cognitive problems.
So if you're kind of caught inbetween that, they don't really,
you know, diagnose it or offeranything.
(21:44):
So the people in between yeah,you know the term adrenal
fatigue is used.
Maybe a more correct term wouldbe adrenal dysfunction.
And so, yeah, we see a lot ofpeople help by improving their
adrenal function, which is kindof interesting because you look
at the things like in theEmerald Labs adrenal health I
mean, how does it really helpthe adrenals, these things?
Well, in part they help byestablishing a normal
(22:07):
communication system between thebrain, the pituitary gland you
know, up in the head too andthen to the adrenals.
There's this communicationnetwork, so when we're under
stress or a chronic illness,this messaging system can be off
, and then that affects, youknow, your adrenal hormones.
And so the herbs like rhodiolaashwagandha eleutheroca, also
(22:28):
referred to as cyber-engine,they actually help to
reestablish this normalcommunication, which then can
help to balance out your adrenalhormones.
You handle stress better, yourenergy is better.
We got the activated methylatedB vitamins in there, which your
adrenals do use to make stresshormones.
So, yeah, that's how this allconnects here.
Jim Wilk (22:47):
Yeah, and I noticed that you again.
We talked about earlier howEmerald Labs uses trademarked
ingredients.
They have the Sensorylashwagandha which has been
around for a while and because,again, folks, herbs and things
can vary from company to companyand batch to batch and when
you're using a trademarkedingredient it can make a big
(23:08):
difference and you're gettingwhat you pay for, so to speak,
right.
Dr. Mark Stengler (23:12):
Well, it's true, like if you take, like in
their adrenal health, theirFensaryl ashwagandha.
Now there's 250 milligrams inthere for two capsules.
Now you may see a form thatsays, hey, I've got 300 and 350.
Maybe that's better.
Well, here's the thing.
(23:33):
Most astragalant extracts arelike a 0.5 to 1%, what we call
with analyte extract.
These with analyte are reallywhat help the balance out the
communication system, theadrenal stress, hormone function
production and so forth.
There's this using.
The one used in the humanstudies is 8%.
So really it's like if you take250 milligrams and multiply
that by eight, right, so we'regetting, you know, eight times
(23:55):
the amount.
So really you're getting a lotmore, much more than the typical
adrenal product.
You're getting seven to eighttimes more of these active
constituents which are havingbasically the balancing effect
on your adrenals.
Jim Wilk (24:08):
Yeah, that's true.
I think that's a fantasticpoint because a lot of people
don't realize it's.
Again, it comes down to qualityand you pay for what you get
and that's why you try to lookfor trademarked ingredients,
which Emeril does a great job.
Just a reminder, folks you cango to hollyhillvitaminscom and
(24:28):
order that.
We could just say code wordnuts and UTZ and we'll give you
15% off your orders there too,so proud to be a sponsor for
Emerald Labs there and AdrenalHealth by them.
It's again has that coenzymatedB vitamins which we were
talking about earlier, which is,you know, better absorbed in
(24:51):
the body there.
So you get what you In yourexperience, do people notice
something within a few days, aweek or two?
What's the normal type of?
I guess there is no normal, buthow would you retest somebody
and what kind of time periodthere?
Dr. Mark Stengler (25:03):
Well, I mean people have fatigue and let's
say they take Emerald B,B-complex.
Yeah, they can noticedifference within a few days to
a week.
Now, on the adrenal, if youlook at the studies, see on the
sensorial, you know you've gotstudies, often they were 30-day
studies and in those 30 dayswhat do you see?
You find people's energy levelwas better, their sleep was
(25:23):
better, their mood was betterand some other factors.
So those times were 30 days, sodefinitely in 30 days.
But that being said, yeah, wesee people usually within one to
two weeks they notice anobvious improvement in how
they're feeling in thosedifferent areas.
Jim Wilk (25:36):
And you mentioned earlier.
You guys do testing and things.
But I've noticed over the yearsthere's people who specialize
in endocrinologists, whospecialize in hormones.
They're few and far between tofind endocrinologists who
specialize in hormones.
They're few and far between tofind endocrinologists out there.
Is that a trend, is something?
Are they going away or is it?
They're hard to define.
What's going on with that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (25:56):
Well, the way it is in Mass Rail I mean
endocrinologists I mean it's aproblem.
I mean if someone were actuallyto see one usually, no matter
where you are in the UnitedStates, I mean, it usually takes
three months to get in, so yeah, it's a problem.
There's not a ton of them andthey serve an important function
.
However, if you're getting oneof these people, say, with your
(26:18):
adrenals, your thyroid, whereyou don't have like just overt
disease but you have thembalanced, I mean I'm not trying
to be negative, but they'repretty much useless in those
cases.
Jim Wilk (26:30):
You, in those cases, you're just going to say, hey,
there's nothing wrong with you.
I'm here to see people withthyroid cancer and more serious
stuff.
I mean, that's kind of the wayit works.
Yeah, okay, I understand.
All right, let's jump over tothyroid here.
Big issue A lot of people areon medication for thyroid Over
the past decades or so.
Is that something that's becomemore of a problem, less?
What's your opinion on that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (26:48):
Yeah, I've looked at studies on that and
definitely the amount of peoplewith thyroid dysfunction,
definitely it's high.
I mean it's high, I meanmillions, millions of Americans
have thyroid issues, for sure,and I think there's different
reasons for it Chemicals in theenvironment, for sure, high
stress, nutrient deficiencies,other hormones are imbalanced in
(27:09):
the body which affect thethyroid.
So all these things combinedand I think the other factor is,
you know, autoimmunity is verycommon, unfortunately, in the
American population.
Our immune system attacks ourown tissue and that includes the
thyroid.
So, for example, the mostcommon cause of thyroid problems
in Americans, called autoimmunethyroiditis, also known as
(27:31):
Hashimoto's thyroiditis AJapanese doctor had discovered
it and this is where immunesystem attacks your thyroid
tissue and it accounts for 85%of people who develop hypo or
low thyroid function and requiretreatment.
So you know, unfortunately,it's estimated anywhere from 50
million, maybe up to 100 millionAmericans have autoimmune
(27:53):
problems.
Jim Wilk (27:54):
Ah, okay, so is the general doctors out there that
you go see for your thyroid.
They sometimes immediately putyou on a synthetic thyroid
product like Synthroid orsomething like that.
Is that something that maybethey should see what else is
going on on a synthetic thyroidproduct like Synthroid or
something like that?
Is that something that maybethey should see what else is
going on before they do that,before people get on a
medication?
I mean, do some people actuallyneed the medication or can they
(28:16):
get by with some supplements tosee if they can correct that
problem?
Dr. Mark Stengler (28:21):
Yeah, it's a good question, and I've looked
at the literature and they havefound there are a lot of people
and it's called subclinicalhypothyroidism.
What that basically means is,people may remember, on their
blood work, doctors run a markercalled ESH stands for thyroid
stimulating hormone, and so thathormone can be elevated.
Now, some of these peoplethat's elevated, but their
(28:43):
actual thyroid hormones, whichare creating the metabolism in
their cells, called T4 and T3,they're not deficient.
And so what the research showsis, yes, a lot of these people
are given medication, thesesynthetic medications, but they
don't really need it.
Instead, what we prefer to dowith these people is we put them
on, improve their diet, theirexercise, their stress, put them
(29:03):
on something like the EmeraldThyroid Health, and so the goal
of that is to balance out theirown thyroid, get their thyroid
working better on its own andthe messaging going from the
pituitary gland, the brain, tothe thyroid, helping to balance
things out.
We also measure theirantibodies, their thyroid
antibodies.
There's two main thyroidantibodies.
Now, if those are up, like Isaid, which is 85% people with
(29:26):
low thyroid, then Emerald has agreat product for autoimmune
thyroid as well which we'll use.
Yeah, so we want to treat theroot level.
And so we do that, and thenwe'll retest the person in like
a couple months and we'll seethat their thyroid levels have
all balanced out and they neverneeded medication.
And so once you're on amedication, the problem is your
thyroid gets lazy you know, getslazy because it's getting this
(29:50):
replacement.
And then what happens?
Well, you see these people,you'll see that you know they
need higher and higher dosesfrom their doctor over time.
So that's why we like to usethyroid health memorable or
their hash immune health tobalance things out on their own.
So in these beginning,especially in the beginning
stages or there's not likesevere hormone deficiency this
is the better way to go.
Now there's a second componentwhere we see patients who are on
(30:12):
thyroid medicine and maybe theydo need it, but we'll still use
, like the thyroid health orHash Immune to balance out their
system better, so that theydon't need higher doses over
time or maybe could use lowerdoses or, in some cases, may not
need thyroid replacement in thefuture as their doctor's
monitoring them.
So there's always a place forthe nutritional medicine.
Jim Wilk (30:32):
What are some of the symptoms of thyroid and what
about the iodine connection withthat, or people getting enough
of that in their diets andthings.
Dr. Mark Stengler (30:40):
Well, classic symptoms of low thyroid and
there can be many of them.
I mean there can be like 40 or50, but class ones can be like
you get cold, easy fatigue, poorcognitive function, your
metabolism is slowing down, youknow it's harder to lose weight
or you're gaining weight, youcan get water retention, dry
skin.
So those are some of the jointpain.
Those are some of the classicones for low thyroid.
(31:01):
Now, in terms of iodine, iodineis really like the building
block of your thyroid hormonesand so you know you have to have
it.
It's an essential nutrient andthere are parts of the world
where iodine deficiency is amajor problem.
It's one of the most commonnutrient deficiencies in the
world, causes major healthproblems.
(31:22):
But what's happening in Americais, because so many people have
high blood pressure, they'reavoiding table salt, where that
has been their main source ofiodine, because, let's face it,
I mean you can get iodine ineggs and you get it in fish.
But what's happening now forsome people?
Because of high blood pressure,they're avoiding iodized salt
and so now iodine deficiency iscoming back again in America.
(31:46):
And again, you can't makethyroid hormone without it, so
it's something that needs to betaken into account and that's
why we have iodine in thyroidhealth with Emerald Not massive
amounts, but iodine is kind of atricky thing.
I mean, if you take the amountslike in the Emerald multi in
your thyroid health, it's fine,there's no risk to it.
Some people take mega doses ofiodine and that can create
(32:07):
imbalances that can actuallytrigger autoimmune thyroid.
There's some research on thatso yeah, so some people should
be aware of.
Jim Wilk (32:14):
And once you're on these thyroid medications, I've
been told that it's kind of hardto get off of them.
Is that something you have todeal with?
Do people come in saying,listen, I'm tired of taking this
medication, I have this andthat side effect.
So that is a possibility ofweaning yourself off under
supervision of like someoneyourself.
Dr. Mark Stengler (32:33):
Absolutely.
In the medical literaturethey're actually you know, they
actually stated there's a lot ofpeople on thyroid medication
that should not be on it.
So what we do is you know likeyou work their diet nutrition,
get them on something like thethyroid health, the hash immune,
and then we monitor them.
We'll slowly decrease theirthyroid medication dose, monitor
them in their lab tests andwork to wean them off that in a
(32:55):
safe and effective manner.
But yeah, it can be done.
Jim Wilk (32:57):
Folks, you can always go to emeraldlabs.
com.
You can see the facilitiesthere and how they do their
testing for everything and someof the other products they make.
I mean, we can be here for acouple of hours with all the
stuff that they do.
They're really well known fortheir multivitamins like we
discussed before how importantthey are, and they have it
really down to a science whereno matter what stage of life
(33:19):
you're in and what gender youare, Emerald Labs will cover it.
I've gone through their multiswith so many people over the
years there and they're alwayslooking for stuff that's
additive-free, which is.
A lot of people are sensitiveto these excipients in there.
Some people no problem at all.
But if you have any qualmsabout that, they're the company
to go with there.
(33:40):
Just to end up with a few thingshere, doc, I noticed they came
out recently with an anti-agingcellular complex.
Now I'm at that age where I'mlooking for that anti-aging
stuff.
I'm fighting as much as I canhere.
So what are some of theingredients?
I see you have the glutathioneand the R-alpha-lipoic acid and
CoQ10 in there.
(34:00):
What was the genesis of thisproduct there?
Dr. Mark Stengler (34:04):
Well, it's true, we want to use things
which do fight the aging process.
I'm a big fan of glutathione,especially the one that Emerald
uses called the Cetreaglutathione, because it's one of
the few that has good humanpublished studies showing you
absorb it and your blood andsaliva levels go up, and so
glutathione is so important.
It is one of the most importantantioxidants in the body.
But one of the things I likeabout glutathione is that it
(34:27):
does help to protect your DNAfrom damage and, as we both know
, if your DNA is getting damagedfrom toxins in the environment
and things like that, ormedications, then shorten part
of your DNA called telomeres,which can shorten your life
process if you will.
And also, of course, if yourDNA is damaged, you're prone to
diseases, cancer and things likethat.
(34:48):
So I'm a big fan of glutathione.
Coq10, of course, is a veryimportant antioxidant as well,
with barotrol that's been shownin studies to help the telomeres
the length of these ends of DNA, which is involved in health
and aging and lipocast is agreat antioxidant too, and then
they have the uniquephytonutrients.
You start looking at thesephytonutrients, these extracts
(35:13):
from plant foods likepomegranates and other ones.
I mean, these things arepowerful in terms of their
ability to help fight disease.
So, yeah, it is a nicecombination formula.
Jim Wilk (35:20):
And just as an add-on, you did mention R-alpha lipoic
acid and I think people do getconfused about the synthetic and
natural versions of that.
They're looking for alphalipoic, then they see R-lipoic.
Do you do a quick little thingon that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (35:33):
Yeah, you're right.
So the R-alpha lipoic is thetype you'd find in nature.
That is the type your bodywould want.
So you're right, that's a goodpoint.
Jim Wilk (35:46):
Yeah, that's the way to go, folks.
Again, excellent ingredients,trademarked ingredients.
It's just a nice little adjunctto your regular regime.
There's anti-aging.
You're not really duplicatinganything there.
It's a nice little add-on ifyou want to slow down that aging
process there.
We're going to keep thosecandles in the cake there.
Also, remember you go tohollyhillvitamins.
com.
You mention nuts and UTC andget your 15% off.
(36:08):
You can see the whole line onthe website there.
And you can also go to EmeraldLabs.
Doc, can people become apatient online with you?
Do Zoom calls?
What's the story there?
Dr. Mark Stengler (36:19):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, we do do telemedicine.
That is true, we do dotelemedicine.
So at MarkStnglercom they canread about what they want.
Jim Wilk (36:25):
Yeah, yeah, markstnglercom, that's
S-T-E-N-G-L-E-R, and I wishyou'd do another 29 years there.
Yeah, yeah, congratulations tothe longevity there.
That's great in this day andage.
So I'm happy for you and if Iget out to California I'll look
you up there.
Thank you so much for being onthe show, Mark.
(36:47):
Appreciate it.
Dr. Mark Stengler (36:48):
Oh, thank you so much.
Jim Wilk (36:49):
All right, guys, take care and we'll see you real soon
.
Bye-bye now.
Please subscribe to the channelso you can get our latest
episodes, and if you want tocontact me with any questions or
comments, try jimwilkcnc atgmailcom.
Welcome to Nutrition Nut, where we explore
breakthroughs in nutritionscience, wellness trends and
dietary supplements.
You'll hear from industryleaders, health practitioners
and research scientists givingyou cutting-edge insights and
actionable tips for living yourhealthiest life.
I am your host and also headnut, Jim Wilk, certified
(00:21):
nutritionist.
Thanks to our main sponsor,hollyllyhillvitamins.
com, the place for greatselection, service and prices.
Welcome all my fellow nutritionnuts.
(00:49):
Well, today I'm excited to haveback naturopathic medical
doctor Mark Stangler.
Dr Stangler and I have done afew shows over the years and
I've always found them to beinformative and enlightening,
and I hope today will be noexception.
Dr Stangler received hisdoctorate of naturopathic
(01:11):
medicine from the NationalUniversity of Natural Medicine.
He also has a master's ofscience in human biology from
Liberty University.
Additional degrees include amaster of Religious Studies and
a Bachelor of Arts in LiberalArts.
In addition, dr Stangler has aCertificate in Advanced
Metabolic Endocrinology from theMetabolic Medical Institute.
(01:34):
He has completed coursework inlogic and reasoning from Oxford
University.
He is also the author andco-author of more than 20 books,
including one of my favorites,the Best-Selling Prescription
for Natural Cures, also Outsidethe Box Cancer Therapies and
Healing the Prostate.
He has published severalpeer-reviewed medical journals,
(01:57):
including the InternationalJournal of Family and Community
Medicine, endocrinology andMetabolism International Journal
, and also the Journal ofNutritional Health and Food
Engineering and AlternativeTherapies in Health and Medicine
.
He was voted in 2021 Doctor ofthe Decade by the International
Association of Top Professionals.
(02:18):
He has served on a medicaladvisory committee for the Yale
University ComplementaryMedicine Outcomes Research
Project and he and his wife, drAngela Stengler.
They run the Stengler Center forIntegrative Medicine, ncinitas,
California.
So if you're in the area, gotto go see him there.
(02:38):
So today I think we're going todiscuss adrenal thyroid support
and hopefully maybe touch onsome anti-aging stuff, which is
such a growing field these days.
He is also associated withEmerald Labs and the cool thing
about Emerald Labs is thatthey're an additive-free
(02:59):
supplement company.
We're going to go into a littlebit about that.
There's so many companies on themarket that he uses these
formulations in his well.
He's actually the formulatorfor most of their products and
he uses them in his practice.
So we're going to go over someof those and talk about some of
the trademarked ingredients andwhy the company, in my opinion,
(03:22):
is one of the better ones outthere.
The company, in my opinion, isone of the better ones out there
.
So hang in there.
And here's Dr Mark Stangler andon the line, as promised, we
have Dr Mark Stngler.
Thank you so much for joiningus today, dr Mark.
I appreciate it.
We go back a long ways and donea few old radio shows together
and I'm really thrilled to haveyou on here today on the podcast
(03:43):
.
And you're out in Californiaand got to get out there one day
and see, I wish we had aStengler Clinic here on the East
Coast here.
Dr. Mark Stengler (03:52):
I hear you.
Jim Wilk (03:54):
Definitely be one.
You have to just spread out alittle bit more.
I've talked about a few of thebooks that you've written in the
past and I see you came outwith a new publication on the
gut biome, and can you explain alittle bit how it went into
that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (04:08):
Yeah, my new book is the Holistic Guide to
Gut Health, and what I do in thebook is I really go through the
science.
You know, for the layperson,how the gut really affects every
organ system, every cell in thebody.
We know there's this connection, you, this connection between
your gut and your brain, yourskin, your eyes, your muscles,
joints, heart, liver, immunesystem, everything, and so, to
(04:31):
be healthy, as you know, a lotof this is influenced by the gut
, which is the gatekeeper.
So in a book I do focus a loton the small intestine and the
concept, the real concept, ofleaky gut, and then, of course,
I get into the microbiome aswell and then again how you can
understand the connectionbetween your body and the gut,
as well as, obviously, digestiveproblems, but then how to
(04:53):
repair the gut health throughdiet and supplements and stress
reduction and things like that.
Jim Wilk (04:59):
I heard recently that some of the medical field, the
traditional medical field,allopathic medicines.
They don't really think ofleaky gut as a real problem out
there, or they don't like thename or something.
How do you feel about thatthere?
Dr. Mark Stengler (05:13):
Well, you know it's interesting.
So what I did in the book is Iwent through and I quoted major
medical journals whoacknowledged leaky gut was real.
For example, like one reference, I reference Frontiers in
Immunology obviously verymainstream and here's a quote
from them Disruption of theepithelial barrier increases
(05:34):
intestinal permeability,resulting in leaky gut syndrome.
So I took all these majormedical journals and I quoted
them in there, because you know,I hear the same thing.
I even quoted a quote fromHarvard who acknowledged leaky
gut was real.
So yeah, it's actually in theliterature pretty good.
Jim Wilk (05:50):
That must be frustrating, I'll tell you.
Dr. Mark Stengler (05:53):
Yeah.
Jim Wilk (05:54):
Okay, so you have your clinic.
You run along with your wifeAngela there, and how long have
you been doing that now in theclinic?
Dr. Mark Stengler (06:02):
Yeah, I'm hitting my, just finishing my
29th year.
Jim Wilk (06:05):
Oh gee, goodness gracious that's great and it's
thriving, I hope.
Dr. Mark Stengler (06:10):
Yeah, we're doing well.
Doing well In spite of theCalifornia economics and
everything else going on, herewe're doing good Good good.
Jim Wilk (06:18):
Well, we're here going to be talking about a company
that I really enjoy having orparticipating with.
It's called Emerald Labs andI'd like you to discuss I know
you do a lot of the formulationsfor them and I will go into
that.
Tell me something a littleabout the company and why did
you decide to align yourselfwith them?
Dr. Mark Stengler (06:38):
Yeah, so Emerald Labs actually connected
with the owner, ick Simpson boy.
I think we're hitting probably17, 18 years ago, and I found we
were very like-minded.
So we had the Emerald Labs andthey do their own manufacturing.
But what attracted me to theircompany was they really were the
leaders in makinghypoallergenic formulas.
So you know, as a holisticdoctor, we're also very
(07:01):
sensitive about chemicals andpurity of ingredients and all
that.
And well, in my opinion, thesupplement world is much better
than the pharmaceutical world.
You know there is a variationin the quality of supplements
out there, which we all know.
And so I found, wow, emerald'sreally the leader in
hypoallergenic, not using likebinders and fillers and dyes and
(07:21):
soy and sugar and gluten andall that.
I'm like, wow, this is exactlywhere I focus off my patients.
So we really resonated on thatlevel.
And then the fact that theywere open to creating formulas,
formulas that we would use asholistic doctors with patients,
meaning things have studiesbehind them, human studies.
We're using the same types ofconcentrations of extract, the
(07:41):
same doses of studies, beingmore comprehensive, more
clinical, and between those twothings that's where we really
hit it off together, and so I'vebeen working with him I think
almost 15, 20 years now.
Jim Wilk (07:54):
Yeah, I recall his integrity.
It's rare to see he's soparticular about what goes into
his products that he'll doprocesses.
You know, folks, there's a lotof manufacturing processes out
there for making supplements andstuff.
He does it the I wouldn't wantto say the old-fashioned way,
but he does it.
Speed is not important to himand it's the quality and the
(08:18):
reason why a lot of othercompanies use binders and
fillers and things like that,because it makes the process
easier but not necessarilybetter.
And I always admired that abouthim.
Dr. Mark Stengler (08:29):
No, you're exactly right, and that's why,
when they are a manufacturer ofsupplements, they cannot do the
large runs at a time like othercompanies, because it is more
involved process and the speedwill be slower.
But that's what we have to doto have the highest quality and
purity.
So you're right.
You understand that perfectly.
Jim Wilk (08:48):
Yeah, and all the trademarked ingredients that he
uses explain to people what thatmeans when you see a trademark
ingredient in a supplement.
Dr. Mark Stengler (08:57):
Yeah, generally the trademark
ingredients.
These are, say, herbal extractsor other nutrients which have
human studies on them, you know,published peer-reviewed human
studies, and then they'retrademarked.
And so we're always in ourformulas or in our combination
formulas and single ones too,where we are using ingredients
which have human publishedstudies behind.
We want to make sure thesethings work on the right dose
(09:19):
and concentration and the safetyand all that.
And so you'll see thesetrademarked ingredients.
Yes, they cost themanufacturers more money, but we
want to guarantee we're usingthings that have been proven to
work.
We don't want theoreticalthings, we want things we know
work.
So you'll see those in ourproducts for sure, a lot of
trademark ingredients which havehad the studies done on them.
Whereas a lot of companies theymay use maybe the same herb or
(09:41):
nutrient, it's not exactly thesame.
It doesn't have the humanstudies.
Could it work?
Yeah, it could, but will itwork as good?
Maybe not.
Right, exactly, and I might'veknown this, but I have to
apologize, I forgot.
Do you know why it's calledEmerald?
Why did he use that term?
That's a good question.
I don't recall.
(10:01):
I should know the answer tothat.
I'm going to find out.
Jim Wilk (10:03):
I mean, he doesn't look Irish to me for some reason
.
I don't know.
Dr. Mark Stengler (10:07):
No, that's great.
He looks more like British tome.
But that's a good question.
I'll have to check that out.
Jim Wilk (10:14):
All right, so let's get into a little bit here.
You know, I see a lot ofclients and all of a sudden and
I don't know if you've noticedthis people are actually asking
for methylated products out here, methylated nutrients, and I'd
like you to put it again intolayman's terms there, also for
myself, because I'm no scientist.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthe methylation process and why
(10:36):
it's important.
Why does Emerald Labs use someof these methods?
Dr. Mark Stengler (10:41):
Right?
Well, methylation is abiochemical term and it
basically means in our cellsthere's all these biochemical
processes occurring, thousandsof reactions per second really
and so one of the things thatoccurs in our cells is called
methylation, which is a fancyway of saying you're taking a
carbon and three hydrogen andit's being attached to different
molecules, and what that allowsto happen in biochemistry
(11:03):
allows for energy to be produced, it allows your detoxification
pathways to work properly, itallows your body to make
hormones and neurotransmittersso obviously very fundamental
processes in the body andmethylation.
It requires different nutrients, requires things like magnesium
, for example, but it reallyrequires B vitamins, b12, folate
(11:28):
the natural folate and B6 andsome B3.
So when you get supplementslike these B vitamins, you can
get them in their methylatedform, which means they're in the
form which, when you take them,absorb into your bloodstream,
go to your cells.
They're ready for your cells touse.
When you use like synthetic Bvitamins, let's say like folic
acid, which is a man-madeattempt to duplicate naturally
(11:50):
occurring folate, like you findin food, say like in oranges,
beans and things like that, andso, because it's a little bit
different structure, it has togo through a series of
metabolism in your cells to bein its active final form.
So obviously, if you're one ofthese 60% of the population
where our genes are such wherewe really have some issues
(12:10):
trying to take those synthetic Bvitamins and then processing
them into their active finalform, well, we need to bypass
that and that's what Emerald, Ithink, was one of the first to
do it and always have done itfor many, many years and using
like methylated B vitamins, solike the methylcobalamin B12,
the methylfolate, et cetera, andso then your cells can utilize
them right away and then thatcan help in things like your
(12:32):
mood and your energy and yourdetoxification and hormone
balance and all that and evenyour immune system function.
Jim Wilk (12:39):
And how does the genes play a role in this?
They say in the United Statesthere's like half the people
they inherit that normal genebut a lot of them have a weaker
variations of it.
How does that come into play?
Dr. Mark Stengler (12:52):
Yeah, so we all have these methylation genes
.
The one we're referring to moreis like MTHFR.
There's two primary types of it.
I won't get into the detailsbut, yeah, about half of the
population.
The way our genes are, if we'reusing synthetic B vitamins there
can be issues, there can beproblems metabolizing our cells
so we can get the benefits fromit.
So then if we use themethylated form, where it
(13:14):
doesn't have to go through allthese different steps to be
processed, so to speak, finalactive form, then our cells then
can use those B vitamins andmake the energy and help the
detoxification systems, help ourcell DNA, repair all these
important processes.
So in my mind I mean, why wouldanyone not want to use
methylated B vitamins, which youknow a lot of the forms,
(13:35):
especially like to be honest,especially things like in the
pharmacies and stuff?
You know these cheap B vitamins.
They're usually not methylated,so people are not getting the
best kinds and for some peopleit's very, very important.
For example, if you're a womanand you're, you know, planning
to be pregnant, become pregnant,and you, you know, in half the
population, we have an issue.
Or maybe you're in the 25% ofthe population, we have a big
(13:55):
problem where you inherited avariation from both parents, not
just one.
Well, you know, we know nowthat could that predispose you
to having birth defects withyour child, or maybe a person
prone to depression.
Studies have shown that peoplewho have this genetic variation,
if you don't get the methyl ABvitamins, you're more prone to
depression because you can'tmake the serotonin, the dopamine
(14:17):
, these neurotransmitters, thesechemicals that influence our
brain.
You can't make them effectivelyand so the brain can't work by
magic.
So this can be very importantfor you know, especially certain
people.
Jim Wilk (14:29):
How do people go about finding out if they have this
gene problem?
I guess it's a little easiertoday than it was years past.
Dr. Mark Stengler (14:36):
Yeah, I mean there's a couple ways they can
do it.
I mean, you know, nowadaysthere's labs online where you
could get the MTHFR gene testedor be under a methylation panel.
But the regular labs thatdoctors use can run it too.
You know the large labs doctorsuse around the country.
It can be run, you know as well, by your general practitioner.
So either way, you can do it onyour own or have your doctor
(14:58):
order it and you can.
You know you can see.
Now, the reason that can behelpful is, let's say, you've
got one copy.
Well, you know you have someissue, you know, with
methylation.
You still want to use them.
You know methylated B vitaminsare going to be the best, but if
you have two coffees then evenmore so important, you know that
you're using them and you knowletting your, you know your
(15:18):
siblings and or the otherchildren and stuff.
You know they should get testedtoo Because, look, you could
prevent a lot of health issueswhich you don't have to suffer
with because it's a simple thingto deal with.
And, lastly, you could be moreprone to having elevation of an
amino acid called HOMO-15.
And when that's elevated in theblood, that is a risk factor
(15:38):
for dementia, stroke andrheumatoid arthritis and the
treatment medically is the same.
You know, whether you see aholistic doctor or you know kind
of a conventional doctor, thesame thing.
You give them methylated folateand B12 and that helps deliver
to break it down, so thisprotein is not creating
inflammation in the bloodstream.
Jim Wilk (15:58):
Yeah, folks.
So it pays to maybe find outwhat the family's been going
through over the years and seeif you get things tested like
that.
I think it's a great idea andthat homocysteine is kind of
like a hidden problem for peoplethat when you get your normal
lab work you don't usually seethat.
But there are some companiesout there that test for that
kind of thing also with theinflammation and all that stuff
(16:21):
like that.
Do you guys do that at yourclinic at all?
Dr. Mark Stengler (16:23):
Do you have to testing there or oh,
absolutely yeah, we always dohomocysteine as a screening test
because we do see it fairlycommonly and, again, all the
regular labs operate.
So it's just a matter ofgetting your doctor to run it or
, like I said, nowadays you canoftentimes get labs done on your
own too.
So everyone should be screenedfor the homocysteine level
because it's a very simple thingto treat if it's elevated very
(16:46):
simple with these methylated Bvitamins.
Jim Wilk (16:48):
Well, inside the Emerald Labs multis they use the
methylated form of the Bvitamins, I'm assuming.
Dr. Mark Stengler (16:55):
Absolutely yeah.
Jim Wilk (16:56):
And there's new evidence recently in the last
year or two about how importantmultis are, especially for
cognitive health.
There's some new studies doneon that that people who take a
good multivitamin have lesscognitive problems.
Have you come across that atall?
Dr. Mark Stengler (17:10):
Yes, I have, and there have been other
studies that have shown thatpeople who have adults who have
more adequate levels of B6, o8,and B12 have the lower risk of
dementia and Alzheimer's, and soI think a lot of that goes back
to the methylation and also nothaving elevated homocysteine.
So you're right, there's beenseveral studies now showing
(17:32):
adults and seniors who have moreadequate levels versus those
who have low levels or deficient.
They are more prone to havingthat issue.
Why not use the methylated whenthey're available with
companies like Emerald?
Jim Wilk (17:43):
Yeah, and that's great by talking to someone who runs
a clinic as yourself, thatpeople think that they're eating
properly, even these days, andwe get enough nutrients from the
farm there, from the ground,but you're in experience with
testing people and things thatwe're not getting all the
nutrients that we could possiblyutilize.
(18:04):
Oh, very much true In our diet,yeah.
Dr. Mark Stengler (18:07):
Yeah, no, very much true, Because with our
patients we do routinely runnutrient levels.
Now we may do limited panels,so things like B12, magnesium,
iron, omega-3, things like that,but we have other expanded
panels where we check 40nutrients and, yes, the average
person definitely hasnutritional deficiencies and
government studies have shownthat to be the case.
(18:28):
You know, it is alwayssurprising how many patients we
see, for example, like withlower B12 levels, b12, like when
you become a senior.
If you have B12 deficiencywhich, by the way, statistically
is one in every four seniors Imean that in itself is a risk
factor for dementia.
Your brain actually studiesshow your brain actually shrinks
when you're deficient in B12.
(18:51):
So people may be wondering whywould I be low on B12?
Well, it could be because weage, or maybe under stress, or
you have chronic illness, you'renot producing enough stomach
acid intrinsic factor stomach toabsorb it in your small
intestine.
Some people avoid red meatcompletely, which is the main
source of B12.
Maybe you're on medicationswhich deplete you of B12.
(19:11):
You know antidepressants, birthcontrol pills for younger
people.
So anyways, there's manydifferent reasons why we see
these nutritional deficiencies.
In addition, of course, ourfoods don't have the levels they
did 50 years ago because of thesoil being depleted and things
like that.
Jim Wilk (19:27):
Right.
Have you noticed in your clinic?
Vegans are having a problemwith B12 sustainability.
Dr. Mark Stengler (19:34):
Yeah, we do see the B12 low fairly commonly.
We also see the omega-3 fattyacids low Right.
We don't see the protein levelsbeing low.
We were taught that in school30 years ago.
We don't see that.
But yeah, the B12, the omega-3,we see that very commonly.
Jim Wilk (19:50):
Interesting, very interesting.
A couple of things I wanted todiscuss today and some hormonal
things.
And we get these questions alot about their adrenals and
their thyroid.
So let's talk a little bitabout that, because I think
Emerald makes a fantasticformulas here that you guys you
have formulated.
And adrenal I've heard over theyears too that some of the
(20:12):
mainstream doctors out therethey don't believe in a adrenal
fatigue, so to speak.
They don't really understandthat term or opt to use that
term at all.
How does one know if theiradrenals are working properly or
not?
I know thyroid, there's tests,we'll talk about the thyroid in
a few minutes but are theretests for their adrenal
(20:33):
functions that people can do?
And how would they come see yousaying, hey, doc, my adrenals
are exhausted.
Well, how do they know that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (20:41):
Well, there's a few different ways we can
test that.
First, we can do blood work.
We can test adrenal hormoneslike pregnenolone, dhea,
cortisol preferably before ninein the morning, so you can be
done with blood.
You can do urine tests whichwill measure those as well.
And then my favorite is salivatesting, because we can do
multiple samples, save thecortisol in one day and just see
if it's running low the wholeday.
(21:01):
I prefer that test.
And I think the problem inmedicine is things changed in
the last 15, 20 years.
It used to be.
You had like a kind of acontinuum where someone you know
has healthy adrenals versussomeone who's having problems.
And then nowadays, basically inmedicine, they're like well,
hey, you either have majoradrenal disease, which is rare,
(21:23):
they call it conditions likeAddison's, where you just aren't
producing enough cortisol, butall the people left in between,
so we have suboptimal adrenalfunction.
You know you got fatigue, youcan't handle stress.
Well, you got sleep problems,you can't handle inflammation,
cognitive problems.
So if you're kind of caught inbetween that, they don't really,
you know, diagnose it or offeranything.
(21:44):
So the people in between yeah,you know the term adrenal
fatigue is used.
Maybe a more correct term wouldbe adrenal dysfunction.
And so, yeah, we see a lot ofpeople help by improving their
adrenal function, which is kindof interesting because you look
at the things like in theEmerald Labs adrenal health I
mean, how does it really helpthe adrenals, these things?
Well, in part they help byestablishing a normal
(22:07):
communication system between thebrain, the pituitary gland you
know, up in the head too andthen to the adrenals.
There's this communicationnetwork, so when we're under
stress or a chronic illness,this messaging system can be off
, and then that affects, youknow, your adrenal hormones.
And so the herbs like rhodiolaashwagandha eleutheroca, also
(22:28):
referred to as cyber-engine,they actually help to
reestablish this normalcommunication, which then can
help to balance out your adrenalhormones.
You handle stress better, yourenergy is better.
We got the activated methylatedB vitamins in there, which your
adrenals do use to make stresshormones.
So, yeah, that's how this allconnects here.
Jim Wilk (22:47):
Yeah, and I noticed that you again.
We talked about earlier howEmerald Labs uses trademarked
ingredients.
They have the Sensorylashwagandha which has been
around for a while and because,again, folks, herbs and things
can vary from company to companyand batch to batch and when
you're using a trademarkedingredient it can make a big
(23:08):
difference and you're gettingwhat you pay for, so to speak,
right.
Dr. Mark Stengler (23:12):
Well, it's true, like if you take, like in
their adrenal health, theirFensaryl ashwagandha.
Now there's 250 milligrams inthere for two capsules.
Now you may see a form thatsays, hey, I've got 300 and 350.
Maybe that's better.
Well, here's the thing.
(23:33):
Most astragalant extracts arelike a 0.5 to 1%, what we call
with analyte extract.
These with analyte are reallywhat help the balance out the
communication system, theadrenal stress, hormone function
production and so forth.
There's this using.
The one used in the humanstudies is 8%.
So really it's like if you take250 milligrams and multiply
that by eight, right, so we'regetting, you know, eight times
(23:55):
the amount.
So really you're getting a lotmore, much more than the typical
adrenal product.
You're getting seven to eighttimes more of these active
constituents which are havingbasically the balancing effect
on your adrenals.
Jim Wilk (24:08):
Yeah, that's true.
I think that's a fantasticpoint because a lot of people
don't realize it's.
Again, it comes down to qualityand you pay for what you get
and that's why you try to lookfor trademarked ingredients,
which Emeril does a great job.
Just a reminder, folks you cango to hollyhillvitaminscom and
(24:28):
order that.
We could just say code wordnuts and UTZ and we'll give you
15% off your orders there too,so proud to be a sponsor for
Emerald Labs there and AdrenalHealth by them.
It's again has that coenzymatedB vitamins which we were
talking about earlier, which is,you know, better absorbed in
(24:51):
the body there.
So you get what you In yourexperience, do people notice
something within a few days, aweek or two?
What's the normal type of?
I guess there is no normal, buthow would you retest somebody
and what kind of time periodthere?
Dr. Mark Stengler (25:03):
Well, I mean people have fatigue and let's
say they take Emerald B,B-complex.
Yeah, they can noticedifference within a few days to
a week.
Now, on the adrenal, if youlook at the studies, see on the
sensorial, you know you've gotstudies, often they were 30-day
studies and in those 30 dayswhat do you see?
You find people's energy levelwas better, their sleep was
(25:23):
better, their mood was betterand some other factors.
So those times were 30 days, sodefinitely in 30 days.
But that being said, yeah, wesee people usually within one to
two weeks they notice anobvious improvement in how
they're feeling in thosedifferent areas.
Jim Wilk (25:36):
And you mentioned earlier.
You guys do testing and things.
But I've noticed over the yearsthere's people who specialize
in endocrinologists, whospecialize in hormones.
They're few and far between tofind endocrinologists who
specialize in hormones.
They're few and far between tofind endocrinologists out there.
Is that a trend, is something?
Are they going away or is it?
They're hard to define.
What's going on with that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (25:56):
Well, the way it is in Mass Rail I mean
endocrinologists I mean it's aproblem.
I mean if someone were actuallyto see one usually, no matter
where you are in the UnitedStates, I mean, it usually takes
three months to get in, so yeah, it's a problem.
There's not a ton of them andthey serve an important function
.
However, if you're getting oneof these people, say, with your
(26:18):
adrenals, your thyroid, whereyou don't have like just overt
disease but you have thembalanced, I mean I'm not trying
to be negative, but they'repretty much useless in those
cases.
Jim Wilk (26:30):
You, in those cases, you're just going to say, hey,
there's nothing wrong with you.
I'm here to see people withthyroid cancer and more serious
stuff.
I mean, that's kind of the wayit works.
Yeah, okay, I understand.
All right, let's jump over tothyroid here.
Big issue A lot of people areon medication for thyroid Over
the past decades or so.
Is that something that's becomemore of a problem, less?
What's your opinion on that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (26:48):
Yeah, I've looked at studies on that and
definitely the amount of peoplewith thyroid dysfunction,
definitely it's high.
I mean it's high, I meanmillions, millions of Americans
have thyroid issues, for sure,and I think there's different
reasons for it Chemicals in theenvironment, for sure, high
stress, nutrient deficiencies,other hormones are imbalanced in
(27:09):
the body which affect thethyroid.
So all these things combinedand I think the other factor is,
you know, autoimmunity is verycommon, unfortunately, in the
American population.
Our immune system attacks ourown tissue and that includes the
thyroid.
So, for example, the mostcommon cause of thyroid problems
in Americans, called autoimmunethyroiditis, also known as
(27:31):
Hashimoto's thyroiditis AJapanese doctor had discovered
it and this is where immunesystem attacks your thyroid
tissue and it accounts for 85%of people who develop hypo or
low thyroid function and requiretreatment.
So you know, unfortunately,it's estimated anywhere from 50
million, maybe up to 100 millionAmericans have autoimmune
(27:53):
problems.
Jim Wilk (27:54):
Ah, okay, so is the general doctors out there that
you go see for your thyroid.
They sometimes immediately putyou on a synthetic thyroid
product like Synthroid orsomething like that.
Is that something that maybethey should see what else is
going on on a synthetic thyroidproduct like Synthroid or
something like that?
Is that something that maybethey should see what else is
going on before they do that,before people get on a
medication?
I mean, do some people actuallyneed the medication or can they
(28:16):
get by with some supplements tosee if they can correct that
problem?
Dr. Mark Stengler (28:21):
Yeah, it's a good question, and I've looked
at the literature and they havefound there are a lot of people
and it's called subclinicalhypothyroidism.
What that basically means is,people may remember, on their
blood work, doctors run a markercalled ESH stands for thyroid
stimulating hormone, and so thathormone can be elevated.
Now, some of these peoplethat's elevated, but their
(28:43):
actual thyroid hormones, whichare creating the metabolism in
their cells, called T4 and T3,they're not deficient.
And so what the research showsis, yes, a lot of these people
are given medication, thesesynthetic medications, but they
don't really need it.
Instead, what we prefer to dowith these people is we put them
on, improve their diet, theirexercise, their stress, put them
(29:03):
on something like the EmeraldThyroid Health, and so the goal
of that is to balance out theirown thyroid, get their thyroid
working better on its own andthe messaging going from the
pituitary gland, the brain, tothe thyroid, helping to balance
things out.
We also measure theirantibodies, their thyroid
antibodies.
There's two main thyroidantibodies.
Now, if those are up, like Isaid, which is 85% people with
(29:26):
low thyroid, then Emerald has agreat product for autoimmune
thyroid as well which we'll use.
Yeah, so we want to treat theroot level.
And so we do that, and thenwe'll retest the person in like
a couple months and we'll seethat their thyroid levels have
all balanced out and they neverneeded medication.
And so once you're on amedication, the problem is your
thyroid gets lazy you know, getslazy because it's getting this
(29:50):
replacement.
And then what happens?
Well, you see these people,you'll see that you know they
need higher and higher dosesfrom their doctor over time.
So that's why we like to usethyroid health memorable or
their hash immune health tobalance things out on their own.
So in these beginning,especially in the beginning
stages or there's not likesevere hormone deficiency this
is the better way to go.
Now there's a second componentwhere we see patients who are on
(30:12):
thyroid medicine and maybe theydo need it, but we'll still use
, like the thyroid health orHash Immune to balance out their
system better, so that theydon't need higher doses over
time or maybe could use lowerdoses or, in some cases, may not
need thyroid replacement in thefuture as their doctor's
monitoring them.
So there's always a place forthe nutritional medicine.
Jim Wilk (30:32):
What are some of the symptoms of thyroid and what
about the iodine connection withthat, or people getting enough
of that in their diets andthings.
Dr. Mark Stengler (30:40):
Well, classic symptoms of low thyroid and
there can be many of them.
I mean there can be like 40 or50, but class ones can be like
you get cold, easy fatigue, poorcognitive function, your
metabolism is slowing down, youknow it's harder to lose weight
or you're gaining weight, youcan get water retention, dry
skin.
So those are some of the jointpain.
Those are some of the classicones for low thyroid.
(31:01):
Now, in terms of iodine, iodineis really like the building
block of your thyroid hormonesand so you know you have to have
it.
It's an essential nutrient andthere are parts of the world
where iodine deficiency is amajor problem.
It's one of the most commonnutrient deficiencies in the
world, causes major healthproblems.
(31:22):
But what's happening in Americais, because so many people have
high blood pressure, they'reavoiding table salt, where that
has been their main source ofiodine, because, let's face it,
I mean you can get iodine ineggs and you get it in fish.
But what's happening now forsome people?
Because of high blood pressure,they're avoiding iodized salt
and so now iodine deficiency iscoming back again in America.
(31:46):
And again, you can't makethyroid hormone without it, so
it's something that needs to betaken into account and that's
why we have iodine in thyroidhealth with Emerald Not massive
amounts, but iodine is kind of atricky thing.
I mean, if you take the amountslike in the Emerald multi in
your thyroid health, it's fine,there's no risk to it.
Some people take mega doses ofiodine and that can create
(32:07):
imbalances that can actuallytrigger autoimmune thyroid.
There's some research on thatso yeah, so some people should
be aware of.
Jim Wilk (32:14):
And once you're on these thyroid medications, I've
been told that it's kind of hardto get off of them.
Is that something you have todeal with?
Do people come in saying,listen, I'm tired of taking this
medication, I have this andthat side effect.
So that is a possibility ofweaning yourself off under
supervision of like someoneyourself.
Dr. Mark Stengler (32:33):
Absolutely.
In the medical literaturethey're actually you know, they
actually stated there's a lot ofpeople on thyroid medication
that should not be on it.
So what we do is you know likeyou work their diet nutrition,
get them on something like thethyroid health, the hash immune,
and then we monitor them.
We'll slowly decrease theirthyroid medication dose, monitor
them in their lab tests andwork to wean them off that in a
(32:55):
safe and effective manner.
But yeah, it can be done.
Jim Wilk (32:57):
Folks, you can always go to emeraldlabs.
com.
You can see the facilitiesthere and how they do their
testing for everything and someof the other products they make.
I mean, we can be here for acouple of hours with all the
stuff that they do.
They're really well known fortheir multivitamins like we
discussed before how importantthey are, and they have it
really down to a science whereno matter what stage of life
(33:19):
you're in and what gender youare, Emerald Labs will cover it.
I've gone through their multiswith so many people over the
years there and they're alwayslooking for stuff that's
additive-free, which is.
A lot of people are sensitiveto these excipients in there.
Some people no problem at all.
But if you have any qualmsabout that, they're the company
to go with there.
(33:40):
Just to end up with a few thingshere, doc, I noticed they came
out recently with an anti-agingcellular complex.
Now I'm at that age where I'mlooking for that anti-aging
stuff.
I'm fighting as much as I canhere.
So what are some of theingredients?
I see you have the glutathioneand the R-alpha-lipoic acid and
CoQ10 in there.
(34:00):
What was the genesis of thisproduct there?
Dr. Mark Stengler (34:04):
Well, it's true, we want to use things
which do fight the aging process.
I'm a big fan of glutathione,especially the one that Emerald
uses called the Cetreaglutathione, because it's one of
the few that has good humanpublished studies showing you
absorb it and your blood andsaliva levels go up, and so
glutathione is so important.
It is one of the most importantantioxidants in the body.
But one of the things I likeabout glutathione is that it
(34:27):
does help to protect your DNAfrom damage and, as we both know
, if your DNA is getting damagedfrom toxins in the environment
and things like that, ormedications, then shorten part
of your DNA called telomeres,which can shorten your life
process if you will.
And also, of course, if yourDNA is damaged, you're prone to
diseases, cancer and things likethat.
(34:48):
So I'm a big fan of glutathione.
Coq10, of course, is a veryimportant antioxidant as well,
with barotrol that's been shownin studies to help the telomeres
the length of these ends of DNA, which is involved in health
and aging and lipocast is agreat antioxidant too, and then
they have the uniquephytonutrients.
You start looking at thesephytonutrients, these extracts
(35:13):
from plant foods likepomegranates and other ones.
I mean, these things arepowerful in terms of their
ability to help fight disease.
So, yeah, it is a nicecombination formula.
Jim Wilk (35:20):
And just as an add-on, you did mention R-alpha lipoic
acid and I think people do getconfused about the synthetic and
natural versions of that.
They're looking for alphalipoic, then they see R-lipoic.
Do you do a quick little thingon that?
Dr. Mark Stengler (35:33):
Yeah, you're right.
So the R-alpha lipoic is thetype you'd find in nature.
That is the type your bodywould want.
So you're right, that's a goodpoint.
Jim Wilk (35:46):
Yeah, that's the way to go, folks.
Again, excellent ingredients,trademarked ingredients.
It's just a nice little adjunctto your regular regime.
There's anti-aging.
You're not really duplicatinganything there.
It's a nice little add-on ifyou want to slow down that aging
process there.
We're going to keep thosecandles in the cake there.
Also, remember you go tohollyhillvitamins.
com.
You mention nuts and UTC andget your 15% off.
(36:08):
You can see the whole line onthe website there.
And you can also go to EmeraldLabs.
Doc, can people become apatient online with you?
Do Zoom calls?
What's the story there?
Dr. Mark Stengler (36:19):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, we do do telemedicine.
That is true, we do dotelemedicine.
So at MarkStnglercom they canread about what they want.
Jim Wilk (36:25):
Yeah, yeah, markstnglercom, that's
S-T-E-N-G-L-E-R, and I wishyou'd do another 29 years there.
Yeah, yeah, congratulations tothe longevity there.
That's great in this day andage.
So I'm happy for you and if Iget out to California I'll look
you up there.
Thank you so much for being onthe show, Mark.
(36:47):
Appreciate it.
Dr. Mark Stengler (36:48):
Oh, thank you so much.
Jim Wilk (36:49):
All right, guys, take care and we'll see you real soon
.
Bye-bye now.
Please subscribe to the channelso you can get our latest
episodes, and if you want tocontact me with any questions or
comments, try jimwilkcnc atgmailcom.
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