Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 4-09-2026:

• Dr. Dawn shares a follow-up from an emailer in Switzerland providing seven functional medicine practitioner addresses near Zurich and Aargau, noting that Switzerland uses different terminology but is actually an "epicenter of functional medicine."
• Dr. Dawn calls for support of the bipartisan Break Up Big Medicine Act, modeled on Glass-Steagall, which would prohibit common ownership of medical providers with insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, or drug wholesalers. She explains how vertical integration by companies like UnitedHealth, CVS/Aetna, and Cigna allows them to game medical loss ratio requirements through self-dealing while driving up costs.
• A European clinical trial implanted 2mm x 2mm light sensors beneath the retinas of 38 people with advanced macular degeneration, with 80% gaining clinically meaningful improvement (two lines on the vision chart) after one year. The device bypasses damaged rods and cones, sending camera images from glasses directly to the optic nerve.
• Dr. Dawn explains that air temperature warnings are measured in shade, but direct sunlight can add 20°C to heat exposure. Heat stroke triggers gut permeability, releasing lipopolysaccharides that cause cytokine storms and organ failure. She advises fans over air conditioning when possible, shade, hydration, and loose natural-fabric clothing.
• An emailer asks if low-dose oral strontium supplementation has the same problem as pharmaceutical strontium. Dr. Dawn confirms it improves bone density scores without reducing fracture risk, and recommends telopeptide testing to monitor actual bone loss after discontinuing.
• An emailer's doctor wants to prescribe high-dose dexamethasone for low platelets. Dr. Dawn advises against rushing to steroids since platelets of 40 are adequate for clotting, recommending a hematology consultation and repeat testing with citrated blood.
• Dr. Dawn reviews fiber types: wheat dextrin (Benefiber) is fermentable but technically gluten-free; guar fiber (Sunfiber) ferments slowly and works for low-FODMAP diets; inulin feeds bifidobacteria and produces anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids; methylcellulose (Citrucel) is non-fermentable; and psyllium (Metamucil) is facing a class action lawsuit over undisclosed lead contamination.
• An emailer with varicose veins reports recurring superficial blood clots. Dr. Dawn explains these don't travel to lungs like deep vein clots, but repeated clotting suggests possible thrombophilia requiring workup. She recommends consulting a vascular surgeon about superficial venous ligation under local anesthesia.
• Analysis of 25,000 wearable users found that three daily "exercise snacks" of just 1-2 minutes of vigorous activity (stairs, running for a bus) reduced all-cause mortality by 38-40%. Benefits plateau around 7,500 steps daily, and simply standing up every couple of hours dramatically reduces sedentary risks.

Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 4-02-2026:

• Dr. Dawn briefly responds to an emailer in Aptos, advising that her numbers don't require rushing into therapy but recommending a more thorough workup.
• An emailer asks about her sister's osteoporosis treatment, including Reclast side effects and vitamin D levels of 28. Dr. Dawn recommends raising vitamin D to around 50, adding vitamin K2 (MK7-9) and calcium, and suggests weekly oral Fosamax as an alternative to annual Reclast infusions that cause week-long flu-like symptoms.
• A caller reports dizziness when sitting up in bed and recent fainting episodes during hot weather. Dr. Dawn distinguishes vestibular problems from postural hypotension — spinning dizziness when legs are still in bed suggests loose otoliths in the semicircular canals rather than blood pressure issues. She recommends the Dr. Foster vestibular exercises and increased fluid and salt intake.
• Cancer survival has reached a major milestone: 70% of U.S. patients now survive at least five years, up from 50% in the 1970s, thanks to reduced smoking and advances like immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors.
• An Estonian Biobank study of 67,000 adults found men's libido peaks in their early 40s while women's peaks in their 20s-30s with sharper decline around age 50, though testosterone levels begin falling in men's early 30s.
• Dr. Dawn frames perimenopause and menopause as natural transitions rather than diseases, explaining that perimenopausal hormone swings can actually be larger and more erratic than during fertile years. She recommends limiting caffeine (which is metabolized more slowly after menopause), alcohol, and spicy foods, and strongly advocates transdermal bioidentical hormones over oral synthetics—oral estrogen increases clotting risk 400% while transdermal carries no increased risk.
• An emailer asks about transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression. Dr. Dawn explains that while the technology works and shows benefit in studies, targeting remains challenging because each person's brain architecture differs based on individual developmental experiences.
• Researchers found that applying gamma-frequency electrical stimulation (40-90 Hz) to frontal and parietal lobes made participants more likely to choose generous money-splitting options with strangers, suggesting brain stimulation can nudge social decision-making toward altruism.
• A small Indian study found that daily conch shell blowing reduced sleep apnea symptoms by 34% after six months, similar to earlier didgeridoo research—blowing against resistance strengthens airway muscles and increases resting muscle tone during sleep.

Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 3-26-2026:

• li> Dr. Dawn announces a UCSF study recruiting participants for psilocybin therapy to help patients cope with chronic low back pain, requiring ages 25-70 with failed prior treatments.
• A caller preparing for bladder stone surgery asks about avoiding a repeat of severe post-anesthesia disorientation. Dr. Dawn recommends pharmacogenomic testing through 3x4 Genetics to identify slow acetylator status and other detoxification enzyme variants that can guide anesthesiologists toward better drug choices.
• A clinical trial found that 24 minutes of music with binaural beats—where slightly offset audio in each ear generates synchronized brainwaves—significantly reduced anxiety in medicated patients. Dr. Dawn encourages trying this accessible, low-risk intervention.
• Chronic noise exposure triggers oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, increasing cardiovascular disease risk. Data centers and server farms are emerging noise pollution sources, and Dr. Dawn recommends affordable noise-canceling headphones as a health investment.
• A Crohn's patient in Switzerland reports alarming neurological symptoms including speech arrest with preserved awareness and transient visual disturbances. He is having trouble finding any Functional Medicine trained physician and Dr. Dawn recommends emailing to info@ifm.org. Furthermore, Dr. Dawn suspects possible seizure activity from brain inflammation and recommends pursuing a sleep-deprived EEG and MRI through a neurology referral.
• MIT researchers discovered Interlectin-2, a protein that both strengthens the mucus barrier by cross-linking mucins and directly traps and kills pathogens like Salmonella and Shigella. Imbalanced levels may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. Synthetic versions may be an effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. A 33-year-old man survived 48 hours without lungs after flu-triggered bacterial pneumonia caused ARDS and multiple organ failure. Surgeons removed both lungs treat septic shock while ECMO (extracorporeal oxygenation)sustained him until a successful double lung transplant.
• A meta-analysis of 43 studies involving millions of births found no evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy increases autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability risk, contradicting recent political claims.
• Green tea contains about 30% more L-theanine than black tea, with studies showing 200mg daily improves verbal fluency, sleep quality, and reduces anxiety. Decaffeinated green tea retains full theanine content.
• Pop star Robbie Williams developed scurvy while on GLP-1 weight loss drugs, highlighting that only 2 of 40+ major GLP-1 trials assessed vitamin intake. Dr. Dawn urges anyone on these medications to take a comprehensive multivitamin.