Radio Show / Podcast – August 23, 2026

Hosts: Ed Jones (Owner – Nutrition World) & Clint Powell
A variety of topics all related to living a healthy life

Presented by: Nutrition World

www.nutritionw.com

Broadcasting from the Nooga Dentistry Studio

www.noogadentistry.com

Production of: Whitfield Media Group

www.vitalhealthradio.com

Ed announces Nutrition World’s Health Fair on October 24 (described as one of the biggest in the region).
Emphasis on two “types of people”: learners vs. non‑learners; audience is framed as “learners.”
Preview of free 30–40 minute lectures during the fair:


Dave from Tonal Spine – energy systems and spinal health (non-traditional, beyond standard chiropractic).
Laura Chastain – Optimize You – especially women’s hormones; described as very skilled and experienced.
Dr. Shalay (Chicago) – integrative healthcare, helping the body heal itself vs. “band-aid” approaches.
Charles – Scenic City Neurotherapy – IV ketamine for:


Chronic anxiety and depression
PTSD
Some applications in joint pain/arthritis (Ed notes his own experience for hip pain).






Strong emphasis on root-cause medicine vs. symptom masking.

Ed raises a niche but practical topic: chemicals in butter wrappers.
Refers to testing reported by Mammovation:


Higher concern (more fluorine / “forever chemicals”):


Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter
Land O’ Lakes salted butter



Better / lower concern options:


Kirkland (Costco) – lower levels
Best butter wrappers listed:


Whole Foods Market butter
Horizon
Kate’s Salted
Kirkland Organic Salted Butter









Takeaway: Shop with knowledge; packaging/liners can be a hidden health variable.

Introduction:


Guest: Meredith Mason, NP, founder of Brio Functional Medicine (opened in 2018).
Ed recalls having her on roughly seven years ago.



COVID & long-COVID context:


Meredith had two years of practice before COVID; she values that pre-COVID baseline.
Notes a “triad” she sees repeatedly since COVID:


Chronic fatigue
Mast cell / high-histamine symptoms
Digestive complaints / gut issues



Clinic intake includes a 20-page questionnaire; many patients answer “When did you last feel well?” with:


“2019”
“Before I had COVID”
“Before COVID vaccination”






Meredith’s personal health journey:


At ~18–19, she had a mysterious illness with severe throat infection, ER visit, fatigue, and eventual chronic pain and fatigue.
This pushed her toward integrative and root-cause medicine.



COVID leading to apparent Epstein–Barr reactivation:


After an infection in late 2021, she develops:


Marked fatigue
Mast-cell-type histamine issues
Digestive symptoms



Suspects Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, not just mitochondrial dysfunction.
Meredith’s own approach:


Used a Kasia Kines‑style nutritional protocol plus antivirals with a Florida physician.
Her Early Antigen D normalized, with improved fatigue.






EBV & herpesvirus family:


Clarifies: Epstein–Barr is a herpesvirus, in the same family as:


CMV (cytomegalovirus)
HSV-1/HSV-2
Varicella (chickenpox)



High-dose lysine known to slow replication of herpes viruses.

Meredith’s own mast-cell / histamine journey:


Developed severe histamine symptoms post-COVID.
Conventional H1 and H2 blockers (Claritin, Zyrtec, Pepcid/Famotidine) did not resolve issues.
She also tried quercetin, luteolin, and evaluated genetics (DAO and HNMT) but didn’t find a complete explanation.



Turning to the gut:


Ordered a GI-MAP functional stool test and found:


Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella pneumoniae – both high histamine‑producing bacteria.



Hypothesis:


COVID changes the gut microbiome (e.g., lowering beneficial Bifidobacteria), creating an environment for histamine­‑producing species to overgrow.






Widespread H. pylori findings:


In recent stool tests, >90% of her patients are now positive for H. pylori.
H. pylori:


Is a mast-cell activator
Classically associated with stomach ulcers, but also with pancreatic cancer



Meredith notes a personal family loss to pancreatic cancer in someone with prior H. pylori.



Testing approaches:


Functional medicine: GI-MAP (DNA-based) often picks up H. pylori even when:


Breath tests,
Endoscopic biopsies, or
Traditional antibody tests

come back negative.



Distinguishes:


Blood antibodies – tell you if you’ve ever had H. pylori, not necessarily current infection.
Stool antigen/DNA – better for current infection.






When to treat:


She monitors elastase-1 (pancreatic enzyme output) on stool testing:


Low elastase suggests H. pylori may be impairing stomach acid and downstream digestion.






Treatment approach:


Main tool: Mastic gum (a Mediterranean shrub extract) twice daily.
Sometimes bismuth/Pepto‑style support depending on symptoms.
Ed notes he often feels better whenever he uses mastic gum and now wants to test himself for H. pylori.



Secretory IgA & post-COVID gut immunity:


She’s seeing dramatic reductions in secretory IgA (sIgA) on stool results—even in people in their 20s.
sIgA = the primary immune antibody at the gut lining.
Her working view:


COVID appears to suppress gut immune function, making people more vulnerable to pathogens like H. pylori and histamine-producing bacteria.



Core goal at Brio: heal leaky gut, rebuild sIgA, and restore gut-driven immunity.



Clinic details:


Brio Functional Medicine (Lee Highway “wellness corner” next to Nutrition World).
Offers in‑person and telemedicine consultations.
Contact: briomedicine.com and info@briomedicine.com.

Dr. Curt Dearing outlines four major issues with conventional blood pressure management.
Evolving guidelines:


1977 Joint National Committee (JNC):


Acceptable up to 160/95; treatment mainly when diastolic ≥105.



JNC 5 and 7: 140/90 becomes standard; 130/80 suggested for high-risk (diabetes, CKD).
2017 ACC/AHA: 130/80 becomes diagnostic threshold.
Some now push for “optimal” ~110/70.



Curt’s view:


For older adults, the vascular system changes; some rise in BP is normal and necessary.
Aggressively pushing older patients into 110s/60s can be harmful.



J-curve phenomenon:


As BP is lowered, risk decreases until a threshold, after which lower BP increases risk again.



Key data he cites:


2018 Lancet (1+ million patients):


No increased mortality at 150/100.



American Journal of Hypertension:


All-cause mortality increases at ~110/70 range.






Practical implication:


Very low BP (especially diastolic <70) can reduce blood flow to the:


Brain
Heart
Kidneys



In older adults, overly low BP is linked with falls, fractures, strokes, cognitive decline, and kidney damage.
He references a nursing home study where reducing blood pressure meds led to fewer fractures, strokes, heart attacks, and deaths.

Curt emphasizes BP is a symptom, not the disease:


Common drivers:


Inflammation
Insulin resistance
Sedentary lifestyle
High stress
Mitochondrial dysfunction






Reasonable thresholds (his philosophy):


Cites Dr. David Brownstein’s rule of thumb:


“90 + your age” for systolic as a tolerable upper range, with common sense caveats.
Example: age 60 → occasionally up to 150 systolic can be acceptable.



He becomes more concerned if numbers are persistently:


Systolic near 170
Diastolic consistently >100

and root causes can’t be corrected quickly.



In those cases, he supports using medication as a temporary band‑aid while working on underlying causes.



Risks of certain meds:


Example: Amlodipine (calcium channel blocker):


Excellent at lowering BP numbers.
But may promote calcium deposition in arteries, potentially increasing cardiovascular disease over time.

Conventional advice: “Lower salt to lower blood pressure.”
Curt’s critique:


DASH diet improved BP, but it involved many variables:


Reduced refined carbs
Better overall diet quality



He argues improved insulin sensitivity and lower inflammation, not sodium restriction alone, drove most benefits.
Pure sodium-reduction-only studies typically show:


BP improvements of only 1–2 mmHg.






Downsides of excessive sodium restriction:


Can worsen insulin resistance – the opposite of what hypertensive patients need.
In the context of heat:


Low salt intake raises risk for heat-related illness and heat stroke.
Historical example: 1995 Chicago heat wave – many elderly were salt-restricted.



EMS/ER standard: in heat stroke, one of the first interventions is IV sodium chloride.



Balanced message:


Overdoing salt in single meals can acutely spike BP, but adequate daily sodium, especially in hot weather and with sweating, supports:


Blood volume
Perfusion
Safer cardiovascular function



Prefers minimally processed, mineral-rich salts (e.g., certain tested Himalayan salts) over refined table salt.

Curt notes:


2020 Journal of Human Hypertension: lifestyle changes alone can lower BP up to 15 mmHg.
Emphasizes:


Diet and carb quality
Regular movement
Stress reduction



Also highlights evidence-supported supplements:


Magnesium
Omega‑3 fatty acids
CoQ10
Others available through Nutrition World.

Ed shares a study on protein intake and kidney function:


Using eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) over 10 years in 13,124 adults (avg age 64).
Finding: higher protein intake was not associated with declining kidney function, even in:


Diabetes
Hypertension
Higher albumin levels.



Another study in ~8,500 adults:


Higher protein intake was associated with a slightly lower risk of mortality vs. low protein.



Takeaway:


For most people (including those at some CKD risk), adequate or higher protein does not automatically “wreck kidneys.”
Ed reinforces that muscle is the “organ of longevity”, so protein should not be casually restricted out of fear.

The post Radio Show / Podcast – August 23, 2026 first appeared on Vital Health Radio.