FAQ Episode 46: RFK Jr.: What if he's right?

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Migraine Relief for Women

Throughout this year I have watched the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) with interest. Although I don’t agree with him down the line, I’ve found him to be a refreshing, albeit raspy voice, in a national discussion of the role of environmental toxins in the health of the American people.

He’s also an example of how exercising a basic right, like that of questioning the status quo, can get you canceled-especially on the national stage. He has been repudiated by family, ridiculed by opponents, denied the debate platform and taken out of context many times. In a recent op-ed article in Psycholgy Today¹ he was characterized as a “conspiracy theorist,” among other descriptive perjoratives. You know they’ve abandoned rational debate when they use that phrase as their go-to put down. Remember how the term “conspiracy theorist” was a phrase popularized in the 1960s to castigate those who questioned the party line about the death of RFK Jr’s uncle? That alone makes its use in this situation irony of the highest order. To sharpen this incongruence, when “Uncle Jack” (JFK) was president, six% of American kids had a chronic health condition. Today it is 60%. Conspiracy theory? You decide.

What that Psych Today article did get right was to explain that government agencies tend to “use a ‘broadcast-first’ model, where public health authorities release messages to the general public but do not engage in a two-way dialogue.” Unfortunately, this model shuts down avenues for a reasonable initial or ongoing discussion among stakeholders (which would be, like…all of us.) That rarely goes well for the scientific process, public trust in authority figures or the health of the general citizenry.

But let’s leave that series of rabbit-holes for another time and place. The reason I mention RFK Jr. in particular is that while he suspended his presidential campaign in late August, he plans to continue to press forward with his concerns about public health in this country. And if, as it appears, that he aligns with the conservative candidate, these ideas likely will and should garner additional concern and discussion on the national level in the days to come. More open discussion, how is this not a good thing? Right?

What are RFK Jr.’s concerns about public health, and how do those issues affect those with a chronic disease like migraine?

I can’t say that because someone articulates a concern that they: 1) are authoritative on the subject, or 2) have the best answers. This is especially true for politicians.

But its a start.

Unfortunately, I have not seen much interest or action on some of these key issues from the average DNC/RNC uniparty people.

Let’s talk about a key concern that RFK Jr. has raised in his career and with this political campaign. That would be about:

• the health dangers of enviromental toxins

• how and why they could affect chronic disease problems (like migraines)

Then let’s wrap up with specific ideas about:

• what you can do to address them personally or locally for the sake of your own or your family’s health

What are environmental toxins?

These include the broad range of chemicals and their debris produced by an industrial society. To some degree their residue is unavoidable, but it could and should be minimized. While RFK Jr. and many others discuss addressing this on the political level, corruption and crony capitalism often stalls out reforms that might otherwise be effective while remaining economically viable for the consumer and taxpayer.

In the meantime and on a practical basis, you and I need to take personal action in recognizing:

• what are these chemicals?

• where they come from?

• how to minimize their impact on our own health, especially as it regards chronic disease.

Some examples of the chemical burden we all carry to some degree include:

• heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, aluminum and flouride. Add gadolinium if you’ve had an MRI. If you think you have health concerns related to one or more MRIs with contrast, check out the authoritative web site on this topic by Dr. Richard Semelka.

• endocrine disruptors like xeno-estrogens, phthalates and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAs). PFAs have been found in 97% of Americans and have half-lives of two to five years in the human body.

• microplastics that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. Microplastics have been found throughout the human body, including in blood, lungs, hearts, placentas, breast milk, testes, ovaries, livers, and kidneys.

• insecticides and herbicides like the glyphosate and organophosphates that contaminate most of the food chain in this country.

• elements of the animal protein commercial food chain including antibiotics and growth inducing hormones in beef, poultry, pork and even fish.

• the contamination of most Americans’ drinking water with measurable amounts of antidepressants, antibiotics, blood thinners, heart drugs and even opiates and anti-seizure drugs from the human population, not to mention the the two trillion pounds of annual animal waste generated by large-scale poultry and livestock operations. These contain the remnants of hormones and antibiotics fed to animals to make them grow faster and to keep them from getting sick. Inevitably, some of those hormones and antibiotics leach into groundwater or our waterways.

• the various ingredients of vaccines, both current nRNA and historically classic versions. We won’t be discussing them in this post, but their potentially adverse role in chronic disease is very real for some people.

  I believe that all medicines for competent individials should be taken voluntarily, with full disclosure consent and with zero coercion. Especially when the long term ramifications are not entirely clear. Let’s remember who should ultimately be in control of your health and healthcare-and that’s you.

Four areas where the role of environmental toxins could impact migraine headaches

1. By promoting inflammation

   To a degree, net inflammation is the difference between damage and the available repair capacity. The damage toxins cause, and the excess amount of work to repair it, leaves the body with a potential net negative, which is the inflammation that drives forward damage, disease and aging. Inflammation of vulnerable nerve and vascular structure, like the trigeminovascular pathway is a direct route to the activation of migraines. It is only one of several pro-migraine inflammatory pathways (paid subscribers see Lesson 8: Inflammatory Factors as a root cause of Migraines: Part II for more details.)

2. Via their impact on the immune system

   Chemical toxins can have a dual effect on the immune system. It can suppress function, or in some cases can activate inappropriate responses like autoimmune reactions. Sometimes both. One example would be your Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is essential in mecury detoxification, and can be chronically low if you have mercury on board, such as for those carrying long-term dental amalgam fillings. Low Vitamin D levels are directly associated with migraine incidence. See FAQ Episode 11: Migraine prevention: Make sure you don’t ‘fall back’ on your Vitamin D3 level for more details.

   A heightened immune response, such as when the gut lining is reacting to food sensitivities can promote inflammation as well (paid subscribers again see Lesson 8: Inflammatory Factors as a root cause of Migraines: Part II for this discussion.) Multiple sclerosis and celiac disease are two examples of autoimmune disease with an increased incidence of migraines.

3. Through their potential role in modulating hormone imbalance

   Xeno-estrogens are chemicals that can mimic or modulate hormone function in the body. For women with migraines, the main challenge here is a potential worsening of the estrogen/progesterone ratio, or what we call estrogen dominance. Typical symptoms of estrogen dominance can include:

   -Irregular or heavy periods

   -Migraines

   -Mood changes

   -Difficulty concentrating

   -Weight gain and abdominal bloating

   -Hot flashes.

   -Breast tenderness.

   -Increased breast density over time, which can also make a mammogram

   less accurate in the early detection of abnormal changes

   -Fatigue

   -Low libido

   -Insomnia

   -Uterine fibroids

   -Fertility issues

Since we can’t typically reduce estrogen levels, especially if you are still menstuating, the next best thing is to:

-reduce excess xeno-estrogen influence on excess estrogen dominance by minimizing your exposure to them.

-supplement your estrogen to progesterone balance with bio-identical progesterone, either over-the-counter or by compounded prescription.

Negative effects of environmental toxins on thyroid function can also affect thyroid indirectly. Paid subscribers can review Lesson 15: Hormone Root Cause factors in Migraine: Thyroid gland

4. Through their negative effects on your gut microbiome

   Although you can absorb these toxins by many routes: inhalation, transdermal or by injection, most of them are ingested through the gastrointestinal tract. In that process they can inhibit or kill off healthy bowel flora populations. They can also inflame the gut lining that ensures a barrier between the gut lumen and the blood and the immune system. Either and more often both of these his process can 1) allow toxins direct access to the bloodstream and immune system and 2) result in immune activation, with a cascade of events that can worsen inflammation to aggravate a host of health problems, including migraines.

In the next section we will discuss the action items that can modify these four areas of concern, and in turn their potential impact as root cause factors in the propogation of a migraine headache.

Action items for consideration

Each has an end-tag with the number of the above area(s) of concern it addresses:

-Eat organic. Buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to agricultural chemicals. Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed and prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way, you also minimize artificial food additives, including migraine prone sweeteners, food coloring, and MSG. Its definitely pricier at checkout, so you may have to be selective. I’d make animal meats, dairy and eggs your organic priorities. Minimize vegetable borne chemicals by wash or rinse before eating. (1-4)

-Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods. Avoid cooking food in containers that leach chemicals into your food. Common examples would be the plastic containers many use to microwave their food, or microwave popcorn bags. (1-4)

-Use a water filter for your home drinking water. (1,4)

-Check your Vitamin D3 level and aim for the upper one-third of the normal range. (2)

-If you have symptoms of estrogen dominance, you can: 1) start with by using transdermally applied over the counter progesterone support. Usually labeled Progesterone USP, you can try 15-30 mg applied topically once daily to evaluate benefit. Rotate application among your four extremities in turn.. 2) You may also want to consult a practitioner with experience in bio-identical hormone balance for more comprehensive individualization. (3)

-Look for natural alternatives for personal care toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants, and cosmetics, as well as, household cleaning agents. (1,2)

-Minimize exposure to clothes and furniture that have been treated with flame retardant chemicals. These are impossible to avoid completely, but shaving even 10-15% off each area of potential toxin exposures adds up beneficially over time. (1,2)

-Minimize the use of artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners, or other synthetic fragrances. (1,2)

-Increase the healthy fiber in your diet with foods like broccoli, collard greens, and spinach. I’ll be going further in depth on the benefit of fiber in general for migraines in the upcoming FAQ Episode 47. (3)

-Detoxify organic based chemicals with the use of infra-red sauna. Also consider using oral chelating agents like cilantro, spirulina or chlorella in your recipes or as ongoing oral supplements to bind mycotoxins or heavy metals. (1-4)

-If you have mercury amalgams, consider having a biologically knowledgeble dentist replace them with a porcelein version. Alpha lipoic acid can be an useful non-prescription supplement for gradual mercury detoxification, usually in the dosing range of 300-600 mg/day. For more serious mercury levels or related symptoms, seek out a physician knowledgeble in oral or IV mercury detoxification therapy. (1,2,4)

Environmental toxins and their effects on inflammation, immune function, hormone balance and gut functionality all are potential root cause factors that promote migraines. While this is an area where any one action item can bear results, it is more likely that a combination of healing remedies unique to your story will be the key to clearing a chronic disorder like migraine headaches.

I encourage you to stay in the process while learning more about your story and the combination of factors that address your migraine “weak links.” Please stay posted to these blog posts to learn more about the variety of migraine promoting elements that might be your key to clearing your headaches.

Lastly, because our lawyer made us say it advised that we share this with you:

Please remember that all content in this course is for informational and educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. This information is not intended to provide medical advice for any one individual and does not provide a direct doctor to patient relationship. It does not take the place of such advice from your personal physician for the purpose of the diagnosis, cure, treatment or prevention of any disease or medical condition.

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/denying-to-the-grave/202408/public-health-needs-to-respond-to-rfk-jr