In This Edition:
- What’s New at FMP Essentials: Stay updated on upcoming courses, practitioner meet-ups, exciting announcements, and new educational content.
- Galectin-3 and the Inflamed Brain: Discover how this immune protein drives neuroinflammation—and why it’s gaining attention as both a biomarker and therapeutic target in cognitive decline.
- Private Mastermind Podcast Spotlight: Don’t miss Dr. Elyaman’s vibrant conversation with Dr. Deanna Minich on using color-coded nutrition to support women through menopause. From phytonutrients to functional fat, this episode is packed with clinical gems.
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Blog Feature: This month’s blog explores how elevated homocysteine impacts cardiovascular, cognitive, and reproductive health—and how functional medicine practitioners can test, interpret, and treat it using targeted strategies.
Stay informed, engaged, and ahead of the curve with this month’s updates!
What's New At FMP Essentials?
- Advanced Lipid Masterclass: Our advanced lipid course is now on-demand! This 8-module course is packed with clinical insights to help you master lipidology through a functional medicine lens. Haven’t signed up yet? Click here to join now and get full access!
- Public Podcast: Our podcast episode with Dr. Elizabeth Boham on the functional medicine approach to breast cancer—previously released early to our Mastermind community—is now publicly available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. If you missed it the first time, now’s your chance to tune in. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more expert insights. Click here to watch now!
- ICIM Conference: We’re getting excited for the Cracking the Code on Chronic Kidney Disease conference this August in Atlanta hosted by the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM)! Dr. Elyaman will be speaking on Hyperuricemia & Insulin Resistance as Drivers of CKD, and we’ll be there with an FMP Essentials booth—come say hello! Register here.
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Mastermind: We continue to work on our Silver and Gold memberships which are set to launch in the fall, offering advanced clinical content and leadership development tools. Click here to join the waitlist!
Galectin 3 and Neuroinflammation
We’ve been hearing a lot about Galectin 3 (Gal 3) at recent conferences, so we took a deeper look into the research—and the findings are hard to ignore. Gal 3 is emerging as a key player in neuroinflammation and cognitive decline, especially in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and Huntington’s.
Originally known for its role in fibrosis and immune regulation, Gal 3 is now recognized as a highly expressed marker of activated microglia in the diseased brain. It clusters around amyloid plaques, influences microglial polarization, and may act as a driver of both neurotoxic and neuroprotective states depending on the context.
Here’s what practitioners should know:
- 🧪 Gal 3 is elevated in serum and brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment, making it a potential biomarker for early detection and disease monitoring
- 🧬 Gal 3 interacts with receptors like TREM2, TLR4, and MerTK, influencing microglial function, phagocytosis, and inflammatory signaling
- 🧠 Blocking Gal 3 in animal models reduces neuroinflammation, improves cognition, and attenuates Alzheimer’s pathology—supporting its role as a therapeutic target
- 💊 Early-phase trials of TB006, a Gal 3–neutralizing antibody, are showing promise in Alzheimer’s patients
- 🍊 Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is a natural Gal 3 inhibitor with early evidence of benefit in systemic inflammation and may serve as a gentle adjunct in a neuroinflammatory protocol
As the research evolves, Gal 3 is quickly becoming a molecule to watch—both for its diagnostic potential and its role in shaping the immune landscape of the brain.
References:
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García-Revilla J, Boza-Serrano A, Espinosa-Oliva AM, Soto MS, Deierborg T, Ruiz R, de Pablos RM, Burguillos MA, Venero JL. Galectin-3, a rising star in modulating microglia activation under conditions of neurodegeneration. Cell Death Dis. 2022 Jul 20;13(7):628. doi: 10.1038/s41419-022-05058-3. PMID: 35859075; PMCID: PMC9300700.
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Pedrosa LF, Raz A, Fabi JP. The Complex Biological Effects of Pectin: Galectin-3 Targeting as Potential Human Health Improvement? Biomolecules. 2022 Feb 10;12(2):289. doi: 10.3390/biom12020289. PMID: 35204790; PMCID: PMC8961642.
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An L, Chang G, Zhang L, Wang P, Gao W, Li X. Pectin: Health-promoting properties as a natural galectin-3 inhibitor. Glycoconj J. 2024 Apr;41(2):93-118. doi: 10.1007/s10719-024-10152-z. Epub 2024 Apr 17. PMID: 38630380.
Check Out This Month's Podcast Episode
🎧 New Podcast Episode: Phytochemicals and Menopause—Strategies for Hormone Balance
Dr. Yousef Elyaman welcomes Dr. Deanna Minich, PhD, MS, CNS, educator, and functional medicine expert, for a deep dive into how plant compounds can support women through perimenopause and menopause. With advanced degrees in nutrition science and decades of clinical and research experience, Dr. Minich brings a multidimensional perspective to the conversation.
Here’s what they unpack:
- The Rainbow Connection: How color-coded foods relate to organ systems, including the ovaries, heart, brain, and gut.
- Spotlight on Orange: Why orange-hued foods like squash, mango, and carrots may help support hormone health and delay ovarian decline.
- Mood, Memory, and Metabolism: The role of phytochemicals in brain function, sleep, and weight changes during hormonal transitions.
- Macronutrients That Matter: Protein, fiber, and healthy fats: why they’re crucial and how to optimize intake in this phase of life.
- Beyond the Basics: Dr. Minich breaks down the “phyto–neuro–endocrine” system, expanding how we understand hormone signaling across the body.
This vibrant episode is a must-listen for anyone supporting women through midlife or exploring functional nutrition’s clinical potential.
How to watch/listen: Log into your account, select the Bronze Mastermind, and scroll down to the "Expert Interviews, Insights & Podcasts" section to find the episode.
Check Out This Month's Blog Post
The Functional Medicine Guide to Homocysteine: Testing, Interpretation, and Treatment
Homocysteine is a powerful but underutilized marker linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, infertility, osteoporosis, and depression. In this month’s blog, we discuss methods for testing and interpreting homocysteine levels in clinical practice, which nutrients and lifestyle factors influence methylation, and how to create targeted treatment plans. A practical, must-read guide for functional medicine practitioners.
Click here to view the article!
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-The FMP Essentials Team
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