Dr. Taylor Krick answers the 11 Burning Autoimmune Questions Answered — from childhood eczema labs and gut health to food sensitivities, leaky gut, and the real root causes of autoimmune disease using a functional medicine approach. Whether you're struggling with inflammatory skin conditions, confused about the autoimmune paleo diet, or wondering about ferritin, iron overload, MTHFR, methylation, and high homocysteine — this episode breaks it all down.
You'll also learn why your omega-3 dose is probably too low, what vitamin D levels you should actually target, whether magnesium supplementation is overhyped, and how to use supplements strategically with macro and micro cycles instead of guessing. Dr. Taylor explains the cell danger response, seed oils, oxidative stress, and why a nuanced functional approach beats one-size-fits-all protocols every time.

If you're navigating an autoimmune condition or chronic illness, drop your biggest question in the comments and subscribe for more deep dives with the Autoimmune Doc.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro
00:39 – Best Labs for Childhood Eczema and Skin Conditions
03:09 – Stool Tests, Food Sensitivity, and Organic Acids Explained
08:19 – Is the Autoimmune Paleo Diet Forever?
13:09 – Sleep, Alcohol, and Diet: The Autoimmune Flare Bucket
17:34 – High Ferritin, Iron Overload, and Oxidative Stress
22:39 – Anemia of Chronic Inflammation Explained
25:46 – Why Retesting Lab Work Is Critical for Healing
27:56 – Low Iron, B12 Deficiency, and Pernicious Anemia
33:49 – MTHFR Gene, Methylation, and High Homocysteine
42:40 – Should You Take a Daily Multivitamin?
44:48 – Vitamin D, Omega-3s, and Long-Term Supplements
49:29 – Omega-3 Dosing: Why You're Probably Taking Too Little
54:39 – Fish Oil Quality, Rancidity, and the Bite Test
58:34 – Seed Oils, Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio Explained
64:34 – Vitamin D From Sun vs. Supplements
70:24 – Magnesium Supplementation and Cell Danger Response
79:39 – How to Choose Supplements Based on Your Mechanisms

#AutoimmuneDisease #FunctionalMedicine #GutHealth

Dr. Ben Weitz is a sports medicine chiropractor out of Southern California who is also the host of The Rational Wellness Podcast, with over 450 episodes interviewing the top experts in the Wellness community. He has an amazing "healing story" - he broke his femur on Halloween night a few years ago and refused the surgery doctors said he needed. Here's how he healed it naturally.

Dr. Ben Weitz, 67-year-old chiropractor and host of the Rational Wellness Podcast (440+ episodes), joins Dr. Taylor to share his incredible story of healing a non-union femur fracture using a combination of functional medicine, targeted supplementation, and smart pharmaceutical interventions — after his surgeons told him his leg would collapse.

In this episode, we cover everything you need to know about bone health, whether you're recovering from a fracture or trying to prevent osteoporosis.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Vitamin K2 (MK-4) at 45mg is the research-backed dose — not 100mcg
• Calcium is safe when paired with vitamin D + K2 in absorbable forms
• Heavy resistance training (5-rep max) beats Pilates and walking for bone density
• Don't just supplement — test vitamin D, omega-3 index, CTX, P1NP, and inflammatory markers
• The body wants to heal — remove obstacles and provide building blocks!!

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DR. WEITZ'S BONE HEALTH STACK:
• Vitamin D: 10,000 IU (titrated to 60-65 levels)
• Vitamin K2 (MK-4): 45mg daily
• Calcium: 200-500mg, 2x daily (absorbable form)
• Magnesium
• Boron
• Strontium citrate
• Collagen
• Omega-3: 6g daily
• Forteo: daily injection for 5 months
• HGH: 2 IU, 5 days/week

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🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. BEN WEITZ:
Website: https://drweitz.com
Podcast: Rational Wellness Podcast (Apple, Spotify, YouTube)

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📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
• Lift More Trials — Belinda Beck (Australia)
• Cyrex Labs — Array 5
• Designs for Health — MK-4 supplement
• DEXA scans with Trabecular Bone Score (TBS)
• Omega Quant / OmegaCheck testing

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⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or treatment protocol.

#BoneHealth #Osteoporosis #FunctionalMedicine #DrBenWeitz #VitaminD #VitaminK2 #FractureHealing #AutoimmuneDoc #NaturalHealing #Supplements

Genetics is one of the hottest topics in health—but it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode of The Autoimmune Doc Podcast, Dr. Taylor Krick sits down with Dr. Tyler Panzner PhD to talk about how genetics can actually be used to optimize health—without falling into the trap of thinking genes replace the fundamentals (diet, movement, sleep, stress, and lifestyle).

Dr. Tyler shares how his own 23andMe results sparked a deep dive into genetic pathways, why “one-size-fits-all” supplement advice can backfire (especially for sensitive nervous systems), and how to think in terms of biochemical bottlenecks and “big levers” instead of overwhelm-inducing data dumps.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

-Why genetics can be helpful… but never replaces lifestyle basics (eat well, move well, sleep well, breathe well)

-The difference between SNPs/variants, alleles, and what heterozygous vs. homozygous really means

-Why “having the MTHFR gene” isn’t the point—everyone has the gene, many have mutation(s), his question is - how well is it functioning?

-Tyler’s practical framework: finding your biggest biochemical bottlenecks instead of chasing 300-page genetic reports

-A nuanced take on precision supplementation (and why “TikTok Shop protocols” can create new problems)

-The COMT gene explained: how it impacts dopamine, adrenaline/noradrenaline, estrogen, and even personality tendencies

-Why some people feel amazing on certain supplements… and others get anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, or overstimulation

-How popular flavonoids like quercetin can be a hidden issue for some (even when taken “for allergies” or “for inflammation”)

-Why vitamin D status isn’t just about the blood level—receptors + conversion enzymes can change the whole story

-A behind-the-scenes look at why genetics research isn’t always “clean” or easy to study (and why clinical pattern recognition matters)


Guest Info:

Dr. Tyler Panzner, PhD
Website: https://drtylerpanzner.com/


If you’ve ever tried “the right supplement” and felt worse… or you’ve been told your genes are a “life sentence”… this conversation will give you a clearer, calmer, and more empowering way to think about genetics and healing.

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at www.microbalancehealthproducts.com

Travel is great - you can see the world, see old friends, see new places, have an adventure.....I'm a big fan of all those things. I love traveling, but sometimes it comes at a cost.

I hear stories ALL THE TIME of people flaring during or after traveling, and in this episode I share plenty of those stories. Sometimes that's an autoimmune flare when someone has a known autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lupus, or any other diagnosis. Sometimes it's just a symptom flare - you feel more anxious, more inflamed, more foggy, more histamine-y, more bloated, your gut and digestion are thrown off, whatever it may be - you flare.

In this podcast, I talk about flares while traveling in detail. I break it down into 3 sections to make it more digestible and actionable:

1. STORIES - stories of flares that you might relate to - I've heard hundreds! Hearing stories lets you know that it's not just you, and the hope is that you can relate to some of these stories because they are all unique and different.

2. MECHANISMS/REASONS - why would someone flare while traveling? When you know the mechanisms, you can try to get ahead of them. I give my Top 4 Reasons for flares while traveling.

3. SOLUTIONS - what can you do about it? How can you protect yourself? I throw out a handful of ideas, options, and potential solutions to consider to AVOID the next flare and help you ENJOY your travels - whether it's diet and avoidance, traveling with certain supplements, or keeping your air quality clean while away - the options AWAY from home are not always the same as the options at HOME - so it's important to know how you can protect yourself.

Have you even flared while traveling? What do you think caused it? What did you do about it? Send this to someone you know who might value from this episode!

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at www.microbalancehealthproducts.com

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Histamine Intolerance (HIT), and other mast-cell-mediated pathologies are becoming more and more well-recognized - -partially thanks to COVID and the changes we have seen in the world since 2020, partially thanks to new science and research, partially based on social media and educational platforms like mine - - but there is still a lot of misunderstanding, incorrect information and people suffering, even in the alternative wellness world, so today I wanted to TALK ABOUT IT. (The conventional world is about 10 years behind on this, so best of luck if you are looking for histamine answers there!)

Histamine and mast cell stuff is quite interesting once you learn to recognize and understand it, and in a functional wellness practice that helps complex or multi-system conditions it is RAMPANT - - I actually recorded this podcast earlier today then I started seeing people (I'm now writing these notes after work), and literally SINCE I RECORDED THE AUDIO, I've heard 3-4 more stories that could have easily made it into this episode!!

Mast cells and their expression, activation and release of histamine (and other inflammatory mediators) are associated with autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis), but perhaps more importantly associated with everyday symptoms like congestion, runny nose, vertigo, bloating, abdominal pain, headaches/migraines, insomnia, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, nausea, diarrhea, reflux, brain fog, skin itching, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and more - the things people show up with in a functional practice, and the things that often look "fine" to the specialists, and this can make people feel like they are going crazy.

In this episode, I "talk about" everything I know about histamine. That's A LOT, too much to type it all out in the show notes, that's why I turn the mic on and talk into it, because I'm better at talking than typing, so please listen :)

BUT, in this episode I cover a lot of stuff - my favorite mentors and books that I have learned from, the concept of the "histamine bucket", the basic understanding of mast cells and what they are, where they are (gut, sinus, skin, etc), what histamine is, how histamine is degraded or broken down, the common symptoms, the diagnostic criteria for these diseases, I'm sure I share some personal opinions besides just all the science and facts, and I talk about how I put this into a framework for people who are looking to get well, and WHAT and HOW I USE some of my favorite tools to help people, and some stories that I hear everyday about how these things are working, which is often really well. Check it out, and please leave a rating, a review, and send this episode to a friend!

Anxiety, Mast Cell Activation, and LPS (Youtube video)

Mast Cells in Pain, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer's (study review on Youtube)

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at www.microbalancehealthproducts.com

This podcast is a perfect transition from my last podcast where I interviewed an ENT surgeon, because the people I'm speaking to and referring to in this episode - people with head "fullness", ear "pressure", or "head drainage issues" - have almost ALWAYS been to an ENT, but they are still left with very few answers, and that's the frustrating thing - they are often getting NO ANSWERS or HELP - and that's why they come to me.

I will admit that I'm recording this podcast just to "talk about" these mechanisms and symptoms that often run together, because I see these things really often and many times I'm able to help quite a bit, but no two people have the same story - and there are a lot of moving pieces when we look deeper into the mechanisms involved, root causes, and differential diagnoses - but there are a lot of things that overlap with these cases, and targets that we can look into or begin aiming at.

Very often people present in my office complaining of some combination of:

• Head "fullness" - the head feels "full" or "heavy" or like it "doesn't drain"
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo, tinnitus, or other vestibular issues with motion, crowds, flashing lights, etc
• Ear "pressure" - there is some unresolving ear pressure, often one-sided, or the feeling that the ears won't "equalize"
• Pressure "changes" - with incoming storm fronts, airplanes, altitude changes, or with no rhyme or reason
• Lymph stagnation or swollen/tender lymph nodes - around the ear, neck, base of skull
• Neck pain - stiff neck, headaches, tight postural muscles, "coat-hanger" pain
• Histamine responses - allergies, sensitivities, or other mast-cell mediated pathologies or symptoms
• Drainage or mucus production - nasal or post-nasal drip, or feel congested
• Anxiety/Panic/Stress Response - this often leads to more "danger signals", fight-or-flight, anxiety, panic, overthinking, etc

Is this mold? Is this biofilms? Is it viral? Is this from gut dysbiosis? Is this toxin accumulation? Is this the glymphatic system in the brain not draining? Is it TMJ or subluxation of the C1 atlas bone? Is this vagus nerve? Or - is this some combination??

In this podcast, I just "talk about" the people I see with these symptoms, the mechanisms that are often involved, the mysteries that are often involved, the tools available and the success that many can have. I talk about the different targets, like lymphatic drainage of the brain and Th2 inflammation, I talk about different strategies, like air quality control, nasal applications, supplements, chiropractic care, lymphatic drainage techniques, and much more. I just like to TALK ABOUT these things, but also give potential action steps, with the hope that it helps somebody out there who might have a similar problem - and I think this episode and the information given will end up helping SOMEONE - so send it to someone that you think needs to hear it!

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at www.microbalancehealthproducts.com

I'm really excited about this episode! I spent a lot of my early life in ENT offices, so I've personally always been really intrigued by the science of sinus inflammation and sinusitis for understanding my own health problems, but I've also been very discouraged by the conventional treatments and (lack of) solutions offered by conventional Ear Nose and Throat doctors.

Dr. Don Dennis MD FACS is different. As an ENT surgeon who was seeing chronic sinusitis every day, he started asking the question "WHY?" which led him to investigate the problems associated with air quality and specifically MOLD TOXICITY.

If you have listened to this podcast, you know I am passionate about air quality - whether it be molds, mycotoxins, allergens, particulates, VOCs, endotoxins, or whatever is in the air - we need to breathe clean air. I have interviewed clients, pediatricians, MDs, DOs, PTs, Indoor Environmental Professionals about this topic.

We KNOW that mold makes people sick - that info has been around since the Old Testament - but Dr. Dennis lets us know a little bit more about HOW and WHY this works.

Some of things I found the most interesting in our conversation:

• Molds like dark, warm, moist places and can colonize sinuses and noses. Cleaning out the sinuses with antifungals can be a GAME-CHANGER for some people! Dr. Dennis tells some amazing stories, and even plays audio from a patient herself.
• The immune system responds to molds in the environment with Eosinophils (white blood cells), and these eosinophils come into nasal mucosa and can form "pits", where mucus accumulates. The cilia can't effectively clear the mucus, so it becomes infected and inflamed, and the "microbial burden" grows, including Staph, Pseudomonas (normal residents of the nose) and MOLD, and these bugs can sometimes form biofilms which make them antibiotic resistant. Mayo clinic showed that over 90% of chronic sinus infections had a fungal component involved, and he discusses those studies.
• Molds release toxins called MYCOTOXINS. Mycotoxins ACCUMULATE in sinus tissue. When Dr. Dennis has biopsied and tested sinus mucosa, there are abundant mycotoxins stored in the mucosal tissue.
• The sinuses are RIGHT NEAR THE BRAIN. These tiny little airborne toxins can go right up the olfactory nerve into the brain and accumulate in the brain - they are fat-soluble neurotoxins - in areas like the pituitary that regulates our thyroid, adrenals, stress response, growth hormone (healing) and more.
• Someone might show 3 toxins on a toxin test (Dr. Dennis prefers urine mycotoxin testing), but when you biopsy their tissue, like the pituitary tissue in the brain for example, there might be MORE. It's hard to measure what all has accumulated in the tissue. In his words, it's a toxic soup up there.
• Because of his experience over the last nearly 40 years as an ENT, Dr. Dennis has a LOT of expertise on air quality and we discuss certain tools like ozone, ionizers, purifiers, mold testing plates, mold dogs, and more.
• Dr. Dennis has developed tools to help people - - both professionally as a sinus surgeon, but he also formulated all of the MicroBalance Health Products and EC3 products - they make mold neutralizing candles, cleaning wipes, fogging spray, laundry additives, and more.

If you have an autoimmune disease, mold toxicity, or sinus issues, you will love this conversation! Please leave a rating, a review, or better yet - send this to someone you love or care about - or anyone with a nose and brain :)

OUR NEW, 4-MODULE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM - MAKING SENSE OF PANS/PANDAS!!

Youtube video - Scientific Study Review - OCD and Autoimmunity

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has been around for a long time. PANS - Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, and PANDAS - Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep - are a little bit newer and trendier terms, but, it's because we are seeing more and more kids presenting with sudden behavioral shifts, motor tics, and OCD tendencies, and very often it's after Strep infections.

Did you know that these are AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS??

Here is a brief explanation of how that works, using Strep infection as an example. Check out the podcast for much more detail, or better yet, check out our online educational program Making Sense of PANS/PANDAS where we go deeper and I show slides, pictures, I review studies, I explain lab testing options, supplements, support strategies, additional resources, but you ALSO learn about the mental health side of things from my good friend and counselor Alicia Howe LCPC, who specializes in treating OCD.

SO - a kid (or adult) gets Strep throat (or many other infections). The immune system produces ANTIBODIES to "flag" Strep and produces INFLAMMATION to go "kill" Strep. We want this to happen. The problem is, that the body can "mistakenly" flag (antibodies) and attack (inflammation) its self - - THAT'S WHAT AUTOIMMUNITY IS - - and in this case, antibodies and autoimmune inflammation can impact dopamine signaling in areas like the basal ganglia - - that's why another name for this is autoimmune encephalitis or basal ganglia encephalitis. This can drive different responses like FEARS, ANXIETY, EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS, EATING DISORDERS, EMOTIONAL LABILITY, MOTOR TICS, OBSESSIONS, COMPULSIONS, and more.

As with ANY health condition or symptom, the key isn't some "miracle drug" to treat this condition, the key is to UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING - - because understanding the mechanisms helps you understand the solutions, and helps you get actual results. The hope of this podcast, and our online educational program especially, is that we can help parents or others suffering to understand a bit more about what's going on and what they can do about it - - so share this with somebody who you think it could help!