Naturopathic Medicine Theses and Dissertations
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This is a collection of theses from the College of Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Bridgeport. Not all items in this collection are available to the public as these items are a mixture of theses submitted to us for open access distribution and legacy theses being archived as Digitized Shelf Copies for campus access to current students and staff only.
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Item The Treatment of Infertility Using Naturopathic and Traditional Chinese Medicine(2015) Hurt, ZacharyObjective – This thesis was written to analyze the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture as well as herbs) and naturopathic medicine in the treatment of idiopathic infertility. Research articles included looked at the efficacy of nutritional supplementation, herbal supplementation, acupuncture, and Chinese patent remedies. Basic Procedures – The majority of the research articles were based upon searches in PubMed. Other major resources include The Textbook of Natural Medicine (4th Edition) and the Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Tori Hudson ND. Main Findings – Naturopathic medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine appear to be efficacious alternatives in the treatment of idiopathic infertility. Principal Conclusions – Lifestyle modification should be addressed with patients with idiopathic infertility. Research has found that smoking, excessive caffeine, and a low or high BMI could be implicated in the diagnosis of idiopathic infertility. According to research, emphasis should also be placed upon a nutrient rich diet. Without important vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc, and selenium in order to produce viable offspring. Herbal supplementation should be included in patients who have difficulty regulating hormones. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs may also prove to be effective in the treatment of idiopathic infertility especially when used in combination with IVF techniques.Item The Role of Diet in Disease Prevention and Management(2015) Knighton, YvonneObjective – The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate specific diets that have demonstrated, through research, efficacy for treating specific diseases. The diets that will be discussed are: Anti-cancer and vegetarian for cancer prevention and active cancer, low carbohydrate diet for cancerous tumor growth suppression, Paleolithic for diabetes and metabolic syndrome and the FODMAP and IgG food sensitivity elimination diets for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis. Basic Procedures – The databases used for searching peer reviewed research and articles were PubMed and Google Scholar®. Main articles searched were studies that targeted diets for particular disease conditions. Articles and journal entries selected were published within the past 22 years with most articles being in the past 10 years. Main Findings – There are many tentative dietary suggestions based on known compounds in food to have anti-cancer effects. Epidemiological studies of populations in India and Asia who follow a vegetarian diet due to religious convictions show efficacy in preventing certain types of cancer. The Paleolithic diet is efficacious in reversing Type II Diabetes and metabolic syndrome based on the anti-inflammatory and low glycemic index foods consumed. Despite the high amounts of saturated fat in the diet, the Paleolithic diet can lower cardiovascular disease markers. The FODMAP diet is beneficial for managing symptoms of IBS and IBD. IgG food sensitivity testing and elimination of sensitive foods can eliminate and/or reduce IBD flare ups. No studies were found to support a cure for IBD with IgG food sensitivity elimination or any other diet. Principal Conclusions - No specific diet for cancer has been double blind, randomized and placebo control tested for efficacy to date. However, it is important that diets that restrict sugars and refined carbohydrates should be recommended as cancer cells proliferate in a high glucose environment. Paleolithic diets are suggested as a beneficial diet for Type II Diabetes, 3 metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The FODMAP diet is efficacious in the treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. However, its use in IBD may be beneficial for some patients. Food IgG sensitivity elimination is beneficial for IBD.Item Does Mind-Body Medicine Improve Outcome of Cancer Treatment?(2015) Vazquez-Pacheco, YarilisObjective – The purpose of this study is to evaluate the importance of Mind-Body Medicine in the treatment of cancer as a way to improve outcome and quality of life. Basic Procedures – Databases used were PubMed, Eureka, Science Direct and AMED. The papers chosen were published within the last 30 years. The research was focused on studies showing the use of mind body medicine with cancer treatment and the outcome. Main Findings – Mind-body medicine showed effectiveness in increasing the outcome of cancer patients. Principal Conclusions – The use of Mind-Body medicine during cancer treatment has increased and is being more accepted among the conventional world due to the efficacy that has been shown in improving quality of life, outcome and overall health in cancer patients.Item The Oral Microbiome & Chronic Disease: Naturopathic Solutions For Long-Term Health(2015) Staal, KaitlynObjective – The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the oral microbiome on long-term health, as well as how and why to intervene Naturopathically for its optimization. This study looks at research regarding the composition and health impacts of differing oral microbiomes and also explores current and potential treatment protocols for long-term sound health. Basic Procedures – The databases used for searching were Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Dentistry & Oral Sciences, AMED-Alternative Medicine, and PubMed. Researched focused on papers showing oral microbiome compositions and associated states of health and habits, conventional dentistry treatments and their efficacy, and finally botanical medicine as well as other Naturopathic modalities and their impact on oral and systemic health. Papers were chosen that were published within the last 20 years, with the majority of studies containing human subjects. Main Findings – The oral microbiome has a profound impact on long-term health. Aberrant microbiomes can promote chronic infection and inflammation, leading to systemic diseases such as Diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, respiratory tract complications, anemia, gastrointestinal disease, preterm labor, and cancer. There are many existing and well studied Naturopathic approaches to reverse the pathogenic oral microbiome and support a more commensal relationship, promoting a being’s overall health, longevity, and quality of life. Principal Conclusions - Conventional dentistry is an important tool for oral health, however standard treatments are geared towards acute infection, and protocols do not extensively examine the oral microbiome with regards to potential subacute dysbioses which can severely impact long-term health. There are botanical, nutritional, lifestyle and technological interventions which address these aberrant microbiomes. These practices have the potential to prevent and possibly reverse chronic disease states.Item Propionic Acid: a Potential Link Between Pain Perception and Self-injurious Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorders(2015) Alston, ShyronIt is speculated that individuals on the autism spectrum who engage in chronic self injurious behaviors have a dysregulation of pain perception in the form of altered pain thresholds, impaired pain expression, and/or disrupted pain signaling. Propionic acid, a short chain fatty acid, is known to alter behavior and gene expression, and modulate immune function. The focus of this paper is to determine whether or not increased levels of propionic acid has an effect—direct or indirect—on pain response, thereby decreasing self-injurious behavior in individuals with ASD. Proper therapeutic nutritional supports for neurologic and gastrointestinal dysfunction may modulate inflammatory and immunological responses, normalizing maladaptive behaviors as well as dampening pain responses.