In this episode of the Medicinal Herbs podcast, host Daina Parent, ND, talks with naturopath and medical herbalist Berris Burgoyne about the gut microbiome, dysbiosis, and the role of nutrition and herbs in supporting gut health.

Join Lisa Kluslow, DVM, in her talk about the why and how of integrating functional nutrition into your veterinary practice. While giving practical steps, Dr. Kluslow shows that integrating functional nutrition results in healthier pets, happier clients, which ultimately leads to a thriving practice.

Join Annette Schippel, DC, as she talks about how hormones affect digestion as well as the microbiome in our bodies. Annette takes us through the entire process, starting with digestion, and provides practical herbs and other tips to help you or your patients’ gut health.

Food fuels the body, for better or worse. Some dietary choices are healthier, providing phytonutrients, lean protein, and fiber, while others offer very little nutritional value, such as highly processed, refined foods. When food is broken down during digestion and absorption, the smaller nutrient components are absorbed and utilized throughout the body, or excreted. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, fats are degraded to free fatty acids and monoglycerides while carbohydrates are reduced to simple sugars. Dietary fiber from carbohydrates, on the other hand, cannot be broken down. Instead, fiber is fermented by bacteria found in the gut microbiome, which produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the

Of the five basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami – bitter is probably the least appealing to most people.1 In fact, manufacturers have gone to great lengths to remove bitter compounds from foods to make them more palatable.2 But this has resulted in food items that are missing important compounds that can positively impact health, especially digestive health.

Digestion is an essential process; it allows the body to obtain nutrients from food. It involves the mouth, stomach, and intestines; however, other organs support digestion including the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and gut microbiome.

Join Donna Raditic, DVM, DACVN, CVA, in her talk about the brain-gut-microbiome axis. She discusses how to combine nutrition and supplements in treating your pet patients.