- Integral Medicine | Alexander Smithers M.D., A.P.1014 N. East Ave.
Sarasota, Fl. 34237941-444-6336 - 1014 N. East Ave.
Sarasota, Fl. 34237941-444-6336 - Testimonials
Thank you Dr. Alex Smithers! After dealing with lower back pain from an injury 30 years ago, I feel that after several injections, I am pain and worry free and can finally let this go.
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I was back today for a torn knee ligament and the first ozone injection, and am confident this will be healed also.
Alex is unlike others in the medical field. He has a calm professional manner and very patient in listening and explainingDoctor Alex has been treating me for severe gut issues. I was tired of going to doctors that didn’t listen to me and would just prescribe a pill not ever trying to get to the real issues I was having. Dr. Alex has listened and treated me holistically and I am feeling great!! Thank you for everything Dr. Alex.
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I had Prolozone therapy with Dr Alex Smithers. My knees and thumbs were injected due to meniscus issues in my knees and arthritis in my thumbs. Dr Alex was wonderful. He’s very gentle, kind and patient. I’m a very nervous patient and he took his time with me and did his best to make sure I was comfortable. I’m feeling better and continue to expect more and more improvement. I highly recommend Dr Alex and his staff. They - Testimonials
Dr. Alex Smithers is outstanding…a talented Dr. Who is extremely passionate about healing as well as the skills involved in rejuvenative therapies. I go to him for ozone (prolozone) and dextrose (prolotherapy) injections. Have gone to him already at least 8 times. He uses ultrasound to diagnose and monitor and his injections really work. Best of all he’s a great guy and very easy to chat with.
In Oct of 2013 I was diagnosed with stage 4 Cholangiocarcinoma Malignant Neoplasm Cancer of the Bile Ducts of the Liver. In addition I had a tumor on the left lobe of the liver that ruptured and allowed cancer cells to escape and cake on the majority of my abdominal area. The issues, pain and effects are too numerous to mention. After 9 months of Chemo Therapy Treatments I was left with major issues with neuropathy in both my feet
... Read more »Dear Dr. Smithers,
I just wanted to thank you for treating my trigeminal neuralgia pain.
In May of 2012 I hit my head on a concrete ledge resulting in severe head trauma with unusual and very painful symptoms that followed—throbbing, knife stabbing, severe tension in and around my head, constant clicking noise, and my soft palate in continual motion. I was first diagnosed with TMJ for which I was given an appliance to align my jaw. Which did not take away the severe pain
... Read more »Dr. Smithers has been taking care of my knees for a few years now. My experience with him has been consistently outstanding. His care has allowed me to avoid knee replacement surgery. There was a point when I had so much pain that I was not able to spend more than 15 minutes on my feet.. Because of his treatments and direction I have gotten my life back, including 20 mile bike rides and trips to the Disney parks with
... Read more »Dear Dr. Smithers,
This letter is to thank you for your caring, skills and services. Having Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy for over five years was pure misery. I visited over 30 doctors in over a dozen states. I scoured the computer for the best of the best, which included university professors and authors on Prolotherapy and Orthopedics. Four of those even taught Prolotherapy while others focused on Stem Cells. I even received advice on the countries leading scientist on cartilage.
... Read more »I couldn’t be happier with the treatment I received from Dr Smithers. I had been having knee pain for several months, making it difficult to walk for an extended period of time. I finally decided to have Dr Smithers look at it, and he decided to do prolotherapy. After a few treatments, the pain was completely gone. I’m thrilled to have found this clinic! And I highly recommend Dr Smithers!
Uncategorized
Mediterranean Diet and Brain Structure in the Elderly
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
- High-resolution structural MRI scanning was completed in a cohort of 674 elderly multiethnic people (mean age, 80.1 years) with no history of dementia. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to determine adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi). Those who showed higher adherence to a MeDi had a larger total brain volume (TBV), total gray matter volume (TGMV), and total white matter volume compared with people who showed a lower adherence to a MeDi. There was an association seen between higher fish and lower meat intake and larger TGMV as well as lower meat intake and larger TBV. Higher fish intake also showed an association with increased mean cortical thickness.
- MeDi adherence in the elderly is associated with significantly less brain atrophy. The key elements of the MeDi appear to be a higher fish intake combined with a lower meat intake.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi) is related with larger MRI-measured brain volume or cortical thickness.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, high-resolution structural MRI was collected on 674 elderly (mean age 80.1 years) adults without dementia who participated in a community-based, multiethnic cohort. Dietary information was collected via a food frequency questionnaire. Total brain volume (TBV), total gray matter volume (TGMV), total white matter volume (TWMV), mean cortical thickness (mCT), and regional volume or CT were derived from MRI scans using FreeSurfer program. We examined the association of MeDi (scored as 0–9) and individual food groups with brain volume and thickness using regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, education, body mass index, diabetes, and cognition.
RESULTS
Compared to lower MeDi adherence (0–4), higher adherence (5–9) was associated with 13.11 (p = 0.007), 5.00 (p = 0.05), and 6.41 (p = 0.05) milliliter larger TBV, TGMV, and TWMV, respectively. Higher fish (b = 7.06, p = 0.006) and lower meat (b = 8.42, p = 0.002) intakes were associated with larger TGMV. Lower meat intake was also associated with larger TBV (b = 12.20, p = 0.02). Higher fish intake was associated with 0.019 mm (p = 0.03) larger mCT. Volumes of cingulate cortex, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and hippocampus and CT of the superior-frontal region were associated with the dietary factors.
CONCLUSIONS
Among older adults, MeDi adherence was associated with less brain atrophy, with an effect similar to 5 years of aging. Higher fish and lower meat intake might be the 2 key food elements that contribute to the benefits of MeDi on brain structure.