Jiva Media
Home > Ask Doctor Dawn
Ask Doctor Dawn
In the podcast,
Dr. Dawn Motyka
discusses health news and research and answers your emails
EMAIL A QUESTION

Join my Facebook Community!
By: TwitterButtons.com

From the studios of
KSQD, Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM
Hear Dr. Dawn live every Thursday at 6 pm

COVID-19: Functional Medicine and Immunity on YouTube IFM Nutritional Recommendations for COVID-19
Dr. Dawn explains Functional Medicine on YouTube
KSQD Santa Cruz 90.7 FM


Support us on Patreon

File: 2026-05-16.mp3   Right click, "Save Link As" to download
  Topics for May 16, 2026:      
  • Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 5-14-2026: An emailer from Switzerland follows up on the case of neurological symptoms, warning about the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis from unwashed garden vegetables and tick-borne encephalitis requiring the FSME vaccine available in Europe. Dr. Dawn adds that cysticercosis from undercooked pork leaves calcified brain lesions detectable on CT scans. Dr. Dawn covers the Andes hantavirus outbreak that sickened at least eleven people on a cruise ship, with the virus spreading person-to-person unlike other hantaviruses. She explains that Andes virus grows to unusually high levels in blood and resists antimicrobial compounds in human saliva, with super-spreaders driving transmission chains. British paratroopers had to parachute medical supplies to an infected passenger on remote Tristan da Cunha island. Dr. Dawn reviews brain health supplements with UCLA longevity expert Gary Small. Both recommend curcumin (500-1,000mg) for anti-inflammatory effects and CoQ10 for statin users. She endorses multivitamins and high-quality fish oil but considers creatine, phosphatidylserine, and nicotinamide riboside insufficiently proven for cognitive enhancement. A caller asks about supplements and testosterone for a 77-year-old. Dr. Dawn recommends topical testosterone (patches, creams, gels) over injections to avoid testicular shrinkage and elevated sex hormone-binding globulin. She emphasizes protein intake matching one's age in grams, branched-chain amino acids during exercise, and warns against fasted training after age 65. An emailer shares news that PCOS is being renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) because many patients lack ovarian cysts, and genetic males can also have the condition. Dr. Dawn explains it's fundamentally an endocrine and metabolic disorder involving insulin resistance, elevated testosterone, and DHEA dysregulation. A study found that infrasound—low-frequency sound below human hearing range—elevated cortisol and worsened mood in subjects who didn't know and couldn't detect it was playing. Old buildings generate infrasound through aging boilers, ventilation ducts, and metal pipes, potentially explaining why, beyond autosuggestion, that old "haunted" houses feel spooky.
 Click on a topic with to play or download just that topic