Weekly Q&A with Dr. Simone GoldYour weekly health questions answered by Dr. Simone Gold, one of the nation’s top physicians and medical freedom advocatesEvery week, the GoldCare HealthDesk receives questions from readers looking for answers about their health. Our team selects three from the many submissions for Dr. Simone Gold to answer, offering clear medical insight, practical guidance, and the straight talk she’s known for.Question:Is genetic testing accurate? Is it a helpful tool? What are the advantages and disadvantages?Dr. Gold:For certain inherited conditions, genetic testing can be remarkably accurate. It can identify rare genetic diseases, detect mutations like BRCA that increase the risk of certain cancers, and even help doctors determine which medications are likely to work best for you.But not all genetic tests are equally reliable. Popular mail-in kits like 23andMe look at only a small portion of your genetic variations. They can miss important risks or flag something that turns out to be nothing. And just because your results come back looking good doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Any potentially serious finding needs to be confirmed with proper clinical testing.When used appropriately, genetic testing can be helpful. But most of the diseases we’re worried about aren’t caused by one faulty gene.Heart disease, diabetes, and many cancers develop through a complicated interplay between our genes and how we live. Diet, exercise, body weight, environmental exposures, inflammation, prenatal and metabolic health all matter.So if a genetic test says you’re at increased risk for a disease don’t assume you’re going to get it. And if it says you’re at low risk, don’t assume you’re protected.I like to think of genes as a blueprint, not a verdict. They can tell you where some of your vulnerabilities lie, but they can’t tell you how your life will unfold. And that’s why I always come back to the basics: Eat real food. Cut back on ultra-processed products. Move your body. Get enough sleep. Take care of your metabolic health.None of that guarantees you won’t get sick, but it can make an enormous difference, regardless of the genes you inherited.The point of genetic testing is to give you useful information so you can make better decisions, not to convince you that your health is predetermined or that a lifetime of medication is your only option.Question:I had a brain bleed in November of 2024. Now I take medication for seizures, levetiracetam 750 mg twice per day. It makes me very unsteady and dizzy. I have been hospitalized and have seen internal medicine and neurological doctors and no one will or can help me. What do you suggest?Dr. Gold:Dizziness and unsteadiness are well-known side effects of levetiracetam, also called Keppra. At 750 mg twice daily, these symptoms are certainly possible, and for some patients, they can take months to subside.You shouldn’t have to choose between preventing seizures and being able to walk steadily.Unfortunately, this is one of the great frustrations of modern medicine. You get 15 minutes with a doctor trained to reach for a prescription, often with little time to investigate the underlying problem or consider alternatives. So the prescription gets renewed, the appointment ends, and you go home still suffering.Here’s what I’d suggest.First, ask your neurologist a very specific question: Do I still need this medication, and if so, is there an alternative with fewer side effects? Since it’s being prescribed to prevent, not treat, seizures it is reasonable to ask for the research underpinning this recommendation, especially as you’re having serious side effects from the drug. Some patients receive anti-seizure medication temporarily after a brain hemorrhage. Others need longer treatment because they’ve experienced seizures or remain at significant risk. Your neurologist should review your seizure history, brain imaging, kidney function, and medication dose before deciding whether a carefully supervised change is appropriate.I’d also look at what can support your brain’s recovery. Good nutrition, adequate sleep, carefully supervised physical rehabilitation, and strict blood-pressure control are critical after a brain bleed. So is a diet built around nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods. Make sure to correct any nutritional deficiencies, particularly low vitamin D or magnesium.There’s also some fascinating research into treatments that may help the injured brain recover. A ketogenic diet, which is very low in carbohydrates and high in fat, has been used for decades to help control certain forms of epilepsy, and researchers are now investigating whether it can also support recovery after brain injuries. Ketones are used by brain cells to make energy and they don’t require insulin, as does glucose. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy takes a different approach. Patients breathe pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, allowing more oxygen to dissolve into the bloodstream and potentially reach injured brain tissue. Researchers are studying whether this can reduce inflammation and promote neurological repair. Ozone therapy is another approach to increasing oxygen delivery to compromised brain tissue. And don’t overlook vestibular rehabilitation, a specialized form of physical therapy that can help some patients with persistent dizziness and balance problems.My strongest recommendation is to seek a second opinion from a neurologist, preferably an epilepsy specialist, who will take the time to reassess your treatment rather than simply renew your prescription.Question:Why do some post-menopausal women get osteoporosis, but others do not? Is it true that the gut is involved?Dr. Gold:Not every woman starts menopause with the same bone strength, and not every woman loses bone at the same rate. Some women enter menopause with stronger, denser bones, giving them more protection against age-related bone loss. Others begin with less bone mass, making them more vulnerable.What determines the difference? Genetics and estrogen levels play major roles. But so does how you’ve treated your bones throughout your life. Regular exercise, especially resistance training, helps build and maintain bone. Adequate protein, minerals, and vitamins provide the raw materials for keeping it strong.Hormones and stress matter, too. Although estrogen declines in every woman, the rate of bone loss varies. Chronically elevated cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, can also interfere with bone formation.In other words, menopause may trigger bone loss, but your genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, and overall health help determine how much bone you lose, and whether that loss eventually becomes osteoporosis.And yes, your gut plays a role, too.Your intestines do much more than digest food. They’re home to trillions of bacteria that influence how your body absorbs minerals, regulates inflammation, and even processes estrogen.Some gut bacteria produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, which help regulate the cells responsible for building and breaking down bone. When the gut microbiome becomes disrupted, inflammation may increase, potentially accelerating bone loss. This is called the “gut-bone axis.”Studies have found differences in gut bacteria between postmenopausal women with and without osteoporosis. One study found differences in bacterial composition, while another found that those with osteoporosis had fewer types of gut bacteria and less microbial diversity.So what can you do?First, support beneficial gut bacteria by eating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. Cut back on ultra-processed foods so you can help make room for the foods your gut bacteria thrive on.Next, give them the building materials they need.Calcium gets most of the attention, but it can’t do the job alone. Vitamin D3 helps your intestines absorb calcium, while magnesium helps regulate calcium metabolism and activate vitamin D. Vitamin K2 activates proteins involved in directing calcium into bone.And don’t forget protein. Bone isn’t simply a collection of minerals. Bone is mineralized on a latticework of collagen (osteoid), a protein that gives it flexibility and strength. Minerals such as phosphorus, zinc, potassium, and trace elements also contribute to bone health.Nutrition is only half the equation. You also need to give your bones a reason to stay strong. Walking, resistance training, and other weight-bearing activities stimulate bone maintenance. Your bones respond to the demands you place on them.Don’t overlook sleep and stress management, which support hormonal and overall health.Finally, medications prescribed to treat osteoporosis, the bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, interfere with normal bone remodeling and actually weaken bones. Osteoporosis isn’t simply a calcium deficiency. It’s a whole-body problem involving hormones, muscles, nutrition, inflammation, and even the bacteria living in your gut.Have a question for the GoldCare HealthDesk? Send it in here.The post GoldCare HealthDesk: Q&A With Dr. Simone Gold appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.