The MediHerb Podcast

In this episode of the MediHerb podcast, Laurence Katsaras is joined by Dr Antony Underwood, integrative paediatrician and cofounder of Spectrumceuticals, to explore the rapidly evolving science of probiotics and microbiome therapy. Together, they unpack strain specificity, probiotic research quality, taxonomy and trademarks, storage and stability, and how practitioners can apply evidence-based probiotic prescribing in clinical practice.

The conversation also dives into probiotics in paediatric care and the first 1000 days, including applications for NEC prevention, colic, reflux, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and immune resilience. Dr Underwood also shares insights into diet, polyphenols, fermented foods, postbiotics and emerging “keystone” bacteria shaping the future of personalised microbiome medicine.

In this clinically rich conversation, David Casteleijn revisits Passionflower through a far more nuanced lens than its traditional “mild anxiolytic” label. Drawing on decades of practice and deeply personal clinical observations, David explores the herb’s powerful role in acute nervous system dysregulation—particularly in states of panic, PTSD, and heightened sympathetic activation. He shares practical insights into “stacked” dosing strategies, demonstrating how passionflower can rapidly interrupt escalation cycles without the residual sedation, making it a valuable tool both in-clinic and for patient self-management.

Beyond acute use, this episode expands the conversation into long-term nervous system retraining, highlighting passionflower’s potential role in supporting neuroplasticity and reducing reliance on substances such as alcohol and anxiolytics. David also challenges common assumptions around dependency, safety, and herb-drug interactions, while unpacking emerging insights into its broader neurotransmitter activity. With discussion spanning ADHD, addiction patterns, and herb selection, this episode offers practitioners a deeper, more flexible framework for prescribing Passionflower across a wide spectrum of presentations.

In this episode of the MediHerb Podcast, we welcome Angela Hywood to draw on some unanswered questions from the MediHerb Unplugged livestream. Angela shares her evidence-informed approaches to supporting patients in complex clinical scenarios, with dosing strategies and clinical rationale.

 

Bio: Angela Hywood is an experienced naturopathic clinician with over 26 years of clinical experience, specialising in integrative endocrinology, women’s health, fertility and pregnancy care. Angela is a well-known speaker at complementary and integrative medicine conferences in both Australia and internationally and has published articles in complementary medicine journals in Australia and USA.

Concussion is often minimised as a “head knock,” yet it represents a complex traumatic brain injury with far-reaching systemic consequences. In this episode, we welcome Louise Cork to unpack the physiological cascade that unfolds following impact — from axonal shearing and ionic shifts to glutamate excitotoxicity, blood-brain barrier disruption, neuroinflammation, and gut permeability. We explore how this acute response can evolve into persistent post-concussion syndrome (PCS), and why some patients remain symptomatic months, or even years, after the initial injury.

Through a functional naturopathic lens, this conversation provides practical guidance on assessment, red flags, collaborative care, and therapeutic layering, while discussing the critical role of the gut-brain axis, immune activation, metabolic dysfunction, glial priming, autonomic dysregulation, and mitochondrial compromise. With the right support — nutrients, targeted herbal medicine, and realistic lifestyle rehabilitation, post-concussion outcomes are not fixed, and meaningful recovery is possible.

Following the MediHerb Unplugged livestream, renowned herbalist Kerry Bone returns to address some of the audience’s unanswered questions. Drawing on decades of clinical and research experience, Kerry explores complex and often misunderstood areas of herbal therapy, including the use of berberine-containing herbs, the role of St Mary’s Thistle in gut health, and evidence-informed perspectives on Echinacea and Withania in autoimmunity and endometriosis.

The conversation also examines time-restricted eating and how targeted herbs may support metabolic and longevity pathways, before moving into deeper clinical territory with discussions on plaque stabilisation, APOE4 and dementia risk, with key herbal considerations in Parkinson’s disease.

Packed with practical insights and integrative clinical frameworks, this episode is essential listening for practitioners navigating complex, chronic presentations.