Medical Medium

By Anthony William Coviello

Image Credit: Monika Grabkowska

     The Medical Medium is a pseudonym for Anthony William Coviello, a health blogger and author of several books favoring cleanses and detoxes for managing chronic conditions1. The multiple sclerosis interventions promoted by Coviello are largely based on coping with toxic heavy metals (such as mercury) and viral influences (such as Epstein-Barr and herpes). The following are points of the protocol he promotes.

Foods to Favor

   Coviello encourages “life-giving, disease-fighting foods,” particularly five that he credits with drawing heavy metals out of the body. These five are wild blueberries, spirulina, barley grass, Atlantic dulse seaweed, and cilantro, which he advises to consume in a detox smoothie.

  • Wild blueberries: Natural chemicals called flavonoids from edible plants may be protective in certain chronic degenerative disease states2-5, due at least in part to their antioxidant activity. Wild blueberries are a particularly rich source of anthocyanins6-9, a type of flavonoid4. Consumption of wild blueberries has been shown to increase antioxidant power in humans3.
  • Spirulina: A 2020 review found that scientific studies support spirulina, a blue-green algae, as an agent to alleviate experimentally induced heavy-metal toxicity, likely due to its antioxidant properties10.
  • Barley grass juice powder: The results of a recent animal study showed high-dose barley grass to decrease brain and liver damage in response to heavy metal exposure11.
  • Atlantic dulse: Dulse is an edible red seaweed which is frequently harvested from the Atlantic
    Ocean. Like other edible seaweeds, dulse is both nutritious and has a remarkable ability to bind metals, including toxic types. It has been shown to be highly efficient in “biosorbing” lead, cadmium, and nickel12, and to draw out the dangerous form of chromium. Due to this, it has been
    used in detoxification efforts13.
  • Cilantro: Cilantro (coriander leaf) has been shown to be potentially neuro-protective, associated with reversal of memory deficits related to aging and medications14. It was also shown to correct brain toxicity caused by lead15, mirroring earlier findings in kidney and bone16.

 
   In addition to the above, Coviello recommends drinking celery juice every morning. Celery juice has been shown to be protective against medical and industrial toxins17-19.

 
    Other helpful foods to incorporate include fruits, dandelion greens, spinach, mâche, collard greens, turmeric, and burdock root. Avocado, hemp seeds, walnuts, and watermelon seeds are also recommended, but it is noted to keep fats in the diet low. Daily vegetable soups and juices dressed up with herbs and spices are encouraged.

 
    Coviello promotes eating plenty of clean carbohydrates (i.e., from fruits and vegetables as noted above) rather than favoring protein to help build muscle. As such, he recommends to keep animal protein to one serving per day or less. He specifies that during a period of severe neurological symptoms, lowering animal protein and increasing healing produce is ideal, and suggests his 3:6:9 Cleanse for additional support.

The Medical Medium 3:6:9 Cleanse is based on the following principles:

  • Nine days of completely raw whole vegan foods with no additives such as oils, sugar, salts, spices, or seasonings, and no readymade packaged foods.
    • The first three days, fats are only allowed in the evening, and only 50% of your normal intake.
      No soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, lamb, pork, or canola oil.
    • The next six days, there are no fats allowed. Predominantly raw fruit and vegetables are permitted, except for day 9, which is all liquids. These liquids include the liver detox smoothie previously described.
  • Consuming organic produce is highly recommended.

Foods to Forgo 

 
    According to Coviello, “Removing foods from your diet that feed viruses like Epstein-Barr can be a critical piece of fully healing from MS.” These include eggs, dairy products, gluten, corn, canola oil, and food additives such as MSG, “natural” flavors, and citric acid.

Supplements

Nutrients

Herbs

Other 


References

1. Coviello AW. Medical Medium. Accessed September 4, 2022, https://www.medicalmedium.com/

2. Diplock AT, Charleux JL, Crozier-Willi G, et al. Functional food science and defence against reactive oxidative species. Br J Nutr. Aug 1998;80 Suppl 1:S77-112. doi:10.1079/bjn19980106

3. Kay CD, Holub BJ. The effect of wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) consumption on postprandial serum antioxidant status in human subjects. Br J Nutr. Oct 2002;88(4):389-98. doi:10.1079/BJN2002665

4. Middleton E, Jr., Kandaswami C, Theoharides TC. The effects of plant flavonoids on mammalian cells: implications for inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Pharmacol Rev. Dec 2000;52(4):673-751.

5. Liu RH. Health Benefits of Dietary Flavonoids: Flavonols and Flavones. New York Fruit Quarterly. 2002;10(3):21-24.

6. Connor AM, Luby, J.J., Tong, C.B.S. Anthocyanins, Phenolics, and Antioxidant Capacity of Processed Lowbush Blueberry Products. J Amer Assoc Hort Sci. 2002;127(2):238-244.

7. Kalt W, McDonald, J.E., Donner, H. Anthocyanins, Phenolics, and Antioxidant Capacity of Processed Lowbush Blueberry Products. J Food Sci. 2000;65(3):390-393.

8. Wang SY, Chen CT, Sciarappa W, Wang CY, Camp MJ. Fruit quality, antioxidant capacity, and flavonoid content of organically and conventionally grown blueberries. J Agric Food Chem. Jul 23 2008;56(14):5788-94. doi:10.1021/jf703775r

9. Prior RL. Antioxidant capacity and health benefits of fruits and vegetables: blueberries, the leader of the pack. US Highbush Blueberry Council; 1998:3-12.

10. Bhattacharya S. The Role of Spirulina (Arthrospira) in the Mitigation of Heavy-Metal Toxicity: An Appraisal. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2020;39(2):149-157. doi: 10.1615/JEnvironPatholToxicolOncol.2020034375

11. Eldamaty HSEE H, Elmoslemany AM, Abd El-Maoula LM, El-Desoky OI, Rehan M, Abd El Moneim D, Zedan A. Protective Effect of Wheat and Barley Grass Against the Acute Toxicological Effects of the Concurrent Administration of Excessive Heavy Metals in Drinking Water on the Rats Liver and Brain. Applied Sciences. 2021;11(11):5059.

12. Prasher SO, Beaugeard M, Hawari J, Bera P, Patel RM, Kim SH. Biosorption of heavy metals by red algae (Palmaria palmata). Environ Technol. Oct 2004;25(10):1097-106. doi:10.1080/09593332508618378

13. Murphy V, Hughes H, McLoughlin P. Comparative study of chromium biosorption by red, green and brown seaweed biomass. Chemosphere. Jan 2008;70(6):1128-34. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.08.015

14. Mani V, Parle M, Ramasamy K, Abdul Majeed AB. Reversal of memory deficits by Coriandrum sativum leaves in mice. J Sci Food Agric. Jan 15 2011;91(1):186-92. doi:10.1002/jsfa.4171

15. Mustafa HN. Morphohistometric analysis of the effects of Coriandrum sativum on cortical and cerebellar neurotoxicity. Avicenna J Phytomed. Nov-Dec 2021;11(6):589-598. doi:10.22038/AJP.2021.18107

16. Aga M, Iwaki K, Ueda Y, et al. Preventive effect of Coriandrum sativum (Chinese parsley) on localized lead deposition in ICR mice. J Ethnopharmacol. Oct 2001;77(2-3):203-8. doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00299-9

17. Cao J, Zhang X, Wang Q, Jia L, Zhang Y, Zhao X. Influence of flavonoid extracts from celery on oxidative stress induced by dichlorvos in rats. Hum Exp Toxicol. Jun 2012;31(6):617-25.
doi:10.1177/0960327111426585

18. Kolarovic J, Popovic M, Mikov M, Mitic R, Gvozdenovic L. Protective effects of celery juice in treatments with Doxorubicin. Molecules. Apr 24 2009;14(4):1627-38. doi:10.3390/molecules14041627

19. Popovic M, Kaurinovic B, Trivic S, Mimica-Dukic N, Bursac M. Effect of celery (Apium graveolens) extracts on some biochemical parameters of oxidative stress in mice treated with carbon tetrachloride. Phytother Res. Jul 2006;20(7):531-7. doi:10.1002/ptr.1871

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