SOM Alum Shares Her Journey to Health
Mazvita Maziveyi, PhD, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Cell Biology
Editor's Note: This story was submitted for publication by Dr. Mazvita Maziveyi, ‘18
I graduated from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2018. I had a major health challenge during my second year of Graduate School. I had significant weight loss, I was very sick and I felt like my hormones were unbalanced. This carried on for over a year and I was scared to the point that I thought I was going to die. My doctors were baffled because they could not figure out what was wrong with me and my blood work only showed that I was slightly anemic. I felt alone during this time and as though science and medicine had failed me.
I decided that I had to be an advocate of my own health because no one had answers for me. I went back to my Graduate Biochemistry textbooks with a goal of looking at the big picture of health. I looked at the major biochemical pathways that naturally occur in our bodies. I drew all of them out on a big white board and one thing I highlighted was the tremendous amount of vitamins and minerals that are cofactors and are absolutely necessary for reactions to occur in our bodies. This exercise helped me realize that my body depends on naturally occurring nutrients for these biochemical reactions, and if even one of these nutrients was lacking, it would lead to serious health issues. I remember sitting in the tissue culture hood of my lab looking at my protocols for culturing my cells. Each cell line that I worked with needed a specified medium and any deviation from their recommended medium would result in delayed growth, and sometimes even death of the cells. This was because they required specific nutrients to grow. The same thing happens in our bodies- we need nutrients to be healthy.
That was the starting point of a journey to heal my body. One thing I found fascinating was herbal medicine. What I found was there is a magnificent connection between all the different plant species and the power that they have to stimulate the biochemical reactions that occur in our bodies. After just one month of lifestyle modifications and changing my nutritional habits, I restored my health, and I was myself again. I was able to continue my studies, but I also felt as though my purpose was beyond the laboratory. I knew that there was a way that I could use my training in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to help other people who were having health issues.
My doctoral thesis was based on breast cancer and one thing that captivated me was the fact that hormones play a major role in breast cancer. Even though I had been researching breast cancer for years at the time, my newly found passion helped me realize that if these hormones have the ability to regulate cancer, and nutrition is able to regulate hormones, then there should be ways that we can naturally regulate hormonal health.
I am now a Postdoctoral Researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. My research focuses on liver metabolism. The liver regulates the balance of sex hormones, thyroid hormones, cortisone and other adrenal hormones. If the liver is not doing its job, there are serious hormonal imbalances that occur. If we can use the beneficial properties from plants, especially herbs, to restore and detoxify the liver, then we can balance our hormones. The biochemical properties of herbs are astounding and if we are able to concentrate these properties, they can do wonders.
I began having discussions about my “ah ha” moment in my community. This led to friends and family asking me for suggestions on how to regulate their menstrual cycles and get pregnant. I educate them about dietary changes, lifestyle modifications to adapt, and herbs that have been shown to help them with their particular situation. My training and experiences while at LSUHSC changed my perspective about health and I have since been able to educate thousands of women on how to live a hormonally-balanced life. I have successfully helped many women conceive through my social media posts and videos. I have an extensive archive of free eBooks, video workshops, and other materials designed to educate women who are trying to naturally regulate their menstrual cycles and improve their fertility. I work with a wonderful and supportive Postdoctoral mentor who has encouraged me to do what I love, and I have realized that I love women's health!
I am grateful for the education and training I received at LSU Health for giving me the tools I needed to take this journey.