1. Insights from the Metagenics Lifestyle Summit 2015 in Phoenix, AZ: Charles Serhan, PhD If already taking fish oils, is there a need to supplement with specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs)? In this video, Dr. Charles Serhan presents insights on inflammation from the Metagenics Lifestyle Summit in September 2015. Dr. Serhan is a distinguished researcher and professor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Dr. Serhan cites his research to answer a variety of questions on…

ASPEN 2015 Inflammation: Fish Oils vs SPMs: What's the Difference? - 1 Roundtable Symposia from ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week 2015 Participating Speakers are: Robert G. Martindale, MD, PhD Stephen McClave, MD Jesmond Dalli, PhD Todd Rice, MD ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week in February 2015 provided an excellent opportunity for experts in clinical nutrition to gather and discuss new clinical science from the field. In a series of discussions on Inflammation, Dr. Robert Martindale moderates conversation among several experts, including…

This animation features information on the role of inflammation in managing insults and injury to the body. Infection, wounds, poor diet, and aging are causes of acute inflammation. Acute inflammation helps the body to heal and helps tissue to return to homeostasis. When inflammation becomes chronic, however, as is common in many chronic diseases, it can destroy tissues and leave the body in poorer health. Science has now shown us that inflammation resolution is an active process that is controlled by specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs),…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN With over 70% of US adults overweight or obese,1 weight loss methods that are effective and sustainable over the long-term are critically needed. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study led by Kevin D. Hall, PhD investigated how physical activity (PA) and energy intake (EI) impacted long-term weight loss in participants from “The Biggest Loser” TV competition.2 “The Biggest Loser” is a televised weight loss competition involving an intensive diet and exercise program (30…

by Lewis Chang, PhD  Increased blood ketone levels following consumption of a ketone ester drink delayed the onset of hunger in conjunction with a delayed rise in plasma ghrelin levels, a human study found.1 Ketogenic diets are linked to decreased appetite and altered gut hormone levels; however, it is less clear whether elevated blood levels of ketone body (as opposed to other dietary ingredients) were responsible for the observed changes. Researchers from the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at…

Hypertension (HTN) affects more than a third (32.6%) of Americans and is a major risk factor for heart disease and mortality.1 Unfortunately, the exact mechanisms as to development and maintenance of this condition are yet to be understood. It has been suggested that HTN is associated with a fundamental defect in the ability for the kidneys to excrete sodium.2 Salt sensitivity of blood pressure (BP) is a measurable, physiological, trait where an increase in dietary sodium intake leads to an increase in…

Clinicians and healthcare practitioners have a unique opportunity in advocating lifestyle medicine because patients see them as a reliable source of advice. However, there are still numerous technical and logistic challenges to overcome before personal “big data” can be translated into actionable and clinically relevant solutions. Clinicians are also facing various issues prior to bringing personalized lifestyle medicine to their practice. Nevertheless, emerging ground-breaking research projects have given us a glimpse of how systems thinking and computational methods may lead…

During periods of over-nutrition, excess energy is stored in white adipose tissue (WAT); continuing expansion of WAT may lead to obesity. Obesity alters the cellular physiology of adipocytes, the cells of WAT. In the context of obesity, adipocytes secrete elevated levels of free fatty acids and adipokines, but decreased levels of adiponectin. These pathophysiologic changes have many effects. Elevated free fatty acids contribute to insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and impaired arterial flow regulation Download the PDF

The clinical results of a randomized controlled research study that showed a diabetes-specific nutrition formula for glucose control in combination with a structured dietary plan resulted in significant reduction in HbA1c levels and body weight in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to an individualized dietary plan alone. The study, conducted by the Joslin Diabetes Center, was presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 76th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Effective management of A1c levels, while challenging, is…

This paper is entitled, “Supplementation with Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators Reduces Inflammatory Biomarkers and Improves Reported Clinical Symptomology in Subjects with Chronic Inflammatory Conditions: Results from a Multi-Center Open-Case Series” Highlights: Inflammation has 2 phases: initiation and resolution. Many chronic health issues are linked to unresolved inflammation Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are endogenous molecules essential for resolution of inflammation but may not be produced in required levels in certain condition Multi-center case study assessed effects of a proprietary SPM supplement (LM-O3)…