by Bianca Garilli, ND A Presidential Advisory on brain health was recently released by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in September 2017. The goals of the publication were to provide a definition of “optimal brain health” in adults, and guidance on how to maintain brain health through the years. From these data, the following 7 metrics were brought forward as steps to implement for improving brain health where ideal brain health was defined as “having an optimal capacity to…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Hormone therapy may be the most effective treatment for reducing vasomotor symptoms. But for many symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, the risk of hormone therapy outweighs the benefit. One of the non-pharmacological options that many women consider is acupuncture. However, there has not been a systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing acupuncture’s effectiveness in the past few years. Researchers from the Center of Integrative Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine (Winston-Salem, NC) and…

Menopausal transition represents a critical period in women’s lives that marks an increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Traditional CVD risk factors, such as reduced glucose tolerance, increased blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction, tend to become very present during menopausal transition and post-menopausal years which can partly explain the augmentation in CVD risk among women. The natural decline in oestrogen levels during menopause has been associated with the increase in CVD risk among post-menopausal women. Similarly, VMS are postulated to…

by Nilima Desai, MPH, RD In today’s fast-paced world it seems like most people are under some type of stress. In fact, the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Survey reports by the year 2020, stress-related conditions will be the second leading cause of disability.1 Stress is defined as, “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation”.2 It’s important to remember that not all stress is bad,…

In this webinar, Dr. Osama Hamdy, the medical director of the obesity program at the Joslin Diabetes Center, discusses, “Dietary Fat: Should We Change Recommendations.” He begins with basic information on dietary fats. There are three types of lipids: free fatty acids, compound lipids (phospholipids, sterols/cholesterol). When we discuss fatty acids, we mean a chain of carbon atoms, one end called the alpha end, and one called the omega end. It is from that structure that we get the names of polyunsaturated…

by Lewis Chang, PhD  It has been suggested that oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system affecting movement. As antioxidants may offset oxidative stress and damage to neurons, scientists have been interested in whether antioxidant consumption would reduce the risk of PD. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) and University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) set out to investigate the association between antioxidant intake and PD risk…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN An analysis of the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS2) cohort revealed that women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) who are also overweight or obese have a significantly increased risk of developing chronic hypertension (HTN) later in life.1 HDP includes pre-eclampsia and gestational HTN: obstetric complications increasing risk of maternal mortality.2 In the US, pre-eclampsia and gestational HTN affect 3% and 5-10% of pregnancies, respectively.2 Furthermore, HDP increases risk for chronic HTN. Conservative figures estimate that…

by Bianca Garilli, ND A member of the Lamiaceae flowering plant family, peppermint (Mentha piperita) is one of the most widely herbs used in today’s society.  The peppermint plant is a mix of Mentha spicata (spearmint) and Mentha aquatica (watermint). This fragrant herb originates form the Mediterranean region and now grows wildly in many areas of the world.  Peppermint is well known for its spicy taste and the characteristic “coolness” which comes from its menthol containing volatile oil.1 Peppermint use throughout…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Vitamin D is essential- it helps absorb calcium, supports nervous and muscle tissue, and the immune system. Compared to normal-weight counterparts, vitamin D deficiency is more prevalent in those with obesity. In the US over one-third of adults meet obesity criteria.1 A study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism2 examined cellular mechanisms of vitamin D trafficking in metabolically dysfunctional adipose tissue as compared to normal adipocytes in conjunction with a vitamin D supplementation intervention in…

by Milene Brownlow, PhD It seems like we’re always on our way to a destination. Whether it’s a physical journey, such as traveling out of town, or a mental one, like getting ready for a job interview, we must prepare for the journey in order to get there. Entering a state of ketosis is no different. Strategic planning is important. What is “ketosis,” and how can you get there? Many people associate ketosis with a popular diet program and as…