Probiotic Strain L. paracasei Lpc-37® Reduced Stress in Healthy Adults Scientists have been searching for “psychobiotics,” probiotics that can modify the gut-brain axis,1 and now a recent publication using a robust clinical trial design demonstrated a probiotic strain that improved the stress response. Previous preclinical studies demonstrated that Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Lpc-37 (Lpc-37), formerly known as Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37 prevented the development of certain behaviors associated with chronic stress.2 This “psychobiotic” candidate was selected from other probiotic strains for clinical effects on perceived stress…

by Molly Knudsen, MS, RDN It’s no secret: The United States is getting grayer. More gray hair, that is. In 2018, the number of Americans 65 years and older reached 52 million.1 That number is projected to practically double to 95 million, or nearly one in every four Americans by 2060.1,2 This rise in an aging population will result in some unique challenges such as strain to the elder care resources, additional healthcare costs, and the need of addressing chronic…

by Cassie Story, RDN Abstract: Although it was not identified and isolated until the 1930s, vitamin C has been known to protect against and treat certain disease states since the 18th century. Ask any health care practitioner to recall the first nutrient deficiency they learned about, and vitamin C will likely top the list. Images of sailors in the 1700s returning to shore with bleeding gums, fatigue, and even death due to a deficiency in this potent, water-soluble, antioxidant micronutrient…

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, adequate-protein diet that has proven to be effective for the reversal of several chronic conditions including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes (T2DM) in trials of up to two years.1 However, the degree of therapeutic response to KD varies across individuals.2,3 For example, some KD dieters lose more weight than others, and, while most of them improve their blood lipids, so-called “high responders” experience abnormal increases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Many…

In this interview, Joan Claria, PhD discusses the discovery that a resolution deficit occurs in obesity. Dr. Claria outlines the important role that specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) play in adipose tissue and metabolic health, and outlines future potential for SPM-based therapies in the management of fatty liver disease. Joan Claria, PhD is Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, Spain From the 16th International Conference on Bioactive Lipids in Cancer,…

In this interview, Bruce Levy, MD describes the loss of inflammatory ‘breaking signals’ in the lung of patients with asthma. Dr. Levy highlights how this defective resolution phenotype negatively impacts both adaptive and innate immune responses in individuals with asthma, leaving them more vulnerable to infection. Bruce Levy, MD is the Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, MA and Parker B. Francis Professor at Harvard Medical School From the 16th International…

by Molly Knudsen, MS, RDN From a culinary perspective, mushrooms are a very polarizing food. You either love or despise them, and you either order a meal based on their inclusion or veer far away from it. There are rarely feelings of indifference. However, the notion that medicinal mushrooms are beneficial for health isn’t as divisive as their presence on the dinnerplate. Typically taken in as an extract, fungal varieties considered to be a medicinal mushroom have been used in…

by Michael Stanclift, ND Introduction Many clinicians who know andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) know its anticancer properties; however, its antimicrobial mechanisms have recently caught researchers’ eyes.1-3 Andrographis has been used for its medicinal benefits in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for centuries, mostly for effects related to infections and/or the immune system.1,3 Based on computer models, some researchers hypothesize andrographolide, a major bioactive compound of andrographis, might have a role in the current COVID-19 pandemic.2,3 Andrographis demonstrates antiviral activity against a…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Introduction “Damned if I don’t get more tired every day. Tired of what I do. Following arcs, like lobbed rocks. The inevitability of truth. But the complexity and the grey lie not in the truth, but what you do with the truth once you have it.”—Detective Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig, in the 2019 film Knives Out) The current pandemic is not showing any sign of slowing in the US and many parts of the…