by Lewis Chang, PhD  A randomized trial demonstrated that Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) supplementation in combination with aspirin improved cognitive function after an ischemic stroke better than aspirin alone.1 Researchers from Nanjing University Medical School (Nanjing, China) conducted a randomized, open-label, single-blind trial.1 They enrolled 348 patients with an onset of acute ischemic stroke within 7 days from five hospitals in Jiangsu Province (Eastern China). Participants were randomly assigned to GBE (450 mg/day) plus aspirin (100 mg/day) or only aspirin…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Three months of nutritional ketosis provided relief from chronic cluster headache (CCH), according to a study by Di Lorenzo and colleagues.1 Headache complaints are among the most commonly reported neurological disorders. Migraines affect 1 in 7 adults annually and are 2x more common in women than men. In contrast, cluster headache (CH) is rare, affecting < 1% of the population and is 6x more common in men.2 CH is the most severe type of…

by Lewis Chang, PhD  Many nutrition studies utilizing a low fat diet for weight and health management have not consistently demonstrated reductions in cardiovascular events or mortality. In contrast, higher fat diets have netted improved body composition, diet adherence, and satisfying food preferences. However, it is still unknown whether there is an optimal diet composition of fat content for health benefits. A balanced high fat diet (BHFD) is a diet with 50/30/20 ratio of fat/carbohydrate/protein in which the fat component…

In the United States more than 30 million people, approximately 10 percent of the population, have type-2 diabetes (T2D).1 Additionally, one in three adults in the US have prediabetes- that translates into over 84 million adults with hyperglycemia and an increased risk for frank diabetes. Diabetes is associated with other serious health concerns including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity.1 A recent cross-sectional analysis examined the impacts of glucose metabolism status (i.e. normal, prediabetes and T2D) on cognitive function and…

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 Heart disease is the #1, equal opportunity, killer in the US.1 Suboptimal diet quality, including low nut consumption, is also a leading cause of death.1 Observational and interventional studies have demonstrated that chocolate and almonds, separately, yield cardiometabolic benefits. Numerous nutritional bioactives exist in these foods, but the key players are thought to be unsaturated fats in almonds and flavanols in dark chocolate. A recent study by Lee et al. explored the individual and combined effects of dark chocolate,…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Nonnutritive sweeteners were designed to limit caloric intake and assist in weight and blood glucose management,1 but recent findings linked nonnutritive sweetener use to higher adiposity and cardiometabolic risk.2 Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) including aspartame, sucralose and stevioside are zero- or low-calorie sugar substitutes commonly consumed in the US.3 Approximately 25% of children and 41% of adults consume low-calorie sweeteners, with increased consumption in adults with higher body weight.3 Although beverages are the top source of NNS, many foods contain these ingredients too. The…

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…