A recent article  published in a recent edition of Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy proposes a shift from discussing BMI and weight loss with patients in the provider’s office, to focusing on the topics of awareness and education surrounding healthy life habits, physical activity in particular.  Authors Emily Dollar and team encourage an emphasis on cardiorespiratory fitness over body size to minimize the risk of stigma associated with overweight and obesity and increase collaboration between patient and provider.…

A 2009 publication, obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis are alleviated by omega-3 fatty acids: a role for resolvins and protectins can be downloaded here. In this paper, the authors discuss omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3-PUFAs), which have well-documented protective effects that are attributed not only to eicosanoid inhibition but also to the formation of novel biologically active lipid mediators (i.e., resolvins and protectins). In this study, we examined their effects on ob/ob mice, an obesity model of insulin resistance and…

A new meta-analysis based on multiple cohort studies found that elevated concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)—a gut microbiota-derived metabolite of choline, L-carnitine or betaine—were associated with increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality. 1 Choline, L-carnitine and betaine are metabolized by intestinal bacteria to form trimethylamine, which is then oxidized to TMAO by the enzyme flavin monooxygenase 3 in the liver. Because there is an increasing number of studies investigating the association of circulating levels of…

by Bianca Garilli, ND  Often considered a disease of the older population, recent reports are indicating that an estimated 10% of stroke victims are less than 50 years of age and, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), ischemic stroke rates have risen in young adults aged between 24-50 years.1 The study further points out that hospitalization rates for stroke have also increased for both women and men—nearly double in the case of men. Research conducted…

by Bianca Garilli, ND  Obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions globally and have been shown to adversely influence many clinical markers of health However, the data are sparse with regards to the effect maternal obesity may have on fetal and neonatal outcomes.    A recent report in Lancet, by Di Cesare et al, showed that the number of women aged 18 years and older with a BMI of > 35 (obesity class II and III) doubled from approximately 50 million to 100 million worldwide between…

Recent data have indicated rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) are declining but still more than a third of all deaths in the US, and nearly half of the deaths in the EU, can be linked to heart disease. Fiber has long been proposed as a possible cardioprotectant; there have been studies that assessed dietary fiber and its effects on hypertension, obesity, increased serum cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. It has been suggested that other components of…

The presence of excess inflammation is the main driver behind metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, obesity, metabolic syndrome (MS), type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker produced by the liver and adipocytokines (bioactive molecules produced in fat tissue) such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α) are molecules which are key in this inflammatory process. Treatment options focused on dampening inflammation by reducing these…

by Milene Brownlow, PhD The metabolism of exogenous ketones, in ester vs. salt forms, are explored. Highlights Ketone ester (KE) drinks elevated blood βHB to a greater extent (>50%) than Ketone salt (KS) drinks, while KS drinks increased blood levels of L-βHB, which was metabolized more slowly Both drinks had similar effects on FFA, TG, glucose and electrolyte concentrations, although only KE significantly decreased blood pH below normal range Consumption of a meal prior to KE intake decreased total blood…