Dietary supplements are used by a majority of Americans on at least an occasional basis. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education (DSHEA) defines dietary supplements as“ vitamins, minerals, herbals and botanicals, amino acids, dietary substances to supplement the diet such as enzymes or tissues, or a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract.” Supplements are popular across demographics in the United States, but use of dietary supplements by American adults over 50 years old has increased by 40% since the 1970’s.[1]The increase…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Overview Vitamin D research and daily news headlines are ubiquitous. PubMed’s search engine contains over 81,800 articles pertaining to vitamin D.1 Information abounds on vitamin D, but the vetting and translation of that information into pragmatic recommendations is harder to find. Evidence-based takeaways and female-centric recommendations are crucial for healthcare practitioners (HCPs), their female patients and consumers alike. Women are busy, multi-tasking pros, so practical, personalized takeaways are always appreciated. In other words, women…

The gene MTHFR is one of the best-known and most relevant genes in the growing field of nutrigenomics. According to the National Institutes of Health, MTHFR provides instructions for making an enzyme that plays a role in processing amino acids, as well as converting one form of folate to another, a process that is required to convert the amino acid homocysteine into another amino acid, methionine. It’s not this complicated process itself, though that makes MTHFR so noteworthy and relevant to…

The mornings are brisk and the sun is setting earlier- it’s definitely fall out there. With the seasonal change also comes a change in the local produce that is available. The markets start to fill with apples, pears, pumpkins, acorn squash, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and other delightful fall produce. While we will miss the high levels of antioxidants present in fresh berries and cherries that are now not easily available, this season’s produce offerings still have lots of health…

Summer has ended and school is back in session- which means most of us are in the thick of balancing classes, healthy eating on the go, exercise and sleep. Here are some tips and things to consider to keep the year calm, cool, and healthy. Schedules can get pretty stressful between work meetings, deadlines, school obligations, side projects and just plain keeping the house clean. Studies have shown that increased stress can lead to poor quality of sleep, and increased rates…

by Bianca Garilli, ND In recent years, the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet to both prevent and treat cardiovascular disease has become well accepted in the health care community. Atherosclerosis is commonly associated with high dietary intake of animal products, fat and processed carbohydrates and continues to be the leading cause of mortality in the US. Protection from atherogenesis however, may be possible through increased intake of plant-based foods high in polyphenols and antioxidant effects.1 What foods a plant-based…

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease and is a leading cause of death in the US among both men and women. CAD develops when plaque forms in the coronary arteries, limiting and blocking blood flow. Another cause of CAD, in addition to arterial plaques, is arterial inflammation.  A study by Tarec K. Elajami and colleagues found resolution of inflammation in the body may also lead to clot remodeling and reduce the incidence of CAD and coronary events in at risk…