by Bianca Garilli, ND Hair loss, or alopecia, is a common complaint by patients, male and female alike. It can affect localized regions (like the temples and crown of the head seen in male-pattern baldness), the entire scalp, and sometimes can even extend to other areas of the body. Typical hair loss is approximately 50-100 hairs per day, but those suffering from more extensive hair loss frequently notice increased hair loss after brushing or styling their locks or even when…

by Bronwyn Storoschuk, ND Combined hormonal contraceptives are used by over 100 million women worldwide, with the most frequent use in the Western world.1 Of hormonal options, the combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP), also known as "the pill" or birth control pill, is the most common choice, with 4 out of 5 sexually active women reporting current or previous pill use.2,3 Although OCPs are a highly effective form of birth control and have been revolutionary for women, like other medications,…

by Sara Gottfried, MD Exercise is key to overall health, but sometimes the wrong approach can do more harm than good. It’s likely one of the reasons you’ve encountered patients who are struggling to achieve results despite every effort to lose weight and improve their health. Thankfully, there’s more to the story. We sat down with Sara Gottfried, MD to discuss the connection between exercise, hormones, and healthy weight loss. Sometimes exercising too much can make it more difficult for…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Screen time is quickly becoming one of the hottest topics for parents, healthcare practitioners, and educators. How much screen time should children and adolescents be allowed per day? Does screen time include the time spent on laptops to complete homework and reading assignments for classes? At what age should children begin to use screens? When is an appropriate developmental timeframe to buy your child a phone? Does the use of screens increase the risks of behavioral…

by Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT  Cruciferous vegetables belong to the Brassica genus of plants and include foods such as broccoli, arugula, Brussels sprouts, mustard and collard greens, cabbage, and watercress. Known for their cancer-fighting biological properties and support of the body’s natural detoxification system, these veggies contain sulfur-containing chemicals called glucosinolates, which are responsible for the vegetable’s pungent aroma and bitter flavor.1 During the digestion of cruciferous vegetables, glucosinolates are broken down to form biologically active compounds such as indoles, nitriles,…

by Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT Sugar is a hot topic. It’s one of the recently recognized, major culprits for increasing rates of overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease and contributes to a multitude of other health conditions related to inflammation in the body.1 Sugar intake in America 42% of Americans ≥ 2 years meet the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation for limiting added sugars intake to <10% of daily calories.1-2 That leaves 58% of Americans consuming…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP, USMC Veteran Sleep disorders in military veterans are common, yet their role in chronic illness is frequently overlooked. A study published in Sleep brings attention to this important subject: “The National Veteran Sleep Disorder Study: Descriptive Epidemiology and Secular Trends, 2000–2010” was a serial, cross-sectional study that reviewed sleep disorder trends in veterans who were treated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) over a period of 11 years.1 In total, 9,786,778 patient visits were included…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Lewis Chang, PhD Introduction When I finished my medical training in 1998 at the University of California at San Francisco, I thought I knew everything about vitamin D, particularly vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. I understood vitamin D was important for the efficient trafficking of calcium in the body, and that helps to keep bones strong, which was important for women’s health over the age of thirty when bone density begins to decline. What I…

Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN If you can have a favorite nutrient, mine would be vitamin D. Historically famous for its essential, classical role in calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and bone physiology (think rickets prevention), the past few decades of research have unveiled diverse, extraskeletal health roles for vitamin D, including but not limited to the immune system, cardiometabolic pathophysiology, cancer, pregnancy, etc. Whether consuming vitamin D2 or D3 (FYI, the latter more potently impacts vitamin D status),1 vitamin D…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP, USMC Veteran Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a lipoprotein encoded by the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene located on chromosome 19; this protein is primarily responsible for transporting and metabolizing cholesterol and other lipids.1 Although expressed in various tissues throughout the body, the highest ApoE concentrations are found in the liver, kidney, spleen, adrenal, adipose tissue, and the brain or central nervous system (CNS), where it is predominately involved in neuronal maintenance, growth, and repair.1,2 There are…