Dr. Frank Hu is a professor of nutrition, epidemiology, and medicine at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. In this presentation, he discusses the relationship between saturated and unsaturated fats, sources of carbohydrates, and risk of cardiovascular disease. There have been recent sensationalist headlines on the role of fat in the diet and its relationship to cardiovascular disease. Professor Hu clears up the confusion in this presentation. A recent paper by Professor Hu and…

by Lewis Chang, PhD A plant-based diet emphasizes a high intake of plant foods and limits or eliminates the intake of animal products. Research has demonstrated various health benefits of plant-based diets, such as lower risks of obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. However, studies that examined their effects on all-cause mortality have yielded inconsistent results. Differences in study population, study duration and, as importantly, the chosen definition of “plant-based diets” can all influence study findings. Not all…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the US and a major cause of serious disability for adults.1 Up to age 75 the incidence of stroke is higher in men, and from years 75-84 both men and women’s risk are equal; after age 84, however, the risk of stroke in women surpasses that of their male counterparts.2 Overall, the lifetime risk of stroke is actually higher in women than men, with a 21% lifetime…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Regular physical activity is a cornerstone of public health policy in most age groups, with the typical adult recommendation at > 150 minutes/week of aerobic exercise along with routine strength training or weight bearing exercise sessions. The benefits of consistent physical activity is well documented, including reducing risk of chronic illness and improving body mass index, weight and mood among other conditions. The role that regular physical activity plays in older adults, however, continues to expand…

by Bianca Garilli, ND In a single year, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is responsible for nearly 500,000 infections among patients in the US. Approximately 29,000 of these patients die within 30 days of initial diagnosis of the infection, and 15,000 of those deaths can be attributed directly to C. difficile infection (CDI). C. difficile is now the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infection in US hospitals, with excess health care costs in acute care facilities estimated to be $4.8…

by Bianca Garilli, ND The rise in childhood overweight and obesity has been dramatic over the past three decades, with the number of overweight children tripling in that time frame, resulting in approximately 1 in 5 children (17%) in the US now estimated to be overweight.*1 Furthermore, while more children are becoming overweight, the heaviest children are getting even heavier.1 From 1971-1974 to 2009-2010, the prevalence of obesity in US children increased:**2 From 4.8% to 12.1% in children ages 2-5 From 4%…

by Bianca Garilli, ND In 2015, the prevalence of diabetes in the United States was 30.3 million Americans or 9.4% of the population.1  In the same year, over 12 million emergency department (ED) visits or 25% of total ED visits were made by patients with diabetes aged 45 and older.  This number is 6 times higher than ED visits made by patients with diabetes aged 45 and older.2  Overall the number of ED visits by patients with diabetes, as diagnosed in…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Obesity is not age-discriminate, affecting both adults and children quite dramatically over the past few decades. In the United States, nearly one in five children ages 6-19 years old are currently obese, resulting in both long-term health consequences and a financial burden to the individual, family and nation.1 One of the most detrimental effects of the rise in obesity prevalence is the corresponding elevation in cardiometabolic risk factors in the growing child. Commonly, the recommendations for children…

Pain Management: Symptomatic Relief of Inflammation: Robert Bonakdar, MD Inflammation impacts numerous systems and can be challenging to treat. In this talk Robert Bonakdar, MD Director of Pain Management at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, discusses these pathways and ways to approach the inflammatory response upstream to prevent silent and chronic inflammatory states. Understanding inflammation, its stages, and the pathways can help clinicians and researchers improve health outcomes. Presented at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium Annual Conference (IHS) in New York City…