by Lewis Chang, PhD A new dietary intervention trial demonstrated that a low-caloric lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and low-caloric Mediterranean diet were equally effective in reducing body weight and fat mass in healthy individuals, with different beneficial effects observed for blood lipids.1 Previous epidemiological studies and meta-analyses of clinical trials have found various health benefits associated with the vegetarian diet and Mediterranean diet. Researchers from University of Florence (Italy) recently conducted the first randomized crossover study to directly compare the effects…

Cells of the immune system have been shown to produce specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), a group of lipid molecules that coordinate the active resolution of inflammation. However, the capacity for non-immune cells types to biosynthesize SPMs is not well understood. In this publication, Chatterjee A et al. aimed to examine this ability by using freshly harvested segments of aortic branch as well as vascular smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells all isolated from human volunteers perioperatively. The vascular cells…

by Lewis Chang, PhD The majority of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have metabolic abnormalities. Because reduced diversity in the gut microbiome has been associated with metabolic disorders, researchers have hypothesized that women with PCOS may also exhibit reduced diversity in their gut microbiota, which may be linked to other hormonal imbalances including increased levels of testosterone. Investigators from Department of Reproductive Medicine at University of California San Diego (La Jolla, CA), Department of Biology at San Diego State…

The Cardiometabolic Consequences of Obesity and Nutritional Strategies for Prevention - Frank Hu, MD, PhD The prevalence of obesity in the US has reached epidemic proportions. In this presentation, “The Cardiometabolic Consequences of Obesity and Nutritional Strategies for Prevention,” Frank Hu, MD, PhD, reviews high-quality research demonstrating the dietary contributors to weight gain and the impact of overweight/obesity on cardiometabolic diseases and mortality. People do not eat individual nutrients; they consume dietary patterns with varying diet quality. To that end,…

The application of precision medicine in integrative healthcare Jennifer Stagg, ND Jennifer Stagg, ND discusses methods and application for precision medicine in an integrative healthcare setting. Dr. Stagg explores how you can utilize advances in genomics and epigenetics in health promotion and preventative care. She includes recent clinical case studies focused on incorporating genomic wellness testing, telomere length testing, as well as establishing the 7 categories for matching a specific diet with a patient to optimize health outcomes. Dr. Stagg explains how a…

Total Patient Care Management: Knowing the Predisposition of Chronic Disease - Robert Martindale, MD, PhD In this presentation, “Total Patient Care Management: Knowing the Predisposition of Chronic Disease,” Robert Martindale, MD, PhD of Oregon Health & Science University discusses how to get ahead of chronic disease in an aging population by reviewing current research and clinical experience. Dr. Martindale explores unique challenges associated with aging, including malnutrition, sarcopenia and anabolic resistance, cognitive decline, obesity and chronic inflammation, and gut/microbiome health.…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Decline in cognitive ability progresses over a long period of time and is a risk factor for dementia. The link between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dementia has been well documented. Mechanistically, T2D may directly induce amyloid accumulation and indirectly increase microvascular disease of the central nervous system. However, the link between T2D and cognitive decline is much less clear. HbA1c, a biomarker that reflects blood glucose levels over a prior 2-3 month time frame, is…

15. Insights from the Metagenics Lifestyle Summit 2015 in Phoenix, AZ: Charles Serhan, PhD In this short video, Dr. Charles Serhan discusses the differences between specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) formulations for clinical application. He indicates that different product formulations must be assessed for efficacy for specific uses. Further, SPMs themselves are natural molecules and are not all created equally. They are tissue-specific, so some promote tissue regeneration while others are more effective at phagocytosis, for example.

Hormonal balance is recognized as a factor in the development of non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. The topic is of particular interest regarding the health of peri- and post-menopausal women who experience changes in hormone levels during the menopausal transition and also have increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as they age. It is known that post-menopausal women have elevated glucose and elevated insulin response, compared to adiposity-matched pre-menopausal women, so it is…