ASPEN 2015 Inflammation: Fish Oils vs SPMs: What's the Difference? - 1 Roundtable Symposia from ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week 2015 Participating Speakers are: Robert G. Martindale, MD, PhD Stephen McClave, MD Jesmond Dalli, PhD Todd Rice, MD ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week in February 2015 provided an excellent opportunity for experts in clinical nutrition to gather and discuss new clinical science from the field. In a series of discussions on Inflammation, Dr. Robert Martindale moderates conversation among several experts, including…

This animation features information on the role of inflammation in managing insults and injury to the body. Infection, wounds, poor diet, and aging are causes of acute inflammation. Acute inflammation helps the body to heal and helps tissue to return to homeostasis. When inflammation becomes chronic, however, as is common in many chronic diseases, it can destroy tissues and leave the body in poorer health. Science has now shown us that inflammation resolution is an active process that is controlled by specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs),…

What do we know about hormones for menopause? What are the risks and the benefits for women? Erika Schwartz, MD Chief Medical Officer at the Age Management Institute discusses the state of science and uses of hormone therapy for health concerns and improving quality of life. Dr. Schwartz also discusses the importance of preventative and individualized medicine for women. Presented at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium Annual Conference (IHS) in New York City – February 22, 2017 View the slides  …

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN With over 70% of US adults overweight or obese,1 weight loss methods that are effective and sustainable over the long-term are critically needed. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study led by Kevin D. Hall, PhD investigated how physical activity (PA) and energy intake (EI) impacted long-term weight loss in participants from “The Biggest Loser” TV competition.2 “The Biggest Loser” is a televised weight loss competition involving an intensive diet and exercise program (30…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN A food fortification trial demonstrated that 600 IU of daily vitamin D3 had a significantly greater impact than 600 IU of daily vitamin D2 in elevating serum blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].1-2 Vitamin D is essential for skeletal health and many emerging extraskeletal physiological processes, but remains one of the most common micronutrient dietary gaps, resulting in widespread hypovitaminosis D globally. Understanding how much vitamin D the body needs daily, in what form, and from what sources…

by Lewis Chang, PhD  Increased blood ketone levels following consumption of a ketone ester drink delayed the onset of hunger in conjunction with a delayed rise in plasma ghrelin levels, a human study found.1 Ketogenic diets are linked to decreased appetite and altered gut hormone levels; however, it is less clear whether elevated blood levels of ketone body (as opposed to other dietary ingredients) were responsible for the observed changes. Researchers from the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at…

Hypertension (HTN) affects more than a third (32.6%) of Americans and is a major risk factor for heart disease and mortality.1 Unfortunately, the exact mechanisms as to development and maintenance of this condition are yet to be understood. It has been suggested that HTN is associated with a fundamental defect in the ability for the kidneys to excrete sodium.2 Salt sensitivity of blood pressure (BP) is a measurable, physiological, trait where an increase in dietary sodium intake leads to an increase in…

Daily consumption of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 helped relieve severity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), according to a pilot quality improvement study. The study participants (n=29) were recruited from patients who presented to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation outpatient clinic (Cleveland, OH). Participants consumed the probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 in an oral supplement (108 CFU/capsule daily) for 90 days in addition to standard therapy. GI symptoms consistent…

Clinicians and healthcare practitioners have a unique opportunity in advocating lifestyle medicine because patients see them as a reliable source of advice. However, there are still numerous technical and logistic challenges to overcome before personal “big data” can be translated into actionable and clinically relevant solutions. Clinicians are also facing various issues prior to bringing personalized lifestyle medicine to their practice. Nevertheless, emerging ground-breaking research projects have given us a glimpse of how systems thinking and computational methods may lead…

During periods of over-nutrition, excess energy is stored in white adipose tissue (WAT); continuing expansion of WAT may lead to obesity. Obesity alters the cellular physiology of adipocytes, the cells of WAT. In the context of obesity, adipocytes secrete elevated levels of free fatty acids and adipokines, but decreased levels of adiponectin. These pathophysiologic changes have many effects. Elevated free fatty acids contribute to insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and impaired arterial flow regulation Download the PDF