Search Results for: Probiotic

by Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT According to the CDC, of the 154 million prescriptions written for antibiotics each year, at least 30% are unnecessary, and the remaining 70% need to be prescribed more specifically for the infection type, including drug selection, dose, and duration.1 The goal of the CDC is to reduce the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions by 50% by the year 2020.1 The discovery of antibiotics has, no doubt, saved millions of lives, but there are two sides…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMCP Guest: Paul Thomas, MD, FAAP, ABAM, ABIHM Obesity and chronic disease are on the rise in our nation’s children. Prevalence of neurological and mood disorders is also increasing. Drs. Paul Thomas and Deanna Minich discuss how exposure to various toxic inputs from the environment and home are burdening our nation’s children and how childrens’ guardians and practitioners can begin to combat this complex issue by strategically improving the home environment and via personalized medicine. Diverse,…

by Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT The overweight and obesity epidemic in America Worldwide, obesity rates have tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults 18 years and older were overweight. Of these, over 650 million were obese.1 The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a cross-sectional survey that represents the civilian, noninstitutionalized population.2 NHANES studies are crucial for looking at many aspects of community health in the US, like the worsening epidemic of overweight and obesity.…

In this video, Dr. Fergus Shanahan presents “An Overview of the Human Microbiome.” Originally delivered at ASPEN in 2015, this presentation provides a glimpse of success stories in the past with microbiome, as well as a glimpse into the future of using probiotics as preventive and treatment-focused therapies. He chooses to discuss the microbiome as a therapeutic target in the body. He also discusses the use of microbial biomarkers in the body for diagnostic testing. There are very few such…

Dale E Bredesen, MD, is the director of the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is also the principal investigator in Alzheimer’s Disease at the center. Dr. Bredesen has taken a novel approach to clinical management of cognitive decline by integrating nutrition and lifestyle medicine into practice. Based on his research and clinical practice, we may be entering the era of treatable Alzheimer’s Disease. He also discusses Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Clostridium difficile, or "C. diff", is a bacterium that can cause infection in at-risk individuals, triggering symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to severe pseudomembranous colitis. Major risk factors for C. diff infection include depletion of protective gut microorganisms due to antibiotics use (e.g. fluoroquinolones), compromised immune system, age, healthcare environment, and certain medications. Hospitalized older individuals with recent antibiotic exposure and those admitted to long-term care facilities are particularly susceptible for C. diff infection.1 Two fluoroquinolone-resistant…

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 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…

by Kara Fitzgerald, ND Precision medicine, which encompasses the concepts of individual uniqueness and personalized healthcare solutions, has to-date been most focused on genetics. Genetic-based differences in tumor cells, for instance, is one example of how precision medicine has started to play out. Recently the team from the Microbiome Center at the University of Chicago have argued that this definition is too narrow, and that the microbiome is another key factor in understanding and applying personalized healthcare. In their published commentary they…

Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, LD, CNSc: The Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease 2-part series, "Therapeutic Manipulations of Gut Microbiota – Module 2" In this module Dr. Gail Cresci discusses the therapeutic manipulations of gut microbiota, including methods for managing peptic ulcers. Dr. Cresci explores the use of fecal microbiota transplants to manage recurrent C. difficile infection, as well as the benefits of pre- and probiotics for specific ailments. Dr. Cresci’s research examines the desirable properties of specific probiotic strains, their…