by Lewis Chang, PhD  Many nutrition studies utilizing a low fat diet for weight and health management have not consistently demonstrated reductions in cardiovascular events or mortality. In contrast, higher fat diets have netted improved body composition, diet adherence, and satisfying food preferences. However, it is still unknown whether there is an optimal diet composition of fat content for health benefits. A balanced high fat diet (BHFD) is a diet with 50/30/20 ratio of fat/carbohydrate/protein in which the fat component…

In this webinar, Dr. Osama Hamdy, the medical director of the obesity program at the Joslin Diabetes Center, discusses, “Dietary Fat: Should We Change Recommendations.” He begins with basic information on dietary fats. There are three types of lipids: free fatty acids, compound lipids (phospholipids, sterols/cholesterol). When we discuss fatty acids, we mean a chain of carbon atoms, one end called the alpha end, and one called the omega end. It is from that structure that we get the names of polyunsaturated…

In the United States more than 30 million people, approximately 10 percent of the population, have type-2 diabetes (T2D).1 Additionally, one in three adults in the US have prediabetes- that translates into over 84 million adults with hyperglycemia and an increased risk for frank diabetes. Diabetes is associated with other serious health concerns including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity.1 A recent cross-sectional analysis examined the impacts of glucose metabolism status (i.e. normal, prediabetes and T2D) on cognitive function and…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN An analysis of the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS2) cohort revealed that women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) who are also overweight or obese have a significantly increased risk of developing chronic hypertension (HTN) later in life.1 HDP includes pre-eclampsia and gestational HTN: obstetric complications increasing risk of maternal mortality.2 In the US, pre-eclampsia and gestational HTN affect 3% and 5-10% of pregnancies, respectively.2 Furthermore, HDP increases risk for chronic HTN. Conservative figures estimate that…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Insulin resistance (IR) develops as a response to long term elevation of insulin levels or hyperinsulinemia (HI) after exposure to chronic increases in blood sugar levels. Additionally, IR in conjunction with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and an increase in ectopic adipose storage including visceral adiposity tissue (VAT), are shown to increase the risk and further the progression of dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recently, studies have indicated that elevations of…

The struggle to find the best diet for weight management and metabolic health improvement has largely failed. This failure may imply that no diet fits all needs, which justifies a search for biomarkers that can predict success in weight loss and physiological response, and can allow the most efficient diet to be selected on an individual basis. Researchers from the Texas A&M University recently conducted a series of metabolic studies to understand how genetic differences in mice influence health responses to…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Obesity has both genetic and environmental underpinnings. Research has elucidated key fat-regulating genes, one of which is the fat-mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene located on chromosome 16q12.2. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the FTO gene have been associated with an increased risk for obesity.1 Certain obesity-related SNPs have been shown to be specific to a person’s ethnic and racial makeup. As body mass index (BMI) continues to increase at an alarming rate across the globe, it is…

Dr. Charles Serhan of Harvard Medical School discusses what excites him most about his research in inflammation resolution and specialized pro-resolving mediators, SPMs. He reveals that the opportunity for resolution of inflammation to leave the lab and enter clinical application is most exciting to him. Research and science about stimulating resolution of inflammation are now emerging for general practice. This is a concept that has been in development for many years and it is now ready for “prime time.” SPMs…

by Milene Brownlow, PhD It seems like we’re always on our way to a destination. Whether it’s a physical journey, such as traveling out of town, or a mental one, like getting ready for a job interview, we must prepare for the journey in order to get there. Entering a state of ketosis is no different. Strategic planning is important. What is “ketosis,” and how can you get there? Many people associate ketosis with a popular diet program and as…