by Sara Gottfried, MD; Kari Hamrick, PhD, RD; Lewis Chang, PhD We all know that it’s time for mainstream science to investigate—rigorously and on a large scale—whether eating a particular diet can help reduce or reverse chronic disease. While we have growing evidence on the Mediterranean diet, we know little about the molecular benefits and risks of eating certain foods, not eating specific macronutrients, or other emerging condition-based protocols that involve nutritional modulation, particularly related to insulin and glucose signaling.…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD Guest: Carrie Jones, ND, MPH “Hormones control so much of who we are.” - Deanna Minich, PhD In this discussion, Carrie Jones, ND, MPH and Deanna Minich, PhD explore the nitty gritty of hormones, which control and impact so many body functions and health conditions. They delve into estrogen metabolism and detoxification pathways and how that biochemistry impacts our physiology and can manifest as hormonal symptoms. Dr. Jones opens the discussion by making an important distinction—differentiating the…

In recent years we have witnessed a groundswell of interest in the ketogenic diet. This concept of consuming certain types of high-fat foods (while reducing carbohydrates) to induce a physiological state called ketosis is a form of therapeutic nutrition that has been studied for decades in a variety of conditions. Cancer researchers have become very interested in the potential benefits a ketogenic approach might bring to oncology patients taking certain types of anti-cancer drugs. Why? Because initial experiments conducted in…

by Erik Lundquist, MD Metagenics Institute sat down with family physician Erik Lundquist, MD for a Q&A session to bust some myths about the Cannabis plant and glean current insights for our readers on the clinical utility of phytocannabinoids naturally found in Cannabis, like cannabidiol (CBD). Read on to learn how, based on the scientific literature and in Dr. Lundquist’s clinical experience, these unique bioactives with actions in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may be relevant to you and your patients.…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD Guest: Erik Lundquist, MD In this discussion, Erik Lundquist, MD and Deanna Minich, PhD explore thyroid physiology, assessment, and clinical pearls for treating patients with thyroid dysfunction or disorders. The crux of the discussion is treating the individual patient, not the labs. You will learn valuable insights and effective clinical strategies that Dr. Lundquist utilizes every day in his clinic to provide personalized support to patients with thyroid disorders. Dr. Lundquist shares that in his medical school…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Melissa Blake, BSc, ND Hormones drive the many functions of our body and mind. For example, hormones and their receptors influence metabolic function, heart rate, appetite, tissue growth, and development. Ultimately, the body relies on the hormonal signals of a strikingly choreographed endocrine system. Most of the endocrine system is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid-gonadal (HPATG) axis, which is instrumental in regulating mood, reproductive health, and general homeostasis.1 Unfortunately, the HPATG axis is remarkably sensitive to…

by Kari Hamrick, PhD, RD and Elnaz Karimian Azari, PhD In school, we’re taught the human body is divided into 11 major organ systems that function together to carry out specific tasks. However, a new system has emerged in research over the last 30 years called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is described as, “one of the most important physiologic systems involved in establishing and maintaining human health.”1 This article aims to shed light on the size and scope of…

by Nikky Contractor, PhD, and Sara Gottfried, MD Cannabis is a booming growth industry. As cultural attitudes evolve, prevalence of consumption is rising exponentially. You may wonder if our knowledgebase regarding cannabis is based on best evidence or interest-driven pseudoscience. Meanwhile, many medical conferences now offer a cannabis track, as education channels scramble to catch up to demand. Perhaps you are curious about the emerging role of the endocannabinoid system and if it is safe to recommend hemp oil, or…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD Guest: Amylee Amos, MS, RDN In this discussion on cognition, Amylee Amos, MS, RDN and Deanna Minich, PhD examine how nutrition and lifestyle factors can be leveraged in an individualized way in primary intervention for different subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease. Amylee brings a unique set of nutrition knowledge, having trained under neurologist Dale Bredesen, MD, a pioneer in the area of individualized treatment for  cognitive decline who believes we have entered an era of treatable Alzheimer’s disease.…

by Sara Gottfried, MD; Annalouise O’Connor, PhD, RD; Lewis Chang, PhD If we go back a few decades, scientists and clinicians considered the leading public health killers—such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes—to be separate diseases. Now we know they have a common root cause: inflammation, the process by which the body’s white blood cells are recruited and activated for a specific purpose. Acute inflammation is triggered to help fight an infection or illness, or to heal an injury,…