In this presentation Gail Cresci, PhD, RD reviews how digestive health is enhanced when the gut microbiome is rich in diverse micro flora. This diversity is supported when preferred energy sources for the bacteria are available and support the viability of microbiota. The importance of these combinations lies in the fact that a metabolic environment is created which in turns provides protection of the gut barrier, optimal immune response and normal gut function and influences on a variety of other…

In this video, Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, LD, CNSC from the Cleveland Clinic discusses the microbiome and whether synbiotics, synergistic combination of pre- and probiotics, make a difference. She covers the rationale for synbiotic use, synbiotic approaches, supporting evidence for health outcomes. Presented at ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week 2015. View the Slide Deck

Rob Knight, PhD is a pioneer in the study of microbiomes, in humans, animals, and the environment. He says “the three pounds of microbes that you carry around with you might be more important than every single gene you carry around in your genome.” Dr. Knight is the author of a popular TED book, Follow Your Gut: The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes, which explores how microbes impact your health, mood, and more. In this TED Talk, Dr. Knight discusses…

The microbial community in each of our bodies influences our physiology, metabolism and immune function, playing roles in both health and disease. This community of bacteria helps its human host digest food, synthesize certain vitamins, and protect against pathogenic bacteria. Recognizing the benefits of “good” microbes begs the question, what does the microbial population look like in a healthy person? And how does the population differ in a person with metabolic or digestive disease? This monograph reviews the role of…

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…

by Nilima Desai, MPH, RD In today’s fast-paced world it seems like most people are under some type of stress. In fact, the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Survey reports by the year 2020, stress-related conditions will be the second leading cause of disability.1 Stress is defined as, “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation”.2 It’s important to remember that not all stress is bad,…

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 Lewis Chang, PhD  It has been suggested that oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system affecting movement. As antioxidants may offset oxidative stress and damage to neurons, scientists have been interested in whether antioxidant consumption would reduce the risk of PD. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) and University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) set out to investigate the association between antioxidant intake and PD risk…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Turkey finds its way on the menu for most carnivores during the holiday season, but is also commonly consumed by many Americans throughout the year. This poultry meat has gained popularity for being a good source of tryptophan,1 an essential amino acid required for protein biosynthesis. Interestingly, most poultry and other meats are good sources of tryptophan; additionally, legumes, especially soybeans and seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds), also contain tryptophan.1 Tryptophan is the biochemical precursor to melatonin, a…