by Nilima Desai, MPH, RD Most people who are on a quest for weight loss have all heard, “a calorie is a calorie” and that it doesn’t matter if the calorie is a carbohydrate calorie, a protein calorie, or a fat calorie. In fact, all calories do have the same amount of energy: one kilocalorie contains about 4184 Joules of energy, which is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.…

Phytosterols, also referred to as plant sterols or stanols, are cholesterol-like molecules found in cell membranes of plants. Unlike cholesterol, however, the body cannot produce phytosterols. Therefore, their main source comes from plant-based foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. There are multiple different types of phytosterols, but sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol are most abundant in commonly consumed foods.. The function of phytosterols is similar to that of cholesterol in the body. Phytosterols may help lower…

It is well known that nutrition plays a major role in the prevention and management of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, as well as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and overweight and obesity. Chronic disease is very common in the United States and nearly 70% of American adults are overweight or obese. Health conditions triggered by overweight or obesity such as hypertension or hyperlipidemia, among others, are commonly treated with prescription drugs. Indeed, in a study of prescription…

Dietary supplements are used by a majority of Americans on at least an occasional basis. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education (DSHEA) defines dietary supplements as“ vitamins, minerals, herbals and botanicals, amino acids, dietary substances to supplement the diet such as enzymes or tissues, or a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract.” Supplements are popular across demographics in the United States, but use of dietary supplements by American adults over 50 years old has increased by 40% since the 1970’s.[1]The increase…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Overview Vitamin D research and daily news headlines are ubiquitous. PubMed’s search engine contains over 81,800 articles pertaining to vitamin D.1 Information abounds on vitamin D, but the vetting and translation of that information into pragmatic recommendations is harder to find. Evidence-based takeaways and female-centric recommendations are crucial for healthcare practitioners (HCPs), their female patients and consumers alike. Women are busy, multi-tasking pros, so practical, personalized takeaways are always appreciated. In other words, women…

by Bianca Garilli, ND The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the total number of people living with diabetes in 2014 was 422 million, equal to approximately 8.5% of adults worldwide– a majority of whom were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D). These figures are a staggering increase from the estimated 108 million people, globally, who were diagnosed with diabetes in 1980!1 The United States does not fare any better.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29.1 million people…

Patients with diabetes often have numerous comorbid conditions such as obesity, heart disease, kidney disease and hypertension to name a few. Hypertension or high blood pressure (BP), in particular, can lead to increased risks for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), heart failure (HF) and attendant microvascular complications. The last time the American Diabetes Association (ADA) provided a position statement on hypertension was more than 15 years ago. Given the increasing rise in the numbers of people afflicted by diabetes, increased BMI…

This presentation, entitled, “Probiotics: From Basic Science to Clinical Application” was delivered by Eamon M Quigley, MD at the ASPEN Symposium in February 2015. Dr. Quigley is the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas. His presentation begins with a definition of probiotics and discussion of the health benefits they can have on the body. Current clinical applications for probiotics include diarrheal illnesses, necrotizing enterocolitis, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and liver…

by Lewis Chang, PhD  An editorial perspective, recently published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) obesity-themed issue, helps to explain the growing interest in the ketogenic diet for weight and type 2 diabetes (T2D) management [1]. Many people successfully lose weight via diet over the short haul; however, because of physiological adaptations, it becomes much more difficult to maintain that weight loss in the long run. As a result, a majority of people regain their weight—and sometimes more. Interestingly, accumulating evidence suggests…

The gene MTHFR is one of the best-known and most relevant genes in the growing field of nutrigenomics. According to the National Institutes of Health, MTHFR provides instructions for making an enzyme that plays a role in processing amino acids, as well as converting one form of folate to another, a process that is required to convert the amino acid homocysteine into another amino acid, methionine. It’s not this complicated process itself, though that makes MTHFR so noteworthy and relevant to…