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Cardiovascular / Circulatory

Hypertension, Cardiovascular Disease, and Nutritional Interventions

Blood biomarkers such as high triglycerides, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratios, high ferritin, high homocysteine, and low alpha-tocopherol levels have been linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) states. Furthermore, such blood markers are also quite common within blood chemistry panels. As a means of appreciating said markers and their relationship to high […]

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Poor Iron Absorption and Anemia: Hypochlorhydria as a Culprit?

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is approximately 7 m long with a 300 meter2 surface area.1 Such an organ functions as a gatekeeper defending against pathogenic organisms while concomitantly allowing for the breakdown, absorption, and passage of nutrients.1(2.3) Thus, physiological aberrations in the GIT can, and do, compromise the individual’s health and homeostasis. To appreciate the […]

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Hyperinsulinemia, Type 2 Diabetes, and Low Carbohydrate Nutritional Interventions

Insulin resistance (IR), a condition that effects 57 million people, is considered an early biomarker, and pre-cursor, of type 2 diabetes (T2D); a disease that currently effects 8% of the US population.2 IR is further characterized by high/normal levels of insulin, known as hyperinsulinemia (HI), required to dispose of blood glucose.1 Left unchecked, HI/T2D can […]

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Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: Exploring Their Value

Food-as-medicine is a paradigm and model used in the restoration of health and prevention of disease. Considering that research has implicated poor dietary habits (i.e., excess consumption of ultra-processed foods, alcohol, and vegetable oils) to the advent and progression of metabolic syndrome and other diseases, it is imperative that solutions are employed to mitigate such […]

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Avocado Oil and Health Benefits

Avocado is a fruit known as Persea americana, which contains a large concentration of minerals (phosphorous/magnesium/potassium) and lipids.1 The avocado tree finds its origins in tropical and/or subtropical climates with the largest producing countries including Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Indonesia.1(381) Furthermore, the avocado industry is predicted to rise at a compound annual growth […]

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Olive Oil and Health Benefits

Special diets for special needs acknowledge the concept of bio-individuality, and the preference to mold food choices based on the signs, symptoms, goals, and health outcomes of each individual. One diet of particular interest is that of Mediterranean origin, otherwise known as the Mediterranean diet (MD). Such a method of eating is characterized by generous […]

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Coconut Oil; Exploring the Facts

In this author’s last post, two dietary strategies (Mediterranean diet and low carbohydrate/ ketogenic diet) were explored and considered for their influence upon health biomarkers and outcomes. A common element found from both diets included the daily consumption and use of oils as part of their respective regimens. In the following sections, this author would […]

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Special Diets for Special Needs

Food sources in the human diet can include beef, fish, poultry, pork, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes,  vegetables, fruits, and oils. As such, there is a nearly inexhaustible combination of macronutrients and micronutrients that individuals might choose when consuming food. Such variability is further complicated by lack of generalizability regarding the use of a single dietary […]

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Nutrigenomics, Food, and Health

Nutrigenomics can be defined as the study of the interaction between genes and the nutritional environment.1 Such a field has been proposed as a new model in healthcare in which genotyping (studying the differences in gene make-up of one individual and comparing it to other individuals) can help determine the best choices of foods and […]

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Conditioned Hypereating

Over consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPFDs) continues to be a phenomenon in Westernized countries, and is linked to several conditions to include metabolic syndrome; an aggregate of risk factors (dysregulated glucose metabolism, high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and abnormal lipid profiles) that lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes (T2D).1 A […]

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