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Cardiovascular / Circulatory

Potassium: Function and Deficiencies

Potassium (K) is a micronutrient, which is a constituent of a larger family of electrolytes to include phosphorus (P), chloride (Cl), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na) (Gropper, Smith, & Carr, 2018). When in balanced concentrations, electrolytes facilitate nerve conduction, movement of nutrients within a cell, pH balance, and fluid balance (Fluid and Electrolyte Balance, 2018). […]

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Processed Foods, Cardiovascular Disease, and Insulin Resistance

Excessive consumption of processed foods is a dominant trend in North America in which 70% of calories are derived from refined carbohydrates to include alcohol, vegetable oils, and sugar (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014). Such refined sources (i.e., sugar sweetened beverages) have become linked to pathological conditions like cardiovascular disease (CVD) and insulin resistance/type 2 […]

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Electrolytes: Managing Hypertension

Hypertension, defined as resting blood pressure of ≥140/90,impacts over 29% of the adult American population and is a leading cause of renal disease, heart attack, and stroke (Gropper, Smith, and Carr, 2018). Sodium (Na) was one of the first micronutrients mechanistically linked with hypertension, and has since become a commonly understood factor in risk and […]

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Obesity, Atherosclerosis, and Phospholipase Enzyme 2 (PLA2)

Phospholipase enzyme 2 (PLA2) represents a group of enzymes found in the plasma. In particular, the primary enzymes behind phospholipid hydrolyzing processes is found amongst a sub-group known as secretory PLA2 (SPLA2) and have been associated with atherosclerosis (Garces et al., 2010). As such, the following will explore said enzymes in greater detail, other biomarkers […]

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Vitamin K2 Function

Vitamin K, a fat-soluble micronutrient, is found naturally in two forms to include phylloquinone (K1) and menaquinone (K2) (Gropper, Smith, & Carr, 2018). Said vitamin is widely recognized for its role in the synthesis of γ-carboxyglutamic acid (GLA); a residue necessary for blood clotting (Gropper et al., 2018). However, a lesser known function of vitamin […]

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Pyridoxine (B6) and Most Digestible Food Sources

Pyridoxine (B6), is a micronutrient which serves as a coenzyme in over 100 enzymes (Grooper, Smith, & Carr, 2018). Furthermore, its primary role is found in the metabolism of glucose, carnitine, neurotransmitters, heme, nucleic acids, sphingolipids, and amino acids (Gropper et al., 2018). Considering B6’s integral role as a coenzyme and its involvement in energy/neurotransmitter […]

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B9 (Folate) Function and Deficiencies

B9, also known as folate, is a water-soluble micronutrient central to health and homeostasis (Sanvisens et al., 2017). Functions include the metabolism of nutrients such as choline, amino acids, pyrimidines, purines, DNA synthesis/repair, and cell division (Gropper, Smith, & Carr, 2018). As such, deficiencies in folate can lead to disruptions in said functions. As a […]

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B5, Low Grade Chronic Inflammation, and Disease

Low grade chronic inflammation (LGCI) is a condition characterized by a persistent presence of inflammatory processes, that eventually manifests as tissue damage (Nasef, Mehta, & Ferguson, 2017). LGCI is also implicated with several diseases to include autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes (Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill, 2012; Nasef et al., 2017). Essentially, mitigating the inflammatory […]

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Neuromuscular Dysregulation and Electrolyte Deficiencies

The human body communicates, interacts, and coordinates with itself and the external environment through a dense network of electrochemical conduits, colloquially known as the nerves or nervous system (NS) (Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill, 2012). Virtually all tissues, organs, motor, and sensory systems are fully integrated with the NS; like a conductor in an orchestra, the […]

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Thiamine (B1) Status and Vegan/Vegetarian Diets

Humans have survived in unique and diverse environments, to include equally unique and diverse foods and dietary habits. However, it is also true that particular nutritional proclivities have the potential to induce unfavorable physiological consequences that inhibit optimal health and longevity. In the following sections, I would like to explore vegan/vegetarian diets, strengths, limitations, and […]

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