Conventional medicine can be thought of as a system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery (National Cancer Institute, 2018). Functional medicine (FM) is an emerging model, which considers the underlying cause of disease and symptoms in its effort to restore an individual’s homeostasis (Kresser […]
Read MoreMetabolic syndrome (MS) is a condition defined by a constellation of associated risk factors that increase a person’s chances of contracting stroke, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes (Chen, Yen, Huang, Lee, Hsia, & Lin, 2012). MS affects 35.1% men and 32.6% women in the United States, and associated risk factors include high levels of blood […]
Read MoreSimpson (2007) stated that the average person spends approximately 20-25 years asleep by age 70, and suggested that sleep quality and duration are essential to the maintenance of neurological function. Conversely, lack of sleep has been correlated to higher levels of inflammatory markers, in addition to compromised immune function, body temperature, renal function, and memory […]
Read MoreIt is estimated that almost 8% of the US population has diabetes, with another 57 million having pre-diabetes (Hammaker, 2014). There is also a rise in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and some researchers are exploring its possible relationship to the aforementioned metabolic disease. As a means of appreciating the pathogenesis of AD, the following will explore […]
Read MoreThe nervous system is a platform, which connects to, and communicates with, all tissues, organs, and systems of the human body. Any form of breakdown within such a system can compromise signal transmission, and ultimately, function within the tissues and organs it communicates with. As a means of appreciating such a system, the following will […]
Read MoreMetabolic syndrome (MS) is a term used to describe a group of associated risk factors, that when combined, increase a person’s chances of contracting conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill, 2012). Said risk factors include a large waistline, high triglyceride levels, low high-density lipoproteins, high resting blood pressure, high […]
Read MoreIron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a leading cause of both infant morbidity and mortality worldwide (Zlotkin, 2003). Moreover, children moderately deficient in iron consumption may not only momentarily experience symptoms such as depressed mental and motor development; it may be irreversible (Zlotkin, 2003). Such a situation demands a preventative paradigm rather that reactive approach. The […]
Read MoreOne hundred years ago, processed foods were minimal, mostly in the form of alcohol and breads. In the present day, societies contain many forms of processed products. Moreover, processed food is a dominant form of sustenance both in high-income and middle-income countries such as the United States (Monteiro, Moubarac, Cannon, Ng, & Popkin, 2013). With […]
Read MoreIn my last post, I covered a brief history of Scotland and how they circumvented vitamin D deficiencies. The intent of providing a brief history of the Scots and vitamin D intake was to show the complex interplay of environment, physiology, cultural proclivities, and economics on the effects of health. It was also my intent […]
Read MoreThe paleolithic era (11,000 years ago) suggests that over 73% of most societies consumed the majority of their foods from animal sources (up to 65% of total calories) with remaining energy and sustenance derived from plant sources (Cordain et al., 2000). In the modern Western diet, over 70% of total daily energy is derived from […]
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