Metabolic Health

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Plant-Based Food Trend May Lead to Choline Deficiencies

A recent study suggests that the push toward only plant-based diets, without professional nutritional counseling, guidance, and supplementation, may lead to choline deficiencies beyond what is already present. The warning comes from a recent article in the British journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, by Dr. Emma Derbyshire, of Nutritional Insight, a consultancy specializing in nutrition and biomedical science. Dr. Derbyshire is asking for greater monitoring of choline in the

Why do Lean People get Fatty Liver Disease?

Fatty liver disease is not limited to the overweight and obese. Lean people also get fatty liver disease. Though as researchers from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) discovered, how fatty liver disease develops in lean people is very different than in others. The discovery will aid in the development of potential treatments for these patients. Fatty liver disease – a condition characterized by a build-up of fat in

Barrie Tan, PhD: Using Tocotrienols to Address Lifestyle and Metabolic Disease

In this interview from Dick Benson and Barrie Tan, PhD, from our partners at Integrative Medicine, a Clinician’s Journal, the two discuss the potential for tocotrienols to address non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other metabolic health issues. See below for an excerpt of the interview and an opportunity to downloadRead moreBarrie Tan, PhD: Using Tocotrienols to Address Lifestyle and Metabolic DiseaseTo gain access to this article and the rest of

Is Intermittent Fasting About Burning Calories or Lowering Appetites?

Researchers have discovered that meal timing strategies such as intermittent fasting or eating earlier in the daytime appear to help people lose weight by lowering appetite rather than burning more calories, according to a report published in the journal Obesity. The study is the first to show how meal timing affects 24-hour energy metabolism when food intake and meal frequency are matched. “Coordinating meals with circadian rhythms, or your body’s

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on the Rise, Moderate Exercise is a Viable Solution

The annual Digestive Disease Week, sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, was held from May 18 to 21 in San Diego. Two studies caught the attention of Today’s Practitioner: 1. on the increasing rates of liver disease and, 2. on a very simple solution to reducing the risk of

Environmental Toxicants – A Factor in the Development of Diabetes?

Data shows a relationship between environmental toxicants and diabetes – so, what can you do to protect your patients? The first Global Report on Diabetes, recently published by the World Health Organization (WHO),[1] highlighted several alarming statistics: the incidence of diabetes has doubled since 1980, and as of 2012, it was the eighth leading cause of death worldwide among both sexes, and the fifth leading cause of death in women.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Thyroid Function and Gut Health as Disease Risk Factors

With increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, the associated condition of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become increasingly common, such that it is now the number one cause of liver disease in Western countries.[1] NAFLD affects 10 to 46% of the U.S. population, with a worldwide prevalence of 10 to 40%.[2] NAFLD is subdivided into nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The former presents without significant liver