The hallmark of good healthcare is that it is “evidence-based”.  This simply means that decisions in care and preventative strategies are largely based on quality scientific evidence rather than empirical information.  This is not to say that empirically based knowledge, that based only on practical experience, is not important but that scientifically derived evidence tends […]

There is a tendency for us to have progressive inflammatory activity as we age.  This inflammation is a part of virtually every chronic disease from heart disease to cancer to autoimmune disease.  As would be expected all of these diseases become progressively more common with age in parallel to what is happening with inflammation.  This […]

As sugar consumption was found to be strongly associated with health risks such as obesity and diabetes, a simplistic solution seemed to be the use of non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NCAS) – we could have most things taste sweet with no harm.  The problem has been that after 3-4 decades of consumption of NCAS, both diabetes […]

The discussion of the changes to our diet over the past 100 years that are driving the many chronic diseases common in society can be complex.  However, there are a few indicators which are key and relatively easy to look at.  Perhaps the most important indicator is the sugar to fiber ratio or sugar:fiber.  A […]

Omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) are essential fatty acids.  This means that the body needs them for different functions, and they must be consumed as the body cannot make them from other sources.  Systems that are particularly dependent upon the availability of omega-3 FAs are the immune system, the cardiovascular system and the brain. There are […]

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which an immune antibody reaction to gluten begins to cause cross reaction against the lining of the small intestine. It is associated with intestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea as well as many symptoms outside of the digestive tract such as fatigue, anemia, osteoporosis, joint […]

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a disorder of nerves within the body, particularly in the legs/feet and arms/hands. Symptoms include: Loss of sensation to touch, vibration, and temperature Intense pain called neuropathic pain Muscle weakness. The various symptoms relate to the degeneration of different types of nerve fibers within the nerve; motor fibers in the case […]

A new modeling study that looked at the impact of positive dietary change produced some eye-opening numbers. Much like saving for retirement, dietary benefit compounds over time so the earlier it is started, the more benefit is gained. The changes examined represent changing from the typical Western diet, or as it is alternatively called, the standard […]

The most commonly known autoimmune disease associated with gluten consumption is celiac disease. The disease involves an immune reaction against a small segment of a peptide in gluten called an epitope. Once the immune system recognizes this epitope and mistakes it for a dangerous invader such as a virus, it can activate an attack against […]

Osteoporosis is a growing problem with the aging of the population. The CDC recently published data showing that in the 50 and older population 1 in 5 women have osteoporosis. By age 65 and older this has increased to 1 in 4 women. Osteopenia, which is the precursor to osteoporosis, occurs in 1 in 2 […]