Author Archives: Zuzanna Walter

Brain Awareness Month: Probiotics for Mood and Cognitive Function

June 15, 2019

June marks the beginning of Brain Awareness Month, a global campaign to raise public awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Increased recognition of neurological disorders has led to further clinical research and the discovery of important mechanisms of action, risk factors, and indicators of declining cognitive function. More recently, the medical community has focused its efforts on better understanding the gut-brain axis, or the connection between the human microbiome and mental health.  Discoveries continue to implicate the crucial role of the gut in promoting and maintaining cognitive function, mental clarity, and a stable mood.

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Excessive Amounts of Vitamin D Linked to Kidney Damage

June 14, 2019

Used for its wide-ranging purported benefits from reducing cancer risk to maintaining healthy bones and teeth, vitamin D is readily available to the public in the form of supplements and over-the-counter formulations. Declared a global epidemic in 2010, vitamin D deficiency continues to affect billions of individuals worldwide. However, new research indicates the potential toxicity of excess amounts of vitamin D. The common perception that consuming increased amounts of the vitamin can only lead to added benefits may be wrong, as recent evidence reveals it can actually lead to increased harm on the body, specifically kidney failure.

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Chronic Inflammation and Cognitive Impairment

June 12, 2019

Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death across the globe and their prevalence is projected to rise persistently over the next few decades in the United States. Although inflammation occurs naturally in the body and the majority of the population will experience acute inflammation at some point in their lifetime, it may trigger the beginning of a disease process if left untreated. Tissue death and the thickening or scarring of connective tissue are just some of the detrimental outcomes related to ongoing inflammation. Prolonged or chronic inflammation can lead to long-lasting damage of the heart, brain, and other organs, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality rates.

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