Category Archives: Nutrition

Artificial Sweeteners: Tied to Stroke & Dementia

May 16, 2017

A new study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke suggests that artificial sweeteners, found in diet sodas, have considerable health risks for both the body and the brain.

The data was collected from the Framingham Heart Study, a project of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Boston University, and involved data on 2,888 adults older than 45 and 1,484 adults older than 60 from Framingham, Massachusetts. In the group aged 45-and-older, researchers measured for increased risk of stroke; in the group aged 60-and-older, researchers measured for dementia.

The statistics analyzed how many sugary beverages and artificially sweetened soft drinks each person in the two different age groups drank, between the years 1991 and 2001. That data was than compared against the number of people who suffered from stroke or dementia in the next decade.

Researchers found that—juxtaposed against people who never drank artificially sweetened soft drinks—those who drank one per day were almost three times as likely to have an ischemic stroke. Those who drank one per day were also almost three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Previous studies have shown a strong association between the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and a host of adverse health effects, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Professor and chair of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Dr. Ralph Sacco confirms that this article “provides further evidence on artificially sweetened beverages and their possibly effects on vascular health…we believe the pathways of which artificially sweetened beverages would affect the brain are probably through vascular mechanisms.”

Moreover, artificial sweeteners have been shown to cause glucose intolerance in mice by altering gut microbiota, and have been associated with dysbiosis and glucose intolerance in humans. The cumulative research strongly indicates that there is no benefit to using artificial sweeteners, or drinking diet soda, compared to regular sucrose or sugary drinks.

To learn more about the gut-immune-brain connection, and the different ways in which various types of inflammation can affect the body and brain, register for Module VII: Autoimmune Disease & Inflammation, from August 10-12.

Studies on Supplements

November 28, 2016

There has been an ongoing vigorous debate in the past decade regarding the effectiveness of supplements, and whether or not taking additional doses of vitamins and additives is ultimately beneficial for health. The industry of dietary supplements, minerals, herbal products, and vitamins generates annual revenue of over $30 billion in the U.S. A recent study published in a medical journal in October revealed that 52% of adults used one or more supplements in 2012.

Data reveals that supplements are essential in treating vitamin and mineral deficiencies; moreover, certain combinations of nutrients have been found to help treat several medical conditions, like age-related macular degeneration. Evidence further suggests that those at high risk for Vitamin D deficiency—which is highly prevalent in several areas—may face serious, long-term implications for public health.

While no pill can supply the nutrients found in healthy, wholesome food, it is critical that we learn more about the ways in which vitamins and supplements work and interact, in addition to their untapped potential for wellness and nutrition.

Reset Regimen: 3 Days To Change Your Body & Diet

November 4, 2016

World renowned integrative medicine expert Dr. David Perlmutter and registered dietitian Ashley Koff appeared on the Dr. Oz show today, presenting a three-day ‘reset’ regimen for the body, in addition to ways to avoid weight gain.

Perlmutter discussed the ways in which gluten threatens our gut bacteria: consumption of gluten often leads to leakiness of the gut, which subsequently causes inflammation—and, ultimately, weight gain. Moreover, although diet drinks have no sugar or calories, the artificial sweeteners in them have been proven to potentially double one’s risk of diabetes, and lead to weight gain.

In order to stave off holiday weight gain, Perlmutter articulated that science has demonstrated the body’s ability to reset itself in merely three days, which provides an opportunity for maintenance. This regimen can alter and decrease gut bacteria, effectively changing the body’s biome and allowing for increased overall health.

By eliminating processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and glutens, Perlmutter reveals that you can eat the carbs you want, while both eliminating weight gain and improving general health. Because leaky gut is the prototypic mechanism that leads to weight increases, a few simple changes in your diet can ultimately make all the difference!

Download the first chapter of Dr. Perlmutter’s new book, “The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan.”

Do not miss Dr. Perlmutter at the 24th Annual World Congress in Las Vegas on Friday, December 9th, at 8:35 PM–delivering a keynote address in which he further expands and explains ‘Re-Write Your Brain’s Destiny,” and discusses how to significantly enhance health and improve overall wellness.