Consider Lovaza, a brand-name prescription drug used for hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides). Lovaza is the only FDA-approved Omega-3 prescription drug. Developed by Reliant Pharmaceuticals and sold by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Lovaza is essentially a fish oil supplement held up to FDA quality…
Supplements: a Curative or Preventive Measure?
Many consumers will take vitamin, mineral, or any of the myriad other available supplements to either battle or prevent disease. According to recent surveys, more than half of Americans consider themselves regular supplement users, ballooning the burgeoning industry’s profits to…
Fat Fights Fat? How Brown Fat Battles Obesity
As it turns out, increasing certain types of fat can actually help burn fat. The body stores two types of fat, distinguished visually only by color, but biochemically by a complex ecosystem of metabolic machinery with big implications for overall…
Burgers vs. Salads
Ever have the burger vs. salad debate at your favorite local fast-food joint? When it comes to your health, this seems like a simple decision. But a deeper look at the Nutrition Facts statements in each restaurant could change your…
How Does Sugar Affect the Brain?
Satisfying sweet tooth cravings are notoriously hard to ignore, but recent research offers one more motivational push to pass on those chocolate-chip cookies and Snickers bars. A new study has linked sugar to side-effects outside the realm of diabetes and…
FDA Finally Steps In Against Misleading Fish Oil Label Claims
Food and supplement labels can be tricky, confusing, and misleading for consumers. They are everywhere on products we buy at the grocery stores with terms such as “fat free,” “free range,” “excellent source of,” and “high in.” Most people do…
Vitamin D and Race
Vitamin D3 is synthesized in human skin upon exposure to sunlight, when ultraviolet (UV) rays convert 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3 (which is subsequently modified in the liver and kidneys to form the biologically active compound). However, not everyone synthesizes vitamin…
How Body Mass Index (BMI) Affects Longevity
Body-mass Index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight, has long been thought to be a reliable predictor of disease risk and, by extension, longevity. According to the CDC, scoring in the ‘Obese’ category puts you…
Fish Oil and Oxidation: Causes and Effects
How does oxidation occur? Oxidation occurs when unsaturated fats—such as the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA—are exposed to heat, light, or oxygen. The greater the degree of unsaturation (the more double bonds present), the more susceptible the fatty acid…
Can Probiotics Lead To Weight Loss?
We’ve all heard that probiotics, the so called “good” bacteria, benefit our well-being beyond just our digestive health. Probiotics keep the proliferation of harmful bacteria (pathogens) in check, aid in nutrient absorption, and support healthy immunity. A recent study links…