Obesity and diabetes rates in the US have tripled in some states over the past 25 years with overall rates rising from approximately 11% of the population to around 20-35% of the population. Much of this rise can be attributed to the consumption of more refined sugars than in the past. While the rise in…
The prevalence of obesity and overweight people in the world is at an all time high with nearly 2 billion people over the age of 19 being overweight and 650 million people being classified as obese. Shockingly, in many countries overweight and obesity kill more people than being underweight. There are many risk factors that…
Type-1 diabetes affects approximately 200,000 people under the age of 20 in the US and around 18,000 youths are diagnosed each year. Type-1 diabetes happens when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin which then causes blood sugar levels to rise. There is no known cause for type-1 diabetes although it is likely caused by both…
Dietary supplements including multivitamins are a multi-billion dollar a year industry that is rapidly growing. Multivitamins and supplements are important for people with nutrient deficits or at risk for nutrient related diseases but for most people who eat regular meals, multivitamins have no beneficial effects on health. Additionally, because most multivitamins and supplements are classified…
Restrictive lung disease (RLD) is a group of disorders that prevent normal expansion of the lung, primarily due to hardening of the lung tissue. RLD can include: pulmonary fibrosis, respiratory distress syndrome, sarcoidosis, and radiation fibrosis, among others. These are rare and often lethal disease that in some instances, like pulmonary fibrosis, require a lung…
Pulmonary fibrosis is a group of diseases that result in fibrosis of the lung causing it to become stiff and making it progressively harder to breath. There can be many causes of pulmonary fibrosis including radiation, severe infection, environmental exposures, or the cause can be unknown in which case it is dubbed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
Dementia affects nearly 47 million people worldwide and it is likely that this number will rise to 150 million people worldwide by 2050. In order to prevent a future epidemic, we need to understand the risk factors associated with the disease and come up with new interventions that can treat existing dementia and help prevent…
There was a time in our history that the onset of night meant it was time to stop our daily activities and begin sleeping. With the advent of electricity, we were able to stay up later regardless of how dark it was outside. Many of us have computers, televisions, and smart phones in our bedrooms…
With obesity and type-2 diabetes on the rise, many jurisdictions have suggested that a tax on sugary drinks and food with excessive sugar added might be a way to curb our overeating and promote healthy choices. Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates are some of the countries…
Sleep is something we all enjoy but we likely never get enough. While the amount of recommended sleep varies by age group, with young children needing more, the average adult should be getting around 7-9 hours a night. Getting less than the recommended amount of sleep can cause problems with memory, headaches, and aching muscles…
