A pair of recent studies exploring the health benefits of thyme indicate potential roles for the medicinal herb in treating cancer-related conditions, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) often goes undiagnosed because it may not be accompanied overt symptoms or by liver enzyme elevations. Clinicians who are not specifically looking for it, are not likely to detect it. But over the long term it can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, there are many botanical and nutraceutical interventions that can help.
Ask anyone—patient or practitioner—to describe hospital food, and you’ll invariably get words like awful, horrible, or disgusting. That’s because for decades, hospital systems have viewed food as a line item, not as an intrinsic aspect of healing. But all across the country, that’s starting to change as hospital administrators realize the positive impact that good food can have, and the public clamors for healthier meal service options.
Big Food companies have spent billions of dollars manipulating nutrition science and food policy for their own gain, especially to the detriment of poor, less educated consumers. And it’s affecting the nation’s health.
There’s ample data to show that gut bacteria affect mood, immune system health, sleep cycles, and response to stress. It turns out that the gut microbiome—at least certain microbial species within it—also play a role in lipid metabolism, suggesting that some types of probiotics may have heart health benefits.
On March 6, New York Times subscribers came upon a full-page open letter—in print and online– from the popular snack food company Clif Bar, challenging competing brand, KIND, to live up to its name and go completely organic. Was this an earnest plea for corporate responsibility or a shrewd marketing ploy? Either way, the ensuing “bar fight” underscores both the massive size of the “healthy” snack market, and the rapid growth of consumer demand for healthy and eco-friendly foods.
Low folate status, combined with a cluster of certain folate-metabolizing genetic variants, is associated with increased risk of congenital heart disease (CHD). Mothers and children with certain polymorphisms within the MTHFR, MTR, and MTRR genes showed decreased folate and elevated homocysteine levels, both significant risk factors for CHD.
A small independent company based in Ohio launched a feeding tube formula called Liquid Hope, comprised entirely of organic whole foods like chickpeas, sprouted quinoa, almond butter, turmeric, kale, sweet potato, and other high-energy, anti-inflammatory ingredients. Unlike most conventional enteral nutrition formulas, Liquid Hope is free from sugar, corn syrup, omega-6 laden oils, and dairy ingredients. It is making a profound difference in the lives of many patients.
If you are confused about the therapeutic value of hemp oil, cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabis-related substances, and you’re scratching your head trying to figure out what’s legal and what’s not, that’s good: It means you’re paying attention. Yes, there is some evidence, but there’s also a lot of evangelism. Clinicians face the challenge of separating the scientific realities from the hype.
Is there any solid science to support the use of phytocannabinoids in clinical practice? The answer is yes….and no.
It depends on how you define “cannabis” and “cannabinoids;” whether you’re talking about inhaled (ie, smoked or vaped), ingested, or sublingual delivery; and of course, which diseases you’re considering.
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