Past News Items - August 2017
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In the News
Maryland University of Integrative Health to Open School of Naturopathic Medicine in Fall 2018
New Study in Nutrients Outlines the Cardiometabolic Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet
Master Supplements Inc. Launches New Website
Probiotics may reduce risk of gut bacterial infections
Overweight Children and Adults Get Significantly Healthier and Quickly With Less Sugar--Even If They Don't Lose Weight
Newly Published Study Shows Supplementation Of Capsicum Extract Helps Increase Metabolic Rate
Burnout Recovery Guide by Doctor/Nurse Team Offers New Science-Based System
Maryland University of Integrative Health to Open School of Naturopathic Medicine in Fall 2018
Graduate program will be the first of its kind in the mid-Atlantic region
Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH), a national leader in the education and practice of natural medicine, announced today that it will welcome its first class of naturopathic medical students in the fall of 2018.
"In establishing our School of Naturopathic Medicine, MUIH is taking a bold step to address some of the most challenging issues in healthcare," said Steven Combs, president and CEO of MUIH. "We expect the graduates of this program to help fill the gap caused by the shortage of primary care physicians and to provide patients with cost-effective, compassionate care based on preventative and natural methods. Patients are demanding this approach and our nation needs these graduates."
Naturopathic medicine is a general practice discipline that emphasizes lifestyle medicine, wellness, and optimal health. It mobilizes the wisdom of nature to support the body's inherent healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) diagnose and treat disease, and use traditional therapies combined with modern medical practices to help restore and maintain health. NDs place patients at the heart of a relationship-centered care model, empowering them with education and tools to take charge of their own well-being.
The School of Naturopathic Medicine at MUIH will be the first in the mid-Atlantic region and one of only a handful of ND schools in the nation that operate within a regionally accredited university. It will offer students highly progressive models and best practices for evidence-informed medical education and will incorporate digitally-enhanced learning, interactive classroom experiences, hands-on and virtual laboratories, and a wide variety of clinical experiences including community-based healthcare. Learning is designed to foster critical thinking and clinical reasoning through a student-oriented curriculum that establishes a foundation in biomedical sciences, naturopathic philosophy, and integrative therapeutics and will include emerging trends in genomics, bioinformatics, and personalized medicine. The Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program will prepare graduates to practice as first-contact providers with expertise in botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, counseling and coaching, and manual therapies designed to address the whole person.
"This is the right time and MUIH is the right place to advance the education and practice of naturopathic medicine," said Elizabeth Pimentel, N.D., dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine. "As students progress through the program, learning is focused on the clinical applications of the art, science, and wise practice of medicine, and the transformative process of becoming an effective doctor, compassionate healer, and integral member of a healthcare team that places the patient at the very center."
The number of naturopathic doctors has tripled in the last 10 years* as more and more states provide licensure opportunities for NDs. Today, 19 states, including Maryland and the District of Columbia, license NDs and several more are in the legislative process toward licensing. The career outlook is extremely promising for graduates of MUIH's School of Naturopathic Medicine, as NDs are increasingly in demand at integrative health practices, hospitals, medical centers, specialty clinics, and research centers.
Talk LIVE! With MUIH's Naturopathic Doctors
Maryland University of Integrative Health invites members of the media and the Maryland community to join Dr. Abigail Aiyepola, associate dean to the School of Naturopathic Medicine, and Dr. Autumn Frandsen, clinical associate of MUIH's Natural Care Center, for a Facebook Live Q&A on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at 12:30 p.m. Drs. Aiyepola and Frandsen will be joined by James Snow, M.A., RH(AHG), dean of academic affairs, to answer your live questions about the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program. Login to the live event at www.facebook.com/MUIHealth/.
For more information about the School of Naturopathic Medicine or MUIH, please visit www.muih.edu/academics/doctoral-degrees/doctor-naturopathic-medicine, or contact Kristen Zatina at kristen@profilespr.com or #410-243-3790.
About Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH)
Maryland University of Integrative Health is one of the nation's leading academic institutions for natural medicine. For nearly 40 years, MUIH has educated and informed practitioners and leaders in health and wellness through transformative and relationship-centered programs that draw from traditional wisdom and contemporary science. Progressive graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines are offered both on campus and online. In the on-campus Natural Care Center and community outreach settings, MUIH provides compassionate and affordable healthcare from student interns and professional practitioners, and delivers more than 30,000 clinical treatments and consultations each year. For staff and faculty, MUIH offers a collaborative and vibrant work environment that is mission and values-driven. For more, please visit www.muih.edu.
New Study in Nutrients Outlines the Cardiometabolic Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet
Plant-based eating patterns continue to soar in popularity and a group of nutrition researchers outline the science behind this sustainable trend in a review paper, entitled "Cardiometabolic benefits of plant-based diets," which appears as an online advance in the Aug. 9, 2017, edition of Nutrients.
The review outlines how a plant-based diet, which is naturally low in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and rich in nutrients, like fiber and antioxidants, could be one tool, in addition to adopting a healthful lifestyle, used to improve nutrition intake and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
The authors, Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., and Neal Barnard, M.D., F.A.C.C., analyzed clinical research studies and reviews published until May 2017. Their research finds a plant-based diet, built around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, can improve nutrient intake and help manage body weight and glycemic control, improve cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and reverse atherosclerosis, or the narrowing of the arteries caused by the accumulation of arterial plaque.
"The future of health care starts on our plates," says Dr. Kahleova, the lead study author and the director of clinical research at the nonprofit Physicians Committee.
To understand the health benefits of a plant-based diet, the researchers analyze its structure:
Fiber
Fiber contributes to bulk in the diet without adding digestible calories, thus leading to satiety and weight loss. Additionally, soluble fiber binds with bile acids in the small intestines, which helps reduce cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar.
Plant-Based Rx: Aim to eat at least 35 grams of dietary fiber a day. The average American consumes 16 grams of dietary fiber each day.
Fats
Plant-based diets are lower in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can decrease insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Plant-Based Rx: Swap meat and dairy products, oils, and high-fat processed foods for smaller portions of plant staples, like a few avocado slices or a small handful of nuts and seeds, which are rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
Plant Protein
Vegetable proteins reduce the concentrations of blood lipids, reduce the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
Plant-Based Rx: Legumes, or lentils, beans, and peas, are naturally rich in protein and fiber. Top leafy green salads with lentils, black beans, edamame, or chickpeas.
Plant Sterols
Plant sterols that have a structure similar to that of cholesterol reduce cardiovascular disease risk and mortality, have anti-inflammatory effects, and positively affect coagulation, platelet function and endothelial function, which helps reduce blood clots, increases blood flow, and stabilizes glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Plant-Based Rx: Consume a high intake of antioxidants and micronutrients, including plant sterols, from whole plant foods, like vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, beans, and seeds. The synergistic effect of whole plant foods may be greater than a mere additional effect of eating isolated nutrients.
Master Supplements Inc. Launches New Website
Last week, Master Supplements Inc, a digestive supplement company specializing in probiotics, enzymes, and fiber, launched their newly redesigned website at http://www.master-supplements.com The new website provides an updated, modern design with improved functionality and condition-based product recommendations, enhanced content, and streamlined navigation.
Website visitors can now sort through a predefined list of conditions to find the supplement that best fits their needs. Product pages have been reimagined to promote relevant content to provide users with the information they need to make an educated purchase. Navigation has been condensed into a single dropdown menu pane to enable easy movement between pages. Additionally, the new website storefront enables customers to easily place reorders and view their entire transaction history from their user account panel.
"Our new website is the culmination of 8 months of hard work and dedication," remarked Master Supplements President, Jeff Porubcan. "We're excited to launch the new and improved master-supplements.com to better serve our customers and anyone who wants to know more about digestive health." Visitors are encouraged to explore the website and to sign up to receive our newsletter for further updates and news regarding new products and upcoming promotions.
ABOUT MASTER SUPPLEMENTS INC
Probiotics may reduce risk of gut bacterial infections
A team of researchers is exploring the possibility that next-generation probiotics – live bacteria that are good for your health – would reduce the risk of infection with the bacterium Clostridium difficile. In laboratory-grown bacterial communities, the researchers determined that, when supplied with glycerol, the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri produced reuterin, an antibacterial compound that selectively killed C. difficile. The study appears in Infection and Immunity.
"C. difficile causes thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in healthcare expenses in the U.S. each year. Although most patients respond to antibiotic treatment, up to 35 percent will relapse and require extended antibiotic treatments," said first and corresponding author Dr. Jennifer K. Spinler, instructor of pathology & immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, who oversees microbial genetics and genomics efforts at the Texas Children's Microbiome Center at Texas Children's Hospital.
C. difficile infections are the most common cause of diarrhea associated with the use of antibiotics. If these bacteria attempt to invade the human gut, the 'good bacteria,' which outnumber C. difficile, usually prevent them from growing. However, when a person takes antibiotics, for example to treat pneumonia, the antibiotic also can kill the good bacteria in the gut, opening an opportunity for C. difficile to thrive into a potentially life-threatening infection.
"When repeated antibiotic treatments fail to eliminate C. difficile infections, some patients are resorting to fecal microbiome transplant – the transfer of fecal matter from a healthy donor – which treats the disease but also could have negative side effects," Spinler said. "We wanted to find an alternative treatment, a prophylactic strategy based on probiotics that could help prevent C. difficile from thriving in the first place."
"Probiotics are commonly used to treat a range of human diseases, yet clinical studies are generally fraught by variable clinical outcomes and protective mechanisms are poorly understood in patients. This study provides important clues on why clinical efficacy may be seen in some patients treated with one probiotic bacterium but not with others," said senior author Dr. Tor Savidge, associate professor of pathology & immunology and of pediatrics at Baylor and the Texas Children's Microbiome Center.
Working in the Texas Children's Microbiome Center, Spinler and her colleagues tested the possibility that probiotic L. reuteri, which is known to produce antibacterial compounds, could help prevent C. difficile from establishing a microbial community in lab cultures.
An unexpected result with major implications for a preventative strategy
Spinler and Savidge established a collaboration with co-author Dr. Robert A. Britton, professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor and member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The Britton lab uses mini-bioreactor arrays – multiple small culture chambers – that provide a platform in which researchers could recreate the invasion of an antibiotic-treated human intestinal community by C. difficile.
"Using the mini-bioreactors model we showed that L. reuteri reduced the burden of C. difficile infection in a complex gut community," Britton said. "To achieve its beneficial effect, L. reuteri requires glycerol and converts it into the antimicrobial reuterin."
The literature reports reuterin as a broad-spectrum antibiotic; it affects the growth of a wide variety of bacteria when they are tested individually in the lab. What was intriguing in this study is that reuterin didn't have a broad-spectrum effect in the mini-bioreactor bacterial community setting.
"I expected reuterin to have an antibacterial effect on several different types of bacteria in the community, but it only affected C. difficile and not the good bacteria, which was exciting because it has major implications for a preventative strategy," Spinler said.
"Although these results are too preliminary to be translated directly into human therapy, they provide a foundation upon which to further develop treatments based on co-administration of L. reuteri and glycerol to prevent C. difficile infection," said co-author Dr. Jennifer Auchtung, director of the Cultivation Core at Baylor's Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research and assistant professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor.
In the future, this potential treatment could be administered prophylactically to patients before they take antibiotics known to disrupt normal gut microbes. The L. reuteri/glycerol formulation would help maintain the healthy gut microbial community and also help prevent the growth of C. difficile, which would result in decreased hospital stay and costs and reduced long-term health consequences of C. difficile recurrent infections.
Other contributors to this work include Aaron Brown, Prapaporn Boonma, Numan Oezguen, Caná L. Ross, Ruth Ann Luna, Jessica Runge, James Versalovic, Alex Peniche, Sara M. Dann, and Anthony Haag. The authors are associated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
Overweight Children and Adults Get Significantly Healthier and Quickly With Less Sugar--Even If They Don't Lose Weight
Osteopathic physicians suggest shifting the conversation from weight to health for overweight children and adults, asking patients to reduce their sugar intake to see measurable improvements in metabolic function.
Improved measures of health can be seen in less than two weeks of sugar reduction, according to a review published in the August edition of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA).
Keeping the simple sugar fructose, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, off the menu can help avert health issues including obesity, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Fructose accelerates the conversion of sugar to fat, researchers noted. Their JAOA review summarized the results of several carefully controlled studies, finding a link between high consumption of sugar, in particular fructose, and increased fat synthesis in the liver.
"Fructose provides no nutritional value and isn't metabolized in the brain. Your body converts it to fat, but doesn't recognize that you've eaten, so the hunger doesn't go away," explains Tyree Winters, DO, an osteopathic pediatrician focused on childhood obesity. "Many young patients tell me they're always hungry, which makes sense because what they're eating isn't helping their bodies function."
Overfed and undernourished
The JAOA review identified fructose as a particularly damaging type of simple sugar. Compared to glucose, which metabolizes 20 percent in the liver and 80 percent throughout the rest of the body, fructose is 90 percent metabolized in the liver and converts to fat up to 18.9 times faster than glucose.
HFCS is found in 75 percent of packaged foods and drinks, mainly because it is cheaper and 20 percent sweeter than raw sugar. Fructose turns on the metabolic pathways that converts it to fat and stores it in the body, adding weight. At the same time, the brain thinks the body is starving and becomes lethargic and less inclined to exercise.
"If we cut out the HFCS and make way for food that the body can properly metabolize, the hunger and sugar cravings fade. At the same time, patients are getting healthier without dieting or counting calories," Dr. Winters says. "This one change has the potential to prevent serious diseases and help restore health."
Fighting back
Once people have put on a significant amount of weight and developed eating habits that rely on packaged and processed foods with HFCS, change can be daunting. Historically, physicians have told patients to restructure their diet and start exercising heavily, with a plan to check back after a month or more. That approach rarely works, as seen by the ever-growing obesity epidemic.
Instead, Dr. Winters suggests checking blood work about two weeks after patients agree to begin limiting their sugar intake to help patients see clear benefits for their effort.
"That single change in diet improves metabolic results in less than two weeks. Imagine the power of doing a 'before and after' comparison with a patient, so they can see for themselves that their health is improving. Seeing those results, instead of just stepping on a scale, can motivate them to keep going," Dr. Winters explains.
About The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) is the official scientific publication of the American Osteopathic Association. Edited by Robert Orenstein, DO, it is the premier scholarly peer-reviewed publication of the osteopathic medical profession. The JAOA's mission is to advance medicine through the publication of peer-reviewed osteopathic research.
Newly Published Study Shows Supplementation Of Capsicum Extract Helps Increase Metabolic Rate
As we age, managing healthy weight may become more difficult due to a slowing metabolism, however, help may come from a fiery source—the capsicum pepper. A recent paper, Capsaicinoids Enhance Metabolic Rate in Normal Healthy Individuals using a Novel Metabolic Tracker Breezing Device-An Open Label Placebo Controlled Acute Study, published in the journal Obesity Open Access discussed the findings of the Metabolic Rate (MR) Study, which demonstrated that an extract from red hot peppers boosted metabolic rate (Chen, et al., 2017).
"Because capsaicinoids (the component of hot peppers that gives them heat) are hot, it was imperative that we use an ingredient which the subjects could tolerate," said Vijaya Juturu, Ph.D., F.A.C.N., one of the lead researchers on the MR Study. "Since Capsimax is made using a proprietary beadleting technology, OmniBead, which coats the capsicum extract, releasing it only when it reaches the intestines where it is absorbed without discomfort, we were able to deliver beneficial levels of capsaicinoids to our subjects, which made the MR Study possible."
The MR Study was a placebo-controlled, crossover open label study with 40 healthy adults examining the effects of either 2 mg capsaicinoids from 100 mg of Capsimax or placebo on resting energy expenditure, heart rate and blood pressure. Resting energy expenditure is the amount of energy required by the body during resting conditions and accounts up to 60% of the calories you burn each day and so increasing this amount can aid in managing weight. The study showed that supplementing with this low dose of Capsimax increased metabolic rate which calculated to an equivalent to burning an extra 116 calories per day. Moreover, though resting energy expenditure varies with each individual, this increase would yield almost 1 lb. of fat lost over 30 days.
"Aging is inevitable, but that doesn't mean we can't be active participants in our weight management as we age," said Abhijit Bhattacharya, President of OmniActive Health Technologies Ltd., producers of Capsimax. "Capsimax is supported by multiple studies with findings showing safety, increased lipolysis and satiety and improved healthy body composition. Now, with the publication of the MR Study, there is yet another demonstrated benefit of Capsimax as a natural, stimulant-free approach to weight management, sports nutrition and a healthy lifestyle as we age."
Burnout Recovery Guide by Doctor/Nurse Team Offers New Science-Based System
Burnout Recovery Guide by Doctor/Nurse Team Offers New Science-Based System
FOREST GROVE, Ore., Aug. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, stress and professional burnout cost US business and consumers over $400 billion. Thousands of talented, well-trained professionals become overwhelmed by burnout and leave the careers they love, creating shortages in many critical industries such as nursing, primary care medicine and teaching.
While researchers have successfully demystified many aspects of burnout, people who need help don't know where to start. On October 8, 2017, the definitive guide, "Save Yourself from Burnout: A System to Get Your Life Back," will be available in bookstores and online retailers nationwide.
This informative, encouraging and highly strategic guide, written by the integrative medical team of Dr. Marnie Loomis, naturopathic physician, former faculty member of the National University of Natural Medicine, and Beth Genly, retired nurse-midwife, former faculty member of Oregon Health and Science University, provides a comprehensive approach to understanding and overcoming burnout. It is specifically designed for people who are exhausted yet want to return to the lives and careers they love.
"Burnout has devastating effects on health and well-being. 'Save Yourself from Burnout' is timely and offers a multitude of customizable solutions for people who are feeling burned out," comments Kelly Campbell, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, California State University, Santa Barbara; and co-host of the radio show "Let's Talk Relationships."
"We both experienced burnout. When we realized so many of our students, colleagues and loved ones were also suffering from burnout, we had to figure out how to help," Dr. Loomis says.
"Unlike generic lists of tips and tricks, 'Save Yourself from Burnout' leads each reader to identify the extent of their own burnout protection and vulnerability, creating a simple visual map to guide recovery and maintain their energy and passion for life," Genly adds.
"Save Yourself from Burnout" details how burnout is different from and more destructive than stress. "Burnout is common, but most people try to keep it a secret when it happens to them. Certainly, when burnout got to me, I wondered if I had some deep-seated personal flaw that might be the cause."
"Fear and stigma keep most people from talking about it," Dr. Loomis says. "We find people are empowered by thinking of burnout as a sort of repetitive stress injury, like carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow. If you treat burnout as an injury to the parts of your mind and body that deal with constant stress, the path to recovery becomes clear."
For those who have witnessed the devastating effects of burnout on their friends, family members and coworkers, the new book, "Save Yourself from Burnout," provides hope that burnout does not have to be a life sentence for the members of our community who are too valuable to lose.
Contact
Beth Genly
503-267-4482
170920@email4pr.com
Dr. Marnie Loomis, ND
503-544-7044
170920@email4pr.com
Book Data
Save Yourself from Burnout: A System to Get Your Life Back, by Dr. Marnie Loomis, ND, and Beth Genly, MSN
- Release Date: October 8, 2017. Advance review copies now available.
- 285 pages
- Bouclier Press
- Distributor: Ingram Book Company
- Available online and in bookstores
- ISBN, Paperback: 978-0-9991372-0-8
- ISBN, eBook: 978-0-9991372-1-5
Find Photos, Videos, Author Bios, and Advance Readers' Reactions at:
http://www.burnout-solutions.com/press-kit-save-burnout/
SOURCE Bouclier Press