SHR

Every time I read someone stating that acidic foods cause acid reflux it makes me cringe. Let’s get something straight here. Acid reflux is a result of the mechanical failure of the esophageal sphincter and not the content of acidic foods you’re eating. None of the foods you’re eating are higher in acidity than the normal content of hydrochloric acid in your stomach when you are in-between meals. The PH of your stomach, assuming its working properly, is between 1.5 and 3.5. That’s because hydrochloric acid by itself has a PH of 2.0. Some would have you believe that acidic food consumption is what creates the burning sensation in your stomach area. I say area for a reason. You’re NOT feeling the burning sensation in your stomach. Your stomach is designed to handle hydrochloric acid without any sensations. Your esophagus on the other hand is not and this is where the...

Throughout evolutionary history women have nurtured their offspring with breast milk and there is strong evidence indicating that breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of developing inflammatory conditions later in life for the suckling infant. It is believed that the provision of immunologic factors in breast milk is amongst the key events that promote maturation of the infant's gut-associated and systemic immune systems. While it has been known for many years that breast milk contains antibodies to fight infection, only recently has evidence for inflammation-resolving bioactive molecules been provided – thanks to a series of animal and in vitro experiments conducted by Arnardottir et al from Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Breast milk resolves inflammation First, the researchers obtained human milk-lipid mediator isolates (HLMIs) from healthy donor breast milk and assessed its ability to accelerate the resolution of acute inflammation in mice. After infecting the mice with yeast to stimulate an...

Should Patients with Metabolic Syndrome-related NAFLD be on the Hunter-Gatherer (Paleo) Diet to Decrease Morbidity? The paleo diet is no longer a fad among the alternative health community. It really was only a matter of time before Tarantino et al from Italy asked a central question – can a paleo diet reduce non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence? Their review begins with a basic recap of the differences between what they call a hunter-gatherer (HG) diet and modern Western diets. This includes the HG diet being anti-atherogenic and high in unsaturated fat, containing a variable amount of carbohydrates from fibrous and starchy vegetables rather than cereal grains, and being relatively high in protein. Additionally, the potassium-sodium ratio and fiber intake is much higher and the overall diet composition is more alkaline.   There is indeed evidence to support the beneficial effects of a HG diet on health. Tarantino et al mention...

Last week, a press release regarding the sleep duration of our ancestors was abound on numerous media outlets, all of which seemed to focus on sleep duration and use headlines that give the impression that modern sleep behaviors are not so different from pre-industrial populations. The actual study was a multi-center collaboration by researchers from the University of New Mexico, the University of California, Yale University, Hunter College, and the University of the Witwatersrand. They stayed with three different modern hunter-gatherer tribes (the Hadza, the San, and the Tsimane) and collected data on their sleep behaviors around the clock by having the tribesmen wear Actiwatch-2 devices on their wrists for 4-28 days. This collected data on movement, light exposure, and temperature that were then statistically compared to temperature, solar, and seasonal variables of the environment. The researchers did indeed find that sleep durations were similar to modern society, with the time...

For years I have made every effort to stand rather than sit under the presumption that it is healthier. What started as a couple boxes stacked on top of a normal table for my computer quickly turned into a legitimate standing workstation. I eventually also bought a high-table that allowed me to stand while I eat without the food being a mile below my mouth. In fact, I probably spend less than an hour sitting on an average day where my need to travel by car is low and it has gotten to the point where my body physically hurts if I sit for more than about 20-30 minutes straight. I also become restless, my legs and butt start twitching spontaneously, and if I had recently eaten I suffer from digestive stress. These events are probably more psychological than physiological; stemming from my subconscious belief that sitting is doing me no...