SHR

Vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin) deficiency affects roughly 6% of adults aged 70+ years and is a concern frequently attributable to gastric atrophy that leads to malabsorption. B12 is found primarily in animal products bound to the protein and must be freed by the digestive action of our stomach acid and enzymes. Once freed from the protein, B12 is immediately bound to an R protein within the gastric juice that protects it from bacterial use. Upon entering the small intestine, the B12 is released from the R protein and binds to intrinsic factor (IF) that was synthesized within the stomach but escapes digestion. This B12-IF complex travels through the small intestine to interact with receptors that allow for the absorption of B12. Gastric atrophy affects the early steps of this process by limiting protein digestion and/or the production of IF. Full-blown B12 deficiency leads to numerous neurologic and cognitive disturbances as...

In a previous article I wrote about one of the first clinical trials to evaluate the effect of DHA supplementation on indexes of fatty liver in adolescents. Needless to say, the results were quite impressive. But what if you don’t catch non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) quickly enough? Over time, oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, insulin resistance, and central inflammatory signaling pathways drive a transformation from NAFLD to the more serious condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; literally “fatty inflammation”). At this point, would fish oils still help? If we trust the results of a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial from Brazil, the answer is no! But there’s a catch. Fifty adult men and women with diagnosed NASH supplemented with three pills per day for six months before being readmitted for another liver biopsy to gauge any changes in liver health. What nobody knew (double-blind), was whether the pills supplied a mineral oil...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is exactly what its name says – the abnormal accumulation of fat within the liver (steatosis for the nerds like me) from causes other than alcohol. The more severe form of NAFLD is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; literally “fatty inflammation”), which can eventually progress to cirrhosis, permanent liver damage, and cancer. Nonetheless, even simple NAFLD can cause widespread metabolic problems within the body, which should be no surprise considering the tremendous role the liver plays in detoxifying the body and managing nutrients. Anyway, NAFLD prevalence has been increasing over the past few decades and is currently estimated to be around 30% in the U.S. population, with causes ranging from excessive caloric intake and muscular insulin resistance to genetic abnormalities. We can’t really do anything about the genetics, but it is no coincidence that the only tried and true methods for reducing liver fat include weight loss...