Immune / Lymphatic
One hundred years ago, processed foods were minimal, mostly in the form of alcohol and breads. In the present day, societies contain many forms of processed products. Moreover, processed food is a dominant form of sustenance both in high-income and middle-income countries such as the United States (Monteiro, Moubarac, Cannon, Ng, & Popkin, 2013). With…
In my last post, characteristics of exercise-induced inflammation (EII) were explored. Topics included how brief and moderately intense exercise initiated an immune response, as well as the central physiological and biochemical processes required to achieve adaptation to the same stimuli of equal magnitude. In the following sections, food-induced inflammation (FII) will be reviewed, as well…
Inflammation is a natural immune response to neutralize and clear foreign bodies and damaged cells in a biological organism (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014). The immune response can have several etiologies such as overconsumption of omega-6 rich foods, food sensitivities, poor sleep, stress, toxic environments, and intense physical activity (Ruiz-Nunez, Pruimboom, Dijck-Brouwer, & Muskiet,…
There exists controversy between scientific literature and popular opinion regarding protein requirements for athletes (Phillips, Moore, & Tang, 2007). Some authorities recommend 0.8g/kg of bodyweight while others recommend as high as 1.7g/kg of bodyweight (Phillips et al., 2007). As a means of reconciling the aforementioned disparity, the following sections will explore the effects of ingesting…
Inflammation is a natural immune response to neutralize and clear foreign bodies and damaged cells in the body (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014). However, prolonged states of inflammation, as seen by the frequent overconsumption of foods (i.e., refined sugars, processed foods, grain fed meats) rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (a pro-inflammatory fatty acid)…
In my last post, I covered a brief history of Scotland and how they circumvented vitamin D deficiencies. The intent of providing a brief history of the Scots and vitamin D intake was to show the complex interplay of environment, physiology, cultural proclivities, and economics on the effects of health. It was also my intent…
Vitamin deficiencies can, and do, occur on a global scale. It is also true that several factors contribute to deficiencies; populations with complex social and economic circumstances can have insufficient nutrient intakes, due to poor consumption of nutrient rich foods (Shergill-Bonner, 2013). However, environmental factors also play a significant role in the acquisition of nutrients,…
Obesity and overweight are prevalent, epidemic in nature, and considered a global health crisis (Foss & Dyrstad, 2011). The severity and widespread propagation of the aforementioned conditions increases the risk of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Moreover, obesity contributes to approximately 120,000 preventable deaths every year in…
Modern Western diets, including macronutrient ratios and macronutrient quality, are substantially different than the hominin diets 10,000 years ago (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014). Modern diets tend to include over 70% of total energy from refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, processed foods, and alcohol (Ilich et al., 2014). Of particular interest is the shift…