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Supplement Industry

Chronic Inflammation: Management With Ginger

Chronic inflammation is a condition which is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of several diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.1 Said illnesses are relatively prevalent in North America, demanding interventions to help manage, and possibly mitigate, their underlying and destructive immune-driven processes. Pharmaceutical medications…

Berberine, Chitosan, and Red Yeast Rice: Managing Dyslipidemia

In recent posts, this author has covered red yeast rice (RYR) and its beneficial effects upon dyslipidemia and clinical outcomes. Additional posts began exploring RYR with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to counteract potential CoQ10-lowering effects of RYR. In the following sections, research will be provided which considers the potential synergistic and lipid-lowering effects of concurrent supplementation…

Red Yeast Rice, Dyslipidemia, and CoQ10 Depletion

In this author’s last post, dyslipidemia was explored as well as its relationship to the lipid-lowering capacity of red yeast rice (RYR). In addition to outlining the cardiovascular benefits of RYR, research was also considered that identified the potential of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) induced deficiency from RYR intake, and physiological consequences of the same. Thus,…

Supporting Sleep Hygiene With Ashwagandha

Consistent sleep quality and duration are cornerstones of both health and quality of life. Humans require appropriate sleep, each night, in order to synthesize hormones, repair tissues, grow tissues, and maintain cognitive function, memory, and mood.1 Thus, disruptions in sleep quality and duration can induce aberrations in health and homeostasis, demanding interventions to help restore…

Botanicals: Exploring Risks of Toxicity

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially introduced traditional medicine as a therapeutic intervention; an approach embraced and implemented by Syrian, Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Chinese societies for approximately 5000 years.1 Despite traditional medicine’s long history, misapplication, like any intervention, can be found in the use of botanicals. In the following sections, this author…

Botanical Products: Toxicity and Safety

Botanical dietary supplement consumption has been experiencing continued growth within the United States, especially within the first decade of 21st century.1 Such a statement is supported by the US National Health Statistics Reports; the purchase and use of dietary supplements, to include botanicals, has consistently held first place position amongst the most popular complimentary health…

Botanical Medicine and Regulations

Botanical products have risen, both in popularity and sales, over recent years partially due to their perceived safety and positive influence upon health markers.1 Consumers frequently use botanicals to support maintenance of health and management of chronic diseases, and usually as an adjunct to prescription medications.1(1) However, said botanicals are not always regulated in a…

Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Why They Matter

  Food-as-medicine is a paradigm and model used in the restoration of health and prevention of disease. Considering that research has implicated poor dietary habits (i.e., excess consumption of ultra-processed foods, alcohol, and vegetable oils) to the advent and progression of metabolic syndrome and other diseases, it is imperative that solutions are employed to mitigate…

Supplement Quality and Regulation

Supplements are defined as products containing one or a combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, and amino acids.1The supplement industry generates significant sums of revenue; Dagerman1(173)noted that in 2009, said industry generated 26.7 billion dollars with 1,000 new supplements entering the consumer market yearly with an excess of 29,000 supplements available for purchase…