Tasha Gerken

You may have heard that excess amounts of “free radicals” increase your risk of cell and DNA damage, or worse, your risk of cancer.  What you may not know is that overdoing it with antioxidant supplements designed to quench those free radicals may actually thwart your body’s own immune mechanisms.  When you exercise, the body uses oxygen and the energy it converts from food to produce energy for exertion.  When the food-derived energy is broken down, it generates substances called  “reactive oxygen species” (ROS, or “free radicals”). Free radicals (ROS) …

You know that eating healthy is important for your heart, but what exactly does it mean to follow a “heart-healthy diet”?  It certainly doesn’t mean you have to compromise taste, quit your favorite foods, or starve. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) compiled some basic guidelines to help Americans improve their health and lower their risk of heart disease.  A plan entitled, the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC diet) makes very specific recommendations to fight cardiovascular disease and its associated chronic risk factors.  If you ask me, everyone can …

The health claims on eggs are endless and you’ve even seen “Gluten Free” plastered across the carton (yes, eggs are naturally gluten free).  Your last purchase claimed to be certified by United Egg Producers, but does it mean something or is it just a marketing ruse? Keep reading to find out what lingo is profitable for your health, your conscience, and your wallet. Interpreting the claims: Certified Organic – The USDA National Organic Program does require that the birds eat only organic, all-vegetarian feed, and that antibiotics and pesticides are …

You knew that reducing salt could help lower blood pressure, but did you know reducing your sugar intake could, too?  An 18-month long, multi-center, prospective study by Dr. Liwei Chen and her colleagues suggests just that. The researchers found that when individuals who regularly drank sugar sweetened beverages cut back on their intake, they significantly reduced their blood pressure.  The study population consisted of men and women ages 25-76 years old from multiple health care centers nationally who drank an average of 10.5 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages daily.  The data …

Kids with asthma may breathe a sigh of relief – thanks to vitamin D. New research suggests that children with asthma who have higher Vitamin D levels in their blood may be less prone to asthma exacerbation and have fewer asthma related hospitalizations, than children with lower levels. Vitamin D insufficiency has previously been linked to type I diabetes, autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and rickets in children.  Recently a link was found between low vitamin D status and risk for asthma. This new study focused specifically …

There is truly no scientific evidence that açai berries carry a secret or miraculous super-power over and above that of other deep colored fresh fruit grown in America.  However, the acai berry business is booming thanks to the outlandish advertisements and media hype which claim that the berry aids weight loss, improves sex life, cures baldness, and helps detoxification.  For the record, açai berries don’t correct baldness (anyway, who said there was something “wrong” with baldness in the first place?)  Registered Dietitian Janet Helm wrote a poignant piece called the …

While the incidence of seizure disorders in children is declining, about 45,000 children under the age of 15 years develop epilepsy each year.  If you’re the parent of a child with a seizure disorder, like West syndrome, which hasn’t responded to anti-seizure medication, the ketogenic diet may provide relief.  A recent study out of John’s Hopkins University, researchers used the ketogenic diet to treat 104 infants who presented with an intractable (untreatable) seizure disorder. Eighteen of the infants followed the ketogenic diet as a primary intervention, while others had been …

If you’re one of the 14.8 million Americans who are affected by depression, new research gives more credibility to the idea that omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish, fish oil supplements, flaxseeds and walnuts) may alleviate some of your depression-related symptoms. A Canadian study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry is the largest double-blind, randomized control trial ever conducted on depression and Omega-3 fatty acids.  Many studies have previously shown promising outcomes, but were not conclusive because they studied so few participants.  This study however, sampled over 400 …