Research Round-up: Coming Soon!

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My first attempt to write this blog was in 2009. I was passionate about science and wanted to share insights on the relationship between nutrition and health. What I could not figure out back then was specifically what to write about. There’s a bulk of information on the subject that seems to overwhelm all of us. Just adding more to the pile won’t help much. To make matters worse, messages are not consistent and contradictions abound. One day soy is good for you, the next day it’s not so hot anymore. Fatty fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), but only if caught in the wild. Vegetarians and vegans rely on flaxseeds and walnuts as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, but they are of the short-chain kind (ALA) and therefore do not have the same anti-inflammatory properties of long-chain omega-3s. Some say cholesterol in seafood should be avoided, while others say it has little effect on blood cholesterol in most people; saturated fats and trans fatty acids are the real villains. The list goes on.

In my first post I mentioned I was searching for answers on whether we can “unravel the complexity of our body systems and the interactions between those systems and the food we eat.” Along that line, my goal has been to find the common ground in the chaos of information out there, i.e. to identify the key components of a healthful diet on which physicians, other health-related practitioners, and researchers seem to agree. The idea is to start with the simple and build on that foundation to tackle the complex. The search for answers is still on, and the path has been quite exciting. It is now time to get to work and pass the information on to you.

Stay tuned!