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Poor Diets Threaten National Security
Advanced Back and Neck Care • Jul 24, 2020

Poor diets threaten US national security — and it’s serious.

America’s poor diet isn’t just bad for us. It’s now considered a threat to national security.

Diet-related illnesses are a growing burden on the United States economy, worsening health disparities and impacting national security, according to a white paper published Monday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Poor nutrition is the leading cause of illnesses in the US, with unhealthy diets killing more than half a million people each year, a group of experts who have formed the Federal Nutrition Research Advisory Group wrote in the paper.

About 46% of adults in the country have an overall poor-quality diet, and this number goes up to 56% for children, according to the paper.

Meanwhile, US healthcare spending has nearly tripled from 1979 to 2018, from 6.9% to 17.7% of the gross domestic product. These increases in health spending, the advisory group said, affect government budgets, the competitiveness of the US private sector and workers’ wages.

Diet-related health disparities affect minority, rural and low-income communities.

“While social and economic factors such as lower education, poverty, bias, and reduced opportunities are major contributors to population disparities, they are likewise major barriers to healthy food access and proper nutrition,” the paper reads.

“Poor diets lead to a harsh cycle of lower academic achievement in school, lost productivity at work, increased chronic disease risk, increased out-of-pocket health costs, and poverty for the most vulnerable Americans.”

Lack of proper nutrition is also a threat to national security, the paper said, stating that diet-related illnesses are harming the readiness of the US military and the budgets of the US Department of Defense and the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Seventy-one percent of people between the ages of 17 and 24 do not qualify for military service, with obesity being the leading medical disqualifier, the paper said, citing numbers from a 2018 report.

Need for more investment in nutrition

The paper’s authors called for the expansion of federal investment in nutrition science by creating a new Office of the National Director of Food and Nutrition or a new US Task Force on Federal Nutrition Research, with the goal of improving coordination within the agencies that budget for research in this topic.

The paper also called for “accelerating and strengthening” nutrition research within the National Institutes of Health by creating a new National Institute of Nutrition.
“Every day, our country suffers massive health, social, and economic costs of poor diets,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, co-author of the paper and dean and Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

In a statement, Mozaffarian called for a “major national effort to address current nutrition challenges, generating the critical science to rapidly treat and prevent diet-related diseases, improve health equity, increase population resilience to Covid-19 and future pandemics, and drive fundamental and translational discoveries for better lives.”

By Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP 13 Mar, 2024
https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/2000.cfm ** Feel free to use this article on your website. Compliments from Functional Medicine University . ** Read my past articles: http://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/department88.cfm ===================== View Rick Bramos Fitness YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_x4I27Z0DfYkfcroXxAhcA/videos Here is Rick's New Video of the Week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W__EwtXJkyY Rick is now offering phone consultations for those wanting to lose weight or simply to improve their fitness. Rick can be reached at 2days2fitness@gmail.com for more details. ===================== ATTENTION DOCTORS AND ALL HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS Tell your friends and colleagues about Clinical Rounds. This is a great introduction to the field of functional medicine. Here is the webpage to subscribe: http://www.clinicalrounds.com Take care, Ron P.S. Please visit our facebook page and "Like It" Of course if you really like it. :) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Functional-Medicine-University/161486170671332
13 Mar, 2024
At the very least, you'll want to keep this to a minimum. Inflammation is often visible—think red skin or a swollen knee. However, inflammation can also occur on the inside, and it's not always so easy to detect. "Inflammation is a physiological process involved in the defense of our body and the repair of tissues," says Jenna Stangland, RD , a Momentous advisor. Stangland explains that inflammation can be triggered by infections, trauma, toxins or allergic reactions. Sometimes, it becomes chronic in the muscles and tissues. Unfortunately, Stangland says chronic inflammation carries risks. "Chronic inflammation can end up stimulating the development of cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disease, neurological disease or cancer," Stangland says. "This type of inflammation can last several months as a result of inability to combat and reduce it." Diet isn't a cure-all for chronic inflammation or the diseases it can trigger. However, it's an important tool. "Diet plays a significant role in inflammation, as certain foods can either promote or reduce inflammation in the body," says Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN , a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com . One food in particular is worth avoiding. RDs shared the food to limit if you have chronic inflammation. Related: The One Diet That Will Actually Lower Your Heart Attack Risk, According to Cardiologists
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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP
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18 or 80 most anyone can do these. Remember create a habit first.  Perform these exercises just twice a week.
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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Its symptoms vary but may start with mild memory loss or difficulty remembering words or names. As it progresses, Alzheimer's causes worsening confusion and memory loss, changes in personality, the inability to perform everyday tasks and more. Alzheimer's is caused by a slow build-up of protein plaques and tangles in the brain that eventually cause brain cells to stop working properly. This build-up usually starts years before a person experiences symptoms. Alzheimer's-related memory loss is caused by brain cells working improperly and dying-a process known as neurodegeneration. Alzheimer's is estimated to account for about 60% of dementia cases. Diagnosing Alzheimer's Until recently, it has been difficult to identify the biological changes that indicate Alzheimer's. The typical evaluation, which includes physical exam, blood and urine tests and cognitive testing may provide ambiguous or conflicting answers, which can result in delayed referrals until symptoms become clearer. That has changed with new technology and testing. Labcorp has developed a new test called the Amyloid-Tau-Neurodegeneration (ATN) Profile ( ATN Profile) to help doctors detect evidence of biological changes consistent with Alzheimer's. These tests are the first objective tools that doctors have to help evaluate Alzheimer's, meaning that with a simple blood test , doctors and other health professionals allowed to order labs can get a clearer answers on Alzheimer's and its progression and get patients on a care plan earlier. This will in fact give physicians a simple, objective test for Alzheimer's disease pathology that can help shorten the time to diagnosis. Labcorp is the first company to make a fully blood-based ATN Profile commercially available. What is ATN? The ATN framework establishes a means for classifying biomarkers based on the biological evidence of Alzheimer's disease that each marker provides These markers are divided into three categories to reflect the three primary biological changes associated with Alzheimer's: A for amyloid plaques: Accumulations of beta-amyloid 42 proteins begin to form plaques in the brain years before initial symptom onset T for tau tangles: The beta-amyloid 42 accumulation causes misfolding of tau proteins, which tangle into knots and disrupt normal brain cell function N for neurodegeneratio : Brain cell functional impairment causes the cells to die, which exacerbates the characteristic cognitive impairment symptoms observed in Alzheimer's patients
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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP Medical literature is very clear that oral dental health plays a significant role in your cardiovascular health. As odd as it sounds, regularly brushing and flossing your teeth could be what stands between you and a future heart attack. Research has linked bacteria from the Streptococcus genus to fatty plaque buildup in heart arteries. A new study published in the journal Circulation has pinpointed two specific oral microorganisms that play a role in whether we develop atherosclerosis (clogged arteries). In all people there should be a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in our mouth (teeth). However when this balance is upset, it kicks off a chain of events that makes atherosclerosis far more likely to occur. The researchers used advanced technology for the study to reexamine the gut and oral bacteria assessments and cardiac imaging from 8,973 volunteers in the earlier SCAPIS study. Search in the medical literature has actually identified three bacteria associated with atherosclerosis when they were found in large numbers in the mouth. They include: Streptococcus anginosus Streptococcus oralis Streptococcus mutans The scientists who have published their research have two theories about why these bacteria might be a contributing factor for atherosclerosis. 1:These bacteria (streptococcus species) set off systemic low-grade inflammation that leads to plaque accumulation in heart arteries. 2: In an attempt to evade our immune system, the bacteria in our mouth enter our bloodstream and set up shop in our arteries. Steps to take to decrease the potential of Streptococcus genus compromising our cardiovascular health include: Regularly brushing your teeth Flossing Consider using a waterpik water flosser (this is my dentist strongest recommendations to clean out bacteria deep in the back molars.) This oral health appliance provides a stream of pulsating water to floss between your teeth and below the gumline. Don't forget the most important step of ideal dental health and that is regular dental cleanings. Here are some additional recommendations to be certain your oral health has the best opportunity to be bacteria free. Stop the Sugar Salt Water Rinse Tea Tree Oil and/or Oregano oil products. These essential oils have natural antibacterial qualities. If you battle gingivitis, look for mouthwash or toothpaste made with tea tree oil (never use straight oil) and/or Oregano oil. Olive Leaf Extract: Olive leaf extract is another natural antibacterial that can be used in mouthwash or toothpaste. One of my personal go to preventive measures to ensure optimal oral health is the Dentalcidin Oral Care System by Biocidin Botanicals. Clear here for more details on this dental care system. Start protecting your heart and reducing your risk of heart complications today by focusing on your oral care. You can find a qualified and certified functional medicine practitioner by going to: www.FunctionalMedicineDoctors.com References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1882761608000045 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043276015000454 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1594668/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275337/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33825326/ https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/iai.00897-19 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37435755/ The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his functional medicine community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com for more information on our training in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University's Certification Program (CFMP) www.functionalmedicinedoctors.com . This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Grisanti is required
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