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Showing posts from February, 2017

Nutrition Therapy for Hepatic Glycogen Storage Diseases

There are many different types of glycogen storage diseases. The first type of glycogen storage disease occurs when the body is missing the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase which is the enzyme that converts glucose-6-phosphatase to glucose. People with disease can encounter many different side effects including hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, hyperuricemia, and hyperlipidemia. The main nutritional intervention to treat this disease focuses on controlling hypoglycemia. Increasing blood glucose levels will enable the body to function more efficiently. Infants up to one year of age receive and overnight continuous feeding of a high carbohydrate via a nasogastric tube. During the day they consume formula, instant rice and oatmeal cereals every three hours. At eight months to a year infants receive an uncooked cornstarch therapy. Throughout their life time individuals diagnosed with this disease will continue to receive overnight continuous feedings and are instructed to consume a diet that cons

GDM and Medical Nutrition Therapy

Shi, M., Liu, Z. L., Steinmann, P., Chen, J., Chen, C., Ma, X. T., & Han, S. H. (2016).   Medical nutrition therapy for pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus—A retrospective cohort study.  Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ,  55 (5), 666-671. Medical Nutrition Therapy for Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes mellitus- A retrospective cohort study When a pregnant woman develops diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, this is referred to as gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes (GDM) is described as a glucose intolerance that occurs during pregnancy. Glucose homeostasis is often times restored back to nonpregnancy levels post-partum, however, women diagnosed with GDM are at a high risk of developing type II diabetes later in life. GDM has a negative impact on both mother and baby including problems such as maternal polyhydramnios, pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, fetal deformities, and more. Since complications are so common with GDM, i
Delahanty, L. M., Dalton, K. M., Porneala, B., Chang, Y., Goldman, V. M., Levy, D., ... &  Wexler, D. J. (2015). Improving diabetes outcomes through lifestyle change– A randomized controlled trial.  Obesity ,  23 (9), 1792-1799. Improving Diabetes Outcomes Through Lifestyle Change- A Randomized Controlled Trial The increasingly prevalent issue of obesity has become a costly public health problem, which faces our entire nation and gives rise to an epidemic of type II diabetes and other adverse health problems. One way to prevent prediabetes and treat diabetes is to focus on achieving long-term weight loss. There is a type II diabetes trial called Look AHEAD, which includes an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) which resulted in sustained weight loss with improved glycemic control, reduced medication use and cost, and better quality of life when compared to standard diabetes education. The authors of this research adapted Look AHEAD’s concepts and use of an ILI and dietiti

Cinnamon and Glycemic Control

Cinnamon and Glycemic Control TR   Cinnamon has been said to help with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by aiding in glycemic control. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) states that an HbA1c level of greater than or equal to 6.5 or a FPG level of 7.0 mmol is indicative of diabetes. Cinnamon bark oil has been used for centuries to treat a host of different conditions. It has been suggested that cinnamon activates the insulin receptor by increasing auto phosphorylation of the receptor, increasing glucose transporter 4 receptor synthesis and activation, inhibits amylase and glucosidase, increases glycogen synthesis in the liver, thus improving insulin sensitivity, and glycemic control. A meta-analysis was done on 11 studies that looked at cinnamons effects of HbA1c and FPG levels. Cinnamon doses in these studies ranged from 120-6000 mg/day. All of the studies had to meet specific inclusion criteria. The studies were found from an extensive search on PubMed. There were reductions in

Cancer Malnutrition: What RD's Can Do

Cancer Malnutrition: What RD's Can TR     Malnutrition in cancer patients can lead to a host of issues. It can have a negative effect on treatment and therefore the patient's outcome. Malnutrition can lead to increased and more frequent hospital visits, more severe side effects, and a boost in cancer reoccurrence risk. Individuals on cancer treatments may have symptoms that vary. No two cancer cases are identical. For this reason it is important to engage with the patient and learn specifically what is causing their malnutrition. The symptoms can be anything from nausea to constipation or early satiety to mouth sores. Not all facilities have RD's on staff that are certified specialist in oncology nutrition (CSO), so it is important that all RD's know some of the basic information regarding cancer treatment and nutrition. There are even some facilities such as outpatient cancer centers that do not have RD's as part of the healthcare team so patients do

Ketogenic Diet and the Effects on Epilepsy

TR   Ketogenic Diet and the Effects on Epilepsy The ketogenic diet (KD) is a diet that is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. This diet sends the body into a ketogenic state (using ketone bodies instead of glucose as the major source of energy). Using the ketogenic diet for treatment of refractory epilepsy was first reported in the early 1900’s. Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in the world. According to a study done in 2008 by the International Ketogenic Diet Study Group, KD may be efficacious for the following types of epilepsy: infantile spasms, tuberous sclerosis complex, myoclonic-astatic epilepsy (Doose syndrome), severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (Dravet syndrome), and Rett syndrome. The specific mechanism of how the KD effects seizures is not yet known. What is known is that when the body has elevated ketone bodies, they inhibit neuronal excitability. This slows the firing rates of neurons with decrease seizure activity. If ketone bodies are the

Solving the Riddle of Gestational Diabetes: Inconsistencies Among Medical Nutrition Therapy Recommendations

                Gestational diabetes (GDM), a type of diabetes experienced during the second half of pregnancy, mimics traditional diabetes mellitus (DM) through increased blood glucose levels and other characteristic symptoms.   However, the incidence of GDM has more widespread and long-term effects, impacting both mother and child.   Negative outcomes for the mother include an increased risk of preeclampsia, cesarean deliveries, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, while the child is at risk for macrosomia, neonatal hypoglycemia, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.   In light of the numerous and dangerous risks for both mother and child, interventions must be identified to alleviate potential negative outcomes.   Traditionally, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in the form of diet and exercise has been used as the first line of defense for GDM; however, multiple healthcare agencies throughout the world now use inconsistent guidelines that impede the decision-making and impleme

The Amazing Power of Belly Bugs

                Probiotics, known fondly in my household as belly bugs, are microorganisms that can have beneficial effects on the human body.   They are most notorious for their role in regulating the digestive system by creating a necessary balance between the beneficial microorganisms and the harmful microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract.   Over the past few years, probiotics have been spotlighted for a lesser-known talent—immune system regulation.   Certain strains of probiotics have exhibited the ability to either upregulate or downregulate the immune response and, consequently, inflammation.                 As a result, studies involving autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are attempting to replicate these immune regulating results in an effort to diminish disease activity and inflammatory biomarkers.   A recent study from Iran investigated the effect of Lactobacillus casei , a microorganism commonly found in fermented dairy products,