supplements

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes, and More 13 July 2019

July 13, 2019 By Older Bolder Mark

Should Lipoprotein(a) – aka Lp(a) – Be on Your Radar?

I’ve been chatting back and forth with a physician friend, who has recently awoken to the myriad health benefits of eating ancestrally and taking a much more intentional, purposeful approach to his fitness , about the flurry of activity that has taken place in the past few quarters regarding lipoprotein(a). Here are a few of the articles we’ve chatted about…

Do I Need to Care about Lp(a)? [Free MedScape account required.]
Screening for High Lipoprotein(a): The Time is Now. [Free MedScape account required.]
Lp(a) levels and MI risk shows ethic variability.
Trials of meds (of course) to reduce Lp(a) are in process, for example…
Lp(a) associations with aortic stenosis deserve further study…

What I’m Reading This Week

Last week I shared a little about our family penchant for reading and my goal to read through 80 books this year; I bit off more than I could chew last week, and haven’t finished several titles…

New to the List

Franklin Steak, Arron Franklin and Jordan Mackay. Franklin runs one of the most sought after BBQ emporiums in Texas (Austin) and is a master of cooking proteins over fire. The book looks amazing with mouthwatering photography; full review at some point soon.

A Cast in the Woods, Stephen Sautner. A fly fisherman’s take on preserving a little slice of the Catskills.

Still reading from last week…

The Paleo Diet, Loren Cordain, PhD (catching up on an unread classic).

The Longevity Paradox, Dr. Steven Gundry (detailed review to follow)

Some Stories: Lessons from the Edge of Business and Sport, Yvon Chouinard

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes, and More 22 June 2019

June 22, 2019 By Older Bolder Mark

My lovely wife and I traveled a bit this week celebrating her birthday, so today’s links are again a somewhat eclectic collection.

The Brain Health List from the Week

Glucose and neurodegeneration: impacts start with “higher normal” blood glucose and get worse from there.
Fasting as an Alzheimer’s management tool.
Billions on brain supplements, but do they work?
Microsleep: Bet you’ve done it.

Diet, Lipids, and More

Eating fish bumped LDL more than red meat?
Americans don’t want to give up their bacon (and other processed meats).
LC diet reduces diabetes risk independent of weight loss?
Is diabetic a dirty word? (Free MedScape account required)

The Roundup: Interesting Odds and Ends from the Week

Looking at classic alcohol “limits”.
Researchers find a new leptin gene mutation.
Interesting gut microbe study.

Interesting post on responding to keto diet criticisms.
More time outside = happier humans?
Texas intervenes on surprise medical bills. (Free MedScape account required)
Civic honesty around the world.

Food, Glorious Food

Food neophobia as a lifestyle risk.
First evidence of humans cooking starches.

Turmeric mojo grilled shrimp.

Fascinating Supplement Read for the Week: Supplements and CVD

February 28, 2019 By Older Bolder Mark

Christopher Labos, a cardiologist practicing in Quebec penned an interesting piece on Medscape two weeks ago yesterday titled Supplements and CVD: Why Negative Data Don’t Dampen Sales. You’ll need a free Medscape account to read the article; if you don’t have access, I’d encourage you to register and read this one.

Any article that begins with the opening sentence “Vitamins and supplements do not prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD)” promises to cast supplements in a very negative light, and he paints with a very broad brush here appearing to lump “vitamins and supplements” into one ineffective heap.

The author does provide superficial summary data from several studies, though his interpretation of several is later challenged and corrected by multiple commenters, and he goes on to castigate the physicians and patients who persist in ignoring his cited data denigrating supplement use.

I don’t have time to delve into nitpicky particulars today, but three points come to mind about the article…

Three Quick Points About the Article

One, if you’re interested at all in the rational utilization of supplements, take 10 minutes, read the article AND the comments. You’ll note that opinions expressed by a number of health professionals in the comments vary widely (an understatement), and an impressive subset of physicians and allied health providers commenting disagree vehemently with the article’s premise.

Two, several commenters hit upon a key principal often neglected (or ignored) in the institutional practice of allopathic medicine today – the fact that supplement (or treatment) decisions need to be ultimately framed by an individual’s physiology (and metabolic state in this discussion of supplementation), and not necessarily by the sweeping generalizations of often very narrowly focused (i.e., looking a single vitamin, mineral, or cofactor) empirical studies.

Three, for those who face an uphill battle with their personal physician(s) with regard to supplement utilization, understand that you’re not alone. The reasons for the disconnect are multiple, and both the article and commentary suggest that physicians and the rest of us are heavily influenced by a number of biases we carry (including financial ones).

A Deeper Dive on Supplements Coming Shortly…

I have to admit, I’m fascinated by the supplement world, and come at it from the position of a longterm skeptic, no doubt due to my traditional medical training and practice, though personally use and recommend supplements routinely today. More to come…