September 18, 2024 — People who think of obesity simply as a disease of fatness are walking around with a profound misunderstanding of this disease – it is very much a disease of inflammation. This thread of inflammation ties obesity to diabetes and ties both of those diseases to the complications of COVID. New research on COVID and diabetes […]
December 19, 2023 — For some time now, scientists have noted that GLP-1 agonists have effects on more than just blood sugar and body weight. They seem to have an effect on systemic inflammation. For more than a decade, researchers have been exploring their anti-inflammatory effects. But a key question has remained: exactly how do GLP-1 agonists help with […]
November 26, 2022 — Step right up and hear all about an amazing vegan diet study. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) churned out quite a PR masterpiece of hype recently. They randomized 244 people to either go on a diet or not. The diet was a ad libitum vegan diet and people cut 355 calories from their […]
April 6, 2022 — The immune activity and inflammation linked to adipose tissue in obesity is getting a lot of attention. Part of this is due to the interaction of inflammation, obesity, and the risks of COVID-19. But even more interesting is the insight into obesity itself. The insight comes from new study in Science Translational Medicine. In short, […]
January 26, 2022 — The relationship between diabetes and COVID-19 grows more interesting by the day. Early in the pandemic, it became clear that diabetes is an important risk factor for severe complications with COVID-19. As more research emerged, it became clear that inflammation is a mediator for this risk. And now it seems that diabetes might even raise […]
December 9, 2021 — More than a year ago in Obesity, Paul Ryan and Noel Caplice laid out a theoretical framework suggesting SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) might target and exploit fat tissue. They wrote: “Adipose tissue in individuals with obesity may act as a reservoir for more extensive viral spread, with increased shedding, immune activation, and cytokine […]
December 3, 2021 — A new study in Gastroenterology is adding fuel to the fire of doubts about emulsifiers in processed foods. A diverse group of researchers conducted an RCT of a diet enriched with an emulsifier called carboxymethylcellulose. CMC and cellulose gum are two other names for this ingredient. Nine subjects received the control diet with no emulsifiers […]
October 6, 2021 — Understanding the chronic disease of obesity is growing clearer. As this understanding grows, we’re seeing the tie between obesity and type 2 diabetes grow closer. Of course, the overlap of these two diseases is not 100 percent, but it is considerable. Two notable papers this week serve to illustrate. One explains more fully how fat […]
June 9, 2021 — Obesity can cause cancers. But how does this work? And is obesity getting in the way of reducing deaths from cancer? New research sheds light on these questions. It points to the role of immune function in both diseases. It also offers clues for the path to better solutions. Myeloid Cells and Immune Function Much […]
November 12, 2020 — The American College of Cardiology is serving up anti-inflammatory food. Dig in! In a press release earlier this month, the College told us that an anti-inflammatory diet can lower heart disease and stroke risk. It sounds great, but if you read the press release, you’ll find that these studies are all about modest correlations. Not […]
