24 posts · 10,598 views
Michael Ash BSc(Hons) DO ND FDipION MIoD is an Osteopath, Naturopath and Clinical Nutritionist with in excess of 25 years experience of founding and then running a large, successful integrated medicine clinic. In addition he is a researcher and lecturer as well as an entrepreneur focused on health related business development.
Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
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- March 22, 2011
- 06:47 PM
- 295 views
Gut Flora, Probiotics and Vitamins A D – Do they influence Allergy and Autoimmunity
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
The fields of immunology, microbiology, nutrition, epigenetics and metabolism are rapidly converging utilising a systems biology methodology to explain our intimate relationships with our microbial cohabitants. For over 30 years data has been building to scientifically support the hypothesis that intestinal cohabitants operate in a collective manner with macro and micro food intakes to shape and define our immune systems from an early age. The result is a collective impact bound by mutual cooper........ Read more »
Strachan, D. (1989) Hay fever, hygiene, and household size. BMJ, 299(6710), 1259-1260. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.299.6710.1259
Rook, G. (2009) Review series on helminths, immune modulation and the hygiene hypothesis: The broader implications of the hygiene hypothesis. Immunology, 126(1), 3-11. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2008.03007.x
Heijtz RD, Wang S, Anuar F, Qian Y, Björkholm B, Samuelsson A, Hibberd ML, Forssberg H, & Pettersson S. (2011) Normal gut microbiota modulates brain development and behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(7), 3047-52. PMID: 21282636
- September 16, 2010
- 07:25 PM
- 453 views
Mechanism of Fatty Acids Anti Inflammatory Effects – Explained?
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Most Nutritional Therapists are comfortable in the concept and application of concentrated essential fatty acids especially fish oils as a means of altering abnormal inflammatory pathways in the body. Some EFA’s are perceived to be anti-inflammatory and others pro-inflammatory. Whilst the simplistic dichotomy of interpretation (Omega 3 Anti/Omega 6 Pro) has kept many a student [...]... Read more »
Oh da Y, Talukdar S, Bae EJ, Imamura T, Morinaga H, Fan W, Li P, Lu WJ, Watkins SM, & Olefsky JM. (2010) GPR120 is an omega-3 fatty acid receptor mediating potent anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects. Cell, 142(5), 687-98. PMID: 20813258
Schenk, S., Saberi, M., & Olefsky, J. (2008) Insulin sensitivity: modulation by nutrients and inflammation. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 118(9), 2992-3002. DOI: 10.1172/JCI34260
Ford, E. (2002) Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome Among US Adults: Findings From the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(3), 356-359. DOI: 10.1001/jama.287.3.356
- August 18, 2010
- 04:00 AM
- 370 views
Increase Vit D RDA’s Say Scientists
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
On July the 28th 2010 the Journal Experimental Biology and Medicine published an article looking at the levels of Vitamin D in the general population and made recommendations concerning the RDA levels needed to limit osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children.[1] This they say is because scientists and nutritionists from many countries agree that [...]... Read more »
Norman AW, & Bouillon R. (2010) Vitamin D nutritional policy needs a vision for the future. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.). PMID: 20667908
- August 18, 2010
- 03:50 AM
- 339 views
Vitamin A: The Key to A Tolerant Immune System?
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
By Michael Ash, BSc(Hons). DO. ND. FellowDipION Vitamin D and Vitamin A are essential co-partners in immunological and bone health.[1],[2] I’m particularly excited about vitamin A because of its profound effects on the gut mucosal immune system—a specialty of mine. Just as vitamin D has attracted attention for its ability to increase antimicrobial peptides and [...]... Read more »
Dong P, Tao Y, Yang Y, & Wang W. (2010) Expression of retinoic acid receptors in intestinal mucosa and the effect of vitamin A on mucosal immunity. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 26(7-8), 740-5. PMID: 19932006
Strober, W. (2008) Vitamin A rewrites the ABCs of oral tolerance. Mucosal Immunology, 1(2), 92-95. DOI: 10.1038/mi.2007.22
Iwata, M., Hirakiyama, A., Eshima, Y., Kagechika, H., Kato, C., & Song, S. (2004) Retinoic Acid Imprints Gut-Homing Specificity on T Cells. Immunity, 21(4), 527-538. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2004.08.011
- July 27, 2010
- 05:51 AM
- 532 views
Vegas, Pregnancy, Immunity and Allergy Prevention!
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
The saying is ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’, or if you are English ‘what happens in Blackpool….’ but the same cannot be said about what happens in utero, as increasing evidence supports the understanding that the maternal nutritional environment and early feeding affects the health of the foetus beyond infancy and into adulthood.[1],[2] An article in Nature’s Mucosal Immunology this month explores some of the key events in foetal and neonatal immune ........ Read more »
Verhasselt, V. (2010) Oral tolerance in neonates: from basics to potential prevention of allergic disease. Mucosal Immunology, 3(4), 326-333. DOI: 10.1038/mi.2010.25
- July 7, 2010
- 06:14 AM
- 431 views
Fat – I’m Not To Blame Its My Bugs!
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
A trial to see if the ingestion of a probiotic bacterium enriched drink might have a beneficial impact on central obesity was funded by Snow Brand Milk Products company in Japan and the results were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition this June 2010. [i]
Whilst it may seem a stretch that bacteria can [...]... Read more »
Kadooka Y, Sato M, Imaizumi K, Ogawa A, Ikuyama K, Akai Y, Okano M, Kagoshima M, & Tsuchida T. (2010) Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial. European journal of clinical nutrition, 64(6), 636-43. PMID: 20216555
Bäckhed F, Ding H, Wang T, Hooper LV, Koh GY, Nagy A, Semenkovich CF, & Gordon JI. (2004) The gut microbiota as an environmental factor that regulates fat storage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101(44), 15718-23. PMID: 15505215
Naoki Takemura, Takuma Okubo, & Kei Sonoyama. (2010) Lactobacillus plantarum strain No. 14 reduces adipocyte size in mice fed high-fat diet. Experimental Biology and Medicine . info:/20558839
- July 1, 2010
- 06:36 AM
- 463 views
Neurological/Dietary Control Over the Immune System – The Role of Fats
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
The immune system in humans and animal is complex, all the more so because it crosses over all tissues. The traditional view has been that the immune system keeps itself in check, and that is mostly the case. However, for some years there has been a development of a neural feedback loop comprehension that helps to answer some of the complex mechanisms and remarkably ties in the role of a nutritional strategy for immune management. This is known as the inflammatory reflex.... Read more »
Tracey, K. (2010) Understanding immunity requires more than immunology. Nature Immunology, 11(7), 561-564. DOI: 10.1038/ni0710-561
Endres S, Lorenz R, & Loeschke K. (1999) Lipid treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 2(2), 117-20. PMID: 10453341
Luyer MD, Greve JW, Hadfoune M, Jacobs JA, Dejong CH, & Buurman WA. (2005) Nutritional stimulation of cholecystokinin receptors inhibits inflammation via the vagus nerve. The Journal of experimental medicine, 202(8), 1023-9. PMID: 16216887
Mebius, R., & Kraal, G. (2005) Structure and function of the spleen. Nature Reviews Immunology, 5(8), 606-616. DOI: 10.1038/nri1669
- June 14, 2010
- 08:53 AM
- 430 views
Nature Vs Nurture Debate Meets Godzilla
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Nutrition, infection, experiences, the environment and genes interact to provide alterations to the phenotype. This concept is referred to as plasticity, the ability of organisms or cells to alter their phenotype in response to changes in the environment.... Read more »
Petronis, A. (2010) Epigenetics as a unifying principle in the aetiology of complex traits and diseases. Nature, 465(7299), 721-727. DOI: 10.1038/nature09230
Bird, A. (2007) Perceptions of epigenetics. Nature, 447(7143), 396-398. DOI: 10.1038/nature05913
Feuk, L., Carson, A., & Scherer, S. (2006) Structural variation in the human genome. Nature Reviews Genetics, 7(2), 85-97. DOI: 10.1038/nrg1767
- June 14, 2010
- 08:33 AM
- 309 views
Has The Unravelling Of Human DNA Been A Disappointment?
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
In an allied review I have discussed the evolving role of epigenetics as the valued mechanism for explaining how gene expression rather than DNA change determines and mediates risk for complex health problems. In addition epigenetics helps to explain cross generational exposure transmission and why despite their being less than 1% variation in human DNA [...]... Read more »
Adams DD, Knight JG, & Ebringer A. (2010) Autoimmune diseases: Solution of the environmental, immunological and genetic components with principles for immunotherapy and transplantation. Autoimmunity reviews, 9(8), 525-30. PMID: 20083235
- June 2, 2010
- 11:11 AM
- 527 views
Butyrate Improves Bowel Transit
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Problems such as poor transit or constipation are common, and can produce significant misery for the individual compromised in this manner. Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid, manufactured in the gut by the anaerobic fermentation of dietary fibres by resident microbiota. It is proposed that apart from its already well understood properties that it has another remarkable effect – the ability to increase the neuronal concentration of the Enteric Nervous System.... Read more »
Soret R, Chevalier J, De Coppet P, Poupeau G, Derkinderen P, Segain JP, & Neunlist M. (2010) Short-chain fatty acids regulate the enteric neurons and control gastrointestinal motility in rats. Gastroenterology, 138(5), 1772-82. PMID: 20152836
Gómez-Pinilla, F. (2008) Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 568-578. DOI: 10.1038/nrn2421
de Giorgio R, & Blandizzi C. (2010) Targeting enteric neuroplasticity: diet and bugs as new key factors. Gastroenterology, 138(5), 1663-6. PMID: 20332039
- May 6, 2010
- 07:18 AM
- 586 views
Leaky Gut & Food Reactivity – What’s the Mechanism?
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Michael Ash looks at leaky gut with a contemporary approach to investigation, relevance and restoration. It is quite clear that in order to extract nutrients and other sentinel information carrying agents the barrier that divides the contents of the gastric lumen from the host must be permeable. The question that has interested clinicians for many [...]... Read more »
Ménard S, Cerf-Bensussan N, & Heyman M. (2010) Multiple facets of intestinal permeability and epithelial handling of dietary antigens. Mucosal immunology, 3(3), 247-59. PMID: 20404811
Ivanov II, & Littman DR. (2010) Segmented filamentous bacteria take the stage. Mucosal immunology, 3(3), 209-12. PMID: 20147894
- April 23, 2010
- 04:07 AM
- 356 views
Atishoo – that’s D’ one!
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Vitamin D Vs Influenza A
Lets face it, right now we are still recovering from the various revelations about the novel variant H1N1 or swine flu non event (in terms of pandemic effects) to be looking to see if we can manage the more common seasonal influenza. Plus spring is in the air and we all [...]... Read more »
Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, & Ida H. (2010) Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(5), 1255-60. PMID: 20219962
- April 20, 2010
- 07:49 AM
- 384 views
Drink? - Mines 1.5 Litres Of Your Finest H2O
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Water as an essential nutrient: the physiological basis of hydration
There are many times when the decision to say we need ‘8 glasses of water’ a day just pops out. But what is the evidence for this, do we need more or less? Obviously climate, activity, age and availability of fluids are all going to have an effect, and what about if we drink too much and suffer hyperhydration leading to hyponatraemia (a disturbance of the salts in the blood) in which the sodium (Natrium in Latin)........ Read more »
Jéquier E, & Constant F. (2010) Water as an essential nutrient: the physiological basis of hydration. European journal of clinical nutrition, 64(2), 115-23. PMID: 19724292
- April 19, 2010
- 07:09 AM
- 434 views
Multivitamins & Breast Cancer - Is It Too Little Rather Than Too Much?
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Multivitamins have recently been flagged in a March 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article to raise the risk of developing breast cancer amongst a group of Swedish Women. Naturally this paper sounds both alarming and contradictory and merits deeper investigation. Particularly as it is directly opposed by a paper out just 3 month previously in the Public Health Nutrition Journal when a group of nearly 3,000 women with breast cancer were compared to a similar number of controls in rel........ Read more »
Larsson SC, Akesson A, Bergkvist L, & Wolk A. (2010) Multivitamin use and breast cancer incidence in a prospective cohort of Swedish women. The American journal of clinical nutrition. PMID: 20335555
Meulepas JM, Newcomb PA, Burnett-Hartman AN, Hampton JM, & Trentham-Dietz A. (2009) Multivitamin supplement use and risk of invasive breast cancer. Public health nutrition, 1-6. PMID: 19954572
Ishitani K, Lin J, Manson JE, Buring JE, & Zhang SM. (2008) A prospective study of multivitamin supplement use and risk of breast cancer. American journal of epidemiology, 167(10), 1197-206. PMID: 18344515
- April 14, 2010
- 05:41 AM
- 423 views
Alzheimers Postponed by Diet!
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
If Alzheimer’s is a disease related to adverse inflammatory responses over time, could one of the largest and most regular antigenic burden – our foods have a significant impact on risk of development. What level of conviction would we as humans looking at a future of declining cognitive function require to moderate our food selection.
The journal Archives of Neurology in April 2010 published a paper looking at the role of a protective diet over time on the risk of Alzheimer&rsquo........ Read more »
Gu, Y., Nieves, J., Stern, Y., Luchsinger, J., & Scarmeas, N. (2010) Food Combination and Alzheimer Disease Risk: A Protective Diet. Archives of Neurology. DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2010.84
- April 6, 2010
- 04:23 AM
- 371 views
FAT? – I’m Not To Blame It’s My Genes!
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Michael Ash BSc(Hons) DO ND FDipION reviews a selection of papers exploring the intersection between our genetic code and the style of food ingested in ever increasing amounts, in which fat and sugar make up the dominant components.... Read more »
Czyzyk TA, Nogueiras R, Lockwood JF, McKinzie JH, Coskun T, Pintar JE, Hammond C, Tschöp MH, & Statnick MA. (2010) kappa-Opioid receptors control the metabolic response to a high-energy diet in mice. The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 24(4), 1151-9. PMID: 19917675
Johnson, P., & Kenny, P. (2010) Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats. Nature Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/nn.2519
- March 30, 2010
- 11:18 AM
- 587 views
Could a ‘Bacterial Thali’ Resolve Inflammation? – A Novel Strategy
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Michael Ash BSc(Hons) DO, ND, DipION reviews the possibility that strategically selected foods and food concentrates represent a valid therapy for inflammatory illnesses.... Read more »
Yan F, & Polk DB. (2010) Disruption of NF-{kappa}B signalling by ancient microbial molecules: novel therapies of the future?. Gut, 59(4), 421-6. PMID: 20332512
Chervonsky AV. (2010) Influence of microbial environment on autoimmunity. Nature immunology, 11(1), 28-35. PMID: 20016507
Ravasco P, Aranha MM, Borralho PM, Moreira da Silva IB, Correia L, Fernandes A, Rodrigues CM, & Camilo M. (2010) Colorectal cancer: can nutrients modulate NF-kappaB and apoptosis?. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 29(1), 42-6. PMID: 19573959
West, N., Clark, S., Phillips, R., Hutchinson, J., Leicester, R., Belluzzi, A., & Hull, M. (2010) Eicosapentaenoic acid reduces rectal polyp number and size in familial adenomatous polyposis. Gut. DOI: 10.1136/gut.2009.200642
- March 30, 2010
- 07:07 AM
- 600 views
Sparkling Water Saves Lives!
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Michael Ash BSc(Hons) DO, ND, Dip ION explores the idea that drinking sparkling water has a direct health benefit for the drinker, if not for the environment.
In this case fizzy drink consumers are directed towards a specific water drink rather than some of the more challenging sugar laden carbonated offerings. So if compelled to drink [...]... Read more »
Schoppen S, Pérez-Granados AM, Carbajal A, Oubiña P, Sánchez-Muniz FJ, Gómez-Gerique JA, & Vaquero MP. (2004) A sodium-rich carbonated mineral water reduces cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women. The Journal of nutrition, 134(5), 1058-63. PMID: 15113945
- March 18, 2010
- 11:32 AM
- 396 views
Antibiotics Can Cause Gut Related Diseases
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Michael Ash BSc (Hons), DO, ND FDipION reviews the current understanding of the role of antibiotics in the initiation of gut associated inflammation and local and systemic health problems, and briefly explores some strategies to prevent and manage this.... Read more »
Round JL, & Mazmanian SK. (2009) The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during health and disease. Nature reviews. Immunology, 9(5), 313-23. PMID: 19343057
Round JL, O'Connell RM, & Mazmanian SK. (2010) Coordination of tolerogenic immune responses by the commensal microbiota. Journal of autoimmunity, 34(3). PMID: 19963349
Andersson DI, & Hughes D. (2010) Antibiotic resistance and its cost: is it possible to reverse resistance?. Nature reviews. Microbiology, 8(4), 260-71. PMID: 20208551
Belongia EA, & Schwartz B. (1998) Strategies for promoting judicious use of antibiotics by doctors and patients. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 317(7159), 668-71. PMID: 9728003
Wlodarska M, & Finlay BB. (2010) Host immune response to antibiotic perturbation of the microbiota. Mucosal immunology, 3(2), 100-3. PMID: 20016473
Hooper LV. (2009) Do symbiotic bacteria subvert host immunity?. Nature reviews. Microbiology, 7(5), 367-74. PMID: 19369952
Mazmanian SK, Round JL, & Kasper DL. (2008) A microbial symbiosis factor prevents intestinal inflammatory disease. Nature, 453(7195), 620-5. PMID: 18509436
Johansson ME, Phillipson M, Petersson J, Velcich A, Holm L, & Hansson GC. (2008) The inner of the two Muc2 mucin-dependent mucus layers in colon is devoid of bacteria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105(39), 15064-9. PMID: 18806221
Mack DR, Michail S, Wei S, McDougall L, & Hollingsworth MA. (1999) Probiotics inhibit enteropathogenic E. coli adherence in vitro by inducing intestinal mucin gene expression. The American journal of physiology, 276(4 Pt 1). PMID: 10198338
Brandl K, Plitas G, Mihu CN, Ubeda C, Jia T, Fleisher M, Schnabl B, DeMatteo RP, & Pamer EG. (2008) Vancomycin-resistant enterococci exploit antibiotic-induced innate immune deficits. Nature, 455(7214), 804-7. PMID: 18724361
Chang SH, & Dong C. (2007) A novel heterodimeric cytokine consisting of IL-17 and IL-17F regulates inflammatory responses. Cell research, 17(5), 435-40. PMID: 17452998
Strober W. (2008) Vitamin A rewrites the ABCs of oral tolerance. Mucosal immunology, 1(2), 92-5. PMID: 19079166
Hill DA, Hoffmann C, Abt MC, Du Y, Kobuley D, Kirn TJ, Bushman FD, & Artis D. (2010) Metagenomic analyses reveal antibiotic-induced temporal and spatial changes in intestinal microbiota with associated alterations in immune cell homeostasis. Mucosal immunology, 3(2), 148-58. PMID: 19940845
Kotowska M, Albrecht P, & Szajewska H. (2005) Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Alimentary pharmacology , 21(5), 583-90. PMID: 15740542
- January 27, 2010
- 05:11 PM
- 518 views
Dysbiosis - What Have We Learned?
by Michael Ash in Nutri-Link Ltd - Clinical Education
Michael Ash BSc(Hons) DO, ND, FDipION reviews some of the last 12 months of published research.
The human body has some 10 trillion human cells—but 10 times that number of microbial cells. So what happens when such an important part of our bodies goes missing or never develops?
Plus what can we do to limit any adverse consequences linked to microbial disruption – referred to as dysbiosis?... Read more »
Sartor, R. (2008) Therapeutic correction of bacterial dysbiosis discovered by molecular techniques. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(43), 16413-16414. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0809363105
Martin FP, Sprenger N, Yap IK, Wang Y, Bibiloni R, Rochat F, Rezzi S, Cherbut C, Kochhar S, Lindon JC.... (2009) Panorganismal gut microbiome-host metabolic crosstalk. Journal of proteome research, 8(4), 2090-105. PMID: 19281268
Ley RE, Lozupone CA, Hamady M, Knight R, & Gordon JI. (2008) Worlds within worlds: evolution of the vertebrate gut microbiota. Nature reviews. Microbiology, 6(10), 776-88. PMID: 18794915
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