If you take dietary supplements for your own health, if you recommend them to your patients, if they are an important part of your clinical protocols, then your life has been touched by the work of Loren D. Israelsen, JD.
For more than four decades, Israelsen has been a key player in the development and evolution of the dietary supplements and natural products industries. He was among the architects of the Dietary Supplements Health & Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the federal law that essentially created the product category now widely known as “dietary supplements,” and laid the framework for regulation of these products.
It is hard to imagine there was once a time when herbs and vitamins were considered unapproved drugs, and physicians who recommended them could be arrested, or severely disciplined by their state medical boards, for doing so. That was the world prior to DSHEA. Israelsen and a small but very dedicated group of natural health advocates–including Senator Orrin Hatch– put tremendous effort into changing that.
Daily supplementation with 360 μg of menaquinone-7, a form of vitamin K2, slowed the progression of coronary artery calcification in a cohort of individuals with confirmed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. That’s the upshot of a new two-year clinical trial just published in JAMA Cardiology by researchers based at the Maastricht University Medical Center, Netherlands. All 180 […]
Certain probiotic bacteria, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP14, Lactobacillus crispatus LCRO4, and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA12, are able in varying degrees, to detoxify cadmium, lead, and other toxic metals. These microbial allies may also be able to mitigate intestinal epithelial damage caused by heavy metal exposures. Those are the key signals from a new paper published in […]
Pain
and chronic inflammation underlie many conditions that holistic practitioners
encounter every day — from joint degeneration and neuropathy to migraine,
menstrual disorders, and post-exercise recovery.
Yet
the dominant pharmaceutical toolkit remains constrained by adverse effects,
dependency risk, and an inability to address the underlying biology of
neuroinflammation.
This
webinar invites you to explore palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) –a well-researched,
endogenously produced lipid mediator that the human body already uses to
regulate pain and repair damaged tissue.
Specifically, we will focus on Levagen®+, Saanroo’s clinically-validated PEA formulation powered by patented LipiSperse® dispersion technology, which greatly improves absorption and bioavailability of PEA.
Chemist
Ramasamy V. Venkatesh will lay out the scientific basis for clinical use
of PEA, reviewing its multi-receptor mechanism — primarily through PPAR-α
activation, alongside indirect modulation of CB1 and CB2 receptors and
interactions with GPR55 and TRPV1. You’ll learn how this “parallel
endocannabinoid” signaling pathway makes PEA uniquely suited to address
both peripheral and central pain while avoiding psychoactive effects.
Dr. Venkatesh will also present a comprehensive review of the clinical research on Levagen®+ across multiple pain and inflammation applications. Highlights include randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials showing Levagen®+’s efficacy for joint pain and stiffness, acute menstrual pain, migraine, and exercise-induced muscle damage.
You will gain a deep understanding of how to apply Levagen®+ in the care of diverse patient subgroups—not as a one-size-fits-all supplement, but as a precision tool that targets endocannabinoid-adjacent pathways involved in pain.
Ramasamy V. Venkatesh is a chemist with over 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry, specializing in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. He is the founder and managing director of the Gencor Group worldwide. He has extensive international business experience in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors, having conducted business in more than 70 countries. His expertise covers R&D management, scientific reviews, product development, clinical trials, branding, and strategic partnerships, with a proven track record of successfully launching branded products globally in the nutraceutical market. Venkatesh serves on several advisory boards across the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. In 2024, he received the Nutri Champion Award from NutraIngredients in 2024, for the significant impact his work has had on the dietary supplement industry. He is known for raising standards by using high-quality, clinically supported ingredients.
Venkatesh is highly respected by colleagues, clients, and the industry at large for his exceptional work ethic and selfless dedication. His commitment extends beyond his professional achievements, as he also actively promotes equal opportunities and empowers women in business and sports.
