Princess Burnett, a student in the NUHS naturopathic medicine program, and faculty member Lorinda Sorensen, ND, MSAc, recently published a study about ergothioneine and citrus metabolites and their use in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“The key takeaway from this study is the use of food as medicine,” Burnett said. “The nutritional support we get from the food we consume is a major component that helps to lower risk for disease.”

Published in the Natural Medicine Journal this month, the study examined a Swedish population-based prospective cohort study, the Malmö Diet and Cancer study, to identify plasma metabolites associated with the health-conscious food pattern and to assess whether the metabolites predict cardiometabolic disease and mortality. The study concluded that consuming foods that contain ergothioneine and citrus metabolites such as mushrooms and citrus fruits will lower both the risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.

Once in practice, Burnett said the results will help her develop treatment recommendations for patients centered around the determinants of health. “The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is high and it will be a common condition that I will more than likely see in practice,” Burnett said.

Burnett plans to conduct additional research on the reduction of cardiovascular disease through the use of botanicals along with other topics. When she graduates from the NUHS naturopathic medicine program in December, Burnett will also be pursuing a Master of Science in Acupuncture. Eventually, she hopes to open her own practice in Illinois  where she will focus on treating women with reproductive conditions, endocrine disorders, mental health issues, and cardiovascular disease.

“My goal is to tie in the acupuncture with my ND degree as both will provide great therapeutic modalities for my patients,” she said. “This will allow me to treat patients from both a Western and Eastern medicine prospective.”