Made by PhD & PharmD

Adrienne Bitar, PhD (Stanford, Cornell)

Dr. Jennifer Han PharmD BCACP (UC San Diego, Tufts, Veterans Affairs)

Dr. Jennifer Han’s condition is very rare: pre-menopausal osteoporosis. Only two months after having her baby, Jennifer fractured her back and was diagnosed with pregnancy-lactation osteoporosis. She immediately had to stop nursing her newborn, take calcium supplementation, and begin the long process of restoring her bone health.

Adrienne’s experience with osteoporosis is far more common, but no less serious. Her mother was diagnosed with osteoporosis in her 50s and has since suffered multiple fractures.

Together, we became friends and learned about our shared concerns for bone health. And we found a lot of things that didn’t make sense to a clinical pharmacist and food studies scholar in the supplement aisle:

Huge pills made from synthetic calcium that the body doesn’t absorb well. Chews or gummies with corn syrup as the first ingredient.

We joined forces to rethink the supplement and create a food first calcium chew: Made from only 100% real foods. No added sugar, synthetics, preservatives, fillers. Because we know that calcium supplementation is an important lifelong commitment.

Food Studies is the interdisciplinary analysis of food, nutrition, and health that combines methods from the humanities and social sciences. Adrienne currently teaches Food Studies at Cornell in the program in American Studies. Her education includes:
BA, UC Berkeley (4 years)
MA, Stanford University (2 years)
PhD, Stanford University (5 years)
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cornell University (2 years)
Visiting Scholar in Food Studies, Nutrition, and Public Health, New York University (1 year)
Membership in Association for the Study of Food and Society, 2008-2024 (16 years)
Published Diet and the Disease of Civilization (Rutgers University Press, 2018).
Adrienne has either written for, appeared in, or her research has been covered in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Time, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, PBS, NPR, CNN, and Netflix Explainer Series.
A clinical pharmacist provides patient care that optimizes medication therapy and promotes health, and disease prevention. Dr. Han’s training includes:
BS Pharmacological Chemistry, UC San Diego (4 years)
PharmD Doctor of Pharmacy, UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (4 years)
Postgraduate residency training, Tufts Medical Center (1 year)
Advanced postgraduate residency training with specialization in ambulatory care, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health System (1 year)
Board-Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP)
Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP)
Given Dr. Han’s advanced training and board-certification, she is able to prescribe medications to patients within her practice. Her expertise is treating chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, pain, and heart disease. And her specific focus is on nutrition and diet. Dr. Han is currently practicing at the Veterans Affairs Health System.