Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
From a Naturopath Point of View Part 5 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND You may have heard the saying that sleep and a good healthy diet are both the base of the pyramid of health. As a Naturopath I agree with this concept 100%! But …
From a Naturopathic Point of View Part 4 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND The importance of western and holistic medicine working together! One of the key pathways to helping people become healthy is learning how to balance both western and holistic medicine. These 2 ways …
Krill Oil vs Fish Oil
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
One of the most confusing topic’s in the vitamin world is the difference between krill oil and fish oil. I get asked pretty much all the time what exactly is the difference between the 2. How does one pick which one they should use? Well these are all important questions that I’ll be reviewing in this blog. So let’s get into it, shall we?
Before I get into this topic too deeply I want to emphasize that I’ll be strictly talking about Invite’s Krill Oil and Fish Oil. For example some krill oil brands may have fish oil added which would alter some of its properties. Other brands of fish oil may contain different types of fish when compared to Invite. This is neither good nor bad but just different. So to start with just what are krill oil and fish oil? Well both krill oil and fish oil are natural sources of EPA and DHA, or omega 3 fatty acids. Krill oil is an oil derived from tiny shell fish called krill. Invite Fish Oil is derived from Anchovy! Now before you go any further if you are allergic to shell fish it’s not advisable to use krill oil since it is extracted from a shell fish.
As I said fish oil and krill oil are both omega 3s. Krill oil omega 3s are attached to a phospholipid whereas fish oil is attached to a Triacylglycerol. This change in attached molecule can affect how well the omega 3s are absorbed. (1) Studies have found that in some cases krill may be easier to absorb. (2) Another difference is that krill oil is a natural source of Astaxanthin, which studies have shown is good for the heart. (3)
Fish oil has the benefit of being more easily assessable. It has also been studied more since it is older than krill oil. This means we have more information on how it works and any potential side effects or drug interactions. Another benefit to using fish oil over krill oil is that it tends to be higher in omega 3s at a lower cost. (4)
So when to use fish and when do you use krill? And then there is perhaps another of the most frequently asked questions, can I use both fish and krill at the same time? The simple answer is you absolutely can! Using either fish or krill oil is something that can involve several questions to help decide. First off are you allergic to shell fish? Well then you shouldn’t use krill but rather should use fish oil. Are you allergic to Anchovy? Well then you should use krill rather than fish. What is your budget like? Depending on our budget you may find it more convenient to choose one over the other or it may not matter. The next question is what are you goals in taking krill oil or fish oil? In my clinical experience as a Naturopathic I have found that krill oil use is associated with reports from customers as being better at improving memory and overall brain health. That is why when it comes to memory and brain health I usually recommend krill. Now when it comes to heart health and inflammation I find that customer feedback favors fish oil as being more helpful. So basically to sum things up in my clinical experience based on customer feedback I use krill oil for memory/ brain health and fish oil for heart/ general inflammation.
Now I know I mentioned allergies however I also want to mention that due to the fact that krill oil is attached to a phospholipid whereas fish oil is attached to a Triacylglycerol this means that krill is less likely to cause “fish burps” in anyone who is sensitive. Additionally krill oil capsules are smaller than fish oil so if you have trouble swallowing pills you may want to choose krill. Lastly if you do not eat shellfish due to religious reasons you may want to choose fish oil.
Now if you’re still feeling confused feel free to email me at [email protected]!
Next up will be a Naturopathic viewpoint on the importance of Western and Holistic medicine working together to meet your health goas!
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From A Naturopaths Point of View Part 3 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Self-diagnosis? One of the most integral parts of a consult with an Invite nutritionist t is knowing exactly what is going on in your body. In other words it’s important to see …
Alcar with ALA Capsules Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most popular products here at Invite Health has always been our Alcar with ALA formula. If you have been using Invite’s Alcar with ALA you may notice some changes to it! Now the …
From a Naturopathic Point of View
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Throughout this series I will be reviewing certain health topics that I find tend to be the least well understood. I especially want to focus on a holistic point of view. The fist topic that I want to address starts simply with 1 word, control. What in the world do I mean by that? Well one of the most important things you can do for your overall health is to keep control of any chronic disease that you may have.
One example of a chronic disease that it is important to keep control of is diabetes. In my clinical experience having diabetes that is not well controlled is one of the biggest risk factors for complications. I’m going to be rather blunt here but honest. If you’re having complications from uncontrolled diabetes you have to address the underlying cause, the uncontrolled diabetes to really see results. For example a common complication of diabetes is neuropathy. To really control neuropathy it is critical that blood sugar be controlled. One way I describe the situation is as follows. If you have neuropathy with uncontrolled diabetes it’s like trying to fill a bucket that has a small hole in it. You may make some progress but until you fix the hole it will never be filled. In this case until you get the blood sugar controlled there is a limit to how much progress you can have with the symptoms of neuropathy. There are many possible complications to having diabetes. The most common complications include heart disease, kidney disease and neuropathy. Additionally complications can include diabetic retinopathy or damage to the eyes. Type 2 diabetes can also increase the risk of dementia and depression. Having trouble with hearing is also more common in diabetics. Lastly diabetes can also affect our skin and mouth. Unfortunately the less controlled your blood sugar the higher the risk of these complications. How do you know if your diabetes is well controlled? One of the best things you can do is to do any blood tests your doctor may recommend. For example A1C is a common test used to monitor your blood sugar. (1)
Another chronic disease that can have dangerous complications if not well controlled is blood pressure. There’s a good reason why high blood pressure is called the silent killer. Uncontrolled blood pressure is frankly very dangerous. It is often asymptomatic. Having uncontrolled blood pressure is a huge risk for a heart attack or stroke. (2) If you have high blood pressure it is imperative that you listen to any recommendations form your doctor. While I understand the concerns that medications can generate having uncontrolled blood pressure can cause complications that are life changing. I am not going to sugar coat this. Having a heart attack or stroke can lead to life changing complications that often times permanently change your life due to the damage that results.
Another concern that people seem to brush off is cholesterol. For some reason lately there’s been a rumor that having high cholesterol isn’t all that bad or dangerous. However this is not the case. Having high cholesterol greatly increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. (3)
Overall in my Clinical experience having uncontrolled diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol all increase the risk of very dangerous complications. So what can you do? Well it’s important to talk to your doctor and ask an Invite Nutritionist if the following are right for you:
Our next product highlight will be Gluco Hx!
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