Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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 …
Iron Plus
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
One vitamin that seems to come up in conversation quite frequently is Iron Plus. People often ask questions such as I’m tired all the time, do I need to take Iron? Or I’m a vegan I must need to take iron! And last but not least I have frequently heard I am a woman does that mean I need iron? While yes in some of these situations iron is appropriate it is more complicated than that. Taking iron is more complex than just taking it because you’re tired. As I always say iron is something you take if you need it not just because you have read it on the internet that it is good for you. Why do I say this? Because iron isn’t something everyone should take. Let’s explore this in depth, shall we?
As I said iron isn’t just a vitamin you take to stay healthy. Iron can build up in our body over time. If you have a deficiency that means that over time taking iron will fill in or correct that deficiency. However this means that if you don’t need iron but take it any way you can end up with it becoming abnormally high in your body. This is called hemochromatosis.
What can happen if you have too much iron in your body? Well it can build up in vital organs and cause damage. These organs include the liver, heart and endocrine glands. If the iron concentrates in the liver it can trigger complications such as cirrhosis. Complications due to having an excess of iron can also include cardiomyopathy, diabetes and even hypothyroidism. Also iron overload can weaken our immune health leaving us at an increased risk of infection. (1)
All that being said how do you know if you need iron? According to the American Society of Hematology anemia is diagnosed when a blood test shows a hemoglobin level of less than 13.5 gm/dl in a man or 12.0 gm/dl in a female. (2) Basically if your doctor suspects you’re anemic they will recommend a complete blood count or CBC. This test looks at the number of Red blood cells (RBC) or hematocrit and the level of hemoglobin. The doctor can also check the color, size and shape of the RBC. (3)
Now I bet your thinking but Dr. Claire what is the plus in the iron plus? Well the plus refers to nutrients that are basically the cofactors that make iron work better. Vitamin C has been found to increase the absorption of iron. It works better if you take the iron and the vitamin c at the same time. (4) Taurine is an amino acid that helps the body to use iron better thus it can help correct a deficiency more effectively. (5) Both vitamins B12 and folic acid can help us to produce healthy RBC. (6) Overall the nutrients in Iron Plus all work to improve iron absorption, utilization and even RBC health.
Now I know that I said not to take iron unless you know you need to. So what are some signs that you should talk to your doctor about iron? Well some signs can include pale skin that is cold especially on the hands and feet. You will also notice extreme fatigue and weakness. You may experience shortness of breath and chest pain. There may be inflammation on your tongue and your nails may be brittle. Symptoms can also include headache, dizziness, and even changes in appetite. Lastly you may find yourself craving things such as ice. (7)
Iron Plus is an amazing non-constipating form of iron. To find out if it’s right for you feel free to contact a qualified Invite Health nutritionist.
Our next topic is changes to our Hair and Skin that can occur after cancer treatments.
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Methyl-B Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Most people have heard that it can improve your health if you take a B complex. You may even have heard the term “methylation”. But do you know what that term means? Why does it even matter? This blog …
Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In this blog we will be talking about Bilberry. Yes you read that correct, bilberry not blueberry. Now I bet your thinking but Dr. Claire what exactly is the difference between a bilberry and …
FATS~THE SKINNY YOU NEED TO KNOW
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
When talking about health, wellness and diet, the subject of fats always seems to scare people. I’ve heard such things as ‘fats are bad’ to ‘I don’t consume any fats because they’ll back me gain weight’. There are so many misconceptions regarding fats out there so let’s explore this dietary group and breakdown the good and bad when it comes to fats.
Let’s start breaking down fats and get more comfortable including them into our diet. Just like anything, there are good and bad fats. It’s the bad fats that we think of when we think that consuming fats will cause weight gain so many tend to gravitate toward a low-fat or even fat-free diet. However, incorporating the right fats, the healthy fats, can have positive effects on our health and well-being.
Healthy fats are helpful for such areas like the skin, joints, heart and circulatory system and even the brain. These are also known as unsaturated fats. According to an article form Harvard Medical School titled ‘Know the Facts About Fats’, these fats have been shown to raise HDL (good cholesterol), reduce inflammation and nourish the brain and may even help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Unhealthy fats are just that…unhealthy and potentially harmful to one’s health. These are the saturated and trans fats. ‘Types of Fats’ from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health advised limiting or greatly reducing the amounts of saturated and trans fats in the diet. This is due to the negative impact they can have on one health. The potential risk factors include, but are not limited to, increased inflammation, increased LDL (bad cholesterol), increased risk of heart disease, stroke and heart attack, and may even contribute to insulin resistance.
Unsaturated Fats are what would be considered healthy fats. In this group you’ll find the good fats that can have a positive impact on one’s health. Some of these include such foods as shellfish, salmon, sardines, seeds, nuts and nut butters. Oils like extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil and avocado oil. They have medium to high smoke point making them ideal to use when cooking.
Saturated Fats are the unhealthy fats that many people justify as being okay in moderation. These are the fats that most people gravitate to and love. These include cheeses, red meat, poultry (with skin) and even bacon. While these do have health benefits like calcium and protein, the fat content may have negative effects on one’s health and wellness.
Trans Fats are the worst of the fats that are consumed. These are the fats that we should all be most aware of as they are the ones to try to avoid. They can be a serious contributing factor to increasing risk of certain health problems. These can include heart problems and weight gain or obesity. This group is made up of such things like processed meats (think deli meats and hot dogs), many processed and prepackaged foods. Many times you’ll see the term partially hydrogenated oils.
A good way to remember the difference between these three types of fats would be UNSATURATED-FAT is UNFILTERED and CLEAN, SATURATED-FAT is SUFFOCATING and UNHEALTHY, and finally TRANS-FAT is HEAVILY PROCESSED (TRANSformed), UNRECOGNIZABLE and ATTACKING (to the cells).
FISH OIL: This is the most common thing we think of when talking about Omega-3s. Fish oil supplies the EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaeonic Acid) that is essential for numerous areas of the body.
BIOMEGA: This is the same type of omega-3 as above, but this is enteric coated. This coating causes the soft gel to dissolve for absorption in the small intestine instead of the stomach. Many people report that this helps to reduce having the fishy taste repeat on them.
KRILL OIL ADVANCED: This is an easy to take soft gel supplies EPA and DHA but also contains Astaxanthin. This is an antioxidant that is believed to support healthy heart, skim, brain and the immune system. It is also said to have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also advised that if someone is allergic (or sensitive) to seafood and/or shellfish to not consume krill oil supplements.
www.health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-choose-and-use-healthy-cooking-oils
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/know-the-facts-about-fats
www.uclahealth.org/news/eating-healthy-fats-has-many-benefits
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5577766/
www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/dietary-fats
www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/
www.pharmapproach.com/enteric-coating-2/
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-astaxanthin
www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1172/krill-oil
