Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Part 2 of Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In our last blog we started by doing an overview of just what constitutes autoimmune thyroid disorders. Just like with any autoimmune disorder it is important to work on our overall health, including our digestive …
Thyroid Autoimmune Disorders! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Let us talk about Autoimmune and how it relates to the thyroid. This is important to talk about because thyroid health is much more complex than just under or overactive thyroid. It can be such a complex issue …
Aged Garlic
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Garlic is a nutrient that as a supplement or even spicy food enhancer can be found everywhere. The benefits of using garlic as either a supplement or even just as a spice to add to our food are numerous. If you check out the Invite health website there are numerous blogs talking about aged garlic. But what is Aged Garlic? Why is it different from regular garlic? And why would anyone even want to use aged garlic in the first place? It is a lot to talk about so let us get into it, shall we?
Simply put, has been allowed to age for approximately 20 months (about 1 and a half years). Typically, the active ingredients are then filtered and concentrated! This process modifies the harsh and often irritating compounds found in garlic extract. It also helps to generate some unique compounds that are good for our overall health. (1)
Moving on, just how does aged garlic compare to using regular garlic? To start with as I said during the aging process many of the more irritating compounds found in garlic are converted to less irritating forms. In other words, there is usually less of a “garlic” smell when you use aged garlic. (2) Studies have also found that aged garlic also has higher levels of flavonoids, phenolic and flavonol compounds when compared to fresh garlic. I bet I know what you are thinking, Dr. Claire, what does all this mean? It all boils down to antioxidant activity. The higher levels of these compounds means that aged garlic acts as a stronger antioxidant than fresh garlic. Studies have found that aged garlic may have greater benefits for reducing the risk of diabetic lesions than using fresh garlic. Overall studies have found that aged garlic is more helpful at reducing possible diabetic complications than just using fresh garlic! (3)
Another benefit to using aged garlic is that you need much less than fresh garlic. Typically, on average you would need to use 5-28 cloves of fresh garlic per day to get the maximum benefit! One of the benefits of using aged garlic is its strong ability to boost glutathione! This glutathione boosting ability means that aged garlic is a great supplement for boosting our immune system. (1) Aged garlic has been found in studies to help support heart health in diverse ways. For example, studies have found it to help with slowing the progression of atherosclerosis. (1)
What is my take home point when I compare aged garlic to fresh garlic? The higher amounts of antioxidants in aged garlic mean that it has stronger overall benefits for your heart, liver, blood sugar and even your brain! (4)
So why should you use aged garlic? Well, as I said, studies have found many benefits for aged garlic. Studies have found it may help regulate blood sugar and even help to reduce complications associated with high blood sugar. (5) Studies have also found that aged garlic can help with normalizing cholesterol levels. (6) Other studies have found that aged garlic can improve overall heart function and improve circulation. (7) Studies have even found that aged garlic can help improve memory and even reduce neuroinflammation (this is inflammation in the brain). (8) Even the liver has been found to benefit from aged garlic. (9) Lastly as I said earlier in the blog aged garlic is amazing for helping improve immune function. (1)
In case you are thinking ok Dr. Claire all this is great but isn’t black garlic even better? Why doesn’t Invite sell that? Well not it is not better because Black Garlic IS Aged Garlic. It is just another name for the same nutrient. (10)
Aged garlic is an amazing nutrient. Feel free to reach out to an Invite nutritionist to find out if it is right for you!
Up next let us talk about how to heal after dental work!
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PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~CAREER by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Most people do not think about their career and work environment when discussing their personal health and wellness. However, it can be a driving force in managing a healthy lifestyle. I even …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Many people don’t think of having a social life as being part of a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t either for a long time. However, like many of us, my mind was …
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 carcidiacono@invitehealth.com!
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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