Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Hepatox Hx Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Invite Health has quite a selection of nutrients that are good for both our liver and kidneys. One such item is called Hepatox. It has a funny name I know but this particular supplement is a combination of …
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis? Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND This is part 2 of our discussion on cirrhosis. If you haven’t read the first part I suggest you do that first since it will contain important background information. In this blog I …
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In my experience as a Naturopath cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most confusing disorders that people can experience. What exactly even is cirrhosis? What cause’s it? What are the symptoms one might experience? What are the possible complications? And lastly what steps can be taken to reduce the risk factors for cirrhosis and improve liver health? It’s a lot to talk about so I will be breaking this into 2 parts. This is so it doesn’t become too overwhelming.
Basically cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver. When the cells of the liver are damaged for any reason the cells will try to repair themselves. Unfortunately in this process scar tissue forms. This scaring, or cirrhosis makes it hard for the liver to do its job well. (1) In a way it’s like when you get a scar on your skin after an injury. The skin is never quite the same. Well in this case the scar tissue that replaces the healthy liver tissue doesn’t have the same properties or abilities as a healthy liver. Thus as the cirrhosis, or scar tissue progresses (or takes over more of the liver) there is less and less healthy liver to do its job and thus symptoms get worse. Please take a look at the attached picture. (2)
So just what can cause this scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis? Well as I said anything that damages the liver can lead to cirrhosis. As I said in my blog on fatty liver have NAFLD is a possible cause of cirrhosis. Please read my blog for suggestions to help reduce the risk of fatty liver! Having a history of hepatitis, either viral or autoimmune can lead to cirrhosis. Other chronic conditions that can lead to cirrhosis include hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen storage disease and Alagille syndrome. Wilson’s disease can also lead to cirrhosis. Certain diseases that affect our gallbladder can also lead to cirrhosis. Certain infections other than hepatitis can also lead to cirrhosis. These include syphilis. Lastly certain medications can increase your risk of developing cirrhosis. If you have any concerns about your medications it is always important to talk to your doctor. (1)
Cirrhosis is considered to be a progressive condition that worsens over time. As the disease progresses the symptoms will become worse. The reason for this is because over time more and more of the liver is replaced with that scar tissue thus as I said there is less of the healthy liver available to do its job. Please see the attached picture. (3)
As for lab work I will refer you to my blog on this topic. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to review your blood work! Now just what are they signs of liver cirrhosis? Well you may notice you feel fatigue. You may notice the development of spider veins as well as bruising and easy bleeding. You may start to feel nausea which can reduce appetite and even lead to weight loss. Your skin may become itchy. There may be a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (this is jaundice) and redness in the palms of the ands. There may be edema/ swelling in the legs, feet or ankles. There may be ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen). Changes in the nails can include becoming a pale color and clubbing or roundness to the nail. (1) Later stages may include confusion, disorientation and even mood changes. There may be changes to your urine and feces in color and there may even be blood in your stool. There may also be blood in your vomit. You may develop motor dysfunctions such as tremors. You may notice that you have difficulty with digesting fats. Women may experience menstrual cycle disruptions and men may experience enlarged breast tissue and shrunken testes. Lastly in the long run there may be low urine output and even shortness of breath. (3)
In our next blog we will talk about complications of cirrhosis and even review some things that can help with overall liver health. These nutrients will include Milk Thistle, NAC and even surprisingly Turmeric!
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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 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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