Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN~ THE SIMILARITIES, DIFFERENCES, BENEFITS AND TROUBLE By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Vegan and vegetarian diets….or as many people commonly referred to them as, plant-based diets. I am often told “I eat well, I’m vegetarian” or “My diet is so good, …
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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ORGANIC, GMO/NON-GMO, CONVENTIONAL~ UNDERSTANDING THESE DIETARY TERMS By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT There are so many different terms when deciding what to eat that it can be confusing. There are also many different opinions on what is good for you and what to …
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 first change that you may notice is that it went from a tablet form to a capsule form. But why have we made this change? Well to start with Alcar with ALA has always been what most would consider to be a very large tablet. This can be difficult for anyone who has trouble with large pills. I know many people either cut the tablets or even crush them. However both of these in my experience can be a pain to do all the time. Most people will tell us that they find capsules easier to swallow. From my personal experience, as a person who has trouble swallowing pill in general capsules are easier to swallow than tablets. In addition to being easier to swallow capsules have no medicinal taste. This is especially noticeable if you have trouble with the large size of the tablets and try to cut them in half. Another benefit to having capsules rather than tablets is the rate of absorption. In general capsules are easier to breakdown and even digest. This means that they tend to “go to work” faster than tablets and you see the benefits faster. Since capsules can have a better bioavailability than tablets this basically means more of the medicine enters your blood stream. This means they have more of an effect than tablets. (1) Another benefit is that Alcar with ALA in capsules can be taken with or without food. As a person who loves to snack not having to worry about having an empty stomach is just the icing on the cake!
Another benefit is that tablets are more likely to irritate the gastrointestinal tract. This means that capsules are better for anyone with a sensitive stomach. Another possible concern with tablets is that they are more likely to breakdown inconstantly. This can decrease the medicines effectiveness and absorption. This is more likely to occur in tablets and is thus a benefit to using capsules. Capsules are also harder to split and are considered more tamper resistant than tablets. (2)
In addition to the change in format you may notice a change in the number of capsules. Rather than the usual 60 tablets there are now 120 capsules in a bottle! This because capsules in general can’t fit as much as a tablet. If you compare the tablets and capsules you will find that 2 capsules is the same as 1 tablet. So if you were doing 2 tablets a day you would do 3 or 4 of the capsules a day. (1)
What are the benefits of Alcar with ALA? Well the benefits to using Alcar with ALA in capsules are the same as the tablets! So feel free to take o look at our blogs on Alcar with ALA!
So how do you use Alcar with ALA? Well to start with you can take it at any time with food or on an empty stomach! You can also mix it into recipes! For example you can make Memory in a cup! This is a fantastic hot chocolate idea. You heat 1 cup of milk of choice and add 1 – 2 scoops of Cocoa Hx. Then open 2 Alcar with ALA and mix! Feel free to top with Marshmallows.
Our next topic will be a Naturopath’s view on “self-diagnosis” and why it’s not always a good idea.
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