Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids Really An Important Supplement?
There are always buzz words but how do we know if we should follow them? Learn more about Omega-3 to see the benefits and why this buzz word is worth following.
Tag: Krill Oil
Why Omega-3s Are Important? – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 569
This supplement is extremely important in overall health but specifically heart, brain, and eye health. Listen now to Allie Mights Podcast on omega-3.
Summer The Mediterranean Way For Healthy Skin – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 552
Summer
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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.
The Mediterranean Way For Healthy Skin In The Summer – InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode 552
Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH.
*Intro music*
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed healthcare professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that InViteⓇ Health has to offer at www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code PODCAST at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started!†
*Intro music*
Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. : [00:00:40] The heat of the summer is right around the corner, and for many folks, this means this is your time that you get outdoors and you are staying more active. And I have some tips for you as to how you can make sure that you’re staying hydrated and keeping your skin protected from the sun.†[00:00:55]
[00:00:56] I am Amanda Williams, MD, PMH. Scientific Director at InViteⓇ Health and I absolutely love the summer. They’ve done polling and it varies sometimes Americans as a whole really like spring, other times it’s the fall. But summer is always really consistent throughout the country. People really just enjoy that warmer weather and having more sunshine, especially if you’ve been in an area where you’re you’ve dealt with a long harsh winter. As soon as that sun comes out in the spring and the summer, you just want to get out there and you want to enjoy it. But I want to make sure that you are doing the right things to make sure that your body isn’t taking a beating in the process. And this is really important because at the end of the day if we are exposing ourselves to greater amount of U.V. radiation. We certainly don’t want to accelerate any type of photo aging or making the skin itself age quicker because of sun damage.† [00:01:58]
[00:01:58] So what should you do? Well, most of the time, people think, well, let me just lather on a bunch of SPF. Well, keep in mind that SPF, which is the most common way that people try to protect their skin from the sun, that can create a couple of problems. One, it can actually block your natural absorption of vitamin D, which can be problematic because we certainly understand that vitamin D is critical to so many functions in the human body. It’s actually a hormone so we have to make sure that we always maintain good, healthy, stable levels of vitamin D. The other thing that we know about SPF is all of the chemicals that we are then putting onto our bodies largest organ, which is our skin. So as soon as that SPF and all those chemicals start absorbing in, now your poor liver has to deal with this. So while I’m not saying don’t use SPF, I am trying to encourage you to try to find much cleaner ways to keep your skin safe and protected from the sun’s harmful rays. Because I know you want to get out there and you want to enjoy it, but you want to do it in a very healthy way.†[00:03:04]
[00:03:05] So one thing that we definitely know is that the foods that we can actually provide a natural barrier of U.V. protection. So maybe we don’t even need to run out to our local drugstore and get an SPF that’s loaded down with chemicals. Maybe if we are doing the right things when it comes to the foods that we are eating. Let me just give you an example. There was an interesting study that was published over a decade ago in the Nutritional Review Journal looking at how nutrition can actually yield sun protection. The way that they were addressing this study is analyzing areas in the world where high levels of solar radiation or UV exposure is very high. But then also correlating that to low rates of skin cancers. And in the Mediterranean region in particular, they found this to be very prevalent they found that people in the Mediterranean areas had much higher rates of exposure to UV light, but yet much lower rates of skin cancers. So melanomas, when you think about squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and so what they drew that back to was their dietary intake of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals and all of these powerful phytochemicals, in addition to omega three fatty acids.† [00:04:31]
[00:04:32] Now, certainly, there have been multiple clinical trials that have shown the importance of staying hydrated from the inside out. So with the use of things like vitamin E and Omega three fatty acids, we know that this can help create this barrier of protection for our skin. We know that UV radiation has really deleterious effects on our skin, and the more we can start to increase our omega three intake the better we do when it comes to offsetting the harmful effect of the sun’s rays. Quite interesting, right? Well, there was a study that was published in the Experimental Dermatology Journal also about a decade ago that looked specifically at this looked at omega three fatty acid intake. So when we think about fish oil or krill oil or maybe you prefer a vegetarian options such as flaxseed, we know that when people have higher intake of those very powerful and essential omega three fatty acids, this actually led to skin protection. So it made the skin less impacted by acute and chronic U.V. exposure. They’ve even done studies showing how dietary fish oil supplementation could actually eliminate or greatly reduce the likelihood of getting sunburns. Which is very interesting. We know that our foods matter. We certainly understand that if we have a strong adherence to a Mediterranean style diet, this is beneficial for every single system in the body, including your skin.† [00:06:10]
[00:06:10] So as we trend into the hotter months where your likelihood of having greater exposure to the sun’s rays, we want to make sure that our diet is also following this pattern of healthiness. So we have to make sure that we include in fresh fruits and vegetables, those green leafy vegetables, those, bright colored berries, all those powerful anthocyanins are certainly very beneficial. When you look at the individual vitamins, vitamin E and vitamin C, we know that that combination of vitamin E and. C certainly leads to a protection against that skin damage that UV rays can actually produce. So this is why we want to have that high intake of those fruits and vegetables. Dietary antioxidant intake is essential when it comes to having this photo protective ability within our skin.† [00:07:05]
[00:07:06] And of course, we. Always have to make sure that we stay hydrated. So hydration is really quite essential. I always turn to our alkalizer powder, which is a wonderful combination of magnesium, potassium along with the amino acid beta alanine, which is incredibly nourishing to muscles that get kind of fatigued when they’re overworked. Well many times in the warmer months maybe you’re out there and you’re pushing yourself a little harder than you normally would riding your bike or running and you get home at night and you think, Oh gosh, I have muscle cramps. Well, if we start to incorporate in that alkalizer powder during those hot summer months, this many times can minimize that potential of stripping the electrolytes out of your muscles. And this is always key. So hydration has to come down to being cognizant of the fact that we have to have a good intake of water from the minute we wake up to the minute we go to bed. This is very important because during the hot, humid months we have more of a tendency to lose a lot more fluid than we actually recognize. I’m not talking about just pure out sweating. We lose a lot of that hydration and many times people aren’t quite aware of that and you can get yourself to a point where you are slightly dehydrated or worse than that fully dehydrated.† [00:08:28]
[00:08:29] And this can really lead to significant problems of electrolyte imbalances. So water, water, water, this is important. Not drinking sugary beverages so put away the sodas, the sugary juices. Those are not going to be your friend, certainly during the hot, humid months. So you can always look, as people oftentimes say, I don’t like to drink water, I don’t like the taste of water. And I always say, well, water is not supposed to have a taste, but if you are a flavor type of a person and you want to have that punch of taste, then I would certainly look at incorporating in things like the Oranges HxⓇ, or the Purples HxⓇ, which are loaded down with powerful anthocyanins coming from fruit and vegetable extracts. So we’re going to be powering up all of those vitamins and minerals, those powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants, to give our skin that protection once again from that UV damage. We know that the power of carotenoids is really essential when it comes to being able to fend off all of that harmful light. This is also true when we think about our eyes this is why things like lutein and zeaxanthin are so essential to protect our eyeballs from the blue light damage that comes off of your computer screen or from your cell phone.† [00:09:47]
PURPLES HXⓇ FOR HEALTHY SUMMER SKIN – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 361 >> Listen Now!
[00:09:47] Well, we also want to make sure that we include foods. That are high in those carotenoids, those are your orange colored fruits and vegetables. So power up on all those green leafy vegetables, your berries, of course the orange pigmented fruits and vegetables during the summer. And stay hydrated. This is all very important to make sure that we don’t increase our chances of photo aging. We don’t want to accelerate the aging of our skin just because we want to spend some more time out in the sun.† [00:10:19]
[00:10:20] So that’s all. That I have for you for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning. In to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting invitehealth.com/podcast. Now do make sure that you subscribe and you leave a review. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health and we will see you next time. For another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.† [00:10:20]
*Exist Music*
Top Five Supplements To Promote Overall Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 542
We all want to optimize our overall health, let’s do that by learning about the five most recommended supplements to take on a daily basis.
Can Nutrition Help With ADHD? – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 532
Did you know that diet can impact both ADD and ADHD? If you’re eating sugary foods, you may be making things worse, but foods packed with vitamins and minerals may help.
Getting to Know Omega-3s – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 526
omega-3s
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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.
Getting to Know Omega-3s – InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode 526
Hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
*Intro music*
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed healthcare professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that InViteⓇ Health has to offer at www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code PODCAST at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started!
*Intro music*
Amanda Williams, MPH:
[00:00:40] You’ve probably heard by now that omega-3 fatty acids are pretty important in the body, and indeed they are. They’re actually essential. We have to have them in order for our bodies to function properly. We also know that when it comes to our dietary intake of omega-3s, most Americans are certainly lacking in that and this can create problems. So today I want to talk about omega-3 fatty acids, where we saw some problem and some reasons other than diet that could be creating low omega-3s in your system.† [00:01:14]
[00:01:15] So let’s talk a little bit about the importance of these essential fatty acids. We understand that we have to have these in our body in order to have good health just for things to function, right? And when you think about omega-3s, many times people think about heart health and cholesterol. And of course, they definitely play a role into this when it comes to the rhythm of the heart. So when you think about arrhythmias, for example, if the heart is misfiring, oftentimes we can look at low omega intake as being a causative reason for this, not only for the electrical conduction pattern of the heart, but also for the inflammation. And we know that omega-3s help to lower inflammation in the body. We know that it helps to keep our blood vessels more protected from any type of a plaque buildup. We certainly can see how omega-3s work to convert nutrients from food into usable forms of energy for us. We definitely now understand the full impact of these important fatty acids when it comes to the health of our brain, our immune system from the time that we’re born. Our bodies are heavily reliant in terms of keeping us healthy and our immunity strong because of omega-3 fatty acids. So it’s definitely much more than just the support of healthy cholesterol.† [00:02:40]
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[00:02:42] When it comes to food sources, many Americans just fall way short. It’s not just coming from fatty fish. We also recognize that things like walnuts and flaxseeds, for example, would be excellent choices for a plant-based omega-3. They actually just did a research study over at Penn State University, and they showed that ALA, this is the specific omega-3 that is found in those plant-based foods like walnuts and flaxseed, actually was associated with a 10% lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, which is really quite profound. That just incorporating these foods into your diet as part of a diet that was rich in healthy fruits and vegetables and these wonderful healthy fats coming from those seeds and nuts, actually helped to improve upon your cardiovascular health and lower the risk of a major cardiovascular event.† [00:03:42]
[00:03:42] So that in and of itself should tell you, “Yeah, maybe I should be taking in some more omega-3s in my diet, as well as supplementation.” Because remember, even if you’re eating walnuts and flaxseeds and salmon, for example, there’s other reasons as to why you could potentially have low omega-3 status in the body. Maybe you partake too much in the consumption of alcohol. Perhaps it’s just the way that your body has an inability to properly absorb fatty acids. It could be that you have a high intake of sugar. We definitely know that stress can lower your omega-3 stores. There are many different things that can offset your omega status, and definitely, we know that the high intake of omega-6 fatty acids will lead to lowered omega-3s.† [00:04:39]
[00:04:41] So all of these things are certainly important when you think about your overall health and wellness, because when you understand that omega-3 deficiency in the body can be linked to so many different conditions and the symptoms that people present with can certainly vary. It can be that your memory is starting to decline. Could be that you have arthritis. It could be that you have low mood, depression, anxiety. Perhaps you have hair loss or brittle nails. It could be that you go to the bathroom more frequently than you would like, so excessive urination. Maybe you experience issues such as dry skin or dandruff. Everyone’s seen the commercials for the dandruff shampoos, but maybe it has something to do with not having enough omega-3 fatty acids in your body. Maybe you find that every year you get sick with the common cold and you don’t think about omega-3s playing this essential role when it comes to your immune system. So no matter what system in the body we’re looking at, whether we’re thinking about our endocrine system and the regulation of different hormones such as the thyroid, your pancreas, your sex hormones, we know that omega-3s play a critical role into these. Like you can look at women who maybe experience painful menstrual cycles. Omega-3 fatty acids often times, when they start to supplement with additional omega-3s, higher amounts of fish oil, that they will find that this helps in terms of not having as severe of pains during their menstrual cycle. You can have someone who maybe for years has dealt with, as I mentioned, dandruff and they start to use fish oil, and all of a sudden, their hair feels better and they’re not having that dry, itchy scalp.† [00:06:44]
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[00:06:45] So deficiencies in omega-3s are incredibly common. When you look at the Standard American Diet, the intake of omega-3s is so lacking that the average American has a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of anywhere from 20:1 to 25:1, which is horrible. We ideally want this ratio to be closer to 4:1, even 2:1, to two omega-6 for every one omega-3. But because of the ultra processed foods that the majority of people take in on a daily basis, we get this shift and you can see how our body can present with indications of omega-3 deficiency. And you can assess this in your blood. You can actually see how much omega-3 is circulating in your system. And when you look at the science behind omega-3 supplementation and having higher amounts of omegas in your diet just from the foods that you’re eating, how many different conditions omega-3s have been shown to be able to treat. When you look at mood issues, attention deficit, I mentioned anxiety and depression. When you look at metabolic syndrome, when you look at different adrenal disorders, so high stress. Certainly skin conditions, migraine headaches, PMS, as well as menopausal symptoms. I had mentioned menstrual cramps. There are so many different utilizations for your omega-3s. But the important thing is to know that dietary intake from your foods is usually not going to be enough. Even if you are adhering to a very healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet, your intake of omega-3s may still not be enough to offset some of the other reasons why your body may deplete that omega-3 status. Maybe you’re incredibly stressed out. This can lower your omega-3s, and we know that low omega-3 is directly linked to high inflammation, and high inflammation is linked to every single chronic disease state. So when it comes to your omegas, do make sure that you are taking those on a regular basis. Your choice whether you’re using krill oil, you’re using fish oil or if you choose to use flax.† [00:09:17]
[00:09:18] So that’s all that I have for you for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting invitehealth.com/podcast. Do you make sure that you subscribe and you leave us a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @invitehealth and we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.† [00:09:18]
