Is There a Case For Nutritional Supplements?
In a lecture I gave in Vancouver B.C. this weekend, I talked about real food as the best way to receive the proper balance of nutrients. In addition, I mentioned that there are a few reasons we may benefit from nutritional supplements:
- Soil depletion
- Inadequate nutrient content of processed foods
- Environmental factors that increase our need for various nutrients beyond what food can give us
Well, I found an article that deals with this topic pretty well; I thought I’d pass it on before I go in to treat patients at my chiropractic, nutrition, hypnosis and functional medicine clinic in Portland, Oregon; Optimum Function. Please, feel free to comment on this entry and others if you have any questions about nutrition, chiropractic, hypnosis or functional medicine; in fact, feel free to ask just about any health-related question, if I can’t answer it…. I’ll find someone who can.
Here’s a link to the article: The case for nutritional supplementation
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health
I Heart Vitamin D….and so Should Athletes!
A new review of the body of research on athletic performance and vitamin D suggests that adequate vitamin D levels in athletes could dramatically improve their performance.
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is activated in the kidneys; when activated, it regulates more than 1,000 genetic functions. This number seems to grow, touting the importance of vitamin D with every study published. If you have been reading my blog entries, you know that I have posted many blogs about vitamin D.
Researchers involved in this study reviewed the world’s literature for evidence that vitamin D affects physical and athletic performance. Numerous studies, particularly in the German literature in the 1950s, show vitamin D-producing UV light improves athletic performance. There is also a lot of research indicating physical and athletic performance varies in relation to vitamin D levels; it peaks when vitamin D levels peak, declines as levels decline.
What I found incredibly interesting is that Vitamin D also increases the size and number of fast twitch muscle fibers which could make an athlete more pwerful. It is apparent from this study and others that vitamin D levels are directly associated with musculoskeletal and therefore athletic performance.
The levels needed for these affects seem to be above 50ng/dl. As I wrote about in a previous blog levels may also protect the athlete from several acute and chronic medical conditions. Here’s a link to hat entry (Athletes Like The Rest of Us, Need More Vitamin D).
My last blog entry announced the addition of a fantastic Vitamin D product by Metagenics called D3 5000. Click on the following link and register in my Meta-Ehealth store to purchase yours at a 10% discount (current patients receive 15%) Optimum Function: Meta-Ehealth store
Source: Cannell, John J.; Hollis, Bruce W. et. al. “Athletic Performance and Vitamin D.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 41(5):1102-1110, May 2009.
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthAntioxidant Vitamins May Protect Against Bone Loss As Effectively as Resistance Exercise
In a pilot study involving 34 postmenopausal women (average age: 66 years old) who were given a combination of 600 mg/day vitamin E and 1000 mg/day vitamin C for 6 months; it was found that this combination helped to protect against bone loss as effectively as resistance training (3 times/week). While bone density in the lumbar spine (low back) decreased significantly among subjects who received a placebo, it remained stable among subjects given the antioxidant combo and those who performed resistance training. In fact in a group who took the antioxidant combo and performed resistance training, no significant additional benefit was found.
Does this mean you should all just take Vitamin C and E and not participate in any resistance exercise?
Abolutely not! This is a pilot study and future studies are needed to confirm these effects. In addition, even if this were confirmed, resistance exercise is beneficial for overall cardiovascular disease risk, blood sugar regulation, hormone regulation and more.
Does this mean you all have to go to the gym 3 days a week?
Nope…my favorite exercises are done in the comfort of my home and only take 10-20 minutes per day. Bodyweight exercises and kettlebells are becoming the functional resistance training of the future here in the USA even though they’ve been used for decades in Russia.
Call 503-866-9739, email info@OptFunction.com or go to www.OptMovement.com for more information about my Optimal Movement Screening to check your primitive movement patterns and get you to the point where you can maximize any activity without the fear of injuring yourself.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Tim Irving DC, LMT, Nutritionist, CKTP, MScan.
Optimum Function, Portland, Oregon, 97214
Optimum Function = Optimum Health
Reference:
Chuin A, Labonte M, et al,”Effect of antioxidants combined to resistance training on BMD in elderly women: a pilot study” Osteoporos Int, 2008 Nov 20; [Epub ahead of print].
Folic Acid Supplementation Linked to Fewer Pregnancy Complications
A Canadian study reports that the risk of pre-eclampsia, which affects 2-3% of all pregnancies, may be reduced by 63% by supplementing with a multivitamin formula that contains folic acid.
To find out more about folic acid in your diet and thorugh supplementation, please contact me at info@OptFunction.com or call 503-866-9739
Yours in Health, Dr. Tim Irving Optimum Function 819 SE Morrison St. Suite 230 Portland, Oregon, USA, 97215 www.OptFunction.com www.YourOptimumNutrition.com Source:Wen S, Chen X, et al. “Folic acid supplementationin early second trimester and the risk of pre-eclampsia” Am Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. January 2008, Vol. 198:1. P45.
More Evidence That Vitamin D Helps You Lose Weight
The study referenced below is yet another one touting the benefits of vitamin D. In this study, body weight and other body measurements related specifically to type II diabetes were taken. What was concluded is relevant both to people who want to reduce their risk of developing type II diabetes (this should include anyone reading this), and people trying to lose weight, especially abdominal obesity. The results showed that there was an inverse relationship between serum vitamin D, body weight, BMI, and some of the other body measurements.
To purchase supplements from a reputable, professional company; click here.
If you want to take your health and nutrition to the next level go to www.YourOptimumNutrition.com, call 503-866-9739 or email me at nutrition@OptFunction.com
Yours in Health, Dr. Tim Irving Optimum Function Portland, Oregon www.OptFunction.com www.FunctionalDetox.com www.YourOptimumNutrition.comYours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthReference:
Relationships of low serum vitamin D3 with anthropometry and markers of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes in overweight and obesity; McGill A, Stewart J, Lithander F, Strik C, Poppitt S; Nutrition Journal, 2008 7:4 ( 28 January 2008 )
What is in a good daily multi-vitamin/mineral complex?
This question is usually on the tip of everyone’s tongue when it comes to supplements. First, I have to say that a daily multi-vitamin/mineral WILL NOT make you healthier by itself. You have to first obtain optimum function with regards to all of your body systems; to do this requires a few important steps. Because I don’t want to spend too much time explaining these steps I will tell you that they involve doing a baseline functional blood chemistry, taking a thorough health and dietary history, performing a complete functional medicine and functional nutrition examination.
Only after all of this information is carefully studied and analyzed can your functional medicine practitioner create a treatment plan to address your unique physiology and prescribe a combination of dietary restrictions and supplements (if needed). This process usually takes 3-5 months, restoring optimum function is NOT a magic pill, a magic pill does not nor will ever exist that will help everyone obtain optimum health.
Once you have followed the treatment plan and have begun to feel and be markedly healthier, maintaining this state requires a healthy diet specifically designed for your physiology, an active lifestyle, the reduction of habits and behaviors that may impede your journey to a healthier you, and the addition of some good supplementation.
To find our how to maximize your health and nutrition, go to www.YourOptimumNutrition.com, call 503-866-9739 or email me at nutrition@OptFunction.com
Yours in Health, Dr. Tim Irving Optimum Function Portland, Oregon www.OptFunction.com www.FunctionalDetox.com www.YourOptimumNutrition.com Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthVitamin D is one of the most exciting vitamins in Healthcare today….
There has been an overwhelming ammount of evidence linking vitamin D to positive effects in treating a variety of health maladies like:
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Osteoporosis
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Musculoskeletal pain syndromes
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Autoimmune diseases
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Depression
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And more!
Here is an excellent vitamin D resource: The Vitamin D Council
Click Here to read an article I wrote about Vitamin D facts
Yours in Health, Dr. Tim Irving Optimum Function Portland, Oregon www.OptFunction.com www.FunctionalDetox.com www.YourOptimumNutrition.com Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health