Northern Nutritionals

Category: Nutrients

  • Diet, Supplements, and Lifestyle for Hypothyroidism

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    Karline Jensen
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    If you have hypothyroidism — or suspect you may — you may have wondered whether what you eat, the supplements you take, or your daily habits could make a real difference. The answer, supported by a growing body of research, is yes. A functional medicine approach to hypothyroidism goes well beyond medication management to address…

  • Understanding Thyroid Lab Tests: A Functional Medicine Approach

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    Karline Jensen
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    If you have been told your thyroid is fine because your TSH is normal, but you still feel exhausted, cold, and mentally foggy, you are not alone — and you are not imagining things. TSH is a useful starting point, but it is only one piece of a much larger picture. A functional medicine approach…

  • Phytonutrients

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    Karline Jensen
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    The IFM Phytonutrient Spectrum – Comprehensive Guide has some great ideas about how to diversify your diet and consume a broader range of nutrients, like that cooking carrots with a little olive oil can make the carotenoids more bioavailable.  I love the idea that eating green leafy vegetables every day slows aging by 11 years. …

  • Protein, Brassicas, and Dietary Fiber

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    Karline Jensen
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    I found an interesting study where glutathione was found to decrease after participants spent three days on a lower protein diet than what they were used to, but it appeared to return to normal by day ten (Jackson et al., 2004).   Eating brassicas could help the estrogen metabolizing pathways to lead to less of…

  • Polyphenols for Intestinal Permeability

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    Karline Jensen
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    Del Bo’ et al. (2021) conducted a randomized controlled trial to see if a diet emphasizing polyphenols would be able to help address intestinal permeability in older people.  They found that beneficial bacteria for fiber fermentation and butyrate were increased, and blood pressure was decreased.  Those who started out with greater impairment of the tight…

  • Carnitine and Energy Mobilization

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    Karline Jensen
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    Stephens et al. (2013) reported new data from a randomized controlled trial by Wall et al. (2011).  In this trial, there were seven participants each in the intervention and in the placebo.  They were all moderately trained recreational athletes.  Both groups drank a beverage containing 80 g of carbohydrate twice a day, in the morning…

  • Protein for Muscle Mass

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    Karline Jensen
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    The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s recommendation (Jäger et al., 2017) is that 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day is enough to gain muscle mass, but that 3.0 g/kg/day or more can continue to be beneficial for balancing overall body composition.  They recommend consuming protein every 3-4 hours throughout the day, including before bed.  A home-cooked…

  • Prenatal Iron

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    Karline Jensen
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    Arija et al. (2019), in a prospective cohort study in Spain, found that children born to mothers who had taken prenatal iron supplements (14-30 mg/day) scored better on tasks designed to evaluate working memory and executive functioning at age 7 than those whose mothers had not taken prenatal iron.  Nguyen et al. (2021), in a…

  • Coenzyme Q10

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    Karline Jensen
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    Coenzyme Q10 is also called ubiquinone, because it is ubiquitous in the human body, found in the membranes of all of our cells.  In a 2018 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Zhang et al.1 looked at coenzyme Q10 supplementation in 40-61 year old Chinese people with high cholesterol to see which of several risk factors for…

  • Magnesium

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    Karline Jensen
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    A 2017 systematic review by Boyle et al.1 aimed to gather results showing whether taking a magnesium supplement could help people dealing with anxiety.   About half of the studies they looked at found that it helped people with either mild anxiety, PMS, or high blood pressure.  The authors concluded that more research should be done,…