Northern Nutritionals

Tag: depression

  • 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…

  • Preventing Depression

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    Karline Jensen
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    A systematic review by O’Neill et al. (2022) examined 7 randomized controlled trials on the effect of different dietary interventions on depression in adults, and found fresh produce, wholegrains, low-fat dairy and lean protein to be beneficial, and processed and high-fat foods to be detrimental.  In their discussion they highlight a study by Lindseth et…

  • 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. …

  • Dopamine

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    Karline Jensen
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    Gaum et al. (2017) assessed dopamine in their participants by measuring two of its metabolites, homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), in urine.  They adjusted the levels for creatine as a marker of urine concentration, albumin to account for liver function, and also self-reported traumatic experiences, taking post-traumatic stress disorder into account as a…

  • Microbiome of Depression

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    Karline Jensen
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    Szabo de Edelenyi et al. (2021) wanted to begin testing the hypothesis that eating more fruits and vegetables would lower the amount of indole produced by gastrointestinal bacteria, resulting in a reduced risk for depression.  They selected a sample of 2,054 women ages 45-65 from within the participants of a larger prospective cohort study called…

  • DHEA

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    Karline Jensen
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    DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a steroid hormone.  It is metabolized into DHEA-Sulphate and into other hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, so I would consider it under the clinical imbalance of Communication.  Symptoms of low DHEA could include those typically associated with low levels of testosterone or estrogen, such as loss of bone mineral density,…