Tag: protein

  • Diet, Supplements, and Lifestyle for Hypothyroidism

    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

    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

    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…

  • Malabsorption

    Even if someone’s diet seems to include plenty of a particular nutrient, if they aren’t absorbing the nutrients they are consuming they could still have deficiencies.  In the Discussion section of their paper, the authors of the LIFEHOUSE study (Stone et al., 2023) mention vertical ridging of the nails as an example of a symptom…

  • Protein, Brassicas, and Dietary Fiber

    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…

  • Protein for Muscle Mass

    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…