Omega 3s: What You Need to Know

Omega 3s are well known for their health benefits. Evidence shows us that they can help with things like pain, skin health, eye health, mental health and more.

Omega 3s are a healthy fat. Most of the benefits come from EPA, DHA and ALA. These are different types of omega 3s.

When you get your omega 3s from plant based sources (like flax, walnuts, canola oil and chia seeds), you’re mainly taking in ALA. When you get your omega 3s from fish, you’re mainly taking in EPA and DHA. Very little of the plant based omega 3s are converted to the fish oil type of omega 3s so you don’t always get the same benefits from plant based omega 3s and fish oil.

It’s estimated that adults should be getting over 1000 mg of omega 3s daily for general health. Most practitioners who recommended omega 3s for specific conditions will recommend more depending on the case.

Omega 3s are present throughout the body and help various systems of the body stay healthy, like the eyes, brain, heart, blood vessels etc. Their biggest claim to fame is their ability to reduce inflammation in the body.

Generally, the standard North American diet favours fats that increase inflammation so having omega 3s in the diet can help combat that.

Supplements

Plant based omega 3 supplements are usually made from algae. Animal based supplements are usually made from fish. Cod liver oil (an animal based supplement) has additional vitamins like vitamin A because it’s made from cod liver.

The doses available on the market vary widely as well as the amount of ALA, EPA and DHA per supplement. The ratio of EPA to DHA in your supplement matters for things like depression and anxiety.

Certain types of fish oils are more easily absorbed than others. For example, krill oil may be better absorbed but this claim isn’t based on a lot of research. You can likely still get benefit from a variety of different types of fish oil supplements out there.

Sometimes patients are concerned about the mercury in seafood making its way into a fish oil supplement but this not the case.

Side Effects

Side effects are not common with omega 3 supplements but they do happen. If you’ve started taking a supplement and you notice increased diarrhea, heartburn or nausea, you may be experiencing side effects.

What Other Foods Are Good For Mental Health?

Food can be medicine. If you would like a list of foods that can help with anxiety sent right to your inbox, click the button below.

4 Way to Use Magnesium to Soothe a Troubled Mind

Natural remedies like magnesium are valuable resources to add to your game plan for improving your mood and calming your stress. Some foods that are good sources of magnesium are nuts and seeds, whole grains, dark leafy greens like spinach, beans and lentils.

A 2015 survey done in the U.S. found that half of the population was not getting enough magnesium in their diet. The percentage is even higher for teens and the elderly. Full-blown magnesium deficiency (the type that would lead to severe symptoms) is not very common but many of us are not getting an ideal amount of magnesium from our diets.

Scientists think a lot of us may be walking around with a “sub-clinical” magnesium deficiency. This means that if we were to test our magnesium levels in the blood, they would most likely be normal, but our bodies may still be begging us to get more magnesium into our systems.

This could be why having more magnesium is helpful for so many different conditions – especially mental health conditions. Here are 4 different ways you can use magnesium to help with your mental health:

1. Reduce Depression – Magnesium plays an important role in many chemical reactions in the brain. It’s involved in the activity of brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) that are key for a happy mood. Numerous studies have found that magnesium is able to improve mood in depressed patients and can potentially help anti-depressant medications work better.

2. Reduce Stress and Anxiety – Magnesium has been found to reduce anxiety is several studies. Of course magnesium can’t change the situations in your life that are causing you stress but many of my patients say they feel a lot more “balanced” and more resilient to stress while taking magnesium.

3. Soothe PMS Anxiety – If you find that your anxiety and mood are worse during PMS, magnesium may be a good fit for you. Studies have shown that it can reduce premenstrual anxiety and I’ve found it to be effective both in practice and personally for premenstrual mood issues.

4. Improve Sleep – Magnesium is a gentle sleep aid. I like to use it to help some of my patients struggling with insomnia. Magnesium does not make you drowsy (hence why it’s fine to take during the day) but it helps you relax, which in turn helps with sleep. I especially like that it doesn’t make you feel groggy the next day like some other sleep remedies.

It’s important to note that the form and dose of magnesium I recommend is different for everyone based on their health history, medications and symptoms. Getting the dose or form wrong can lead to unwanted side effects or a lack of results. I know it can be overwhelming to go to the health food store and see all the options and hear all the opinions about which supplement is the “best”. If you’re confused, talk to a naturopathic doctor. We’re here to help you sort through all that confusion using science, individualized health assessments and our clinical experience.

Take control of your mental health as best as you can. I know this is sometimes easier said than done. Maybe asking a healthcare provider about magnesium will be your first step to reducing your depression, anxiety or stress. If you stay focused, that first step can turn into a revolutionary plan to get you feeling happier, more positive and at peace.   

CoQ10, Ubiquinol, Ubiquinone: What’s the Evidence?

This is the second article in my “What’s the Evidence?” series. To read the previous article, click here.

There's a lot of debate on the internet about CoQ10. CoQ10 exists in two forms : ubiquinone and ubiquinol. Some call ubiquinol the “active” form of CoQ10. Most CoQ10 supplements are made from the ubiquinone form. However, more and more ubiquinol products are coming onto the market.

But let’s backtrack a little. What is CoQ10 anyways? It’s a chemical in the body with many different important functions. It’s part of many chemical reactions in the body and it acts as an antioxidant. Our body naturally makes it from several different vitamins and minerals. There are small amounts of it in foods but not enough to get to the therapeutic doses that are in supplements.

So what’s the debate about? Many articles online argue that ubiquinol is better than ubiquinone. Some believe this is because it’s absorbed into the body better. Let’s go over the evidence to see what science has to say about this topic.

The Evidence

There are human studies showing that the body absorbs ubiquinol better than ubiquinone. However, there are also studies showing that both forms are absorbed equally well. Also, the body is capable of turning one form into the other and it does this all the time. More research in this area will help us figure out if there is indeed a difference in absorption between the two.

But what about treating specific health conditions? If ubiquinol is absorbed better, is it also better at treating disease? It’s difficult to find strong studies that compare the two forms in this way.

There is research showing that ubiquinol is useful for: improving energy and reducing fatigue, improving cognitive function, improving factors associated with male fertility, regulating blood sugar and so on. However, there is far more research on ubiquinone helping with these and many other conditions. Ubiquinone has been researched more so we know more about it.

The Verdict

I would not be surprised if future research shows that ubiquinol is absorbed better than ubiquinone. However, for now I feel more confident using ubiquinone. It has been studied much more for treating many different conditions. Ubiquinol is also a good deal more expensive than ubiquinone. For me, there is not enough research to justify paying the extra cost for it. Perhaps if ubiquinone has not been working despite taking it at the right dose for the right amount of time, it may be worth trying ubiquinol.