Categories > Nutrition

Chinese medicine Nutrition for Spring

Spring is the season of the beginning small yang and is characterized by growth, movement, and expansion.

After winter, the body’s qi energy begins to flow strongly again and seeks to expand freely. Food during this season should supplement qi energy, allowing it to course freely, and support Chinese medicine spleen and liver functional systems.

Recommended Spring Foods:

Mildly warming foods with upward movement: Fennel, rice, buckwheat; possibly pungent flavours (garlic, paprika, ginger) in case of accumulated dampness left over from the colder months.

Sour flavours, because they stabilize liver yin energy and can regulate upbearing liver yang.

Foods from the wood phase, green in colour with neutral, cool, or warm energy: Green tea, spinach, celery, a little more raw foods and sprouts.

Wind is often the dominating seasonal factor during spring and causes recurring external wind disorders (like colds & flus), which can be balanced with the mildly pungent flavours of green onions and ginger.

Foods to Avoid During Spring:

The following foods can block Liver Qi energy:

Energetically hot and fatty foods
Excess sour flavours

Tip:

🌱 Choose foods that are local and in season!

Source: Chinese Nutrition Therapy: Dietetics in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) by Jörg Kastner

Contact us to find out more about how we can support you on your wellness journey!

Mindful Eating Is A Secret To Longevity

Mindful eating is an ancient Chinese medicine secret to optimal health & longevity. We believe that it’s a shame to eat healthy food if the body is unable to absorb nutrients properly.

Today’s scientists agree that if we’re able to slow down & be present with food, we can benefit more from what we eat.

Mindful eating is about appreciating food rather than restricting it. It involves being present with our food to decrease stress.

Mindful Eating Decreases Stress & Increases Absorption

Studies confirm that stress negatively affects our digestion by disrupting GI tract movement, absorption, inflammation & bacterial counts. Stress can also lead to many digestive disorders.

We live such fast-paced lives, eating becomes an auto-pilot activity. We tend to multi-task as we eat – while working or driving, surfing the internet, or checking for text messages. Our minds are busy doing one thing, while our bodies are doing another thing.

Research shows that avoiding distraction while eating increases the body’s absorptive capacity. Being present with the flavours & textures of our food rather than multi-tasking while eating allows the body to focus its attention on digesting.

Here are some mindful eating tips:  

  • Be intentional – try to choose a location that is meant for eating when you eat.
  • Simply eat. Avoid multi-tasking while you’re eating.
  • Chew thoroughly. Make sure each bite is well-chewed before swallowing it. Aim for 25-30 bites.
  • Place your fork or spoon down in between bites as you chew.
  • Pay attention to the colour, texture, aroma & flavours of the first 5 bites of a meal.
  • Try to feel grateful for your food. Studies have shown that feeling gratitude also decreases depression.
  • Please enjoy your food!

Mindfulness Programs

Did you know that research shows mindfulness-based programs for fertility decrease emotional distress & increase resilience? We know what a roller coaster it can be.

Join us for our next Online Mindfulness for Fertility program beginning January 30th  

Find more info and registration at mindfulnessforfertility.com

References

  • PMID: 28900385
  • PMID: 3582919
  • PMID: 27786519
  • PMID: 23809500

National Breastfeeding Week

In honour of National Breastfeeding Week, we want to acknowledge the immense journey of breast & chest feeding mamas and parents.

However you feed your baby is best, and for National Breastfeeding Week we see you and acknowledge what an important job it is.

The journey of breast/chest feeding can be fraught with difficulties, especially in the beginning. One of the most common sentiments of new parents is that they wish they would have known how challenging this part of parenting can be.

Keeping your brand new family member fed for 24 hours of the day is more than a full time job. I usually tell my patients that during this time, their only job is to keep baby nourished while everyone else nourishes them.

I recommend that my patients get supremely comfy, get a good series of books on a Kindle or Kobo (think easy to hold with one hand), very large water bottles full of water and electrolytes, tons of one handed, nutritious snacks, and to simply surrender to the special slowness of this stage of life.

Another thing that I recommend to all of my patients is that they have an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant on their team. I also urge my patients that if something is feeling wrong – such as pain or lack of milk supply – to not wait to give their lactation consultant a call. IBCLC’s are experts on all things breastfeeding and have the knowledge to make a major impact on a family’s nursing journey.

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture and Moxibustion can also be very helpful in the early days for the following issues:

♡ clogged ducts

♡ mastitis

♡ low supply

♡ candida infections

♡ Raynaud’s of the nipples

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you with your journey, contact us for a free 15 minute consultation.

photo: @joinpartum @kashafierceeee

Canadian Infertility Awareness: FREE ONLINE EVENT

SATURDAY, APRIL 30
2 – 4PM MDT

FREE ONLINE EVENT:

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PCRM

Are you Trying To Conceive?

#1in6 people struggle with fertility in Canada.

April 24 – 30 is Canadian Infertility Awareness Week – an opportunity to honour and empower those struggling with infertility.

Join us for this free online event to de-stigmatize infertility and to support you as you navigate your fertility journey.

Join the Whole Family Health Fertility Wellness Specialist Team, in collaboration with Dr. Caitlin Dunne from Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) for this informative and empowering online event.

This event is open to anyone who would like to attend.

Saturday, April 30th
2 – 4pm MDT

To Register:
info@wholefamilyhealth.ca
780-756-7736

EVENT PRESENTERS:

NAVIGATING INFERTILITY TREATMENTS & BUSTING COMMON MYTHS ABOUT IVF

Dr. Caitlin Dunne
Co-Clinical Director of PCRM, Reproductive Endocrinologist

Dr. Dunne will speak to fertility treatment options and help to debunk common myths about IVF. She will also be available for a Q&A to answer your questions about fertility treatment.

INFERTILITY & STRESS

Dr. Alda Ngo
WFH Co-owner, Registered Dr of TCM & Acupuncturist, Fellow of the ABORMCo-Director of MindfulnessForFertility.com

Dr. Alda will discuss infertility stress and share some accessible tools and resources that will help to decrease stress and cortisol to increase resilience on your fertility journey.

NATURAL LIFESTYLE FACTORS

Christina Pistotnik
WFH Co-owner, Registered Acupuncturist, Fellow of the ABORM

Christina will share some natural and simple lifestyle factors that you can incorporate to support your overall wellness and fertility health.

ACUPRESSURE FOR FERTILITY

Catherine Woodlock
WFH Registered Acupuncturist

Catherine will share some acupressure points you can use at home to help improve circulation, manage hormonal symptoms and support your fertility.

MASSAGE FOR REPRODUCTIVE WELLNESS

Candice Cole
WFH Registered Massage Therapist

Candice will share self-massage techniques you can use at home to help you relax and alleviate tension build-up.

FERTILE FOODS – 5 NUTRITIONAL TIPS FOR FERTILITY

Kathryn Simmons Flynn
WFH Certified Nutrition Consultant, Founder of FertileFoods.com, Author of Cooking For Fertility and Co-author of The Fertile Secret

Kathryn will share her 5 top nutritional tips for nourishing fertility.

To Register:
info@wholefamilyhealth.ca
780-756-7736

Support for Lining Thickness

I have been seeing a number of patients in the clinic recently that have had issues in the past with their Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) because their uterine (endometrial) lining has not been thick enough for embryo implantation. The optimal uterine lining is at least 8 mm in thickness and has a three-layer (trilaminar) appearance. 

To help support the growth of your endometrial lining, I tend to advise on supplements, diet, acupuncture treatments, and of course following the advice of your Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE). Your RE follows a protocol that they deem will yield the highest success and therefore it is important to trust and follow their advice. 

Supplements and Medication 

When it comes to medications and supplements to help support the growth of the endometrium, I tend to site a pilot study that was published in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility (1). This study compares Vitamin E, L-Arginine, and Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) in 61 women with thin endometrial lining (less than 8mm) and a high radial artery-resistance index (RA-RI) . Radial artery-resistance is associated with lower pregnancy outcomes. 

The study found that vitamin E improved endometrial thickness in 52% and RA-RI in 72% of participants. L-arginine improved endometrial thickness in 67% and RA-RI in 89% of participants. Sildenafil citrate (Viagra) improved thickness and RA-RI in 92% of participants. The control group (no medication) improved in both parameters in 10% of participants.  

It is important to speak to a practitioner about dosages of Vitamin E and L-arginine. If Sildenafil citrate is something that you wanted to explore you would have to talk to your RE about this, because they would need to write a prescription. 

Diet

I know it might seem like a no-brainer to eat a healthy and balanced diet to help with good blood flow and overall health, but did you know that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also places importance on eating warm foods?

This includes eating foods that are cooked and not raw. The thought behind this is that a warming diet builds the body’s energy and blood to have the strength to conceive and carry a pregnancy full term. It also helps focus energy and blood circulation on the lower abdomen where reproductive organs reside.

With this in mind, I suggest making a big batch of bone broth and drinking 1 cup of this warm liquid every day for 2-4 weeks leading up to your transfer. Bone broth is high in nutrients, minerals, and collagen that can support the body on a blood level.

Another suggestion that is completely anecdotal but also yummy is drinking 1 cup of pure pomegranate juice per day for 2-4 weeks.  

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has the potential to support the uterine lining because it increases blood flow to the reproductive organs, and it can help to reduce central sympathetic tone and this may lower uterine contractions at the time of embryo transfer. When the uterus is calmer at the time of embryo transfer this has the possibility of a better embryo placement. 

A small study done on central sympathetic tone showed that electroacupuncture did reduce the pulsatility index of those who had greater than 3 (2). Having a pulsatility index of 3 or higher at the time of transfer tends to have a less likely chance of a live birth (3). 

Another small pilot study published in Fertility and Sterility evaluating combining electro acupuncture and Sildenafil on the endometrial lining thickness showed positive results (4). This study provided evidence that combining these two treatments resulted in endometrial lining thickness of greater than 9 mm in all participants who could not reach greater than 8 mm in previous cycles and these positive results included one patient whose lining did not exceed 5 mm previously.

Contact us to find out more about how we can support you with acupuncture and lifestyle support for uterine lining assistance and/or to book an appointment with our wonderful practitioners!

Image http://basiabanda.pl/

References

  1. PMID: 19200982
  2. PMID: 8671446
  3. PMID: 9363232
  4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.203

WFH on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen!

Dr. Alda Ngo had the pleasure of joining a roundtable on Real Talk With Ryan Jespersen, one of Canada’s most popular live talk show/ podcasts.

Dr. Alda was joined by 3 other people intimate with the infertility journey, Ryan Jespersen himself sharing about his own experience.

A wonderful and meaningful conversation on infertility from the inside, the thoughts, emotions, the logistics, finances and a little bit of science.

Here’s the write-up:

It’s Canadian Infertility Awareness Week, so we check in with Dr. Alda Ngo, Kristina Melia, and Linda Hoang. What new options exist for Canadians hoping to start a family, what are some of the most significant barriers they’ll face, and what proactive steps can people take to improve their chances?

Join us for our free virtual CIAW event: Infertility During A Pandemic. Sunday, April 25th 2-330pm MT as we team up with Dr. Caitlin Dunne from PCRM and 3 courageous fertility patients who share their stories. Contact us for more info and to register.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can support you on your fertility journey, book a Free 15-minute Phone Consultation with one of our fertility specialists.

Fertility: Nourishing the Soil & Planting Seeds

Planting Seeds

I am so excited to be getting a head start on my garden this year. I’ve started planting my seedlings indoors. Am I the only one who gets extremely excited seeing tiny little leaves poking through the soil?! When I look at the steps I’ve taken to help nurture and grow these seeds into healthy plants, it reminds me of our own fertility.

I wanted to be sure that the seeds had the proper environment to start their growth and thrive by using nutrient rich soil, plenty of sunlight, fresh water, and even little good music. Maybe I am the crazy plant lady after all… But these basic needs do affect how well and healthy these seedlings will grow. So how can we set the stage for our own seeds. Where do we begin?

Nourishing The Soil

In our busy schedules it’s so very easy to neglect our diets. You may find yourself rushing through your day to find it’s already dinner time, you haven’t had a chance to even plan a healthy meal and you turn to a quick option such a take out. 

To help avoid us getting caught in this cycle, I recommend starting your Sunday off by making it a family affair. Get your household involved and plan your meals for the week. Bonus points if you can meal prep! This will help take the stress out of what you are making for the week and allow you to choose healthy nutrient-dense meals. 

This will help you limit the consumption of refined sugar, carbs, dairy, which all can negatively affect our reproductive systems. Why should we do this? Because it affects how your cells function!

As seen in data collected from the Nurses Health Study II, the following were associated with enhanced fertility:

·         Higher intake of dietary sources of non-heme iron (green leafy vegetables and other plant foods relatively high in iron)

·         Higher intake of high-fiber, low glycemic carbohydrates.

·         Lower intake of animal protein and greater intake of Vegetable Protein

·         Lower intake of trans-fatty acids and greater intake of monounsaturated fats

·         Higher frequency of multivitamin use

·         Not smoking

·         Being physically active (30 minutes of more of vigorous activity per day)

·         BMI between 20 and 25

·         (This wasn’t in the study) but being kind to ourselves, having grace with ourselves. Fertility journeys can be full of ups and downs. We often are so hard on ourselves, but just as you love and nurture others, give the same to your own garden.

So, bring out your old school hard copy calendars and start prepping some healthy fertile foods. If this still feels overwhelming to you, we have an amazing nutritionist on our team, Kathryn Flynn, author of Cooking for Fertility and co-author of The Fertile Secret. She is located in the US, but offers online nutritional consultations and programs for fertility. She applies Eastern food cure principals, which are in alignment with our treatment plan. Here is a link to her website: https://fertilefoods.com.

Not only is it important to make healthy food choices, mealtimes also impact your overall health. In Chinese medicine the peak time for our stomach to digest is 7-9am. This is an important time to try to have your breakfast, to allow our bodies the optimal energy they require for processing our food properly. The same applies with dinnertime, we should be trying to get dinners in earlier than 7-9pm as this is the stomach’s rest period.

These are some lifestyle changes that you do have control over. Oftentimes with fertility, it can feel as though you don’t have control over anything. But you do! So whether you are preparing your body for TTC or have been on your fertility journey, I hope you are able to implement some of these suggestions. It’s good to reflect and ask yourself, have you been fuelling your body and cells with the proper nutrients? Have you been hydrating yourself? Have you taken the time to be present and fill up your own cup?

Ask yourself, what does your garden need today?

PMID: 17978119

Image: Rosegrown.com @rosegrown

Canadian Infertility Awareness: Infertility During A Pandemic

April 18 – 24 is Canadian Infertility Awareness Week.

Roughly 1 in 6 who are trying to conceive in Canada experience infertility & this number has doubled since the 1980’s.

Research shows that the psychological symptoms associated with infertility are similar to those associated with other serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer and HIV.

Infertility is already unpredictable, but with the added stresses of the pandemic, fertility patients are having to not only grapple with economic and societal uncertainty, but also disruption to fertility treatments related to fertility clinic closures and limited elective in-office services.

Many patients who are already on tight biological timelines are finding themselves under even more pressure.

Surveys conducted since the onset of the pandemic have revealed that infertility remains a top stressor, despite the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

The stress of infertility remains significant & is comparable to the pandemic itself.

For fertility patients, when, why, how & where become whether, if, what if or even oh no.

There are already so many loaded decisions to be made in the face of uncertainty when dealing with infertility, and all of these are made extra difficult with hormonally influenced emotions. The pandemic only complicates the process.

Additional common questions that fertility patients are having to deal with are:

“ Is it safe for me to get bloodwork & ultrasound while exposing myself to potential COVID-19 in the office?”

“ I don’t want to wait any longer, but what are the implications of starting a potentially high risk pregnancy during a pandemic?”

“How will I grieve failed treatments or delays if I can’t even get together with my community.”

“ Will my partner be able to join me for this appointment or will I have to face it alone?”

“ What if I start a treatment cycle & we have to cancel midway through because there’s a lock down again? “

Infertility is Isolating

Infertility is already an isolating experience, which is also exacerbated by the isolation of the pandemic. As fertility specialists, and in honour of CIAW, we’d like to recognize those who are currently struggling to grow your families and the hardships that you endure, often alone and in silence.

That’s why we are teaming up with Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) & 3 courageous women who have struggled with infertility, to offer a free virtual event on Sunday, April 25th from 2 – 3:30pm.

Together, we are taking the opportunity to educate, openly share stories, empower and change the conversation around infertility. We want you to know that you are not alone and offer you some hope and inspiration.

Join us online:

Infertility During a Pandemic

Sunday, April 25th from 2 – 3:30pm MDT

Three courageous women will share their personal fertility journeys & what has helped them most along the way.

Dr. Caitlin Dunne, Co-director of PCRM will speak to infertility & treatment options, as well as the impacts of COVID-19 on fertility & treatments.

With the increased stressors of dealing with infertility during the pandemic, WFH’s Dr. Alda Ngo will be offering some free evidence-based mindfulness tools to help you deal with fertility stress.

WFH natural fertility specialist, Christina Pistotnik will share some accessible lifestyle advice to empower you to support and optimize your fertility during this time.

Click here for more information

Or

Register:

Info@wholefamilyhealth.ca

780.756.7736

Stay tuned for more blogs throughout the month for more tips on how to support yourself on your fertility journey!

To find out more about how we can support you with your fertility, book a free 15-minute phone consultation with one our fertility specialists.

Top 5 Supplements for Endometriosis Symptom Relief

March is Endometriosis awareness month and I get a lot of questions about what supplements can help to relieve Endometriosis symptoms.  

The following are some of the symptoms and their causes that are often experienced by people who suffer from endometriosis: 

Symptom Cause 
Heavy periods Excess estrogen 
Ovarian cysts

Inflammation
Excess estrogen
Endometrial cells outside of the uterus 

Inter-menstrual pain (usually mid-month)


Inflammation due to presence of excess endometrial tissue

Menstrual cramps that increase in severity
Inflammation due to presence of excess endometrial tissue

Painful bowel movements and urination

Endometrial tissue adhering to bowel/uterine tissue (excess estrogen and inflammation) 

Painful intercourse (dyspareunia)

Endometrial tissue adhering to vaginal / cervical tissue

Pelvic pain that is all-encompassing
Increased inflammation 

Spotting between periods 
Excess estrogen / hormone imbalance


Supplements that could help with these symptoms and causes include:

1. DIM (diindolylmethane)

DIM is found in cruciferous vegetables (ie. cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, etc). DIM is anti-inflammatory in nature and is metabolized similarly to estrogen. This helps promote healthy estrogen breakdown and removal from the body. Women with endometriosis are estrogen dominant (meaning high levels of estrogen are present) and that is why proper estrogen metabolism is important. 

A 2018 study looked at the clinical effects of DIM supplementation, DNG (Dienegist-*a prescribed medication) alone, and a combination of DNG and DIM in women with endometriosis (1).

DNG and DIM both inhibited the growth of endometrial cells. Endometrial tissues from women with and without endometriosis were exposed to DIM, DNG, or both. Endometrial cell life was decreased with DIM supplementation alone (25%) significantly more than with DNG alone (9%) and had a more improved effect when used in combination (40%) (1). 

** NOTE: People who are trying to conceive should not use DNG because it inhibits ovulation. However, DIM on its own can be taken by people trying to conceive.

2. Curcumin (Turmeric)  

Curcumin is an active component in turmeric and has proven anti-inflammatory properties as well as other potentially health-promoting characteristics, such as hormone-regulating abilities.

Research on curcumin for the treatment of endometriosis is limited, however, a 2013 study found that it can help reduce endometriosis epithelial cells (these are the cells that adhere to parts of the body outside of the uterus) by reducing excess estrogen production (2)

A 2020 review published by the Journal of Molecular Science suggests that curcumin may provide relief from endometriosis-related inflammation and directly act on decreasing adhesion and invasion of new lesions, shrinking existing lesions and stimulating angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation) to healthy cells (3). The authors do suggest that further research is needed to strengthen these findings.

3. Milk thistle

Milk thistle is a plant that contains silymarin, which decreases inflammation and supports healthy liver function.

The liver is important to help manage endometriosis, it’s responsible for filtering out toxins in the body, including excess hormones such as estrogen. As stated previously, endometriosis is an estrogen-dominant condition and endometrial lesions depend on estrogen for development and growth. 

** NOTE: Milk thistle should not be taken if you are on certain medications for depression, diabetes, blood clotting disorders or to help lower cholesterol. Please speak to a qualified practitioner before taking milk thistle. 

4. NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) 

NAC is an amino acid derivative. It is a precursor to glutathione production in the liver, which is one of the body’s most important antioxidants.

NAC restores cellular ability to fight damage from oxidative stress, reduces inflammation, improves cellular detox, and helps regulate the gene that produces pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.

In a 2013 study of 92 women in Italy, 47 took NAC and 45 took a placebo. The study showed that NAC decreased abnormal cell growth, decreased inflammation and reduced inflammatory genes. Also, 24 patients in the NAC group cancelled their scheduled laparoscopies, due to a decrease or disappearance of endometriosis, improved pain reduction or because they had become pregnant! In the other group, only one patient cancelled surgery (4). 

5. Omega-3 

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil contain DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). This combination can reduce the production of molecules and substances linked to inflammation, such as inflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines

A 2010 study published in Human Reproduction that took place over 12 years, showed that women who consume the highest amounts of omega -3 fatty acids were 22% less likely to be diagnosed with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis when compared with women who had the lowest intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Conversely, those that consumed high amounts of trans-unsaturated fat intake were 48% more likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis (5) 

Furthermore, some small European studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the symptoms of dysmenorrhea (painful periods). Researchers believe that prostaglandins (PGs) play a pathogenic part in both endometriosis and dysmenorrhea. Omega 3-fatty acids from fish act as anti-inflammatories in endometriosis and dysmenorrhea by reducing the pro-inflammatory PGs derived from omega-6 fatty acids (processed meat and red meat), and the associated symptoms of endometriosis and dysmenorrhea (6) 

In Summary

I know this list seems like a lot of pills to swallow (pardon my pun)!

Fortunately the first three supplements (DIM, Curcumin, and Milk Thistle) can be found in a single formulation. I recommend Estrovantage by BioClinic or EstroSmart by Lorna Vanderhaeghe.

NAC and Omega 3’s need to be taken separately. 

I do want to stress that supplement intake should not replace the care of a medical doctor and the importance of consulting with a qualified health practitioner before taking any dietary supplements. Not all supplements are safe to take and there is no one-size-fits-all plan. Practitioners at Whole Family Health look at everyone individually and make decisions based on each person’s needs. 

If you would like to find out how we can help you, please feel free to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.

References 

  1. PMID: 30001982
  2. PMID: 24639774
  3. PMID: 32244563
  4. PMID: 23737821
  5. PMID: 20332166
  6. PMID: 23642910

Image: IG@theurbanharvest

How to Supplement Nutrient Depletion From Oral Contraceptives

What Are Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives (OC). The pill. Birth control. A method of contraception that has been available in Canada since the 1960’s and according to Stats Canada it is one of the most frequently used medications by Canadian women. These pills can contain a combination of both estrogen and progestin, as well as progestin only packs. 

The pill can be used to prevent pregnancy by stopping the body from ovulating. It is also used to manage side effects of the menstrual cycle like heavy, painful periods, irregular and unpredictable cycles, and skin concerns like acne that are menstrual cycle and hormone related. 

Oral Contraceptives & Micronutrients

But did you know that these hormonal contraceptives can also alter the metabolism of vitamins and micronutrients in your body and may leave some of these stores depleted or deficient in your body with long term use?

A 2012 study compared the blood serum levels of vitamin B12 in oral contraceptive (OC) users versus those without OC and noted a significant decrease in serum B12 levels during the first 6 months of OC use. Long term use without proper supplementation or dietary supply, as you could imagine, could result in a deficiency over time.

Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that is used for DNA synthesis and supports the function of nerve cells. It is readily available in animal products, fortified or added to some foods.

A review of the literature found that OC tend to depress levels of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), folacin (folic acid), vitamin B12, vitamin C, zinc and elevate levels of vitamin K, copper, and iron.

How to Supplement

Riboflavin and pyridoxine can both be obtained from animal products like meat and eggs.

Folacin or folic acid can be found in leafy green vegetables – think spinach, brussel sprouts, and asparagus.

Vitamin B12 is obtained through animal products like eggs, meat and dairy, as well as fortified cereals. Just be sure to check the labels of your food, especially if animal products are not a part of your diet. 

Food sources of zinc include meat, shellfish, seeds like hemp hearts or nuts, such as cashews and almonds.

Sources rich in vitamin C of course include oranges and surprisingly broccoli and brussel sprouts as well. 

It is important to discuss these effects of OC with your healthcare provider and ensure that you are able to maintain proper vitamin and mineral intake either through diet or the appropriate supplementation to maintain optimum health. 

For more information, contact us for a free 15-minute phone consultation.

References

  1. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2015010/article/14222-eng.htm
  2. PMID: 22464408
  3. PMID: 7001015

Image: IG via @dearklaude

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