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The Evidence Backing Mushrooms: An Introductory Guide

24/6/2020

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Our intro guide to mushrooms outlines the current evidence and research backing the use of common medicinal supplemental mushrooms, such as; Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail...
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How To Make The Perfect Smoothie

17/6/2020

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Learn how to make a balanced, quick and delicious smoothie by following our simple guide to making 'The Perfect Smoothie'!
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Bella Marinkovich, DipNut

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Why you may need more Vitamin D

27/7/2017

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Post by Emily White 

For as long as I can remember the words ‘slip, slop, slap’ have been gospel. Whenever you step out into the sun it is hard not to think about skin cancer and thereby the importance of covering up. However scientists are now suggesting that we have taken this a bit too far with a lot of people suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency- without even knowing!

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Probiotics and Gut Health

23/8/2016

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Post by Emily White 
 
The age-old quote, 'let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food' by Hippocrates is certainly of relevance in todays world. Gut health is something that can be related to this and is an extremely important determinant in someone’s health. The nutrition that we provide for our body plays a huge role in this and probiotics in particular, are a very important aspect of any nutritional plan in order to optimise gut health and overall wellbeing.

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Combating the common cold

20/4/2016

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Post by Emily White
 
The average person gets struck down with a cold or flu two to three times every year. It is estimated to be one of the most frequent illnesses amongst humans and brings about great frustration, as it seems your body waits until it is absolutely most inconvenient before you get struck down with the virus. Murphy's law right?!


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Don’t Detox! Support the body…without the use of ‘detox’ pills and potions.

17/2/2016

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By Cliff Harvey

As we near the end of the summer break in NZ and Australia and the Christmas and holiday season around the world, inevitably ‘detox’ diets and ‘cleanses’ jostle for space in our news feed. It’s tough to not be sucked into these ads and testimonials, especially if you’ve over-indulged in food and booze, and burnt the candle at both ends over the festive season. Let’s face it, you’re going to feel less than optimal if you’ve been eating too much, eating processed and refined foods, and drinking too much alcohol…but are detoxes and cleanses really the answer?

It’s fair to say that there is little evidence that detox diets and cleanses offer any clear benefit. There are few studies on the many ‘detox’ diets and ‘cleanses’ on the market and most of the claims are not backed by any amount of credible evidence or even plausible science.

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The importance of Magnesium in the diet and its relevance to Sports Performance

11/2/2016

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By Sarah Mortimer (HPN graduate) 

Magnesium is one of the most talked about minerals and justifiably so; it is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body (
1) including energy production pathways hence its potential relationship to sports performance. These energy pathways mentioned involve the uptake of oxygen into the muscle, the ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) pathway as well as the electrolyte balance4 
another important aspect affecting sports performance.

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Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals…Is there any Difference?

5/2/2016

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Post by By Cliff Harvey ND

Natural, bio-identical, synthetic - In the field of supplementation what do all these terms really mean? Do you really know if you are getting the most out of your supplementation regime?


Many people make the assumption that ‘natural’ supplements must be superior, or must be more easily absorbed, digested or metabolised. This is not necessarily true, and in this case it is fair to say that the devil is in the details.

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Should Everyone Supplement With Creatine?

3/2/2016

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By Matt Foreman

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in the world and by far the most popular for muscle building. However the majority of people underestimate the powerful effects of creatine and its hidden benefits that can be utilised by everyone, regardless of whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete or everyday person.


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Is there a need for detoxing?

19/10/2015

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Post by Emily White

You have been away on holiday for 3 weeks, indulging in a little too much alcohol and processed foods, and you have come home feeling a bit ‘squishy’ and all round like your body is in dire need of some TLC.
 
But never fear, because the week you get back you are going to get knees deep in the latest and greatest detox cleanse!!
 
Hear the word detox diet and you get polarizing opinions:
-The first being that they are wonderful- gods gift to weight loss and all round health and vitality!
- The second being that they are an absolute load of money wasting crap (or something along those lines).
 
So who is right?

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Should women supplement with creatine?

12/10/2015

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 Post by Emily White

More then a thousand studies have been performed on creatine monohydrate making it the most studied sports supplement to have been identified. It has also found to be one of- if not the most effective on the market. 


It is hugely popular amongst men, however it is interesting to note that very little women supplement with creatine monohydrate. Many women believe that it is a ‘men’s supplement’ and taking it will result in them becoming ‘bulky’ or gaining unwanted weight. So is creatine a supplement that more women should be using and is it safe to do so?

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Treating Eczema naturally

4/7/2015

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Post by Emily White 

Anyone who suffers from eczema will know all too well the unbearable discomfort that it brings. Eczema, a rather broad term, is used to describe a variety of skin conditions that result in red, itchy skin. It can vary in severity, from slightly red and inflamed to full on weeping blisters. 

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Is Pea Protein Isolate ‘Complete’?

31/5/2015

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Post by Cliff Harvey ND

Executive Summary:

- Pea Protein Isolate contains all essential amino acids

- It provides essential amino acids in the amounts recommended by the World Health Organisation

- The amino acid composition of Pea Protein Isolate compares favourably with the recommended pattern of the Institute of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health

- It contains up to 90% protein, making it one of the highest sources of protein available

- 
Pea Protein Isolate provides an effective, complete solution for your protein requirements

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Isagenix study review

25/5/2015

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By Matt Foreman

Isagenix is a multi-level marketing scheme which offers people the opportunity to make money the higher they get on the pyramid. It offers nutritional cleansing, detoxing, weight-loss supplementation, and general wellness products, along with additional financial benefits through the marketing of their products.





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Could Steroids Destroy CrossFit?

3/5/2014

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I started working as a nutritionist (initially as a student practitioner) back in the late 90’s. At the time I loved strength and ‘physical culture’ in all its forms…including bodybuilding. In fact I still think bodybuilding of the type epitomised by Bill Pearl, John Grimek and other ‘pre-steroid era’ bodybuilders is awesome. These guys were true physical culturists. They lived and breathed the pursuit of strength and health, and the way they looked was a consequence of this. Over time the aesthetic became pre-eminent, and as any athlete is tempted to do, means to improve more rapidly (primarily anabolic steroids) became more and more rampant. 

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Is Chlorella Safe for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers?

11/4/2014

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By Cliff Harvey ND.

 Chlorella is a single celled blue-green algae renowned as a nutrient superfood and used in many multi-nutrient products and sold individually as a health supplement.

In spite of its rich nutritional profile there has been some concern that the detoxifying effects (such as reductions in dioxin and mercury levels) may raise exposure to these damaging compounds for the unborn or breastfeeding baby.

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Natural Folates vs. Synthetic Folic Acid

23/2/2013

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The form of folate that is used in food fortification and most dietary supplements is a synthetic form; pteroylmonglutamate. There are important differences between naturally occurring and synthetic forms of folate however, and this article seeks to explain some of those differences. ​

Cliff Harvey PhD, DipFit, DipNut
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Folate (vitamin B9) in any form is not used directly within the body, but is metabolised to a metabolically active co-enzyme, tetrahydrafolate (tetrahydrafolic acid). 
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Pteroylmonoglutamate (synthetic folic acid) differs from the naturally occurring forms of folate in the diet because it is in an oxidized state and contains only one conjugated glutamate residue.

Interestingly it has much greater bioavailability than the natural folates and is rapidly absorbed across the intestine. This may lead to high amounts of unmetabolised folic acid in the blood stream, (1) and increases in blood levels of synthetic folic acid are likely with supplementation and fortification of foods. (2) Synthetic folic acid, when overloaded into the blood in this fashion could interfere with the metabolism, cellular transport, and regulatory functions of natural folate by competing with them, binding with enzymes, carrier proteins, and binding proteins. (3)

The folate receptor also has a higher affinity for synthetic folic acid than for methyl-THF (the main natural form of folate that occurs in the blood) and this might result in:
  • Reduced levels of active folates for use as co-enzymes in brain function
  • Down-regulation of folate receptors
  • Change in gene expression of folate dependent enzymes

There is also considered to be a risk of liver capacity saturation with high dose folic acid supplementation, leading to higher levels of unmetabolised folic acid entering the general circulatory system. This would compound the potential negative effects mentioned above, (4) and may have direct effects on other functions such as immunity, (5) and although high folate diets are considered to reduce risk of cancer, high intakes of supplemental folic acid may actually increase cancer formation. (6) 

Is natural folate supplementation justified?
The benefits of folate supplementation in reducing neural tube defects is undeniable, and the vital role of folate for overall health is clear, but the potential risks associated with synthetic folic acid make natural folates a more prudent supplemental choice. 

Natural folate supplements using L-5-methyl-THF may also reduce the effects of Vitamin B12 deficiency masking (folic acid taken in large doses can mask the effects of a B12 deficiency so that it often remains undiagnosed for a longer time, resulting in neural damage) and may reduce interactions with drugs that inhibit dihydrofolate reductase. (7) 

Recent research has shown that the actual amount of folate in foods may be approximately 25% lower than what was previously thought, (8) and so supplementation of a natural form of folate may be warranted for many, especially those that are not eating the recommended 6+ servings of vegetables per day, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and active or highly stressed individuals.

LEarn more about studying nutrition with hpn
​References

1. Ashokkumar, B., Mohammed, Z. M., Vaziri, N. D., & Said, H. M. (2007). Effect of folate oversupplementation on folate uptake by human intestinal and renal epithelial cells. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 86(1), 159-166.

2. Kelly, P., McPartlin, J., Goggins, M., Weir, D. G., & Scott, J. M. (1997). Unmetabolized folic acid in serum: acute studies in subjects consuming fortified food and supplements. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 65(6), 1790-1795.

3.  Smith, A. D., Kim, Y. I., & Refsum, H. (2008). Is folic acid good for everyone?.The American journal of clinical nutrition, 87(3), 517-533.

4. Wright, A. J., Dainty, J. R., & Finglas, P. M. (2007). Folic acid metabolism in human subjects revisited: potential implications for proposed mandatory folic acid fortification in the UK. British Journal of Nutrition, 98(4), 667-675.

5.  Troen, A. M., Mitchell, B., Sorensen, B., Wener, M. H., Johnston, A., Wood, B., ... & Ulrich, C. M. (2006). Unmetabolized folic acid in plasma is associated with reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity among postmenopausal women. The Journal of nutrition, 136(1), 189-194.

6. Ulrich, C. M., & Potter, J. D. (2006). Folate supplementation: too much of a good thing?. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 15(2), 189-193.

7. Pietrzik, K., Bailey, L., & Shane, B. (2010). Folic acid and L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate. Clin Pharmacokinet, 49(8), 535-548.

8. Konings, E. J., Roomans, H. H., Dorant, E., Goldbohm, R. A., Saris, W. H., & van den Brandt, P. A. (2001). Folate intake of the Dutch population according to newly established liquid chromatography data for foods. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 73(4), 765-776.
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What's Up with Beets?

24/1/2013

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There's a lot of buzz about the uses and benefits of beet juice for performance. In this article, Joe McQuillan PhD (at the time a PhD candidate) looks at some of the research on beets and performance

Joe McQuillan PhD
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Recently, two research articles presented evidence for increased time-trial performance in well-trained cyclists (relative VO2max ~57 ml/kg/min) following dietary nitrate supplementation using beetroot juice.
If you have been following the time-line of beetroot juice as a method to enhance stamina or decrease the cost of exercise you would know there is nothing unusual about the findings—aside from the fact it was carried out on trained cyclists.  To ensure transparency of findings both studies utilized a double-blind (researchers and subjects are not aware of whether the drink is nitrate rich or nitrate depleted), repeated measures cross-over (subjects carried out all testing under nitrate rich and nitrate depleted conditions).  Diets were also closely monitored so that prior to testing cyclists did not alter their diet in any way, thus reducing the possibility for external alterations to changes in performance.

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Table 1. Variables of interest for nitrate supplementation in well-trained cyclists.
​The choice of drink in both studies was James White Drinks organic beet-it juice, however the two studies employed quite marked loading protocols with Cermak et al (2011) using a 6-day chronic loading phase using 140 ml/day at a concentration of 8.0 mmol.  In the second reviewed study, Lansley et al (2011) used 500 ml of 6.2 mmol concentration taken as an acute dose 2.5 hours prior to the 4 km and 16.1 km time-trial. Table 1. details the characteristics of participants, the loading protocols and changes in performance over 4 km,10 km and 16.1 km distance following dietary nitrate supplementation.

While previous studies have shown changes in performance using ‘healthy’ populations this is the first evidence that dietary nitrate supplementation via natural beetroot juice can enhance performance in a trained group of athletes.  A reduction of time by 1% will result in a 34 sec reduction for a 60 min time-trial. To achieve this from as a result of a ‘training effect’ for an already well-trained athlete would require either an increase in training time, change in methodology of training or—if this option exists in the sport – purchasing equipment to go faster or all of the above.

Other Findings

Within their study, Cermak et al (2011) also investigated the impact of nitrate supplementation on two bouts of 30 mins of steady state cycling. To achieve this, participants cycled on an ergometer at 45% and 65% of their peak power output (PPO) based on a previous incremental cycle test.  Their ventilation response was measured during this time in order to assess a variety of breathing responses including oxygen (VO2) utilisation and carbon dioxide production (VCO2).  As witnessed in previous papers a reduction in VO2 was accompanied by no change in VCO2, total energy utilization, heart rate or rate of perceived exertion.  The magnitude of the reduction of VO2 at 45% PPO was 3.5% and at 65% PPO it was 5.2%.  Therefore at greater relative intensities, dietary nitrate appears to have a greater effect on enhancement of exercise economy.  It would appear that the combined effects of vasodilation, alterations within the mitochondria and improved ATP efficiency are – at least in part—responsible for these physiological improvements which lead to the performance improvements witnessed in the three details time-trials.

The relatively large dosage of Cermak et al (2011) equates to a nitrate intake of ~500 mg.  I say relatively large as to ingest the same amount of nitrate through raw vegetables would require eating ~3 moderate lettuces in one sitting.  Healthy, yes, but quite impractical as a loading strategy and in the lead up to competition.  Obviously, with no preparation required and ease of ingestion 2.5 hours out from an event the beetroot juice is formulated for a sporting focused market. With these relatively new findings expect to see an increasing number of cyclists, runners, multisporters and triathletes of all abilities consuming beetroot juice before their peak events.

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