The Omega-3 Index is a blood marker that reflects how much of the marine omega-3 fats EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are built into your red blood cell membranes. Because red blood cells turn over slowly, the index is often used as a more “long-term” indicator of omega-3 status than a one-time diet recall or a plasma fatty-acid test. It is defined as the combined amount of EPA + DHA in red blood cell (RBC) membranes, expressed as a percentage of total RBC fatty...

Catastrophizing is a common thinking pattern where your mind jumps to the worst-case scenario and then treats it as likely or inevitable. In therapy circles, it is often called “cognitive distortion”. It can increase anxiety and make problems feel monumental and unsolvable. Just thinking catastrophic thoughts has been shown to increase blood inflammatory markers temporarily. Interestingly, in men these markers returned to normal levels when they stopped catastrophizing, but in women the...

Drug-nutrient interactions are plentiful, and they can result in the depletion of essential nutrients required for healthy metabolic function. These can happen if a drug: reduces nutrient absorption reduces nutrient synthesis in the body impairs metabolism of the nutrient, so it can’t function properly increases excretion of the nutrient A pharmacist or the internet can tell you what category of drugs a medication is from. This list gives the better-known nutrient lowering effects of...