Supplements 101 Episodes

99% of calcium is in our bones. The last 1% is a fine balancing act between hormones and nutrients. So how much should you consume? What are the best supplement forms? What foods (besides dairy) have the highest amounts? What if it’s high or low on your lab reports? Tune in and find out as Tina & Leah tell you all about our most abundant mineral, calcium. Links to relevant prior episodes: Supplements 101: Understanding The Basics Dairy: Does it Promote Cancer? Bone Health: Survivorsh!t! Magnesi...

Magnesium deficiency is incredibly common. No need for this, though. There are simple labs to run. You can also fix a deficiency with food and supplements. But what are some symptoms of Mg deficiency? And who should NOT be taking it as a supplement? Join Tina & Leah as they chat about the 4th most abundant mineral in the human body. (What's #1? You'll have to tune in.) Let's face it, nutrition advice is all over the board these days. Whatever your menu looks like, you need to ensure you get foo...

Did you know blood levels of B12 are likely to be high in those with cancer? Is this harmful? What about B12 deficiency? What should you look for? Tina & Leah talk about vitamin B12 and why you shouldn’t just take it willy-nilly. Cobalamin (B12) is a nutrient that can often be deficient, especially in vegans/vegetarians, anyone with chronic GI issues, and even simple aging leads to lower levels. On the flip side, those with solid tumors tend to have higher levels circulating in their blood. Wha...

Melatonin is a popular supplement in cancer care. Tina & Leah review the many uses of melatonin and tackle some controversies around this powerful hormone. Join us as they chat, like only two naturopathic docs can. Did you know melatonin was first discovered in 1958? That’s a long time ago! Amazingly, research is still uncovering new ways melatonin affects the body. We know it sets our circadian clocks, influences immune cells and acts as an antioxidant inside cells. But like so many natural a...

Curcumin is what makes turmeric orange. It is also a very popular supplement. What does it do exactly? How should it be taken? How is it used in integrative oncology? Can you take it with chemo? Tina & Leah answer these questions and much more in this episode of The Cancer Pod. Want to support the show? Just buy us a coffee! Buymeacoffee and THANK YOU! Links we mentioned on this episode and other cool stuff: A review of the health benefits of Curcumin Foods Turmeric in cancer care Memorial-S...

Mushrooms are a valuable food and medicine, but which ones are best? Are they safe during treatment for cancer? What’s the proper dose? Do they really affect immune function? Tina & Leah discuss all of this and more from a practical- and as always-naturopathic perspective. The use of mushrooms dates back thousands of years. As a food, mushrooms add nutrients like vitamin D, B vitamins and even protein to your diet. As a medicine, all mushrooms contain components that help support proper immune ...

L-glutamine is a "conditionally essential" amino acid. What's that? Tune in & find out: what glutamine is, what it does, and when you shouldn't be taking it. Tina & Leah discuss generalities and then delve into specifics, particularly for those who have (or had!) cancer. Glutamine is one of those supplements that many people take…. willy-nilly. That’s a bad idea. There is a time and a place for glutamine supplementation. Listen in to find out more. Why is glutamine so tricky to use a...

Vitamin C: so simple, so necessary... but what is it used for exactly? And what does deficiency look like? Is vitamin C deficiency linked to cancer incidence? Recurrence? Are there times when it should not be taken? Tina & Leah answer all of these questions and more! Vitamin C is vital to the production of collagen, immune cells, and energy from fats in our diet, to name just a few of its actions. Sometimes called ascorbic acid or ascorbate, vitamin C is a nutrient that you can get from various...

What exactly is collagen? Does it really support skin and joints? And, most pressing: IS IT SAFE to take (in general? if you've had cancer?) Tina and Leah answer all of this and more as they discuss one of the most popular functional foods available today. Did you know there are at least 28 different types of collagen in the human body? It is by far the most abundant protein in humans, accounting for about 30% of the total protein content in the body. Collagen is a "scaffolding" protein becaus...

Vitamin D may be the most pivotal nutrient in all of cancer care. Tina and Leah talk about this hormone masquerading as a “vitamin.” How much is ideal? Do you need to take it? Can you get what you need from the sun? Is it even safe to take? There is a tremendous amount of information on vitamin D and cancer, so there is a lot to sift through to figure out what is well-founded and what is hype. Tina and Leah discuss the data, their experiences with patients, and how you can optimize your levels....

In this episode, Tina and Leah cover what you need to know about folate, otherwise known as vitamin B9 or folic acid. What could be so important about folate that a whole episode is dedicated to it, you ask? Well, there are times when supplementation is needed and other times when it could be detrimental. Companies selling supplements aren’t going to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but we will. Plus, there is a lot of misinformation out there on folate/folic acid, and who be...

What exactly are omega-3 fatty acids? They are essential, but what does “essential” even mean? Why do we need them? Tina and Leah tackle these questions and more. They also discuss the role of omega-3s before, during, and after treatment for cancer. They include a few studies that show particular benefits during conventional cancer treatments and some cautionary notes too.