Getting IV therapy in Toronto can help support daily energy levels, skin health and mental clarity. IV drip therapy is loaded with key nutrients, so these treatments can help replenish vitamins you may be missing from an unbalanced diet. 

A balanced diet includes an assortment of healthy foods. This should include fresh veggies and fruits, water, proteins, and whole grains. But studies are showing that the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has amplified – and according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadians get 50% of their daily calories from these foods!

Ultra-processed foods are marketed with vibrant packaging and formulated with additives and industrial substances. UPFs are designed to be convenient, flavoursome, and affordable, and tend to contain excessive amounts of sugars, starches and preservatives. Thus, these foods tend to lack much-needed nutrients for the human body. Instead of offering nourishing effects, UPFs can spike blood sugar levels, make people tired, and boost the formation of chronic illnesses. 

The Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC) highlights facts about these chemical-ladened foods, how to start improving your nutrition, and sustaining optimal health in our IV Lounge. 

Key facts about ultra-processed foods

• • Unprocessed and minimally processed foods still hold nutritional value, as only the inedible components have been removed (i.e.  pasteurization). Apples, raw cashews, and carrots are examples. 
  • Processed items contain salt, oils, etc., which alters food from its natural format; processed items contain approximately 2-3 different ingredients. Examples include fresh breads and canned foods (i.e. vegetables).
  • Excessively processed foods (which are ultra processed) contain artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives/stabilizers, not to mention sugars, fats, and salts. Some examples of UPFs include packaged snacks (i.e. cookies, cakes), refined grains, hot dogs, pop, fast foods, and microwavable meals. 
  • In a study from BMJ, 104 980 participants were scrutinized over five years to establish risks for forming cancer on a diet of UPFs. The researchers confirmed, “…a 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet was associated with a significant increase of greater than 10% in risks of overall breast cancer.”
  • UPFs are linked to brain health concerns, such as poor cognitive function. A study from Neurology showed that you boost your risks of forming cognitive impairments and strokes when you increase your diet with UPFs by 10%. 
  • Studies have also shown that ultra-processed items are related to the formation of diabetes, obesity, and blood pressure regulation issues. The sugar content in ultra-processed foods tends to trigger insulin spikes; as a result, regular UPF intake can potentially modify the brain’s cellular health. 
  • The gut has impressive roles in immune health and your body’s absorption of vitamins. Unfortunately, UPFs can disturb your gut health and regular consumption can cause an upset stomach, leaky gut, chronic inflammation, and poor digestion. It’s not a surprise then that chronic digestive conditions (i.e. inflammatory bowel disease) are linked to the consumption of ultra-processed foods. 

Functional medicine tips to revive your nutrient levels

Are you ready to set health goals to improve your nutrition? Nourishing your body with nutrients can promote beneficial effects – start eating healthily with these tips:

• • Explore a new diet regime: Consider the Mediterranean Diet (MD) to boost your nutrient intake, as it emphasizes natural ingredients, such as nuts, heart-healthy fish, and leafy greens. Multiple studies confirm that eating a low amount of UPFs while on an MD-based diet is linked to optimal brain function. 

• • Request lab testing: A functional healthcare provider (i.e. naturopathic doctor, holistic nutritionist) can modify a treatment for your nutrition needs. Core tests may be used to quantify micronutrient levels (i.e. personalized metabolomics test). Functional lab tests provide detailed assessments that some conventional tests are not capable of doing.  

• • Read food labels carefully: Information on food packaging can be identified, which can help you avoid UPFs. An article from Public Health Nutrition recommends refraining from foods that contain ingredients rarely found in kitchens (i.e. hydrolysed proteins). Also, try to avoid foods with additives, such as flavorings, emulsifiers, thickeners, and glazing agents.
  • Consider oral supplementation and/or an IV vitamin drip: When combined with dietary changes, exercise, and other therapies, supplements can promote optimal function. Tablets, caplets, powders are available, but if you have absorption issues, intravenous drips can be prescribed to you. IV therapy drips are designed so that a nutritional solution enters your blood stream, thereby avoiding the digestive tract; this provides you with an immediate, rapid absorption of nutrients. 

If you’ve been having brain fog, poor muscle recovery or chronic fatigue, have you thought about testing your nutrient levels? At the TFMC, we offer functional tests and a personalized treatment service to address your unique chief health concerns, such as hormonal imbalances, issues with food sensitivities, digestive problems, and more. Reach out to us today. 

Get a custom-made IV drip from our Toronto IV Lounge

The TFMC is currently accepting new patients for functional medicine therapies and IV Lounge visits. The functional medicine approach to wellness is a health care model that treats a person as an individual patient rather than a group category. At the TFMC, this involves customizing a treatment plan with a wide range of modalities (i.e. allopathic therapies, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, etc.), and these are all adapted by our clinicians. Functional testing may be advised to scrutinize your amounts of nutrients, hormones, inflammation, etc.

We have been administering intravenous therapy in our IV Lounge since 2012. Our IV therapy treatments are adapted with functional medicine principles, so doses of nutrients are never the same between patients! A custom-made IV drip, such as one formulated as a post-surgical drip, can be supportive for health goals. A variety of key ingredients are offered in our IV Lounge, such as vitamin C, glutathione, vitamin B6, phosphatidylcholine, amino acids with alpha lipoic acid, and NAD+ IV therapy. Injection treatments can also be prescribed with vitamin D, glutathione, and B-12. Our IV therapies are offered for adjunctive measures only and are not designed to act as stand-alone treatments. 

Suggested Reading: What is Phosphatidylcholine? A Q&A Fact Sheet from Our Toronto IV Therapy Lounge

When combined with a healthy quality of life and additional functional medicine therapies, a nutritional drip could contribute to optimal health. Replenish your body with nutrients today – ask us how to become a new patient at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

Bhave VM, Oladele CR, Ament Z, Kijpaisalratana N, Jones AC, Couch CA, Patki A, Garcia Guarniz AL, Bennett A, Crowe M, Irvin MR, Kimberly WT. Associations Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Adverse Brain Health Outcomes. Neurology. 2024 Jun 11;102(11):e209432. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209432. Epub 2024 May 22. PMID: 38776524; PMCID: PMC11175629.

Fiolet T, Srour B, Sellem L, Kesse-Guyot E, Allès B, Méjean C, Deschasaux M, Fassier P, Latino-Martel P, Beslay M, Hercberg S, Lavalette C, Monteiro CA, Julia C, Touvier M. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. BMJ. 2018 Feb 14;360:k322. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k322. PMID: 29444771; PMCID: PMC5811844.

Franchini, C., Biasini, B., Sogari, G. et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and its association with sustainable dietary behaviors, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle: a cross-sectional study in US University students. Nutr J 23, 56 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-024-00962-0

Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, Moubarac JC, Louzada ML, Rauber F, Khandpur N, Cediel G, Neri D, Martinez-Steele E, Baraldi LG, Jaime PC. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Apr;22(5):936-941. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018003762. Epub 2019 Feb 12. PMID: 30744710; PMCID: PMC10260459.

Moubarac JC. Ultra-processed foods in Canada: consumption, impact on diet quality

and policy implications. Montréal: TRANSNUT, University of Montreal; December 2017.

“News release: Time to curb our appetite for ultra-processed food” from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, posted on December 5, 2017, viewed on August 1, 2024. 

“What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for our health?” from the Harvard Health Publishing blog, posted January 9, 2020, viewed on August 3, 2024.