Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Alcar with ALA Capsules Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most popular products here at Invite Health has always been our Alcar with ALA formula. If you have been using Invite’s Alcar with ALA you may notice some changes to it! Now the …
From a Naturopaths Point of View Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Third Party Consultations One of the things we almost always mention is how you can call Invite for a consultation with a qualified nutritionist. You can even go to the website and …
Gluco Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
When it comes to helping someone regulate their blood sugar one of my favorite supplements is Gluco Hx. But why is this such a great product? Well let’s get into it, shall we? To start with Gluco Hx is a combination of things that studies show are helpful for regulating blood sugar. In addition to helping blood sugar quite a few of the items in Gluco Hx have other benefits I’ll be talking about.
Chromium is the first nutrient in Gluco Hx. Studies have found that chromium is helpful in reducing insulin resistance and in improving glucose control. Chromium picolinate, the form found in Gluco Hx has been found to be the most effective form for helping with our blood sugar. (1) In addition to helping with blood sugar chromium has been found to help decrease both total cholesterol and LDL levels. Interestingly chromium use is also associated with an increase in HDL, or the good cholesterol. (2) Chromium has been found to help with metabolic syndrome. (3) Studies have also found that chromium can help to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol in those with PCOS. (4) Studies have even found that adding chromium can help improve weight loss and reduce body fat. (4) As you can see chromium has many health benefits!
Alpha Lipoic Acid is another nutrient that is found in Gluco Hx. Studies have found a few benefits to ALA. To start with according to Mount Sinai ALA can lower our blood sugar levels. (5) Studies have found that using ALA can help to reduce insulin resistance. (6) Studies have also found that ALA can help reduce the pain and discomfort associated with neuropathy. (7) This is important since neuropathy is a common complication of high blood sugar.
Gymnema is another nutrient that you will find in Gluco Hx. Studies have found that using gymnema appears to reduce intestinal absorption of sugar. (8) Studies have also found that gymnema can help to reduce blood sugar when used after a meal which results in overall lower blood sugar over time. (9) Gymnema may also stimulate insulin production. (10) Lastly gymnema has been found to help promote healthy cholesterol levels and even help with weight loss. (11) Overall gymnema is a very helpful nutrient for our overall health.
Bitter Melon has a funny name but studies have found it to be very helpful for blood sugar. In fact studies have found that after only 12 weeks of use bitter melon can lower blood sugar in those who are diagnosed with prediabetes. (12) The next nutrient is Fenugreek. When most people think of fenugreek they think of digestive health. But did you know fenugreek is also good for other health concerns as well. In fact studies have found that adding fenugreek can help reduce fasting blood sugar. It’s also been found to help improve glucose tolerance. Lastly studies find that fenugreek can help regulate cholesterol levels. (13) The very last nutrient in Gluco Hx is a mineral called Vanadium. Studies have found that it is very good for blood sugar and even cholesterol levels. (14)
Overall Gluco Hx is a powerful support for those who need help with blood sugar. How do you know if you need this help? The best way to know is to get blood work done. In my clinical experience Gluco Hx is what I call a therapeutic nutrient that you use if you need it. It’s not like a multi that you use for overall general wellness. To determine if Gluco Hx is right for you feel free to reach out to an Invite Nutritionist! Our next topic will be why it is not always appropriate to do what we call third party consultations.
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From a Naturopathic Point of View Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Throughout this series I will be reviewing certain health topics that I find tend to be the least well understood. I especially want to focus on a holistic point of view. The fist topic …
Stress and Anxiety Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Before we move on to a different topic I felt it was important to talk about our mental health. Being diagnosed with cancer or any other chronic illness is much more than just the physical aspects of …
Hair Enhance
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to talk about a product that may be new to you, Hair Enhance! This is an excellent formula for helping with hair growth. It can help enhance hair strength as well. However some of the nutrients in Hair Enhance may seem confusing. So let’s review a few of these unexpected nutrients, shall we?
Let’s start with Saw Palmetto. In a 16 week study it was found that saw palmetto can help reduce hair fall. The study also found that saw palmetto helped to promote hair regrowth. Even scalp health was improved with saw palmetto use. (1) Another study found a 27% improvement in total hair when those who have alopecia used saw palmetto. The study also found that 83% of people that use saw palmetto had an increase in hair density. Lastly the study found that hair loss progression stabilized in approximately 52% of people using saw palmetto. In other words they did not continue to lose more hair. (2) Now when most people think of saw palmetto they think of men’s health. Which leads to a common question – is saw palmetto considered to be safe for both men and women? Well the answer is that saw palmetto is regarded as safe for both women and men. Please consult a professional if you are pregnant or nursing since pregnant or nursing induvial have unique medical concerns. (3) What is the take away message from all these studies on saw palmetto? Well between the studies and my clinical experience saw palmetto is very helpful for our overall hair growth.
The next item that may seem confusing is zinc. In one study it was found that having low levels of zinc promotes hair loss. (4) Zinc is also important for our hair because it helps to make keratin which is a protein that forms the hair stands. Zinc is also important for the health of our hair follicles. Zinc is also important for the balance of hormones that affect the overall quality of our hair. (5) So yes in my opinion zinc is an important nutrient for more than you would expect!
Tocotrienols is another nutrient that may surprise you. To start with what the heck is a tocotrienol? Well tocotrienols are a form of vitamin E. Studies have found that using tocotrienols can increase the number of hairs that you have. (6) Tocotrienols can also promote hair growth by protecting the hair from oxidative damage. (7)
Apple Fruit extract is one nutrient that may have you scratching our head. Studies have found that apple fruit extract can help to increase hair growth and even hair density after only 2 months of use. (8)
Hair Enhance also contains more expected nutrients such as biotin. Studies have found that biotin use can help those who have hair loss. (9) One question that I frequently get asked about a product for hair such as hair enhance is how quickly will it work? The answer is that it may take longer for you to notice changes in your hair than you expect. The reason is simply the fact that hair doesn’t grown very fast. The hair on the scalp typically grows between 0.6cm and 3.36cm per month. (10) If you look at a ruler you can see that it is quite a small amount. So in my clinical experience when it comes to hair growth patience is key! The Hair Enhance is a great formula. You just have to give it some time.
Our next blog will be the stress and anxiety associated with cancer.
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