Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Blood Pressure Basics! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Blood pressure is something that we all have. Keeping our blood pressure healthy is a concern that affects people of all ages. While it may be easy to write off high blood pressure as just something that …
MEN’S HEALTH: THE RECIPES THEY LOVE By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Welcome to MEN’S HEALTH MONTH, or as it’s come to be known as, MOVEMBER. I wanted to take some time this month to discuss issues that affect men, such as hormones, hair …
Collagen for the Heart?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In my last blog I mentioned that I would be reviewing a few supplements for the heart that you normally don’t associate with heart health. The first such supplement is collagen! Collagen is an important building block for many parts of the body. Remember those valves I wrote about in the anatomy of the heart blog? Those valves are very important in keeping blood flowing in the right direction. Well collagen is a huge part of these valves and the muscles that work to open and close them. According to studies without enough collagen in the body these valves don’t function optimally. In fact deficiencies in collagen proteins may lead to valve disease. (1)
In addition to helping with the valves of the heart collagen has been found to help certain blood markers that are used to treat heart health. Studies have found collagen to help with lowering LDL and lowering blood pressure. Additionally studies have found that collagen can even increase the levels of HDL which helps to protect the heart! (2, 3)
Collagen has also been found to help in fighting atherosclerosis or the buildup of plaque that occurs in both our heart and in our blood vessels. (4) In addition to being important to our heart itself collagen is also an important part of our blood vessels. Basically what collagen does is allow our arteries to be flexible and elastic. This is important for things such as our blood pressure. When there is a deficiency of collagen the arteries will become less flexible. This can in the long term lead to blood pressure going up and thus it can increase our risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke! (5)
Studies have found so many uses for collagen in keeping us healthy! For example as I mentioned in my series on joint health collagen can help with the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Studies have found that taking collagen supplement can help with general joint pain and even joint stiffness! (6) Related to our joint health in way is our bone health. Our bones are basically made of 2 parts and these are the mineral part and the collagen part. Picture a ladder that is filled with pillows. That is basically our bones. The ladder is the mineral part and the collagen the soft pillow part. Studies indicate that collagen supplements may slow the breakdown of bone which is what leads to a decrease in our bone density. (7)
Collagen has also been found in studies to help with our muscle strength and health. This is particularity true for those that are experiencing sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass that occurs as we age. (8) This may be something that you may say but wait I’m still young! Why do I need to care about something that may not happen for years? Because as I always say it is better to prevent a problem now than actually have to treat a problem after it occurs.
From both studies and my own practical experience, I can tell you that collagen is excellent for gut health. For anyone with leaky gut syndrome collagen can be a wonderful addition to any treatment protocol.
But these concerns are just our internal “stuff” as they say. What about our hair, skin and nails? Does collagen do anything for these structures? The answer is yes! Collagen is one of the building blocks for these structures and studies show that collagen can help maintain their health. (9)
One of the questions I get asked all the time is how do I use the Collagen Hx ? My answer is in any way that you will be able to do consistently. For example if you make a daily shake adding collagen is an easy way to take it. However if you hate shakes then that’s not the choice for you. It is better to add it to a beverage you do like. Drink a daily cup of tea or even coffee? Add your collagen to help make your regular beverage a nutritious start to your day. Do you like to start your day with yogurt or even oatmeal? Collagen can be added to both of these! Collagen is also fine mixed with plan water too! Remember what I always say about consistency. It is key to the way supplements work. And don’t be afraid to try new things. You might try a fruit smoothie with collagen and find you love it!
In our next blog I will be talking about blood pressure which is an important topic for everyone no matter their age.
RESVERATROL: THE ANTI-AGING POWERHOUSE By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Anti-aging means something different to everyone. Some of us associate anti-aging with skin care and physically looking younger than we are, while others think of maintaining a healthy heart and healthy brain function with …
Heart Health Anatomy Made Easy! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND The heart has been called the organ that never sleeps. Every day it beats on and on, keeping blood flowing throughout our body. Now I know when people think of heart health, the first …
Getting to know NAC (N-Acetyl L-Cysteine)
Dr. Claire Arcidiancono
During this time of year I often get asked “what can I do to help boost my immune system?” What can I do to help my lung health/ function? And perhaps the most common question at this time of year is what can I do about mucus and post nasal drip?? While there are many products that can help with these topics I wanted to highlight one of my personal favorites which is NAC. Let’s start simple. What exactly is NAC? NAC is an antioxidant that is made from an amino acid called cysteine. (1)
NAC is an amazing supplement for the immune system and the lungs. Studies show that NAC can help promote our immune system and can even protect our lungs from disorders such as pulmonary fibrosis which is seen in disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or as it is more commonly referred to COPD. (2) Studies also show that NAC can help improve many of the other symptoms seen in COPD such as lung function decline (in other words it helps keep our lungs working!). (3) NAC has also been found to help our lungs by reducing signs of bronchitis. (4) NAC has also been found to help with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis. NAC helps with other lung disorders such as nasal/ sinus congestion and even asthma. (5) In my clinical experience I have found NAC to be one of the most important supplements for anyone with asthma to use.
NAC also helps to promote our immune system and lung health by helping our body to make glutathione. This powerful antioxidant is very important in so many different aspects of health. One of its many jobs is to help our immune system do its job. (6)
One of the reason I like to recommend NAC is that in addition to boosting our immune system it also helps to kill pathogens or “bad guys” such as virus. Studies show that NAC is particularly good for respiratory health as it can decrease the incidence of pneumonia. New studies are finding that NAC helps improve disease outlook in those with COVID-19. (7) Other studies show that NAC helps to improve inflammatory markers and that leads to overall improved lung function! (8)
Now I know what you are thinking – that’s a lot of studies but what does it all mean on a practical note? It basically means that NAC helps to boost our overall immune system, it helps to kill any pathogens or “bad guys” and it is very important to overall lung health/ helping our lungs to work their best!
In addition to these benefits NAC is also very useful for breaking apart mucus. Having tons of mucus can lead to a post nasal drip which can then lead to a chronic cough. In this situation it is very important to breakdown the mucus so it can easily be eliminated by the body. Studies show that mucus clearance is improved with NAC. (9) The Mayo clinic even says that NAC thins and dissolves mucus! (10) In my clinical experience I find NAC to be very helpful for anyone with congestion or mucus or even a post nasal drip.
NAC does much more than just promote our immune system and lung health! It is also very good for our organs of detox. In other words NAC is beneficial for our liver and kidneys the 2 organs that are important in the detox process. NAC is also important for our eye health and our vision. Newer studies are coming out showing how NAC is great for improving our memory. Interestingly NAC has also been found to help with heart health. (11)
In summary NAC is one of the first supplements that I recommend to anyone who wants to boost their immune system, is suffering from a preexisting lung condition or just has seasonal allergies! I always like to recommend supplements that help promote overall health and given how many benefits NAC has it definitely fits the bill.