Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
HEPATITIS~ THE TYPES, THE SUPPORT AND CAN IT BE PREVENTED? By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Hepatitis is a disease that we’ve all heard about and it also triggers fear for many when it’s discussed. It is often associated with hypodermic needle drug users, …
Cataracts Explained Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to start off this topic on vision with cataracts for one simple reason – it’s extremely common. In fact I bet you know someone who has cataracts whether it be a relative or friend. Just how …
Complete Eye Support with Macula Advanced!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
When someone calls and asks about a product for eye health one of the first things I recommend is our Macula Advanced. Personally in my opinion Macula Advanced really hits all the marks. Not only is it an easy to swallow and digest capsule it is also chock full of nutrients for our eyes. I bet your thinking something along the lines of “but Dr. Claire isn’t that formula just for macular degeneration”? Well my answer is nope! It is great for so many of the conditions that affect our eyes. So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of why I like this formula so much, shall we?
Let’s start with the vitamin portion first. Vitamin A, the very first item is a power house when it comes to eye health. What does WebMD have to say about Vitamin A? Well it states that “Vitamin A helps to maintain and can help prevent age related macular degeneration”. Vitamin A has also been found to help slow vision loss in those with macular degeneration. Vitamin A deficiency is also associated with poor night vision. (1)
Vitamin C is another powerful nutrient when it comes to our overall health. But did you know how great it is for our eyes? According to the American optometric Association there is evidence that Vitamin C can reduce the risk of cataracts. There is also evidence that it can slow the progression of macular degeneration. Lastly there is evidence Vitamin C may help with visual acuity. (2) According to newer studies nerve cells in the eye need Vitamin C to work properly. (3) Studies have also found that Vitamin C can lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy by up to 50% after 8 years. (4)
The next item in Macula Advanced is Zinc. Now I bet you are thinking – but wait isn’t that just for our immune system? Nope it’s great for eye health too! Studies have found that zinc can help with vision loss especially in those with macular degeneration. (5) Zinc has also been found to help with slowing down cataract formation especially in those with diabetes. (6) Lastly Vitamin E has been found to help protect the cells in the eyes from free radicles which can cause damage. (2)
In addition to the vitamins that help eye health Macula Advanced contains certain select nutrients that can help with eye health. The first nutrient, one of my favorite is NAC. This has been found to help protect retinal cells from oxidative damage which is important when working with conditions such as macular degeneration. (7) Bilberry, another nutrient has been studied and found to help with protecting our eyes. For example bilberry has been found to help with dry eye. (8) Cassis fruit is an excellent source of anthocyanins which have been found to potentially help with both myopia and glaucoma. (9) According to studies both Lutein and Zeaxanthin are all important nutrients for keeping our eyes protected from such concerns as macular degeneration and cataracts. (1). Lastly Lycopene has been found to help with both cataracts and macular degeneration. (11)
Overall as you can see Macula Advanced is an amazing overall formula for our eye health! Our next topic is going to be something that comes up all the time – Cataracts!
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PINK EYE~ IT’S NOT JUST A CHILDHOOD INFECTION By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is often associated with childhood infections, as we have all probably had a classmate or even ourselves that contracted this during our school years. However, it’s …
Vision Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Vision or eye health is a topic that affects both men and women of all ages. However it can also be one of the most confusing topics. There are so many different options when it comes to keeping …
Invite Health Gummies
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to take the time to talk about the new products Invite has recently released. You may have noticed something about them! They are in a gummy form. Now I know what you’re thinking – But Dr. Claire I thought you always said gummies aren’t very good for you? What makes Invite Health gummies different? Well that is exactly what I’m going to be blogging about today!
Let’s start with the colors in the gummies. Invite Health doesn’t use any artificial colors. So what do we use instead? In our gummies you will find Beta carotene and Black carrot extract used as colors. But does this point really matter? Well according to the Cleveland Clinic artificial colors such as red dye 40 can have side effects such as hyperactivity, irritably and can even trigger depression. There can also be allergic reactions such as skin irritation, hives and even asthma. Artificial colors can also trigger migraines. (1)
Invite gummies do not contain any artificial sweeteners. Studies have found many side effects to artificial sweeteners. So many that I couldn’t possibly begin to list them all! The most common side effects are to the digestive system, neurological system and even our heart health. (2) Now you may notice a small amount of sugar in the gummies. Why not use stevia? Well it’s simple. While stevia is a great choice for our powders when they tried them in a gummy form the extensive testing Invite does on all its products found that the results were not consistent with the type of product that is in keeping with Invite Health standards.
What else sets Invite gummies apart from other brands of gummies? There are no artificial flavorings used. So what does Invite use instead? We use natural flavors from sources such as orange, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and even peach. Once again I’ll bet your asking why this is important. Studies have found that artificial flavors can have side effects. (3)
Another ingredient that is often found in gummies is palm oil. There is no palm oil in our gummies. Palm oil contains quite a bit of saturated fats. (4) This is that fat that is associated with an increase in blood LDL or “bad cholesterol” and this can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. (5) For more information please check out Allie Might’s blog on the different types of fats, it is entitled “Fats – The skinny you need to know.”
Now what about the doses. Aren’t all gummies so low dose as to be just fancy candy? Absolutely not! In the suggested dose of the new digestive probiotic gummy you will see it provides 5 Billion CFUs. That is exactly the same amount of CFUs as some of our other probiotics such as Probiotic Maintain. While at a glance the new collagen may seem low in how much collagen it has but it important to remember that it is a Marine based collagen and the peptides are smaller than a Bovine source would be. Thus the amount is a very reasonable amount. (6)
Lastly Invite gummies are free of both gelatin and gluten. These make them a great option for anyone who is looking for a gelatin or gluten free option. And before you ask – yes they are both KOSHER and HALAL! But HOW DO THEY TASTE? I mean they look great on the surface but a gummy that tastes bad is just plain sad. Well I have tried them and can say that they get the Dr. Claire yummy award. They taste great and have a great texture.
Invite knows that sometimes you might get tired of taking so many pills. Or you may be going on a trip where it would be impossible to take powders. Invite’s new gummies are easy to add in to any supplement protocol or even just stand alone. As always feel free to contact an Invite nutritionist with any questions.
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