Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
As the weather starts to get colder and the days start to feel shorter, cold and flu season slowly begins to creep up on us. Here are some tips and information on cold and flu season by Jerry Hickey, R. Ph. How is the flu …
Photo by Natalie Collins on Unsplash Are you paying attention to your bones lately? Collagen powder is one of my favorite proteins. I usually add a scoop or two in my yogurt and shakes. Here, Jerry Hickey makes us aware of how important collagen is …
Yes, the heat is on and does take a toll on your entire body. Here, Jerry Hickey shares some great information on sexual health and how much more we can enjoy ourselves despite the summer heat!
By Jerry Hickey R.Ph
Heat and humidity, the dehydration, discomfort and fatigue they contribute to can take a toll on summer sexual fun. There is actually a simple way around this. Creatine monohydrate is a nutrient used frequently by athletes and body builders. Research shows it improves strength and endurance. It is also effective for memory, focus, and mental health by mostly improving mental energy and supporting the reward system in the brain that is needed for sexual satisfaction. These effects in addition to the physical effects such as improving physical endurance and performance, helps support a good libido and sexual function.
Additionally, studies in college athletes demonstrate that Creatine helps prevent dehydration and muscle-injuries while improving stamina; many of the activities that support sexual health.
How would a simple supplement do this; Creatine makes it easier for the body to use oxygen and calories for energy and it effectively recycles spent fuel promoting long term energy production. Simply mix a teaspoon of Creatine Monohydrate in a glass of water or juice and chug away. Within a few days you will experience the difference.
People with kidney disease should not use Creatine because eventually it is excreted via the kidneys and it should also not be used while undergoing physical therapy after surgery or an injury. After physical therapy and for all the rest of us Creatine Monohydrate is a very useful supplement.
The herb Maca can also help if used at a dosage of 1000mg twice to three times a day taken with meals. Maca is a cabbage and mustard related vegetable. It grows high up in the Peruvian Andes Mountains. Many native Peruvians who live in this harsh environment regularly use Maca for stamina, energy and sexual health. Maca has been studied in a number of groups and it has been shown to improve libido and desire, sexual stamina, sexual performance and even mild ED (erectile dysfunction). In a study from the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital Maca actually reversed the sexual dysfunction commonly caused by antidepressants in the SSRI family of antidepressants. Maca root alleviated the drug-induced sexual dysfunction and had a beneficial effect on libido. The dosage used in this study was 3,000mg a day.
In a very different group of people Maca was also very beneficial. Researchers from the School of Psychology and Sports Sciences, North Umbria University in the UK supplemented well trained male cyclists with Maca. Over a two-week period Maca improved cycling time and physical performance in a 40 kilometer timed cycling trial compared to placebo and these effects persisted for weeks, but it had other unexpected effects in these vigorous, young male athletes. Maca significantly improved their sexual desire and number of sexual fantasies per day. These effects have been noted in other trials as well.
Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash Previous research has shown that intense physical exercise over the course of a year decreases bone mineral density in cyclists. During intense exercise the level of calcium in your blood drops for a number of reasons. As the level …
Photo by Chuttersnap on Unsplash Don’t just grab a sunscreen off the shelf, take a moment, read the label and make sure you are getting the most out of it. You want to enjoy the sun but should protect you and your family. Jerry Hickey R.Ph clearly explains the importance of sunscreens …
Written by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph, Scientific Director and Pharmacist for InVite® Health
Yesterday I shared my plan for post-surgical healing. One of the nutrients I mentioned was Collagen explaining that both my wife and I customarily use collagen and here is the explanation for why. It is taken from an article I wrote for our catalog.
We are made out of protein and a great deal of this protein exists as collagen. Collagen is a structural protein – it is the foundation for building the body. Collagen is needed for joint health, bone structure, the skin, hair, nails, ligaments, tendons, lining of the intestines, meniscus of the knees, and the vertebrae and discs of the spine.
When we are young we can readily transform the protein in fish, meat and beans into collagen as needed. However, by the tender young age of about 25 we start to lose this ability. Our manufacture of collagen decreases at a rate of about 1.5 % per year. In our twenties and thirties this is not enough of a drop to mean anything but by the time we reach 50 we’ve lost about 38 % of our ability to create collagen. By the time we are 60 this reaches 53 %; we’re not making enough collagen for our bodies needs.
In our joints a hard rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of our bones. This cartilage prevents the bones from banging into and scratching one another’s surface. About 66 % of the cartilage in our joint is made out of collagen. If production slows down it is harder to maintain joint health. Recent research has shown that collagen supplement improves the formation of new cartilage cells known as chondrocytes in the shock absorbing fluid of the joint known as synovial fluid. When you bend your knee or other joints the fluid rushes in and the new cartilage cells fill in any micro-tears in the cartilage helping to nourish and maintain it.
About 70% of our skin is made out of sheets of collagen. With age, the skin is damaged by the sun and other factors hardening it, creating wrinkles and decreasing the elasticity of the skin. New skin production slows down and age related skin discolorations accrue. Collagen protein jump starts the production of skin and research from France and Japan shows it actually seems to fit better, is more resilient and has a better sheen. Wrinkles start to fill in and the skin is younger. Collagen also creates the related tissues; hair and nails.
Everyone knows that calcium and vitamin D are very important for bone health; collagen is just as important. The foundation and framework of bone is called the organic matrix. The matrix is where calcium and other minerals and vitamins attach to, hardening it into bone. Collagen exists in bone as thousands of highly organized tough cables and 90% of the organic matrix of bone is made out of collagen. The other 10% of the bones foundational structure is largely vitamin D and the mineral silica. As collagen production slows down it becomes harder to create this bone foundation. Research shows that taking Collagen protein strongly supports bone health and is dramatically important for any bone treatment program. Research from France shows that collagen also triggers the formation of new baby bone forming cells known as osteoblasts which in addition further help rebuild bone.
Collagen is a large molecule which is hard for us to absorb but hydrolyzing the protein breaks down the particles into smaller sizes so it is readily absorbed. The successful studies with joint, bone and skin health use hydrolyzed collagen.