Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the human body and is essential for things like healthy skin, muscle building, energy and more! Whey Protein is the best source, in order to reap all of the benefits of its important amino acids.
Tinnitus is the medical term for ringing in the ears. Here’s what you need to know about clinical studied nutrients that may help.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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In Part 1 of Restoring Your Aging Immune System, we discussed how your immune system becomes weaker with age, making you more susceptible to diseases and infections. If you missed that episode, click here to listen now! In today’s episode, Part 2, we will discuss what you can do to make your immune system stronger, including what supplements I take to help maintain overall health and wellness.
Probiotic Bacteria for the Immune System
Research shows that a healthy person has hundreds of strains of bacteria in their intestines, including strains of yeasts and viruses. A number of things can cause a decline in the number of these strains. These bacteria are intimately involved with controlling the immune system. About 70% of your immune cells come in contact with your digestive tract and there is an interaction between them and gut bacteria. If you don’t have sufficient quantities of healthy bacteria (the Probiotic-types), the harmful bacteria will confuse and active the immune system. This is implicated in many harmful things.
One is leaky gut syndrome. Toxins released by the bad bacteria inflame the lining of the intestines and you develop a leakage, where toxins from the intestines and possibly bacteria and viruses themselves leak into the blood stream and wreak havoc. In fact, leaky gut syndrome has been implicated in conditions such as systemic lupus and even rheumatoid arthritis. So, when you have sufficient, healthy bacteria your immune system is kept under control and they very quickly heal the lining of your stomach and intestines.
Probiotic numbers decline for a number of reasons –
You can obtain healthy bacteria or Probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt, kefir or a supplement. The strains of bacteria decline as we age, also. The journal Nutrients reviewed four different studies of people in their 60s and 70s. Researchers looked at a particular strain of bacteria called Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and found, within a few weeks, it strengthened the activity of natural killer cells. In Part 1, we discussed how natural killer cells lose their strength as we age. This particular stain of Probiotic bacteria improved the strength of the natural killer cells in these studies.
In the journal of Dairy Science, researchers studied Lactobacillus plantarum; this is another beneficial strain of Probiotic bacteria. It reduced the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in adults. It also reduced how long participants had the infection and the intensity of the symptoms. It also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced natural killer cell activity. This is what becomes dangerous in infections like Ebola or COVID-19. Pro-inflammatory cytokines over activate the immune system and make it attach your own organs.
In the journal of the American Geriatric Society a study was published by Mcmaster University of Ontario of 209 nursing home residence, aged 65 and over, from 14 different nursing homes. Taking the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus reduced the number of infections with a virus by 45% over a six month period. This shows just how important probiotic bacteria can be to enhancing and directing your immune system.
Fiber and Prebiotics for the Immune System
There are also a lot of things in fiber that feed the good bacteria. This is why following a fiber-rich diet is so important. Fiber is a starch that you cannot digest or absorb. It is found in vegetables, whole grains, and seeds and nuts. When you put fiber and good bacteria together in a supplement, it is called a prebiotic with a probiotic. A prebiotic is simply the food for the probiotic bacteria. The probiotics work with the fiber to release a bunch of different things, including acids like lactic acid and propioic acid that benefit the digestive tract. Deeper down the intestines you actually release butyric acid; there is an interaction between good bacteria and good foods and the release of butyric acid. These three acids give energy to our immune cells and to our digestive tract so they can function properly. But the butyric acid also heals the lining of the intestines very rapidly and improves the absorption of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
Additional Methods to Enhancing A Good Diet
Cocoa has been shown to be great for brain health, specifically the circulation to your brain, and for heart health. But the active ingredients in cocoa have to be activated by probiotic bacteria otherwise it does not work. Another example is Green tea which has a vast majority of benefit; These benefits cannot be demonstrated unless probiotic bacteria is activated. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale must also be activated in order to reap the benefits of their components.†
Older individuals make less Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Normally, to make Vitamin D, the cholesterol from the sun is irradiated by ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun and it goes to a precursor of Vitamin D that is stored in your liver called 25-hydroxycalciferol. When released, it lasts about two weeks in your bloodstream which is the type of Vitamin D that your doctor is measuring. It is really a precursor to Vitamin D. Then, it must go to your kidneys to be activated. You require the mineral Magnesium for this. Then it becomes 125-hydroxycalciferol, which is the active version of Vitamin D.†
Your immune cells – your T and B-cells – have receptor sites for Vitamin D. Just like immune cells release Melatonin to be activated, there are receptor sites for Vitamin D to be activated. T-cells activate different parts of the immune system and coordinate the fight against an infection. Plus, at the end of an infection, they tone down the immune response. B-cells make antibodies. If you lack vitamin D, there is less chance that an immune cell will be properly activated.†
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Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
Our immune system becomes less competent with age. This makes a person more vulnerable to diseases and can make a common infection, such as the flu much more dangerous. Here’s what you need to know about your aging immune system.
Lymphedema is a condition where swelling is both progressive and persistent, due to an influx of lymph fluid.Your lymphatic system is used for detoxification and for the immune system, moving immune cells quickly and efficiently throughout your body. Here’s how you can support that system.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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My neighbor’s cat can see clearly in my yard at night but I could easily bump into a picnic table; cat’s and other nocturnal predators have great night vision. Many animals have a reflector behind their eye, called the tapetum lucidum. It reflects light back through their retina, magnifying the amount of light so they can see well at night. We don’t have this, so in the dark we bump into things. However, our night vision can be improved.
What is Rhodiopsin?
In our night vision cells called rods, we have a pigment called rhodopsin. This is also known as visual purple that allows us to adjust our vision to dimmer light. There are over 90 million rod cells in the retina of each eye. Rod cells are more sensitive to light than our color sensing cone cells and are almost entirely responsible for night vision. Rod cells have little to do with color vision, accounting for why we see little color in dim light.
Rhodopsin is a pigment that is extremely sensitive to light so it lets us see in the dark. Rhodopsin is made out of retinal – a form of Vitamin A – along with a protein called scotopsin, which contains the reddish pigment. Rhodopsin is deactivated in bright light but is recreated in low light. So this is one reason why the glare from your computer screen can deplete rhodopsin and make your eyes tired. The energetic, fast moving blue light rays of a computer screen create a glare and this makes your eyes and brain tired by reducing the amount of rhodopsin and the concentration of the pigment Lutein in your eyes.
How Living In A Digital World Impacts Your Vision. Listen Now! >>
Interestingly, for night vision besides getting sufficient Vitamin A or its precursor beta-carotene in your diet, obtaining the pigments from some berries can also help you see better, and even drive more safely at night.
Vision Friendly Berry: Bilberry
Cassis berry and bilberry both contain a family of pigments called anthocyanidins and anthocyanosides. These are purple, red, and bluish pigments in plants and these berries are loaded with them.
So let’s discuss Bilberry. It grows in Europe and it is a relative of blueberries and cranberries. It is also known as whortleberry and huckleberry. Bilberries have a very high content of bluish-black pigments called anthocyanosides, much more than their relatives, blueberry and cranberry. These pigments are powerful antioxidants that support eye health, including night vision.
There is a story that during World War II, British fighter pilots were given bilberry jam by their flight surgeons to help improve their night vision.
In 2004 Peninsula Medical School in England reviewed studies of bilberry pertaining to night vision. Some of the studies showed no effect but the dose of bilberry was low in these studies and the reviewers wrote that the level of anthocyanosides may have been low. However, in eight studies bilberry improved night vision. I’ve tried it myself. I was writing a book on lowering the risk of cancer through diet and exercise with the director of medical oncology at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center in Manhattan. Spending many hours on the old fashioned green screened computer terminal my eyes were exhausted. After several days I could barely focus on the terminal for an hour at a time. This was a problem, I had a deadline and needed to gather my research.
I looked at the early vision-nutrition research and found that at eye donor banks healthy eyes had much higher levels of particular vitamins and minerals than diseased eyes. I then found several clinical trials where nutrients were improving eye health. This started my process of creating vision formulas. I took the vitamins and minerals – zinc, vitamin C and several others – and it helped but then I read about Bilberry. Adding the bilberry made a huge difference. Within a day or two of starting to take bilberry I could read research on my computer without developing eye fatigue for six-hours at a clip and I happily typed away. This research gave me the core nutrients of my first vision formula called Macula Hx®. Years later, the AREDS study showed how accurate I was.
How Too Much Screentime Impacts Your Eyes. Listen Now! >>
Bilberry shows promise against eye fatigue, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. The study was performed on 281 people who spent a lot of time on video display terminals. The researchers found that a bilberry extract supplement reduced eye fatigue.†
In people with dry eye disease, their tears become very thick preventing the lubrication of their eyes. This results in irritation, pain, and problems seeing. In time it can hurt the eye. Ophthalmologists are seeing more clients with dry eye syndrome these days because people spend so much time looking at computer screens and cellphones. In the study published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, a standardized Bilberry supplement improved the symptoms of dry eyes and tear secretion. Standardized in this case means the researchers knew the amount of anthocyanosides in each capsule.†
Importance of Lutein for Eye Health
Team Bilberry up with Lutein for eye health. Lutein is a yellowish-reddish pigment in green leafy vegetables. It is a carotenoid but unlike beta-carotene it is not converted into vitamin A.
In studies, Lutein helps with eye fatigue and supports both daytime and nighttime vision and it also protects your eyes from glare. It’s easier to drive at night with Bilberry and Lutein; you recover faster from the glare of oncoming headlights, can distinguish things ahead of you on the road better in low light, and your eyes are less fatigued.†
Vision Friendly Berry: Bilberry
The second berry is called Cassis berry, also known as Black Currant. The ingredients that support eye health in the Cassis berry are called anthocyanidins. They are different in function than the related anthocyanosides found in Bilberry. Cassis berry is extremely rich in anthocyanidins. The University of Tsukuba Medical School in Japan studied Cassis berry for improving vision in low light. They found that Cassis berry improved adaptation to darkness thus improving night vision. They also found that Cassis berry improved eye fatigue in people who work on computer terminals.†
In a study from the Department of Otolaryngology at Kyoto Red Cross hospital the researchers found that Cassis berry helped with pollen allergy symptoms. Allergy to cedar pollen is common in Japan. The Cassis berry helped prevent the allergy related eye symptoms of itchy eyes, irritation, red eyes, watery eyes, and also conjunctivitis which is inflammation of the transparent covering of the eye due to the allergy. Cassis berry also helped other symptoms such as sneezing and an itchy nose.
Bilberry and Cassis Berry also help protect the eyes from bright light and improve eye health in general helping support the health of the retina, the tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye and improve eye fatigue and day-to-day vision.†
Questions about night vision and eye health? Leave a comment below to join the discussion!
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.