Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Cranberries are such a unique and beneficial fruit, due to its powerful antioxidants. Oftentimes, we commonly think of urinary tract and bladder health. But there are more beneficial things that cranberry extract can do for your overall health and wellness.
Did you know that your immune system can manufacture and release Melatonin? This demonstrates the importance of Melatonin, like Vitamin D, to our immune system. Here’s what you need to know.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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It is normal to feel sad after a loss or anxious in the face of a threat or new challenge. But when you can’t shake these feelings, or they seem to occur for no obvious reason, you may have depression or an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder. Fortunately, most people respond well to treatment.
What is Major Depression?
Depression ranges in how serious it is. Some people experience mild and temporary episodes of sadness. Others experience severe and ongoing depressive episodes. Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States but it is not the only form of depression. For some individuals, major depression can result in severe impairment that interferes with or limits the ability to carry out major life activities.
Typically it is classified as a period of at least two weeks where a person experiences a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and had a majority of specified symptoms, such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, or self-worth.
Serotonin is known as the happiness molecule. A supplement called 5-HTP can raise serotonin and this makes you feel good, feel happy, and feel free of the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Serotonin also makes you feel full when eating, making 5-HTP useful for weight loss; we describe this activity in a separate episode.†
Conventional and Lifestyle Therapies
You may successfully manage symptoms with one form of treatment. It is also common to combine conventional and lifestyle therapies. Your doctor may prescribe medication for depression and anxiety. Living with depression can be difficult, but treatment can help you cope. Talk to your doctor about possible options.
In a review of 28 studies, “forest therapy” was shown to improve depression. If you go into the woods for 15 to 20 minutes it lifts your mood. A review of 30 studies shows that “forest bathing”, also called forest therapy, reduces the stress hormone cortisol. When you reduce cortisol, you can sleep better at night and are able to focus better. This reduction is also good for weight loss. When you are stressed out and release cortisol, food is much more fattening.
In a study of 94 adults, visiting a park for 20 minutes boosted feelings of well-being and in a group of 60 adults, walking in a forest for 15 minutes compared to 15 minutes in a city area clicked their mood up a couple of levels and improved their attention span. The Japanese have a name for it – Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing – and it’s a good reason to visit a botanical garden or arboretum.
Nutritional Support for Mood Improvement
There are a number of nutritional supplements support or improve your mood.
ALCAR stands for Acetyl L-Carnitine. It is great for your nerves, good for energy, great for your heart and it is helpful with tinnitus (ringing in your ear). If you take ALCAR away from food, it is better absorbed into the brain and it has been shown in a number of studies to click your mood up. And it does this very quickly and it is very safe. ALCAR is also good for your memory as you grow older.†
Well absorbed Curcumin is called Bio-Curcumin. It is also called BCM95. Five human clinical trials have found that it is good for depression and if you add it to an anti-depressant, it works better.†
NAC stands for N-Acetyl-Cysteine and is a powerful amino acid. This supplement is useful for helping with addiction even to alcohol or tobacco, and it helps compulsive behavior, such as nail biting and gambling, as shown in thousands of human clinical trials.†
SAMe, or S-Adenomethionine, may help boost the formation of neurotransmitters needed for healthy brain function. It is also useful for liver and joint health.†
Fish oils help to a degree. Your brain is about 60% fat and one of the major fats in your brain is fish oil (omega-3 fatty acid).†
The Importance of 5-HTP for Brain Health and Mood Support
5-HTP stands for 5-hydroxytryptophan. It comes from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant. It easily enters your brain and is quickly converted into serotonin. Serotonin is known as the ‘happiness molecule’ and is a very important neurotransmitter.
Neurotransmitters – and we know of approximately 100 of them in the human brain – transmit messages throughout the brain. Serotonin transmits happiness, and helps fend off depression, anxiety and stress.
In humans, studies indicate 5-HTP may reduce anxiety (although there are more trials looking at it’s effects on depression) and the studies find benefit. Results from more recent studies suggest that 5-HTP has antidepressant effects comparable with fluoxetine (Paxil), and there is benefit as part of augmentation therapy for drug-resistant depression.†
5-HTP augments the response to SSRIs by increased presynaptic serotonin availability, thus enhancing serotonins release into the synapse. It was also proposed to potentially reduce hot flashes in menopausal women with breast cancer or with risk of breast cancer by enhancing serotonin levels (27) , but a clinical study in postmenopausal women found it ineffective (20) .†
5-HTP can also increase levels of dopamine, and norepinephrine, these neurotransmitters are involved in mood and taking 5-HTP at night improves sleep; it’s metabolism at night takes an extra step and creates the sleep neurotransmitter melatonin.†
Talk to your doctor about possible lifestyle and treatment options.
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.
Olive Leaf extract has powerful immune-supporting properties, including its main antioxidant component Oleuropein. Across the spectrum, there are so many different ways in which olive leaf has been shown to be very beneficial.
There are a few key factors that help your lymphatic system function properly, including water and Nucleotides. But today we are going to speak about a specific strain of Probiotics that are also beneficial – Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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What is the Lymphatic System?
Your lymphatic system kills viruses. It allows you to wipe out most viruses and other infections, bacterial infections included. It functions as a sort of circulatory system for your immune system. It really has two major functions – balancing the fluids in your body and your blood and fighting viruses. This system circulates around your body and delivers a group of different cells known as lymphocytes, which are really important immune system cells to any tissue where there is an infections. These cells are known as lymphocytes because they are mostly found in your lymph – the fluid drained from and around your organs and tissues (not blood). Lymph nodes are where a lot of the destruction of viruses and bacteria takes place.
lymphocytes consist of three main cells that have the ability to adapt to conditions relating to an infection, which is why it is called the adaptive immune system.
Factors that slow down your immune system in general, include:
Factors that support a healthy immune system in general, include:
How your Lymphatic System Protects You
Lymph ducts allow the lymphatic system to protect your organs from infections. These are located near your heart, your lungs and your kidneys. These allow your immune system to travel efficiently to any site in your body where there’s an infection. Your lymph is made out of fluid, so water is of utmost importance. There are additional nutrients you can include into your lifestyle that can also help support a healthy lymphatic system.
You body naturally makes Nucleotides and you normally don’t need extra. But they become what we call conditionally essential, in other words it is necessary to take them at certain times instead of every day like a multivitamin. Nucleotides are found naturally in fish, poultry, legumes, sprouts and breast milk. They are considered nutritional “building blocks”, providing energy to support and maintain various body functions, including offering excellent immune support. They help support body tissues and generate proper energy production in the Kreb cycle (ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate), while maintaining your body’s overall immune function.†
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.