Iron Plus
Iron Plus Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One vitamin that seems to come up in conversation quite frequently is Iron Plus. People often ask questions such as I’m tired all the time, do I need to take Iron? Or I’m a vegan I must need …
Recent Posts
Cancer Related Fatigue
Cancer Related Fatigue Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to talk about cancer related fatigue because it’s so common in those who have cancer. It can also be difficult to work with because there can be a number of reasons why a person feels …
Green Tea, our most common questions!!!
Green Tea, our most common questions!!!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Green Tea is probably one supplement that everyone has heard of! It’s probably been written about by almost everyone, including me! So why write about it again you ask? Well it’s recently come to my attention that even though green tea has been written about a million times before people still have unanswered questions. S o I figured this would be a great time to review some of these commonly asked questions!
Let’s start with the most common question, shall we? Is green tea safe to use? In a meta-analysis looking at the effects of green tea on the liver it was found that not only is green tea safe it “reduced the risk of liver disease”. (1) According to the cancer research UK website green tea is safe for humans to use. (2) So yes both studies and my own clinical experience show me that green tea is safe to use!
Another common question I get asked is about blood pressure. Many people call and ask if it’s safe to use green tea if they have high blood pressure. My first question would be do you have a sensitivity to caffeine? If the answer is no then great Invite has a form both with and without caffeine. If you are not sensitive then either form is fine for you. If you are sensitive then Invite’s liquid extract would be better choice since it’s caffeine free and studies show that caffeine free green tea is perfectly safe for those with high blood pressure. (3)
The next question I get asked about green tea is it safe if I’m on blood thinners? Well it’s a bit complicated. For this blog I’ll stick to Coumadin or warfarin. Remember if you have any questions you can always reach out to a qualified Invite nutritionist. But let’s get back to the topic, shall we? Green tea normally contains Vitamin K which can interfere with Coumadin. (4) Invite Health’s Green Tea Tx liquid extract is free of Vitamin K! So yes it is safe to use.
Moving on to one of my last questions. If I have cancer should I be using green tea alongside my conventional treatment? This is a complex question. Numerous studies have found green tea may have anti-cancer benefits. (5) Part of the reason that green tea has so many benefits is that it contains powerful antioxidants. While this is fantastic for our health before and even after cancer treatment it can be a concern if green tea is used during treatments. Studies have found that using antioxidants can protect cancer cells and render the treatments not as effective as they should be. (6) For anyone with a personal or family history of cancer adding green tea can be a great idea. (5) It is just better to use it after treatments are complete, not during them.
Last but not least how can you incorporate Invite’s green tea into your day? Invite’s Green Tea Hx capsules can be taken with your daily supplements. Green Tea Tx liquid can be added to many things! For example you can add it to plain water to increase your water intake. You can also mix it into juice, tea and even smoothies! As I always say be creative.
Our next topic will be how to deal with low energy during cancer and cancer treatments.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4538013/
- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/green-tea
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021915012004522
- https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/2019/01/05/dr-roach-tea-normally-safe-with-warfarin/6377064007/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620303960
- https://www.oncolink.org/cancer-treatment/radiation/support/supplement-use-during-radiation-therapy
Opportunistic Infections
Opportunistic Infections Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What do we mean by the phrase opportunistic infections? Well it is exactly what it sounds like, it is an infection that takes the opportunity to grow when your immune system is compromised. Some types of cancer and …
Mucositis
Mucositis
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Cancer treatment can affect our digestion. One common side effect is called mucositis. What is mucositis you ask? Basically it is inflammation of your mouth and digestive system. (1) This occurs because cancer therapies are designed to attack any cells that rapidly divide, such as cancer cells. Unfortunately our mucous membranes which lines our entire GI tract is made up of rapidly dividing cells and thus are at risk of being attacked in the same way as cancer cells. In other words the cells of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine are often attacked by cancer therapies and thus become inflamed and even damaged. (2)
What are the signs of mucositis? Let’s start with oral mucositis. Oral mucositis usually begins between 1-2 weeks after starting treatment. These symptoms can include a dry and sore mouth. You may have bad breath as well as a fungal mouth infection. You may also develop mouth sores. (1) You may also notice that your mouth and gums appear red, shiny and even swollen. Your saliva may become extra thick. It may be difficult to swallow, talk or even eat. As a result of the sores you may be bleeding. Lastly there may be soft white patches of pus and a white mucous coating in your mouth. (2)
What are the signs of mucositis in your gut? Well these symptoms usually begin about 2 weeks after starting cancer treatment. These symptoms can include either diarrhea or constipation. You may have sores around your bottom and even blood in your stool. You may have pain when you swallow as well as stomach cramps and bloating. (1) You may also have nausea, vomiting and even painful bowel movements. (2)
Mucositis is much more common than you may expect. There are some factors that can increase your risk of mucositis. These risk factors can include tobacco intake, alcohol intake and even dehydration. Having a protein deficiency or a low BMI also increase your risk of mucositis. Certain dental concerns such as dental implants, dentures and even gum disease increase mucositis risk. Having kidney disease, diabetes or HIV are also risk factors. (2) If you develop mucositis it is recommended to not use alcohol based mouthwashes. It is also recommended to not eat hot, spicy, acidic, rough/hard food or fizzy drinks. The reason these things are not recommended is that they can worsen the signs of mucositis. (1)
Mucositis can have serious complications. It can cause chronic diarrhea which can trigger dehydration, anemia and even weight loss. Having mucositis also places you an increased risk of developing an infection. Mucositis can make it difficult to eat and thus undernutrition is a common side effect. In fact up to 70% of those who have mucositis may require hospitalization for tube feeding. Lastly if the mucositis becomes severe it can lead to a need to reduce the frequency of the cancer treatment. This poses its own risk to our health. (2)
What can you do about mucositis?
- Protein shakes can be very helpful if you have mucositis. According to the Cleveland Clinic they can help improve your nutrition while your GI tract is healing. (2) Please see my blog on Invite’s Protein Powder.
- L Glutamine has been to help reduce the signs of mucositis. (3) Please see Invite’s GI Maintain.
- Marshmallow Root has been found to help with the inflammation and pain associated with mucositis. (4) Please see Invite’s MinAcid and GI Maintain.
- Collagen has also been found to help with mucositis. (5) Please see Invite’s Collagen Hx powder, Collagen 3000 Tablets and Beauty Collagen Gummy.
Our next topic will be a product highlight on MinAcid
Sources:
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mucositis/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24181-mucositis
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4254677/
- https://journals.lww.com/nams/fulltext/2019/08010/effect_of_hydroalcoholic_extract_of_althaea.3.aspx
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7880782/#sec-a.h.gtitle