Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Meet Jerry Hickey, R.Ph, InVite Health’s Scientific Director and Pharmacist in Brooklyn on Thursday, February 16, 2017 for a LIVE program recording and free nutritional consultation in-store! Jerry Hickey, R.Ph is taking his expertise into a store near you! Come meet the director and popular …
Amanda Williams holds a doctorate in medicine from Xavier University in Aruba, a Masters degree in Public Health from Nova Southeastern University, and a Bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Mary’s College Orchard Lake. Amanda has spent the last ten years focused on nutrition and …
L-Carnitine is a natural substance found in most cells of the body, and it is crucial for the production of energy. After your body metabolizes fats and carbohydrates into fatty acids, L-Carnitine transports them into the mitochondrial power plants of the cell, where they serve as fuel for energy production. Simply put – L-Carnitine turns fat into energy.
There are numerous ways you can build muscle mass and strength. You can change your workouts to work on different muscles each time. Or, you could learn more about L-Carnitine, according to this new research. Published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, scientists ran a study for eight weeks on a supplemental combination of L-Carnitine, L-Leucine, Creatine, and Vitamin D3. Forty-two healthy adults between the ages of 55 and 70 participated in this randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, where they were randomly assigned to one of three groups – the L-Carnitine combination, L-Carnitine only, or a placebo for eight weeks. Results of the study showed that, compared to the placebo group, the combination supplement resulted in a 63.5% improvement in muscle mass, muscle strength and physical activity.
The researchers wrote, “L-Carnitine, in combination with L-Leucine and creatine, significantly enhanced lean muscle mass and functional strength particularly in the lower legs, likely due to an improved protein anabolism through the mTOR pathway. The combination product was safe, well tolerated, and may provide additional performance value with prolonged use beyond the 8-week study period in healthy older adults.”
Sarcopenia is the degenerative loss of muscle mass, quality and strength associated with aging. According to Archana Gogna, MS, CNS, MBA of InVite ® Health, Sarcopenia becomes apparent after the age of 40 and progresses annually, generally accelerated after the age of about 75. “Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are directly related conditions, one often following the other. Muscle generates the mechanical stress to keep our bones healthy. When muscles are used less frequently (as seen in the elderly and in “couch potatoes”), it can exacerbate the problem of osteoporosis and lead to a decline in health.”
There are many natural alternatives to support the maintenance of muscle mass and strength. Whey protein, one of the best-absorbed sources of protein, has been found to be beneficial in increasing muscle and tendon size and strength. Protein can also be incorporated into the diet through grass-fed meat, pasture-raised eggs, free-range poultry, beans and nuts. Optimal levels of Vitamin D are crucial to maintaining muscle health, as it helps to preserve type 2 muscle fibers. Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA from fish oils) can be helpful for reducing inflammation, which can quite often go hand-in-hand with muscle deterioration.
Speak to a healthcare professional about your hormone levels and have them tested to make sure they are all within a healthy range. A decrease with age in hormones such as testosterone, DHEA and IGF-1 (insulin growth factor-1) can impact bone and muscle.
According to Archana Gogna, aging creates a certain amount of oxidative stress that can cause an increased level of inflammation in the body. Counteract this by incorporating inflammation-fighting foods into your diet like omega-3s, fresh vegetables and fruits.
Healthy dietary lifestyle changes, exercise, targeted nutraceuticals, keeping track of hormonal changes, and keeping inflammation in check, you may be able to ease into your golden years with relative ease and be able to lead active and independent lives.
Turmeric is the herb that gives curry its major culinary characteristics. The turmeric root supplies many constituents related to ongoing good health; curcuminoids and essential oils often referred to generically as curcumin. Unfortunately these constituents are difficult to absorb. BioCurcumin is an extremely well absorbed …
A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine says that packing the recommended amount of weekly exercise into just one or two workout sessions may lower your risk of death close to risk levels that regular exercise offers. Though WHO (the World Health …
According to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and based on more than 8 million people from 154 countries across 844 studies, elevated blood pressure is a worldwide concern.
According to Nicole Crane, BS, NTP of InVite® Health, “So many people, 72 million Americans, struggle to have normal blood pressure. High blood pressure is clinically known as hypertension, and it is a major conspirator in cardiac dysfunction. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 ng/dl, and many clinicians consider 115/75 to be even healthier. The top number is systolic reading and measures the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body. The bottom number, the diastolic reading, measures the pressure as the heart relaxes and refills with blood. Once those readings reach over 140/90, it is considered to be hypertension. Recent research suggests that even pre-hypertension, which is between 120/80 and 140/90, has major risks. A 2006 study showed that blood pressure that is 120-129/80-89 has an 81% increased risk for cardiovascular disease compared to blood pressure that is below 120/80. Pressure readings that are high-normal, 130-139/85-89 increase the risk of heart disease by a whopping 133%, compared to healthy levels.i”
“When blood pressure remains uncontrolled, it can have serious consequences like damage to the heart, arteries and other organs. This can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke and other heart diseases like congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in arteries causing hardening of the arteries) peripheral artery disease and other vascular problems. It is important to address the cause of high blood pressure at the root, especially since many doctors are notoriously slow to treat mildly elevated blood pressure”, Nicole Crane reports.
Heart health vitamins are important for your overall cardiovascular wellness.
The analysis reported that the number of people with elevated systolic blood pressure has increased dramatically in the past 25 years, and so has the rate. Gregory Roth, one of the study’s authors and assistant professor in the division of cardiology at the University of Washington reported, “We found that 3.5 billion adults have blood pressure high enough to bring some risk, and 870 million people around the world are hypertensive.” Elevated systolic blood pressure was found to be a leading contributor to preventable death in 2015 and was linked to more than 10 million deaths – 1.4 times the number in 1990, according to TIME.
According to Nicole Crane, BS, NTP, there are safe and effective natural remedies to support healthy blood pressure levels. “Nutrients can support and normalize the force at which the heart beats, the constriction and relaxation of blood vessels, and the thickness of blood. By helping the cardiovascular system function better, these remarkable natural remedies assist in normalizing levels in a fundamental way.” Here is what she suggests –