Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. THE UNDERSTIMATED BENEFITS OF CRANBERRY, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 652 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, PH *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …
Written by: Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at carcidiacono@invitehealth.com† For this blog I wanted to take a brief break from memory and brain health. In my last 2 blogs I have written about several tests that your doctor may recommend. …
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FEELING GOOD IN THE SUN WITH FOLATE, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 651
Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH.
*Intro Music*
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that Invite health has to offer at www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code podcast at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started. † [00:00:34]
*Intro Music*
Amanda Williams MD, MPH: [00:00:40] Longer daylight hours, the summer sun and, of course, warmer weather. It makes most people so happy, but did you know that seasonal affective disorder can affect people in the summer months as well? And I want to talk about why that is. I’m Dr. Amanda Williams, scientific director at Invite Health, and when it comes to fun in the sun, most people really look forward to those warmer summer months. But it is a time where many individuals actually can deal with higher levels of anxiety and even mild to moderate depression. So why would that be? We oftentimes think about seasonal affective disorder and how when we don’t have enough daylight, this can affect our melatonin and our overall circadian rhythm and lead to maybe not so great mood, not so great sleep, but we wouldn’t expect to see the same thing happen in the summer. However, we now understand that this is actually quite common seasonal affective disorder in the United States affects roughly about 10% of the U.S. population, and that’s a general estimate. There are some studies where it puts it more around 5% of the population. Other studies that can be well over 10% but in any case, we know that many Americans are dealing with seasonal mood changes. And we always want to try to dive into that in a little bit more detail. I always say that for myself I certainly have felt those effects in the winter when the time changes and we have less daylight, that it definitely affects my mood for the first few days after that initial time change. But in the summer, I’ve never experienced any of those, I know that sense of doom and gloom, but we definitely know that many Americans do, even in the summer, have this problem. So, we have to get to the root of this, and there’s a very interesting correlation between having higher levels of anxiety, maybe feeling slightly depressed in the summer and folate levels. † [00:02:41]
[00:02:41] So folate is a very important B vitamin. And there is something that we definitely know about folic acid and that is that folic acid is easily degraded by UV Exposure. There is a very strong correlation that was linked many years ago and it was published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Phytobiology drawing this association between seasonal serum folate levels and UV Exposure. So, folate levels are more in that normal range in the winter months, but then come summer, those folate levels started to decline. So, how does that affect you? Well, when we start to look at the impact of folic acid and what it is exactly doing in the body, it’s helping to support neurotransmitter release for our mood. It is certainly helping with how the body is detoxifying, helping to regulate cardiovascular function as well as neurological function. And it works synergistically with vitamin B12, so even more, think about energy. And so if we have low levels of folate in the summer, this can definitely impact our general sense of well-being. Now, we know that there are many individuals, about 40% of the global population has a genetic mutation in which your body struggles to properly activate folate. What does that mean? It means any foods that you are eating that are fortified with folic acid, your body doesn’t really know what to do with that. So, it kind of leaves you in a state of either having an actual folate deficiency or always kind of walking around with low levels of folate. So, then we fast forward to UV exposure in the summer, and if we already have a gene mutation which leads us to having lower levels of folate being available, then the U.V. lowers that even more. Now we can start to see the profound impact that that can have on our mood. Hence, our solution is we take Methyl B. Methyl B is the activated B complex, which includes methyl folate. Now the gene mutation is called MTHFR, which we actually offer a genetic test. It’s simple to do, it’s a simple cheek swab. If we find that you have a gene mutation on either of the two MTHFR genes, then this is a clear indication that you always need to be supplementing with activated folate. So, then we kind of bypass the fact that your body struggles to activate folate and we take the activated form right from the get-go. So this is one solution, but this is also a very key takeaway for those who are affected with seasonal affective disorder in the summer, is to make sure you are taking your methyl B one capsule per day throughout those summer months when your folate levels are more prone to being degraded, because of that UV exposure, then you can go out, you can enjoy that fun in the sun and have a little bit better attitude towards that. We know that there are many different reasons outside of just UV exposure and having the MTHFR mutation that can lead to folate deficiencies. † [00:05:49]
ICYMI:FEELING FRAZZLED? GET FOCUSED! INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 650>>LISTEN NOW!
[00:05:51] We know that dietary intake is one of the biggest factors that plays into this not getting adequate exposure to folate rich foods, which include things like asparagus, and spinach, and avocado and broccoli. Things that many Americans don’t eat on a regular basis. We know that many medications both prescribed as well as over-the-counter medications, can certainly have a lowering effect to your body’s natural folate stores. So acid reflux medications, certainly any of those over-the-counter antacids that people are utilizing, blood pressure medications or any antibiotic or antiviral medication that you may be prescribed, hormone replacement therapy. So, for women who are taking birth control pills, you always want to make sure that you are taking your methyl B, because we know that folate levels can go down because of those medications. Of course, if you have any type of GI issues, any type of inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, leaky gut, any of those malabsorption reasons, can lead to folate deficiencies. Certainly, different conditions, including being overweight or having inadequate liver function. So nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as carrying around excess weight, can impact your folate levels. So, this on top of knowing that the sunlight itself can damage our folate levels, this is why it’s incredibly advantageous to make sure that we are taking methyl B on that regular basis. We know that there’s a direct link between folate status in the body and depression. And in the Journal of Psychiatry in Neuroscience back in 2007, they look at this as being a major neglected problem so far is that many in the traditional medical world never really looked at the impact or the influence that B vitamins or omega three fatty acids or vitamin D for that matter, had on our mental well-being. Now we know that there’s actually a prescribed medication that is folate. So, a prescription, methyl folate that is now oftentimes given in conjunction with whatever other pharmaceutical routine your doctor has you on. But we know that if we change our diet, we incorporate in folate rich foods. So, we adhere to a Mediterranean style way of eating, we take our Methyl B, especially during the summer months. We can avert a lot of these issues when it comes to the way our body is responding to depletions in folate for whatever cause that may be, and this can help when it comes to stabilization of our mood. † [00:08:32]
[00:08:33] The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, they looked at this as well and seeing that direct correlation between low folate intake and this being an independent risk factor for mood disorders including depression. So, now that we know that the summertime fun is definitely something that we want to partake in, but we want to make sure that we can do it. Not feeling low mood, not feeling anxious. We get our methyl B on board, and we can enjoy those longer days, those warmer days, and of course all of that sunshine and I want to thank you so much for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. Remember, you can hear all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting, invitehealth.com/podcast. Do make sure that you subscribe and that you leave us a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. † [00:08:33]
*Exit Music*
Written by: Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at carcidiacono@invitehealth.com† In our last blog we started our conversation regarding brain health talking about different conditions that you should rule out when experiencing memory changes. This week we will be delving into …
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. FEELING FRAZZLED? GET FOCUSED! INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 650 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care …
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BEING SUPPLEMENT SAVVY IN THE SUMMER, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 649
Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH.
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that Invite Health has to offer at, www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code podcast at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started. † [00:00:34]
Amanda Williams MD, MPH: [00:00:40] With summer being right around the corner, now is the time that you want to be supplement savvy. And today I want to talk about some different nutrients that can really help to kind of push you into the summer heat and in a healthy way. I am Dr. Amanda Williams, scientific director at Invite Health. And when it comes to the summer, people oftentimes really look forward to this time of the year. The weather’s warmer, maybe you have pool parties to go to, going to the beach and you want to do this in a way that you can get the most out of your summer activities. We always have to zero in on paying attention to our hydration. Clearly, in the summer months, the human body is much more prone to having the effects of dehydration. This has been well-studied, and we can clearly see that summer heat can put us at risk. Dehydration, this can drive up our blood pressure, certainly create significant electrolyte imbalances. So, if you get to the point where you feel thirsty, you know that you’ve waited way too long. So, water, water, water, this is our key. We know that insufficient drinking of water is a problem that many Americans have year-round. But in the summer in particular, because oftentimes if you’re not profusely sweating, you don’t recognize that you actually have a good amount of fluid loss. And this can create problems when it comes to your electrolyte balance, which can then create problems for muscle cramps and blood pressure going up and even having problems with controlling and regulating your blood sugar. So, for those who fall into those categories of already dealing with high blood pressure or dealing with type two diabetes or metabolic syndrome, you do really want to pay attention to your fluid intake during the summer months. We have wonderful formulations that you can turn to including the Alkalizer powder, which is a great combo of magnesium, potassium and beta alanine. Beta alanine is a very powerful amino acid that helps our body recover from the effects of stress. And we look at the Journal of Nutrients In 2020, they looked at the impact of beta alanine supplementation on physical performance. We can see how beta alanine has been shown to help with muscle strength and muscle recovery. We know that many things happen when we fall victim to dehydration and excess lactic acid building up. † [00:03:17]
[00:03:18] Beta alanine really can have a positive impact on us. In this particular study, they did a meta-analysis to analyze the effects of beta alanine supplementation on overall physical performance, and we can see how the influence of this powerful nutrient is working to help our physical functionality when it comes to that muscle recovery and muscle repair. So having beta alanine as part of the Alkalizer powder, really makes for a super summer drink that you can turn to. It is a lovely natural lemon flavor, and this has it’s kind of effervescent, so it’s great for the summertime. You can add this in with some ice and have yourself a nice hydrating glass of magnesium, potassium and beta alanine. Helps to create a nice alkalinity within the body, helps. with the regulation of your pH, and of course, it’s helping our body normalize our electrolyte balance. So that’s one thing that we can turn to. † [00:04:23]
[00:04:23] Another thing that we should always pay attention to, is during the warmer summer months, we know that there is a direct association between the impact of folate levels. So, folate is a B vitamin folate levels starting to plummet. And that is something that we definitely don’t want to have happen, because folate is needed for so many different functions in the body, including looking at the ability for the body to detoxify. So, we need folate for detoxification, we need folate for energy. We need folate for our neurotransmitters. And we know that there is, this association between seasonal folate levels and UV radiation. So, the sun itself can actually degrade folate in the human body. And we see this with vitamin D, for example. We know that vitamin D levels can go up during the summer because of the UV, and that’s our sunshine vitamin. But we see the opposite happening with folate. And so, this is why we should always make sure that during the summer months, we add in Methyl B, so Methyl B is that bioactive folate, so it’s methyl folate. Taking this formulation throughout your summer will be incredibly helpful to make sure that your body is protected from photo degradation of your folic acid. We don’t want that to happen. So, we want to avoid those seasonal variations and maintain healthy folate levels. † [00:05:55]
ICYMI:YEAR ROUND IMMUNE SUPPORT, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 647>>LISTEN NOW!
[00:05:55] Now, we also know something about photo aging, and that is that the sun can really raise havoc when it comes to the health of our skin, and we can accelerate the aging process, have more fine lines and wrinkles. Many times, people describe them as age spots. And we don’t want this to happen either. So how can we topically address this issue? Well, we have our wonderful, enhanced vitamin C toning serum, which contains a 20% vitamin C serum along with Coenzyme Q10, to help energize your little skin cells, Vitamin E for the hydration, and the antioxidant benefits of vitamin E has wonderful natural oils in it, such as Argan Oil. And we know that the skin itself goes through so many different environmental stressors from the sun itself to different air pollutants. So, by having a serum that we can apply, that can help to improve the appearance, not only of the fine lines and wrinkles, but really zero in on those areas of sun damaged skin. This is a wonderful addition to your supplement routine. Now, this is a topical serum, so we’re not taking this orally. But it would be incredibly helpful to also take vitamin C tablets, or capsules along with collagen throughout the summer as well. So always want to zero in on how we can support our skin’s health from the topical approach, but also internally. So having vitamin C and Collagen, taking those as a supplement every day. And then topically applying that vitamin C toning serum, very, very beneficial. So that is some of the things that we can be doing. † [00:07:40]
[00:07:40] Now, we can also look and say, should I be drinking sports drinks throughout the summer? No, we shouldn’t. When we have powerful fruit and vegetable extracts that are packed with wonderful vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants that we can sip on throughout those warm months, so we can look at something like the Reds Hx, for example. Which is a wonderful blend of close to 40 fruit and vegetable extracts along with a probiotic blend in that. Remember, you don’t want to let your immune system guard down during the summer either because viruses exist year-round. So, you don’t want to succumb to a summertime virus, so having the Reds Hx on board not only helps with a lovely glow for your skin and the hydration for your skin. but it also helps to support the immune system with that probiotic that’s added into that formulation. Now, this is a powerhouse of an antioxidant formula. Having those different fruit and vegetable extracts that really help the body. All of those carotenoids that give the eyes additional support, your respiratory system, additional support, your brain additional support. And of course, we are working on that hydration aspect once again, because one scoop of that Reds, added into eight or ten ounces of water allows the body to maintain that nice, healthy fluid balance. Now, there are many other things that we can turn to throughout the summer to allow us to get the most out of those warm months. And this is when you want to speak with one of our nutritionists and tell them what your health concerns are and what you are trying to get out of your summer, and they can guide you to the best formulations to suit your needs. † [00:09:23]
DIY NATURAL SKIN CARE RECIPES>>READ NOW!
[00:09:23] But that’s all that I have for you for today. So, if you’re going to the pool, you’re going to the beach, make sure that you have your alkalizer powder, your Reds Hx, it’s your vitamin C serum and your Methyl B and be sure to tune in to future episodes of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever. You listen to podcasts or by visiting, invitehealth.com/podcast. Do make sure that you subscribe, and you leave us a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. † [00:09:23]