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Green Tea Targets Arthritis – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 512
arthritis
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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.
Green Tea Targets Arthritis – InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode 512
Hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
*Intro music*
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed healthcare 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!
*Intro music*
Amanda Williams, MPH:
[00:00:40] Teas have been widely consumed throughout the world, and we’ve all heard about the many potential health benefits that go along with tea. So today I want to zero in on tea and inflammation in the setting of arthritis. I’m Amanda Williams, M.D., M.P.H., and let’s get right to it. Let’s talk about the amazing amount of clinical research that is out there that is assessing the impact of the power nutrient, that power catechin coming from green tea, the EGCG and how beneficial that can be when it comes to targeting inflammation that’s directly associated with arthritis, so whether we’re looking at osteoarthritis or we are looking at rheumatoid arthritis.† [00:01:22]
[00:01:22] There was a very extensive research study that was published in the Life Science Journal back in 2010 that looked at the power of that polyphenol, that EGCG when it came to inflammation and arthritis. So being that we know that many Americans suffer from arthritic joints and arthritic conditions, this is an area that oftentimes people are looking for alternatives as opposed to using an NSAID on a daily basis, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, because the long-term use of those in not so great, depending upon which one that you’re taking, can impact negatively different things, like acetaminophen, for example. The extended use of acetaminophen, definitely not a good thing for your liver. And then when you look at the other NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, for example, then we have to start having concerns with the long-lasting negative impact on the kidneys.† [00:02:16]
[00:02:16] So that’s why I want to talk about green tea in this setting today and looking at the many benefits of how it is that green tea is really kind of guiding us through this inflammaging highway. So we… I talk oftentimes about inflammaging, which is accelerated aging brought on because of chronic inflammation. So understanding how the antioxidants that are contained within green tea can really target the inflammatory pathways in a much broader degree than we ever recognized previously. And one of the things that we now know from scientific research is that not only can that green tea help with the regulation of expression of different cytokines and chemokines and the reactive oxygen species and targeting, you know, COX-1 and COX-2 pathways. But we also now know that it targets something known as HMBG1, which is high mobility group box one. Why does that matter? Well, because when we understand the impact of HMGB1 in the body, then you can start to tie that in with the excessive amount of inflammation that can occur within the joints. So HMGB1 turns on the release of chemical signals in the body, which we call cytokines, and those cytokines generate up inflammation. So if we have this release of inflammatory cytokines, then over the course of time, so we’re talking chronic inflammation. In the acute setting, that’s one thing. You know, you stub your toe, you sprain your ankle. Acute inflammation is one thing, but we’re talking in the setting of chronic inflammation. Then we know we’ve got a big problem. So elevated HMGB1 levels have been found to be associated with many different chronic inflammatory conditions, so when we’re thinking about things such as arthritis. But we can also, you know, put into the mix different respiratory chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD, for example, we can look at inflammatory bowel disease, we can look at diabetes, for example, and many different conditions, even within the cardiovascular system, where you can see this elevation of HMGB1, which is a big problem.† [00:04:48]
[00:04:49] So what do we know now from the scientific studies is that the EGCG, the epigallocatechin gallate that’s coming from the green tea, this has been studied and shown to have this ability to inhibit that HMGB1, which is really incredibly powerful. So the first study that came out that really zeroed in on EGCG’s ability to do this was back in 2011, and that was in the Journal of Biochemical Pharmacology. So understanding that if we have a nutrient that’s coming from nature, so this power catechin, that EGCG. And this can actually work in a way to, in a sense, turn off that switch for inflammation, then we can start to see how it is that when you’re in a setting such as arthritis, why green tea can potentiate all of these powerful benefits. So I pulled a few different studies just to reinforce this, because it’s not like this was just a finding that they stumbled upon and then they let it go. No. They continue to look at this and said, “Wow, EGCG, you can actually down regulate the activation of this power signal, this HMGB1, which triggers this flood of cytokines to be released, which is significantly driving up inflammation.”† [00:06:04]
[00:06:06] So in the Life Science Journal, they go into many of the different components of green tea and how when you look at the scope of conditions to which green tea has been shown to be incredibly beneficial to you, when you think about green tea and cardiovascular disease and how green tea has been shown even at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles to actually be able to lower the risk of stroke. And this was through a meta analysis that they did, and this was just through people who consumed a lot of tea. So drinking tea. So we’re not even talking about the power amount of EGCG that you get if you utilize Green Tea HxⓇ, for example. And they found that when people consumed three or more cups of tea per day, that they had a 20% lower risk of a stroke. And that’s just from, you know, something that they’re drinking every single day. Certainly, when you look at cognitive studies and what occurs within the brain, the aging brain and oxidative stress and how detrimental that can be to our cognition, this is another area of research where green tea is really shown to be incredibly beneficial when it comes to its immunomodulatory benefits. This is where you know, things like rheumatoid arthritis, looking at some of the issues that are arise with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, for example. So there’s just a vast amount of research out there that really zeroes in on just how powerful the use of EGCG can be when it comes to its vast, vast benefits.† [00:07:45]
[00:07:46] And of course, there’s a ton of studies looking at EGCG when it comes to cancer studies and cancer research. So when it’s cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic conditions such as diabetes, whether we’re looking at inflammation, we certainly can see how it is that the EGCG, potentially it’s this really powerful, powerful benefit. So in the Journal of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology in 2017, they were looking at the anti-inflammatory activities of the green tea catechins when it came to these different signaling pathways in rheumatoid arthritis. So how do they set this up? While you have to test this in patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune condition, and finding how the EGCG was incredibly effective in terms of inhibiting these downstream inflammatory signals. So we kind of go back to that high mobility group box one and you can see how that green tea really does pack a heck of a punch.† [00:08:49]
[00:08:50] In the Arthritis Research Therapeutics Journal in 2010, they also were looking at the progress of research, and so we’re talking over 10 years ago where they were looking at the progression of the scientific research that was coming out showing how the EGCG, the epigallocatechin gallate from the green tea, how this was creating an environment that was actually lowering inflammation in even the most severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis. Now, as I mentioned, you can also throw osteoarthritis into this mix, which is what most people have. Most people don’t have RA. Most people have osteoarthritis, and it’s key to be able to differentiate between the two. But the important takeaway from from that is to also recognize that whether we’re dealing with rheumatoid arthritis or we’re dealing with osteoarthritis, we’re dealing with significant amounts of inflammation. And so looking at the studies in patients who have RA is one thing, but they’ve also been able to show in patients that have your typical run-of-the-mill arthritis that the green tea and those powerful catechins do a wonderful job at being able to downregulate all of that inflammation.† [00:10:05]
[00:10:06] So, so much science out there. You can see the different pathways, whether we’re dealing with the same pathways that you’re non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are targeting or, you know, even if we’re looking at some of the prescribed pain medications, the pathways to which those are working, the COX-1, COX-2 pathways, and obviously the more we can lessen our inflammation burden in the body, the more resolution we get to any type of a chronic condition. So addressing chronic inflammation is certainly important, and we understand the true benefit of getting green tea on board when it comes to partnering up in the, in the body and helping our body with managing that inflammation and a much more efficient way.† [00:10:53]
[00:10:53] I want to thank you so much for tuning in to 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. Now 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.† [00:10:53]
*Exit music*
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Diuretics and Nutrient Depletions – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 509
diuretics
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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.
Diuretics and Nutrient Depletions – InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode 509
Hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
*Intro music*
InVite Health Podcast Intro: Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed healthcare 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!
*Intro music*
Amanda Williams, MPH:
[00:00:40] Let me continue on my journey of drug-induced nutrient depletion when it comes to cardiac medications. The most commonly-prescribed medications oftentimes create significant nutrient depletion, so I’m going to go over a few more. I did a podcast on beta blocking drugs. Now, today I’m going to talk about diuretics. These are many times combined with other hypertensive drugs, so you’ll see a combination of maybe a beta blocker with hydrochlorothiazide. So I want to talk about the diuretics and how many nutrients have a potential of becoming depleted and that is a big problem. We certainly know that to be the case. I’m Amanda Williams, MD, MPH, and let’s get right to it.† [00:01:26]
[00:01:26] Let’s jump into the class of antihypertensive medications classically known as the diuretics. We have loop diuretics. We have thiazide diuretics. You have your potassium-sparing diuretics. But we know one thing about these diuretics, whether you’re taking hydrochlorothiazide, you’re on Lasix, furosemide. We know that these in particular are definitely a risk factor for creating significant nutrient depletions when we look at things like calcium, magnesium, zinc, folate. Why are these a problem? Well, let’s just break that down. Say you’re on a medication for your high blood pressure and it is stripping the body of zinc. What is that doing to the health of your immune system? Yes, we know the importance of zinc when it comes to immune defenses. We know the importance of zinc when it comes to the thyroid function. Let’s think about magnesium. This is always the classic one that I go to whenever I’m talking about drug-induced nutrient depletions and cardiac drugs.† [00:02:33]
[00:02:34] OK, let’s think of the nonsensical way that this works. You’re on a medication because you have high blood pressure, so we already have to clue in to the fact the body naturally is probably lacking magnesium. Because remember, one of the roles of magnesium of its many roles in the body is to create vasodilation. It does this through the relaxation of the smooth muscles of your arteries. So if we have a lack of magnesium, what that in turn can do is create vessel constriction. If we have vasoconstriction, we’re going to elevate our blood pressure. So we get into the trap of being on a medication to lower your blood pressure. And that same medication is lowering your body’s ability to hold on to magnesium, so it’s actually removing magnesium. So at the end of the day, what’s occurring is your blood pressure medication can at the same time, be raising your blood pressure because it’s stripping you of magnesium. So if someone is on a diuretic in particular, you really have to be cognizant of this and you have to make sure that you are at minimum, taking a multivitamin.† [00:03:50]
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[00:03:52] Now, when we look at things like hydrochlorothiazide, we know this is like the top 10 of commonly-prescribed medications. We know that many people are taking these medications on a regular basis, and most people are not taking, in addition to that hydrochlorothiazide, they’re not taking magnesium, which means you’re not helping your condition of hypertension. So this is a huge, huge problem. And I’ve talked to so many folks who have been on high blood pressure medications for many years, and they’ve never linked the two together. They’ve never realized that the reason why they’re struggling with having stable blood pressure readings is because maybe the medication that they’re on to control the blood pressure is actually removing key nutrients. And so we see this with furosemide, which is known as Lasix. We definitely see this with hydrochlorothiazide. So if this is the case, we’re stripping out magnesium. We are still not resolving the problem.† [00:05:03]
[00:05:04] And let’s just say we’re removing calcium. Now what are we doing now? We are potentially creating a problem with the rhythm of the heart, we’re creating a problem with weakening of the bones. We can certainly, you know, lump in our calcium, magnesium, potassium, all of those and the inadequate access at that cellular level to those key nutrients, those key minerals. We can look at muscle pain, we can look at problems with sleep. We can look at problems with muscle cramps. So we definitely know that these medications in particular, are known to drive this. We can also see, as I talked about with beta blockers and coenzyme Q10, we know that the hydrochlorothiazide can lower your CoQ10 level as well, which once again, now we’re dealing with a problem with decrease in cellular energy production. So we think about the rhythm of the heart. We think about the functionality of the heart, how reliant those are on the energy production that occurs within the cardiac myocytes. And if our medication is stripping us of that, then this becomes a significant problem.† [00:06:16]
[00:06:17] Now let’s just go back and let’s look at other areas that can get thrown into the mix when we’re dealing with these diuretic medications that can lower your zinc. This can potentially slow your wound healing down. Now there’s oftentimes a comorbid condition of type two diabetes that goes along with hypertension. So many diabetics are on their medication for diabetes, but they’re also on high blood pressure medication. Well, what’s one thing that we definitely know about diabetics is that they are slower to heal from any type of a wound. So say they even just get a scratch on the surface of the skin. If you are lacking zinc because your diuretic medication is stripping the body of its ability to properly heal itself because you now have deficient or insufficient zinc, this can certainly be a problem. So we look at a decrease in immune function. We’re looking at issues with poor concentration, we’re looking at issues with muscle weakness. All of these can be coming as a side effect to the medication that you’re on to regulate your blood pressure. So we can see these things clearly. We know that arrhythmias, for example, are quite common in people who are taking these diuretics. And we think about the electrical conduction system of the heart and how reliant that is on things like magnesium and potassium. And so if we’re creating this imbalance of these minerals because of the medication, then as I said, at minimum, we want to be including in to our daily routine things such as a multivitamin, just a bare minimum, cover those bases.† [00:08:04]
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[00:08:05] Now we can also look at other cardiac medications, the calcium channel blockers, for example, and we know that those too can disrupt the proper absorption of things like folic acid and zinc once again, so we can look at the slow wound healing. We can look at issues when it comes to elevated homocysteine. So if you already have someone who is dealing with high blood pressure, the last thing we need is vascular inflammation on top of that. So if the medication is creating a imbalance of adequate B-vitamin absorption, now we are adding insult to injury by creating vascular inflammation with elevated homocysteine levels.† [00:08:47]
[00:08:48] So there are so many different medications that are out there that are so commonly prescribed that we know create these nutrient depletion, which is why the more you know about medications that you’re put on and the potential nutrient depletions that can occur, the better off you are. So whether we’re looking at ACE inhibitor drugs like lisinopril, I had mentioned this in the beta blocker podcast how if someone’s on an ACE inhibitor, oftentimes they’ll get a dry cat cough, I always describe it as, but it’s a dry, nonproductive cough. And the reason why this is is because of where in the body the ACE inhibitors are actually working. They’re working through an enzymatic pathway in the lung. And so long-term use of ACE inhibitor drugs and those always end in “pril,” “pril” like lisinopril… Long-term use of those are usually always associated with someone developing that type of a dry cough. And for some people, they can get this after, you know, being on a ACE inhibitor drug for one week. But once again, these are areas that you just need to be aware of and you need to take appropriate steps when it comes to your supplementation routine to make sure that you are doing the right things. Now those are just cardiac drugs that we know all of these things. When we get into things like birth control, hormone replacement, acid reflux medications, antibiotics, we really start to get that ball rolling with nutrient depletion. So I’m going to do more podcasts on the impact of drug-induced nutrient depletion. Today, I wanted to zero in predominantly on those diuretic drugs because I do think that that’s a common, very common area that people overlook when you see how widely prescribed these drugs are and just how likely it is for those nutrients to get kind of wiped out and the harmful impact that that can make in the body over the course of time when you’re on one of those medications. So if you’re on one, you definitely want to make sure that at bare minimum, you are on a comprehensive multivitamin, multimineral formulations such as the Core Multivitamin would be an excellent choice for you.† [00:11:14]
[00:11:15] So that’s all that I have for you for today. Thank you so much for tuning in to 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. Make sure that you subscribe. 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.† [00:11:15]