Getting to Know Omega-3s – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 526
Your body needs omega-3s to function properly, but most Americans are lacking these important fatty acids. Here’s why that’s a problem for immunity, brain health and more.
Tag: alcohol
Impact of Moderate Alcohol Consumption – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 510
Although most adults in America have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives, they are often unaware of how this can impact their overall health and wellness.
How to Lower Your Risk of Cataract, Part 1 – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 456
cataract
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye and this affects your vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. They are painless, but they really do cause a vision problem. The cataract creates a cloudy area in the lens of your eye, which blocks light from getting to the retina properly and makes it difficult for you to see clearly.†
How does a cataract affect your vision?
At first, you may not notice that you’re developing a cataract. Over time, stronger glasses and brighter lightbulbs might help, but eventually, that’s not going to work. Over time, the cataracts make your vision blurry and hazy. They even affect color. You start to have trouble reading, doing everyday chores and activities, and driving at night.†
Cataracts become common as you get older. In fact, more than half of all Americans currently have cataracts or have had surgery to get rid of them. In time, if not taken care of, a cataract can cause blindness.†
In a healthy eye, light enters through the crystalline lens and passes through to the retina. The lens focuses the light into a sharp image on the retina. The retina relays the images through the optic nerve through the back of the eye right into the brain. If the lens in front of your eye is cloudy from a cataract, it’s like using a camera with a smear of butter in front of it. The image you see will be blurry.†
DHA: THE KEY BRAIN-BOOSTING OMEGA-3 – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 443. Listen Now>>
So what are the symptoms of cataracts? A cataract can cause blurry vision that may look filmy, hazy or even foggy. Glare is also an early sign of a cataract. You might become sensitive to light and have trouble seeing in bright sunlight. Indoor lights might seem too bright or have halos around them. Sometimes you may develop diplopia, which is double vision.†
Common risk factors for cataracts
Diabetes is a risk factor for cataracts. Most diabetics develop sorbitol-type cataracts. Quercetin can help short-circuit that. Aging is the major cause of cataracts. Smoking can contribute to this, as can drinking a lot because alcohol uses up your body’s antioxidants. Eye injuries and exposure to radiation or too much sun can also be risk factors for the development of cataracts.†
Some drugs may even contribute to cataracts. Corticosteroids, for instance, mimic the stress hormones we release from our adrenal glands. Stress hormones affect your blood sugar, electrolytes and more and can also lead to cataracts. There is also some evidence that NSAIDs like Advil and Aleve increase the risk of cataracts.†
Some studies also say that statin drugs may lead to cataracts. This is controversial, as some studies say yes and some say no, but I have to say it. The best thing is educating people. A study from the journal Atherosclerosis in 2016 looked 135,000 people who were treated with statins between 2005 and 2007. There was a slight but continuous trend towards an increased risk of a cataract in people who adhered to their statin therapy. It increased the risk of a cataract by about 20%.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph., begins a discussion on cataracts. He explains what they are and how they develop and also shares several factors that may contribute to your risk of developing a cataract. In Part 2 of this episode, coming soon, Jerry will continue the conversation and detail nutrients that can help to lower your risk of developing cataracts.†
Key Topics:
- Other eye conditions that can cause blurriness
- What causes cataracts?
- The role of the adrenal glands
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.
The Impact of Alcohol on the Immune System – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 371
Overindulging in alcohol can negatively impact your immune system, leaving you at risk for developing colds, viruses or worse. Learn about how alcohol can suppress immune responses from Amanda Williams, MPH.
The Impact of Alcohol On Your Heart – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 280
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses the true meaning of alcohol consumption, different types of alcohol and the real cardiovascular impacts of alcohol consumption.
Daily Detoxification: The Key to Optimal Health – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 82
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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Let’s talk about metabolic detoxification – what it is, why does it matter, what makes it so important for our overall health and wellness? There are things you should be doing to help you body remove harmful toxins!
What is Metabolic Detoxification?
Metabolic Detoxification is basically the pathway by which the body processes unwanted chemicals for elimination. We are all exposed to many different and damaging factors everyday, including environmental toxins, prescription medications and pesticides used in foods. It is this excess build up of these factors that can really mess up our body’s normal, daily functioning.
How the body detoxifies itself
The body goes through three phases in order to detoxify itself. The first is an enzymatic transformation that chemically transforms compounds to make them either for the body to remove. The second phase is an enzymatic conjugation that further increases the water solubility and decrease the reactivity of the different things that are coming through phase 1. Finally, in the third phase, is the excretion of these water-soluble compounds from the cells. This is extremely important, because we have to go through all three of these phases each and every day. The body has to be able to detoxify itself.
Now, when you think of detoxification or a detox, you may think of a ‘crash cleanse’. But detoxification in the context of human biochemistry, we are talking about a very precise series of events that occurs each and every day – not a week-long juice cleanse.
Minimizing Your Exposure To Toxins
The liver and the kidneys are the two primary secretory organs in the body when it comes to detoxification. As mentioned above, there are many factors that can cause a build up of toxins in your body. Very overlooked are commonly used beauty products, including lotion and shampoo. You want to be sure they do not contain parabens, sulfates and alcohol. Take a natural approach to beauty products and choose products that contain natural ingredients, including Green Tea and essential oils.
How your beauty products are damaging your health. Listen now >>
Sometimes it is hard to avoid things like pollution, especially if you live in a big city, so you want to make sure you have extra nutrients on board in order to support your organs and your body’s natural detoxification processes. In phase 1 detoxification, there are different enzymes that help the liver to break down the toxins in your body and key antioxidants that also assist in this, including Glutathione and Superoxide Dismutase.
In phase 2 detoxification, NRF-2 is very important. This is a master regulator of our antioxidant response in the body and it critical for detox. It is reliant on many key detoxification molecules, like Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, and Coenzyme Q10. Dietary intake of foods like cruiciferious vegetables are very beneficial in this NRF-2 activation. In phase 3 detoxification, the balance of these nutrients and activation’s are extremely important in order for the body to carry out and excrete these toxins within our body. If you are following a Standard American Diet and eating processed foods filled with chemicals that are too difficult to pronounce, it is clear that your body is lacking the vital nutrients it needs to be able to carry out this process (and many more) accurately.
My Recommendations
My recommendation is to make sure you are taking a superior multivitamin that provides you all of the essential minerals and vitamins you need, while supporting healthy detoxification and also a healthy immune system.
You may also want to incorporate key vitamins and minerals, along with some dietary changes:
- NAC helps promote Glutathione levels in the body†
- Milk Thistle is a plant-based herb that helps promote proper detoxification†
- Following a Mediterranean diet, which contains fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants and fiber that support overall health and wellness
Often times, you need to give your body an extra hand (because of all of these outside factors) in order for our bodies to work optimally, especially if you are not feeding it properly. Daily Detox is a wonderful blend of really powerful nutrients that helps to enhance the way that your body goes through these phases of detoxification. It contains nutrients and herbs like Milk Thistle, Pomegranate Extract, Dandelion Root Extract, NAC, Chlorella, EGCG from Green Tea Extract, Glycine and MSM.
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.
