Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
WEIGHT LOSS~A TASTY WAY TO HELP REACH THAT GOAL By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT As we enter a New Year, a common goal for many people is to lose weight…and their mantra is usually “New Year, New Me”. But, how can we stick …
COCOA HX: THE DELICIOUS SUPERFOOD By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT When it comes to enjoying something indulgent and decadent, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is CHOCOLATE. It’s comforting as it takes us back to our childhood and brings …
The Benefits of Beets Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Everyone has heard about beets. Beet powder, beet chews and even beet juice! It’s everywhere you look! But what really are the benefits of using beet supplements? Why is the tart cherry in the Beets Hx? And perhaps most interesting of all questions is why use a powder and not the pills or chews that are available?
Beets are amazing for our heart health. Beets are high in a compound known as nitrates. (1) What this means is that according to studies beets are able to increase nitric oxide in the body. By increasing nitric oxide studies have found that beet root can significantly decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is important since high blood pressure is a risk factor for many heart conditions. In addition to nitrates beets contain antioxidants that studies have found to be useful in fighting against atherosclerosis, which as we know is another risk factor for many heart related conditions. (2) Studies have also found that nitric oxide may improve cardiovascular health especially in older adults. While more research on this topic is needed what has been done so far is promising to say the least. (3) Studies have also found that the nitric oxide released from beets can help with lowering blood pressure in those with kidney disease. (4) Other studies have found that the nitric oxide in beets can help with the heart’s performance during exercise. (5) Lastly the nitric oxide in beets has been found in studies to help heart health in those with heart failure. (6) As you can see the nitric oxide in beets is very beneficial to our heart health.
Let’s move on for a moment from nitric oxide. In addition to the nitric oxide in beets there are antioxidants. Studies have found that the antioxidants in beets have anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease. (1) One antioxidant found in beets that is currently being studied is a type called betalain. These have been found to help keep LDL from being oxidized. (7) It has also been found to lower the LDL as well as blood pressure. (8)
While it has been interesting to break down beets into their parts let’s take a look at some studies on just beets. Studies have found that using beets may help to lower blood pressure. (9) Studies have found beets to help lower cholesterol levels. (10) According to the Cleveland clinic beets are amazing for helping with high blood pressure and for those with heart disease. (11)
Beets Hx also includes tart cherry as well as the beetroot. Now I know what you’re thinking – tart cherry isn’t that for joints? Well yes it is! However studies have also found that tart cherry is good at helping to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. (12) Other studies indicate that tart cherry can help with blood pressure and cholesterol especially in older adults. (13) WebMD agrees that tart cherry is a great supplement that can help increase circulation as well as decrease inflammation, both of which are risk factors for many chronic heart conditions. (14)
Now I know I normally don’t take the time to talk about powders or pills but I wanted to do it in this blog in particular because beet supplements are currently so popular. Just watching a few minutes of TV will show you how many different delivery methods are available for beet supplements. So why a powder instead of a pill? Well for one there’s a limit to how much you can fit in a pill and still be able to swallow it. For many things that we take this is fine. However for some nutrients such as beets or whey protein you would have to take an inconvenient number of pills in order to get a therapeutic dose. Additionally, with powders they absorb right away thus they go to work very fast. (15) How about those gummies? Well to start with I want to ask a question. Do you think glorified candy is a good way to take any supplements? I personally prefer supplements that don’t double as candy. Many chewables have added ingredients such as sugar to “make it taste yummy”. That is one problem. The other problem is similar to pills in that there’s a limit to how much of a supplement you can fit. Just like with pills it’s just not reasonable to take enough to get a therapeutic dose. When you compare just these qualities of powders compared to chewables and pills it’s easy to understand why Invite uses a powder form for its beets. How can you use Beets Hx you might be asking yourself? Can I mix it in a smoothie? Absolutely yes! For heart health I recommend a smoothie with 1 scoop beets, 1 scoop Ribose Complex, 1 scoop of Whey or Plant protein and water or milk of choice. Another great choice is to make a smoothie with 1 scoop Beets Hx, 2 scoops of Cocoa Hx with 1 scoop protein and water or milk of choice. Beets Hx can also be mixed into yogurt or even applesauce. And don’t forget Beets Hx can be easily added to water.
Overall Beets Hx is a fantastic product for our heart health. It is one of those products that I frequently recommend for heart health.
Our next topic will be arrhythmia’s including atrial fibrillation and tachycardia!
Sources:
HEALTHY HOLIDAY RECIPES By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT The holidays are always a time when we naturally indulge in all kinds of delicious meals and treats. To help keep you on track, here are some festive and healthy holiday recipes! CANDY CANE …
Collagen for the Heart? Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In my last blog I mentioned that I would be reviewing a few supplements for the heart that you normally don’t associate with heart health. The first such supplement is collagen! Collagen is an important building …
RESVERATROL: THE ANTI-AGING POWERHOUSE
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Anti-aging means something different to everyone. Some of us associate anti-aging with skin care and physically looking younger than we are, while others think of maintaining a healthy heart and healthy brain function with anti-aging. So, with a variety of areas of anti-aging, is there one thing that is good for everyone? The answer is YES, and it’s one of my go-to supplements….RESVERATROL.
Why does Resveratrol sound so familiar? It’s because it is the component that makes red wine “healthy”. Resveratrol comes from the skin of the red grapes, which is how it is in red wine, through the crushing process. While the resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant, and alcohol consumption also has many negatives, so it’s not the best way to get Resveratrol. You can also get the same effect from eating whole, red grapes. However, you’d need to eat A LOT of grapes (or wine) which also isn’t good. While fruit is an important part of a healthy diet, too much of a good thing isn’t good. So, the alternative is to incorporate Resveratrol into a solid supplement regimen.
Resveratrol works on a cellular level to help protect one from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance of free-radicals and antioxidants. According to an article from Medical News Today titled ‘How Does Oxidative Stress Affect the Body?’ , oxidative stress may be a contributing factor in such issues as, but not limited to, increased inflammation, heart disease and Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Resveratrol has been studied and shows that the natural phenols can help maintain healthy cells.
Due the benefits that Resveratrol has on the cells in the body, it can also be beneficial for the skin. This is mainly due to its effects on collagen and photo aging. Photo aging is defined by Yale Medicine and dermatologists as “the damage the sun does to the skin by several names, including photo aging, photo damage, solar damage or sun damage. It happens when ultraviolet (UV) light hits skin unprotected by sunscreen, causing DNA changes at a cellular level”. This can cause such issues as wrinkles, dark spots/freckles and broken capillaries, just to name a few.
‘Resveratrol as a Factor Preventing Skin Aging and Affecting its Rejuvenation’ from The National Library of Medicine-National Center for Biotechnology Information, discusses the effect resveratrol can have on promoting collagen production… This can help to rejuvenate not just the skin, but damaged cells throughout the body.
As you can see, Resveratrol has been highly research and studied for its effectiveness on many aspects of health and the aging process. Whether it’s protecting the heart or brain from oxidative stress, or protecting the skin form UV damage, Resveratrol is something that should be part of anyone’s healthy lifestyle.
Try our Resveratrol Max Hx which is our concentrated “super” Resveratrol supplying 98% trans-Resveratrol. We also have our classic Resveratrol which is much less concentrated supplying 25% trans-resveratrol, making it a great option for those on certain medications such as blood thinners.
PRO TIP: take your choice of Resveratrol at bedtime for maximum benefits!
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265635#can-wine-improve-health
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324863
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283756654_A_convenient_mechanism_for_scavengingthe_free_radical__activity_of_resveratrol
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9326919/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/resveratrol-the-hype-continues-201202034189
