Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Deep Dive into Fatty Liver Disease: NAFLD and NASH Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most common concerns that people call about is fatty liver. Since NASH is a progression, or worsening of NAFLD I wanted to talk about them both in one …
Glutathione-The Antioxidant for Liver Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Glutathione drips or in other words IV glutathione is a well-known treatment in holistic medicine. However many people are afraid of needles. Invite Health’s Glutathione Lozenges are an easy to use form of glutathione. You may …
Liver Function Tests
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
The Liver Basics!
As an Invite health nutritionist one of the most important parts of my job is to help people understand their blood work. In general I find that when it comes to blood work liver function tests tend to be some of the most confusing. But just what are the markers on your blood work that test for liver health? In other words what even is a liver function test? Well let’s get into this important topic, shall we?
Liver function’s tests are tests that are used to help monitor the health and function of the liver. The first test is ALT. This is an enzyme that is found in the liver. When the liver cell is damaged this enzyme is released and blood levels will increase. Another enzyme that is found in the liver is AST. AST is also found in muscle cells. If the levels are elevated it can indicate possible damage to either the liver or muscles. ALP is an enzyme found in both the liver and bones. If it is elevated in the blood it may indicate liver damage or disease. It may also indicate bone disease. In addition to testing enzymes that are active in the liver the liver blood tests also look at enzymes that are made by the liver. For example Albumin is a protein that helps to fight infection. Lower levels of albumin and even total protein may mean your liver isn’t healthy enough to produce them. Another job of the liver is to process Bilirubin. Normally this is passed through the liver and excreted in the stool. In certain types of liver disease this process is disrupted and bilirubin levels can increase in the blood. PT is a marker of how fast your blood is able to clot. Increased PT can indicate liver damage. However I just want to mention that certain medications can affect PT. Other tests can include GGT and LD. (1)
In addition to blood tests there are certain imaging tests that can help look for liver damage or disease. Imaging tests can include ultrasounds, CT scans or even getting an MRI. One test that can be important in monitoring liver health is a liver biopsy. (2)
These liver function tests may be abnormal for a number of reasons. For example you may have a virus, tumor, diabetes or other liver disease. (2) Throughout this series will be reviewing a number of these conditions. For example we will be reviewing disorders such as NASH, NAFLD, cirrhosis, and even hepatitis. We will also be talking about the gall bladder since it is so closely linked to the liver. Additionally in this series will be talking about how and when to detox. Lastly we will be talking about another important organ, our kidneys!
But what does the liver even do for our health? Well the liver has a number of important jobs. I’ve attached a picture detailing all the functions of the liver! Please take a look the attached picture. (3)
Since the liver is important for so many aspects of our overall health there are many studies on supplements that can help with liver health and function. Throughout this series we will be reviewing many of these nutrients. These nutrients include NAC (4), Milk Thistle (5), Dandelion (6), and even Catalase. (7) Other supplements that help fight infections that will be included will be nutrients such as Olive Leaf (8) and even Probiotics! (9) All of these important nutrients are available from Invite Health. I hope you find this topic as important as I do.
Our product highlight will be Glutathione lozenges!
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From a Naturopathic Point of View Part 4 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND The importance of western and holistic medicine working together! One of the key pathways to helping people become healthy is learning how to balance both western and holistic medicine. These 2 ways …
Alcar with ALA Capsules Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most popular products here at Invite Health has always been our Alcar with ALA formula. If you have been using Invite’s Alcar with ALA you may notice some changes to it! Now the …
Gluco Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
When it comes to helping someone regulate their blood sugar one of my favorite supplements is Gluco Hx. But why is this such a great product? Well let’s get into it, shall we? To start with Gluco Hx is a combination of things that studies show are helpful for regulating blood sugar. In addition to helping blood sugar quite a few of the items in Gluco Hx have other benefits I’ll be talking about.
Chromium is the first nutrient in Gluco Hx. Studies have found that chromium is helpful in reducing insulin resistance and in improving glucose control. Chromium picolinate, the form found in Gluco Hx has been found to be the most effective form for helping with our blood sugar. (1) In addition to helping with blood sugar chromium has been found to help decrease both total cholesterol and LDL levels. Interestingly chromium use is also associated with an increase in HDL, or the good cholesterol. (2) Chromium has been found to help with metabolic syndrome. (3) Studies have also found that chromium can help to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol in those with PCOS. (4) Studies have even found that adding chromium can help improve weight loss and reduce body fat. (4) As you can see chromium has many health benefits!
Alpha Lipoic Acid is another nutrient that is found in Gluco Hx. Studies have found a few benefits to ALA. To start with according to Mount Sinai ALA can lower our blood sugar levels. (5) Studies have found that using ALA can help to reduce insulin resistance. (6) Studies have also found that ALA can help reduce the pain and discomfort associated with neuropathy. (7) This is important since neuropathy is a common complication of high blood sugar.
Gymnema is another nutrient that you will find in Gluco Hx. Studies have found that using gymnema appears to reduce intestinal absorption of sugar. (8) Studies have also found that gymnema can help to reduce blood sugar when used after a meal which results in overall lower blood sugar over time. (9) Gymnema may also stimulate insulin production. (10) Lastly gymnema has been found to help promote healthy cholesterol levels and even help with weight loss. (11) Overall gymnema is a very helpful nutrient for our overall health.
Bitter Melon has a funny name but studies have found it to be very helpful for blood sugar. In fact studies have found that after only 12 weeks of use bitter melon can lower blood sugar in those who are diagnosed with prediabetes. (12) The next nutrient is Fenugreek. When most people think of fenugreek they think of digestive health. But did you know fenugreek is also good for other health concerns as well. In fact studies have found that adding fenugreek can help reduce fasting blood sugar. It’s also been found to help improve glucose tolerance. Lastly studies find that fenugreek can help regulate cholesterol levels. (13) The very last nutrient in Gluco Hx is a mineral called Vanadium. Studies have found that it is very good for blood sugar and even cholesterol levels. (14)
Overall Gluco Hx is a powerful support for those who need help with blood sugar. How do you know if you need this help? The best way to know is to get blood work done. In my clinical experience Gluco Hx is what I call a therapeutic nutrient that you use if you need it. It’s not like a multi that you use for overall general wellness. To determine if Gluco Hx is right for you feel free to reach out to an Invite Nutritionist! Our next topic will be why it is not always appropriate to do what we call third party consultations.
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