Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Combat Chemo Brain Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One topic that comes up a lot is what to do about the side effects that can occur as a result of the different cancer treatments. The first side effect I will be talking about is called …
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET~ THE FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT The Mediterranean Diet is often thought of as one of the best ways of eating. This is a great example of how a well-balanced diet, combined with complimentary supplements, can set …
Invite Health Powders
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Invite Health has an amazing line of superfood powders that can easily be incorporated into your vision heath protocol. These powders include Reds Hx, Purples Hx and both Greens Hx and Organic Greens. These powders easily complement each other as well as Invite’s Macula Advanced formula. In this blog I’ll be doing a general overview of nutrients that may be found in 1 or more of the powders mentioned. For more information on each induvial powder feel free to contact an Invite nutritionist.
Let’s start with antioxidants. We all know that antioxidants are good four our health. Studies have found that antioxidants have promising benefits for a number of different eye diseases. (1) While more studies have found antioxidants helpful for reducing the risk of cataract formation. (2) In addition to helping with cataracts antioxidants have also been found to “be a promising therapy for those with glaucoma”. (3) Studies have also found that antioxidants can help reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy. (4)
I know what you’re thinking, but Dr. Claire the powders you mentioned are full of fruits and veggies! Of course they have antioxidants. What else can I expect to find among the different nutrients? Grape Seed? Grape Seed extract is one of my favorite nutrients. Grape Seed has been found to help reduce the risk of cataracts. (5) Grape Seed has also been found to help protect eye nerve health in those with increased eye pressure. (6) For more detail on Grape Seed check out my blog Grape Seed for our vision?
Another nutrient you might spy among the 4 powders I mentioned is Quercetin. This nutrient has been found to have significant benefits for our eyes. Studies have looked at quercetin for conditions such as dry eye, eye inflammation and Neovascularization of the cornea. (7)
The next nutrient you’ll find amongst the different powders is astaxanthin. Recent studies have found that it promotes better outcomes for cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and even macular degeneration. (8)
Bilberry is another powerful eye nutrient you can spot in the powders I mentioned. To start with studies have found that using bilberry can help keep our eyes healthy. (9) In another study it was found when using a combination of pine bark and bilberry there was a reduction in eye pressure, which is important in talking about diseases such as glaucoma. (10) Bilberry has also been found in studies to help reduce the risk of cataracts. (11) As I talked about in my blog on diabetic retinopathy studies have found that bilberry can help to reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy. (12) For more information on bilberry please check out my blog on bilberry extract!
Lastly you may also spy Lutein amongst the nutrients. Lutein has been found to be beneficial for macular degeneration. Additionally lutein has been found to have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits which may be helpful at reducing the symptoms of various chronic diseases. (13) According to studies lutein can help to reduce the risk of developing cataracts. (14) In fact one study with over 30,000 participants found a “significant reduction in cataract risk in those with the highest levels of lutein”. (15) Another study found that after just 2 years of use lutein supplementation was helpful in improving vision. (16) A 24 week study found that in those with Retinitis pigmentosa lutein supplementation significantly increased the visual field. (17) Overall I have found that these powders are chock full of different nutrients for our eyes! When added to a vision plan they can be an easy way to increase your intake of these nutrients. Our next blog will be about something you may have heard of, “blue light”.
Sources
Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In this blog we will be talking about Bilberry. Yes you read that correct, bilberry not blueberry. Now I bet your thinking but Dr. Claire what exactly is the difference between a bilberry and …
Diabetic Retinopathy Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that is associated with diabetes. Diabetes as you can guess is a huge health concern. In fact in the United States in 2021 diabetes was found to be the 8th leading cause …
L Carnosine Plus
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Today we will be talking about a product you may have heard of. This product is L Carnosine. Now I just want to point out that in this blog I will be talking about L Carnosine not Carnitine. While these nutrients sound similar they are quite different and have different uses. Having said that lets get into it, shall we? So what exactly is L Carnosine? Basically it is an amino acid that is naturally produced by the body. (1)
L Carnosine has been found to be anti- cataractogenic. One theory is that this ability is because of the antioxidant properties that L Carnosine has. Additionally studies have found that L Carnosine offers a “new prospective treatment for diabetic cataracts”. (2) Other studies have found that the antioxidant benefits of L Carnosine may help to “improve the quality of vision and length of life” for diabetics. (3) Other studies have that the ability of L Carnosine to act to restrict glycation may help with reducing diabetic eye disease. (4)
Moving on from diabetic eye disease and cataracts studies have found that L Carnosine can help with other eye conditions. In fact one study found that formulas that contain L Carnosine can statistically reduce eye pressure as well as improve both light and contrast sensitivity. (5) Other studies have found that in those with glaucoma L Carnosine may have a neuroprotective effect. (6)
In addition to helping with the eye concerns previously mentioned studies have found even more visual benefits for L Carnosine. In fact studies have found that L Carnosine has neuroprotective potential especially for those who have macular degeneration. (7)
While Invite Health’s L Carnosine Plus obviously does have all these benefits of L Carnosine there’s that little word at the end, Plus. What does the added Plus really mean? It means that there is more than just L Carnosine in our formula! First let’s talk about Quercetin. Now I know your most likely thinking but Dr. Claire isn’t that just for allergies? When you heard the word quercetin you probably thought of allergies. But it does much more than just help with the things you may have heard about in the past. What even is quercetin? It is a natural antioxidant. It also has powerful anti- inflammatory and anti-fibrous properties. Studies have found that it can be helpful in corneal diseases such cataracts and keratosis (this is where the cornea becomes thin and bulging). Many people with the thyroid disorder Graves’ disease experience what is known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy (in laymen’s terms this is where the eyes seem to “pop out”). Studies have found that quercetin may help with this condition. Additionally studies have found that quercetin may help with dry eye, retinopathy and even conjunctivitis. (8)
The next nutrient is rutin. Rutin is a nutrient that is well known to help regulate blood flow and even help to support blood vessels. This is critical for eye health since blood flow to the retina is so important. One disorder rutin is thought to protect against is diabetic retinopathy. Rutin can also help prevent what is called subconjunctival hemorrhage. One study found using formulas that contain rutin for 40 days can reduce eye pressure an average of 20%! In another study eye pressure dropped by 10% after just 3 weeks of use! As you can see rutin is an excellent eye nutrient. (9)
Lastly L Carnosine Plus also has B1 which has been found to help with dry eye. (10) L Carnosine Plus has so many health benefits. In this blog I just focused on eye health. But L carnosine has so many additional benefits that it totally rates as a “top seller”! Our next topic will be Diabetic Retinopathy.
Sources: