Studies Show This Unique Collagen Eases Inflammation – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 286
UC-IIⓇ is really unique. It’s an undenatured type two collagen. Studies has shown that UC-IIⓇ can help ease inflammation in the body.
Tag: arthritis
How SAMe Can Help With Joint Discomfort – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 156
S-Adenomethionine, or SAMe, is a naturally-occurring compound found in nearly every tissue of the body. It is commonly used for brain health and mood, as it plays a role in your serotonin activity in the brain. But several studies have shown SAMe can assist with joint discomfort, as well.
The Impact Uric Acid Has On Your Body – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 47
InVite Health Podcast, Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Uric acid is normally found in your blood and in your urine. Higher levels can cause a kidney stone, painful arthritis, kidney damage or can trigger a stroke or a heart attack. Here’s what you need to know.
The Basics
There is a normal blood range for uric acid and the range depends on the lab but may be as low as 2.5 to as high as 9 and this may be normal for some labs. Uric acid (UA) is normally lower in women and for all of us you generally want your UA level to be below 6 to be safe.
A painful and dangerous condition called gout is caused by UA collecting in your joints and other body tissues. In gout, needle-like crystals build up in your joints, in your blood vessels, in your skin, but also in your heart and not all people with elevated uric acid will develop symptoms though.
The problem is that the most current research shows that even if your within the normal blood range for uric acid, far below the level connected with gout, but if it is toward the higher end of normal, you have a heightened risk of dying from a stroke or heart attack if you also have other risk factors for heart disease such as elevated blood sugar, obesity, or high blood pressure.
This is a problem because some clinicians will note the UA level as lying within the normal range and therefore they believe you have no additional risk.
I have reviewed thousands of blood tests for clients over the years, and the test for uric acid is rarely ordered even in patients with heart disease or diabetes; research shows this is could be a very serious omission.
How does your body make uric acid?
Some foods have ingredients in them called purines. An enzyme in your body called xanthine oxidase converts these purines into UA.
UA in itself is not a bad thing and it functions as a powerful antioxidant so at the low end of normal uric acid is very protective.
The problem is that uric acid is very poorly soluble in urine so it is hard to break down. If your level is too high it tends to not be fully flushed out when you urinate, it builds up in your system and converts into dangerous and painful crystals. For instance a major symptom of gout which is due to a high level of uric acid in the system, is extreme pain in your big toe because the toe joint is caked up with crystals.
What foods can negatively impact uric acid?
So what foods contain the purines that raise uric acid? Eating red meat such as steak, but especially organ meats such as liver, kidney, and sweetbreads increases your uric acid.
Seafood such as anchovies, herring, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna also increase uric acid. That’s because these foods have insoluble purines that are converted into uric acid. However, not all purines are a problem.Coffee and tea contain purines but they are water soluble, they do not have to be converted into uric acid, are easily flushed out in your urine and do not raise uric acid.
Interestingly, my favorite tea – Green Tea – actually helps prevent kidney stones in general and high quality coffee may slash the risk of gout according research from a cooperative team of researchers from Canada and Harvard.
Some vegetables such as mushrooms, cauliflower and asparagus also contain purines however, eating these vegetables in moderation is neither connected to elevated UA nor gout.
Alcoholic beverages especially beer and wine, and also sugary foods, especially those sweetened with fructose are connected with both elevated UA and also with gout.
In a study from the University of California Davis, performed in 2015, consuming high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks increased UA and blood fats such as triglycerides in just two weeks in young healthy volunteers. Note that dried fruit and fruit juice are loaded with fructose so these should be avoided also.
Suffering from painful kidney stones? Here is what you need to know. Click here >>
Elevated uric acid is common with diabetes and obesity; two extremely common conditions. Uric acid was first discovered in 1776, a Swedish chemist found it inside kidney stones. In 1882, a Ukrainian chemist found out it uric acid could be made out of your body’s waste products.
Some individuals have a heightened risk of gout; they have genes that prevent them from adequately flushing out UA. They may also have a problem with the sugar called fructose.
Thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide or chlorthalidone are often prescribed to treat high blood pressure or swelling due to fluid retention. These drugs can raise UA levels by interfering with the excretion of uric acid in the kidneys.
Uric acid can create crystal deposits in your organs and joints which cause inflammation and damage. A very high concentration of UA can trigger gout. Gout is a very painful condition; needle-like crystals of uric acid build up in your joints, blood vessels, heart, and skin.
In some individuals gout can occur even with very normal blood levels of uric acid. If you have gout you want to minimize your intake of a mineral called molybdenum; excess molybdenum activates the enzyme that converts purines into UA. You need molybdenum, just don’t overdo it.
Lowering Your Uric Acid Level
- Drink plenty of fluids. Stay well-hydrated, including plenty of water. Limit how many sweetened beverages you drink, especially those sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.
- Limit or avoid alcohol. Especially beer and wine
- Limit your intake of meat, fish and poultry. A small amount may be tolerable, but pay close attention to what types — and how much — seem to cause problems for you.
- Maintain a desirable body weight. Both the Dash Diet and the Mediterranean Diet have been shown to lower uric acid. These are very sensible ways of eating
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When You Need to Start Taking Your Back and Joint Pain Seriously
Aches in your back and joints are one thing (and are very common in older individuals) but when the aches turn into pain, you should really pay more attention. Here’s what you should be on the lookout for. First, understand that pain and tenderness are …
UC-II® For Joint Support By Claudia Guy, N.D.
FEATURED IN INVITE® HEALTH’S SUMMER 2015 CATALOG Suddenly, one morning you wake up with a stiff, swollen, and painful joint. You most likely have arthritis. In the United States, more than 50% of individuals over 60 years of age have osteoarthritis, the most common form …
Health Spotlight: Rheumatoid and Osteo- Arthritis
Arthritis – stiff, painful, swollen joints – is not a single disease. There are more than 100 arthritis-related conditions. The most common is osteoarthritis – “wear-and-tear”. Nearly 27 million Americans have osteoarthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Osteoarthritis, in which joint cartilage is broken down and lost, largely affects the spine, weight-bearing joints and shoulders.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. It starts by affecting the lining of the joints, but can move on to damage bone, cartilage, muscles and ligaments around the joints, which in return can be painful. Although, inflammation (a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis) is not always seen in osteoarthritis. Inflammation has five cardinal signs – redness, swelling, warmth, tenderness and loss of function. Fluid in the joint space, called an effusion, is a sign of rheumatoid disease activity. Rheumatic joints can be accompanied by nodules in the elbow and loss of the muscles at the top of the hands. With rheumatoid arthritis, more aggressive treatment moves to pills known as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.
New Study: Devils Claw’s Effects in Treating Arthritis – Click to read more!
These DMARDs, used to slow the progression of joint damage, include methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine). Then, Krant says, after at least six weeks, biologic drugs such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicaide (used to reduce inflammation) may come into play. Most biologics are given by injection or intravenously. DMARDs can cause significant side effects, such as lung and liver damage and reduced ability to fight off infections. Biologics, among other side effects, increase the risk of infections, notably tuberculosis. None of these treatments is a cure.
Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletions
Whether you occasionally take a pharmaceutical like an antibiotic, or count on a drug long term such as a cholesterol health lowering statin, your need for specific nutrients increases. You must be aware that many prescriptions, as well as commonly used over-the-counter drugs, cause potentially serious nutrient depletions. For your convenience, we here at InVite® Health have devised a Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Chart with a list of drugs and non-prescription medications and the nutrients they deplete. This in turn will give you an idea of the nutrients your body needs, which can be found in our high-quality InVite® Health supplements. Click here to view the chart!
New Study: Fish Oil Capsules improve rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an extremely painful and disabling form of arthritis affecting many joints at once. Recently there has been a new clinical trial performed by the Rheumatology Unit at Royal Adelaide Hospital and the University of Adelaide in Australia, where patients who suffered with a recent onset of rheumatoid arthritis had an increased rate of remission (total absence of symptoms) and a lower rate of failure by the drugs used to treat the disease if on a high dosage of fish oil in capsules.
The randomized trial compared the effects of high-doses of fish oils versus low-doses and found that with every measurable increase in the level of fish oils in the plasma there was an accompanying 12% increase in the probability of remission anytime during the study. The study is published online in the British Journal of Nutrition on August 18, 2015