Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Heart Health: The Complete Summary Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I hope this series on heart health has been both informative and interesting! While I took the time in this series to review some rather severe heart conditions I also wanted to do a quick …
Reds Hx… for our heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to talk about Reds Hx next because it’s really the perfect partner to Greens Hx. Since Reds Hx is so full of heart healthy nutrients I am going to jump right into things …
MACA ROOT: THE LIBIDO BOOSTER
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Maca Root is a very interesting nutrient that many people aren’t familiar with but is incredibly versatile. It can be found in a powder, in a capsule form (Maca Root) or even as part of a formulation (Menopause Hx Advanced and Men’s Edge Advanced). Let’s take some time to discuss some of the benefits this nutrient has to offer.
Let’s start at the beginning and discuss aphrodisiacs, as this is always a hot topic particularly during certain times of the year (like Valentine’s Day). An aphrodisiac is something, maybe a scent or food that is said to increase libido and “get you in the mood”. Most commonly, this is associated with such things as the scent of roses or jasmine (these are commonly used in perfumes and colognes), and such foods as chocolate, oysters or sometimes and nice glass of wine or champagne. However, there are also spices or herbs that fall into this category, such as ginger, ginseng and ginkgo….these have a tendency to be warming and slightly raise body temperature. In this category is also Maca Root which is one of my favorites. That is due to Maca being versatile in that it can be used as a supplement or can be used in recipes and smoothies all while tasting good and I don’t get that spicy taste that other herbs and spices tend to offer.
So what exactly is Maca? Simply put, Maca is a plant that is found in the Andes Mountains in South America. It is believed to be helpful for healthy sexual function, increased libido, and support for the brain and may even be helpful as an anti-inflammatory. This is also a nutrient that is helpful for both men’s and women’s health.
When it comes to men’s health, Maca is often a go-to choice. Studies mentioned in Medical News Today suggest that Maca can be helpful for men dealing with erectile dysfunction as well as offering a boost to the libido. It is also helpful with increasing energy and endurance. The Maca Root found in the Men’s Edge formula is a great addition to a regimen to support men’s health issues.
Maca can be equally beneficial for women’s health. It can be particularly helpful for women experiencing menopause. Due to the hormonal changes during this time, many women suffer from a variety of issues including, but not limited to, changes in mood, weight gain, hot flashes and of course low libido. Menopause Hx Advanced is a way to help address a variety of the issues effecting women, as it is a comprehensive formula that includes Maca Root.
Maca Root can also be beneficial for other health concerns. Studies published by the National Library of Medicine -National Center for Biotechnology Information discuss some of these issues. It is believed that Maca can assist in significantly lowering blood pressure. This can have a positive impact on one’s health, lower the risk of stroke and helping to maintain healthy circulation. Maca has also shown to be helpful in balancing mood and can be used by those suffering with mood disorders such as depression.
Maca is also shown to be a very safe nutrient to take by almost everyone. It has shown to have little to no interactions with medications and is a great compliment to those that have been prescribed conventional medication by their doctor.
As you can see, Maca Root is a safe, versatile and impactful nutrient to have in any healthy lifestyle plan. I want to encourage you to add this to your daily supplement regimen and please let us know how you are using this amazing and often forgotten nutrient.
www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/sex-aphrodisiac-foods
www.botanicalinstitute.org/maca/
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-maca
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322511#ten-benefits
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-sex/201104/is-maca-aphrodisiac
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24931003/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4411442/
www.medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/555.html
FEBRUARY~LOVE AND HEARTS…THE RECIPES By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT February is an interesting month. Not only is it Valentine’s Day which is always full of love but it’s also heart health awareness month….quite fitting if you ask me. Let’s spend this month together …
Greens Hx part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In our last blog we were talking about how one of our most popular supplements can be beneficial for our heart. This supplement was Greens Hx and we will be continuing this exciting topic today! So …
Greens Hx….for our heart?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Greens Hx is probably one of the most popular products at Invite! Everyone knows how amazing Greens Hx is for our liver, immune system, detox and even energy! What most people may not know is that Greens Hx is full of heart healthy nutrients. And when I say full I don’t mean just 1 or 2 of the ingredients. There are literally 12 different components of Greens Hx that are good for our heart health. So let’s take a look at these ingredients!
Let’s start with ginger. Studies have found that ginger has several benefits to our heart health. Ginger has been found to help with lowering high blood pressure, high cholesterol and it can even help to lower the risk of blood clots. (1) Ginger has also been found to have triglyceride lowering benefits. (2) Additionally studies have found that ginger can help to increase our HDL levels. (3) Overall Ginger is an amazing supplement for our heart!
Moving on from ginger let’s talking about grape seed. The first benefit of grape seed is its effects on blood pressure. Studies have found that grape seed can “significantly modulate blood pressure after grape seed extract is used for 16 weeks”. (4) This is important considering that high blood pressure is a risk factor for so many heart complications. In fact 1 study found that grape seed extract lowered systolic blood pressure by 5.6% and diastolic by 4.7% after only 6 weeks of use. (5) Studies have also found that grape seed can help to improve circulation. In one study after 8 weeks grape seed was found to help with blood thinning thus potentially decrease risk of blood clots. (6) Studies have also found that grape seed extract can help lower leg swelling and edema that occurs after sitting for 6 hours. (7) This is important for those with poor circulation where the pain is often worse with sitting or standing. Studies have also found that grape seed extract may be helpful with lowering the risk of atherosclerosis. (8) As you can see grape seed extract is a powerful nutrient when it comes to heart health.
The next item in Greens Hx is Flax seed. According to the Mayo Clinic studies have found that using flaxseed daily can help to lower the total cholesterol. Additionally according to the Mayo Clinic other studies have found that flax seed can help lower blood pressure. (9) Studies have found that ALA, a component of flax seed is associated with a decreased risk of recurrent heart attacks. Atherosclerosis was found to be significantly reduced by using flax seed. As I stated previously studies have found that high cholesterol is also passively affected by flax seed. (10) Flax seed has also been found to help reduce the incidence of arrhythmias. Lastly flaxseed is considered to be an alternative plant source of omega 3s. (11)
Our next item is one of my favorites! BEETS! In fact beets is such an amazing supplement for heart health that I wrote an entire blog on just Beets Hx! Now because I did a very complete blog on using beets for heart health I will just do a quick summary here. A number of studies have found that beets, a natural nitric oxide booster are helpful for reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Beetroot has also been found to help with what is known as reperfusion injury. There has also been found to be decreased arterial stiffness after using beetroot. Beetroot has also been found to help relax smooth muscles just like the ones in the blood vessels. Remember the more relaxed the muscles the larger the opening in the vessel and thus the lower the pressure! (12) The Cleveland Clinic has found numerous benefits for beets. In fact the Cleveland Clinic has found that beets can help increase heart performance after exercise. They have also found that beets help with our blood pressure. (13) But as I said I have a whole exciting blog on just beets. So for more details on beets check out my blog!
Turmeric, or curcumin is one item that might surprise you. Curcumin has been found to help with vascular dysfunction. Curcumin has also been found to improve vasodilation (or how big the opening in the blood vessels is). Curcumin can also help with arterial stiffness which as we know in the long run can help with blood pressure. Lastly studies have found that turmeric can help as a treatment for age related cardiovascular disease. (14)
There are quite a few more items in Greens Hx that can help our heart. So this blog will be split into 2 parts. This way every component can have an in-depth description of how it helps the heart. In our next blog Greens Hx part 2 we will review the following ingredients in Greens Hx: Citrus bioflavonoids, Blueberry, Parsley, Alfalfa, Bilberry, Rosemary and Stevia!
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