Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
As the weather gets colder, it’s very common to develop itchy, scaly or dry skin. The good news is that there are nutrients that can help hydrate your skin from the inside, out.
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but what do you know about DHA? Learn all about why this nutrient is important for brain development from Amanda Williams, MPH.
statin drugs
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Clogged arteries in the heart are very dangerous. It’s called coronary heart disease and it’s a really scary condition. They give statin drugs in an attempt to prevent this and it is helpful.†
Statin drugs are cholesterol-lowering therapy. They’re used in patients with a history of heart disease, but they’re also used in people with clean arteries to help prevent it. When you lower a type of cholesterol called LDL, there’s a relationship to not building up plaque in the arteries. This plaque leads to horrible things like strokes and heart attacks.†
What exactly is the plaque and what is it doing? It’s thickening and stiffening the blood vessels in the heart. It is made out of cholesterol, mostly LDL. Arteries are bigger blood vessels that take the oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and the heart and deliver it all over the body. This allows oxygen to reach the brain, muscles, organs and tissues. Even though the heart is pumping blood, it also needs its own blood supply. The heart also has its own arteries that are actually smaller and like veins. When they get thickened and stiffened with deposits of cholesterol, it’s very dangerous. This is where statin drugs come to the rescue, to a certain degree.†
The problem with statin drugs is that they tend to interfere with a number of really important nutritional supplements. Most of the symptoms of problems with using a statin are related to the lowering level of important nutrients.†
One thing that happens with statin drugs, and it’s dose-dependent, is problems with your mitochondria. In other words, statins can short-circuit energy production. There are a number of studies showing that statins can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps and a drop in endurance and stamina. One reason why statins can affect your muscles and your nerves is if you lower your cholesterol too much. You need cholesterol for the health of your muscles and nerves.†
This also occurs because you are disrupting energy formation. It seems to block the ability to recycle energy. Every day, we recycle our energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is recycled by something called creatine monohydrate, which is a very safe nutritional supplement that’s been used by bodybuilders and athletes for decades, as well as in patients with heart failure and for memory and brain energy in elderly people. Studies have shown that creatine also helps to make the body’s shuttle for energy function properly to allow for energy recycling. Statin drugs can inhibit an enzyme that prevents the body from recycling energy properly and this leads to muscle pain. I mix beta-hydroxy-beta methylbutyrate (HMB) with creatine and whey protein in elderly to help support muscle strength, balance, coordination and mobility.†
ATP: THE ENERGY ATM MACHINE OF THE BODY – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 255. Listen Now>>
Vitamin D is also involved. There are a number of studies now that show if the Vitamin D in your blood is below 30, you have a much higher risk of having muscle pain and muscle inflammation when on a statin. If you’re using a statin or know someone who is, you want to get your Vitamin D levels above 30. This is also important for supporting your immune defenses and respiratory health.†
There is also evidence that statin drugs reduce the level of many nutrients in your body and that’s not a good thing. You don’t have to stop the statin, but you do have to replete the nutrients that you’re losing. For instance, statins deplete lutein, an orange-red pigment from vegetables that is needed for vision and memory. Statins also lower Vitamin K, which is needed for your heart health and bone strength, as well as ubiquinol, which is needed for the power of your heart and muscles and your energy in general. There is evidence that statins lower fish oils, so I tell people on statins to take Krill Oil.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses statin drugs, a commonly-prescribed medication often used for heart health and cholesterol levels. He explains that while these drugs are important, they can also negatively impact other important nutrients in the body.†
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Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
As we age, our body’s ability to convert CoQ10 into its active form, ubiquinol, decreases. This can increase our chances of having a heart-related issue such as a heart attack. Learn more about the role this nutrient plays in women’s heart health from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
In Part 2 of this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. delves into studies explaining how the nutrient HMB can help people facing muscle loss. He also discusses the importance of stretching.
muscle loss
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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There’s a disturbing, unhealthy trend that’s going on in people over the age of 50. It’s age-related and it’s another thing that smacks you in the face when you’re aging. It’s the age-related loss of muscle and strength. If it gets out of control, it’s called sarcopenia.†
Here’s some recent data from the University of East Anglia. The researchers found there that people over 50 lose up to 1% of their skeletal muscle mass each year. This muscle loss is thought to affect 50 million people worldwide. This problem can lead to frailty and other poor outcomes such as sarcopenia, physical disability, Type 2 diabetes, reduced quality of life and increased risk of dying.†
You’ve probably heard the saying, “He’s strong. He’ll pull out of it.” This is usually used to relate to people who are sick or injured. Studies are showing that this saying does hold truth. Studies over the past five years have shown that older people with stronger grip strength survive longer, have a better quality of life and have longer health spans. They have also shown similar findings with people’s gaits, which is how they walk.†
The number of people facing this age-related muscle loss is expected to increase dramatically over the next 25 years. When you don’t have muscle, you’re more likely to fall and hit your head or break a hip. If you lose all of your strength and muscle, you can develop sarcopenia. You can also run the risk of developing frailty syndrome, which is terrible because all of the diseases associated with aging rush into your life, including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and heart failure.†
There is actually a group of supplements that can help support someone facing age-related muscle loss. Today, we will discuss some amino acids that have been shown to be particularly helpful.†
Studies have shown that whey protein, when taken with other key nutrients, can help to greatly improve the physical strength of senior citizens. Researchers have found that if you combine whey protein, creatine monohydrate, Vitamin D, calcium and fish oil, this can be helpful for muscles. They found that by giving elderly men these supplements, they were able to notice improvements in deteriorating muscle health and overall strength. They also found that exercise helped them with their muscle loss.†
FISH OILS, AGING AND MUSCLE HEALTH – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 335. Listen Now>>
Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB) is another nutrient that should be added to this list to help with muscle health. It’s a metabolite of the amino acid leucine and there are a lot of studies on how it helps to bolster muscle synthesis. I would also recommend ubiquinol, the active form of coenzyme Q10, and Green Tea HxⓇ.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses how age-related muscle loss can impact your overall health. He details studies looking at how common muscle loss is and provides recommendations for nutrients that can help. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this episode, coming soon!†
Key Topics:
Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.