Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Daily Detox- The Power to Cleanse your Cells Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Anyone who knows me can tell you how much I like Invite Health powders! In this blog I will be talking about one of my absolute favorites, Daily Detox powder! This powder is …
Cancer Related Fatigue Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to talk about cancer related fatigue because it’s so common in those who have cancer. It can also be difficult to work with because there can be a number of reasons why a person feels …
Green Tea, our most common questions!!!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Green Tea is probably one supplement that everyone has heard of! It’s probably been written about by almost everyone, including me! So why write about it again you ask? Well it’s recently come to my attention that even though green tea has been written about a million times before people still have unanswered questions. S o I figured this would be a great time to review some of these commonly asked questions!
Let’s start with the most common question, shall we? Is green tea safe to use? In a meta-analysis looking at the effects of green tea on the liver it was found that not only is green tea safe it “reduced the risk of liver disease”. (1) According to the cancer research UK website green tea is safe for humans to use. (2) So yes both studies and my own clinical experience show me that green tea is safe to use!
Another common question I get asked is about blood pressure. Many people call and ask if it’s safe to use green tea if they have high blood pressure. My first question would be do you have a sensitivity to caffeine? If the answer is no then great Invite has a form both with and without caffeine. If you are not sensitive then either form is fine for you. If you are sensitive then Invite’s liquid extract would be better choice since it’s caffeine free and studies show that caffeine free green tea is perfectly safe for those with high blood pressure. (3)
The next question I get asked about green tea is it safe if I’m on blood thinners? Well it’s a bit complicated. For this blog I’ll stick to Coumadin or warfarin. Remember if you have any questions you can always reach out to a qualified Invite nutritionist. But let’s get back to the topic, shall we? Green tea normally contains Vitamin K which can interfere with Coumadin. (4) Invite Health’s Green Tea Tx liquid extract is free of Vitamin K! So yes it is safe to use.
Moving on to one of my last questions. If I have cancer should I be using green tea alongside my conventional treatment? This is a complex question. Numerous studies have found green tea may have anti-cancer benefits. (5) Part of the reason that green tea has so many benefits is that it contains powerful antioxidants. While this is fantastic for our health before and even after cancer treatment it can be a concern if green tea is used during treatments. Studies have found that using antioxidants can protect cancer cells and render the treatments not as effective as they should be. (6) For anyone with a personal or family history of cancer adding green tea can be a great idea. (5) It is just better to use it after treatments are complete, not during them.
Last but not least how can you incorporate Invite’s green tea into your day? Invite’s Green Tea Hx capsules can be taken with your daily supplements. Green Tea Tx liquid can be added to many things! For example you can add it to plain water to increase your water intake. You can also mix it into juice, tea and even smoothies! As I always say be creative.
Our next topic will be how to deal with low energy during cancer and cancer treatments.
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Opportunistic Infections Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What do we mean by the phrase opportunistic infections? Well it is exactly what it sounds like, it is an infection that takes the opportunity to grow when your immune system is compromised. Some types of cancer and …
The Greatness of Green Tea!!! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Green tea is everywhere these days! Green tea is found in everything from tea bags to lattes and even ice cream! But as we all know these forms are chock full of sugar and additives …
HORMONES: HOW THEY IMPACT MEN’S HEALTH
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
When it comes to men’s health, it’s best to start at the beginning….HORMONES. While there are a long list of hormones, lets focus on a three of the most commonly talked about….Testosterone, DHT and Progesterone….and how they affect men.
Testosterone is the hormone that always seems to come to mind when one thinks of male hormones. Testosterone is responsible for such male characteristics like muscle mass, fat distribution and facial/body hair. It also manages libido (sex drive) and the production of sperm. If you notice issues arise such as, but not limited to, decreased endurance, decreased muscle mass, loss of body hair, decreased libido or erectile dysfunction, you may have low testosterone. This can also contribute to fertility issues when trying to conceive. If you suspect this, you should make an appointment with your doctor to discuss having a hormone panel done.
Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is the hormone that is commonly linked to hair loss in men (male pattern baldness). Male androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, is the common and progressive form of hair loss that many men experience. As testosterone is made in the body, some of it converts into DHT, which has been shown to attach to hair follicle receptors. According to an article from Medical News Today titled ‘Everything You Need to Know about DHT’, the more DHT that has been converted, the more likely it will attach to follicles and ultimately cause hair loss.
Progesterone is one of those hormones that most have heard of, but really don’t know too much about its function. This hormone works similar to testosterone as it’s the precursor and it also helps to balance estrogen. In the article ‘Progesterone: The Forgotten Hormone in Men?’ from the National Library of Medicine-National Center for Biotechnology Information, its discussed that progesterone is necessary for sleep, the immune system, cardiovascular system and respiratory system. Progesterone receptors isoforms are also a factor when evaluating prostate pathology. This is important when a doctor is ruling out or diagnosing prostate cancer.
When considering supplements to support health male hormone levels or men’s health issues, a few come to mind. These include, but are not limited to, L-Arginine, Saw Palmetto and Maca Root.
L-Arginine is helpful as it has been shown to open dilated blood vessels. According to The Mayo Clinic, this nutrient would be helpful for those with erectile dysfunction, angina and high blood pressure.
Saw Palmetto is commonly associated with prostate health, however, in clinical trials sited in ‘Natural Hair Supplement: Friend or Foe? Saw Palmetto, a Systematic Review in Alopecia’ from PubMed, we see that it had a significant improvement on hair loss and hair quality. This is an ingredient in the Hair Enhance Hx.
Maca Root can is many peoples go-to when looking to increase libido. However, according to ‘Efficacy and Safety of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Patients with Symptoms of Late-Onset Hypogonadism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial’, maca has shown to increase testosterone levels.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/testosterone-therapy/art-20045728
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15603-low-testosterone-male-hypogonadism
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68082
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7706486/
https://hardingmedicalinstitute.com/progesterone-for-men-the-feel-good-hormone/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15669543/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-l-arginine/art-20364681#:~:text=Taking%20oral%20L%2Darginine%20might%20improve%20sexual%20function%20in%20men,people%20with%20this%20circulatory%20condition.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33313047/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10307657/
