Biotin for More Than Your Hair and Nails – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 394
Biotin is well-known for its ability to support healthy hair and skin, but did you know it is also needed for energy production?
Tag: immune health
The Real Deal on Vitamin D and Tanning – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 393
Can 20 minutes of sun exposure help bolster your Vitamin D levels? Do you need to supplement your levels of this important nutrient? Amanda Williams, MPH addresses these questions and more in this episode of the InVite Health Podcast.
Hepatitis C: What You Can Do to Help Your Liver – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 390
hepatitis c
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks and damages your liver. Many people living with Hepatitis C infections experience no symptoms or very mild symptoms, but this changes when they develop serious liver damage. That’s why it’s called the “silent killer”. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 3,200,000 Americans are infected with chronic Hepatitis C. Up to 75% of these people do not know they are walking around with it. Because they’re not being diagnosed and the virus is not being discovered until there’s liver damage, it can become a very serious situation.†
IMPORTANT NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY LIVER – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 57. Listen Now>>
Living with chronic Hepatitis C
For reasons that are not known, less than half of people who get Hepatitis C are not able to clear it out of their systems. Without treatment in the first six months after infection, the virus can become chronic, lifelong, very hard to rid yourself of and quite dangerous. Most people who get infected will develop a long-term infection. Left untreated, chronic Hepatitis C can cause serious health problems, including liver disease, liver failure (cirrhosis), liver cancer and even death. Because of this, according to the CDC, all adults, pregnant women and people with risk factors for developing this issue should get tested for Hepatitis C.†
Hepatitis C is usually spread when someone comes into contact with the blood or the fluids from an infected person. This can happen by sharing drug injection equipment, razors or glucose monitors with someone who is infected. About 6% of infants born to infected women develop Hepatitis C early on, but this can be treated. Healthcare workers are also at risk. It’s not very common, but if a healthcare worker jabs themselves with a needle, it can happen. If you have sex with someone who’s infected with Hepatitis C, it could also spread that way.†
Many people with Hepatitis C don’t have a lot of symptoms. If the symptoms do occur, it would be something that would make it obvious that there’s an issue with the liver. This could include yellow eyes, yellow skin, dark urine or clay-colored poop. You can also have a lot of intestinal problems. You may not feel hungry. Fluid can build up in your abdomen. You can have stomach pain and you can throw up. You can also develop a fever, have joint pain and feel tired. If you have these symptoms, you need to contact your doctor right away before this becomes a chronic disease.†
How to support your liver health
What can you do to help with your liver? The mineral zinc can help. We know that the immune system needs zinc to create immune cells, but zinc also prevents the immune system from harming you. It helps protect organs and tissues throughout the body. It’s well-known that zinc levels drop dramatically after you fight a virus. Studies have shown that when you have a Hepatitis C infection, zinc-related metallothioneins are needed to fight the virus and protect your organs.†
IMMUNE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C, ZINC & VITAMIN D – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 118. Listen Now>>
Vitamin D is also needed. It’s needed for our immune system. Vitamin D is stored in the liver and activated in the kidneys. Vitamin D helps you to regulate your immune system to fight viruses better, but also to prevent the immune system from destroying you. Antioxidants do not work well if you lack Vitamin D because you become inflamed and the antioxidants are used up inappropriately.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. explains the Hepatitis C virus. He describes how this chronic infection can impact the body and offers recommendations for nutrients that can help support liver health.†
Key Topics:
- Details about Hepatitis C from the CDC
- Common symptoms of this virus
- What are metallothioneins?
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.
Health Tips for HPV – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 384
Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world, but many people don’t know what HPV is. Learn about this dangerous virus and what you can do to help protect your body from Amanda Williams, MPH.
Burn Belly Fat with Apple Cider Vinegar – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 382
You may know apple cider vinegar as a salad dressing, but did you know it can promote fat burning? Learn more about how this nutrient can promote weight management, digestive health and more from Amanda Williams, MPH.
Summer and Autoimmune Disease Flare-Ups – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 378
autoimmune disease
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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There are about 80+ autoimmune diseases, diseases where your own immune system attacks your body and it can destroy your organs and tissues. For instance, in rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks your joints, especially in your knuckles. This can deform your hands and cause swelling and severe pain.†
It turns out that people with certain autoimmune diseases can experience flare-ups when exposed to a lot of humidity, heat or ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Examples of these diseases that flare-up in the sun would be psoriasis, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. For some people with autoimmune diseases, the summer can be really rough because it can really trigger a flare-up that can make symptoms terrible.†
HOW TO MANAGE ECZEMA AND PSORIASIS – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 272. Listen Now>>
Can the sun trigger autoimmune disease flare-ups?
People who deal with autoimmune diseases such as lupus have reported that the sun can trigger flare-ups for them. Some symptoms that they have shared included rashes on their face and body, very red cheeks, itchy scalp, headaches and even difficulty breathing.†
Dr. Jeffrey Carlin at the Benaroya Research Institute has explained that too much UV exposure can be toxic for anybody. When you get a bad sunburn, the sun kills cells on the surface of the skin. The body gets rid of these cells in a process called apoptosis, in which your cells basically self-destruct. This is followed by an immune response where white blood cells come in and get rid of the dead cells. This is when some people’s skin turns red and begins to peel until new, healthy cells replace the old ones.†
In people with autoimmune diseases, however, they have an overactive immune system, so when they are exposed to the sun and their skin cells go through apoptosis, it may trigger an immune reaction that’s too strong. Various immune cells are turned on, creating a total flare-up of the immune system that’s like throwing gasoline on a fire. Dr. Carlin said that this can cause people with lupus to have skin problems, as well as kidney issues, simply because their immune system went into overdrive and attacked healthy tissue.†
Protecting your body during the summer
If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, you have to be careful when you go out during the summer. You don’t want to take hot showers, you want to take cold showers. You don’t want to sunbathe. You don’t want to exercise outside on a really hot, humid day. You don’t want to use a sauna or a hot tub. Stay in the air conditioning and if you want to exercise, go swimming in a cool pool. Drink cold drinks and wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing. Make sure to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen.†
There are also some supplements that can help with certain autoimmune diseases. Bio-Curcumin 5-Loxin comes at inflammation from two avenues. Resveratrol can be helpful for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is an anti-inflammatory nutrient with small molecules that is very good for the thyroid. For rheumatoid arthritis, I recommend Cartilage HxⓇ, which contains undenatured Type II collagen and undenatured cartilage.†
A SUPERIOR ANTIOXIDANT: RESVERATROL – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 45. Listen Now>>
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses how the heat, humidity and sun of summer can impact people with autoimmune diseases. He also offers recommendations for nutrients and habits that can help protect the body.†
Key Topics:
- Examples of autoimmune diseases
- Reports on how the sun can trigger lupus and other autoimmune diseases
- Who is more at risk of developing autoimmune diseases?
- What happens to people with MS and lupus when exposed to the sun and heat
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.