L Lysine
L Lysine Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND L Lysine is an amino acid you may have heard of. When most people think of Lysine they usually think of cold sores. However Lysine is much more than “the cold sore supplement”. Before we talk about what …
Tag: immune health
Renalaid for Going Beyond Bladder Health
Renalaid for Going Beyond Bladder Health
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Today’s product highlight probably seems out of place in a conversation mostly about respiratory health. However the health of our respiratory tract is inherently linked to another system. That is our immune system. Keeping our immune system strong is an important part of fighting off bad guys that can affect our respiratory tract. Renalaid is an amazing formula for our overall immune system. Let’s review just what makes Renalaid so great, shall we?
Well to start with it is a powder. Why is being a powder form so helpful? Well it’s very easy to consume and easy to mix into smoothies, liquids and even foods such as applesauce and yogurt. It is more convenient if you want to ingest a large serving. It can also be easier to adjust how much you are taking of a certain nutrient. And lastly like a liquid powders are absorbed and go to work very fast, oftentimes within a few minutes. (1) As a person who has trouble swallowing pills I appreciate the ease of powdered supplements.
D Mannose and cranberry juice are the first 2 ingredients in Renalaid. D Mannose is interesting because it has been found in studies to be very effective in treating a UTI. In fact studies suggest that D Mannose may be as effective in eliminating bacteria as antibiotics. (2) Cranberry, which is a natural source of D Mannose as well as other nutrients also has benefits for our immune health. In fact cranberry consumption has been found in studies to help boost our WBC as well as help to decrease the symptoms of viral infections such as colds and flus. (3) Studies have also found that cranberry can help with biofilm formation. (4) But what’s a biofilm you’re asking? Well it’s basically a group of bacteria that are stuck tougher and produce a slimy “ coat “ that helps to protect them from our immune system and even antibiotics. (5) In addition to helping fight off pathogens cranberry has been found to help with the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders such as RA.(6) Overall both D Mannose and cranberry can help with bacteria, increase our WBC, help with autoimmune disorders and even help with the symptoms of viral infections!
Moving on the next item listed, which I must say is one of my favorite immune (and heart) supplements is olive leaf. Studies have found that olive leaf has antiviral activity. For example olive leaf has been found in studies to help with herpes. (7) Additionally studies have found that olive leaf is antifungal, antiviral as well as antibacterial. (8) In addition to helping kill of pathogens olive leaf has been found to help boost our immune system, which in the long run helps fight off bad guys. (9) Research has also found that olive leaf may help decrease histamine release and even inhibit the enzymes that produce it. (10) Histamine, as you recall is important when it comes to allergies. Of course olive leaf is also good for heart health and so many different aspects of our health. (8)
Last but not least is the probiotic blend. When people hear the word probiotic they usually think ooh it’s for my gut health! But a good probiotic does much more than just promote digestion. We have all heard the phrase “the immune system is in our gut”. And studies support this. In fact studies have found that probiotics can improve our immune system and how well it functions. In fact studies have found that probiotics can help with a number of disorders. (11)
Overall Renalaid is an amazing formula. Feel free to mix it in any liquids you like. It can even be mixed into foods such as applesauce, yogurt or even cooked oatmeal!
Our next topic will be COPD!
Sources:
- https://sawgrassnutralabs.com/blog/why-your-supplement-type-matters/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8944421/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3878739/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322007621
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilm
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30553231/
- https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJMR/article-full-text-pdf/E09C2B158944
- https://soeagra.com/abr/abrnov2016/36.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29149822/
- https://casadesante.com/blogs/gut-health/is-olive-leaf-extract-high-in-histamine
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9818925/
The Greatness of Green Tea!!!
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 …
Mushroom Hx
Mushroom Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Omelets, risotto and even salads are all places you might find mushrooms. But did you know mushrooms are also an amazing supplement for our immune system? There are so many different types of mushrooms that sometimes it can get confusing. How do you know which mushrooms work best together? That’s a good question! Mushroom Hx is a combination of 8 different types of mushrooms that have been found in studies to promote health. Combining 8 mushrooms in 1 supplement makes it easy to add them into your daily supplement routine. But what exactly do mushrooms DO for us? Let’s do a review, shall we?
Studies have found that mushrooms are antimicrobial. This means that they actively help to kill off any pathogens or bad guys you come into contact with. Studies have also found that mushrooms help to modulate the immune system. Interestingly studies have found that mushrooms help to increase malignant – cell phagocytosis. This is a fancy way of saying that mushrooms help the immune system to go after malignant cells. (1)
Studies have found that one way that mushrooms stimulate the immune system is by actually binding to certain receptors that activate the immune cells. Another way that mushrooms appear to activate the immune system is by turning on certain genes that in turn activate parts of our immunity. (2)
I know what you’re thinking, Doc this is great BUT what the heck does it mean on a practical level? It means mushrooms help us to fight off pathogens such as colds by both killing the bad guys and boosting our immune system so that our body can go after the bad guys itself. In fact studies have found that mushrooms help to protect against viral infections and may even help to reduce cytokines, which are seen in the cytokine storm associated with COVID 19. (3)
In addition to helping fight off viral infections mushrooms have been found to potentially help with asthma symptoms as well as other lung infections. (3) By lung infections I am referring to more than just viral infections. Studies have found that mushrooms help to fight against bacteria such as those that cause pneumonia. In fact mushrooms have been found to help fight against drug resistant bacteria. When it comes to our lung health not only have mushrooms been found to help kill pathogens they can help to reduce the incidence of lung inflammation, which often occurs after a viral infection. (4)
Studies have also found that mushrooms can help to lower histamine (remember my blog on allergies and how important histamine is). As a consequence of lowering histamine mushrooms have been found to help to reduce the signs of allergies and even asthma. (5) In addition to helping fight off respiratory infections mushrooms have been found to help fight off other infections such as Human Papilloma virus. (6)
Now we all know inflammation is a huge risk factor for many different types of illness. Having high inflammation is also reduces how well our immune system works. Mushrooms have been found to help reduce inflammation which helps keep our immunity up. (7) Additionally mushrooms have been found to help with stress levels. Anyone who has ever had stress knows that during periods of high stress we are more prone to getting infections such as colds. Mushrooms have been found to help reduce stress and thus they can help protect our immune system and keep it working well when we are going through a stressful situation. (8)
In addition to helping our immune system, mushrooms have been found to have so many benefits it’s no wonder most people consider them to be a superfood! Overall I find Mushroom Hx to be an amazing supplement.
In our next blog we will be talking about a virus that is very serious in our society, COVID 19
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