Tag: immune health

Olive Leaf Extract for the Heart!

Olive Leaf Extract for the Heart!

Olive Leaf Extract for the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND             Now I know I said I’d be highlighting some unexpected products when it comes to heart health and this blog is certainly a unique take on a common supplement! This supplement is Olive Leaf! 

The Immune System made easy!, Part 1, Invite Health Blog

The Immune System made easy!, Part 1, Invite Health Blog

Written by: Dr.Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]† Chronic infections are a topic I find particularly important because they are related to so many different chronic and acute health concerns. When we speak of chronic infections it is important to understand 

Antiaging Benefits of Taurine, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 655

Antiaging Benefits of Taurine, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 655


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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.

ANTIAGING BENEFITS OF TAURINE, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 655

Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH.

*Intro Music*

InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that Invite Health has to offer at www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code podcast at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started. †  [00:00:34]

*Intro Music*

Amanda Williams MD, MPH: [00:00:40] It seems that every day we are learning more about the fountain of youth. Does it exist? Can we actually live longer, healthier lives? And if so, how do we achieve this? Well, if you listen to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, you know that we are definitely into talking about anti-aging and all of the different ways to which you can achieve this through lifestyle modifications, of course, through practicing mindfulness and taking the right dietary supplements to cover those gaps that perhaps your diet isn’t giving you. And of course, to make up for lost time, and what does that mean? Well, perhaps maybe you haven’t always made the right choices or maybe just because of aging itself. We know that certain nutrients have a tendency to decline as we grow older, so, we oftentimes like to zero in on nutrients that we know are definitely linked to an anti-aging effect. And that’s what I’m going to zero in on today, because there’s one amino acid out there that’s been making a lot of news lately. And I want to talk about what we know about taurine. So, I am Dr. Amanda Williams, scientific director at Invite Health and just recently, Columbia University in conjunction with anti-aging researchers around the globe, published their findings on Taurine, and they published this in the Science Journal. It has gained a lot of attention, and rightfully so, but it’s not like its necessarily new news to learn that taurine is an anti-aging amino acid. Why do we know this? Well, because we can look at decades worth of research now and understand how this little, tiny amino acid is packing such a punch in the human body. So, what exactly is Taurine? Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids found in the body, and it’s required for pretty much every single function and system in the human body. Now, we know that it makes up about 0.1% of our actual body weight. And we know that in terms of its overall benefits, it is definitely wide reaching. And for some folks, maybe they look at taurine as being beneficial for cardiovascular health. For others maybe they look at it for nervous system health, and these all make sense because we know that taurine is key for those excitable tissues, areas such as your heart as well as your central nervous system. But there are remarkable amounts of research out there that impress upon how taurine is really working to protect our body from the aging effects. And we know that low levels of Taurine and our system are directly linked to an accelerated aging process. And that’s what this study that was just published in the Science Journal is zeroing in on, looking at deficiencies in Taurine and how when we don’t have adequate taurine levels, that this definitely leads to an acceleration of the aging process. † [00:03:40]

[00:03:41] Now, what is it that Taurine’s doing to actually protect us? This is where the science gets really incredibly complex. But also very, very interesting to see how Taurine’s working to support our immune system, to support our cardiovascular and our circulatory system as well as our brain, as we grow older, and so if we don’t have adequate amounts of Taurine to turn to. This can definitely lead to major problems for us. We know that it helps to support our endogenous antioxidant levels to help fight off free radicals, and certainly it can help to support healthy cholesterol transport. As well as looking at healthy blood glucose response. So yes, I would say that Taurine is pretty darn important and an area that we shouldn’t overlook. We want to encourage a healthy nervous system. We want to have healthy muscle function, we want to have good energy, we want to have great brain health. And of course, we want to support the health of our heart. And we know that through Taurine supplementation, this can really allow the body to be much more responsive to any declines in taurine status in the body. When you start to look at the multiple clinical research trials out there on published reports on Taurine, we can see where it’s beneficial when it comes to electrolyte balance, when it comes to eye health, of course when it comes to healthy liver and gallbladder function. Encouraging the health of our heart and regulation of blood pressure. So, to dive into the deep end on Taurine and its anti-aging effects is where the research world is really looking at this. How it has this finite ability to protect the end caps of our chromosomes, known as the telomeres. And you look at all of the multiple benefits of taurine. They’ve even studied taurine in the setting of helping to optimize the human microbiome and the stronger than our microbiome is, the better our immune system response is. In the advancements in experimental medicine and biology, they talk about this, they talk about how taurine has this very powerful and impactful effect on the intestinal microbiome, as well as really helping to enhance the reaction rate within our immune cells. And so, we look, and we say, well, this is supposed to be this amino acid that’s great for our brain, great for our heart. But look at how impressive it is in terms of creating this wonderful balance within our gut microbiome and even making that much stronger, and that’s what the trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism Journal zeroed in on, looking at how that microbiome, this very efficient barrier to help fight off infections is really heavily reliant on so many things, including amino acids and in particular the amino acid taurine. † [00:06:47]

CIRCULATION SOLUTIONS & TIPS FOR HEALTHY VESSELS, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 646>>LISTEN NOW!

[00:06:48] A lot of times we look at glutamine, for example, but we now recognize that taurine is also key to supporting the gut microbiome. There are many research trials out there showing how taurine itself has these very powerful anti-inflammatory effects. In the Journal of Nutrients in 2020, they talked about this. They talk about how the taurine itself is working to regulate the way that the body’s inflammatory system is working and if we have a heightened inflammatory response that can lead to significant issues with neuroinflammation, as well as inflammation throughout the cardiovascular system. So, we know that it’s more than just working for that excitable tissue in the body. It’s more than just powering up our mitochondria, which we know that’s one of its mechanisms of action. It works for the facilitation of energy production, but it also possesses its own antioxidant properties, which is why through all of this research, it’s now been populated over the course of many decades. We can really categorize taurine as being this powerful anti-aging nutrient because it’s targeting all of the things that we know accelerate aging, chronic inflammation, high levels of oxidative stress and free radicals all of these things that we know are detrimental to the longevity of our cells, and yet by taking this amino acid, we can help to offset or to negate that. And that in and of itself is incredibly powerful. So, there are many different therapeutic applications of using Taurine from blood pressure regulation to support of healthy brain function and for focus attention for memory. We can see how it helps to stabilize the cellular membranes, how it is helping the body when it comes to detoxification, which is why it’s been studied in the setting of different hepatic disorders, budding cirrhosis. We can see how it is improved cardiometabolic markers, improving outcomes when it comes to healthier cholesterol transport, helping to support folks who have conditions such as metabolic syndrome, to improve upon not only their lipid profile, but to also support and enhance insulin sensitivity so they have a better blood sugar response. So, we look at Taurine and we say, is this really the fountain of youth amino acid? And indeed, we know that taurine and all of its multiple mechanisms of action leads us down this path to allow for better mitochondrial function, for better energy production in turn for a better inflammatory response to bolster up our immune defenses, to help us fight off not only intrinsically born free radicals, but also extrinsically exposed free radicals that we come in contact with on a regular basis. † [00:09:54]

HELPFUL TIPS FOR HEALTH BLOOD PRESSURE, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 643>>LISTEN NOW

[00:09:55] And this is why when researchers start to look at all of the ways that this little amino acid is packing such a punch. We definitely can now categorize it as being an anti-aging molecule, and it’s found in nearly all tissues, which is what makes it so unique to be able to see its benefit for cardiovascular health, for liver health, for brain health and in turn for extending lifespan. We know that the average American oftentimes once again is deficient in adequate taurine exposure just due to poor lifestyle choices as well as the food intake. So, if we’re looking at taurine deficiencies, we can say, well, how do we fix this if we have an inadequate exposure to something, what is the solution? Well, the solution is via supplementation. We look at products like Cardio Hx, which is going to give you a wonderful amount of taurine, along with magnesium, and a very powerful antioxidant known as Hawthorn extract. So, we’re helping to support not just cardiac function but also thinking of all of those other ways that Taurine is working to support our overall health. And so higher intake of taurine has been shown to be correlated with longer life and if we can extend our life span, this is always a wonderful thing. So, I thought I would just talk a little bit today about why it is that Taurine is in the news, why it should be in the news, and why it will remain in the news, because we can see how taurine and its action of neurogenesis being able to create new brain cells. So, if you have dinged up or dented brain cells, we want to be able to fix that and we can see how taurine is working to do that. It has this really wonderful neuroprotective property to it and helps the brain create and regenerate new healthy brain cells. Which leads to better cognitive function, and at the same time, we’re yielding those benefits throughout the entire body for all of the ways to which taurine is packing its multiple punches. So, whether you’re thinking about just kind of tuning up your brain or tuning up your heart, at the end of the day, we know that taurine is going to help us make our way to the fountain of youth, which is a wonderful, wonderful thing. So, I want to thank you so much for tuning in to the Invite Health podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting, invitehealth.com/podcast. Do make sure that you subscribe, and you leave us a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health, and we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. † [00:09:55]

*Exit Music*

Being Supplement Savvy in the Summer, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 649

Being Supplement Savvy in the Summer, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 649

Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. BEING SUPPLEMENT SAVVY IN THE SUMMER, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 649 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care professionals 

Year Round Immune Support, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 647

Year Round Immune Support, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 647

Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. YEAR-ROUND IMMUNE SUPPORT, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 647 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care professionals 

Springtime Health Tips, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 637

Springtime Health Tips, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 637

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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.

SPRINGTIME HEALTH TIPS, INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 637

Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH

*Intro Music* 

InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health care professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that Invite Health has to offer at www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code podcast at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started. † [00:00:34]

*Intro Music*

Amanda Williams MD, MPH: [00:00:40] Springtime is here, which means we need to make a few adjustments to our daily supplementation routine. I always say that springtime comes with warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and of course, people think about spring cleaning. This is a good thing. But we should also think about cleaning of the body. We don’t want to do a crash detox of course, but what. Should we be thinking of as we step into this new season? I’m going to talk about that today. I am Dr. Amanda Williams, scientific director at Invite Health and with every new season, I always say this is the time that you should be cognizant about how we should best nourish our body. And with every changing season, I always find it to be incredibly advantageous to look at detoxifying, and we know that every single day our body goes through different phases of detoxification that is heavily reliant on vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And this is why taking a daily complete multivitamin, multimineral is so critical every single day throughout the year. But when we think about the change of the seasons, we should also think about what does this new season mean for me? How does the new season affect my physical well-being? We know in the winter we want to incorporate in more healthy fats. We want to incorporate in vitamin D in a higher amount. But as we get into the warmer seasons, what should we be zeroing in on? We want to think about energy, we’re going to be outdoors, perhaps more, so we want to think about the methylated B vitamins, but we also want to think about how we can facilitate a better means for our body to help self-detoxify. So, we can look at formulations such as the Colon Hx, which we know is a powerful blend of bentonite clay and psyllium fiber. And psyllium fiber is wonderful because it works really lovely with your gut microbiome to help to enhance the release of butyric acid. And that is really important because butyrate is a wonderful way for us to regulate inflammation. We don’t want to step into a new season being inflamed and coming out of winter, it’s always advantageous to do a cleansing of sorts. And so, with the Colon Hx, I find this to be a wonderful thing to add into your daily supplementation routine. Take one scoop generally in the evening and you can do this for ten days, 14 days is usually sufficient, there’s no problem if you take it long term. But if we’re looking at already having a fairly healthy lifestyle, doing the right things each day in terms of our diet, then of course we would want to think about how can we enhance this? And this is where that Colon Hx can really be incredibly supportive. The power of psyllium fiber is quite unique because of the fact that it can make that butyrate. And then when you partner that with something like bentonite clay, which has been used medicinally for hundreds of years for all of its powers, for binding under heavy metals and helping the body remove nasty toxins and chemicals that we’re exposed to, it’s a really good seasonal supplement to consider into your routine. † [00:04:03]

[00:04:04] I had mentioned the methylated B vitamins. The reason why is because we know that as we get into the warmer months that folate in particular has a tendency to be degraded due to UV exposure so from the sun. So, we want to make sure that we maintain healthy folate levels during those warmer months. So, incorporating in one capsule of Methyl B because you’re gonna get that methylated folate. So, it’s a high absorption bioactive form of folic acid, which is. wonderful for immune health, for mood health, for digestive health, for cardiovascular health, you name it, as well as, for liver health. So, to support once again healthy detoxification and having the methyl B allows for our natural Sam-E, to work much more efficiently when it comes to allowing the body to properly neutralize toxins and get rid of them, eliminate them right out of our system. So, these are two different nutrients that we can turn to during the spring. But we also want to think about having more energy. So, incorporating in a formulation such as Energy Hx during the springtime, an excellent choice. The Energy Hx contains Ubiquinol, which is a registered trademark form of that Ubiquinol, it’s called Kaneka and it also is partnered with ginseng extract. So, the two of these nutrients come together and work to drive cellular energy. So, we know that the days are a little longer, maybe you’re more active and we want to make sure that we maintain our energy production throughout the day. So, incorporating in Energy Hx, an excellent choice. But let’s go back and think about all of the crud that we build up throughout the days, and especially as we shift from one season to the next, we can look at a product such as the Greens Hx. † [00:05:56]

TOXIC TOXINS: YOU HAVE TO DETOXIFY ALL CHEMICALS- INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 586>>LISTEN NOW!

[00:05:57] The Greens Hx, which contains over 40 different fruit and vegetable extracts, so we’re getting all the vitamins and the minerals and the antioxidants that are naturally occurring from those fruits and vegetables, and that is combined with these powerful little algaes, chorella, and spirulina, which do a wonderful job in terms of cellular detoxification. So maybe you’re carrying around a little extra sludge from the winter. We want to make sure that the body can help itself remove that. And with the power of the Greens Hx, this really sets you up to have a much more efficient way to have the body detoxify. And this is always key. Detoxification is something that we shouldn’t look at as just a snapshot in time like, “Oh, I’m going to detox by just for two days.” Those crash detoxes are not necessarily sustainable. At the end of the day, what we end up creating is a kind of a rebound effect because as we are stripping our body of essential vitamins and minerals and antioxidants, the body can struggle to kind of come back to normal levels of those because we removed those. So that’s why the crash detoxes, generally speaking, are not that beneficial for you. So, we want to do everyday support of our body. So first and foremost, it comes from the foods. We have to always go back to that concept of letting food be thy medicine. So, if we’re having high antioxidant rich foods coming from fruits and vegetables, those powerful carotenoid, rich green leafy vegetables, for example, in the springtime is a perfect time to really start to freshen up your different recipes that you’re making every day, the foods that you are eating every day, because the access to those fresh fruits and vegetables become more pronounced during this time of the year. So, we always want to make those healthier choices when it comes to the foods that we’re eating and even the things that we’re snacking on. So instead of having potato chips, maybe have a handful of nuts, for example. If you’re making a lovely salad, for example, maybe put some sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds on that to help to increase the healthy fat exposure, get some good fiber. These are all things that help the body with detoxification and create balance across all systems. † [00:08:24]

[00:08:25] So when we go from season to season, we want to look at dietary shifts, what do we have maybe more access to during a particular season? How do we incorporate those healthy foods into our daily routine? And then, of course, what nutrients would be advantageous based off of a seasonal shift? So, Colon Hx definitely from season to season, we always want to incorporate this one in and as I mentioned, maybe ten days, 14 days of utilizing this formulation, excellent choice. Has that bentonite clay and the psyllium fiber. And then we want to look at the daily support of detoxification with Greens Hx because we know the power of that greens, which also has a probiotic blend in that I should mention, because that’s great for your immune system and that gut-brain connection and the gut-liver connection. So having the Greens Hx, very good choice there. One scoop a day, you can get very creative with the Greens Hx as to how you want to use this. You can make smoothies with it; you can drink it straight up just with water. It’s kind of your choice. And then certainly we have to think about the impact that UV light has on folate, so, during the spring and summer time, want to make sure that we’re getting greater amounts of folate via supplementation, so that’s where your methyl B comes into play. But remember you get that rebound benefit of taking methyl B for the support of your mood, for your energy, for your detoxification overall, those B vitamins incredibly critical to so many different functions in the human body. So, the methyl B formulation. Then of course, we want to have that energy, so we can look at the Energy Hx that partnering of Ubiquinol, CoQ10 and ginseng extract. So, if you follow this routine throughout the springtime, you should have that energy, feel better. Feel as though your body has had that wonderful spring cleaning and you will be off to the races. So that is all that I have for you for today, and I want to thank you so much for tuning into the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcast, or by visiting, invitehealth.com/podcast. Do make sure that you subscribe, and you leave us a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.† [00:08:25]

ICYMI:NEW YEAR DETOX TIPS, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 611>>LISTEN NOW!

*Exit Music*