The Numerous Benefits of Aged Garlic – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 239
Garlic has many well-studied cardiovascular benefits, but it goes well beyond that. Aged Garlic has many benefits, including immune health.
Tag: immunity
The Overlooked Impact of Vitamin D To Overall Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 230
Many people think of Vitamin D simply for bone health without really understanding all it does to maintain our overall health and wellness.
Can You Catch Alzheimer’s Disease?, Part 2 – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 228
Alzheimer’s
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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In part one of this podcast episode, we discussed evidence that specific and varied infections organisms, certain viruses and bacteria, can trigger the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. I also discussed the other theory that it’s plaque, beta-amyloid plaque. The truth of the matter is that researchers are weaving together both of these ideas, that the infectious organisms are triggering the formation of plaque and that’s triggering the Alzheimer’s disease.
If you missed part one, you can catch up here.
The role of genetics in Alzheimer’s disease
Now, we come to genes, which I also touched on in the first part of this episode.
A report in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease done by Indiana University School of Medicine and the St. Vincent Medical Group in Indianapolis looked at the susceptibility gene, the APOE e4 gene. If both of your parents donate their APOE e4 gene to you, that could be a problem because that gene’s involved with plaque in the heart and with Alzheimer’s disease. That doesn’t mean it’s written in stone. You can do things to help protect yourself. But if you have that gene, there’s a higher likelihood that you can develop Alzheimer’s disease.
In this study, the researchers were looking to see if pathogens interact with the susceptibility gene to cause sporadic cases of Alzheimer’s disease. They’re not saying all Alzheimer’s diseases come from this, but they’re saying that between the gene and the infections, there’s increasing inflammation in the brain. They’re saying that especially the herpes simplex type 1 gene, cytomegalovirus, chlamydia pneumonia, spirochetes, helicobacter pylori and various bacteria you get from gum disease. There’s a lot of evidence for all of these getting into the brain and/or causing inflammation in the brain.†
They actually enter the brain through the part of the brain that senses odors. In fact, one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is a loss of your sense of smell. There’s a lot of evidence that bacteria are somehow getting into this nerve and then get into a part of the brain called the entorhinal cortex, which is like one of your GPS’s inside your brain. That seems to be where Alzheimer’s damage really starts and takes off and spreads out from. It’s not that far from other parts of the brain that are really important for memory and cognitive functions. Your entorhinal cortex is connected closely to your dentate gyrus and your hippocampus, so it’s plausible.†
Researchers Say This Type of Dementia is Curable – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 216. Listen now >>
The researchers went on to report that these pathogens are able to evade destruction by our immune system, leading to longstanding infection. Bacterial and viral DNA and RNA and bacterial proteins increase the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules, molecules made by the immune system that inflame us and activate all parts of our immune system. The researchers say that these bacteria and viruses lead to Alzheimer’s disease damage, like a buildup of plaque in the brain, damaged tau proteins, brain injury and the death of brain cells.†
Then, they talk about the susceptibility gene for heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease called APOE e4 gene. The researchers say it enhances brain infiltration by pathogens including herpes virus and chlamydia pneumonia and it’s involved with increased inflammation in the immune system.†
Listen to the full podcast for more research about the relationship between pathogens, genetics and Alzheimer’s disease.
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.
Supporting More Than Immunity With Mushrooms – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 225
Mushrooms supply powerful antioxidants that support a healthy immune system, while also helping to fight off oxidative stress.
How Multivitamins Can Support Immunity – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 217
There’s mounting evidence that taking a high quality multivitamin in the winter can help boost immunity. But not all are created equal.
Why Medical Professionals Are Utilizing Vitamin C For COVID Patients, Part 2 – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 215
vitamin c
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Welcome to part two of our episode “Important Update – Vitamin C and COVID-19.” In part one, we spoke a great deal about Vitamin C and lung infections. You can listen to part one of “Important Update – Vitamin C and COVID-19” by clicking here. In today’s episode, we are going to discuss the important of this vitamin for fighting off infections and boosting immunity, as seen in numerous recent reports.
The role of Vitamin C in the immune system
Vitamin C clears out used neutrophils during an infection so they don’t damage nearby healthy tissues. It also enhances the formation of B and T cells. B cells are cells that create antibodies. They’re also called immunoglobulins. In other words, that’s what gives you resistance to many infections. The antibodies are specific for a particular infection and once you make them, the immunity can be long-lasting and you probably won’t get the infection again.†
T cells do a number of things for the immune system. Just like B cells, they’re highly educated. They’re called acquired immunity. They help stimulate the production of antibodies and other types of cells that kill viruses. They control the immune system to kill the virus or bacterial infection properly. At the end of the infection, they call off all the immune system cells so that they don’t hurt the body and cause consistent inflammation.†
Additional details about how this vitamin interacts with the immune system can be found in part one of this podcast.
Research on Vitamin C
Here’s a study that just came out in the journal Critical Care. The researchers found that plasma Vitamin C levels drop like crazy in people admitted to the intensive care unit with COVID-19. If they develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, levels are undetectable in 90% of these patients. The patients who are admitted into the intensive care unit with lung troubles and difficult breathing, their Vitamin C levels are so low that 90% of them, doctors can’t even detect any of this vitamin.†
They said, “Moreover, Vitamin C might have implications for the treatment of COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Moreover, other clinical studies that included surgical patients and patients with pneumonia showed encouraging results in terms of decreased incidence and severity of lung injury and mortality.” In other words, if you have sufficient Vitamin C, it helps protect your lungs and it helps prevent severe lung injury, according to this report.†
For more studies relating to why this important nutrient is being utilized for COVID-19, tune into the full podcast episode.
Chief Scientific Officer and Pharmacist, Jerry Hickey, Ph.’s Recommendations
You can’t really overdose on Vitamin C because the body regulates it. If you take too much, you lose it in your urine quickly. It’s very safe to use. It’s safe, it’s non-toxic, it’s not expensive, and it’s important for boosting and supporting the immune system. I think it’s something well worth using.†
My recommendation for daily use depends on your health. If you’re a smoker or a diabetic, you need more. Each cigarette burns up about 25mg of Vitamin C in your bloodstream. Diabetics utilize Vitamin C very poorly and very inefficiently. I would give a diabetic 1000mg three times a day with their food to saturate their blood with this vitamin. For you and me, 500mg twice a day if you’re not sick should be plenty. If you start to get sick, go up to 1000mg twice a day.†
**During this podcast, episode Jerry mistakenly said that the University of Otago is located in Australia. It is actually located in New Zealand.
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.