Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The Common Cold! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Today we will be talking about something everyone knows about and that topic is the common cold! Having a cold is probably one thing that both children and adults understand. But what cause’s a cold? Well when …
Boost your Immune Health with Beta Immunity Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Today I want to talk about a supplement that is great for those times when you’re fighting off a cold or other upper respiratory infection. That supplement is Beta Immunity! Beta Immunity is …
The Wonders of Black Seed
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I am very excited to start this conversation on black seed. Black Seed is an amazing nutrient for our respiratory system. Invite health has a unique formula which includes Black Seed, Cordyceps and Rosemary Extract. Each of these nutrients are helpful in promoting respiratory health. Let’s go through each component of Black Seed, shall we?
Let’s start with Black Seed. What exactly is black seed? Well black seed is also known as black cumin, Nigella or Nigella Sativa. It is a flowering plant that can be used for its medicinal properties. (1) Black Seed has been found to contain antioxidant qualities. (2) In 2011 a study found that using Black Seed for approximately 2 weeks reduced nasal symptoms such as nasal congestion, itchy nose, runny nose and even sneezing. (3) A more recent study in 2018 found that Black Seed can even help to reduce the symptoms of sinusitis. This study found that Black Seed can help to reduce histamine (the bad guy when it comes to a lot of allergy symptoms). Black Seed has also been found to be antimicrobial which means it can also help protect our respiratory tract form pathogens or bad guys). (4) Studies have also found that Black Seed may be helpful in lowering inflammation and can help increase asthma control. (5) Studies have found that the anti-inflammatory and anti- allergic effects of Black Seed can help reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. (6) Other studies have found Black Seed to be an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis. (7) Black Seed has also been found to help with lung function in those with COPD. (8) Studies have found that Black Seed can help with allergies, obstructive lung disease and other types of respiratory disease. (9)
Moving on from black seed the next item is Rosemary. Rosemary is much more than just a yummy spice to put on chicken. Studies have found that Rosemary can help to protect against lung fibrosis. (10) Studies have also found that Rosemary can help with treatment resistant asthma. (11) Studies have found that Rosemary has potential to be protective against viral infections such as COVID-19. (12) Rosemary has also been found to help reduce the symptoms of COPD. (13) According to WEBMD Rosemary has been found to be very powerfully antibacterial, antiviral and even antifungal. Thus Rosemary is able to help our body to fight off infections. (14) Overall Rosemary is an amazing part of Invite’s Black Seed formula.
The last nutrient that is in the Black Seed formula is Cordyceps. If you are wondering what exactly is Cordyceps don’t worry! I’ll be getting into that right now. Cordyceps are a type of medicinal fungus or in other words it is a type of mushroom. It grows on worms rather than on trees which is what you might have been expecting! (15) Studies have found that Cordyceps can help with our overall lung health and can even help with conditions such as lung fibrosis. (16) Other studies have found that using Cordyceps can also help with reducing the symptoms of COPD. (17) Studies have found that Cordyceps can help with fighting pathogens since it has been found to be antiviral and can even help boost our immune system. (18)
Overall Invite health really has a winner with its Black Seed formula. The nutrients found in Black Seed have all been found to help with so many different aspects of the respiratory tract. In addition to helping with our respiratory tract the ingredients in Black Seed have been studies to help with other aspects of our health. Now I know a lot of people are probably thinking but why can’t I just eat mushrooms or sprinkle some Rosemary on my food? It’s all about the therapeutic dose. While it’s fine to have a few mushrooms sautéed and added to our food unfortunately it’s not enough to get the full benefits of them. The same is true for the Black Seed and Rosemary. Adding in Invite’s Black Seed with Rosemary and Cordyceps formula is an amazing way to ensure you get a therapeutic dose and truly benefit from these nutrients.
Our next blog will be something that will be approaching us soon! And that is Seasonal allergies!
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Immunity Hx Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to do my product highlight on what I consider to be the cornerstone of immune heath. In fact Immune is in its very name, Immunity Hx! Immunity Hx is a combination of vitamin C, vitamin D3 …
RSV- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to begin our series on respiratory health by talking about something that has been all over the news lately. And that is RSV. But what exactly is RSV? RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. …
Reds Hx… for our heart!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to talk about Reds Hx next because it’s really the perfect partner to Greens Hx. Since Reds Hx is so full of heart healthy nutrients I am going to jump right into things with our very first nutrient. The very first heart healthy nutrient is in fact the first nutrient listed! And that is carrot. Studies have found a number of benefits regarding carrot supplements on heart health. These include improving blood pressure and even decreasing aortic root lesions. Carrots have also been found to help with atherosclerosis. Studies also indicate that carrots may help with lipid or in other words our cholesterol profiles. (1) According to WebMD the potassium in carrots may help to regulate our blood pressure. (2) As you can see carrots are good for much more than just being a snack for bunnies.
Moving on down the list the next item we will be talking about is cranberry. Now as I always say cranberry isn’t just for our urinary tract! Studies have found that cranberry has benefits for our blood vessels and can keep them healthy. (3) Other studies have found that cranberry can help to reduce blood clot risk, improve circulation and even lower the risks for heart disease. (4) Lastly studies have found that cranberry extract can help moderate cholesterol levels. (5)
The next item is sour cherry and it may sound familiar. This is because sour cherry is simply another name for tart cherry which is a component in our beets formula that I wrote about. Studies have found a number of benefits to using cherry for our heart. These benefits include a decrease in both LDL and total cholesterol. Additionally cherry has been found to help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. (6)
The next item, blueberry was also a nutrient found in Greens Hx. As I mentioned previously blueberry has been found to help total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. Blueberries have also been found to help with lowering our blood pressure. (7)
Pomegranate is another powerful nutrient for heart health. In fact studies have found that pomegranate is much stronger than other antioxidants when it comes to protecting cholesterol from oxidation. As a result pomegranate is one of the best antioxidants for slowing atherosclerosis. Studies have also found that pomegranate is amazing at helping lower blood pressure. (8)
Flax seed is another nutrient that is found in both Reds and Greens. As I talked about in my prior blog on Greens flax is good for our blood pressure and even cholesterol levels. (9) Grape seed has also been mentioned numerous times for heart health. And it deserves to be! Studies have found that Grape seed has numerous benefits for our heart including helping our blood pressure. (10) Other studies have found that grape seed is helpful for lowering both total cholesterol as well as LDL. (11)
Japanese Knotweed is a natural source of Resveratrol. Resveratrol is one of my favorite nutrients when it comes to helping with heart health. I couldn’t possibly review all of the benefits that Resveratrol has for heart health in this humble blog. However I can review the most well studied. Studies have found that Resveratrol can help alleviate many of the symptoms of heart failure. Resveratrol has been found in studies to help with blood pressure. Additionally, resveratrol has been found to help with lowering the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and even help to lower our cholesterol! (12)
Rather than address each antioxidant in Reds Hx separately I’ll be doing an overall review on how they help our heart heath. What are examples of antioxidants? For example 2 well known antioxidants are lutein, and lycopene which comes from sources such as tomatoes, watermelon and even plum! Other examples of antioxidants in Reds include ingredients such as raspberry, green tea, orange, blackberry and even quercetin. In fact Reds Hx is chock full of antioxidants! Studies have found that antioxidants can help slow the development of atherosclerosis as well as help to lower cholesterol. Overall studies have found that antioxidants can help to lower the overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. (13)
Recent studies on probiotics have found that they may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by helping with certain risk factors such as obesity and even diabetes. Probiotics may also help to regulate cholesterol. Kefir, a powerful source of probiotic has been found to help lower blood pressure. (14)
Overall Reds Hx is an amazing formula. Before we leave heart health I will be doing a summary of all the things that you can do to help maximize your heart health.
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