Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Did you know that your body may be more prone to developing cold sores or shingles during the winter? Learn about the factors that influence this and the nutrients that can help from Amanda Williams, MPH.
You may have heard about Bell’s palsy, a type of facial paralysis that affects about 500,000 Americans annually, but do you know what causes it? Learn more from Amanda Williams, MPH.
bronchitis
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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With cold and flu season being right around the corner, that means it is time for acute bronchitis season to flare up as well. Today I want to talk about what acute bronchitis is and what you can be doing to support your respiratory system.†
Every single year, roughly 5% of the population deals with acute bronchitis. This can lead to over 10 million office visits at doctor’s appointments every single year. Like many viral diseases of the respiratory tract, acute bronchitis is commonly seen in the fall and winter months.†
Acute bronchitis is an acute inflammation that occurs in the respiratory bronchi. This triggers the secondary inflammatory response in the body. The inflammation in the bronchial walls leads to a mucosal thickening, which is incredibly problematic. If someone has acute bronchitis, they will present with this very productive cough and will often have a difficult time breathing. They may also experience wheezing. The predominant complaint is this thick mucus that you continue to cough up.†
When you’re dealing with bronchitis, you just want it to go away. We know that viral infections are the main driver to this. We can look at natural ways to allow your immune system to get a better grasp on the respiratory system and provide the body with an added layer of protection.†
We can look at things such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC). This is great because it helps to bolster up your natural glutathione production. It also helps to thin out the mucus in the respiratory bronchi and lungs that is thickened by the inflammatory system. Oftentimes when people have or are prone to acute bronchitis and they have this hacking cough for several weeks, NAC can do so much in terms of minimizing those yucky symptoms.†
Formulations such as the Immunity HxⓇ can also be beneficial to get much-needed Vitamin C, Vitamin D and zinc. We also have to look at things like black seed extract, which helps to ease inflammation throughout the respiratory system. It’s combined with rosemary extract and it really helps to offset some of the other allergen triggers, such as histamine. The addition of cordyceps mushrooms also helps to enhance our immune defenses. It’s a really great formulation combination for acute bronchitis.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses acute bronchitis, what causes it and the symptoms commonly associated with it. She also provides recommendations for nutrients that can help fend off this inflammation within the respiratory system.†
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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.
As the seasons change, it is a good idea to turn to nutrients that can support natural detox processes in the body. Our Colon Hx formula contains powerful constituents that can help remove toxins from foods and the environment.
It’s never too early to start making sure your immune system is working to its best ability. Learn about the nutrients you need to help defend your body this winter in Part 2 of this podcast from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
winter
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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There are concrete reasons why we get sick with a virus more frequently in the winter than in the summer. The atmosphere itself directly contributes to the risk of getting sick. The air outside in the summer is a lot heavier because it’s loaded with moisture. If somebody sneezes or coughs, the virus only goes a short distance and it crashes down to the sidewalk because the air is so laden with moisture.†
In the winter, it’s a different story. In the winter, the air is very dry, so coughs and sneezes go further. A cough can shoot a virus for 10 feet at 100 miles per hour, while a sneeze travels at about half that rate for about five feet. It’s also very cold outside, so we are more frequently clustered together inside at a pretty close proximity. Inside, the air is even drier and more arid, so that sneeze or cough can really travel further or faster.†
To make things worse, many viruses thrive in colder air. For instance, the flu and cold viruses are stronger and more infective in the winter than in the summer.†
There are some nutrients that are really key for our immune system. The problem is that there are seasonal variations in the levels of these nutrients in our body.†
These nutrients are key for the immune system to be able to fight off an infection and to survive an infection. They are Vitamin C, Vitamin D and zinc. There are seasonal variations in the body’s levels of zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D. Just when you need them the most to fight the infections that are more common in the winter, the level of these nutrients are declining. This means that there’s less to go around in the blood plasma in the fall and winter months and this is very bad news for immunity.†
IMMUNE BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C, ZINC & VITAMIN D – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 118. Listen Now>>
Zinc is needed in a number of ways for the immune system. This mineral is poisonous to viruses. Secondly, zinc is needed to create immune cells, as well as antibodies. Taking zinc in the winter is a very good strategy for helping to achieve optimal immune system function. I would shoot for about 30mg a day to help shoot up your zinc level.†
Just like zinc, our level of Vitamin C declines in the winter. Vitamin C is required for chemotaxis and respiratory burst, which are really important activities for your immune system. This occurs early on when someone sneezes on you with an infection. Chemotaxis is the ability of your immune cells to travel to the site of the infection.†
What about Vitamin D? You’re never going to get enough Vitamin D from your food. You can get some Vitamin D by getting sun exposure, but there’s not a lot of sun in the winter. Plus, you’re covered up, so you really need to take a supplement. You need Vitamin D to help fight cancer, infections and other foreign cells. Generally, take 2000 units of Vitamin D3 a day. Research shows that taking Vitamin D every day works better than one huge dose once a week or once a month.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph., discusses how the body can be more prone to infection during the fall and winter months. He focuses on three main nutrients that the body needs to protect itself and explains how these nutrients are impacted by the cold weather. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this podcast, coming soon.†
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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.
