Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Your body relies on your immune system to protect itself from invading cells, but did you know that factors such as your sleep and diet can impact how well it does this? Learn about the nutrients and actions that impact your immune system now.
Vitamin B6 Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH Subscribe Today! B vitamins play a really important role when it comes to supporting energy levels, metabolism, heart health, brain health and so many more systems that are crucial for the everyday functions of …
mushrooms
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH.
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Did you know that there are over 140,000 species in the fungi family? When we think about fungus, many times we think about mildew, mold, yeast and athlete’s foot. There are all of these different ways in which fungi can become incredibly problematic. Within the fungi family, not only do we have these nasty little things that bring out things like athlete’s foot, but we also have really amazing things like mushrooms. Yes, mushrooms fall into the category of fungi. When we think about the foods that we eat, many times people aren’t thinking about the fact that if you eat a lot of mushrooms, you’re eating a lot of fungus, but indeed you are. I want to talk about some of it’s medicinal benefits.†
Let’s talk about mushrooms in the setting of their popularity when it comes to being a medicinal food, but also in terms of their unique nutritional value. Even if you’re having mushrooms sliced and put into your salad or maybe you cook with a lot of different mushrooms, there are many powerful antioxidants contained within mushrooms. Ergothioneine is one of those very powerful antioxidants. There are a lot of B vitamins that are packed into mushrooms. Vitamin D2, also known as ergocalciferol, is very abundantly sourced in mushrooms.†
We know that mushrooms do many different things when it comes to our overall health. When we look at the immune system and the cardiovascular system, we certainly can see that they contain a good amount of key minerals. Potassium, for example, can actually be beneficial for maintaining fluid balance within the body, hence helping to support blood pressure. We also recognize that mushrooms can be beneficial when it comes to optimizing our overall nutrient absorption. When we get these natural sources of B vitamins and Vitamin D, this can really help the body to better metabolize other nutrients that we get from our foods. Mushrooms have been studied across the spectrum when it comes to all of the ways it can help human health.†
Mushrooms are not known just for their immune-boosting benefits. We also recognize them for their dietary fiber content. This can be beneficial for metabolic syndrome and helping to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, so that high-fiber impact can be very helpful.†
Supporting More Than Immunity With Mushrooms – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 225. Listen Now >>
There are a lot of different ways in which mushrooms have been shown in research study after research study to be beneficial for the body. Oftentimes when you hear us discuss it, we are usually in that realm of its benefits for the immune system. That is because a majority of the clinical research trials out there really do hone in on the consumption of mushrooms, whether that be whole food or via extracted form, and its immune-boosting properties.†
However, I always like to mention other ways in which we know a mushroom can be supportive. One thing I think is really key not to overlook in terms of the medicinal benefits is the way that it can help to downregulate systemic inflammation. Oftentimes, when we think about the immune system, we fail to correlate that with the inflammatory system. The two go hand in hand. Having mushroom extract on board from the Mushroom Hx can be beneficial in those ways.†
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.
The InVite Health team has been fielding a lot of questions about the vaccine, including which vitamins they should take before and after they get their vaccination.
As we approach the one year mark of facing the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are learning more and more about what we can be doing to protect ourselves from this dangerous virus. Some of these methods may be as simple as boosting our intake of certain vitamins.
elderberry
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Elderberry flowers and fruit are used in remedies to reduce cold and flu symptoms. They’re used in home remedies and have been used for centuries. Studies demonstrate that they work and are effective. Elderberry belongs to a family of flowering shrubs known as sambucus or elder. They’re native to Europe, but now they’ve been naturalized in the United States and also in parts of Asia. You’ve probably heard of elderberry wine. The fruit is also used to make jams, syrups and other foods, but you cannot eat raw elderberries. They’re inedible. They have to be cooked before you can eat them.
Health benefits of black elderberry
The berries are rich in nutrients, but several of the components in elderberries stand out because they may also block infections. Elderberry flowers and fruit are incorporated into remedies to help with cold and flu symptoms, but also for inflammation and respiratory tract diseases like sinusitis and sore throats. The berries are a rich source of anthocyanins and other polyphenols. Many anthocyanins have some antiviral activities, but it seems that the elderberry stands out.†
New Evidence That Green Tea Benefits The Flu – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 256. Listen Now >>
There are several species of these sambucus plants that produce these elderberries, but the European elder, the sambucus nigra or black elderberry, is the type most studied and that’s the one used in supplements. In vitro studies demonstrate that elderberries have antiviral activity, antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory properties. It seems to reduce the symptoms of influenza and colds.†
Studies on black elderberry
A study from Emory University looked at coronaviruses that infect poultry. The researchers found out that the black elderberry inhibits the types of coronavirus that infect chickens and it’s a strong relationship. It was a dose-response manner. That’s like a linear relationship. In other words, the more of the black elderberry that they fed the chickens, the more they were able to withstand the poultry kind of coronaviruses. There is some effect on a broad range of viruses. Coronaviruses are one of the families of viruses beside rhinoviruses and several others that cause the common cold. That’s why people don’t dependably develop antibodies against the common cold. They do against the strains they’ve been exposed to previously, but there are several hundred strains that cause the common cold. That’s why you never have total resistance to the common cold.†
Here’s a study in the journal Complementary and Therapeutic Medicine. It’s from the Franklin Institute of Wellness. They’re looking at 180 people who had upper respiratory tract infections. The researchers found that giving these patients the elderberry really reduced the intensity of their symptoms, like runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, stuffy nose, etc. They said that these findings present an alternative to regular prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs that might have side effects for people with viral upper respiratory tract infections.†
Hear about more research on black elderberry by listening to the full podcast episode.
Black elderberry at InVite Health
Black elderberry is something we do use in our products, such as our wintertime products that are beneficial during cough and cold season. It has GRAS certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). GRAS specifically means “Generally Recognized as Safe,” but what that actually means is that you can use it and it’s not going to hurt you.
Why Beta Glucan Should Be Part of Your Immune System Arsenal – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 268. Listen Now >>
A good mix of black elderberry would be with beta-1.3-glucan. That’s what I normally do during the winter season. You can find these powerful nutrients in our new Beta Immunity Hx formula.†
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.
