The Science Behind Cocoa For Overall Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 249
Cocoa is a plant-based, food-based antioxidant that has so many benefits when it comes to our health. Here’s what you need to know.
Tag: inflammation
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.
Low DHEA Levels May Explain Chronic Inflammation – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 229
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH.
Subscribe Today!
Inflammaging is a term that I really like to talk about because it’s so common. At the end of the day, what we’re really discussing is the chronic low-grade inflammation that leads to an accelerated aging process. We know many different things about chronic low-grade inflammation. Today, I want to discuss in more detail the pathogenesis of this and what we can be doing, especially in terms of one component that comes from our adrenal glands, and that is DHEA. DHEA controls so many aspects of our inflammatory response, as well as our immune system response.†
What is inflammaging?
Inflammaging is that chronic inflammation that leads to accelerated aging. What we know is that long-term chronic low-grade inflammation is a contributing factor to nearly every single chronic disease state out there, such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and Alzheimer’s disease. What we need to recognize is the pathogenesis and understand the difference between acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is welcomed. It’s the type of inflammation that is protecting us from injury and infection. Chronic inflammation, however, is damaging at a cellular level, which can lead to overall systemic function.†
How to help fight against inflammation
We know that having a diet that is packed with foods that are high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids are very beneficial when it comes to keeping our bodies in a lowered inflammatory status. This is why I so often refer to the Mediterranean diet. This is why you want to fill your plates with bright, colorful fruits and vegetables and have things like seeds and nuts as snacks as opposed to chips and crackers. All of these things can certainly help to keep the body in a state of much less inflammation. High-sugar foods and bad carbohydrates definitely can drive up that inflammation. You want to incorporate high-fatty fish such as salmon. That is certainly something that can help with easing inflammation because we’re getting greater inflammation of those omega-3 fatty acids.†
We also know that, as part of a basic supplementation routine, we want to have omega-3s on board, so fish oil, krill oil or flaxseed oil. We want to have high antioxidants in our daily supplementation routine coming from things such as a multivitamin that provides us with Vitamin C, Vitamin E and powerful carotenoids.†
The role of DHEA in inflammaging
DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone that is produced in the adrenal gland. It is the most abundant of all of our steroid hormones that are produced in our adrenal glands. In women, the majority of DHEA is going to be coming strictly from the adrenals. In men, they produce the majority from the adrenals, but they may get a small amount made from the testes as well.†
DHEA is really critical to our overall wellness for a variety of different reasons. DHEA is made from cholesterol and it is stimulated to be released by the body through what is known as ACTH, which is adrenocorticotropic hormone. That is coming from the pituitary gland.†
For more information about the various functions of DHEA, tune into the full podcast episode.
The aging process itself can disrupt the body’s hormonal balance. DHEA levels play a really critical role in all of this. By the time you’re 70 or 80 years old, your DHEA levels have fallen by 80 to 90% compared to where they were when you were in your 20s. Many studies have shown that low levels of DHEA sulfate in the body are linked with the pathophysiological changes in numerous age-associated diseases, such as cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, low mood and sexual dysfunction.†
NAC: THE INFLAMMATION BATTLING, ANTIOXIDANT-BOOSTING AMINO ACID – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 128. Listen Now >>
DHEA has also been studied in a variety of different inflammatory disorders. When you have low DHEA, this can make a huge impact on the rate of inflammation within the body. So many different studies out there indicate how DHEA works in the body.†
A study done and published in 2011 in the Journal of Aging looked specifically at how DHEA supplementation could have an impact on certain markers for inflammation. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial where they found that DHEA supplementation helped to improve levels for these different markers that they were looking at, things like TNF alpha and IL-6. Also in this study, they found that those who were supplementing with DHEA actually had an improvement in their triglycerides, as well as in their blood glucose levels. That shows you the way that DHEA is impacting so many different systems in the body.†
Tune into the full podcast episode for additional research on the role of DHEA in the body.
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.
What Research Reports About Irritable Bowel Syndrome – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 213
Let’s discuss changes to your diet and different nutrients that can be incredibly supportive when dealing with irritable bowel syndrome.
Beyond Joint Health: The Power of Curcumin and Boswellia – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 205
Curcumin is often paired with joint health. But studies have shown, when combined with Boswellia, they also support healthy inflammation.
The Proven Health Benefits of Omega-3s for Respiratory Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 187
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH.
Subscribe Today!
For many people, the change of seasons can bring about respiratory changes as well. For those who suffer from things such as allergies and asthma, this shift in temperature and the change in tree pollens and grass pollens certainly can hinder your body’s overall sense of wellbeing. I want to talk about things that you can be doing that can be beneficial for the respiratory system in terms of dietary intake and supplementation.
There was a study that was done a couple of years ago out of La Trobe University where they indicated that having a diet that was rich in fatty fish actually helped to fight asthma. I found that to be such a striking study because it makes a lot of sense. It makes me wonder why more people are not adhering more towards a Mediterranean diet. This was an international study and they found that children who had asthma who followed a healthy Mediterranean diet had improved lung function after just 6 months. Think about the enormous amount of people throughout the world, and in particular this country, that suffer from respiratory issues. We know that the Standard American Diet, which is high in bad fats, sugar, and salt, really can influence the development and progression of asthma in children. They’re eating a lot of highly processed foods. Then you look at something that’s really high in Omega-3 fatty acids, especially fatty fish like salmon, which we know have anti-inflammatory properties. This study ended up determining that eating fish just twice a week can significantly decrease inflammation in children with asthma. I think this says a lot about what we do know and what we don’t know. What we do know is that Americans do a horrible job when it comes to getting the right nutrients every single day. Instead, they’re taking in high processed foods, foods that are lacking vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and good, healthy fats, which is not doing us any good when it comes to our health.†
We have to consider the dietary influences for children with asthma. Are we adding insult to injury because they’re on a pro-inflammatory diet? They’re taking in their medication for the asthma, but then they eat this food that’s driving up the inflammation. These are things to be aware of. We know that Omega-3 fatty acids, whether that’s krill oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, or green-lipped mussel, can be extremely beneficial. For example, the combination of green-lipped mussel and Perilla extract, which is found in our InflamMune Hx® supplement, helps with easing inflammation and supporting healthy lung function.†
WHY OMEGA-3S ARE SO ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 133. Listen now! >>
To learn more about specific sources of Omega-3 fatty acids and nutrients for respiratory health, make sure to tune into the full podcast episode!
For some people, they may find that with seasonal changes, they develop a cough or maybe a little bit of mild wheezing. This is something where you have to consider your options to feel better. Number one, change the diet. Adhere to a diet that is an anti-inflammatory diet. Steer away from the pro-inflammatory Standard American Diet. Incorporate in good, healthy fats. Incorporate in nutrients, like Perilla extract and green-lipped mussel, that we know can be beneficial when it comes to respiratory function.†
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.
