Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The Good and Bad of Cholesterol Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Cholesterol is a topic that gets plenty of attention. Atherosclerosis is another topic that gets a lot of attention. But what are these things? What is the relationship between them? And perhaps most importantly …
HORMONES: HOW THEY IMPACT MEN’S HEALTH By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT When it comes to men’s health, it’s best to start at the beginning….HORMONES. While there are a long list of hormones, lets focus on a three of the most commonly talked about….Testosterone, …
The Wonders of Veins Hx!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
For our product spotlight I wanted to pick one of my favorites for circulation. This formula is called Veins Hx! Veins Hx is a formula made of a combination of vitamins and extracts that studies have found to be helpful for circulation. In this blog I will be reviewing each of the 6 components that make up Veins Hx. To start with what exactly is in Veins Hx? Veins Hx contains Vitamin C, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Horse Chestnut, Horsetail Rush Silica, Gotu Kola and Bilberry!
Let’s start with Vitamin C! What does Vitamin C do for our circulation? To start with studies have found Vitamin C may help to slow down the buildup of atherosclerosis. This is important as it is a risk factor for poor circulation and also high blood pressure among other heart disorders. Additionally, other studies have found that Vitamin C can help keep our arteries flexible which is important for our blood pressure. Vitamin C also appears to help protect our arteries against damage. One way it appears to do this is via its anti-inflammatory properties that decrease inflammation. (1) Vitamin C has also been found to boost nitric oxide which leads to vasodilation or the “opening up” of the blood vessels. This allows the blood to flow easier through the vessels. (2) Of course Vitamin C is great for many things, but let’s concentrate on our circulation for now.
The next item is called Citrus Bioflavonoids. What is a Citrus Bioflavonoid? Plants have compounds called flavonoids. These are basically very powerful antioxidants. Bioflavonoids are flavonoids that do something helpful in our body. Citrus Bioflavonoids come from citrus foods and have specific benefits to our health. (3) Bioflavonoids are important for circulation because in studies they help to strengthen blood vessel walls. (4) Additionally studies have found that they help with atherosclerosis which is important for good circulation. Bioflavonoids are also helpful for helping with other risk factors for heart disease such as blood sugar, cholesterol and are anti- inflammatory! (5)
Next in the Veins Hx is Horse Chestnut. Horse Chestnuts are a very well-known therapy for poor circulation. Studies show that there is an improvement in circulation and in associated leg pain. In fact some studies have found that Horse Chestnut is as effective as treatment with compression socks! (6) Studies have also found that Horse Chestnut helps with chronic venous insufficiency, which is a type of poor circulation. Horse Chestnut has been found to help with signs of poor circulation such as leg pain, leg fatigue and even the rash associated with chronic venous insufficiency. Lastly studies have also shown that Horse Chestnut is anti-inflammatory, which is always good for circulation and overall health. (7)
Horsetail Rush Silica contrary to what you may be thinking does not actually come from a horse. It comes from the leaves of the horsetail plant and is rich in silica. Recent studies have found that silica can help with heart disease and circulation by decreasing atherosclerosis. (8)Studies have also recently found that silica can help with lowering our cholesterol which is a risk factor for so many different heart disorders. Lastly studies have found that silica can help form collagen which is a building block of skin, cartilage, blood, connective tissues and even our muscles and ligaments all of which make up our heart and circulatory system. (9)
Gotu Kola may have you squinting for a moment since most people associate it with brain and memory. But think for a moment – why is associated with brain and memory? Because it helps with circulation! Studies have found that in poor circulation those who took Gotu Kola had less symptoms than those that did not. Studies have also shown gotu kola to increase overall circulation and blood flow. (10)
Lastly we have Bilberry extract. Bilberry has some amazing benefits for our health. According to studies bilberry can help with cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and even reduce the risk of blood clots! Additionally, Bilberry can also help with our blood pressure. Bilberry has also been found to help circulation in our legs. And of course we can’t forget the other benefits of Bilberry including our eye health, liver health and even our overall digestive health! (11)
Overall, Veins Hx is a complex formula that is full of amazing nutrients that are amazing not just for circulation, but our overall health!
Our next blog will be about a topic that is so common I talk about it probably every day! Cholesterol and what it means.
ANTI-AGING AWARENESS: MY GO-TO RECIPES by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT September is Anti-Aging Awareness month, so I thought this would be a great time to discuss this topic. So many things fall under anti-aging, such as eye health, brain health, heart health and …
Many Americans suffer from anxiety that impacts their daily lives. They frequently turn to medications to help boost their mood, but did you know that there are nutrients that can help, too?
iron
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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You’ve probably heard of iron deficient anemia, but are you as familiar with iron overload, also known as hemochromatosis? This is certainly a problematic condition that is actually genetic. It is the most common autosomal recessive disease in the world. It’s estimated that 1 out of every 300 people have hemochromatosis. I want to talk about this in some detail and what you can be doing if you happen to have iron overload.†
Hemochromatosis is an abnormal accumulation of iron that goes to other organs, including the brain and liver, and creates a toxicity. One of the biggest problems is that roughly 75% of people who have hemochromatosis are generally asymptomatic and they don’t even know that they have this issue.†
Some of the early symptoms that many people can experience are things like fatigue. Generally, when we think about fatigue, we think about iron deficient anemia, but the same thing can happen when we have iron overload. We can also look at some arthritic symptoms that occur with constant pain in the joints. In men, you may also see issues with sexual health and being impotent. Hemochromatosis is more common in men than it is in women. It affects men about two to three times more often as it does women. Women who have iron overload often become symptomatic later in life than men.†
We know that there are many different nutrients that have been shown to help regulate iron levels. Vitamin C is an iron binder, so if someone has hemochromatosis, they have to be careful with how much Vitamin C they’re actually supplementing with or taking in through their diet.†
Things like lactoferrin are really, really helpful when it comes to binding and removing excess iron. Where do we find lactoferrin in a very high amount? In colostrum. We carry colostrum, so if someone is known to have this problem with high iron stores, then it would be advantageous to include colostrum into your daily routine.†
There have also been studies looking at green tea, as well as grape seed extract, to help with the prevention of iron overload. One study at Georgia State University looked at these nutrients in relation to hereditary hemochromatosis. They found that when they looked at utilizing the polyphenols from green tea and grape seed extract, the bioactive components did a really great job in terms of being able to mitigate the impact of the intestinal absorption of iron.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses hemochromatosis and how this can impact the body. She also provides recommendations for nutrients that can help regulate the amount of iron stored in the body.†
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