Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. B-COMPLEX VITAMINS ARE NEEDED FOR A HEALTHY BRAIN, INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 667 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the Invite Health Podcast, where our …
Written by Dr.Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]† This will be our last blog on this topic before we have our review on memory and brain health. I wanted to take a moment to talk about typical memory changes …
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Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH
*Intro Music*
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast where our degreed health care professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that Invite Health has to offer at invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code podcast at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started. † [00:00:34]
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Amanda Williams MD, MPH: [00:00:40] Understanding that millions of Americans deal with depression each and every single year, and it’s quite prevalent across all age groups. There’s a fascinating new study that is indicating that those who are older in age, who are dealing with depression are much more prone to aging, much faster. So, I want to talk about that today. And of course, some of the basic nutrients that you can be turning to, based on the science. To help offset that low mood environment that can age you faster. I am Dr. Amanda Williams, scientific director at Invite Health and researchers over at UConn. So, University of Connecticut, their Center on Aging, we’re looking at how adults who have depression are aging faster than their peers, who do not have depression. And how are they able to assess this? Well, they’re looking at the chromosomal abnormalities that occurs when we look at the shortening of the end caps of the telomeres. And we can see that longevity is certainly linked to cellular health. So biological aging, we know occurs, but there are things in different factors that can accelerate the aging process. So, we always look at chronic low-grade inflammation as being the main contributor to this, which is why I often talk about Inflammaging, it’s accelerated aging due to inflammation. We can see the negative effect that accelerated aging has on the human body. And we’re not just talking about the perceived signs of aging, such as wrinkles or gray hair. We’re talking about the biological pathways that are implicated in cellular aging. So as the cells get older, they begin to function differently, less efficiently, and they’re not acting the way that they did when they were more youthful. And when this happens, this creates inflammation. And this is what these researchers at UConn were zeroing in on, looking at these different participants who had clinically diagnosed depression and seeing how the influence of inflammation in the body was creating systemic problems. Cardiovascular risks were increased in these individuals, metabolic factors were increased in these individuals. So, we’re talking about greater likelihood of having high blood pressure, for example, looking at problems with blood sugar regulation and of course, their overall mood. So, when it came to just basic daily tasks, those who had higher levels of inflammation were aging much faster, which is a major problem, hence inflammaging. So, when we zeroed in on many of these different factors, we can look at how, you know, in proper stress management throughout our life can lead to this. We can certainly look at the lack of adequate nutrients from our diet can lead to this. And if you’re following a standard American diet, you’re at a much greater risk. And then we can look at the science as to how just the basic nutrients can create systemic balance for us. † [00:04:08]
[00:04:09] So we’ll zero in on omega threes. So, looking at things such as Fish oil or Krill Oil Advanced or for those who are vegetarian, looking at flax and the incorporation of these via supplementation on a daily basis, how much benefit that can actually create. In the molecular Psychiatry journal back in 2021, they looked at omega three supplementation and stress reactivity of cellular aging biomarkers, which is really great because what we’re talking about, how is it that our cells age faster and what impact in a positive way could omega three supplementation have for older individuals? They found that higher levels of omega threes were associated with longer telomeres, lower inflammation, and better regulation of the sympathetic nervous system lessening of cardiovascular risk. This was a randomized controlled trial examining the impact of omega three supplementation and cellular aging. And the way that they could assess this was through these different biomarkers, looking at levels of inflammation, and they could see how the omega three supplementation was helping to reduce excess cortisol, helping to lower inflammation, allowing the body to have better repair mechanisms, and hence could indicate that omega threes can slow that accelerated aging process as well as reduce depression risk. That in and of itself incredibly impressive. And we know that omega three fatty acids have always been linked to supporting the health of our brain, maintaining the overall volume of the brain as we get older. And the brain itself incredibly important, but yet very complex. And now that we see how the important influence that these key fats have on maintaining not only the structure but also the function of our brain is the reason why so many researchers have really zeroed in on omega three supplementation for brain health. The Journal of Nutrients, they go into detail on this, talking about how omega threes as far as diet, as well as supplementation, can help to create a more optimal environment to once again lessen inflammation. They’ve done direct studies giving individuals who have clinical depression omega three fatty acids. There was a meta-analysis that was conducted and published in the Translational Psychiatry Journal in 2019 where they assessed the impact from multiple double-blind placebo-controlled trials on omega three supplementation when it came to individuals who were diagnosed with depression. And what they found was that the omega threes had a significant beneficial effect on overall mood, lessening the depressive symptoms as well as lessening inflammation. So see how everything is going back to inflammation. So, this is an important thing. So, should you be taking your omega threes every day as you grow older? Yes, because we know it helps to regulate inflammation and it also has a positive effect on our brain aging. † [00:07:48]
[00:07:49] We also know that B vitamins certainly can be incredibly beneficial. So that’s why if I’m dealing with someone who has a mood issue. Anxiety, depression, we always add in the methyl B, the biologically active form of those B vitamins. We can see how B vitamins have a critical, vital role in maintaining the function of the brain. And if we have inadequate exposure to these B vitamins from our diet, we’re not taking a comprehensive multivitamin that includes bioactive B vitamins. This can lead to problems such as anxiety and depression and, of course, heightened inflammation, because we know that B vitamins are key to how our body detoxifies, to our immune system regulation. And of course, having those B vitamins on board help to support healthy neurotransmitter release. Magnesium. Another simple way to address issues with depression. When you look at the magnesium status in depressed individuals, you will always see that their magnesium levels are low. In the Journal of Nutrition in 2017, they looked at this to look at the effect of magnesium supplementation on the depression status of individuals who had a co-morbid magnesium deficiency. So, you have individuals who are diagnosed with depression and at the same time they also have low magnesium in their system. And if they gave them magnesium supplementation, would this help, would this help with their depressive symptoms? And indeed, this is what they found, that once you resolve the magnesium deficiency, you get an improvement on overall cognitive function and mood. So, we look at individuals who are getting older in age and that maybe their diet is not a strong adherence to the Mediterranean style way of eating, maybe too many ultra processed foods, inadequate exposure to omega threes, magnesium, B vitamins. And you can start to draw this direct connection between heightened levels of neuroinflammation and overall systemic inflammation and a low mood environment. † [00:10:20]
[00:10:22] We can also look at another very important nutrient that has been directly linked to accelerated aging if we don’t have enough of it and depression and that’s acetyl- l-carnitine. We know that acetyl l-carnitine is a powerful modified amino acid that helps the body generate energy, helps to regulate stress, powerful antioxidant in its own right. In the Journal of Psycho Medicine Research, they looked at a meta-analysis. So multiple clinical trials assessing the impact of acetyl-l-carnitine supplementation on individuals who suffer from depression. We understand now, that, that dysregulation, the disruption of those fatty acids across the cell membrane in order to generate energy, in particular at the level of the brain cells is a direct causal reason for why many individuals experience depressive symptoms. And you could see that when they had stabilized their acetyl l-carnitine levels, those depressive symptoms began to diminish. So, when we see studies that tell us with aging comes depression, this isn’t always the case. If we can maintain adequate levels of just key nutrients, omega three fatty acids, magnesium, acetyl, l-carnitine B vitamins, we can do so much to support the brain. Help regulate inflammation and improve our overall aging process. So, keep that in mind the next time you ponder what it’s going to be like to grow a little older. It shouldn’t be a problem at all if you’re doing the right things. So, thank you so much for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting invitehealth.com/podcast. Do make sure that you subscribe, and you leave us a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. † [00:10:22]
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Written by Dr.Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected] In our last blog we completed our lupus discussion. This week we will be discussing another autoimmune disease called psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs in individuals …
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. KRILL OIL, OR FISH OIL. PICK ON AND TAKE IT- PART 3. INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 626 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the …
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]
Last week we started off our discussion of arthritis with osteoarthritis (OA). This week we will be looking at rheumatoid arthritis (RA). When most people think of RA they think of joint pain and while that is true RA is much more than just a joint disease. RA is an autoimmune disorder which involves the immune system attacking the joints. This inflammatory response affects both the cartilage and the underlying bone. However, unlike in OA where other parts of the body are relatively unaffected in RA multiple systems are affected by the disease. In RA for example the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, nerves and even the blood vessels can all be affected. † (1)
The first signs of RA involve the joints. Typically, the affected joints will be swollen, warm and in the morning, they will be very stiff and need to be “warmed up” as people say. Interestingly this is different from the joint pain we see in OA where there is no difference in the morning meaning that there is no morning inflammation or morning joint pain that just needs to be “warmed up”. As the autoimmune disease progresses in its severity the underlying tendons can become affected, and this leads to the structural changes typically seen in RA. I would like to point out that in addition to the structural changes seen in the fingers there can often be similar structural changes in the toes. This is important since it can affect mobility in the long run. (2) Please see the attached pictures. † (3) (4)
Fingers
Toes
As I said earlier due to the fact that RA is an autoimmune illness other parts of the body are affected and will show signs of the illness. As I discuss each individual aspect of the disease, I will go over how the systems are affected. To start with the very beginning the skin can develop something called a rheumatoid nodule. These typically occur over areas such as the elbow, heels, and the knuckles. † (5) Please see picture (6)
Additionally, vasculitis, which is inflamed blood vessels, can also occur in the skin. Other symptoms of RA that can occur in the skin include but are not limited to the following: Pyoderma gangrenosum, sweets syndrome, Erythema nodosum and even atrophy of the skin of the fingers. † (7)
RA can also affect the lungs and cause signs of respiratory illness. In fact, having symptoms of lung disease when you have RA is so common it even has a name – Rheumatoid lung disease or lung fibrosis. As I said this is a well-known complication of RA. Caplan syndrome is a diagnosis that describes lung nodules that occur when RA is present. † (8)
In addition to symptoms of lung disease individuals with RA often experience comorbidity of the heart and blood vessels. For example, these can include an increased risk of atherosclerosis, MI, and stroke. Other possible complications can include pericarditis, endocarditis, valvulitis and fibrosis. † (9)
Anemia as well as a decrease in white blood cells can also occur. When the inflammation is not well controlled, we can also see an increase in platelet count. † (10)
RA can also affect the kidneys and cause symptoms of kidney disease. It can affect the liver as well and cause symptoms of liver disease. In the long run it can even cause vision changes as it affects our eyes. Over time as the autoimmune aspects of RA starts to affect the nerves, we can start to see signs of neuropathy. † (11)
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
The general symptoms of RA include fatigue, low grade fever, malaise, morning stiffness, and periodontal disease. † (12)
COMMON RISK FACTORS
There are some very common risk factors for RA. For those with RA in their family tree the risk of developing RA increases 3 to 5X that of someone without a family history. In fact is estimated that genetics account for 40-65% of sero-positive RA and 20% of sero-negative RA. (13) Smoking has been found to increase the risk of RA 3X compared to nonsmokers! †(14)
Studies have found that having vitamin D levels that are lower than optimum can increase the risk of developing RA. † (15)
Anything that increases inflammation can also increase the risk of RA. This can include the standard American diet, stress and even other autoimmune disorders. As I mentioned in my article series on digestion having leaky gut is a risk factor for all autoimmune disorders including RA. Studies also show a link between RA and gluten sensitivities. † (16)
As I mentioned previously RA is diagnosed with blood work as well as certain imaging tests. Blood work can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatments. In addition to any treatments recommend by your doctor the following may be helpful:
WHAT CAN BE HELPFUL?
1. Lifestyle changes such as stop smoking! †
2. Making dietary changes – A Mediterranean diet has been found to be anti-inflammatory in studies! (17) I would also suggest increasing anti-inflammatory foods – such as leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, berries of all types, cherries, oily fish, avocados, olive oil and nuts. † (18)
3. Working on the inflammation part of RA sometimes requires supplements in addition to diet! †
–> Turmeric has been found to lower inflammation and help with the morning stiffness as well as the inflammation seen in RA. (19) Please see Invite’s Biocurcumin, Turmeric with ginger and Curcumin blend! †
–> Boswellia has been found to reduce inflammatory parameters in studies. (20) Please see Invite’s Biocurcumin!†
–> Ginger has been found to reduce inflammatory factors hs-CRP and IL-1β or in other words it helps to reduce the inflammation seen in RA. (21) Please see Invite’s Turmeric with ginger. †
–> Omega 3’s may have an effect on disease activity especially the swollen and crooked joints. (22) Please see Invite’s Fish oil, Krill oil, and Inflammune.†
–> D3 is important to supplement when you are low. † (23)
4. If the leaky gut is causing the inflammation, it’s important to heal the gut! Please refer to my series on GI health. †
START Dr.Claire’s series on GI Health here–>THE BASICS OF DIGESTIVE HEALTH, PART 1>>READ NOW!
5. We also want to work on protecting the joints! †
–> Collagen has been found to lower joint inflammation and joint pain. (24) While more studies on collagen are important to do at this time current studies show that collagen may help to promote the growth of cartilage damaged by OA or RA. (25) Please see Invite’s Collagen Hx, Collagex HA, Collagen tablets and Cartilage Hx!†
–> Hyaluronic acid has been found in studies to help promote cartilage repair as well as reduce inflammation. (26) Please see Invite’s Hylauronic Acid with Devil’s Claw†
6. Lastly let’s protect some of the other organs affected by RA! †
–> For lung health there are a number of products that can help! NAC has been found to improve respiratory function. (27) Black seed is also amazing for lung health and respiratory function. (28) Please see Invite’s NAC and Black seed with Rosemary†
–> Coq10 is amazing for heart health! Please see all Invite’s Coq10 products! †
–>Resveratrol is amazing for so many different areas. It helps the lungs, heart and is just an amazing antioxidant! (29) Please see Invite’s Resveratrol 100mg Hx and our new Resvertrol Max formula†
–> Bilberry has been found in studies to help with vision and eye heath. (30) For this and other amazing eye nutrients please see our Macula Hx and Macula Advanced Hx†
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]
REFERENCES
1. “Handout on Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis”. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. August 2014. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
2. Majithia V, Geraci SA (November 2007). “Rheumatoid arthritis: diagnosis and management”. The American Journal of Medicine. 120 (11): 936–939. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2007.04.005. PMID 17976416.
3. https://www.orthobullets.com/basic-science/9085/rheumatoid-arthritis
4. https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/how-rheumatoid-arthritis-affects-the-foot-and-ankle-b1016-440550/
5. Turesson C (May 2013). “Extra-articular rheumatoid arthritis”. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 25 (3): 360–366. doi:10.1097/bor.0b013e32835f693f. PMID 23425964. S2CID 21462453.
6. https://www.pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidance/rheumatoid-nodules
7. Genta MS, Genta RM, Gabay C (October 2006). “Systemic rheumatoid vasculitis: a review”. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. 36 (2): 88–98. doi:10.1016/j.semarthrit.2006.04.006. PMID 17023257.
8. arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: the relevance of histopathologic and radiographic pattern”. Chest. 136 (5): 1397–1405. doi:10.1378/chest.09-0444. PMC 2818853. PMID 19892679.
9. 9). “Evaluating cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis”. Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. 26 (8): 481–494. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23.
10. Gibbs JE, Ray DW (February 2013). “The role of the circadian clock in rheumatoid arthritis”. Arthritis Res Ther. 15 (1): 205. doi:10.1186/ar4146. PMC 3672712. PMID 23427807.
11. de Groot K (August 2007). “[Renal manifestations in rheumatic diseases]”. Der Internist. 48 (8): 779–785. doi:10.1007/s00108-007-1887-9. PMID 17571244. S2CID 28781598.
12. “Handout on Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis”. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. August 2014. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
13. Smolen JS, Aletaha D, McInnes IB (October 2016). “Rheumatoid arthritis” (PDF). Lancet. 388 (10055): 2023–2038. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30173-8. PMID 27156434. S2CID 37973054.
14. Sugiyama D, Nishimura K, Tamaki K, Tsuji G, Nakazawa T, Morinobu A, Kumagai S (January 2010). “Impact of smoking as a risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis of observational studies” (PDF). Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 69 (1): 70–81. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.096487. PMID 19174392. S2CID 11303269. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2018-04-20.(subscription required)
15. https://www.keckmedicine.org/blog/could-more-vitamin-d-help-relieve-your-rheumatoid-arthritis/#:~:text=Studies%20also%20have%20found%20that,in%20the%20hands%20and%20feet.
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33677948/
17. https://www.eatingwell.com/article/2061785/anti-inflammatory-mediterranean-diet-plan/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20research%20has%20identified,oil)%20in%20the%20diet%20every
18. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-anti-inflammatory-foods
19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33914984/
20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6477955/
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7137811/
22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7362115/
23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539179/
24. https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/types-of-complementary-treatments/collagen/#:~:text=Four%20trials%20tested%20collagen%20against,the%20trials%20against%20a%20placebo.
25. https://blog.designsforhealth.com/node/1375
26. https://www.arthritis-health.com/treatment/injections/what-hyaluronic-acid#:~:text=Hyaluronic%20acid%20helps%20in%20the,by%20injury%20or%20tissue%20degeneration.
27. https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2020/ss/protect-your-respiratory-system#:~:text=NAC%20(N%2Dacetyl%2DL,%2C%20MD%2C%20in%20May%202022.
28. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-901/black-seed#:~:text=Taking%20black%20seed%20oil%20by,low%20lung%20function%20before%20treatment.
29. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-resveratrol#:~:text=Resveratrol%20has%20antioxidant%20and%20anti,for%20arthritis%2C%20and%20skin%20inflammation.
30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7146147/
