Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
As we age, the need for certain nutrients increases for a number of reasons, including an increase in our prescription medications and gaps in our diet. In Part 2, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses the best anti-aging nutrients to focus on now.
Carotenoids are colorful pigments from plants that are found in fruits and vegetables. Based on reading thousands of studies spanning decades, if you consume a broad variety of these pigments, they lend to a longer and healthier life.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Today we are going to discuss the commonly used statin drug and it’s impact on essential nutrients in the body. If you are taking a statin drug to help lower your cholesterol, it is important to know that you are also depleting specific nutrients in your body that can increase the side effects you are feeling.
What are Statins and How Do They Work?
Statins are drugs used to lower cholesterol. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries and narrow or even block them. Numerous clinical trials have consistently shown that statins (if taken by a person with high LDL-cholesterol), reduces their risk of stroke, heart attack, angina, and heart related mortality. Statins are thought to be safe but they do interact with some of the newer blood thinners and can increase the risk of bleeding.
I think there are more issues connected to statins than is normally disclosed. Interestingly, when the statin industry sponsors a study, there is a very low incidence of side effects, perhaps in 1 or 2% of the study subjects. But when an independent academic research institution performs the same study, the incidence of side effects (especially muscle related side effects) climbs up to more than 10% of the study subjects. Considering how many millions of people are prescribed a statin – that’s a lot of people walking around fatigued or with muscle inflammation.
You may want to also listen to our episode on Sterols; Click here to listen now!
The Impact of Statins on Nutrients in your Body
The dirty little secret with statins is that they almost always deplete key nutrients needed for the heart, vision, memory, and muscle function. Importantly, this is very easy to remedy once you know about it; simply add the nutritional supplement to your daily regimen and you’re done; now you can stay on your statin and get rid of most of its side effects.
Commonly, Statins reduce energy production and lead to fatigue and can cause muscle inflammation, muscle pain, a decline in strength and stamina but rarely cause serious muscle problems. Of course the higher the dosage of the statin the more likely you are to encounter these side effects.
One of the nutrients that statins naturally deplete is Coenzyme Q10, or Ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is needed for energy; no energy can be made in our body without it. Ubiquinol promotes cardiovascular and neuromuscular health. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an important energy-releasing nutrient produced naturally in the human body. Ubiquinol is CoQ10 in its active form, which allows calories from food to be absorbed and utilized as energy throughout the body.†
Another nutrient that is depleted by statins is Creatine. Creatine Monohydrate is a naturally-occurring amino acid that supplies energy to all cells. Traditionally, Creatine Monohydrate is used as part of a fitness and recovery program, but recent studies show that it is also helpful for stress management and healthy aging. This helps to nourish and hydrate muscles and helps to maintain muscle fibers, especially in those with muscle concerns while on a statin.
You may want to also listen to our episode on Sterols; Click here to listen now!
Statins deplete eye health – it is not commonly known, but it is very important. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are yellow carotenoids found in vegetables that are referred to as macular pigments because the eye concentrates them in this region. The macula of the eye helps protect the vulnerable little organs needed for good vision near the retina and the macula is also responsible for fine vision. These carotenoids help support the health of macular tissue and vision health, according to a number of studies.
Again, statins depleting essential nutrients in your body are very easy to remedy once you know about it; simply add the nutritional supplement to your daily regimen and you’re done; now you can stay on your statin and get rid of most of its side effects. If you have any questions, leave us a comment below and I will be happy to guide you.
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.
Episode 5 discusses research that consistently demonstrates multivitamins power up the brain, improve focus and mental clarity, and support memory functions for all age groups.
Today we are going to discuss the strong connections between eye health and memory. There is one important nutrient that stands out more than the other – Lutein. Let’s get started on episode 4.
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Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
Do you have computer vision syndrome? This happens when you spend a lot of time on your computer but also other screens, like your cell phone and your television. It leads to eye fatigue and eyestrain. Today, we are living in a digital world where escaping your screen can seem impossible. But here are some concerns you need to know about regarding your vision.
Stats on Screen Time
According to recent data, about 60% of people spend more than 6 hours a day in front of a screen; that’s a lot of time! Recent research shows that spending as little as two consecutive hours on a screen can lead to visual fatigue and, in more severe cases, eyestrain.
For teens, screen time is more extreme – a recent survey from the CDC found that many teens watch over four hours of TV daily. That’s in addition to computer use for four or more hours; and that’s not including spending time on a cellphone.
Impact of Blue Light On Your Eyes
Screen related fatigue is from over exposure to blue light. Blue light is all around us; and not just outside anymore. With technology, it’s followed us indoors and is emitted from your TV, computer, cellphone, video game screens and even from your cable box due to its LED lighting.
Visible light has particles that travel in waves and these waves have energy and a color is attached to them. Blue light has a very short wavelength compared to other colors – the shorter the wavelength the greater the energy. Because they are shorter and more energetic, these “Blue” wavelengths cause a flicker, which depletes your eyes of essential nutrients.
Recent research shows that spending as little as two consecutive hours on a screen can lead to visual fatigue and in more severe cases eyestrain.
Exposure is only getting worse. Advances made in digital screen technology has evolved dramatically over the past few years, and many of today’s electronic devices use LED background technology to help enhance screen brightness and clarity. These LEDs release very strong blue light waves.
Cell phones, computers, tablets and flat-screen televisions are among some of the other devices that use this technology. Because of their wide-spread use and increasing popularity, we are gradually being exposed to more and more blue light for longer periods of time. Our eyes’ natural filters do not provide enough protection against blue light rays from the sun, let alone the additional blue light exposure from these devices.
In young people and college students, excessive blue light exposure leads to brain fatigue and eyestrain. Digital eyestrain can affect learning and productivity. Symptoms of digital eyestrain, or computer vision syndrome, include blurry vision and sore eyes, difficulty focusing, twitching of the eye muscles, brain fatigue, and sometimes headaches, neck and back pain.
The Important Vision Nutrient Lutein
There is a proven, safe, affordable and fast acting simple solution for your eye fatigue. A pigment from vegetables called Lutein works mostly in a part of your eye called the retina. The retina is a very thin tissue covering the inner eyeball that contains many small fragile organs necessary for good vision.
In older adults, these organs can be damaged or even destroyed with excessive blue light exposure. Fortunately, in younger people, it just makes their eyes tired.
Lutein is found in a filter in front of the retina called the macula. The macula acts as a filter for blue light. The more Lutein that is concentrated in the macula, the more robust it is and the better it works as a blue light filter. In a study of young adults, a specific Lutein supplement called Lutemax 2020® reduced glare and reversed eye fatigue and even eye strain caused by computer screens. Students that use a high-quality Lutein supplement can get more work done on their computers and be more productive academically.
By the way, in young children, the excessive blue light exposure is actually dangerous. According to a study by the Kaiser family Foundation, children spend many hours a day using electronic screens. Before age 10, children’s eyes are not fully developed. The crystalline lens and cornea are still largely transparent and are easily overexposed to light, so too much exposure to blue light is a bad thing. Parents should be aware they need to supervise and limit the amount of screen time their children are permitted.
Thank you for listening to our episode on Living In A Digital World! In future related topics, I’ll discuss the relationship between screen time and eye disease in the elderly and an episode discussing the connection between declining vision and its connection with declining memory.
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.
