Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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long COVID
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Many people who have been hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection have been suffering from long-term, persistent symptoms. This is called long COVID.†
Previous research indicated that about 30% of COVID survivors have long-lasting cognitive issues and 30 to 40% have psychopathological issues such as depression or anxiety.†
NUTRIENTS TO AID ANXIETY, PART 1 – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 338. Listen Now>>
A recent study from Italy shows that patients with long COVID suffer from changes to cognitive functions. This can include brain fatigue, trouble with the attention span, issues with solving problems, inability to plan things out, memory loss and even depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These issues often occur within two months of being discharged from the hospital and are still persistent many months later, even ten months after discharge.†
These researchers found a connection between white matter hyperintensities and memory issues. White matter hyperintensities are pockets of damage in the white matter of the brain that can be seen through brain scans such as functional MRIs. Memory takes place in the grey matter of the brain, which makes up about 10% of the brain, but it does not work without the white matter, which accounts for half of the brain.†
Another report looked at autopsies of people who died from COVID-19. The researchers looked at their brains and compared the damage that they saw to the damage they see in people who died from Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. There was that much trauma and damage in the brain of people who died from COVID-19. This study noted that about a third of hospitalized COVID-19 patients report outward signs of neurological impairment. For long COVID patients, this included fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and depression.†
There are many supplements that may help to support brain health in long COVID patients. The formula Bio-Curcumin 5-Loxin is great for the brain. 5-Loxin is from the frankincense plant, boswellia serrata. It has been shown to reduce inflammation in the human brain. Bio-Curcumin is a well-absorbed version of the herb turmeric. There have been many studies looking at Bio-Curcumin’s ability to support patients with depression, brain plaque and memory loss. Turmeric has also been proven to restore levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. When young people go into a deep sleep, they release a lot of this healing factor in their brain and it creates hundreds of new memory cells. As you grow older, you release less brain-derived neurotrophic factor, so you’re replacing fewer and fewer lost memory cells.†
WHY SLEEP IS REQUIRED FOR MEMORY – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 296. Listen Now>>
Alcar with ALA is another beneficial supplement for long COVID patients experiencing issues with cognition and memory. These are two nutrients that are natural to the human body, but their function declines with age. Alcar is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is involved with brain energy. It is helpful for mood and memory and helps to prevent the death of brain cells. ALA also plays a role in brain energy and memory.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph., discusses the phenomenon of long COVID and details how this can impact brain health for many people. He details new research on the issue and offers recommendations for long COVID patients who are experiencing issues with mood, memory and brain fatigue.†
Key Topics:
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As we age, we lose phosphatidylserine, a nutrient that is crucial for learning and memory. This can impact our memory, mood and brain health.
The supplement SAMe can help promote a healthier state of mind. And while it is beneficial for mood, it is also helpful for hormone balance, according to Amanda Williams, MPH.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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Have you ever thought about if your genes are making you feel abnormal? Is it possible that our genes are disrupting our mental well-being? The answer is definitely yes. I want to talk today about MTHFR and COMT. It’s really quite common and it’s amazing how many people can have this type of a gene mutation or genetic variation to one or both of those specific genes that can really affect your overall well-being.
I want to discuss the impact that a gene variant can have on how we feel every single day. Do you feel anxious? Are you feeling like you have low mood? There are so many different ways in which our genes, if they are not working properly, can really make a huge difference in terms of our day-to-day functioning.
What are MTHFR and COMT?
When we talk about MTHFR, we are looking at the specific gene that is providing the instructions for your body in order to make the MTHFR protein, which helps the body with processing folate. We know that we need to have folate in order to make DNA, so everything is interconnected. Each person has 2 copies of the MTHFR gene, 1 comes from your mother and 1 comes from your father. We know that if we have any type of a variant in the genes we receive from our parents, this can actually make a really significant impact on how the body is detoxifying. If we become overly toxic, this can impact our overall sense of well-being.
MTHFR is methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This is this very key and important enzyme when it comes to the metabolism of folate. We have to have MTHFR in order to have this proper conversion, so this can impact not only our sense of mental well-being, but also when we look at cardiovascular, because we know homocysteine plays a role in this as well.
When we look at things such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and autism, we know they can be impacted via MTHFR. This is why it is very beneficial to consider having your MTHFR test done. This is a very simple test. It’s a genetic test and you just do a simple cheek swab. Then, we get the results back and you can see if you have one of these variants that you receive from your parents. Once you’re armed with that information, you can make adjustments to your dietary intake of things like B vitamins, and recognize that taking a standard synthetic B vitamin is really not the best thing for you because your body has an inability to actually convert that into its bioactive form.
GET PROACTIVE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH WITH COMPREHENSIVE GENETIC TESTING – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 113. Learn More >>
COMT is a particular gene that plays a really important role in providing the instructions for making the enzyme known as catechol-o-methyltransferase, which is essential when we look at the nerve cells in the brain. It plays an integral role in terms of the functionality within the cortex of the brain and signaling different neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. If we have a gene mutation within COMT, this can have an impact on those particular neurotransmitters, which can lead to issues such as feeling very edgy, anxious, or depressed. This is why looking at these things can give you a lot of insight.
Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about how to help your body if you have an MTHFR or COMT variant.
