Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Millions of Americans are on the drug levothyroxine (also known as Synthroid) to help support their thyroid, but did you know this medication can impact your overall nutrition?
Did you know that steroid drugs can lower your levels of important nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and folate? This can cause havoc in your body by impacting your immune system, energy levels, respiratory health and more.
cataract
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Welcome back to Part 2 of my episode of how to lower your risk of cataract and how to protect your vision. In Part 1, I gave some recommendations on how to prevent cataracts, including food. Now let’s look at some studies on nutrients that can help keep your eyes healthy and free of cataracts.†
A study from the journal JAMA Ophthalmology looked at the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin for the treatment of age-related cataracts. Some people in this study were randomly assigned to placebo, 10mg each of lutein and zeaxanthin, 1 gram of fish oils a day, or a combination of the lutein, zeaxanthin and fish oils to look at the effects on developing age-related macular degeneration, which is the number one cause of blindness in aging people. The researchers found that if the patients didn’t take lutein or zeaxanthin, they had a higher probability of developing cataracts to the point of needing surgery.†
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Another recent study published in June 2020 looked at lutein supplementation for eye diseases. The researchers said that lutein is one of the few carotenoids found in high concentration in the macula of the human retina. They found that lutein and zeaxanthin can help protect the eyes from macular degeneration, as well as diabetic retinopathy and myopia. They also found that lutein helps prevent the eyes from cataracts.†
Here’s the take home. If you’re going down to Florida or anywhere else where it’s sunny, I really would wear shades, sunglasses that block ultraviolet radiation, because that can really increase the risk of a cataract.†
You don’t want to smoke. Smoking is really a big cause of cataracts and really destroys the eyes. Keep your drinking down. For men, less than two drinks per day. For women, less than one drink per day. Alcohol is a very tiny molecule. It passes the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain, very easily and it creates toxins that can affect the brain and the eyeball.†
You can eat an egg every day because eggs are rich in nutrients that can help protect the eyes. Have the complete egg. If you just have the egg white, you can lose biotin, which can lead to hair loss. Having the full egg will give you the ingredients, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, Vitamin A and riboflavin, that are very good for your eyes. You should also eat green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli for the lutein, as well as for the Vitamin C content.†
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You might want to take an eye supplement if you’re older. As you get older, it gets harder and harder to absorb lutein and zeaxanthin from. It gets harder and harder to absorb zinc from food. You also need zinc for your immune system and many other things. You also need lutein and zeaxanthin for your memory. After the age of 55 or 60, I would start taking a vision formula, but make sure it has natural lutein and natural zeaxanthin in it.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph., continues his conversation about how to avoid developing a cataract. He shares multiple studies focusing on vision-supporting nutrients and also provides his own recommendation for actions, foods and nutrients that can help you protect your eyes as you age.†
Key Topics:
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.
With Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s likely that you’re starting to enjoy pumpkins. While pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pie may not be the healthiest options, pumpkins themselves are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help the body work properly.
During the summer, we are more susceptible to UV rays that can harm our skin health. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that can help you protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Vitamin A is required for vision, thyroid function, the creation of healthy cells, immune system function, and the function of our steroid hormones.
The term Vitamin A is a generic term and it refers to both the active and the inactive forms. The active form of Vitamin A found in meat and dairy is known as Retinol and the inactive form, called Beta-Carotene, is found in fruits and vegetables. This is an important distinction. Too much of the preformed active form of Vitamin A can be toxic. Beta-Carotene is not yet active and has to be converted into the active form of Vitamin A. Your body has a feedback mechanism. If it sees there’s too much active Vitamin A in the bloodstream already, it slows down the production of Vitamin A out of Beta-Carotene.
There are hundreds of carotenoids in plants. They are pigments giving plants their rich reds, oranges, and yellows. Only 3 of them are converted into Vitamin A, the main one being Beta-Carotene. Our body can also convert Alpha-Carotene and Beta-Cryptoxanthin into Vitamin A.
VITAMIN A AND IMMUNITY
Let’s discuss Vitamin A and immunity. Our skin is a barrier to infection and Vitamin A is required to make skin because Vitamin A is involved with making virtually all cells in our body. Mucosal cells line our respiratory tract, including our lungs. They also line our digestive tract and our urinary tract. Mucosal cells function as a first line of defense against viruses, bacteria, and other infections. Retinoic Acid, one of the forms of Vitamin A, is produced by immune cells in these tissues. These immune cells include macrophages and dendritic cells. These are the early cells that react to viral infections. If they do their job, it prevents the virus from becoming very dangerous. Dendritic cells act as messengers for the immune system. Vitamin A allows these cells to present the infectious microbe to our T-cells. T-Cells run the immune system, allowing the destruction of the harmful organism. T-cells require Vitamin A to mature into their proper-infection fighting or immune system controlling forms.†
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Vitamin A is stored in the liver. People with low reserves of Vitamin A stored in their liver can have reduced levels of Retinol in their circulation, making them more susceptible to infections. It is important to note that there is evidence that patients with underactive thyroid glands and possibly diabetics also are not efficient at converting Beta-Carotene into Vitamin A, so they may require a low dosage of preformed Vitamin A as a supplement.†
VITAMIN A AND VISION
Our retina is in the back of our eyes and it has rod and cone cells. Rod cells detect motion and also allow you to see in low light, such as at night. A form of Vitamin A attaches to a protein called opsin and this forms rhodopsin, also called visual purple. This rhodopsin is needed for fine vision and also for night vision. When a molecule of light, called a photon, hits the rod cell, it affects the Vitamin A, sending a signal to the brain allowing you to see. These cells do not detect color and that is why there is no color in low light.†
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Cone cells in the retina contain red, green, and blue opsin proteins. Photons of color from the visible light spectrum interact in a similar way with vitamin A and pigment so you see colors.
Vitamin A is required for normal function of the retina, for night vision, and for color vision and a low level of Vitamin A affects your ability to see in low light. The most common cause of blindness is due to low levels of Vitamin A. About 250,000 to 500,000 children go blind each year in poorer countries due to a lack of Vitamin A in their diet. To learn more about other functions of Vitamin A in the body, tune into the full podcast episode.†
What are some sources of Vitamin A?
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.
