Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Cold and Flu Season is Here Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND If you have noticed that it seems like everyone around you, you are coughing or sneezing it’s not just your imagination! Cold and flu season has arrived. What can you do to boost your immunity? …
Holidays and Immune Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND While the holidays are often times of fun, exciting travel and a time to reconnect with family and friends they can also be a time when we are exposed to different pathogens or germs than we are …
Hemorrhoids and Veins Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Many people call telling me they have hemorrhoids and/or anal polyps. I always ask people to be specific as to exactly what is going on in their digestive tract. While to most people, hemorrhoids might seem to be the same as polyps, they are not actually the same thing. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower part of the rectum and anus. Polyps are a growth of cells in a clump. While both hemorrhoids and colon polyps can cause rectal bleeding, hemorrhoids are the Number 1 cause. Hemorrhoids can be either internal or external. Symptoms of hemorrhoids include blood in the stool or when you wipe, swelling, pain and itching. It is important to note that even though hemorrhoids are usually not dangerous, if bleeding continues for more than a week it is important to see a doctor. In this blog I will concentrate on hemorrhoids. I will also be concentrating on one of our best products for supporting veins, Veins Hx. My reason for highlighting this product is that in my clinical experience when working with hemorrhoids it is especially important to support our blood vessels. There is much to cover so let us get into it, shall we?
The risk factors for hemorrhoids include having an unhealthy lifestyle. Unhealthy lifestyle habits that can increase the risk of hemorrhoids include being obese, smoking, alcohol intake and low water/fiber intake as well as diet high in fat and meat consumption. Low physical activity is also a risk factor. Constipation is the most common cause of hemorrhoids. Other risk factors can include anal sex, and pregnancy. (11) Having a colonoscopy and or sigmoidoscopy to rule out hemorrhoids. (6) One of the best ways to treat a hemorrhoid is to remove it. However, there are ways to strengthen our veins if hemorrhoids are a concern for you! The best product for this is Veins Hx!
Veins Hx is a formula made of vitamins and herbal extracts that studies have found to be helpful for circulation. What exactly is in Veins Hx? Veins Hx contains Vitamin C, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Horse Chestnut, Horsetail Rush Silica, Gotu Kola and Bilberry! Herbal formulas studied and found to be helpful for hemorrhoids include, Gotu Kola, Horse chestnut and bilberry. (17) As you can see Veins Hx contains all these things!
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. Additionally, other studies have found that Vitamin C can help keep our arteries flexible, which is important for circulation. Vitamin C also appears to help protect our arteries via its anti-inflammatory properties. (18) 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. (19)
The next item is called Citrus Bioflavonoids. What is a Citrus Bioflavonoid? These are powerful antioxidants that come from citrus foods and have specific benefits to our health. (20) Bioflavonoids are important for circulation because in studies they help to strengthen blood vessel walls. (21) Bioflavonoids are also helpful because they are anti- inflammatory! (22)
Next is Horse Chestnut. Horse Chestnuts are a very well-known therapy for poor circulation. Studies show that after using Horse Chestnut there is an improvement in circulation! (23) Lastly studies have also shown that Horse Chestnut is anti-inflammatory, which is always good for circulation and overall health. (24)
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 circulation. Studies have also recently 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 circulatory system. (26)
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 also shown gotu kola to increase overall circulation and blood flow. (27)
Lastly we have Bilberry extract. Bilberry has 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. Bilberries have also been found to help circulation. And of course we can’t forget the other benefits of Bilberry including our eye health, liver health and even our overall digestive health! (28)
What else can you do to help with hemorrhoids?
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Understanding Vitamin C Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In my experience everyone has heard that Vitamin C is good for our health. In fact, it’s everywhere you look these days! But while you may have heard that using vitamin C is “good for the health of …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Many people don’t think of having a social life as being part of a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t either for a long time. However, like many of us, my mind was changed during the COVID pandemic and lock down. I can to realize how much I missed being out and interacting with old and new friends alike. So, is the idea of a social life a product of COVID, or is it really a wellness essential?
Believe it or not, socializing or having an active social life, is not only an important part of one heath, but it’s also been the subject of studies in support of this theory. Social interactions have been shown to be helpful in supporting our cognitive functions. An article from Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School titled ‘Get Back Your Social Life to Boost Thinking, Memory and Health’ discusses how any form of socializing can decrease risk of cognitive decline and improve memory. It can also help to lower the risk of depression. It seems as though it doesn’t matter the type of socializing you partake in, as long as there is some form that you enjoy. As humans, we are social by nature, so we can have a natural craving and need for socialization. It can be as simple as a weekly call with a friend, a monthly meal “date”, a shopping trip or a ball game. Some feel more comfortable in more group social gatherings as parties, BBQs, picnics or happy hours. These can be one-on-one, small groups, community activities or even volunteer work. Find your comfort level and make it part of your monthly routine. How will you make socialization a priority in your wellness plan?
I can tell you from person experience that I never realized how important socialization was to my own well-being until the COVID pandemic hit and caused lengthy shutdowns. I always felt fortunate being an “essential worker” which allowed me to get out of my home, go to work and be around people, even though we were following social distancing guidelines. I even had standing weekly get-together with a friend, still following guidelines, when we sat outside, got fresh air, had something to drink or a snack (at our usual place we licked to visit) and took the time to chat and check in with each other. This was important to us because we always did this and we found that finding a way to keep this routine helped keep things as normal as possible. I often said that this helped me to have “sanity” during such a difficult, stressful and uncertain time. Little did I know that this has actually been shown to be essential?
There are a couple of nutrients that I like to help aid in keeping healthy when increasing social activities. I have always found that adding B-vitamins and supporting the immune system is always important.
B-COMPLEX 100 can be an absolute must-have for many people that have an active social life. One of the things that can often be part of socializing is the incorporation of cocktails. Whether you are someone who only drinks on occasion or someone who is a little more experienced, it can sometimes be easy to over indulge, especially when conversing with friends. The consumption of alcohol can often contribute to some dehydration, as well as deplete the B-vitamins in the body. The result of these deletions is often the “hangover” feeling that some may experience.
IMMUNITY HX is a formula which contains a combination of Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc. While most people are familiar with Vitamin C and Zinc for the immune system, they are often surprised having Vitamin D also recommended. This is because Vitamin D helps to regulate the immune system for proper and health function.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-the-benefits-of-being-socially-connected/
www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/get-back-your-social-life-to-boost-thinking-memory-and-health
www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-life?msockid=102ffcee009769fa30f8f11d011f685e
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/7-steps-to-cure-your-hangover
www.buoyhealth.com/health/best-hangover-vitamins
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281985
