Tag: vitamin C

COVID-19

COVID-19

COVID-19 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   I wanted to take the time to review COVID-19.  As government safety guidelines and regulations slowly relax I wanted to go over some ways that can be helpful in keeping us healthy. Like any contagious virus COVID-19 is something 

The Common Cold!

The Common Cold!

The Common Cold! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   Today we will be talking about something everyone knows about and that topic is the common cold! Having a cold is probably one thing that both children and adults understand. But what cause’s a cold? Well when 

Immunity Hx: The Super Immune Supplement

Immunity Hx: The Super Immune Supplement

Immunity Hx

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

 

I wanted to do my product highlight on what I consider to be the cornerstone of immune heath. In fact Immune is in its very name, Immunity Hx! Immunity Hx is a combination of vitamin C, vitamin D3 and Zinc! Immunity Hx has 500 mg of vitamin C, 2000 IUs (50mcg) of vitamin D3 and 30mg of zinc. Each of these nutrients has numerous studies showing how they can benefit our immunity.

Let’s start with vitamin C. Vitamin C is called an essential nutrient because it is a key nutrient for different pathways in our body yet our body is unable to make it.  In other words we must get vitamin c in either our diet or in supplement form.  In fact in western populations studies have found that vitamin c deficiency is common and in fact is the fourth leading nutrient deficiency in the US. Vitamin C deficiency may be caused by poor diet, drug or tobacco use, alcohol use, various chronic disease and even by pollution. There are four aspects of our immune system that are positively affected by vitamin C. These are the epithelial barriers, phagocytes, lymphocytes and inflammatory mediators.  Please see the attached Table for all the ways vitamin c affects these parts of the immune system. (1)

Table 1

Role of vitamin C in immune defense.

Immune System Function of Vitamin C Refs.
Epithelial barriers Enhances collagen synthesis and stabilization [30,31,32,33,34,35]
Protects against ROS-induced damage 1 [36,37,38,39,40]
Enhances keratinocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis [41,42,43,44,45]
Enhances fibroblast proliferation and migration [46,47]
Shortens time to wound healing in patients [48,49]
Phagocytes (neutrophils, macrophages) Acts as an antioxidant/electron donor [50,51,52,53]
Enhances motility/chemotaxis [54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63]
Enhances phagocytosis and ROS generation [64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71]
Enhances microbial killing [54,55,57,58,70,72]
Facilitates apoptosis and clearance [71,73,74]
Decreases necrosis/NETosis [73,75]
B- and T-lymphocytes Enhances differentiation and proliferation [62,63,76,77,78,79,80,81,82]
Enhances antibody levels [78,83,84,85]
Inflammatory mediators Modulates cytokine production [75,77,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94]
Decreases histamine levels [56,61,95,96,97,98,99,100,101]

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1 ROS, reactive oxygen species; NET, neutrophil extracellular trap. Note that many of these studies comprised marginal or deficient vitamin C status at baseline. Supplementation in situations of adequate vitamin C status may not have comparable effects.

Vitamin C has been found in studies to help fight different viral infections. (2) Other studies have found that vitamin C can cut the length of a cold in half. Additionally other studies have found vitamin C can help to prevent pneumonia. Studies have even found that vitamin C can help with tetanus. (3)

The next nutrient in Immunity Hx is vitamin D3. While most people think of D3 as just being for bone health there really is much more that D3 does for our health. Studies have indicated that having low vitamin D can increase the risk of infections. Vitamin D3 is interesting because unlike vitamin C it can be made by the body. (4) However, in my clinical experience reading over blood work I have found many people to have lower than optimum D levels that would suggest they would benefit from a D3 supplement. A number of studies have found an association between low levels of D3 and higher rates of infections such as the flu, vaginosis and HIV. (4) In one study vitamin D supplementation was found to decrease rates of seasonal influenza in school children. (5) Studies looking how vitamin D3 works have found that vitamin D3 is able to stimulate antimicrobial genes to activate. Thus vitamin D works to stimulate antimicrobial proteins and helps the body to fight off infections. (6) Overall vitamin D is an important supplement for our overall immunity. (4)

The last nutrient in Immunity Hx is zinc. Several studies have found that using zinc within 24 hours of catching a cold can decrease the length and severity of the cold symptoms. (7) Zinc like vitamin C is considered to be an essential nutrient for our health. Zinc deficiency like vitamin C is more common than we would expect and in fact it appears that as many as up to 2 billion people in the developing world may have a zinc deficiency. (8) Zinc deficiency has been found to affect multiple parts of the immune system. When zinc is deficient there’s parts of the immune system that are comprised and we become vulnerable to disease. (9) Overall studies have concluded that zinc is essential for our immune system to work to prevent illness. (1)

Overall the studies on vitamins C, D and zinc have one major thing to say. And that is these nutrients are all important for building our immune system and thus they all help us fight pathogens. Personally I like the Immunity Hx because it contains all 3 important nutrients in 1 supplement!

Our next blog will be something you may have heard of, Asthma!

Sources:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9925039/
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409678/
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20219962/
  6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15322146/
  7. https://www.bouldermedicalcenter.com/elderberry-zinc-and-the-fight-against-viruses/
  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277319/
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9701160/
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748737/

 

Targeted Support for Spider & Varicose Veins, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 664

Targeted Support for Spider & Varicose Veins, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 664

Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. TARGETED SUPPORT FOR SPIDER & VARICOSE VEINS, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 664 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed 

Drugs that Increase Your Risk of Heat Stroke, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 663

Drugs that Increase Your Risk of Heat Stroke, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 663

Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. DRUGS THAT INCREASE YOUR RISK OF HEAT STROKE, INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 663 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our 

Spider and Varicose Veins Support, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 614

Spider and Varicose Veins Support, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 614

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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.

SPIDER & VARICOSE VEINS SUPPORT, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 614

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 www.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]

*Intro Music*

Amanda Williams MD, MPH: [00:00:40] Do you ever feel like your legs feel incredibly heavy? Or maybe they’re achy? Perhaps you have some tingling or swelling or just generalized pain within your legs? This can be an indication that your vascular system needs some additional support. Maybe you have some of those unsightly veins that we usually call varicose veins or spider veins that seem to really bother you. Maybe they’re just a burden to look at, but they could also be a burden in terms of how you feel. So I want to talk today about some different nutrients that can be very beneficial for supporting the structural integrity of our vascular system as we get older. And we know that this is a big problem for so many folks. So I want to talk in some detail about chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins. I am Dr. Amanda Williams, scientific director at Invite Health. And when it comes to chronic venous insufficiency, this is a major issue. We know that it’s estimated that roughly about 15% of men in the United States, as well as about 25% of women experience to some degree chronic venous insufficiency in understanding that chronic venous insufficiency is a indication that the cardiovascular system is struggling, is the best word to use. And when we have chronic venous insufficiency and if we are not doing the right things in terms of the management of that, that can only lead down a path of worsening of the the symptoms. And certainly that can become incredibly debilitating for many folks. So I’ve talked to many individuals throughout the years who, you know, maybe they come in and they say, oh, I have these, you know, spider veins, I/ve never had them before in the past or I have these varicose veins and they can be incredibly painful. Or perhaps you’ve been to your doctor and they’ve told you that you have chronic venous insufficiency. We know that there are different lifestyle modifications that we can be turning to, to try to improve the structural integrity of our vascular system, including adherence to a Mediterranean style way of eating, because those high antioxidant foods, those powerful polyphenols and flavonoids can do so much with the incorporation of their antioxidant properties, but also with vitamin C. So first, we always have to start with diet, but we also have to look at the other lifestyle modifications, including, you know, trying to avoid being sedentary, this is a major issue. We know that physical activity certainly encourages the return of venous blood from the legs back to the heart. And through that action, this will continue to allow the valve system within the lower extremities to work more efficiently and effectively for you. So if you have a job where perhaps you, you know, are sitting throughout the entire day, this is why you want to be able to get up on a regular basis and be able to move. So getting up every 2 to 3 hours is really incredibly advantageous. This is always the recommendation for people who are also flying. If you have a flight that’s lasting any more than 2 to 3 hours, you always want to get up and move. And the reason for that is you don’t want to run the risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis or a DVT. Another little trick that you can do, say, if you’re sitting down, maybe you’re watching TV or, you know, sitting at work, is to flex your ankles, you know, moving your ankles back and forth, kind of drawing up upon the foot, avoiding crossing your legs when you’re sitting, and this is a major habit that many folks have. But we know that this can lead to the further degradation of our vascular system.† [00:04:33]

[00:04:35] So these are all, you know, lifestyle modifications, being more active, moving, getting that blood pumping. Of course, the adherence to a healthier diet and including in those high antioxidant fruits and vegetables would be incredibly advantageous. But we also know that we can be taking different supplements and we have a wonderful formulation called Circu Support, and this is a combination of Diosmin, Hesperidin and a citrus bioflavonoid complex. So it’s incredibly potent when it comes to how it is working within the lining of those vessels, including the tiny little capillaries. So when someone’s dealing with spider veins, for example, you get that small little breakage right under the surface of the skin, those spider veins. That is due to the breakdown of the structural strength of the capillaries. So we want to make sure that we can support those capillaries and we can see through the scientific research over the course of many decades that both Diosmin and Hesperidin have been shown to be highly effective. We can also look at Butcher’s Broom as well, which is also included in this formulation, which is called Circu Support, and Butcher’s broom itself has been studied in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency in peripheral artery disease because of the high amount of antioxidant constituents that are naturally occurring within the butcher’s broom itself.† [00:06:06]

ICYMI:LOWERING THE RISK OF CARDIAC ARREST, PART 1, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 612.>>LISTEN NOW!

[00:06:07] We can look at horse chestnut, this is also very, very beneficial. This is in our Veins hx formulations. So the veins contains the horse chestnut along with powerful citrus bile flavonoids to help once again that structural integrity of the vascular system. These are all key when it comes to maintaining the structural components within the vascular system. So just to to talk a little bit about Diosmin, in the Journal of Molecules, they looked at the effect of Diosmin administration in patients who have chronic venous insufficiency. Remember, if you got 10 to 15% of men who develop chronic venous insufficiency and a good 25% of women, we know that this is a major problem. So Diosmin, being a natural compound with very powerful biological activities can help to support lymphatic drainage. They’ve been able to show how it supports microcirculation as well as increases the venous tone also known as the structural integrity of the vascular system, we want to maintain that elasticity. And so looking at how it is that the Diosmin is actually working, they found a clinical significant difference in those who were taking diosmin compared to placebo when it comes to maintaining the health of the entire vascular system. One of the ways it’s also working is through the reduction of inflammatory markers in the body. So if we have a lot of inflammation, this can lead to further destruction of the vessel lining themselves. So it’s a highly impressive study that really emphasize once again that Diosmin has these powerful mechanisms to really help to support the reversal in terms of the pathophysiology, and even with the edema, the swelling that can occur within the, the lower extremities.† [00:08:12]

[00:08:13] Now, there was another study also looking at the impact of diosmin, in improving the symptoms. When I mentioned, you know, heavy legs, cramping of the legs, pain when you’re walking, for example, for those who have varicose veins, oftentimes they’ll complain about a lot of the pain within those vessels. And they found that, the improvement of those symptoms, as well as the overall improvement of quality of life in patients who have chronic venous insufficiency, was very high in the group once again, who was taking the diosmin. So we, you know, revert back, we look at this Circu Support formulation, we say, okay, well this is combining Diosmin with hesperidin, and that citrus bile flavonoid complex and the power of Butcher’s Broom extract. So this is one formulation that we can turn to. The other one is the Veins Hx, which contains Horse Chestnut. Horse Chestnut we know, is native to northern Greece and it’s coming from a tree and produces fruits. We have seen the benefits when it comes to horse chestnut supplementation for targeting chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins and hemorrhoids, for example. So I will oftentimes advise the Veins Hx formulation for those who are dealing with these conditions. A lot of folks, you know, struggle with hemorrhoids and they can be incredibly problematic. So through the utilization of Veins Hx, this can be a wonderful support system for you when it comes to a supplement to add to your daily routine for acute issues with hemorrhoids, say you have an active hemorrhoid and perhaps it’s bleeding, you’d want to use two tablets twice a day, for maintenance, just try to keep that at bay, 1 to 2 tablets per day is certainly advantageous. Also in the setting, if you know someone you know, if you have a sprain, you step off the the sidewalk a little funny and you have any type of injury, the Veins Hx along with that Circu support really can help with the healing process itself because when it comes to a significant sprain, for example, we want to make sure that the vascular system is highly supported. We know that these different nutrients can certainly target the inflammatory process as well. So the Veins hx, as well as the Circu support, are kind of the number one go to formulations that we want to be looking at when dealing with any type of a vascular issue. So whether you have peripheral artery disease or chronic venous insufficiency, those spider veins or even varicose veins, these are the two nutrients that you definitely want to have on board in addition to having, you know, every day supplementing with vitamin C, at least about 2000 milligrams daily would be incredibly advantageous to give you that comprehensive support.† [00:11:15]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SWOLLEN LEGS – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 560>>LISTEN NOW

[00:11:16] So I just wanted to give you a little overview of what we can do if we are dealing with those unsightly varicose veins or if we are dealing with that heaviness or the achiness within the legs. Want to get up, you want to get moving, you want to make sure that your foods are helping, not hurting your situation. And of course, we can include in the Circu support formulation as well as Veins Hx. So that’s all that I have for you for today, I want to 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.†  [00:11:16]

*Exit Music*