Getting Your Immune System Ready for Winter, Part 1 – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 427
As the cold weather of fall and winter approach, it’s important to know what factors can impact your immune health. Learn more from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
Tag: vitamin C
Cold Weather Immune Support Tips From Chief Scientific Officer and Pharmacist, Jerry Hickey, Ph.
As the weather begins to get colder, there are factors that change that can impact our body’s ability to protect itself. It’s important to be aware of these changes and how they impact the way viruses spread during the fall and winter, as well as how this affects our overall immune health.
High Blood Pressure Drugs Deplete Nutrients Needed By Your Immune System – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 426
high blood pressure
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Today, we’re going to discuss the interaction between commonly prescribed high blood pressure treating medications and your immune system. This is a very important, critical discussion we need to have because we’re heading into the fall and winter.†
High blood pressure can be very dangerous. In fact, it can be more dangerous than the drugs used to treat them, so I am not against these drugs at all. However, they can deplete important nutrients that are needed for your immune system. This doesn’t translate to dropping the drug. What it does mean is that you have to replete the nutrients. Frequently, you’re not going to get enough from your food and this is especially true for older people, who are the people who tend to have high blood pressure.†
The importance of the immune system
One of the immune system’s major jobs is to fight off infections. Infections become much more dangerous in people who have poorly functioning immune systems. There are a number of nutrients that are key to good immune system function, such as Vitamin D. You need Vitamin D to create immune cells and to help protect us from infection and our own immune system. Vitamin C is also important for the immune system.†
Then there’s zinc, which is commonly depleted by high blood pressure medication. You need zinc to create immune cells and antibodies. Zinc also makes it hard for infections to attach to our tissues. Studies show that elderly people who are commonly low in zinc have a higher risk of infection, especially pneumonia.†
ZINC FOR IMMUNITY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 42. Listen Now>>
The last nutrient is melatonin, which is known as the nighttime hormone. You need this to sleep deeply and to get a long enough sleep to feel rested and refreshed. Melatonin is also needed to build bone and adjust your nighttime blood pressure. It has been recently found that immune cells can release melatonin to help kill infectious organisms.†
Research on the impacts of high blood pressure medication
Here’s a study from July of this year looking at how common blood pressure drugs leave your immune cells weak against bacteria. It’s from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this study, the researchers looked at ACE inhibitors, which are very commonly prescribed drugs for high blood pressure and heart failure. Millions of people are prescribed ACE inhibitors. The problem with these drugs is that they can weaken the body’s ability to fight off infections. They also looked at ARBs.†
The researchers looked at ARBs versus ACE inhibitors in both people and mice. They found that giving ACE inhibitors to mice really affects the immune system. After giving these drugs to the mice, they tested their neutrophils to see if they could kill very serious bacteria like MRSA. The researchers found that the neutrophils were much weaker when the mice were on ACE inhibitors.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. explains how prescription drugs for high blood pressure may impact the immune system. He shares research on this issue and also provides recommendations of nutrients that you may need to help fill any drug-induced nutrient depletions.†
Key Topics:
- The dangers of high blood pressure
- What are antibodies?
- The importance of melatonin in the body
- What are ACE inhibitors and ARBs?
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.
Getting to the Root of Gallstones – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 415
Gallstones are very common in the United States, but did you know they can be caused by factors such as diet, weight and prescription medications? The good news is that there are nutrients that have been shown to help support the health of the gallbladder.
Quick Tips for Seasonal Allergies – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 412
If you’re someone who deals with seasonal allergies year after year, it’s time to learn about nutrients that can help you bolster your immune system and fend off allergens.
Sleep Apnea Support – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 407
sleep apnea
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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The average American does not get adequate sleep each night. Most people should be getting somewhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep, but many Americans cannot achieve this, no matter how hard they try. This can affect so many aspects of your health. If you’re not getting adequate sleep, this can create problems with your blood sugar, metabolic rate, blood pressure and more. We also know that certain medications and certain health conditions can make sleep worse. Today, I want to talk about sleep in the setting of sleep apnea.†
What you should know about sleep apnea
Many times, people don’t recognize how common sleep apnea is and it’s often overlooked. Many people go undiagnosed because they never go in and have a sleep study done at a sleep center. You probably know someone who has been prescribed a CPAP machine, which is utilized as the primary treatment for sleep apnea.†
Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of other health issues, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cognitive dysfunction and autoimmune issues. There are also certain characteristics that may make you more prone to developing this condition. This includes being overweight and having seasonal allergies or allergies in general. Sleep apnea is also more common in men than in women. Our risk of developing this issue may also increase with age.†
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One of the biggest signs of sleep apnea is that they’re snoring, gasping or choking while they’re sleeping. There are also other indicators, including feeling tired all the time during the day, having a dry mouth or sore throat when you wake up, trouble focusing during the day, struggling to do basic tasks and being irritable.†
Supporting healthy sleep and respiration
We can look at different nutrients that you can include in your routine that have been clinically studied for their potential to be beneficial for sleep. One of these nutrients is N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC does so much, not only as an antioxidant, but it also helps with the thinning of the mucosal membranes throughout the sinuses and respiratory tract. For many people, when they utilize NAC, they have found that that was very helpful.†
We can also take a look at Vitamin C, Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 helps to enhance mitochondrial energy production and may help to support respiratory function. If you’re doing your basics every day, like a multivitamin, coenzyme Q10, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, you’re going to really be well ahead of the game.†
We also recognize that low Vitamin D levels have been a place of interest when it comes to obstructive sleep apnea. Researchers have found that many people who have obstructive sleep apnea also have insufficient or deficient Vitamin D levels. When they got their Vitamin D levels back to a normal range, they saw significant improvement across the spectrum, not only when it came to the apnetic episodes, but also when it came to blood glucose levels and markers for inflammation.†
We can look at B-vitamins. Maintaining healthy homocysteine levels may also be a place to turn to when it comes to optimizing the way that your respiration is occurring. Then, we can always look at the gut-brain connection by making sure that we are maintaining a healthy microbiome. All of these things have been shown in clinical trials to be places to turn to. It’s always better to be proactive than reactive.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses how sleep apnea impacts overall health and wellness. She describes the different symptoms associated with this condition and offers recommendations for supplements that can help support healthy respiratory functions.†
Key Topics:
- What is a CPAP machine?
- The different types and symptoms of sleep apnea
- How to maintain good sleep hygiene
- Research on nutrients to benefit sleep
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.
