Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
INTRODUCING PROBIOTIC HX IMMUNE~GUT AND IMMUNE SUPPORT By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT We all know about the benefits of a probiotic. Whether you know about it through a healthcare or wellness provider or from commercials and advertisements, it’s rather familiar to us all. …
Diabetic Retinopathy Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that is associated with diabetes. Diabetes as you can guess is a huge health concern. In fact in the United States in 2021 diabetes was found to be the 8th leading cause …
L Carnosine Plus
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Today we will be talking about a product you may have heard of. This product is L Carnosine. Now I just want to point out that in this blog I will be talking about L Carnosine not Carnitine. While these nutrients sound similar they are quite different and have different uses. Having said that lets get into it, shall we? So what exactly is L Carnosine? Basically it is an amino acid that is naturally produced by the body. (1)
L Carnosine has been found to be anti- cataractogenic. One theory is that this ability is because of the antioxidant properties that L Carnosine has. Additionally studies have found that L Carnosine offers a “new prospective treatment for diabetic cataracts”. (2) Other studies have found that the antioxidant benefits of L Carnosine may help to “improve the quality of vision and length of life” for diabetics. (3) Other studies have that the ability of L Carnosine to act to restrict glycation may help with reducing diabetic eye disease. (4)
Moving on from diabetic eye disease and cataracts studies have found that L Carnosine can help with other eye conditions. In fact one study found that formulas that contain L Carnosine can statistically reduce eye pressure as well as improve both light and contrast sensitivity. (5) Other studies have found that in those with glaucoma L Carnosine may have a neuroprotective effect. (6)
In addition to helping with the eye concerns previously mentioned studies have found even more visual benefits for L Carnosine. In fact studies have found that L Carnosine has neuroprotective potential especially for those who have macular degeneration. (7)
While Invite Health’s L Carnosine Plus obviously does have all these benefits of L Carnosine there’s that little word at the end, Plus. What does the added Plus really mean? It means that there is more than just L Carnosine in our formula! First let’s talk about Quercetin. Now I know your most likely thinking but Dr. Claire isn’t that just for allergies? When you heard the word quercetin you probably thought of allergies. But it does much more than just help with the things you may have heard about in the past. What even is quercetin? It is a natural antioxidant. It also has powerful anti- inflammatory and anti-fibrous properties. Studies have found that it can be helpful in corneal diseases such cataracts and keratosis (this is where the cornea becomes thin and bulging). Many people with the thyroid disorder Graves’ disease experience what is known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy (in laymen’s terms this is where the eyes seem to “pop out”). Studies have found that quercetin may help with this condition. Additionally studies have found that quercetin may help with dry eye, retinopathy and even conjunctivitis. (8)
The next nutrient is rutin. Rutin is a nutrient that is well known to help regulate blood flow and even help to support blood vessels. This is critical for eye health since blood flow to the retina is so important. One disorder rutin is thought to protect against is diabetic retinopathy. Rutin can also help prevent what is called subconjunctival hemorrhage. One study found using formulas that contain rutin for 40 days can reduce eye pressure an average of 20%! In another study eye pressure dropped by 10% after just 3 weeks of use! As you can see rutin is an excellent eye nutrient. (9)
Lastly L Carnosine Plus also has B1 which has been found to help with dry eye. (10) L Carnosine Plus has so many health benefits. In this blog I just focused on eye health. But L carnosine has so many additional benefits that it totally rates as a “top seller”! Our next topic will be Diabetic Retinopathy.
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HERPES VS COLD SORES~ IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Herpes…the word always seems make people cringe and curl their face in disbelief. It is associated with sores along the nether regions of the body. Many people are plagued with …
Macular Degeneration part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In my last blog I began the conversation on macular degeneration. Today I’ll be finishing that important topic. Let’s start with the most common risk factors for macular degeneration. One of the largest risk factors for …
Macular Degeneration part 1
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Macular Degeneration is more common than you might think. In fact according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss in those age 50 and older! Now I am sure you noticed this is labeled part 1. This is because I wanted to really get into depth with exactly what macular degeneration is and I did not feel that one part would really do that justice. Anyhoo when most people hear macular degeneration the first thing that pops into their mind is that macular degeneration is a buildup of drusen. While drusen is a big part of macular degeneration it’s not the entire picture. Macular degeneration is a loss of central vision. However there is typically no loss or change in peripheral vision. There are 2 main reasons why this vision loss occurs and these are due to the 2 different forms of macular degeneration. (1) The 1st form is called wet macular degeneration. This form only accounts for approximately 10% of all cases. (2) While this form is less common it is more severe and you will typically loose vision faster. Now what happens when you have wet macular degenerations is new abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina. These new vessels are “leaky” and blood as well as other fluids leak out and this causes the macula to be scarred. Now the other form is much more common and accounts for approximately 80 % of all cases. This is called dry macular degeneration. This is where drusen is important. When you have dry macular degeneration parts of the macula grow thinner and tiny clumps of drusen grow leading to a loss of central vision. (1) To sum things up both forms of macular degeneration lead to changes and eventual loss of central vision. However their underlying mechanism is different (increase in leaky blood vessels vs drusen). What does this look like? Please see the attached picture for a comparison. (3)
Macular degeneration is a prime example of a very series condition that can have either very subtle or even no early warning signs. It is a prime example of why regular eye screenings are so important. What are some of the symptoms you may experience? At 1st you may have trouble seeing in low light. You may notice that your vision is blurry for both up close and distance. Additionally colors may not be as bright. As the disease progresses there may be vision changes or even vision loss. In later stages straight lines may look wavy or corked. In the center of your vision there may be a blurry or even blank spot. Sudden and significant loss of central vision may indicate the development of wet macular degeneration. (4) Now I bet your question right now is but doc how do I know if lines are wavy? Do I just grab a notebook and look at the lines? There is actually something called the Amsler grid. This can be used to help monitor your vision especially if you have any of the risk factors for macular degeneration. Please see the below pictures for a healthy view of the grid as compared to what the grid may look like if there is macular degeneration. (1)
Healthy
Possible macular degeneration
According to the American Academy of ophthalmology to use this grid you do the following:
When it comes to macular degeneration there is still a lot of talk about! In my next blog we will be reviewing the risk factors, as well as any complications that can occur. Lastly we will be reviewing what you can do to lower your risk factors and what supplements are important when you are diagnosed with macular denegation.
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