Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI) ~ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, BUT HAVE NEVER ASKED By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Urinary Tract Infections, or UTIs as they are commonly referred to as, can affect people of all ages for various reasons. However, women seem …
L Lysine
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
L Lysine is an amino acid you may have heard of. When most people think of Lysine they usually think of cold sores. However Lysine is much more than “the cold sore supplement”. Before we talk about what Lysine is good for let’s do a quick review on exactly what it is. L Lysine or Lysine for short is considered to be an essential nutrient since it is vital to our health and yet our body can’t make it. More specifically it is an essential amino acid. Amino acids are the “building blocks” our body use to build different compounds. (15) That being said what exactly does Lysine do? Studies have found that having appropriate levels of Lysine in our diet can improve immune health. On the other hand studies have found that being deficient in Lysine can increase pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreases the anti-inflammatory cytokines. In other words if you are low in Lysine it can lead to a pro-inflammatory state. (1)
Studies have found that Lysine is important when controlling different viral infections. (2) Other studies have found that Lysine can help to decrease the healing time of lesions associated with viral infections such as herpes. (3) When Lysine is used in a combination with other amino acids it has been found to be antiviral and help with influenza A virus. (4) Additionally Lysine has been found to help with viral infections such as adenovirus, cytomegalovirus and even measles. (5)
While the immune boosting benefits of Lysine are impressive I want to review a few of the lesser known benefits of Lysine. Studies have found that Lysine can help to decrease stress and anxiety especially for those who are experiencing very high stress levels. In fact after 3 months Lysine was found to help decrease cortisol levels in women. (6) In one study supplementation with Lysine and arginine decreased anxiety and cortisol levels after only 1 week. (7) While more research is defiantly called for studies show that Lysine may work with medication to help improve symptoms of schizophrenia. (8)
Lysine has also been found to help with our bone health. In a 2018 study Lysine was found to increase the bioavailability of calcium in those with osteopenia. (9) Another study from 2022 found that certain amino acids, including Lysine have a positive effect on bone health. (10) Now as we all know calcium is just one part of our bones. The other part of the equation is collagen. Lysine has been found to help build up our collagen levels. (11) Collagen is a vital part of our bones, joints and also our hair, skin and nails. In fact a 2023 study found using a Lysine cream was helpful in healing diabetic foot ulcers. (12) Other studies have found that having inadequate amounts of Lysine can impair would healing. (13)
While these are certainly the most well studies benefits there are other potential benefits such as for eye health. In fact in a 2022 study Lysine was found to help alleviate the symptoms of dry eye. Studies have also found that Lysine can help to regulate blood sugar and even help with normalizing blood pressure. (14)
As you can see Lysine has many benefits! To determine if Lysine is good for your goals Invite nutritionists are always here to help! Our next top is going to be The Flu!
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Renalaid for Going Beyond Bladder Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Today’s product highlight probably seems out of place in a conversation mostly about respiratory health. However the health of our respiratory tract is inherently linked to another system. That is our immune system. Keeping …
The Greatness of Green Tea!!!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Green tea is everywhere these days! Green tea is found in everything from tea bags to lattes and even ice cream! But as we all know these forms are chock full of sugar and additives that aren’t exactly very good for us. So what forms of green tea do we recommend? Green tea is available in tea form, tincture form and even in capsules. Personally I recommend choosing either a tincture or capsule form since they tend to be more concentrated in that form.
Green tea has been studied and been found to have many health benefits. Green tea has been found to help strengthen the immune system. Green tea has also been found to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori. Additionally green tea has been found to be effective when used to treat influenza, Herpes and adenovirus. Green tea has also been found to be effective in treating diarrhea. (1) In addition to helping against different viral infections green tea has also been found to be antifungal and is effective against Candida albicans. (2)
One topic that people frequently call with questions is regarding the topic of how to increase their White blood cell count or their immune system. Studies have found that when green tea is used for 14 or more days it can increase the white blood cell count. In one study they were particularly looking at leukocytes and found that they increased after 14 days of green tea use. (3) Other studies have found that green tea can help to increase natural killer cells and macrophages both of which are important parts of the immune system. (4)
Green tea does much more than just help our immune system fight infections – in fact studies have found that the EGCG that is found in green tea can inhibit the release of both histamine and leukotrienes. Both of these are important when it comes to both allergies and asthma. Studies have found that green tea is able to help with inflammation and can help to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines. (5)
In addition to being antibacterial studies have also found that green tea can enhance the activity of certain antibiotics thus making them more affective. For example studies have found that green tea can enhance the effects of tetracycline in its use against staphylococci. (6)
Green tea does even more than help us fight against pathogens or bad guys! A 2017 study found that green tea may help improve overall brain health, memory and even improve our mood. (7) A more recent study from 2020 found that those who used green tea had a 64% lower chance of cognitive impairment. (8)
Green tea has also been found to help metabolism and to help with our cholesterol. (9) In fact a 2022 study found that green tea use was associated with a 44% lower chance of abdominal obesity. (10) An interesting study from 2021 found that those who use green tea had a 62% lower risk of death. (11)
Overall green tea has many benefits. But how do you know which one to take? Invite has 2 forms of green tea, tincture or concentrated liquid form and capsules. To help decide which one is best for you there are some questions that can be helpful. The first question is do you prefer liquids or capsules? Are you sensitive to caffeine? What are your overall goals? Are you on any medications? Invite green tea tincture is a liquid and decaffeinated. That makes it a great choice for anyone who prefers liquids or who would prefer to eliminate caffeine. For anyone who is still confused I just want you to remind you that you can always talk to an Invite nutritionist to help find the right products to reach your goals!
Our next topic will be Bronchitis!
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