Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The Wonders of Black Seed Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I am very excited to start this conversation on black seed. Black Seed is an amazing nutrient for our respiratory system. Invite health has a unique formula which includes Black Seed, Cordyceps and Rosemary Extract. …
Understanding the Complexity of Asthma Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND As I mentioned in my prior blog today I will be talking about a well-known respiratory condition. That condition is Asthma. Let’s take the time to go over just how common it is, shall we? …
RSV- Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to begin our series on respiratory health by talking about something that has been all over the news lately. And that is RSV. But what exactly is RSV? RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. This is a virus that infects the lungs and respiratory tract. While RSV in adults and older children tends to be mild in younger infants and older adults RSV can cause severe infection and complications.
The symptoms of RSV usually resemble cold like symptoms. These can include sneezing, congested or runny nose as well as a cough. There may be a sore throat. There may also be headaches. If there is a fever it will be what is considered to be a low grade fever. In some cases RSV may also cause more severe symptoms. These symptoms can include a higher fever, more severe cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and a blue tinting to the skin. Infants may also experience lethargy, irritability and poor feeding. Infants may indicate trouble breathing when their chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath. For those who experience more severe symptoms the disease can spread throughout the respirator tract leading to pneumonia and bronchiolitis. I would also like to say that RSV can lower our immune system leading to an increased risk of developing COVID-19. It’s very important to remember that if you or your child has difficulty breathing, a high fever or blue skin it is time so seek immediate medical attention.
I have said numerous times that for many people RSV causes mild symptoms. In more vulnerable individuals there can be more severe symptoms. For children 12 months and younger there is an increased risk of complications. Premature infants are also at a higher risk for more severe disease. Older adults (65+) are also at a risk for more severe disease. Anyone with any type of heart or lung disease are also at an increased risk of complications. For those with compromised immune systems there is a risk of severe symptoms and complications. (1) Pregnant women are also considered to be a high risk group. Children with neuromuscular disorders are considered to be a risk for sever disease. Children of American Indian and Alaska native descent are also at risk for more sever disease. (2)
How do we catch RSV? Well as it says in the name it is a virus and spreads like any other virus. It enters our body via eyes, nose or mouth. It can travel on infected respiratory droplets or in other words if someone coughs or sneezes next to you it can travel on those droplets to get to you. The virus can also survive on hard objects for hours. For example if someone sneezes on a table top and you touch it then you touch your eyes, mouth or nose you can get infected. An infected person is most contagious for the 1st week after getting infected. However an infected person can still be contagious and still spread the virus for up to 4 weeks after the symptoms stop. RSV season tends to be from fall to the end of spring. (1)
What are some of the most common complications of RSV? Severe complications can include bronchiolitis, pneumonia, bronchitis and even respiratory failure. RSV may worse existing conditions such as asthma, congestive heart failure or COPD and there may be hypoxia or even a notable decrease in oxygen levels. RSV can cause dehydration. There is also an increased risk of developing ear infections. In the US every year RSV leads to between 100-300 deaths in children under 5. It also leads to between 6,000-10,000 deaths in adults 65+. (3)
What can we do to help decrease the spread of RSV? The 1st step is to wash our hands and avoid touching our eyes, nose and mouth. Clean frequently touched surfaces. Cover your mouth and nose whenever you sneeze or cough. Be considerate and stay home when you are sick. Lastly avoid close contact with anyone who is sick. (2) What supplements can help to boost our immune system? Well let’s review those, shall we?
Sources:
Nattokinase! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What the heck is Nattokinase? Where does it come from? What exactly does it do? Is it just for heart health or does it do anything else for us? These are just some of the questions that people have about …
Omega 3s and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Omega 3s are something that everyone has heard of. In fact many nutritionists including myself consider them to be essential to a healthy daily vitamin regimen. But many people I talk to ask a few …
The Benefits of Beets Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Everyone has heard about beets. Beet powder, beet chews and even beet juice! It’s everywhere you look! But what really are the benefits of using beet supplements? Why is the tart cherry in the Beets Hx? And perhaps most interesting of all questions is why use a powder and not the pills or chews that are available?
Beets are amazing for our heart health. Beets are high in a compound known as nitrates. (1) What this means is that according to studies beets are able to increase nitric oxide in the body. By increasing nitric oxide studies have found that beet root can significantly decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is important since high blood pressure is a risk factor for many heart conditions. In addition to nitrates beets contain antioxidants that studies have found to be useful in fighting against atherosclerosis, which as we know is another risk factor for many heart related conditions. (2) Studies have also found that nitric oxide may improve cardiovascular health especially in older adults. While more research on this topic is needed what has been done so far is promising to say the least. (3) Studies have also found that the nitric oxide released from beets can help with lowering blood pressure in those with kidney disease. (4) Other studies have found that the nitric oxide in beets can help with the heart’s performance during exercise. (5) Lastly the nitric oxide in beets has been found in studies to help heart health in those with heart failure. (6) As you can see the nitric oxide in beets is very beneficial to our heart health.
Let’s move on for a moment from nitric oxide. In addition to the nitric oxide in beets there are antioxidants. Studies have found that the antioxidants in beets have anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease. (1) One antioxidant found in beets that is currently being studied is a type called betalain. These have been found to help keep LDL from being oxidized. (7) It has also been found to lower the LDL as well as blood pressure. (8)
While it has been interesting to break down beets into their parts let’s take a look at some studies on just beets. Studies have found that using beets may help to lower blood pressure. (9) Studies have found beets to help lower cholesterol levels. (10) According to the Cleveland clinic beets are amazing for helping with high blood pressure and for those with heart disease. (11)
Beets Hx also includes tart cherry as well as the beetroot. Now I know what you’re thinking – tart cherry isn’t that for joints? Well yes it is! However studies have also found that tart cherry is good at helping to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. (12) Other studies indicate that tart cherry can help with blood pressure and cholesterol especially in older adults. (13) WebMD agrees that tart cherry is a great supplement that can help increase circulation as well as decrease inflammation, both of which are risk factors for many chronic heart conditions. (14)
Now I know I normally don’t take the time to talk about powders or pills but I wanted to do it in this blog in particular because beet supplements are currently so popular. Just watching a few minutes of TV will show you how many different delivery methods are available for beet supplements. So why a powder instead of a pill? Well for one there’s a limit to how much you can fit in a pill and still be able to swallow it. For many things that we take this is fine. However for some nutrients such as beets or whey protein you would have to take an inconvenient number of pills in order to get a therapeutic dose. Additionally, with powders they absorb right away thus they go to work very fast. (15) How about those gummies? Well to start with I want to ask a question. Do you think glorified candy is a good way to take any supplements? I personally prefer supplements that don’t double as candy. Many chewables have added ingredients such as sugar to “make it taste yummy”. That is one problem. The other problem is similar to pills in that there’s a limit to how much of a supplement you can fit. Just like with pills it’s just not reasonable to take enough to get a therapeutic dose. When you compare just these qualities of powders compared to chewables and pills it’s easy to understand why Invite uses a powder form for its beets. How can you use Beets Hx you might be asking yourself? Can I mix it in a smoothie? Absolutely yes! For heart health I recommend a smoothie with 1 scoop beets, 1 scoop Ribose Complex, 1 scoop of Whey or Plant protein and water or milk of choice. Another great choice is to make a smoothie with 1 scoop Beets Hx, 2 scoops of Cocoa Hx with 1 scoop protein and water or milk of choice. Beets Hx can also be mixed into yogurt or even applesauce. And don’t forget Beets Hx can be easily added to water.
Overall Beets Hx is a fantastic product for our heart health. It is one of those products that I frequently recommend for heart health.
Our next topic will be arrhythmia’s including atrial fibrillation and tachycardia!
Sources: