Tag: nutrients

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 

FRUITS~NATURE’S TREAT

FRUITS~NATURE’S TREAT

FRUITS~NATURE’S TREAT By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT   Fruit is one of those groups that we all know and love. In my experience, it’s always that food that most people don’t seem to have problems getting into their daily diet. However, let’s explore this 

Understanding the Complexity of Asthma

Understanding the Complexity of Asthma

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? Approximately 7.7% of Americans have asthma. That amounts to about 24.9 million Americans. Of those approximately 20.2 million are adults and 4.6 million are children. Asthma appears to be more prevalent in females. (1)

But what exactly is asthma? When you have asthma your airways become swollen and the pathway for air to travel comes narrow. There may be extra mucus in the airway. As you can probably guess this narrowing of the air passageway can make breathing difficult. Please see the attached picture for a side by side comparisons between a normal airway and in inflamed asthmatic airway. (2)

While symptoms of asthma can vary from person to person there are some common symptoms you can experience.  These include shortness of breath, wheezing when exhaling and coughing/ wheezing attacks that can be made worse when you have a virus. Other symptoms can include chest tightness or pain. There may be trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath and coughing. Symptoms of asthma may flare up due to exercise, occupational irritants and by allergens such as pollen or pet dander. I would also like to point out that while some people have symptoms only under certain conditions such as during physical exercise others will have symptoms all the time. (2)

While the cause of asthma is unknown we do know what the most common risk factors for asthma include.  One major risk factor for developing asthma is a family history. Having a family history of asthma can make up to 6X more susceptible to asthma. Children and adults that are overweight or obese are also at an increased risk for asthma. People who have a history of smoking or were exposed to 2nd hand smoke are also at risk.  Certain allergies such as eczema and hay fever seem to be risk factors for developing asthma. Certain viral infections can increase the risk of asthma. Both air pollution as well as work place exposers are risk factors as well. (3)  Asthma symptoms may be triggered by cold air. Certain medications such as beta blockers and aspirin may trigger asthma symptoms. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) may also trigger asthma symptoms. Strong emotions, stress and even being in the cold can all trigger asthma symptoms. Even certain preservatives may trigger asthma symptoms. (1)

While some people may not consider asthma to be “series” I want to emphasize that yes asthma can have some series complications. In fact each year more than 3,500 people die from asthma. And in fact approximately 60% of adults and 44$ of children with asthma have poor control over their illness. (1) Complications from asthma can also include a permanent narrowing of the bronchial tubes which can affect how you breathe. Flare-ups can also lead to missed school or work and even interfere with activities of daily living such as sleep. There may also be side effects from long term use of medications used to treat asthma. Lastly asthma can lead to fatigue and even poor mental health. (4)

Asthma is treatable. While it is important to follow your doctors treatment plan there are things you can do to help improve your respiratory health.

  • Elimination diets are a great way to determine if something you are eating is making your asthma flare up. It is well known that certain preservatives can trigger asthma. By doing an elimination diet you eliminate these preservatives and thus can determine if doing so helps your control over your asthma. (5)
  • NAC is one of those supplements that comes up quite frequently. Studies have found that NAC is potentially anti-asthmatic. (6) In other words NAC is found to help stabilize the lungs when you have asthma. NAC has also been helpful in reducing mucus formation which as I mentioned in asthma there may be excess mucus. (7)  Please see Invite’s NAC and our Detox Hx as well as the Daily Detox Powder!
  • Quercetin has been found in studies to be protective against asthma symptoms. It has also been found to help protect against airway fibrosis. (8) Please see Invite’s Quercetin formula!
  • Magnesium! I bet you’re saying magnesium again Dr. Claire? Well magnesium is going to pop up a lot in my different blog series. It’s just one of those things that seems to do everything. Magnesium has been found in studies to help reduce symptoms of asthma and even help to improve lung volume.  Interestingly enough those with more severe symptoms appeared to benefit the most. (9) Please see Invite’s extensive line of magnesium products!
  • Vitamin D has been shown in studies to help reduce asthma symptoms! (10) Please See Invite’s Immunity Hx (this was the product highlight I did not long ago!) as well as Invite’s extensive line of Vitamin D!
  • Black Seed will be the next product highlight! Look for that blog soon!

Sources:

  1. https://acaai.org/asthma/asthma-101/facts-stats/
  2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20369653
  3. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/learn-about-asthma/what-causes-asthma
  4. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/asthma
  5. https://www.webmd.com/asthma/food-allergies-and-asthma
  6. https://bjbas.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43088-021-00188-7#:~:text=Conclusions,eosinophil%20infiltration%2C%20and%20oxidative%20stress.
  7. https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT03822637#:~:text=Historically%2C%20studies%20of%20mucolytics%2C%20like,those%20with%20significant%20mucus%20impaction.
  8. https://karger.com/pha/article-abstract/108/5/432/853230/Quercetin-Alleviates-Asthma-Induced-Airway?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9543098/#:~:text=in%201990%20studied%20the%20bronchodilating,signs%20and%20symptoms%20%5B7%5D.
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8389855/

MY PLATE~OUR DIET GUIDELINE AND FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH

MY PLATE~OUR DIET GUIDELINE AND FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH

MY PLATE~OUR DIET GUIDELINE AND FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT   March is National Nutrition Month so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go back to basics. We all remember when we were growing up and learning about 

Reds Hx… for our heart!

Reds Hx… for our heart!

Reds Hx… for our heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   I wanted to talk about Reds Hx next because it’s really the perfect partner to Greens Hx. Since Reds Hx is so full of heart healthy nutrients I am going to jump right into things 

What is Angina?

What is Angina?

What is Angina?

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

 

Angina or heart/chest pain is one of the first signs that many experience when they have heart disease. However there are other conditions that mimic angina. One of these is anxiety. Angina and anxiety share many symptoms including a feeling of chest pain, nausea, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness and a feeling that the heart is being squeezed.  Because the two are so similar it is important to see a doctor to confirm what is causing the chest pain. As I always say it’s better to be safe than sorry.  (1)

Now let’s do a quick review of symptoms.  The general symptoms of angina include chest pain that may feel like its burning, squeezing or even just feels very full. There may be a feeling of pressure in the chest area. The pain may also radiate to the arms, neck, jaw, shoulder or back. There may be a feeling of dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and even increased sweating.  Now remember how when I wrote about heart attack I mentioned that in some cases women are more likely to have atypical symptoms? Well that is also true with angina.  Some women may have the typical symptoms or may present with more severe stomach pain, nausea, shortness s of breath, stabbing pain or pain in the jaw, neck or back.  (2)

Now I know I spoke about how Angina and Anxiety resemble each other and even went over some of the symptoms of angina but what exactly is angina? Angina is a condition where there is chest pain caused by a decrease in the blood flow to the heat. General signs of angina are as I said a feeling of pain, squeezing, pressure and tightness in the chest. Angina is broken down into 4 types. These are stable, unstable, variant and refractory. (2)

Let’s start with the most common form of angina, stable angina. Stable angina is caused by activity or emotional stress. When you have stable angina the symptoms are often predictable because the same amount of activity will trigger angina to occur. The symptoms will improve with rest or medications. (3)

Unstable angina causes unexpected chest pain and occurs while you are resting. Unlike stable angina it is considered to be an emergency situation. Additionally unstable angina unlike stable angina is not relieved by rest or medication. (4)

Variant Angina is also known as Prinzmetal or vasospastic angina. In this case the angina occurs usually while you are asleep and resting. Unlike other forms of angina where coronary artery disease is the common cause of the decreased blood flow in variant angina the decrease in blood flow is caused by spasms of the coronary arteries. These spasms can be caused by medications, recreational drug use, tobacco and stress. This type of angina is considered rare and according to the American Heart Association accounts for only 2 out of every 100 cases of angina. (5)

The last type of angina is refractory angina and is defined as “a chronic condition of angina caused by coronary artery disease which cannot be controlled by a combination of medical therapy, angioplasty or bypass and the damage caused by ischemia is the cause of the symptoms.” (6) Ok I bet you read that and said ok now what does it all mean? It basically means that the treatments no longer help the angina pain because the decreased blood flow has caused damage to the heart and this damage not just the decrease in blood flow is what is now causing the symptoms.

Now that I’ve gone over the types of angina lets go over the most common risk factors for developing angina. Now I just want to point out that angina is a symptom of an underling heart problem. Having one of these will trigger angina.  One of the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD). Now I won’t go into too much detail here because I plan on doing a whole blog on CAD. What I will say is that in CAD the coronary arteries become blocked thus blood flow is reduced. Angina is also caused by coronary microvascular disease where the tiny arteries that branch from the larger arteries are damaged. Lastly, spasms of the coronary arteries can cause angina. Now I know these are underlying heart conditions that can lead to angina but what are the risk factors? Well the risk factors include age, family history of angina, exposure to pollution, alcohol use and a poor diet. Having a history of metabolic syndrome, heart failure, heart valve disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy and even anemia can all increase the risk of angina. (7)

One of the most severe concerns when dealing with angina is that it may be sign you are having a heart attack. This is why if you are having chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes or isn’t relieved with medications it is important to go to the hospital just to be safe. (2)

Now when it comes to angina it is important to concentrate on our circulation:

  • Grape Seed has great potential in helping with circulation according to studies. (8) Please see Invite’s Grape Seed Extract!
  • L Arginine according the Mayo clinic is helping for opening up the blood vessels and can be helpful for circulation. (9) Please see Invite’s L Arginine! And also please check out my product spotlight on Beets Hx which highlights how beets is a great source of L Arginine!
  • Aged Garlic has also been found to be very helpful for our heart health including improving our circulation. (10) Please see Invite’s Aged Garlic
  • Hawthorne as we know is amazing for heart health and according to studies it is very helpful in working with atherosclerosis which is a huge risk factor for poor circulation. (11) Please see Invite’s Cardio Hx and Normo- Tensive
  • Please see my product spotlight on Veins Hx for more on this amazing circulation formula!
  • Let’s not forget diet! Studies have found that the Mediterranean diet is amazing for our heart health. (12)
  • Our next product spotlight will be on Nattokinase

Sources

  1. https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/angina
  2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/angina/symptoms-causes/syc-20369373
  3. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/stable-angina#:~:text=Stable%20angina%20is%20chest%20pain,%2C%20atria%2C%20arteries%20and%20veins
  4. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/angina-chest-pain/unstable-angina
  5. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21867-prinzmetal-angina
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6159461/
  7. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/angina/causes
  8. https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2022/11180/pilot_study_on_the_effect_of_grape_seed.38.aspx
  9. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/l-arginine/faq-20058052
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6966200/
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7047282/
  12. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313348