Tag: Vitamins

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Supporting Immune System Health Naturally

Fruits in crates; supporting immune system health naturally.

Many people have been wondering what they can do to help support their immune system and respiratory health. In addition to good handwashing habits, there are some things you can do to help support immune health naturally. Cutting out processed foods and replacing them with natural, nutrient-dense foods is a great place to start, and there are also some supplements that may help support immune system function as well as respiratory health. Let’s go over some potential benefits of mushrooms, the importance of adequate nutrient levels, and what can help support the lungs.

Mushrooms

Consuming mushrooms has been shown to improve cognitive function, energy levels, and immune system health. Cordyceps, for example, have been shown to increase natural killer cells, which are a type of white blood cell that may help the body fight off infections, and they’ve also found that cordyceps may help increase the ability of cells to utilize oxygen, which could potentially improve respiratory health. Turkey tail is another type of mushroom that may help support the immune system by activating certain beneficial immune cells. In one study, shiitake mushrooms were found to improve immune system markers on blood work and decrease inflammation levels. These are just a few benefits of the many mushrooms found to have health benefits.

Vitamins

It’s important to get all of the necessary vitamins each day, but a few vitamins may be particularly beneficial for the immune system. One of the most common things people think of when they want to support their immune system is vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, which means your body cannot produce it, so you must get it from your diet and/or supplementation. It can be found in oranges, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, etc. Vitamin C has many important jobs in the body like growing and repairing tissue, keeping cartilage healthy, and fighting off free-radicals that may contribute to the development of certain cancers and other health conditions. Explaining the immune-enhancing effects of vitamin C can get quite technical, but to summarize it, vitamin C supports many different cellular functions of the immune system, and helps support the body in making B- and T- cells, which are a crucial part of an immune response.

Vitamin D is another vitamin that is great for immune system health and many other things. It has effects on the immune system similar to vitamin C, but vitamin D may also help prevent autoimmune disorders by supporting T cells. In autoimmune disorders, the body has usually lost its ability to differentiate between what is healthy tissue, and what is a dangerous invader, causing the body to attack healthy tissue. T cells help the immune system know what is healthy and what needs to be attacked, so it is very important to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D each day. Supplementation is often recommended due to how common vitamin D deficiency is, and how difficult it can be to get enough from sunshine and your diet.

Respiratory Health

Things that help support the immune system will also generally help maintain respiratory health, but there are a few things that can directly affect the lungs. Certain mushrooms have been researched for their potential respiratory benefits, and reishi mushrooms in particular have been shown to have a positive effect on lung health. Immune Essentials contains reishi mushrooms, as well as turkey tail, cordyceps, and shiitake mushrooms which can help support respiratory health and immune system function, as well as other potential benefits like increased energy and focus. Certain strains of probiotics like some of the ones found in Probio-Ease may also help support respiratory health, as well as support the gut which is where many of the functions of the immune system are carried out.

While taking care of yourself doesn’t guarantee that you won’t ever get sick, it can give your body a better chance at being able to fight things off. So, consider taking some of these supplements, and make sure you’re eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meats and fats. Exercise has also been shown to improve immune system health, so be active when you can, even if it’s just a short walk. Remember to continue practicing good hand-washing habits, and support your body’s natural defenses with good nutrition. Fear can lead to stress, which has been shown to dampen the immune system, so focus on the positive!

You can listen to our Is it COVID, Flu, or Allergies? podcast episode on our website here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.

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Little Known Facts About Depression

Microphone and computer; early warning signs of a thyroid problem.

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Depression and anxiety have become much more common this year due to the unprecedented events that have happened, and the demand for products and medications that help treat these issues has greatly increased. While most people know the typical symptoms of depression and anxiety, there are some other things you may not know about these conditions. In this week’s podcast episode we’ll discuss some little known facts about depression, like how certain vitamin deficiencies and food sensitivities may contribute to the development of certain emotional disorders, along with some natural things you can do that may help.

Products Mentioned in Today’s Show

B Complex Ultra – B vitamins are essential nutrients required for optimal health and functioning of numerous systems and biochemical reactions in the body, including energy production, brain, liver and nerve cell function, and muscle tone in the GI tract.† Activated forms of folate (Metafolin®‡ L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate) and vitamin B12(methylcobalamin) are used for enhanced absorption and bioavailability. This high-potency B-complex vitamin supplement is formulated to be hypoallergenic and yeast free.

Stress Response – A comprehensive formula of nutrients and botanicals with demonstrated and unique neurosupportive effects creates a robust and multifactorial approach to support daily brain health and function.†

Methyl Supreme – Vitamins B2, B6, B12, and folate are provided in active, coenzyme forms for maximal bioavailability and function. The ingredients in Methyl Supreme work together to synergistically support methylation processes and help maintain normal homocysteine metabolism.†

You can also listen to Little Known Facts About Depression on our YouTube channel here.

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What You Should Know About Vitamin D

Sunlight on grass; what you should know about vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiencies are one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the United States. One of the main reasons for this is that the average person spends most of their time indoors, and gets very little sunlight. If you naturally have a darker skin tone, it is even more difficult for the body to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. Supplementing with vitamin D is recommended for most Americans, but why is it so important? Let’s take a look at what you should know about vitamin D, including what it does in the body, and how much you should supplement with.

What is Vitamin D?

Even though it’s called vitamin D, it’s actually a hormone, not a vitamin, and it plays a role in many different functions in the body. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to properly absorb calcium from the gut and into the bloodstream, making it one of the most important nutrients for bone growth and healthy teeth. It also helps regulate the amount of phosphate in the body, promote a healthy immune system, support hormonal balance, and some studies have even found that optimal levels of vitamin D may help prevent certain diseases. Vitamin D deficiencies have also been linked to emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and unstable moods.

How Much Should You Take?

It’s recommended that most adults take 5,000 IU’s of vitamin D daily. However, some people absorb only a small percentage of what they take, and for those people higher doses may be recommended, but always check with your healthcare professional first. Vitamin D is also fat-soluble, which is why it’s often recommended that you take your vitamin D supplement with a meal containing fat to help it absorb properly. While you can get some vitamin D from sunlight and certain foods, taking a supplement each day can help ensure your levels are optimal.

You can listen to our How Much Vitamin D is Right for Me? podcast episode here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.

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Why Some Supplements Are Better Than Others

Pills on pink background; why some supplements are better than others.

As taking supplements becomes more common, it’s important to understand that not all supplements are equally effective. Most of the supplements sold in regular grocery stores or drug stores are typically less absorbable and less effective than the ones available only through a licensed practicioner. While the grocery store supplements may be cheaper, they often use forms of certain vitamins and minerals that are less absorbable because they are cheaper to manufacture. Let’s look at a few examples of how some supplements are better than others.

Bioavailability

Some forms of vitamins and minerals are more bioavailable than others. Bioavailability essentially refers to how much of the substance is actually absorbed into the bloodstream and bodily tissues. For example, many magnesium supplements use magnesium oxide as the main or only form of magnesium because it’s cheaper, but very little is actually absorbed in the body. Using the more bioavailable forms of magnesium like magnesium citrate and magnesium aspartate in supplements helps ensure enough is being absorbed. Another good example of differences in bioavailability is vitamin B12. Many B12 supplements and multivitamins use a synthetic form of B12 called cyanocobalamin because it’s typically cheaper for the manufacturer. However, methylcobalamin is much more absorbable, and the brain, nervous sytem and liver are able to use it more efficiently than cyanocobalamin. These are just a couple examples of how not all supplements are equally effective, and the same goes for other minerals, fish oil, and many other supplements.

Third-Party Testing

Many of the supplements available in grocery stores and even health-food stores do not undergo the rigorous third-party testing that medical-grade supplements do. This extra testing certifies that the product actually contains what the bottle claims it does. This is important because the FDA doesn’t have as many restrictions on natural supplements as they do on prescription medications, so it’s often left up to the companies to prove the quality of their products. Certifications are also important because we use supplements to move values on lab tests. To do this we need strong, pure supplements that contain the most absorbable forms of vitamins and minerals so the body can actually absorb and utilize them. While the health food store may have a few good supplements, you can never really be sure of what you are getting without testing and certifications done outside of the company that manufactures the products. The manufacturers we purchase our products from will only sell to a person with a current medical or chiropractic license because they are much stronger and should be taken under the guidance of a trained professional.

Due to soil depletion, many of the fruits and vegetables are lower in nutrients than they were a few decades ago, so eating healthy foods doesn’t guarantee that you won’t have nutrient defiencies, but taking a good multivitamin that contains the bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals like Active Mega Multi each day can help fill in some of the nutritional gaps. However, supplements alone cannot offset the negative effects of a poor diet and lifestyle, so eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables, high-quality meats and healthy fats each day, and remember to drink plenty of filtered water and get at least seven hours of sleep each night. The nutrients you take in are essentially the building blocks for all the cells and energy your body makes, so make sure you’re getting enough of them!

You can listen to our Were You Sold Snake Oil? podcast episode here. You can also listen on our YouTube channel here.

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Are Vitamins Just Expensive Urine?

Microphone and computer; are vitamins just expensive urine?

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As more people make taking nutritional supplements part of their daily routine, some people still wonder if it’s worth the time and money. One of the common misconceptions about supplements is that you absorb very little and excrete most of it, but this isn’t always the case. Some vitamins are made with cheaper ingredients that are difficult for the body to absorb, like using cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin for B12. The cyanocobalamin is much cheaper, but much more difficult to absorb. This is why it’s important to take multivitamins and other supplements that are made with high-quality ingredients. In this week’s show we’ll discuss in more detail how not all supplements are equally effective, and explain why vitamins are not just expensive urine.

Products Mentioned in Today’s Show

Active Mega Multi – Compared to common, over-the-counter multivitamin products delivered in 1 tablet daily, this formulation offers enhanced antioxidant protection, broader trace element nutrition, and augmented B vitamin support. This core foundation of essential nutrients can help provide an extra measure of nutritional protection.

D3 + K2 Ultra – Clinical research suggests that the combination of vitamin D3 plus K2 together help provide support for healthy cardiovascular function, bone health, and immune system function.

Methyl Supreme – Methyl Supreme is a unique formula that combines bioactive forms of four essential B vitamins with trimethylglycine (betaine). Vitamins B2, B6, B12, and folate are provided in active, coenzyme forms for maximal bioavailability and function. The ingredients in Methyl Supreme work together to synergistically support methylation processes and help maintain normal homocysteine metabolism.†

You can also listen to Are Vitamins Just Expensive Urine? on our YouTube channel here.

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The United States of Stress

Stress is one of the biggest issues facing our society nowadays. We lead such fast-paced, busy lives that it’s difficult to ever let ourselves unwind, and we often allow meaningless things to stress us out and dampen our mood. There are many things that can contribute to stress like vitamin and mineral deficiencies, sleep deprivation, adrenal fatigue, illness, family or marital issues, and countless other things. Although some stressors are out of your control, you can control your reaction to them. Changing the way you view and react to situations can greatly lower your stress level.

Vitamins and Minerals

Magnesium and zinc are very important minerals for dealing with stress, they both play important roles in nervous system function, and many people who struggle with anxiety or high levels of stress are deficient in these key minerals. Getting enough B vitamins is also important for dealing with stress, and for countless other functions in your body. Iron deficiency (anemia) is another common cause of anxiety and stress, and can lead to shakiness, fatigue, weakness, pale skin, and an anxious feeling. These deficiencies can usually be fixed by using a high-quality multivitamin, but if you’re greatly deficient in a certain vitamin or mineral, then you may need to take a supplement designed specifically for that along with a multivitamin. For example, if you’re anemic, you may need to take an iron supplement along with a multivitamin, or a multivitamin designed for low-iron individuals.

Sleep and Adrenals

Getting enough sleep every night is crucial for dealing with stress and for your overall health. You should be getting seven to eight hours of good quality sleep a night. If you get less seven hours of sleep on a regular basis you may start noticing more irritability, fatigue, forgetfulness, depression, bodily aches and pains, etc. Sleep is so important for every part of your body, and getting enough sleep every night should be one of your top priorities. However, adrenal fatigue can make falling and staying asleep difficult. Adrenal fatigue refers to a condition in which your cortisol is too low, usually due to being highly stressed for a long period of time, causing your cortisol to bottom-out. This is a common issue, and many people don’t realize they have it. Fortunately, you can heal adrenal fatigue naturally by supplementing with the proper nutrients and adrenal gland supplements, getting adequate sleep, and utilizing stress-reducing techniques like yoga and meditation.

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Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night, drink plenty of water, make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals, and focus on positive thoughts. Remember that you can choose to be stressed-out and worried, or you can choose to not let small things affect you.

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Learn True Health Podcast with Ashley James – Thyroid

Learn True Health Podcast with Ashley James

Dr. Lewis recently had the opportunity to be a guest on the Learn True Health Podcast with Ashley James where he spoke about thyroid issues and what you can do about them. Thyroid issues are becoming more and more common, so learning how to prevent and treat them is more important than ever. You can listen to that podcast here.

Ashley James is a health influencer and she has hundreds of podcasts and lots of information on how to be a healthier you, physically and emotionally. These podcasts and articles can be found on her website here.

Thyroid Issues

It seems as though everyone knows someone who has a thyroid issue, it may be themselves, or a friend or relative, but there’s no denying that thyroid problems have become much more common in recent years. There are many contributing factors like stress, environmental and dietary toxins, poor nutrition, hormone imbalances, etc., but the good news is that you can do something about it. Diet is the biggest thing to consider changing if you’re concerned about thyroid health, but iodine, fish oil, and certain vitamins and minerals are crucial to achieving and maintaining thyroid health.

Iodine

Adequate iodine levels are necessary for the thyroid to function properly, and iodine absorption is often inhibited by fluoride, bromine, and chlorine. These chemicals are commonly found in tap water, and they can bind to the iodine receptors, preventing your body from being able to absorb the iodine it needs. It is often necessary to eliminate these chemicals from your diet before supplementing with iodine so your body can properly absorb it.

Fish Oil

Fish oil should be a part of everyone’s diet/supplement plan due to the many benefits. Fish oil may help balance cholesterol levels, lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, and it may even improve the symptoms associated with certain psychological disorders because it supplies the brain with the fat it needs to function correctly. We likely still haven’t discovered all the benefits of fish oil, but we know it’s incredibly important to your thyroid and overall health.

Vitamins and Minerals

Taking a high-quality multivitamin can be beneficial because it provides a wide-range of nutrients, many of which you likely aren’t getting enough of through diet alone. Vitamin deficiencies are very common today due to stress and environmental toxins that deplete certain vitamins and minerals, and diets that are high in processed food that contains few nutrients. Another big cause of the increasing deficiencies are gut imbalances. When the good and bad bacteria in your gut aren’t balanced, or if you have leaky gut (many people do without realizing it) or digestive disorders, then you probably aren’t able to absorb much of the vitamins and minerals you do eat and/or supplement with. This is why the first steps to healing usually include cutting out fake food (processed, packaged food with long ingredient lists), eating lots of organic fruits and vegetables, and healing your gut through the use of probiotics, celery juice, and supplementation. Fixing these issues can greatly improve your overall health, and may help prevent or lessen thyroid issues.

Be sure to listen to Dr. Lewis speak on Learn True Health Podcast with Ashley James to learn more about thyroid issues and what you can do.