by admin | Feb 23, 2022 | Health Awareness
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that is composed of three amino acids: glutamine, glycine, and cysteine. Every cell of the body contains glutathione, and by researching the effects that glutathione levels have on a variety of diseases, scientists continue to discover its benefits.
Functions of Glutathione
Like all antioxidants, glutathione serves many essential functions for the body. These include:
- Making DNA
- Forming sperm cells
- Breaking down some free radicals
- Supporting immunity
- Helping the liver and gallbladder process fats
- Regenerating vitamins C and E
- Transporting mercury out of the brain
Despite the body’s ability to make glutathione, levels tend to decrease as you get older. Poor nutrition, stress, and environmental toxins can also lower glutathione levels.
Benefits of Glutathione
Benefits of maintaining your glutathione levels, either through a healthy diet and exercise or through topical, oral, or intravenous supplementation include:
Antioxidant Activity
Antioxidants help counteract free radicals, which contribute to aging and some diseases. Therefore, powerful antioxidants like glutathione can protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals.
Reducing Cell Damage from Liver Disease
Antioxidant deficiencies can worsen the fatty liver disease, contributing to further cell death. Conversely, glutathione may improve the protein, enzyme, and bilirubin levels of patients with chronic fatty liver disease.
Reduced Insulin Resistance in Older Patients
A study examining the role that glutathione plays in weight management and insulin resistance connected low glutathione levels to less fat burning and higher rates of fat storage. Increasing glutathione levels may help older patients manage symptoms of insulin resistance.
Reduced Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
While further research is still needed, a study connecting the effects of intravenous glutathione treatments on Parkinson’s disease symptoms, including tremors and rigidity, reported improvement for patients.
Assistance in Fighting Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases can cause chronic inflammation and increase oxidative stress. Glutathione may help in reducing oxidative stress by eliminating free radicals and protecting cell mitochondria. Scientists are still uncovering the ways that glutathione can benefit our overall health. Meanwhile, you can work to maintain your natural glutathione levels through a healthy diet, getting enough rest, and avoiding environmental toxins.
by admin | Feb 16, 2022 | Health Awareness
Cholesterol is necessary for normal metabolic functioning, but excess cholesterol in blood vessels leads to heart attacks, coronary disease, and strokes. To fully understand cholesterol’s role in your health, you need to understand cholesterol itself.
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that your body needs to build cells and manufacture vitamins and hormones. Your body produces all of the cholesterol it needs in the liver.
Certain foods, most animal products, contain dietary cholesterol and trigger the liver to produce more cholesterol. Other foods that can raise your cholesterol levels are oils containing saturated fat, such as palm and coconut oils.
Types of Cholesterol
The circulatory system carries cholesterol through the body through two different lipoproteins: high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
HDL
HDL earned the label of “good cholesterol” because it removes the LDL cholesterol from the arteries and carries it to the liver, where it can be broken down by the liver and removed from the body.
LDL
LDL, the “bad cholesterol,” earned its title because when too much LDL cholesterol is in the arteries, it can build up and form plaque on the artery walls. The buildup of plaque in the arteries narrows the arteries and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Managing Your Cholesterol
The best way to lower your cholesterol is through exercise and reducing saturated fats and trans fats in your diet. You can accomplish this by limiting your consumption of red meat, fried foods, and full-fat dairy. Replacing animal products and fattening foods with plant-based foods will positively affect your cholesterol. If your cholesterol levels continue to stay elevated, you may need prescription cholesterol-lowering medication. However, even if you are on medication for your high cholesterol, you should still implement a healthier diet and exercise to ensure you fight off the risks of heart disease.
by admin | Feb 9, 2022 | Health Awareness
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to injury and infection. However, sometimes the body’s inflammatory response works overtime, causing several health conditions.
Good Inflammation
When the body is working correctly, inflammation occurs when you’re sick or injured. This kind of inflammation is a good thing. Chemicals in the bodywork to fight infections and heal injuries by heading to damaged tissues to treat them with blood, fluid, and proteins or by protecting and repairing damaged tissues with swelling and heat.
This good, or “acute,” inflammation gathers up immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators to clear out damaged tissue, initiate repairs, and eliminate the cause of cell injury. One of the key elements of acute inflammation is that it goes away once it does its job.
Bad Inflammation
In contrast, bad inflammation occurs when your body has an inflammation response without injury or illness. The body’s immune response can overfire, which causes low levels of inflammation that can’t seem to dissipate, causing bad, or “chronic,” inflammation.
Chronic inflammation can cause problems of its own and is a factor in conditions like arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, blindness, cancer, and diabetes.
What Causes Bad or Chronic Inflammation?
Common causes of chronic inflammation include:
- An undiagnosed food sensitivity
- Exposure to irritants, such as environmental pollutants
- Chronic stress
- Autoimmune disorders
Identifying the causes of chronic inflammation serves as an essential step in treatment.
Determining the Cause of Chronic Inflammation
There are many ways your healthcare provider can work with you to identify the cause of your chronic inflammation. Some tests that may determine inflammation causes include:
- Food sensitivity testing
- Fatty acid profile
- Inflammation Patient Assessment Panel, which tests:
- High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)
- IL-6
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Ferritin
- Fibrinogen
- TNF-a
- Element analysis
In addition to testing for the source of your inflammation, you may also benefit from altering your diet to include anti-inflammatory foods, which may help your body calm its inflammatory response. For example, the foods included in the Mediterranean diet may provide some relief and support your immune response.
by admin | Feb 2, 2022 | Health Awareness
Beans really might be a magical fruit. Recent studies find beans to be nutritional powerhouses rich in fiber, resistant starch, and plant protein. Adding beans to your diet promotes weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular health.
However, the power of a tiny bean may be even more impressive than previously thought. New studies on the body’s gut microbiome reveal that this internal ecosystem may affect our overall health in significant ways and that beans may be the key to unlocking its powers.
The Gut Microbiome
The human body’s microbiome is a collection of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and microorganisms that live throughout the body’s surfaces, like the skin and the digestive tract. However, most of the microbiome lives in the gut, which contains over 1,000 species of bacteria and trillions of organisms.
The gut microbiome produces vitamins, develops immune responses, and enhances the benefits of food. For instance, the gut microbiome converts dietary fiber and resistant starch into short-chain fatty acids that protect the intestines’ cells and regulate metabolism.
How Do Beans Help Gut Health?
The large intestine’s bacteria rely on prebiotics to survive. Prebiotics serves as food for gut bacteria. When your body isn’t getting enough prebiotics through your diet, the gut bacteria need to find new food, which ends up being the immune defense on the surface of the intestinal lining.
While all plants contain probiotics, beans, which are full of fiber and resistant starch, are especially rich in prebiotics. In addition, beans’ ability to nourish the gut microbiome and promote short-chain fatty acids production helps kick your immune system into gear.
Additionally, as studies dig deeper into the species of bacteria living in the gut microbiome, researchers have discovered that people with multiple sclerosis lack a bacteria that breaks down isoflavones. This nutrient is also highly prevalent in beans.
As new studies into the gut microbiome find connections between chronic conditions and the foods and nutrients that offer potential remedies, beans may be a powerful tool in improving your overall health.
by admin | Jan 26, 2022 | Health Awareness
Intravenous therapies have become increasingly common over the last few years. One IV therapy, in particular, known as a “Myers’ Cocktail,” is unquestionably the most frequently used vitamin infusion. This specific blend of vitamins and minerals was developed by John Myers, MD.
Myers created the cocktail as a potential treatment option for patients suffering from chronic fatigue, muscle spasms, fibromyalgia, and other ailments that may be exacerbated by vitamin deficiencies.
What Ingredients Does a Myers’ Cocktail Include?
The Myers’ cocktail formula can be altered or revised following the specific needs of each patient. However, the standard ingredients include the following:
- Vitamins C, B12, and a B-complex
- Calcium to promote bone health and strength
- Zinc for the regulation of the immune system
- Magnesium to reduce muscle spasms, migraines, and fatigue
- Glutathione, a powerful antioxidant
- A saline solution
Clinicians may increase or decrease the quantities of each ingredient listed above. They might also add or remove certain substances as necessary.
Who May Benefit from a Myers’ Cocktail?
Many patients may benefit from receiving a Myers’ cocktail. Generally, the treatment is safe for individuals of all ages, regardless of condition. However, medical staff may need to modify the exact composition of the cocktail in order to avoid agitating or worsening certain ailments.
A few examples of patients who might benefit from a Myers’ cocktail IV infusion include:
- People with depression or anxiety
- Individuals experiencing withdrawal symptoms
- Patients experiencing chronic fatigue
- Individuals who are immunocompromised
- People experiencing muscle weakness or frequent spasms
While Myers’ cocktails have the potential to provide many benefits, they are not the only available intravenous treatment option. Another popular and effective IV treatment that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years is known as ozone therapy. This therapeutic option can stimulate the immune system and may benefit patients suffering from various autoimmune disorders.
IV therapies such as ozone treatments and Myers’ cocktails provide patients who are experiencing chronic conditions with a less invasive alternative treatment option.
by admin | Jan 19, 2022 | Health Awareness
You may not have heard of a very important molecule in your body, NAD+. This molecule is responsible for creating energy from the nutrients you consume. As you get older, your NAD+ levels decline. This decline can affect your metabolism and other important cellular functions in your body.
What Is NAD+?
NAD+ stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It is known as a coenzyme, which is a “helper” for important proteins in your body. A lot of important enzymes and other molecules rely on NAD+ to create energy and metabolize building block materials. Coenzymes are necessary for enzymes to function properly.
Why Is NAD+ Important?
Without NAD+, your body cannot generate energy out of the nutrients that you eat. It is also an important molecule in the protection of cell material.
NAD+ protects your cells from being broken down, which contributes to the aging process. It makes sense, then, why NAD+ levels decline with age. Without NAD+ to protect the important molecules around your cells, your cells and tissues are more susceptible to damage.
As part of digestion, NAD+ and mitochondria work together to metabolize the food you eat. Mitochondria have been closely linked to the aging process. NAD+ assists multiple different molecules in protecting cellular DNA and mitochondrial functions.
How Do I Get More NAD+ In My Diet?
Foods that contain important precursors for NAD+ include fish, mushrooms, and fortified foods. Most fortified foods are grain-based, like breakfast cereals and pasta.
NAD+ is created out of precursor molecules. Many foods contain the necessary enzymes to produce NAD+. Researchers are still searching for ways to fortify foods with the appropriate building block molecules for NAD+.
It is not yet clear whether a dietary supplement for NAD+ is effective in fighting against aging and cell damage. However, it is never a bad thing to consume healthy foods high in NAD+ precursor enzymes.
Patients can also add this with at-home NAD+ therapy injections. Stemedix offers NAD+ therapy. Please contact us today to see if this therapy as well as others may be beneficial for your health journey.
St. Petersburg, Florida
