Support Your Immune System: L-Lysine

A healthy, balanced immune system is one that is able to quickly and effectively fight off infection and at the same time not overreact to irritations such as allergens or even your own body. Having the necessary nutrient reserves and avoiding foods and chemicals that suppress the immune system will support continued good health. Factors such as chronic stress, repeated use of antibiotics, environmental pollutants, and poor dietary and lifestyle habits greatly damage the immune system. As a result, healing capacity and the ability to defend against infection becomes weaker. Incorporating key nutrition elements will help to strengthen the body’s defenses.

One of those is  L-lysine. L-lysine is an essential amino acid that cannot be produced by the body. Lysine helps strengthen the immune system by adjusting body chemistry so it is less hospitable to foreign organisms and supports the body’s acid/alkaline balance. Its most common application is related to the herpes virus. Herpes viruses are dependent on the amino acid arginine for replication. Lysine counter-balances arginine (found in nuts, seeds, and meats), making it harder for herpes and other viruses to replicate. Lysine has been shown to prevent outbreaks and reduce the duration and severity of individual herpes outbreaks and other viral infections.

For more information, contact Village Green Apothecary at 1-800-869-9159

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10 Facts About Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin that can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects by as much as 70% if taken before conception. Folate and folic acid are different terms for the same B vitamin. Folate is found naturally in foods and folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin found in multivitamins and supplements.

So why is folic acid important?

Here are 10 facts from New York State’s Department of Health:

1. Each year, about 130 babies who are born in New York State have neural tube defects (NTD). Nationwide, there are 4,000 NTD-affected pregnancies each year. NTDs are disorders of the development of the brain and spinal cord. The most common NTD is spina bifida, or opening of the spine. The most serious NTD is anencephaly, failure of the brain to develop.

2. Up to 70% of NTDs can be prevented if all women who can become pregnant consume 0.4 mg/day of folic acid at least a month prior to conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy. Continue reading “10 Facts About Folic Acid”

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Upper Respiratory Infections and Vitamin C

Having just gotten over an upper respiratory infection (URI), this interview with Naama Constantini, MD, DFM, FACSM, Dip. Sport Med. (CASM), by Kirk Hamilton came at a great time. Dr. Constantini discusses the role that the antioxidant vitamin C plays in swimmers with URIs.

Kirk Hamilton: Can you please share with us your educational background and current position?

Naama Constantini: I am a physician and a family and sport medicine specialist. I am the director of the “Hadassah Optimal” Sports Medicine Center, Orthopedic Department, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. I was the chair of the Medical Committee of the Israeli Olympic Committee for
over 10 years and currently the physician of the Israeli Swimming Association. In addition, I am an active Master competitive swimmer, and a former swimming coach.

KH: What got you interested in studying the role of vitamin C in upper respiratory infections (URI) in adolescent swimmers? Continue reading “Upper Respiratory Infections and Vitamin C”

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Pregnancy and Vitamin D Status

Read the following article that I picked up at my doctor’s office the other day. It is a nice overall piece about vitamin D deficiency and its role in almost every aspect of this important nutrient.

More Know About Vitamin D Benefits
By Don Sapatkin

Amy McDonald, 34 weeks into her second pregnancy with gestational diabetes, was in for a routine checkup in Bala Cynwyd: blood pressure (fine), fetal heartbeat (loud), review of home blood-sugar monitoring (time-consuming).

A lab test for Vitamin D had come back low on a previous visit, and McDonald was now taking supplements.

“Any problems with the Vitamin D?” asked her doctor, Daphne M. Goldberg, who had recommended at least 10 times the dosage in federal guidelines. (No problems.)

Most women don’t hear about Vitamin D during prenatal visits. Indeed, studies linking widespread deficiency of the “sunshine vitamin” to a host of seemingly unrelated conditions – among them heart disease, arthritis, depression, psoriasis, influenza, and several types of cancer – have been coming so fast and furious that government guidelines can’t keep up. No one even knows what a “normal” level should be. Continue reading “Pregnancy and Vitamin D Status”

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Support Your Immune System: Probiotics

Beneficial bacteria are critical to a healthy digestive and immune system. We all have them and without them, poor assimilation of nutrients, intestinal irritation or constipation can result. But their effects go beyond those commonly associated with digestion, including affecting our immune system.

Some preliminary studies also report that certain probiotics can play a role in reducing the development of allergies in children, decreasing Helicobacter pylori colonization of the stomach, helping patients cope with side effects of antibiotics, managing relapse of some inflammatory bowel conditions, decreasing the risk of certain cancers, decreasing dental-caries-causing microbes in the mouth, and keeping healthy people healthy.

Here are some other clinical benefits of probiotics:

Gastrointestinal Health: Probiotics have a beneficial effect on specific pathologic conditions. Many studies support the use of probiotics for digestive health. Probiotics may also help prevent traveler’s diarrhea and antibiotic-related diarrhea. Continue reading “Support Your Immune System: Probiotics”

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    Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, ND is a pioneer of integrative medicine and a leading authority on science-based natural medicine.
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