Scientists recognize that maintaining a healthy body weight is more complicated than just calories in, calories out. They are studying why in modern society hunger/satiety signals are malfunctioning, how lack of sleep, excess stress and environmental toxins promote obesity, and how the human body is hard-wired to crave certain types of food.

In pre-modern days, when food was more scarce and never guaranteed, it was an evolutionary and survival advantage to eat as much as one could whenever food was available. (After all, access to food made it more likely that you would survive and pass on your genes to future generations!)

But today, in our urban societies we can access food practically round-the-clock, with little to no energy or effort, whether it’s from Starbucks, take-out, a supermarket, or just taking a few steps to our refrigerator.

 Obesity, Health Concerns and Ozempic

Obesity isn’t just about weight either, it is also associated with: 

• bodily inflammation 
• insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) 
• increased risk of medical conditions like osteoarthritis
• increased risk of GERD
• increased risk of metabolic disorders
• increased risk of heart disease 
• increased risk of sleep apnea. 

To help address the obesity epidemic, scientists are developing medications like Ozempic (semaglutide).

Ozempic supports weight loss by mimicking the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone which curbs our appetite, reduces food cravings and helps us feel full.

What is the Mechanism Behind GLP-1, the “Un-hunger” Hormone? 

GLP-1 is a signaling hormone that tells your brain that you are satiated and not hungry.

Your body naturally produces GLP-1 in the gut, but as you age your body produces less of it. Some scientists think decreased secretion of GLP-1 may be contribute to the development of obesity.

This is how GLP-1 works to support weight loss:

• When you eat, your body releases GLP-1 hormone.
• GLP-1 signals your pancreas to make and release insulin, reducing blood sugar levels.
• GLP-1 hormone also slows down stomach emptying, slowing down how quickly food moves from your stomach into the intestine.
• When your stomach remains full, GLP-1 stimulates nerves inside your gut who then send messages to your brain about being and feeling full.
• When appetite are cravings are reduced, it helps many people maintain a healthy weight.

Ozempic has been recommended by many doctors and helped many people manage their weight, blood sugar levels and metabolic disorders. That said, even if it were available to them, many people choose not to take an injectable medication in order to lose weight.

Is there a way to support natural GLP-1 levels through diet?
Is medication the only answer?

Plant Fiber: The Natural GLP-1 Booster

The good news is that by eating more fiber, especially soluble fiber, you can naturally increase GLP-1 hormone levels, thus supporting weight loss.¹

Eating more fiber helps the normally short-lived GLP-1 stick around longer, making its benefits more potent. (GLP-1 gets degraded within a matter of minutes!)

Fiber then moves through the small intestines largely unchanged (as our bodies don’t break down fiber).
Hours after you first ate, when the fiber next gets to the large intestine/colon, bacteria (gut microbiome) ferment and break down the fiber into smaller molecules.

These smaller molecules created by gut microbes feasting on fiber, trigger the release of a second boost of GLP-1 plus another hormone PPY (peptide YY) that decreases the appetite.

This second boost of GLP-1 and PYY, hours after your meal, can help you feel satiated for longer periods of time between eating.

Soluble Fiber, the Preferred Type of Fiber to Increase GLP-1, Feel Fuller Longer

If you are looking to boost your GLP-1 levels, aim to include more servings of plant foods in your diet and be sure to include foods high in soluble fiber. (Read below for more on Food Sources of  Soluble Fiber to Boost GLP-1.)

Soluble fiber easily dissolves in water and breaks down into a gel-like substance in the colon. Soluble fibers are the type of fiber that feed the gut bacteria that initiate generation of more GLP-1.

All fiber comes from plant foods, not animal products. Shift your meals and snacks to be proportionately more plant-centric and you’ll naturally raise your fiber intake!

You don’t have to count grams of soluble fiber in your diet, but make it a point to eat more servings of plant foods each day. Start by adding one additional serving of a fiber-rich food such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds or beans each day and build up from there. 

Most Americans don’t eat enough total fiber. The recommended amount of total dietary fiber per day is 25-30 grams of fiber and most Americans eat only about 15 grams of fiber daily.)

(Insoluble fiber, sometimes called roughage, does not dissolve in water and remains intact as food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. Insoluble fiber supports healthy elimination. Both types of fiber are beneficial for your overall health but play different roles.)

The Natural GLP-1 Boost Formula = Diet High in Soluble Fiber + Healthy/Diverse Gut Microbiome

Besides eating a diet with more soluble fiber you also need to have a healthy and diverse microbiome in the gut to naturally produce GLP-1 for you. The gut bacteria act upon and ferment the soluble fiber which in turn supports the natural production of GLP-1!

The good news is that eating more plant foods with fiber (especially colorfully pigmented ones rich in polyphenols) will naturally support a more diverse and robust gut microbiome. And, eating probiotic rich foods like yogurt, kefir, fermented vegetables, miso, etc will further enrich the gut microbiome.

Many of my clients also take a clinically studied probiotic supplement like MegaSporeBiotic to supports a healthy gut microbiome as well.

Key Takeaways: The Natural GLP-1 Boost Formula

To support weight loss, you can naturally boost your own production of the un-hunger hormone GLP-1 with the natural GLP-1 Boost Formula: 

• Eat more plant foods (the more variety the better), especially those that are good sources of soluble fiber 
• eat fermented foods rich in probiotics, and
• support the gut microbiome further with a with a probiotic like MegaSporeBiotic.

The post GLP-1 — The Un-Hunger Hormone appeared first on The Nutrition Supplement Dietitian.

UPDATED 3/13/2024
Original blog was updated to reflect the new Histamine Digest PureMAX formulation and bottle image; HDU (histamine digesting units) in Histamine Digest PureMAX increased to 40,000 from 30,000 per capsule. 

DAO (Diamine Oxidase) is the enzyme that neutralizes histamine in the digestive tract. Taking the enzyme prior to eating high histamine foods and beverages helps the body break down the histamines.

Research supports that this can be extremely helpful for people with histamine intolerance and can help manage unpleasant GI or other symptoms.

People who have difficulty balancing histamine levels in their body or histamine intolerance (also known as HIT) might get annoying reactions like stuffy nose, red eyes, itchy skin or hives.

Other common symptoms are gastric hypersecretion manifested with stomach pain (especially when eating), diarrhea, nausea and migraines.

Two Formulations of Histamine Digest Are  Available on my Website Now:
Original Histamine Digest and Histamine Digest PureMAX

How do you know which DAO supplement is best?

Histamine Digest PureMAX is designed for those with multiple sensitivities and higher Diamine Oxidase (DAO) needs. The Histamine Digest PureMAX capsule only contains DAO; it does not contain Vitamin C or Catalase enzyme (found in the regular Histamine Digest). Very sensitive individuals who react to these additional ingredients can benefit from Histamine Digest PureMAX.

While the vast majority of my clients do very well with the original Histamine Digest, having the pure form of DAO (PureMAX) is a great option.

Comparing Histamine Digest and Histamine Digest PureMAX

Histamine Digest

• 30,000 HDU/4.2 mg  (Histamine Digesting Units)
• Contains Vitamin C and Catalase (breaks down hydrogen peroxide).
• Other ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, vegetarian capsule (hypromellose, gellan gum), silicon dioxide (silica)
• 60 or 120 count

Histamine Digest PureMAX

• 40,000 HDU/4.8 mg (Histamine Digesting Units)
• Now with 40,000 HDU, due to advancements in the extraction and manufacturing process.
• Other ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, vegetarian capsule (hypromellose, gellan gum)
• 60 count

Histamine Digest and Histamine Digest PureMAX
DO NOT contain: wheat, gluten, yeast, soy, dairy products, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or artificial preservatives.

Research Shows Diamine Oxidase Supplementation Improves Symptoms in Patients with Histamine Intolerance 

“All symptoms improved significantly during the [4 week] oral supplementation of DAO. During the follow-up period, without DAO supplementation, the symptoms sum scores increased again. The symptom intensity score was reduced for all symptoms. We have demonstrated, a significant reduction of every HIT-related symptom and its intensity due to DAO oral supplements.” — Read the full study.

A second study also concluded that people who exhibited a histamine intolerance, the majority of whom had lower serum DAO levels, benefited from DAO supplementation.

Excerpt:

Intolerance to various foods, excluding bona fide coeliac disease and lactose intolerance, represents a growing cause of patient visits to allergy clinics. Histamine intolerance is a long-known, multifaceted clinical condition triggered by histamine-rich foods and alcohol and/or by drugs that liberate histamine or block diamine oxidase (DAO), the main enzyme involved in the metabolism of ingested histamine. Histamine limitation diets impose complex, non-standardized restrictions that may severely impact the quality of life of patients.

We found that 10 out of 14 patients had serum DAO activity<10 U/mL, which was the threshold suggested as a cutoff for probable histamine intolerance.

Moreover, 13 out of 14 patients subjectively reported a benefit in at least one of the disturbances related to food intolerances following diamine oxidase supplementation.

Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2016 Mar;29(1):105-11. doi: 10.1177/0394632015617170. Epub 2015 Nov 16., Manzotti G, Breda D, Di Gioacchino M, Burastero SE

Doesn’t the Body Make DAO Naturally?
Yes, your body naturally makes the DAO enzyme in your intestinal mucosa cells.

However, you can have low DAO enzyme activity for many reasons, including poor gut health and inflammatory GI diseases that affect the integrity of the gut lining.

Typically as we age, we also naturally make less DAO.

Both Histamine Digest and Histamine Digest PureMAX DAO supplements are designed to boost DAO levels in the body.

The post Histamine Digest PureMAX Offers Another Choice for Histamine Clearance!! appeared first on The Nutrition Supplement Dietitian.

As an integrative and functional nutritionist with special expertise in Histamine Intolerance, I’d like to tell you about Histamine Intolerance and clear up misconceptions.

What is Histamine Intolerance? What are Histamines? What are Mast Cells?

Histamine Intolerance is when there is an imbalance in the amount of accumulated histamine in your body as compared with your body’s capacity to break it down. Histamine Intolerance is also known as HIT. Histamines are chemicals largely produced by a type of white blood cells called mast cells.

Histamines are a key part of your immune system and have a vital role in digestion, sleep, and immune defense. Mast cells have the important job of storing and releasing histamines, however, they sometimes they overreact. When you have a disequilibrium of histamines in your body, it can unleash a cascade of symptoms.

(Mast Cell Activation Syndrome also known as MCAS, is an inappropriate release of ALL mast cell mediators, histamines being just one among them. Histamine Intolerance falls within the larger category of MCAS.)

Histamine Intolerance symptoms are often delayed (unlike allergies), and may take time to manifest. As histamines travel throughout the body through the bloodstream, virtually any part of the body can present with symptoms, from runny nose and itchy eyes, to diarrhea and gastric reflux, to migraine headaches and sleep disorders, to heart arrhythmias and high or low blood pressure, to painful menstrual periods and more!

Clearing Up the Confusion Between Histamine Intolerance and Allergy

One reason for the confusion and difficult diagnosis is that many common symptoms of Histamine Intolerance resemble common allergy symptoms. Histamine Intolerance and some allergic reactions may present similarly. That’s because many allergy symptoms are the result of histamine activity!

As I explain later in this post, tests done by the allergy MD (immunologist) look for a response to a particular antibody and in Histamine Intolerance there is no antibody response!

So when the doctor says, “you are not allergic to XYZ,” it doesn’t mean that your reaction to XYZ isn’t real. It just may be something else, like Histamine Intolerance. which should be explored.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, experts estimate that about 1 in 100 people have Histamine Intolerance. However, since Histamine Intolerance symptoms present differently in each person, the diagnosis of Histamine Intolerance is easily missed. It’s likely that Histamine Intolerance is even more common  than 1/100 people.

What are Common Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance?

Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance include:

• Symptoms similar to allergies: runny nose, nose congestion, red and itchy eyes, itchy skin, hives, eczema, asthma, flushing
• Digestive Challenges: diarrhea, nausea, bloating, cramps, gastric reflux
• Nervous System: migraine headaches, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, sleep disorders
• Cardiovascular Impacts: heart arrhythmia, low blood pressure, high blood pressure
• Women’s Health: painful, heavy menstrual periods

At first glance, many of these symptoms might not appear to be related, but I look for patterns and find that they often are related!

What is a True Allergy (IgE mediated)?
When you go to the allergy doctor, he or she tests for true allergies (IgE mediated). Allergy tests typically look for specific antibodies your immune system produces when it encounters a trigger.

When IgE allergy antibodies are the cause of the reaction to a food, for example, the immune system typically responds almost immediately. The signs and symptoms usually occur within minutes of ingestion, making it much easier to identify the trigger.  (An example of this is a peanut allergy.)

Symptoms may include itchy watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, hives, rashness or redness of the skin, vomiting and in more severe reactions, anaphylaxis.

Why Allergy Tests Don’t Diagnose Histamine Intolerance (HIT)
Even though symptoms of Histamine Intolerance may be similar to allergy symptoms, Histamine Intolerance doesn’t involve antibodies so they are not picked up on the allergy tests.

Also, the onset of symptoms from Histamine Intolerance is usually delayed…hours, sometimes even days, making it much more challenging to identify the triggers.

What is the Histamine “Bucket”?
The histamine bucket refers to each individual’s capacity to handle histamine. When your bucket fills and/or doesn’t drain sufficiently, and then overflows, a person can become symptomatic.

Think of a bucket that’s overflowing or a bathtub that’s not emptying fast enough so the water spills onto the floor, causing a problem. Histamine Intolerance is about keeping histamines in balance. Histamine Intolerance is a functional imbalance.

Histamine Intolerance is when the cumulative amount of histamines in your body (both what you take in through food and what your body produces) is out of balance with your body’s ability to break down histamines. Since there are many variables that increases histamines, and it’s a cumulative effect, what might trigger you one day (think a particular food), may not trigger you another day!

What Are Some of the Causes of Histamine Intolerance?

Food Triggers. (Certain foods can trigger a histamine reaction in more than one way.)

1. Some foods contain high levels of histamines,
2. Some foods cause histamine to be released within the body,
3. Other foods block the enzyme DAO. DAO is the enzyme that degrades or breaks down histamine in the gut.

Alcohol (a big trigger), leftover foods, aged cheeses, fermented products, smoked fish, cured foods, overripe fruit, deli meats, fish (unless it’s extremely fresh), are foods high in histamine and can overfill your the histamine “bucket.”

Medication Triggers. Some medications release histamine or inhibit the DAO enzyme that degrades histamine. These include some antibiotics, anesthetics, opioids, aspirin, NSAIDS, excipients, hormones.

Poor Gut Health. Underlying gut issues and infections can also play a role in causing Histamine Intolerance.

Unhealthy Lifestyle. Stress, poor sleep, smoking all contribute to Histamine Intolerance.

Environmental Triggers. Pollen dust, mold animal dander, pesticides, smog, pigments in makeup, perfumes, radiographic dyes can all trigger histamine release.

Genetic Predisposition. There can be a genetic predisposition to Histamine Intolerance, in particular to have less potential of making the histamine degrading enzyme, DAO.

I do the “detective” work to help identify and remove your personal triggers of histamine intolerance.

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Nutrition Tools and Other Treatments for Histamine Intolerance: How to Bring the Histamine”Bucket” Back into Balance

• • Low Histamine Diet: Identifying and limiting triggers through a low-histamine diet and food diary can significantly reduce symptoms. I work with clients to reduce high histamine foods and eat a low histamine diet to keep the “bucket” from overflowing with too much histamines.
    I focus on limiting High Histamine Foods like alcoholic beverages, aged, fermented, cured and smoked products, without overly restricting the diet.But did you know that foods increase in histamine levels as they ripen (think overly ripe fruit), or sit in the refrigerator as leftovers, or sit in supermarket prepared food deli areas for a few days?  So the same food freshly made may not trigger a reaction, but it might trigger a reaction after sitting in your home refrigerator or in the store refrigerated section for two or three days! That said, a typically low histamine food can become a high histamine food (and trigger a reaction) when it’s less fresh, leaving the individual totally perplexed.In addition, packaged or processed foods may contain histamine-triggering food additives that would not be present in a homemade version or another brand of the same food. When I work with clients we look at the ingredients in detail to determine any suspect triggers.

• • Blood Test for Food and Food-Chemical Sensitivities: If reducing high histamine foods is not enough to relieve symptoms, I also offer testing to uncover hidden food sensitivities that may be contributing to your histamine release.Using the results of the test which identifies your triggers, I design a LEAP eating plan. LEAP is a custom anti-inflammatory eating plan and nutrition counseling program based on the Mediator Release Test (MRT). It is a scientifically based several phase diet that removes identified food and chemical triggers so your immune system can calm down, and then helps you reintroduce safe foods.

• • DAO Enzyme and Other Nutrition Supplements for Histamine Intolerance: Targeted nutrition supplements are a great tool for helping to stabilize the cells from releasing as much histamine, helping to keep the “bucket” below the “fill line.”In addition, there are supplements that support the two pathways that break down histamines in the body, helping to keep the histamine “bucket” from overflowing. The main pathway in the gut is DAO (Diamine oxidase) which can be taken as a supplement. The second pathway in the other parts of the body is HNMT which requires several nutrition cofactors to operate optimally.

• • Restore Gut Health for Histamine Intolerance: I work with clients to heal their gut lining and support a healthy, balanced, and diverse microbiome to maintain a healthy gut lining, reduce inflammation and keep histamine levels in check.

• • Changing Lifestyle Makes a Difference with Histamine Intolerance: We discuss ways to help manage stress, optimize sleep, and avoid smoking – all factors can aggravate your histamine response.

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Key Takeaways for Managing Histamine Intolerance

Histamine Intolerance (HIT) and allergy are commonly confused, but understanding the distinct players, such as DAO and HNMT enzymes and mast cells, is crucial. Unlike allergies, HIT is a functional imbalance where the histamine “bucket” overflows, leading to delayed symptoms. Standard allergy tests are ineffective for HIT.

• • Identify Your Own Histamine Intolerance Triggers: I work with clients to start learning their trigger foods that may fill their histamine “bucket.”  We start by keeping a food diary, and then may go on to an elimination diet, or get a food sensitivity test for deeper insights. I am a Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT) and Functional Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, trained to evaluate the MRT food sensitivity test and implement the immune calming diet.
• • Build a Stronger “Bucket” to Keep Your Histamines in Balance: Heal your gut lining, support your microbiome, and prioritize sleep and stress management to bolster your body’s natural histamine processing abilities.

• • Tailor Your Strategies for Keeping Histamine at a Good Level: The right tools for your “bucket” might include a low-histamine diet, DAO enzyme supplements, gut health supplements, and individual lifestyle adjustments. I work with clients to help them listen to your bodies and personalize strategies to find what works best for each individual.

How I Can Help You If You are Having Histamine Intolerance Symptoms

1. SHOP Top Recommended Supplements for Histamine Intolerance

• DAO,
• DAO PureMax
• Quercetin,
• Natural D-Hist,
• Megasporebiotic,
• Megasporebiotic Gummies,
• Vitamin C,
• Petadolex (especially for migraine symptoms).

2. Schedule an Appointment or MRT Food Sensitivity Test
Contact Me for Personalized Guidance on Managing Your Histamine Intolerance (HIT). Histamine Intolerance can present in many ways. It’s best to work with a healthcare practitioner like myself who is experienced and has a track record with Histamine Intolerance.

3. Learn More About My Approach to Managing Your Histamine Intolerance Symptoms

Take control of your histamine journey. Histamine Intolerance doesn’t have to control your life. By understanding your triggers, implementing the right changes, and adopting a holistic approach to your health, you can achieve balance and experience a life free from uncomfortable symptoms.

Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. As your certified LEAP Therapist and Functional Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I’m here to guide and support you every step of the way.  Ready to take control of your health and reclaim your life?

Contact me today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how LEAP and a personalized nutrition plan can help you manage your Histamine Intolerance (HIT) or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).

The post Confused about Histamine Intolerance vs Allergy? appeared first on The Nutrition Supplement Dietitian.

Taking a daily multivitamin supplement can slow age-related memory decline, finds a large study led by researchers at Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard.

Does It Matter Which Multivitamin You Take?

This study used Centrum Silver, which has over two dozen vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. All multivitamins differ in their formulations. They vary in the specific vitamins and minerals they contain, the forms and dosages of the nutrients.

My “go-to” multivitamin is Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day, as an adjunct to a good diet.

Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day contains vitamins in their bioactive/readily usable forms, minerals that are highly absorbable and many nutrients in the forms that occur in nature.

Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day contains nutrients not found in most multis, like vitamin K2 (supports heart and bone health), nutrients for macular and retinal health, vitamin D3 and methylated B vitamins and natural forms of vitamin E.

Taken two per day (one in AM and one in PM), the water soluble vitamins stay in a steady state in the body throughout the day and night.

Is Any One Particular Nutrient Responsible for the Cognitive Improvement?

In this study, the researchers did not look at whether any specific component of the multivitamin supplement was linked to improvement in memory.

Researchers believe that the multivitamins may work by providing micronutrients that enhance function of the hippocampus area of the brain.  This is the second large study conducted by the researchers to show that memory improved in older adults who took daily multivitamins.

Double blind research studies on multivitamins are rare. That’s because the studies are very expensive to do.

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and also by Mars Edge, a division of Mars, which makes candy, pet food and other products; and Pfizer and Haleon, both makers of multivitamins.

Can’t I Get Enough Nutrients Through Food?

Because of the state of the current food supply, and because very few individuals eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, many nutrition experts (including myself) agree that a multivitamin/mineral supplement should be taken daily. It’s kind of a nutrition “insurance” for the essential nutrients to be consumed on a daily basis.

Even the Journal of the American Medical Association – not usually known as a supporter of nutritional supplements – suggests that everyone should take a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement (JAMA 2002;287:3127-3129).

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Somehow experiencing the poor air quality and “orange” skies first hand (even without the threat of the fire itself) makes this all the more real. Staying indoors or filtering yourself from the particulate matter is first and foremost…however it’s good to know that there are some nutritional supports to consider as well.

Annual wildfires in California, Colorado, Oregon and other areas in the western US, result not only in terrible loss of human and animal life, forests and property, but people (and animals) are also left dealing with tremendous environmental pollution.

The gases and particles that wildfires produce can be extremely irritating to the sensitive mucosal lining of our lungs. (Other parts of the body like nasal passages, eyes, GI tract also have mucosal linings.) People with respiratory issues like asthma or allergies are particularly vulnerable to this air pollution and the resulting oxidative stress and inflammation.

What Does Nutrition Have to Do with Wildfires?

In addition to minimizing your outdoor exposure during the wildfires, healthy nutrition can help counter the potential health effects of the gases and particles that the wild fires produce.

It’s important to eat a healthy whole foods diet rich in phytonutrients — a food component with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In plain language, eat a Mediterranean type diet, with lots and lots of colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (like nuts, seeds, olive oil), whole grains, fish, limited amounts of red meat (grass fed is best) and dairy and few or no processed foods.

While healthy food is most important, targeted nutrition supplements, such as the master antioxidant glutathione, or its precursor NAC (n-acetylcysteine) can provide addition support. A boswellia supplement is also supportive of mucosal linings such as of the respiratory tract.

This article provides a review of some of the key nutrients that play important roles in the body to manage oxidative stress and inflammation from pollution.

Pollution and respiratory disease: can diet or supplements help? A review, Respir Research. 2018; 19: 79.

Abstract
Pollution is known to cause and exacerbate a number of chronic respiratory diseases. The World Health Organisation has placed air pollution as the world’s largest environmental health risk factor. There has been recent publicity about the role for diet and anti-oxidants in mitigating the effects of pollution, and this review assesses the evidence for alterations in diet, including vitamin supplementation in abrogating the effects of pollution on asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases.

We found evidence to suggest that carotenoids, vitamin D and vitamin E help protect against pollution damage which can trigger asthma, COPD and lung cancer initiation. Vitamin C, curcumin, choline and omega-3 fatty acids may also play a role.

The Mediterranean diet appears to be of benefit in patients with airways disease and there appears to be a beneficial effect in smokers however there is no direct evidence regarding protecting against air pollution.

More studies investigating the effects of nutrition on rapidly rising air pollution are urgently required. However it is very difficult to design such studies due to the confounding factors of diet, obesity, co-morbid illness, medication and environmental exposure.

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Nitric oxide, the heart-healthy chemical in your blood vessels, is a natural signaling molecule that signals blood vessels to widen, allowing more blood flow throughout the body, including to the brain and heart.

Adequate nitric oxide amounts support arterial walls, important for them being able to constrict and dilate as needed.  Arterial stiffness contributes to high blood pressure and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

As we age, your body’s own production of nitric oxide naturally decreases which can impact healthy vascular function.

Vascanox HP is a great companion product to Arterosil HP, a foundational supplement that supports the fragile inner lining of the entire vascular system (endothelial glycocalyx).

Vascanox HP is a complementary product that integrative cardiologists can use with patients.

Vascanox HP contains a proprietary formulation of plant extracts like beet root, black garlic and several berries, as well as vitamins C, D, B1, B12 and several minerals.

 Study Shows Vascanox HP Provides Nitric Oxide Support for Up to 24 Hours 

A recent study, (open-label IRB approved), showed that Vascanox HP provides nitric oxide support for up to 24 hours with a single dose. Saliva N.O. test strips were used to measure nitric oxide.

More ways to Increase Nitric Oxide Production

In addition to a nutrition supplement like Vascanox HP, here are some other ways to increase your nitric oxide production:

• Do deep breathing (take long deep breaths through your nose), yoga, and meditation
• Eat right and keep levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar in mind
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, limit intake of saturated fat and sugar
• Incorporate foods that boost nitric oxide levels like beets, garlic, leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, cabbage, garlic, broccoli and citrus
• Keep moving and exercising regularly
• Aim for maintaining a healthy weight

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