We all know what it’s like when it’s that time of the month and our cycle starts. It’s a combination of feeling exhausted and having minimal patience, with the overall body ache and discomfort. Like clockwork, it shows up around the same time every month. That occasional feeling of being bloated and puffy while also craving foods we don’t usually eat all play a role in our menstrual cycle.
Can you relate to any of these feelings? If so, this blog is meant for you! We are going to take some time and talk about which vitamins are good for PMS and which vitamins support PMS mood swings.‡ Let’s get started!
PMS, or Premenstrual Syndrome, is a combination of different changes your body goes through before the arrival of your period. You might experience the following during PMS:
What once didn’t necessarily bother you, may now be pushing your buttons.
The exact cause of PMS is unknown. There are many factors which may come into play when it comes to PMS. For example, it may be related to the hormonal changes women go through during their menstrual cycle. PMS usually shows up after ovulation, which is when the ovaries release an egg. It’s around this time when estrogen and progesterone hormone levels drop. Once these hormones start to rise back up to their normal levels, usually 2-3 days after your period hits, PMS tends to start to calm down.1
Have you ever woken up about a week before your period hits, started your day off great and then, about an hour or two into your day, you’re starting to randomly get annoyed and irritable about things that usually wouldn’t otherwise bother you? Yeah, that’s common. You can thank your normal hormonal changes for those brief bouts of mild mood swings.
Hormonal fluctuations happen during the second half of our menstrual cycle. The reason for this is because ovulation occurs about halfway through our cycle. During ovulation, our bodies release an egg which causes estrogen and progesterone levels to drop. When this shift in these hormones occur, you may experience both physical and emotional symptoms, such as those pesky mood swings.2
Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels also influence serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate your mood, sleep cycle and appetite. Low levels of serotonin may lead to feeling more irritable and more mild mood swings. Mood swings are one of the most popular types of PMS symptoms.2
What’s one thing that could potentially contribute to the occasional mood swings associated with PMS? Menstrual cramps.
There’s so much more going on during PMS than just bloating and occasional mood swings, menstrual cramps are one of the most common effects women feel during menstruation and PMS and a physical toll we need to factor in each month. This is characterized by the common throbbing discomfort in the lower abdomen and even the lower back during your cycle. This discomfort tends to start 1 to 3 days before your period, peaks 24 hours after the onset of your period and subsides in 2 to 3 days. In most cases, it presents itself as a dull, continuous ache, but for some women, they’ve experienced other physical effects with menstrual cramps such as occasional nausea, loose stools and even aches and pains.3
In most cases of PMS, menstrual cramps occur during your period because your uterus contracts to help shed its lining in preparation to create a new fertile environment. During this time, prostaglandins trigger the uterus to contract. Higher levels of prostaglandins are associated with more occasional menstrual cramps.3
If the cramping wasn’t enough, that’s not all. Often, we tend to get more cravings for sweet-tasting foods than usual. One study found that dietary factors such as consumption of fast food, drinks containing sugar, deep-fried foods and lifestyle factors such as less habitual exercise and poor sleep quality is significantly associated with PMS, indicating that a focus in healthy lifestyle factors such as diet and regular exercise may contribute to the management of PMS.4
We all know what it feels like when our cycle hits and our motivation plummets. It’s almost as if we need to dig deep and work extra hard just to get our minds to focus. Turns out, there’s science behind why we often feel this way during our time of the month. PMS symptoms occur at the same time as hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. Research suggests that this fluctuation in the hormones, particularly a rise in estrogen and a decrease in progesterone may lead to an association with serotonin affecting these occasional mood swings.5
Studies have found that estrogen levels that fluctuate during the luteal phase may be partially responsible for women’s mood changes. Research supports that serotonin precursors increase between days 7 to 11 and 17 to 19 of the menstrual cycle. This indicates that PMS is closely associated with mood through estrogen-serotonin regulation.5
On the flip side, some studies have found that decreased estrogen causes a specific part of the brain, called the hypothalamus, to release the hormone neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which in turn may dampen the amounts of dopamine and serotonin secreted by the body, potentially leading to mild mood changes associated with PMS.6
Everyone manages their PMS symptoms differently. For some, it might include a warm bath and a cup of tea. For others, it might be a yummy chocolate bar and a back massage. Whatever way you manage your PMS symptoms, it’s probably safe to assume we could all use some holistic pointers to promote comfort during our menstrual period.‡
Nutrients like calcium play a role in healthy smooth muscle function and menstrual comfort. Vitamin D has similar effects, as it helps promote healthy calcium levels, cyclic hormone function and neurotransmitter activity.7,8‡ Vitamin E can help lessen breast tenderness as well as nervous tension and fatigue associated with the menstrual cycle.4‡ Our PMS Essentials, provides 100mg of elemental calcium, 400 IU of Vitamin D3 and 134mg of Vitamin E to support menstrual comfort. ‡
What’s interesting about our PMS Essentials is that it is specifically designed to provide a comprehensive nutrient and botanical approach to support mood, cravings, cramps and bloating associated with the menstrual cycle. ‡
Another neat feature of our PMS Essentials is that it contains Relora®, which is a unique combination of magnolia and philodendron extract. Relora® may help lessen stress-related sugary snack cravings and support emotional wellness while rhodiola supports energy and mental function.9‡
Pure Encapsulations® PMS Essentials can be used daily or during the luteal phase only. Have a conversation with your healthcare provider to determine which supplement routine is right for you.‡
If there’s one nutrient you wanted to solely focus on during PMS, it would be magnesium. There’s lots of research that supports healthy levels of magnesium has been associated with maintaining a positive mood during the luteal phase.10‡ Magnesium also plays an important role in nervous system sensitivity, providing support for muscle comfort, breast comfort and emotional well-being associated with the menstrual cycle.7 This is especially good to know considering those prostaglandins are working hard to create those muscle contractions and menstrual cramps.‡
Magnesium also plays an important role in nervous system sensitivity, providing support for muscle comfort, breast comfort and emotional well-being associated with the menstrual cycle.11‡
Plus, Magnesium is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids and fats, as well as energy production and the utilization of calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium.12-18‡
Looking for extra magnesium? Our Magnesium (glycinate) is one of our bestselling magnesium options and doesn’t have a laxative effect if you’re choosing to supplement with more than 350 mg per day.
Whether we like to admit it or not, we’ve all said something we wish we hadn’t. The week leading up to our menstrual cycle seems like the perfect time as any to let those frustrated words loose. Sometimes, we just need a little support. Whether that comes in the form of a hug, or in a more holistic, natural supplement approach, there are many ways we can help manage our occasional stress and PMS related mood swings so we have a little more patience and a little less irritability with others.‡
Pure Encapsulations® PMS Essentials contains 33 mg of Vitamin B6. Research has found that Vitamin B6 has a positive effect on premenstrual mood and may enhance the effect of magnesium in PMS.11 ‡
PMS Essentials also contains chaste tree which provides significant beneficial support for the hypothalamus and pituitary via its balancing effects.8 ‡ In other words, these two glands are responsible for estrogen and progesterone. Helping balance these important menstrual hormones may help promote a positive mood during menstruation and PMS.‡
Chaste Tree extract has also been associated with promoting healthy menstrual luteal phase length and menstrual regularity for some women, while helping to maintain healthy reproductive system function.9‡
Our Emotional Wellness by Pure Encapsulations® combines a blend of nutrients, amino acids, herbs and vitamin cofactors to promote healthy emotional well-being and cognitive function while moderating occasional stress.‡
Emotional Wellness contains 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and the amino acid l-tyrosine which are key precursors for the creation of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. These are responsible for a healthy emotional outlook and are involved in the regulation of endocrine and brain activity in addition to sleep/wake cycles.19‡
Plus, research has found that the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which is also included in our Emotional Wellness, is associated with positive mood as both GABA and l-theanine promote relaxation.20-22‡
Last but not least, this formulation also includes support for relaxation in its passionflower, while Rhodiola rosea supports cognitive and mental function under stressful conditions.23, 24‡
One nutrient that’s also supportive for occasional stress and not found in Pure Encapsulations® Emotional Wellness is Ashwagandha. ‡
While it’s not included in our PMS Essentials or Emotional Wellness products. Ashwagandha is an honorable mention when it comes to helping manage stress and overall health. Ashwagandha has been shown to not only support immune cell activity, but it’s also been found to help moderate occasional stress, enhance memory and cognitive function.25-27‡ These are all helpful aspects when we are dealing with the stressors associated with our menstrual cycle.‡
Now that you’re familiar with utilizing vitamins to promote menstrual comfort and better manage PMS and menstrual cycle symptoms, you can stock up and be well equipped with the nutrients needed no matter what your monthly cycle may have in store. ‡ Here at Pure Encapsulations®, we offer a variety of products specifically designed to support women’s health, comfort and wellness through every age and stage of life. Check out all the Women's Health products we offer today! ‡
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Sometimes, for what feels like no reason whatsoever, your digestion is just plain uncomfortable. It seems like no matter what we do or eat, we experience the occasional gas and bloating and overall whole-body icky feeling. No matter what anyone says, it’s hard to get a grasp on what’s going on. These discomforts can really put a damper on enjoying your meals and may even lead to being overly cautious to the types of food you include in your diet.
Leaky gut is a term that has recently gained popularity over the years as it may pertain to a number of digestive concerns.1 In this blog, we’ll discuss leaky gut and the best supplements to help support a healthy gut.‡
Let’s get started!
Leaky gut occurs when the intestinal barrier isn’t being as selectively permeable as we need it to be. This can contribute to a wide variety of symptoms, including occasional abdominal discomfort, bloating, indigestion and, possibly, food sensitivities.1
Everyone’s gut is semi-permeable, or selective as to what nutrients and materials are allowed to pass in and out of the GI tract and into the bloodstream. We need our gut to be semi-permeable so that we can utilize the nutrients that help keep us healthy, create energy and allow us to continue to partake in most of the metabolic processes in the body.
When you think of gut permeability, consider the intestines acting as a filter. When the filter is working just right, only certain and appropriate things enter and exit through this filter. When the filter is no longer working correctly, other materials that originally weren’t supposed to pass through this filter, suddenly start to pass through, which could be problematic.
Leaky gut describes a situation when the intestinal barrier is no longer as selective and efficient as it should. As a result, it may allow for certain substances to “leak” into the blood stream, instead of staying in the GI tract to be excreted normally.1
The concept of having concerns with intestinal permeability is very much real, and it’s important to note that leaky gut is a well-studied phenomenon. As of right now, however, its exact mechanism is not well defined. 1 Despite this, we know that intestinal permeability may contribute to an array of symptoms. Let’s discuss potential causes and identify holistic ways to support our gut barrier function and intestinal integrity.‡
The integrity of the gut barrier is influenced by many factors including health status, dietary composition, certain medications and lifestyle habits, such as sleep disturbances, intense exercise and stress. High fat diets increase intestinal permeability by interfering with tight junctions (proteins that hold mucosal cells together).2 On the flip side, diets rich in soluble fiber have the opposite effect, as fiber is converted by the gut microbiome to barrier-fortifying short-chain fatty acids.3
Since gut health is modifiable and nutritionally responsive, it’s best to shift our perspective to think of leaky gut as an opportunity to support foundational gut health through simple diet and lifestyle practices.1-3‡
The mucosal lining of the gut is constantly repairing and replenishing itself. It's never too late to implement a holistic approach to support gut barrier function.‡
It's important to recognize that just because someone may be experiencing occasional abdominal discomfort, occasional gas and bloating and food sensitivities, doesn’t always mean leaky gut is the culprit. It’s still always good to keep it in mind! A functional medicine practitioner can use a variety of lab tests to assess intestinal barrier function.1
Pop quiz! What else do we share our GI tract with? You guessed it! The microbiome. Our microbiome is made of multiple different bacterial, yeast and other microscopic organisms to help support a diverse and healthy GI tract.4 One way the microbiome helps support the GI tract is by creating by-products that have protective functions for our GI tract. One of these by-products is the postbiotic, butyrate.5
Butyrate
Butyrate is produced when the protective bacteria in your body break down dietary fiber in the large intestine. The result is the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate. Butyrate has been shown to play a major role in intestinal physiology, supporting protective barrier function, bowel motility, nutrient absorption and immune activity of intestinal cells.5 Research shows that butyrate supplementation supports intestinal function and promotes healthy cytokine balance in the G.I. tract.8‡
One teaspoon of our SunButyrate-TF Liquid provides as much as 4.5 grams of butyrate as butyric acid. This is just one holistic way you can promote intestinal health, abdominal comfort, gut barrier integrity and cytokine balance in the GI tract.‡
L-Glutamine
Let’s talk about an important amino acid: l-glutamine. L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. In times of metabolic stress, glutamine is utilized by the body for tissue repair and gastrointestinal tract support.9,10 Glutamine plays a large role in maintaining healthy intestinal integrity by enhancing the intestine’s protective mucosal lining.11 It also works by supporting cellular renewal, tissue repair and promoting villous function.12 All of these functions play an important role in supporting gastrointestinal health.‡
Other Nutrients ‡
While l-glutamine is a popular choice, there are other honorable mentions when it comes to other nutrients that help support intestinal barrier function.‡
Other supplements worth mentioning to support the mucosal lining include arabinogalactan and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL).‡ Arabinogalactan is a prebiotic fiber that helps nourish and increase the concentration of beneficial bacteria to help support cytokine balance and GI function.‡13,14 Additionally, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has been shown to maintain intestinal comfort by supporting the protective mucosal lining.‡15 Want to learn more about this unique prebiotic? Check out our blog on arabinogalactan here.
Our Epi-Integrity Powder contains 2.4 grams of l-glutamine, 2.4 grams of arabinogalactan and 50 miligrams of deglycyrrhizinated licorice per serving. All to help GI integrity and mucosal immune response.‡
Did you know that there are also lifestyle factors that help support intestinal barrier function? You guessed it! One of these is your diet. Research suggests that managing intestinal permeability is mostly based on avoidance of high amounts of sugar and fat and by implementing a low FODMAP diet.
“FODMAP” is an acronym that stands for “Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.” This diet is strict in avoiding foods that are fermentable and contain oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Studies have also found that including prebiotics, probiotics, fibers, glutamine and short-chain fatty acids have been helpful in promoting intestinal barrier function and integrity.16
Following a low FODMAP diet can be helpful in supporting intestinal barrier function because it restricts certain sugars that may cause intestinal distress. This diet is designed to help people figure out which foods are problematic and which foods may limit symptoms.‡
The key thing to know about the low FODMAP diet is that it’s a temporary eating plan and can be very restrictive. The sole purpose of the plan is to help dampen the abdominal symptoms you’re experiencing while at the same time identify which foods are a trigger for you. This is accomplished in a three-phase elimination diet. These phases include the first phase where you stop eating certain foods that are high FODMAP foods. Then, the second phase is where you slowly reintroduce them back into your diet to see which foods are triggering your symptoms. Once you’ve identified your trigger foods you move on to the third phase, or the maintenance phase, where you can avoid or limit these trigger foods and enjoy your meals without worry.17
The elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet is meant to last about two to six weeks. This is where we anticipate seeing a dampening of those pesky symptoms and beneficially alter the bacteria in the GI tract. When starting to add foods back into your diet after this elimination phase, it’s recommended to start adding back food items one at a time. The reason for this is so that you can identify the trigger without any other factor potentially contributing. If symptoms persist after six weeks, it’s a good idea to consult your healthcare provider to see if there’s a deeper issue going on.17
When there are concerns around your gut integrity, you know it, because you can feel it. Things just don’t feel right and dealing with the occasional discomforts associated with intestinal functioning and digestion can become a frustrating challenge, especially when there’s no set reason for what’s causing this discomfort.
That's why here at Pure Encapsulations®, our product are formulated using pure, non-GMO ingredients, free from unnecessary additives and many common allergens. Our SunButyrate-TG Liquid, L-Glutamine and our Epi-Integrity Powder help support that intestinal barrier function and help promote cytokine balance and GI comfort. We also offer a wide variety of gastrointestinal products formulated to help support gut health.‡
Working with your healthcare practitioner will ensure you have the proper guidance to make the decisions that best support your unique nutritional needs when considering multiple factors related to leaky gut and maintaining overall gut health.‡
Did you know that more than 60 million Americans experience occasional heartburn symptoms each day?1 Acid reflux, or heartburn, is a common problem inflicting Americans today. It occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest or throat, and often occurs during or after a meal.‡
In this blog, we will discuss what causes occasional heartburn and associated acid reflux, share some supporting supplements and talk about holistic lifestyle approaches you can implement to help manage your symptoms.
You know that uncomfortable feeling after eating a meal when you feel regurgitation bubbling up in your chest and then that radiating burn starts to seep through, causing discomfort? While occasional heartburn isn’t always a cause of concern, common lifestyle factors may contribute to it.
Lifestyle Causes of Heartburn
Lifestyle and daily habits play a role in our overall health. Lack of exercise, increased sedimentary lifestyle leading to being overweight, and even dietary habits high in fatty, acidic and spicy foods may be intolerable to the delicate esophageal lining, contributing to the discomfort of occasional heartburn and associated acid reflux. While it’s easy to overlook the day-to-day habits that may negatively impact our health, let’s discuss some lifestyle factors contributing to these symptoms. Factors such as being overweight, consuming a diet high in fatty, acidic and spicy foods, and even alcohol or tobacco use have all been shown to be contributors. 2‡
Physiological Causes of Occasional Heartburn
Other factors may contribute to unwanted occasional heartburn symptoms. For example, a weakened or loose lower esophageal sphincter (LES) may contribute to acid reflux.‡ The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle ring connecting the esophagus to the stomach. The role of the LES is to open to allow food and drink to pass into the stomach from the mouth, then close to keep those contents in the stomach to allow for digestion.3 Physiological factors such as the denaturing of muscle tone to the lower esophageal sphincter, reduced lower esophageal sphincter pressure, hiatal hernias, impaired esophageal clearance and delayed gastric emptying may all be potential causes of occasional heartburn and associated acid reflux.4 These physiological factors may be indicative of a more serious issue. Please consult your health care professional.
When it comes to dealing with these symptoms, there’s an abundance of possibilities available to us nowadays. Heck, you go to the pharmacy section of any grocery store and there’s a whole aisle dedicated to over-the-counter medications such as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to help manage heartburn symptoms or any other indigestion issues. Often, those PPIs work by limiting stomach acid.
Certain medications, such as PPIs, may be appropriate and should be used under the recommendation of your healthcare professional for managing chronic, long-term, and/or more serious cases of acid reflux and heartburn. Dietary supplements are not intended to replace the use of such medications.
However, if looking for a way to potentially manage occasional and/or minor heartburn, the following supplement recommendations may be appropriate for you, along with other dietary and lifestyle changes.
Supplements to Help with Occasional Heartburn‡
Did you know some functional foods possess soothing properties and help alleviate irritation, all while protecting the lining of the esophagus from stomach acid? Take marshmallow root and slippery elm, for example, which contain a fiber called mucilage. Mucilage has an interesting characteristic where it can form a gel-like coating on the esophageal lining.8
Another helpful nutrient is gamma-Oryzanol, which has a history of use for supporting the health of the stomach lining. Its mechanism has yet to be clarified but may involve the autonomic nervous system, which regulates gastric secretory activity.9
Pure Encapsulations® Heartburn Essentials* contains 125 mg of Gamma-Oryzanol, 100 mg marshmallow and 100 mg slippery elm to help soothe the digestive tract.‡
Stomach Acid and Reflux
We can’t talk about occasional heartburn and associated acid reflux without honorably mentioning betaine hydrochloride (HCl), which increases stomach acid. While the jury is still out on Betaine HCl’s role in helping manage these symptoms, adequate stomach acid supports the digestion of proteins and fats, which are abundant in foods that cause discomfort. Some studies indicate that increasing stomach acidity in people with low stomach acid may help proper digestion and help these symptoms.10 ‡
Lifestyle Factors to Help Ease Acid Reflux
How we lead and live our life has a big impact on our overall health and acid reflux is no different. You can implement lifestyle changes to help ease heartburn and aid in relief.
Maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight may help improve heartburn and acid reflux symptoms. The reason behind this is that excess pounds may put pressure on the abdomen, ultimately pushing the stomach up and causing acid to back up into the esophagus.5 Incorporating a healthy diet and exercise may help lead to a healthy weight. This, in turn, will reduce pressure on the stomach and diminish the potential for ongoing heartburn discomfort.
Avoid tight-fitting clothing
We all know the feeling of coming home after a long day of work and the first thing you want to do is change out of your fancy, form-fitting business clothes into sweatpants and something a little more comfortable. Turns out, there’s science behind changing into loose-fitting clothing. Did you know that constricting clothing puts pressure on your abdomen and the lower esophageal sphincter? This leads to the potential to exacerbate occasional heartburn and associated acid reflux symptoms.5
Change up your meal routine
Certain foods, such as highly acidic foods like citrus fruits and vegetables, or corrosive foods like coffee and spicy foods, may trigger your heartburn - limiting them may help manage your symptoms. If you find the traditional three large meals per day start to trigger those nasty heartburn symptoms, try opting for frequent small meals throughout the day. Another good idea is to avoid lying down after a meal by waiting about 2 to 3 hours. It’s also a good rule of thumb to avoid late meals too close to bedtime.5
Elevate the head of your bed
If you sometimes experience heartburn at night, it may be a good idea to elevate the head of your bed. If that's not possible, insert a wedge between your mattress and box spring to elevate your body from the waist up. Keep in mind, though, that raising your head with additional pillows usually isn't effective as these pillows can slip and cause you to slump back down in a flat position. Elevating your body from the waist up helps prevent the body from experiencing nighttime reflux. This is because gravity comes into play, helping keep the contents of the stomach down better in an upright position versus a lying down, flat position.5
Avoid smoking and alcohol
Both smoking and drinking alcohol decrease the lower esophageal sphincter's ability to function properly.5 Repetitive smoking and alcohol intake may weaken the esophageal sphincter’s ability to close properly, enhancing the potential for stomach acid to reflux back into the esophagus.3
As you may already be aware, certain foods like hot jalapeno peppers or highly acidic fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges, and highly corrosive foods like chocolate and caffeine contribute to unwanted heartburn symptoms. But did you know that certain foods help support esophageal function and help alleviate these symptoms? ‡ 6
For example, high-protein foods such as lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu and legumes help strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter. Plus, low-fat foods and healthy complex carbohydrates help strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter.7
Most health professionals generally recommend following a diet low in highly acidic foods. These would include high citrus foods like oranges or grapefruit and opting for lower acid fruits like bananas or avocadoes. Limiting spicy foods like peppers, paprika and traditional chili seasonings is also recommended. If you want that extra blast of flavor with your foods, try herbal compounds like basil, thyme, parsley and sage. Additionally, consider limiting high-fat foods such as those fried and opt for those baked, stewed, or grilled. These simple dietary changes may help manage acid reflux and make mealtime more enjoyable.6
You can try many different holistic approaches to help manage your occasional heartburn and associated acid reflux symptoms. From lifestyle factors such as changing dietary habits, limiting late-night snacking and maintaining a healthy weight to limiting highly acidic and spicy foods to getting adequate exercise and promoting achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, you can implement many different factors to help manage your heartburn. Another way you can holistically support the unwanted signs of occasional heartburn is by leveraging our Pure Encapsulations® Heartburn Essentials* or Betaine HCl/Pepsin to lower stomach acidity and to support healthy gastric function.‡
We’ve got you covered here at Pure Encapsulations®, where you can find products to support your occasional heartburn and overall wellness journey.‡
As you know, diet and nutrition are key to our gut health. And if you're up on the latest findings, you will see a strong correlation between your gut health and overall well-being. Remember that every person is different and modulating the type of dietary approach will be necessary based on individual needs. For example, some people may be sensitive to the wheat protein gluten. Others may have allergic responses that affect their GI tract, while others may have had insult or injury to their gastrointestinal system bringing about some GI concerns.
But for now, let’s review the GI tract and how it works for us. Your GI tract consists of four continuous segments or areas: the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon (also known as the large intestine).
These organs work in unison for us. The integrated response of the GI tract to what we eat is a coordinated series of events. This includes responses to the ingestion of meals, the transfer of the food to the stomach, and then intestines for digestion, absorption, and elimination of waste products. All these events play an important role in an individual’s GI function, tolerance and gut health.
Finding credible information can sometimes be stressful, but rest assured we have you covered and hope to speak candidly about some of the GI concerns that may be affecting you.
We know you have some questions about some GI upset like occasional diarrhea and constipation. And we’re not forgetting some of you may be trying to cope with both.
When did you first start to experience these symptoms? Many of you can easily recall, even in childhood, ’dealing’ with either occasional diarrhea or constipation, but this may have become even more of a concern as you got older. To keep things not ‘too clinical,’ we will leave the criteria for GI concerns to your healthcare practitioner.
However, we can identify that abdominal discomfort, gas and bloating are all signs of functional gut health concerns that should be addressed.
What defines occasional diarrhea? You might think this is silly because we have all likely experienced it. But honestly - what is the simple definition of diarrhea? To sum it up, it’s the increase in the frequency of loose, watery stools.1
What’s happening? Well, there’s a rush of water not effectively absorbed in the intestines, resulting in water loss and electrolytes. The onset can be sudden and the duration may be contingent on a variety of factors. (Remember, I’m keeping it cool and not too clinical for you!).
Why is this happening? A variety of factors may lend to this - genetics, a person’s response to stress, diet, insult or injury to the gut, medications, allergies and exposure to certain microorganisms are just a few.
Supporting healthy immune balance within the GI tract is helpful. This includes maintaining healthy gastrointestinal barrier function and immune support to maintain the integrity of the intestinal mucosa.‡
The GI tract houses a large portion of the body’s immune system and has the job of protecting you from unwanted microorganisms. The gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is one of the main protective mechanisms. The GALT helps protect intestinal mucosa from allergens and toxins and is a major component of the body’s immune system.2‡
Did you know it is estimated that more than 70% of the body’s B lymphocytes are found in the GALT?‡ Amazing, right? As you may know, the best way to get key nutrients, including probiotics and prebiotics to support gut health, is through the food you eat. However, dietary supplements, like probiotics, are another great way to support your overall health.‡
Probiotics are believed to support healthy GALT composition and support barrier function, GI epithelial cell health and T cell function within the GI tract.3 Pure Encapsulations® Probiotic G.I. is a shelf-stable probiotic blend that provides 10 billion CFU per capsule of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus silvarius, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus.‡ These beneficial microflora are crucial for proper GALT function and development.4‡
One of the probiotic strains with numerous clinical studies is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. This strain is known for surviving gastric juices, good intestinal adhesion, and supporting healthy gut microflora and respiratory and immune health.5 Supplementing with Pure Encapsulations® PureGG 25B offers L. rhamnosus GG, which also has favorable effects on bowel function, particularly abdominal comfort, bowel motility and occasional diarrhea.6‡
But for some of you, there are concerns about occasional constipation, wanting to support bowel function and promote your overall gut health.‡
If you have experienced occasional constipation, you know and understand that stools were likely difficult to pass and infrequent. It is like the waiting game to see when things will ‘pass.’
But different things may cause a change in your GI motility or the movement of food through your GI tract. Some people may have issues with gastric emptying, which may delay the digested food from emptying appropriately, leading to occasional constipation and affecting gut health.
Adequate hydration is another key factor that may affect the stool. Certain medications, diet (and dietary fiber), how active or sedentary you are and genetics (of course!) all play a part in how your GI functions.
Digestive enzymes are integral to the digestion process. Certain enzymes specifically support the breakdown or digestion of macronutrients in our diet. Refresher: macronutrients are the nutrients that are most prevalent in our diet, like carbohydrates, protein, and fat (water, too!).
If you want to support your digestion and gut health (aren’t we all?), consider a dietary supplement like a digestive enzyme with an extensive profile to help protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber and dairy digestion as a good starting point. ‡
Look for enzymes that are specific to the digestion or breakdown of food macros:
Pure Encapsulations® Digestive Enzymes Ultra offers all of these plus other numerous enzymes to assist with breaking down dietary fiber, making the nutrients in fiber-containing foods more bioavailable.10‡
Some people who look to manage their occasional diarrhea and constipation realize that knowing what and how much to eat is important in helping them manage their daily symptoms.
Dietary Management
As I mentioned at the very start of this blog, gut health is an important part of your overall health and well-being. Poor gut health can impact your quality of life (think back to the last time you had a digestive issue – did it interfere with your activity?).
Here are some simple lifestyle management tips that could go a long way toward improving your gut health and overall health and well-being!
Managing GI tolerance includes keeping your best food choices and a balanced diet at the forefront of your day-to-day living. It is also essential to manage other factors like your lifestyle and ensure you follow the protocol your healthcare practitioner outlined for your health journey. Whatever your health need or goal, you can confidently turn to our Gastrointestinal Health Category for functional nutrition solutions and gut support. ‡
With Pure Intentions, from Pure Encapsulations®
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Most people say one of the most wonderful times of the year is the holiday season. Whatever holiday you celebrate, you know it brings our families, friends and loved ones closer. I am sure you too can see among the hustle and bustle of the crowds that the air is filled with that little extra something special. People are filled with the spirit of goodwill, an extra heaping measure of kindness, topped off with top-notch service, something as simple as someone holding the door for you. All of this brings warmth to your soul and you certainly want to pass it along. For some, family time means gathering with your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins at the homestead. The holidays are about tradition and honoring those who celebrated in a similar way decades ago. It is about love, honor and enjoying the warmth of the now and the memories of yesterday.
Though it sounds like a flawless holiday hoorah, we know the occasional pangs of stress loom overhead. So, let’s look at how you can prepare to head into the holiday season and the year ahead with a focus on sleep health and occasional stress support, sleep support supplements and optimal health.‡
There is undoubtedly a lot to juggle when preparing for the days ahead. Factoring in work, family responsibilities and taking care of your holiday to-do lists may leave little time for self-care. So, how can you place your health needs at the top of your must-do list?
First, evaluate where you are regarding your overall health. Check your health pulse – how’s your sleep, dietary intake, physical activity, and stress level? What’s your day like? Are you running late or going for a morning run? Whatever you answer, you know where you stand and what you must focus on.
Let’s start with your sleep health and a look at supplements that support the onset of sleep.‡
Whether you are traveling or not, establishing good sleep patterns is essential for supporting your immune system. Getting enough sleep and quality sleep are the two main points you must keep in mind.
Sleep is necessary for the health of all systems in your body. Certain cells are produced when you get a consistent good night’s sleep that helps to support your immune system. These cells are called hematopoietic stem cells, the building blocks of your body’s innate immune system.1,2
Did you realize that according to research, most adults should get between 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night? Perhaps that is a snap for you and you have a successful sleep routine, but what happens when you hit the road and face a change in your environment or even time zone changes? If you have ever experienced travel fatigue, you may want to prepare before facing any challenges. Remember you want to be well rested and enjoy the company of your loved ones.
So, if you are tired of tossing and turning and looking for support for that occasional sleeplessness, then the time-tested help of valerian, passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm and hops in Best-Rest Formula may calm and relax your central nervous system.‡
Studies show that valerian, valerian/lemon balm combinations and valerian/hops combinations support the onset of sleep and healthy sleep quality.3-5 Additional ingredients in this sleep supplement, such as melatonin, may help sleep onset and efficiency.6 This formula also contains two amino acids - gamma-aminobutyric acid (known as GABA) and l-theanine. Both of these amino acids act as neurotransmitters, promoting alpha wave production in the brain, which is an indication of relaxation7,8‡
A recent study indicated that GABA also supported healthy IgA levels (a key antibody), suggesting that it may also support immune health during occasional stress.9 Since adequate sleep and stress management go hand in hand, let’s look at ways to support our response to occasional stress.‡
I knew that title would catch your eye – I mean, aren’t we all looking for that no stress life? Well, even though we cannot completely avoid stress, we can certainly look at ways to adopt a healthy way of living.
In addition to a great night’s sleep, did you know that some nutrients help us support stress's effects on healthy nutritional status, like B vitamins and magnesium?10 The B-vitamins play important roles in nearly all of the physiological systems in the body. Vitamin B5 is especially important for healthy adrenal gland function.11 Magnesium activates the enzymes in your body that are necessary for several physiological functions, including neuromuscular contractions, cardiac function and the regulation of the acid-alkaline balance in the body.12-15 Optimal magnesium intake is also associated with positive mood, lipid metabolism and lean body mass.16‡
Daily Stress Formula‡ is a broad-spectrum formula designed to promote mental relaxation and regulate the effects of occasional stress and includes rhodiola, which may help to moderate mild fatigue and other effects of physical and mental stress.17,18 This formula also contains Eleutherococcus senticosus, or eleuthero, an adaptogen to help bolster adrenal function and stress resistance. Like ashwagandha, it helps with occasional stress, vitality and immune defense.19 Added chamomile and lemon balm in Best-Rest Formula provides traditional support for calmness and relaxation.20,21‡
Taking time away from the crowd and the television may be wise. Take a walk outside and enjoy the outdoors. This can help free your mind of any stress-related events, leading to healthy behavior that supports a good night’s rest and maintains healthy stress hormones levels like cortisol. Meditate or practice some deep breathing and remember to enjoy your mini vacay!
Preparing for the holiday season may also be a great time to get a jump start on focusing on ways to support your immune health. Like the plant-based Mediterranean diet, a healthy diet can provide the necessary vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber for optimal nutrition. Also, adding PureDefense with NAC travel pack before you hit the road is a great way to support immune function and upper respiratory health.
So, if last-minute shopping, travel, or the stress of planning and preparing your family’s holiday sits on your plate, taking a deep breath to get organized can help take some stress off you. Rally the troops and don’t be afraid to ask for some help. After all, that’s what family is for!
Keep your lights low, put your electronic devices away and limit your TV time before you head to bed. Grab a cozy blanket, engage in great conversation and hearty laughter with your loved ones to decompress and reflect on your day. Putting the stress of travel, your to-do lists and other tasks behind you for tomorrow brings a new start, and from what you learned here, a great night’s sleep, sleep support supplements and even some meditation can help to support everyone’s sleep and overall health. ‡
Pure Encapsulations® is here to walk alongside your health and wellness journey. Visit PureForYou.com if you need support finding what supplements may be right for your unique needs.
Cheers to you and yours!
But did you know for many, the holiday season may be one of the most stressful times of the year? According to a 2022 survey by the American Psychiatric Association, 50% of those surveyed are concerned about affording gifts for the holidays, while 39% are concerned about affording meals. The consensus is an overall increase in holiday-associated stress from previous years.1
We know that holidays are meant to be a time of joy. However, stressors outside your control are possible and can take a toll on anyone dealing with the upcoming season and all the demands it entails. So, let’s talk about the essential nutrients and lifestyle factors to help manage occasional stress. ‡
Before we dive into nutrients to support occasional stress, I want to discuss the importance of getting a good night’s rest and how much it impacts the body’s ability to manage stress.
Stress has long been known to lead to poor sleep or even sleepless nights. However, there are many things you can do to feel calmer and more relaxed. Try practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing and journaling and see for yourself what works best for you.2
Another good tip for healthy sleep is to create a good sleep environment. This includes eliminating as many stressors from your sleep environment as possible. Examples of sleep stressors include alcohol and caffeine, blue light, and noise from televisions and cell phones. It’s beneficial to promote a sense of calm by taking a bath or shower before sleep.3
Sleep hygiene is crucial. Maintaining proper sleep hygiene and adding healthy nutrients to support quality sleep can help you manage stress effectively – especially during the holidays. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the average adult requires between seven to nine hours of sleep for optimal health. It also mentions that adolescents generally require more sleep, about eight to ten hours per night.4 Getting adequate sleep may dampen the stress-related mental strains, a benefit during the stressful holiday season. ‡
In addition to lifestyle practices to help promote sleep and relaxation, there are nutrients and functional ingredients we can supplement with to help support the onset of sleep and manage stress. We know Melatonin helps facilitate the onset of sleep and sleep efficiency.5 What’s more, nutrients such as glycine and Magnesium help support muscle relaxation and a healthy sleep cycle.6‡
The combination of time-tested herbs like valerian, passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm and hops, found in our Best-Rest Formula, may act to calm and relax the central nervous system.‡
Pure Encapsulations® Daily Pure Pack - Healthy Sleep provides two capsules of our Best-Rest Formula and one capsule of our Magnesium glycinate to help enhance your sleep quality and help you feel rested and refreshed. ‡
While I spend a lot of time discussing how to help manage stress, it’s important to remember that stress is a natural factor that protects us from managing and dealing with challenging situations. When it becomes unmanageable, we need that extra help not to feel overwhelmed.
One great way you can focus on managing stress is by forward thinking. Forward-thinking is a process where you can help manage the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed by planning to help better prepare you for what’s to come. It’s been found that people who learn to think forward are better able to modify their behaviors in stressful times, from being reactionary or worrying about the future to a more flexible and measured response with greater awareness of the present moment.7
There are plenty of lifestyle factors we can practice to help manage stress, especially around the holidays. Some helpful practices to help manage stress in your lifestyle include exercising - think about jogging or taking a brisk walk. At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity weekly exercise is important for overall health and stress management.8
Another great example is practicing stretching while you take a mindfulness break. When you’re feeling stressed, your muscles tend to tense up, so stretching and relaxing those muscles will help you relax on a physiological level. Plus, practicing mindfulness while stretching is a great way to stay in tune with your body and mind.
Why is mindfulness important? Mindfulness helps bring you back to the present and teaches you how to silence those negative or overwhelming thoughts. Before you know it, you’ll be using the strategy of positive self-talk to help encourage your capability and help limit those negative beliefs or negative self-talk.8
Reducing loud noises and playing soothing music are other lifestyle changes to help manage your stress. Loud noises have the potential to trigger stressors and detract from your ability to be mindful. On the other hand, soothing music can elicit a relaxing response. Being present and mindful while listening to music is one way to change your lifestyle to help manage stress. You may be swapping your favorite holiday carol for something more calming.8
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of sleep, let’s talk about the nutrients appropriate to help manage the stressors that pop up daily during this stressful time.‡
AshwagandhaAshwagandha is a popular and widely used Ayurvedic herb. It contains bioactive compounds called withanolides that are important in mental health benefits.9,10 Ashwagandha has been shown to moderate occasional stress, support memory and provide neuroprotection by scavenging free radicals.11,12,13‡
Bacopa MonnieriBacopa monnieri has been used for centuries, originating from ancient India, where it was used to support stress. (Disclaimer) Research has found that Bacopa monnieri may help support memory and cognitive function and support the ability to deal with stress.14‡
Rhodiola and L-TyrosineRhodiola, an adaptogenic herb, moderates mild fatigue under stressful conditions and supports short-term memory and concentration.‡
L-Tyrosine is an amino acid with potential applications in promoting cognitive function and memory under stressful conditions.15 ‡
Our Daily Stress Formula contains 200 mg of ashwagandha, bacopa monnieri and rhodiola and 250 mg of the amino acid l-tyrosine plus other nutrients to help benefit and support mental relaxation during times of stress. ‡
I’m sure you’ve heard your friends, family (and maybe even yourself) say that you still carry some of the leftover holiday weight once the holidays have passed. This concept goes beyond just the increased access to rich and sugary foods or your favorite baked goods. Research has found a trend of weight gain amongst adults starting the last week of November and prevalent until the second week of January.16
We already know that many people are dealing with holiday-related stress during this time, so let’s talk a little about why that baseline stress you’ve been dealing with this season may contribute to your sudden caloric intake spike.
If you’ve noticed that you may demonstrate the habit of emotionally eating when stressed, that’s a normal response to the hormones firing inside you. This is because the adrenal glands release cortisol when you’re feeling stressed. Cortisol may stimulate your appetite, leading to a desire to snack or eat.17
Usually, when stress subsides, cortisol levels should go back to normal. If your cortisol levels don’t normalize, this may lead to cortisol remaining elevated and ultimately keep triggering that motivation to eat. Exercise is a great lifestyle factor found to help dampen cortisol and ultimately decrease appetite stimulation. Still, if you want to maintain healthy cortisol levels during stressful times, our Cortisol Calm is a great option to keep in the back of your mind! 17 ‡
A healthy combination of lifestyle factors such as meditation, quality of sleep, deep breathing and exercise with healthy nutrients from Pure Encapsulations® is a few ways to help manage stress around the holidays. It may just be what your body is looking for to get back to what matters most – enjoying time with your family, embracing your loved ones on those cozy winter nights and celebrating in this season’s holiday cheer! ‡
We can all recall a situation or two when we ate something that didn’t agree with us, meaning that not long after indulging (or overindulging!) a favorite food or meal, we experienced some GI discomfort. And it’s even worse when you’re out in public!
Having to navigate these concerns and wondering what might happen after eating something can be draining physically and emotionally. We also know it is not just food-related but also how we respond to stress, which may impact our digestive health. Let’s check out how nutrition, lifestyle and digestive health supplements can help to support your GI health and overall wellness.‡
A healthy digestive system is on our checklist, especially since it’s essential for our overall health and well-being. But where do you begin? You've likely experienced numerous trials, discovering which foods are challenging to digest and which you can tolerate. Knowing that occasional bloating and gas may be manageable with digestive health supplements can add some light to the situation.‡
But first, it is important to understand your health history. That means digging deep into your medical history to understand best what may impact your health. Being able to discuss with your healthcare practitioner exactly what you are experiencing and coupling this with sound information from your medical history is an excellent place to start.
Keeping ‘tabs’ on what you eat may serve you well; however, keeping a mental note of your do’s and don’ts may not be enough to see the whole picture. A simple tool like a food, fluid and mood journal with times and details will help you track and create awareness of how you tolerate a particular food and stressful situations.
Looking at healthier options may help support your GI health, too. Also, feeling comfortable to open up about your GI health may help create awareness for others experiencing the same.
If you’ve been following some of our Pure blogs, you may remember that we’ve discussed digestion before and it’s always good to brush up on the basics, so let’s revisit.
The digestion process starts before you take your first bite of food. Before you even start to think about, see, or smell food, you begin to produce saliva. Saliva helps start the digestive process and prepares your body for digestion. Saliva contains salivary amylase, an enzyme whose function is to break down or begin to digest dietary starches into smaller sugars. It also includes another enzyme called lingual lipase, which starts to digest some fats. Then, after chewing, the food bolus goes through the esophagus and into the stomach, with a long journey through the small and large intestines. After the body has absorbed the nutrients it needs from our food, they are put to use and any waste is subsequently excreted.
Though quite an amazing process, there are times when you may experience some common GI symptoms such as occasional gas and bloating. Some other enzymes and processes occur during digestion, and digestive health supplements like digestive enzymes can support protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber and dairy digestion. Let’s see how this works!‡
First, get comfortable because this section may be a little techy, but hang in there because you will understand how digestive health supplements like enzymes work. A little rule to follow is most enzymes have the ending “-ase” at the end of their name. Now, let’s look at how dietary enzymes support protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and dairy digestion.
Our Digestive Enzymes Ultra supports enhanced digestion of protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, and dairy while promoting enhanced nutrient absorption. Dietary starch and glycogen (the stored carbohydrate source in the body) are broken down by amylase (found in saliva and the pancreas) and glucoamylase.1 Digestion of other carbohydrates, specifically disaccharides like lactose, the primary sugar found in milk and dairy, is supported by the inclusion of enzymes invertase and lactase.2‡
Adding fiber to your diet is a win; however, you may have noticed it may take some time for your body to digest these fiber-rich foods completely - maybe a little rumbling in your stomach or even some unwelcome digestion side effects. Suppose you experience gas or occasional bloating. In this case, enzymes like cellulase, hemicellulase, beta-glucanase and phytase may be the ticket to help you break down these fiber-containing foods. In doing so, nutrients in the fiber-containing foods become more bioavailable for your body!3 Also, for support in the breakdown of certain complex carbohydrates like those found in vegetables, legumes and grains, we have you covered with this dietary enzyme supplement with the addition of alpha-galactosdase to help relieve occasional bloating or gas.4‡
Next is the start of protein digestion. Enzymes in this digestive health supplement, called proteases (see the “-ase”?), facilitate the breakdown of dietary protein into smaller protein pieces or peptides through proteolysis. During this process, proteins and di- and tripeptides are broken down.5 The enzyme lipase in Digestive Enzymes Ultra supports the breakdown of fats (also known as lipids).‡
If you are still wondering how you can aid your digestion and if gluten concerns you, consider discussing with your healthcare practitioner the use of enzymes like Gluten/Dairy Digest that specifically targets gluten and dairy digestion. Gluten/Dairy Digest includes a blend of unique proteases, like the scientifically researched prolyl-endopeptidase enzyme, for targeting gluten breakdown.‡
In some trials, individuals consuming this specific enzyme (prolyl-endopeptidase enzyme) and gluten showed a lower α-gliadin (a main component of gluten) concentration in the stomach and duodenum.6 The enzyme degrades the gluten protein's immunogenic or allergenic parts. Research indicates that certain gluten-sensitive T-cells no longer react after gluten has been broken down with the enzyme.7 Additionally, this formula provides a unique mixture of protease enzymes and lactase to assist in the digestion of multiple constituents of milk and dairy products, helping with occasional bloating or gas that some people can experience from dairy consumption.8‡
People who do not have enough digestive enzymes or are looking to continue to support healthy digestion should speak with their healthcare practitioner or a gastroenterologist (a GI specialist) to discuss supplementing their diet with digestive health supplements like digestive enzymes.‡
Gastrointestinal (GI) Integrity
Speaking of gut health - have you ever heard of the term gut integrity? If it sounds familiar, maybe you’ve read or heard the term. But did you know it refers to a sound and functioning intestinal lining? This protective membrane barrier is integral to overall health because it decides what to absorb (i.e., nutrients and water) and what to exclude (i.e., bacteria and large particles and unwanted proteins).
Glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the body, plays a large role in maintaining healthy intestinal integrity by enhancing the intestine’s protective mucosal lining.9 L-Glutamine Powder can be taken as a dietary supplement. In times of metabolic stress, glutamine is utilized by the body for tissue repair and gastrointestinal tract support.10,11‡
Pure Encapsulations® G.I. Fortify‡ promotes intestinal health and integrity. It has a unique blend of fiber, which includes psyllium, a soluble fiber, that helps to support overall gastrointestinal function and occasional constipation. Psyllium is fermented in the intestines to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), providing energy for healthy colon cell function and promoting beneficial microflora.12 G.I. Fortify‡ contains flaxseed, which provides a source of lignans, fatty acids, and both soluble and insoluble fibers, which are important for gut health.13 G.I. Fortify‡ also contains deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), aloe, slippery elm and marshmallow root to support gut integrity and provide a soothing effect.14,15 ‡
Your Microbiome & Microbiota
The role of the gut is complex. Let me introduce another area supporting your gut and immune health - your microbiome. If you just thought probiotics, then you are right on track! For you good flora fans, you already know that microbiota make up your microbiome. But what exactly does that mean?
Your microbiome refers to the collective genetic material (genomes) of the micro-organisms in a particular environment, such as your GI tract, and the microbiota is the group of micro-organisms themselves. Approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms exist in the human gastrointestinal tract.16,17
The gut microbiota aids in the fermentation of non-digestible substrates like dietary fibers and intestinal mucus. This fermentation supports the growth of specialist microbes that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gases. The major SCFAs produced are acetate, propionate, and butyrate. But butyrate is the main source of energy for a person’s colonocytes, or cells in the colon. 18-19
How can you ensure you are contributing to the support of your microbiome? Probiotic supplements, like PureGG 25B, contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, one of the best characterized and widely used probiotic strains. The GG strain has been studied in numerous clinical trials across all ages. It is used for its resistance to gastric juices, has excellent intestinal adhesion properties and can support healthy gut microflora.‡
As you may know, prebiotics are nondigestible food components that modulate and support the gut microbiota. Prebiotics play an integral role in gut health by serving metabolic, trophic and protective functions within the gut.20, 21‡
Research indicates that prebiotics PreticX™ XOS (xylo-oligosaccharides), found in our Poly-Prebiotic capsules, enhances the growth of Bifidobacteria, an important intestinal bacterial genus that maintains healthy gastrointestinal function.22-26 Clinical research also shows that XOS enhances the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that serves as a major energy source for colonocytes.27, 28, 29 In preclinical models, XOS supports intestinal barrier function, cytokine balance and colon cell health.30‡
Remember, your intake, lifestyle, optimal nutrition and digestive health supplements can support your quality of life. Pure Encapsulations® gastrointestinal supplements are designed to support healthy digestive, immune and gastrointestinal health. Since you have gained some insight into the various nutrients that support gut health, microbial balance, digestion, and GI tract protection, talk with your healthcare practitioner to see what may work for you!‡
With great intentions, Purely for You!
Have you ever wondered what natural steps you can take to help support your gut health? Gut health refers to the overall health of the digestive health system. The digestive system begins in the mouth and ends in the rectum. It includes organs such as the stomach, small intestine, large intestine and even the colon.1 Gut health considers a healthy balance and diversity of bacteria and microorganisms that make up the microbiome. The microbiome helps aid the digestion of macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins found in food and aids in the absorption of nutrients for use in the body.1
Gut health isn’t just a passing trend. Gut health is essential to overall physical wellness because the gut plays a role in various bodily functions. From immune and skin health to gut signaling for mental health, a well-supported gut helps support your overall health.
Let’s dive deeper into this guide on essential nutrients to support your gut health.1‡
We refer to living organisms such as bacteria, yeast, viruses, fungi, archaea and protozoa in the GI tract as the microbiome. To help support your gut health, you need to nourish healthy bacteria and keep them thriving.2‡
A healthy microbiome balance in your gut is also important to support the immune system. Not to mention, the microbial balance is also susceptible to emotional and physical stress. The role of probiotics is to benefit and replenish the microbes typically found in your GI tract.‡
Now, let’s discuss common types of bacterial probiotics and some key characteristics surrounding probiotics.2
Lactobacillus is a group of rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria. There are many different types of strains of Lactobacillus, such as the popular Lactobacillus acidophilus, which helps support the immune system and healthy bacterial strains in the GI tract.3 The Lactobacillus genus is also home to Lactobacillus salivarius, which has been found to help maintain healthy immune mediator balance.4,5,6 Lactobacillus is also home to my favorite strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which supports healthy GI colonization, GI function and immune function with a special focus on skin and respiratory health.7 Our PureGG 25B provides 25 billion colony-forming units of Lactobacillus rhamnosus.‡
Another aspect to consider when discovering which probiotics are helpful with gut health is how many colony-forming units are offered per serving. Colony-Forming Units (CFUs) are a unit of measurement that estimates the concentration of live microbial cells in a probiotic.8
Bifidobacterium is another type of beneficial probiotic. It is a genus or type of branched rod-shaped bacteria, and like Lactobacillus, there are multiple species and strains. Our Probiotic G.I. provides Bifidobacterium in the strains of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium lactis. These beneficial microflora support the gut’s own immune system. The strains in this probiotic are also believed to help support barrier function, G.I. cell health and T cell function within the G.I. tract.10‡
Let’s switch gears and focus on prebiotics and their role in maintaining gut health. Prebiotics are essentially the healthy food source for probiotics. They are composed of food like complex carbohydrates and fibers. Prebiotics work to support the balance of microorganisms in the GI tract.11‡
Prebiotics are non-digestible food components that modulate and support the gut microbiota. Research suggests that they play an even more significant role than probiotics, performing beneficial protective functions within the gut, leading to overall cellular, immune and metabolic support.11 I mentioned Bifidobacterium a little earlier, but prebiotics promote Bifidobacterium (the predominant intestinal bacterial genus during the first year of life) and is associated with healthy immune development and cytokine balance in infants and later in life.12‡
Pure Encapsulations® Poly-Prebiotic capsules provides the proprietary PreticXTM and cranberry to help support microbiome and GI health. If you want a larger serving, we offer our Poly-Prebiotic Powder, which provides 4.6 grams of prebiotics to support microbiome diversity.‡
We’ve discussed prebiotics and some specific probiotic strains. Now, let’s shift gears and discuss postbiotics. Postbiotics are bioactive compounds resulting from when probiotics feed on prebiotics.13 While postbiotics technically are considered microbial “waste” products, they offer many health benefits to support gut health.‡
Some types of postbiotics include short-chain fatty acids, lipopolysaccharides and even some enzymes. Pure Encapsulations® offers the short-chain-fatty-acid butyric acid in our SunButyrate Liquid to promote gut barrier integrity, cytokine balance, abdominal comfort and even bowel motility. ‡
Another important concept to consider when discussing gut health is gut permeability, commonly called leaky gut. “Leaky gut” isn’t a recognized medical condition but rather a way to refer to increased gut permeability.14
The function of digestion ultimately relies on the GI tract being semi-permeable. It’s the responsibility of the mucosal lining of the intestines to absorb water and nutrients from our food and into our bloodstream. Gut permeability refers to the mucosal lining letting more than just water and nutrients through, meaning the gut lining “leaks.” 14‡
Maintaining a healthy mucosal lining is another way to help support your immune system. Our L-Glutamine provides glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the body for tissue repair and GI support. Glutamine works by playing a large role in maintaining the intestine’s mucosal protective lining.15, 16, 17
Pre and probiotics are significant in gut health, immunity support and bowel motility. What makes Pure Encapsulations® pre and probiotics different is we provide scientifically backed strains for both general and specific health applications. For example, our to find your new gut health supplements !‡
Some drugs can reduce nutrient absorption, while others may interfere with how well a drug works.1 I’m going to first introduce you to the different types of drug-nutrient interactions, including examples of how they might play out in real life. Let’s get started!
Drug-Nutrient Interactions vs. Depletions
Okay, before we dive in, I want to clear the air, because I get that this may be confusing. First, drug-nutrient interactions is a bit of a misnomer here because we’re not just talking about nutrients (like vitamins and minerals). Drugs can also interact with herbs and other active ingredients in dietary supplements. For simplicity, we’ll use the term “nutrient” to include all types of dietary supplement ingredients.
A drug-nutrient interaction occurs when a nutrient, like those found in dietary supplements change the way your body absorbs, processes or responds to a medication.3‡
Drug-nutrient depletions are also interactions, but occur when a medication reduces your body’s ability to absorb, process, store or use a nutrient.2 Sit tight - we’ll cover each of these.
There are two main types of interactions: pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic.‡ Those are a mouthful, but knowing the basics can help you better understand how to interpret the confusing information you might find on this topic. If you’re still not sure, it’s always best to have conversation with your healthcare practitioner, who can help guide you on your supplement journey. Now, let’s discuss these two types of drug-nutrient interactions and their specific examples.
There are two main types of interactions: pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic.‡ Those are a mouthful, but knowing the basics can help you better understand how to interpret the confusing information you might find on this topic. If you’re still not sure, it’s always best to have conversation with your healthcare practitioner, who can help guide you on your supplement journey. Now, let’s discuss these two types of drug-nutrient interactions and their specific examples.
Pharmacodynamic Interactions:
Pharmacodynamic drug-nutrient interactions modify the pharmacological or the clinical effects of a medication. In other words, the supplement changes “what the drug does to the body.”4 This pretty much means that the effect of a drug may not be the same because you took a supplement. It might become stronger, weaker or produce more side effects. This can happen in three different ways: atagonistic, additive or synergistic.4
Antagonistic
An antagonistic drug-nutrient interaction occurs when a nutrient or ingredient in a supplement counteracts the function of a drug, so that it can’t work as effectively as it should.5 A good example of an antagonistic pharmacodynamic drug-nutrient interaction is Vitamin K and warfarin (Coumadin).
Vitamin K (which is found in our Synergy K) supports the normal process of blood coagulation. Coumadin inhibits coagulation by inhibiting vitamin K activation.6 This is why doctors recommend avoiding supplemental Vitamin K and being careful with vitamin K-rich foods, such as dark leafy greens (like kale or spinach), which may also make warfarin less effective.6 This is why it’s important to disclose the supplements you take with your health care practitioner. ‡
Additive
An additive drug-nutrient interaction is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This occurs when a drug and a nutrient or ingredient in a supplement have similar functions and taking them together simply makes the effect stronger. By combining them, you’re just “adding” their effects. The outcome exceeds the anticipated result, as if you “doubled up” on one of them.5 The following are relevant examples, however, we still recommend discussing this information with your health care practitioner:
For example, the drug amiodarone contains 37.3% iodine and can increase iodine levels. Taking iodine, which is in our potassium iodide, along with this drug could result in excess iodine in your body.7
Similarly, velvet bean extract, which is found in our Pure Encapsulations® DopaPlus, contains L-DOPA. So does Sinemet, a neurological drug. Taking both at the same time gives you a slightly bigger dose of L-DOPA than your doctor may have prescribed.8
L-arginine is an amino acid that helps maintain healthy blood flow by supporting the relaxation of blood vessels If you take lisinopril, a drug which may lower blood pressure, with a high dose of L-arginine, it could cause undesirable symptoms like faintness, fatigue or dizziness.9 It’s important to consult your health care practitioner to decide whether this combination is safe, and whether to monitor your blood pressure.
L-arginine is an amino acid that helps maintain healthy blood flow by supporting the relaxation of blood vessels. If you take lisinopril, a drug which may lower blood pressure, with a high dose of L-arginine, it could cause undesirable symptoms like faintness, fatigue or dizziness.9 It’s important to consult your health care practitioner to decide whether this combination is safe, and whether to monitor your blood pressure.
Synergistic Interaction
A synergistic interaction is like an additive interaction, only stronger. This is when a drug-nutrient combination produces an effect that greatly exceeds the effect of either agent alone.5 You can think of it as 1+1=3. They work together (synergy), but this means that their impact is greater than the sum of their individual effects. There is relatively little research documenting synergistic drug-nutrient combinations, and it’s hard to tell the difference between additive and synergistic in real life situations.
Theoretically, combining L-Arginine with blood pressure-lowering drugs could either produce an additive or a synergistic interaction (whether it’s additive or synergistic is impossible to predict without clinical trials on the combination, which are currently lacking). A synergistic interaction occurs when the combination causes a greater effect than either the drug or supplement alone.
Why is this important? Well, although these interactions are unlikely to be noticeable or cause harm, they are pretty unpredictable, and everyone is different in how they respond to medications and combinations. So, it’s critical that you’re aware of the possibility that this interaction may occur and ask your health care provider whether L-arginine is right for you.
With so many over-the-counter products and prescription drugs many of us may have in our medicine cabinets, it is important to educate ourselves regarding which nutrients and ingredients in supplements may be right for us, what to avoid, and the importance of talking to your health care practitioner when making these decisions.
Pharmacokinetic Interactions
Let’s talk about the pharmacokinetic drug-nutrient interactions. This is when a supplement alters the absorption, distribution, metabolism or elimination of a drug, or vice versa.4 Let’s dive into the four types of pharmacokinetic drug-nutrient interactions and discuss some specific examples:
Absorption
This type of drug-nutrient interaction reduces the absorption of either the supplement or drug. This may reduce the effectiveness of the drug or nutrient by interfering with its uptake from your digestive tract.4
Some drugs reduce the body’s ability to absorb a nutrient, especially with prolonged use.10-12 For example, metformin (Glucophage) may reduce the absorption of Vitamin B12, possibly by interfering with the acidity of the stomach and production of intrinsic factor, a glycoprotein required for absorption of Vitamin B12.10,12‡
Watching vitamin B12 status in individuals who are taking metformin over a long period of time may be appropriate.12 It might make sense to consider a Vitamin B12 supplement to help meet nutritional needs.‡
Distribution
This type of pharmacokinetic drug-nutrient interaction causes a drug or nutrient to have trouble getting to an organ or tissue it needs to reach in order to produce its intended effects.3
For example, certain dietary amino acids, including branched chain amino acids, compete with Levodopa, a drug, for entry into the brain. Taking both at the same time could potentially make the drug less effective.8
Metabolism
This type of pharmacokinetic drug-nutrient interaction alters the metabolism of either the drug or the nutrient, potentially changing the amounts in the body.3 Certain nutrients, herbs and other dietary supplement ingredients have the potential to promote, slow down and even prevent drugs from working as they should.1
For example, drinking green tea daily for two weeks speeds up the metabolism of lisinopril (a blood pressure lowering drug) by reducing the levels of the drug in the bloodstream by as much as 85%.13 This interaction could make this drug less effective in lowering blood pressure.
That’s why it may be beneficial to talk with your healthcare provider if you’re taking a product similar to Pure Encapsulations® Green Tea Leaf Extract and a medication similar to lisinopril.
Elimination
This is the last type of pharmacokinetic drug-nutrient interaction. It causes the body to eliminate a drug or nutrient too quickly (making it less effective) or too slowly (potentially building up to unsafe levels in the body).3
A good example of this type of drug-nutrient interaction may occur with thiazide diuretic medications, like hydrochlorothiazide, which may accelerate the urinary loss of potassium.14 This is also an example of a drug-induced nutrient depletion. The drug package insert provides instructions on maintaining adequate potassium in patients taking the drug.14
Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletions:
Before we part ways, let’s briefly talk about two examples of pharmacokinetic interactions that may increase nutrient needs. These are called drug-induced nutrient depletions. While these interactions don’t really “deplete” the nutrient entirely, they can impair the body’s ability to make or absorb a nutrient. Here are a couple of examples:
If you take these drugs regularly, it’s important to talk to your HCP about when a supplement might be helpful.
We Developed a Checker to Support You!
So how does one figure out whether their medications or nutrients could potentially interact? That’s a great question and the reason we developed our new Drug-Nutrient Interaction Checker! The Drug-Nutrient Interaction Checker looks for potential clinically significant interactions between prescription or over the counter medications and active ingredients present in dietary supplements based on commonly used doses. You can now enter the name of your medications (over-the-counter and prescription) into the search box and instantly receive information regarding potential interactions with supplements in the Pure Encapsulations® product line. The Drug-Nutrient Interaction Checker does not include interaction or depletion information from off-label use of a nutrient or ingredient (such as exceeding the recommended dose on the label). The information is easy to understand, updated regularly and linked to supporting research studies if you want to dig deeper. What are you waiting for? Try our new Drug-Nutrient Interaction Checker today!
This article and the Drug-Nutrient Interaction Checker is for educational and general wellness information purposes only. It is not medical advice nor intended to replace the advice of your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional with any questions regarding this article or your use of the Drug-Nutrient Interaction Checker.
Kelly C. Heim, Ph.D. (co-author)
Kelly C. Heim, Ph.D., is Senior Scientific Director, Pharmacology & Genomics for Pure Encapsulations and Douglas Laboratories, where he oversees the evidence-based development of educational resources. As a pharmacologist specializing in natural products, Dr. Heim is a published author and illustrator of various scholarly articles and book chapters on the pharmacology of flavonoids and other polyphenols.
Heidi Harris, RD-N, CD-N, LD-N (co-author)
Heidi is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Group Exercise Instructor and Certified Strength Train Coach. She has a wealth of clinical knowledge in community management, social engagements, and nutritional science, and is here to help answer questions and educate you on the most up-to-date nutritional information, all Purely for You!
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Women are natural nurturers, doers and all-around caregivers. From motherhood to grandmotherhood, we always share our love and care for our families and those around us.
Sometimes, it seems as if life is on a fast track and before we know it, we are entering a new venture or stage of our lives. Whether it’s a new job, retirement, or changes within us that we are dealing with, we often need some support.
Menopause is one of those times. I hope the tips I share with you today will help you understand how proper nutrition and supplements for menopause can help you succeed during this stage of change.
As a Registered Dietitian, I have spoken to several hundred women over the years and have provided nutrition counseling and health coaching to women during every stage of life. I worked closely with young women in their teens, athletes and college-aged women. I have also worked with prenatal moms and coached them postnatally through their breastfeeding and formula-feeding journey. I continue to have the privilege of being a part of the health journey of many women of all ages and stages of life, including perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women, as well as our beloved seniors.
But since our focus is menopause, let me share with you how optimal nutrition, daily activity and supplements for menopause support can help guide you through this newfound change in life.
In fact, the most common concern that women have asked is, “How can I deal with these hormone changes?”
Let’s dig in to see how we address some of these common concerns.
Changes in hormones, like the decrease in estrogen, may contribute to the changes in your emotions—for example, mood swings — when you feel cranky or moody and feel just fine later. But there are physical changes that are also part of the menopausal puzzle. Hormonal changes may lead to increased fatigue and body temperature changes, like sweating and hot flashes. These symptoms may even wake you at night, disrupting your sleep. So, how do you grab hold of heading off these not-so-comfortable feelings?
Well, there are many natural ways to support you during this time. Some herbal extracts provide multifaceted support for the body during the hormonal changes that occur during menopause. Some studies suggest that sage extract helps support menopausal comfort, including hot flashes and night sweating.1 Sage extract can be found in supplements for menopause support like Pure Encapsulations® PhytoBalance II‡
This formula also contains phytoestrogens, natural substances in plants exhibiting estrogen-like activity.2 Some phytoestrogen-containing foods include soy, broccoli, dried beans, seeds, cauliflower, and some fruits.3
Other herbs and nutrients that support a woman’s hormonal changes during menopause include:
MenoVive is another dietary supplement for menopause support that you may want to discuss with your healthcare practitioner. This supplement supports menopausal comfort and relaxation during times of occasional stress.‡ It also promotes breast, uterine, cervical and cognitive health while supporting a healthy estrogen-to-progesterone ratio.‡
With a decrease in estrogen, women are likely to see a decline in bone density.7 Maintaining strong bones requires an adequate intake of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and other minerals (which we will discuss below). Though our diet is the primary source of nutrient intake, increased nutrient requirements may sometimes require dietary supplements to fill the gaps.‡
How Much Do I Need?
If you are uncertain whether your diet provides the amount of calcium, Vitamin D and other nutrients you need, you should take a few days and record your daily food intake, including the serving sizes of the foods and beverages you consumed. This will give you a good understanding of whether you are hitting the mark or need to increase your servings from a particular food group or if there is a need to supplement your diet.
Most women ask, “How much calcium or vitamin D should I get daily?”
The amount of calcium in supplements will vary. Most calcium supplements contain about 500 mg. of calcium per serving. Bone support supplements like OsteoBalance‡ provide 514mg of calcium per serving from calcium citrate/malate and calcium malate. In a two-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, calcium citrate/malate has shown excellent bioavailability and provided support for bone mass in postmenopausal women with low dietary calcium intake.9‡
In addition to calcium, OsteoBalance‡ provides a comprehensive profile of important bone-building nutrients.‡
Let’s look at some changes women have noticed during menopause and post-menopause and want some answers:
Cardiometabolic Changes
“Why is it so difficult for me to lose weight now?”
With menopause and post-menopause, we know that the shift in hormones (good ol’ estrogen again) can lead to an increase in weight. This weight is usually found around the thoracic area or mid-section and may be associated with your cardiometabolic health. This means that there may also be a need for glucose support.
Eating a healthy diet focusing on whole fiber-rich foods, like fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and lean protein is important. Limiting sugary beverages and other sweets helps decrease your caloric intake, as well as helps to support your glucose health.
Also, coupling a healthy diet with another supplement, like XanthiTrim, helps maintain a healthy weight while promoting a healthy metabolic rate, including resting energy expenditure. It is important to note that this formula supports healthy fat metabolism and utilization.‡
Let’s not forget that regular exercise or engaging in physical activity daily is important to support cardiometabolic health and your daily emotional well-being.
Hair and Skin
“Oh, my goodness! My hair is so thin now. It doesn’t seem to be growing much.”
“My skin doesn’t look as youthful as it once did. Is there anything that can support healthy skin?”
Don’t fret. If you notice that your hair is thinner, know you are not alone. Research shows that hair loss is another physical change that women experience during menopause. Specifically, it’s related to a lowered production of estrogen and progesterone.14
Supplementing your diet with a clinically researched biotin complex that supports healthy hair and skin would be a great addition to your daily regime, like Pure Encapsulations® Biotin Complex Hair & Skin.‡ This formula contains a unique biotin complex called Lustriva® complex to support hair and skin health.
Regarding skin health, Lustriva® also improves skin texture and supports skin appearance. In fact, Lustriva® reduced fine lines and skin roughness in 12 weeks compared to baseline.15‡
So, as you can see, taking the approach to the changes that come your way, either as you anticipate menopause, are amid menopause, or are post-menopausal, requires you to stay open to taking control of some lifestyle changes. Embrace the transition and know that optimal nutrition and staying physically active will support the physical changes you will embark on and the emotional changes that come with it.
Remember that change doesn't have to be difficult; we have you covered in menopausal health. Our Menopause Support Daily Pure Pack may offer comfort for occasional hot flashes and support your emotional well-being. This comprehensive pack is also designed to address common symptoms with:‡
This is a time to feel empowered to take control of your health by being proactive, understanding changes at this stage and how you can support your health. Ensure regular visits with your healthcare practitioner, discuss supplements for menopause support and enjoy this new lease on living healthy.
Vitamins and minerals are two nutrients every individual needs to stay healthy. There are 13 essential vitamins consisting of Vitamin A, D, E and K, which are the fat-soluble vitamins, and then the water-soluble essential vitamins, the Vitamin B’s (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, and folate) and Vitamin C.2
Minerals are organic elements that often help support an aging woman’s health and wellness as they often act as a kick-start for metabolic reactions in the body.‡
Please stick with me while I share more about some essential vitamins and minerals for women over 40.
You’ve probably heard about how important calcium is for bone health and for women, it goes well beyond that. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is the mineral that makes up healthy bones and teeth, partially responsible for keeping bodily movement strong and flexible.3‡
Calcium is also involved in your vascular (blood vessels and veins) or circulatory system. Have you ever heard of a calcium channel before? (It’s okay if you haven’t!) Simply put, a calcium channel is a cellularly electric gradient fueled by calcium ions (which hold a positive charge) and this channel is selectively permeable to calcium ions. The goal of this channel is to transport calcium atoms into cells, allowing the cell to generate electrical signals and function.4 I like to think of it as an electrical outlet for our cells, except our cells use calcium channels instead of plugging a cord into an outlet in the wall.
At birth, the body contains about 26-30 grams of calcium. As we grow, this quickly jumps to about 1,200 grams for women and 1,400 grams for men by adulthood.
But don’t get too comfy!
These levels start to drop off for women due to bone remodeling and varying levels of estrogen production when women reach menopause. Not to mention, calcium absorption has been found to decrease to about 25% in adulthood.5 As we age, our calcium needs increase, but our efficacy in absorbing calcium also decreases.
Not fair, is it?
That’s why we designed our Women's Nutrients with women’s aging needs in mind. It’s a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral formula for women over 40, containing 200 mg of calcium as calcium citrate. This is the highest elemental dose of calcium per serving in any of our multivitamin and mineral formulas. The importance of calcium is hard to overlook as it plays an essential role in blood vessel contraction and dilation, muscle function, coagulation, nerve signaling and even hormone secretion and metabolism.6,7‡
As women age, their calcium needs change. For women ages 19 through 50, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of calcium per day is 1,000 mg, but that value increases to 1,200 mg for those 51 years and older.3
Why?
As we mentioned a little earlier, calcium levels drop with changes in bone and estrogen balance, plus the efficacy in absorbing calcium decreases as women age. This, in turn, means we need to have a greater intake of elemental calcium.
You may wonder, “What are some natural sources of calcium?”
Most commonly, dairy products such as yogurt, milk and cheese are excellent sources of calcium. However, there are non-dairy sources of calcium, such as fish like sardines, salmon with bones and veggies like kale, broccoli and bok choi. In the United States, we also fortify and enrich our grains with calcium.3
If you’re looking for a larger elemental dose of calcium than the 200 mg in our Women’s Nutrients, check out our Pure Encapsulations® Calcium citrate. This provides 300 mg of elemental calcium per serving and in a very absorbable organic chelate form.
If you remember, at the start of this blog we discussed the 13 essential vitamins women need as they age. One of those vitamins is vitamin D. Vitamin D offers a wide range of benefits, including promoting intestinal calcium absorption, reducing urinary calcium loss and promoting the essential mechanisms of maintaining proper calcium for bone composition.8 That’s why our Calcium with Vitamin D3 provides 10 mcg (400 IU) of active Vitamin D3 and 450 mg of elemental calcium per serving. ‡
Let’s give calcium a bit of a breather for now and instead switch gears to put B vitamins on the spot.
If you haven’t already, the Registered Dietitians here at Pure Encapsulations® wrote a feature article on how B vitamins help support cognitive health as people age.‡ If you haven’t read it yet, check it out here.
B vitamins, including B12, are important in cellular energy, metabolism, red blood cell formation and nerve function, and support DNA synthesis. However, as we age, our ability to absorb some B vitamins (particularly B12) becomes less efficient than when we were younger.9‡
Many B vitamins, such as B12 and folate, rely on stomach acid and other key factors within the digestive tract for absorption. Older women and adults and people with lower stomach acid (which generally declines with aging) or digestive issues may struggle to absorb B12 and other B vitamins effectively.9
For example, B12 relies on a glycoprotein called intrinsic factor in order to be absorbed by the body. Intrinsic factor is made in the stomach and relies on stomach acid to help with B12 absorption. As we age, we don’t produce as much stomach acid, therefore decreasing the amount of intrinsic factor available to absorb B12.10
That’s part of the reason why many women may choose diets or supplements that enrich their intake of B vitamins. Most B vitamins are found in animal protein sources such as meat, fish, poultry – and even dairy! Still, just like calcium, B vitamins are another example of fortified nutrients added to grains and cereals to ensure Americans get adequate amounts.
If you need a full B Complex to add to your supplement routine, our B-Complex Plus offers a broad spectrum of vitamin B support for cellular energy and nutrient metabolism.‡
Vitamin B12 isn’t the only nutrient that relies on the digestive tract to be absorbed by the body. Iron is absorbed in the duodenum, a part of the small intestine of the digestive tract. When iron is consumed, it enters the stomach where it mixes with stomach acid, ultimately undergoing a chemical change into a form that makes it more absorbable later during digestion.11 Remember, stomach acid decreases as we age, making it more challenging to absorb optimal amounts of vitamins and minerals like iron.‡
Our Pure Encapsulations® OptiFerin-C provides 28 mg of elemental iron with 100 mg of vitamin C to help absorb iron. The RDA of iron for women ages 19-50 years is 18 mg daily. This number increases to 27 mg if you’re pregnant and decreases to 9 mg if you’re lactating.12‡
It’s important older women get adequate amounts of iron because iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, a red blood cell protein that helps transport oxygen from the lungs to the body.13 Humans typically lose small amounts of iron via natural processes such as bowel movements, urination and even during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract and even through the skin. Not to mention, iron losses are more significant for women who are menstruating.13, 14, 15
Some of the richest sources of iron include meat and seafood. Nuts, beans, veggies and fortified grains are also great natural sources of iron.16
Let’s not limit the conversation to vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet provides phytonutrients from the fruits and vegetables we eat. In women, phytonutrients play important roles in detoxification and healthy aging. These aren’t “essential nutrients,” but they have unique health benefits.
A great example is DIM, or diindolylmethane, a compound made in the body after consuming cruciferous veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower. DIM may be helpful to women because it promotes healthy estrogen metabolism. Estrogen metabolism is a detoxifying process that helps eliminate certain estrogen forms that the body doesn’t need. The liver’s job is to help it be excreted from the body through urine and stool. ‡
This type of liver detox is broken down into two phases. In simple terms, phase I converts estrogens into reactive metabolites, and phase II makes the metabolites less reactive and more water soluble, allowing excretion via the kidneys and bowels. DIM works mostly by supporting phase II detoxification of estrogens.‡
Our DIM Detox contains 100 mg of DIM as BioResponse® DIM to help promote estrogen metabolism and cell activity. A clinical study involving 52 women found that BioResponse DIM also supported cervical cell health.16 DIM Detox also contains lignans for cellular, heart, breast, bone and cognitive health. We also offer a more straightforward option with just DIM. Pure Encapsulations® DIMPRO provides 100 mg of DIM as BioResponse® DIM.‡
So, if your diet is low on those cruciferous veggies, DIM may be a valuable addition to your wellness journey. ‡
Aging shouldn’t be hard. That is why we help provide essential nutrients to help you stay on the healthiest side of your wellness journey. If you feel like you could use extra support, especially as you encounter new challenges associated with natural aging, check out our Pure Encapsulations® Women's Formulas for unique formulations designed specifically to help you in each stage of a woman’s life cycle.‡
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Ah, gut health! Probably one of my favorite things to talk about in the health and nutrition world. I have been a fan of probiotics for greater than 2 decades! I started my journey for the appreciation of probiotics way back when Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. johnsonii) strain hit the U.S. market as a single sachet probiotic powder. It was so cool - science in a sachet! This new addition to my diet and my husband’s was the beginning of a true love affair of gut health and the power of probiotics and the immune system.‡
Did you know that when a baby is born, the blueprint for their microbiome is established? Yes, when a baby makes his or her way into the world through the birth canal, they are introduced to their first dose of microflora. I remember one of the pediatric gastroenterologists that I worked with always said that a baby’s gut is not sterile and is that ever true! During this journey a baby will be exposed to numerous strains of bacteria that will serve to support their immunity. There is also some more recent data that shows prenatally, there may be an impact on both mom and baby’s microflora.1
But it doesn’t stop there, because if a mother decides to breastfeed she will continue to provide an inoculum of healthy bacteria and also prebiotics naturally found in her breastmilk. And for those formula fed babies, most infant formulas have the addition of probiotics and prebiotics to help support their immune system.
It is over time that we start to need the support of good bacteria or probiotics that we had at birth. We are continually exposed to a variety of external factors in the environment such as stress, medication and our diets, that can potentially have an unfavorable impact on our microbiome. The good news is, we can make some healthy changes by starting to implement a diet rich in prebiotics and probiotics, including supplementing with various probiotics to support our immune system.‡
Let’s look at understanding what the microbiome is and how probiotics, prebiotics and other nutrients help support our immune system and overall health.‡
Think about this: There are trillions of different microorganisms in your body. These organisms are known as microbes or microbiota.2 There are over one thousand different types of microbiota on your skin, in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract and even your nose, some good and some that are not beneficial. These microbes live in the body and coexist in the right balance in healthy individuals.3
As you can see, microbiota are protective and beneficial. So are probiotics. Let’s find out some more about what exactly probiotics and prebiotics are and how they support your immune system.‡
Probiotics are being added to so many of our foods, beverages, makeup and even skin care products. But what are probiotics and how do they help us, their hosts? Well, probiotics are good live bacteria that naturally live in our body, where they provide health benefits.4‡
If you’ve already decided that a probiotic supplement is right for you, here are a few things to look for:
Diet, medications, lifestyle and environmental factors can diminish the balance or number of good bacteria, (also known as flora) in our gut. You can support the friendly flora in your gut by eating foods rich in soluble fiber, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. You can also add a probiotic.‡
You can start by talking to your healthcare practitioner to see if supplementing daily with a multistrain probiotic like Pure Encapsulations® Probiotic IMM would be right for you. This shelf stable probiotic dietary supplement contains both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, providing 5 billion colony-forming units (CFU) in one serving.
But if you are looking for a single strain probiotic with some pretty impressive benefits, then Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in our PureGG 25B is certainly a probiotic to consider.
There are several studies that support the use of this strain and immune support for children. Studies involving infants and children suggest that supplementation with probiotic strain L. rhamnosus GG supports healthy G.I. colonization, G.I. function, and immune function.6,7 ‡
In a study involving children ages 1-7 attending daycare, L. rhamnosus GG offered significant support for respiratory and immune health.8 Studies involving pregnant women suggest supplementation supports healthy gut microflora in the infant, as well as nutrient metabolism during pregnancy. In one study, infants whose mothers had received L. rhamnosus GG during pregnancy showed increased bifidobacterial colonization on day five after birth.9‡
The gut and our immune cells need to work together. In regard to digestion and nutrients, some microbes in our gut help us to break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates so we can absorb them well. Some microbes produce small amounts of vitamins, which your body cannot produce.10‡
Prebiotics are the fermentable, soluble dietary fiber found in certain foods that help to feed the probiotics in the gut.11 Some dietary sources of prebiotics are Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions, asparagus, dried beans and other legumes.
Some evidence suggests that prebiotics may play an even more significant role than probiotics, performing beneficial metabolic and protective functions within the gut. This leads to overall cellular, immune and metabolic support.12‡
If you are looking to supplement your diet, then a prebiotic supplement like Poly-Prebiotic powder, a combination of polyphenols and prebiotics, boosts bifidobacterial and microbiome diversity in the G.I. tract would be a great addition.‡
Also, a prebiotic, like the PreticX™ XOS (xylo-oligosaccharides) in our new Poly-Prebiotic (capsules), enhances the growth of Bifidobacteria in the gut. Bifidobacteria help to maintain healthy gastrointestinal function.13-17 In fact, clinical research also shows that XOS enhances the production of butyrate, a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) that serves as a major energy source for the cells in the colon.18,19,20‡
But let’s not forget that a healthy diet will provide pre- and probiotics too.
When it comes to foods that are rich in live and active probiotics you might think of fermented foods. An all-time favorite is yogurt. Just be sure to look for live and active bacteria on the label.
Skip the hot dog and just add some sauerkraut to your dish. Sauerkraut or sour cabbage is a savory food that boasts of many health benefits, such as being rich in various species of probiotics. Keep in mind that cooking or heating to a high temperature may impact the viability or life of the probiotics.
Other fermented foods that pack a probiotic punch are kombucha and miso.
Bolstering up your dietary intake with foods naturally rich in prebiotics include Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, bananas, chicory to name a few.23
As we discussed probiotics are integral to immune health. They help to make antibodies while also supporting cell-mediated immunity, an immune response without involving antibodies. Research indicates that probiotics may enhance immune cell function and healthy cytokines or immune proteins production.24,25‡
There is a protective layer of gut epithelial and immune cells in your body. To help protect you, the epithelial cells in your gut produce a mucosal barrier.26
Clinical studies indicate that Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria supplementation supports your intestinal epithelial integrity and a healthy immune response.27-29 High-potency probiotics like our Probiotic 50B provides 50 billion CFU of a combination of seven beneficial bacteria that promote healthy intestinal ecology to support gastrointestinal and immune health. ‡
As you continue to think about the many probiotics that can support your immune system, there are also some key nutrients I would like to share with you that provide support for a healthy immune response.‡
Vitamin C and zinc form a foundation for overall health by supporting immune system function.30,31 Ensuring an adequate amount of vitamin D is consumed in your diet or supplemented daily is also important. There are vitamin D receptors found in a number of immune cells to support healthy immune cell activation.32 Our Daily Immune‡ is a vitamin, mineral and herbal support for immune health and can also be taken on the road when traveling or tuck in your tote for your daily immune support.‡
Quercetin is one of the most abundant antioxidants in your diet (grains, fruits and vegetables, some teas). It is a pigment that belongs to a group called flavonoids found in plants. Quercetin, as contained in our Aller-Essentials has been shown to be one of the most bioactive flavonoids.
Research suggests that quercetin plays a supportive role for cellular, immune and cardiometabolic health.33,34,35 For those seeking enhanced absorption, Quercetin UltraSorb also provides antioxidant support for respiratory function and nasal comfort.‡
Pure Encapsulations® probiotic and prebiotic supplements are designed to provide support for healthy immune function and digestive and gastrointestinal health. Since you have gained some insight on the power of probiotics and how they may positively impact your gut health and support your immune system, adding them and other key nutrients as part of your daily intake, may be a wonderful place to start to support your immune system.‡
With great intentions, Purely for You!
Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the open refrigerator door at 3:00 AM, ready to snack on something deliciously full of yummy goodness, jam packed with sugar, calories and fats? If this speaks to you, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with occasional stress and with it comes the potential for overeating or over-snacking. This habit can have some not-so-beneficial effects on your overall health and wellness goals. Unhealthy dietary habits and occasional stress may also affect your immunity.1‡
Stick with me to learn why occasional stress may lead to unhealthy dietary habits which, in turn, may take a toll on your immunity. ‡
When you feel the onset of occasional stress, you may have noticed that sometimes you tend to get hungrier than usual. This is because when you’re feeling occasionally stressed, the adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol may stimulate your appetite to ramp up, leading to a desire to snack or eat.
Usually, when occasional stress subsides, cortisol levels should naturally go back to normal, but if cortisol levels don’t subside, cortisol may remain elevated and keep stimulating that motivation to eat.1 I am going to focus on the relationship between the food choices made during times of occasional stress and how they affect the immune system, but if you’re looking to maintain healthy cortisol levels during times of occasional stress, our Cortisol Calm is a great option to keep in the back of your mind! ‡
You may have also noticed that during these times of occasional stress, you tend to lean more towards those sugary foods such as pastries, cookies and crackers because they “taste good.” Well, it’s more than just the great taste and flavor.
When you eat foods high in sugar and fat, research suggests that the hormones involved in stimulating appetite, cortisol, insulin and even the hormone ghrelin get dampened. This may lead to a temporary relief response to those emotions triggering that occasional stress and appetite.1 Be wary! This is a temporary relief, without healthy nutrition or lifestyle change, those emotions will come back, and you may just find yourself staring into the refrigerator at 3:00 AM again looking for your next snack.
A strong and well-functioning immune system is essential for a healthy lifestyle. After all, it’s the immune system’s responsibility to constantly be alert and monitor for pathogens and oxidative stress in the body.2 Western diets are widely known to be high in sugar, trans and saturated fats and low in the healthy fiber, complex carbohydrates and omega-3 fatty acids.2 Studies have suggested that diets high in added sugar may lead to many health complications such as a higher waist circumference, difficulties with adequate glucose metabolism and cytokine imbalance in the body. This is a form of occasional physical stress on the body.3‡
Increased refined carbohydrate and fat intake may result in the production of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products). AGEs form when a protein or fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream and result in oxidative stress and cytokine imbalance in the body. This is another way unhealthy intake effects your body’s immune system.4
Plus, it’s been found that consuming excess added sugar and refined carbohydrates may lead to several changes in the body such as the potential for gut permeability. Gut permeability occurs when bacteria, toxins and even undigested food particles move out of the gastrointestinal tract and into the blood stream. This may spike your immune system to work harder to clear out that cytokine imbalance.3
It’s important to know that natural sugar and added sugar are not the same thing and they work differently in the body. When you think of added sugar, I want you to think of the white, coarse, crystal-like sugar you add to your morning cup of coffee, the sugar you add into the baking mix or even the sugar you add to the jar sitting on your kitchen table.
When you think of natural sugar, I want you to think of fruits and vegetables. I want you to think of nectar and honey. You know, the types of sugars bees, birds and other critters are attracted to. Those foods that are naturally sweet enough you don’t feel the need to add sugar to, those are foods that contain natural sugars.
Added sugar is mostly found in processed foods and drinks. It’s often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose and even corn or cane sugar. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, Americans 2 years and older are recommended to limit their added sugar intake to less than 10% of total calories per day.5
The American Heart Association has an even firmer recommendation on added sugar. They recommend no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and less than 9 teaspoons of added sugar for men per day. They also recommend no added sugar for children 2 years of age and younger.6 Unfortunately, according to research done by Harvard University, the average American’s added sugar intake is closer towards 17 teaspoons per day!7
We mentioned earlier that added sugars may really take a toll on your immune system and your health goals. While it may quench the craving desire temporarily, it may spike that cytokine imbalance in the body and diminish the body’s natural defenses.
Natural sugars, like those found in fruits and vegetables, may help your body remove excess cytokine imbalance in the body. The reason why natural sugars work differently in the body is because they are consumed from whole foods and not highly processed foods. This means they are consumed with other nutrients like protein and fiber which may help natural sugars be absorbed and utilized slower. This steady absorption of natural sugars helps limit the possibility of spiking blood sugar, insulin response and overall cytokine imbalance in the body.8
Now you know why occasional stress triggers hormones that can make you crave unhealthy foods but to counteract that, let’s also talk about some key nutrients that help protect and support your immune system.‡
On a personal note, just between us, I’m a big fan of zinc. It may be my favorite supplement. Why? Zinc is a part of over two dozen enzymatic reactions in the body. For example, zinc plays an important role in supporting the body’s defense system, promoting healthy neutrophil, natural killer cells and T-lymphocyte functions.9‡
Plus, our Zinc 30 is essential for healthy storage and metabolism of carbohydrates.10 Sugar is a type of carbohydrate and Zinc plays a role in supporting its metabolism.‡
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is probably a vitamin that is most popular when it comes to immune support. There’s a good reason for that! Vitamin C is a well known antioxidant and free radical scavenger. It supports the body’s defense system by promoting white blood cell function and activity, interferon levels, antibody responses and secretion of thymic hormones.11 These thymus hormones are hormones that are secreted by the thymus organ and responsible for the synthesis of lymphocytes and T cells.12
Here at Pure Encapsulations®, we know just how important vitamin C is for your immune health. That’s why we offer it in so many different forms. We offer our Ascorbic Acid Capsules which provide 1,000 mg of vitamin C per serving. Not a big fan of capsules? That’s okay! We offer our ascorbic acid in a powdered form too, which provides 1,400 mg per serving.‡
Not to mention, we even offer Liposomal Vitamin C Liquid which offers antioxidant vitamin C in an enhanced absorption liposomal form to target cellular health and function plus immune defense. Vitamin C also helps maintain healthy mast cell function and supports lymphocyte formation.13‡
Vitamin A is probably best known for its role in supporting eye health. Vitamin A is required for maintenance of the cornea and forming the visual pigment rhodopsin.14 But, vitamin A plays an important role in lymphocyte and natural killer cell development and function.15, 16‡
Our new EmulsiSorb A liquid provides 900 mcg of the fat-soluble vitamin A per serving. Our EmulsiSorb A liquid offers micellized vitamin A to help enhance the bioavailability and absorption of vitamin A which requires fat to be utilized in the body. This EmulsiSorb technology helps enhance the bioavailability of vitamin A so vitamin A can help provide cytokine balance in the body and help develop the immune system and ultimately help regulate cellular immune response.17‡
The unique thing about this formula is that it contains micelles. Micelles are lipid molecules that arrange themselves around molecules that don’t often dissolve well in water, so that the compound they’re surrounding becomes better dissolved.
If you’re having a hard time visually conceptualizing micelles, think of soap. The next time you do the dishes, think of how much easier it is to remove food debris from your plate with soap versus without soap. That right there is the function of micelles.
Before I introduce you to some herbs that help promote the immune system, I want to first explain that there are two different types of immune responses and collectively, we refer to this as the immune system.
You have two types of immune responses: innate and adaptive immune response. The innate immune response protects against foreign bodies, oxidative stress, injuries and pathogens like bacteria. Think of this immune response as your first line of defense. This type of immune response works and responds very quickly.18
The adaptive immune response is the next in line for defense. This type of immune response occurs when the innate immune response is not able to take care of all the initial germs or stressors. The adaptive immune response is slower to arrive on scene, but when it does, it shows up in full force. That’s because the adaptive immune response first identifies the pathogen and determines a personalized approach at taking down pathogens. That’s why the adaptive immune response is known to have “memory.” That way, the next time your body encounters this pathogen again, it’ll be faster to respond.18
Herbs have long been touted for their role in supporting the immune system with their unique role of providing potent antioxidant defenses. That’s why our Innate Immune Support is an herb-based formula with functional mushrooms to help support that Innate immune response we discussed a little earlier.‡
The ingredients in this formulation were specifically designed to help promote the cell-mediated immune response, which includes natural killer cells and macrophage activity. The formula also includes clinically researched andrographis extract which has been found to help promote immune function and supported respiratory comfort.19 Reishi mushroom offers a rich source of polysaccharides to promote cell-mediated immunity.‡
Occasional stress may result in you craving more unhealthy food high in fats and sugars. This can lead to oxidative stress in the body, causing to kick your immune system into action.‡ These processed foods tend to not be good sources of healthy nutrients. That’s why we discussed the nutrients helpful to support your immune system. But, there are natural methods you can use to help support your immune system and help moderate occasional stress.
Meditation has been found to help individuals manage occasional stress and become more mindful with their food choices. Practicing meditation may also help individuals to pay more attention to impulsively grabbing fat and sugary foods and may help bring awareness to their eating habits so they may curb the behavior the next time around.1
Exercise is another great option to consider to naturally help manage occasional stress. The hormone cortisol may vary depending on the intensity and time spent exercising. Overall, exercise has been shown to help minimize some of the overwhelming feelings associated with occasional stress.1
Having a healthy social support system has also been found to help individuals manage occasional stress. Talking with your peers and your friends and family has been found to help lessen the effects of occasional stress.1
Everything is connected. Mindfulness, healthy nutrition and exercise may really help you align your actions to your overall health goals. From the foods we eat to the emotions we feel, so much effects our overall immunity. Choosing healthy foods with a combination of moderate exercise, does a wonder of benefits on the body.‡
If that occasional stress is getting the best of you, and you find yourself choosing the foods you usually tend to avoid, don’t fret. Check out our Immune Support options to help support your antioxidant defenses and promote healthy immune response.‡
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Do you remember your first day walking into your small community college or that large university? For many of you that whole first year was probably one of the biggest adjustments you had to make in your young adult life. There was just so much to process and countless decisions to be made. It’s no wonder that the stress of it all can take its toll on your overall health, including your immune system. So, let’s get started on unveiling some ways to support your health and immunity.
Nutrition certainly plays an important role in your health and well-being. There was a study published in the Journal of American College Health in 2020 that discussed how healthy eating was an important factor in higher academic achievement among college students.
Though there are a limited number of studies concerning college students, the results from the studies all consistently indicated how poor eating habits adversely impacted students’ academic performance, while healthy dietary behaviors were favorable predictors of academic success.1 We know that busy often means poor balance. So, how can you, as a college student, focus on healthy eating in the midst of classes, assignments, and the fact that you are not getting any home cooked meals now?
I know this is not an easy feat, especially since most of your meals may be compliments of the campus cafeteria, however, knowing what to select before you go into the dining hall will make your decisions much easier.
Improving your food selections doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, keeping it simple will make it way easier to sustain. Choosing different foods from each of the food groups with some attention to color such as bright color to complement your grains and protein and dairy is a quick tool for building a great plate.
This means that you can add a hearty salad or ½ cup - 1 cup of veggies to your meal or as a side dish. Just being aware of your plate’s color is a great place to begin building healthy habits. When starting, set a goal for something simple, like, “I will add a serving of brightly colored veggies to my lunch and dinner at least 3 times per week.”
This is a reasonable ask of yourself, without overwhelming or deterring your motivation. Little steps build good habits through consistency. Long-term goals would be to reach for a fruit and vegetable serving at each meal daily.
Keep an eye on the amount of food that you place on your plate. The portions should be enough to provide you with a sense of satiety. If you need some guidance, check out the recommended amounts and servings sizes according to your personal recommendations set forth by My Plate for Young Adults.2 Here you can also get ideas on how to prepare easy meals and healthy, yummy snacks. If you do happen to catch a drive through meal, try to limit supersizing of the fries, soda and any extras. Also, limit these meals by planning ahead with healthy choices even when you are on the road.
Time constraints and running late can often lead to poor hydration. Try prepping your refillable water bottle the night before and keep it in fridge next to your snacks. Grabbing this and filling it up a few times throughout your busy day will help to keep you hydrated and replace the tendency to reach for a sugary beverage like soda or other sweetened and caffeinated beverages, like that venti caramel latte with the extra whipped cream and caramel drizzle on top.
Did you know that vitamin C is one of the most well-known sources of dietary antioxidants? It offers a wide range of support for the human body. It supports the body’s defense system by promoting white blood cell function and activity and antibody responses3. Vitamin C also helps your body to absorb iron and plays a key role in the metabolism of folate, also known as vitamin B9.‡
Striving to eat your daily servings of fruits and vegetables is a great way to add dietary fiber and other essential nutrients like vitamin C to your plate. Vitamin C helps to maintain a healthy balance and supports your immune system. Red peppers, oranges, kiwifruit, broccoli and kale are just a few vitamin C and fiber-rich food choices.
However, if supplementing your dietary intake is warranted, you may want to check out Pure Encapsulations® great-tasting, berry/fruit flavored Vitamin C Gummy. Two of these yummy gummies daily provide 250 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C to help you cover your daily intake or provide immune support your healthcare practitioner may recommend for you.‡
If you think zinc is another nutrient that plays an important role in your overall health and immune function, then you are right on! Zinc supports the body’s natural defense system.4-5 Zinc also plays a part in over 300 enzyme processes, some of which support the synthesis of DNA and protein.6‡
Try to fill your plate with foods rich in zinc like fortified breakfast cereals, cooked oat cereals, oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds and lentils to name just a few.7 But if your diet falls short of your daily zinc requirements, the Zinc chewable tablet from Pure Encapsulations® would be an immune system support supplement to consider. It is great tasting and contains the same amount of zinc as you would find in 4 ½ ounces of dried pumpkin seeds! Pretty amazing, huh?‡
To ensure that you that you get enough of nutrients like vitamin C and zinc and others, an immune supporting dietary supplement like our PureDefense chewables may be another option since it provides support for upper respiratory tract health, which is super important especially with the change of seasons.‡
As you can see there are many factors that contribute to supporting your immune system and overall health. Now let’s take a look at your sleep hygiene.‡
Sleep, sleep and more sleep. It’s essential for maintaining your overall wellness and a healthy immune system. But I am talking about making sure you have a regular sleep routine and try to stick to it. I know - you can ‘do what you want’ now that you are a college student - right? The daily recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7-9 hours of quality sleep8. Grabbing a quick nap or sleeping in extra-long on the weekend may help in the short term but may not mend what you missed all week.
Try starting to practice getting ready for bed at the same time each evening. This includes turning off all devices! I know, not an easy ask, but definitely a great starting point to consider.
Did you know that the more time you spend on your computer screen time is associated with increased eye fatigue and eye strain?9-10
It’s true! In fact, this screen time, whether scrolling on your phone or watching a movie on your laptop, can impact your sleep quality. Computer screens emit high-energy blue light that can affect eye tissue. So, consider limiting your exposure to these electronics during the day and turning them off at least a couple of hours before bed! Eye and immune support supplement like our ScreenProtect Gummy include nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin absorb high-energy blue light, as well as support immune function and support eye health.11-12‡
Being over-stressed and in a time crunch can often lead you to make some questionable snacking choices. That may sum it up for some of you out there. Many of you may reach for whatever is in sight when you are feeling the tension of meeting a deadline. The response to a situation by eating foods that are usually calorically dense and nutrient sparse, may actually compound the vicious cycle of unhealthy eating.
How to prevent that? Plan ahead with nutritious snacks and meals and tap into your internal cues of hunger and fullness. This will help you to regulate your intake.
Ensuring that you are getting in enough physical activity to release some steam supports both your physical and mental health. Walking the campus or taking a stroll into town, joining a campus sponsored yoga or Pilates class or shooting some hoops with your pals are all awesome ways to get your heart pumping and great ways to manage the day’s stress.
Other ways to decompress are to practice deep breathing or find an app you like where you can follow along with a guided meditation each day.
Carve out time to socialize and hangout with your friends, get a study group together, listen to soothing music and be aware of the professional services your campus offers to help you manage any stress you may be feeling.
Keeping your focus and learning how to best organize your day and study habits is something you will learn to master. Your academic, social and overall health is your focus. Reach out to others if you feel that you need help in any way.
Speak with your parents and healthcare practitioners regarding questions you may have about your health and how immune system supplements can help support your overall wellness .‡
With great intentions, Purely for you!
Did you know that the National School Lunch Program provides over 29.6 million meals to children each school day during the fiscal year?1 During my very early days as a registered-dietitian-to-be, I learned the importance of the National School Lunch Program and that it’s specifically designed to support the nutritional needs of growing children!
Let me tell you something, there’s more to our lunch ladies than just providing warm, cooked meals for our children while they are off at school. These school lunches are specifically designed within the National School Lunch Program to help ensure that the meals being provided to our children meet their growing needs so they can be well-nourished to take on their school day!‡
In addition to learning more about the National School Lunch Program, let’s take a closer look at the vitamins every parent should consider for their children’s needs.
If you have a child currently enrolled in the school system, you’ve likely already heard of the National School Lunch Program, often abbreviated as NSLP. The National School Lunch Program truly transcends the prevailing mischaracterization of bland, unappetizing school lunches. It is a federally funded program that provides nutritionally backed meals at low or no-cost for school children.2 The National School Lunch Program is a joint effort administered by the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) within the larger, more well-known United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This program is usually available and operated by public and non-profit private schools.2
Since this is a federally funded initiative, there are specific guidelines required in order for schools to participate and reap the benefits of this program. In simpler terms, any school or school district participating in the National School Lunch Program receives cash subsidies from the USDA. The USDA reimburses each meal that the school serves so long as these meals meet the nutritional requirements set forth by the National School Lunch Program.2
The National School Lunch Program is designed with the intention of providing age-appropriate meals to specific age and grade groups. These regulations are essential to help meet the dietary specifications for calories, micronutrients and macronutrients for children grades K-12.3
The National School Lunch Program can get very complicated with lots of numbers and serving sizes. So, we decided to keep this very straightforward for you. Ultimately, the National School Lunch Program requires a total of five food components, each with daily and weekly minimums to help meet the needs of school children. These five food categories include:
Quick side note, vegetables have a specific requirement for vegetable variety to also encompass five additional subgroups. These subgroups consist of dark greens, red/orange veggies, beans/peas (also known as legumes), starchy vegetables and “other” veggies.3
Why add further regulations on veggies, you ask? The answer is surprisingly simple. Each vegetable provides a wide array of vitamins and minerals, some with higher quantities of specific nutrients than others. For example, carrots and vegetables that tend to be orange in color are a rich source of vitamin A, while green-leafy vegetables like kale or spinach are an excellent source of vitamin K.4, 5 Without this subgroup requirement, a school system could theoretically provide french fries from the starchy vegetable, potato, every day and still meet the vegetable requirement for a qualifying reimbursable meal… as much as I love a nice serving of french fries, I know that potatoes aren’t my go-to source for when I want a serving rich in vitamin K.
If you’d like to really be impressed, you can find the National School Lunch Program meal pattern chart here.6 This chart sets the specific requirements for each nutrient category per each grade group. As you can see, the National School Lunch Program sets the guidelines, but each school or school district participating in this program has the liberty to generate their own unique menus to qualify within the National School Lunch Program standards.
See, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes, those lunch ladies and cafeteria staff sure do work hard to create healthy meals for our children.‡
If you clicked on the National School Lunch Program Meal Pattern Chart earlier, you may have noticed that the nutrient requirements for certain categories like vegetables and fruit increase as children get older and within their grade leveling group. Why? Because the nutritional needs of children change as they get older.7 Let’s talk about zinc, it’s a great example to showcase how micronutrient needs change as children grow.
This change in mineral need is part of the reason why the National School Lunch Program includes subgroups of vegetables known to be plentiful in helping children meet their growing micronutrient needs.‡
You want to know what else may help meet the growing needs of children? Our Junior Nutrients! This formulation is specifically designed to help support daily wellness for both teens and children ages 4 and up.‡ How does Pure Encapsulations® help supplement the needs of growing children? Like the National School Lunch Program, we go by serving size.
These changes in serving size help meet and supplement the growing nutritional needs of our children.‡
I know, children can be picky when it comes to food, and we run the risk of them becoming even more picky when it comes to supplements in a capsule. That’s okay! We also offer our Pure Encapsulations® LiquiNutrients which is a liquid version of a multivitamin and mineral complex to help meet your child’s needs. For those picky kiddos out there, try mixing two teaspoons daily with either yogurt, applesauce or maybe their favorite smoothie – it’s worth a try!
When I was doing my practicum experience at the elementary school in Vermont and teaching children about fruits and vegetables, my biggest hurdle was teaching them to become familiar with and accustomed to different foods. Helping children become familiar with different fruits and vegetables helps handle picky eating behaviors in children.9
The National School Lunch Program takes milk very seriously. Growing up, I had milk at all meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was mixed in with either my oatmeal or cereal in the morning, it was my drink of choice at lunch and mom and dad always made sure it was on the menu come dinner time. Milk is incredibly nutritious. According to the U.S. National Dairy Council, milk is the leading source of calcium, vitamin D and potassium for children ages 2-18 years old and it’s also the leading food source of calcium and vitamin D for all Americans over the age of two.10
However, the National School Lunch Program is specific in that school qualified reimbursable meals must offer 5 cups of fluid milk across all grade levels per day. It also is specific in that other dairy products such as cheese (also a good source of calcium) and yogurt (a good source of calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins and probiotics) do not count as an appropriate substitution for fluid milk and cannot be used to satisfy the fluid milk category.10, 11
The reason behind this? Milk provides a wide variety of nutrients for children’s growing needs and comparable quantities are not always available in commercially sourced yogurts and cheeses. That’s why the National School Lunch Program sticks to fluid milk.11
I know what you may be thinking… 5 cups of milk per day for children grades K-12?! That’s a lot of milk! If I were milk, I’d have stage-fright. That’s a lot of pressure on milk to perform. But, we have confidence in milk. Milk is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D for both children and adults.10 Calcium and Vitamin D are important for children because calcium is one of the main mineral components of bone tissue and needed for bone formation.12 While vitamin D plays an important role in the metabolism (or body’s use) of calcium by impacting the skeleton’s process of developing and growing bones.12 There is so much emphasis on children getting adequate calcium and vitamin D because it helps them start their adult lives with stronger bones, setting the stage for healthy bone mineral content as they age.13‡
Our Cal/Mag/D Liquid is another kid-friendly liquid formula to help support healthy bone mineral composition. One serving of our Pure Encapsulations® Cal/Mag/D Liquid provides 1,000 IU of vitamin D3, 350mg of elemental calcium and 175 mg of elemental magnesium. Magnesium is another essential bone matrix mineral that promotes healthy bone metabolism.14‡
You may have noticed, the National School Lunch Program doesn’t require a category for probiotics and despite being a dairy product, yogurt isn’t an allowable substitute for fluid milk. Why such a lack of probiotics for children? Well, there really isn’t necessarily a “lack,” rather, yogurt is allowable under the “meats / meat alternates” category. However, each school or school district has the liberty to create their own menus and may choose to select or not select yogurt as a meat alternative item on their menu.15 This means that there could be the potential your child may not be getting as much exposure to yogurt as you may like.
Yogurt is a type of fermented food which contains live cultures of bacterial strains known as probiotics. Probiotics have been found to be safe and healthy in children and effective in supporting healthy bowel consistency in children while also helping make up a healthy and diverse microbial ecosystem in the G.I. tract.16‡
Currently, there is no set RDA or Recommended Daily Allowance for probiotic intake among children. But, if you’re looking to help support your child’s intestinal microflora, you can take a look at Pure Encapsulations® Probiotic 123. It is a shelf-stable probiotic blend of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains to help support intestinal comfort and support for occasional diarrhea in children.17, 18‡
We know there’s a lot of factors that come into play when going back to school. From getting your outfit ready for the first day of school to deciding if you’ll have the school lunch or pack a lunch that day, we know just how important this time can be for you and your family.
Ensuring that your child gets the top essential vitamins and minerals necessary to support their growth is also super important. From calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium, we’ve got the top essential vitamins and minerals available all within our Children’s Formulas, uniquely designed to support your children’s nutrient needs through every step of childhood. ‡ What’s holding you back? Check out our Children's Formulas today!
Aging is deeper than just the surface or the lines that define aging on your skin, or what you see on the outside. Oxidative stress affects our cells, tissues and organs and really is a normal process in your body.2 So, what are oxidants, how do they contribute to oxidative stress and how do they affect our cell energy and cell health? Let’s read on to learn a little more on how this process works!
What are Free Radicals?
As mentioned above, these oxidants that promote oxidation in our cells are also referred to as free radicals. You may have heard this term before, but maybe were not aware of how they work in the body. Your body is an amazing machine that is continuously processing and carrying out many necessary functions daily. One of these many functions is digestion and when we digest and process our food, we naturally produce free radicals. They are the end product of metabolic and other natural processes.
Here's a little throwback to high school chemistry class. Free radicals are unstable and have an uneven number of electrons, so their goal is to always “take care of themselves” and they do this by seeking and then taking an electron from another molecule. When this loss of one or more electrons happens, oxidation occurs and may cause an onset of some negative reactions in the body.3 These free radicals bind to and destroy the makeup of cellular structure.4 Cellular oxidation may speed up the aging process and accelerate the rate at which we start to experience the signs of aging, not only on the surface but at the cellular level. But did you know there are other sources that also contribute to the development of free radicals?
Sources of Free Radicals
There are endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external) sources of free radicals. In addition to the normal metabolic processes we discussed, there are other factors like excessive exercise, mental stress and other conditions including immune cell activation to name a few, that are all sources of endogenous or internal expressions of free radical production.5 Outside of us, there are external triggers that may impact our cells’ health including exposure to normal environmental pollutants, heavy metals, certain medications, chemical solvents, alcohol consumption, smoking and exposure to the sun and even consumption of red meat, smoked meats and dietary fats and oils.5 When the body metabolizes these, free radicals are generated as by-products.5 But what if you could help your body defend against free radicals and oxidative stress?
Cellular Support: Antioxidants, Adaptogens and Polyphenols
Antioxidants‡
Well, you can! Think of an antioxidant like a superhero fighting against the free radicals in your body. They are able to disarm them and work to keep the levels of oxidative stress at a minimum.6
Dietary antioxidants neutralize free radicals through several different mechanisms. They bind to the free electrons, “pairing up” with them and create a harmless cellular compound that the body can eliminate as waste. Antioxidants support the body's natural defense mechanisms against free radicals like the enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase.7 Pretty amazing, huh?‡
Ensuring that your diet contains an abundance of antioxidant rich foods is essential. Antioxidants are found in many foods, and the greatest sources are found in most fruits like blueberries, pomegranates and blackberries to name a few. Also artichokes, cauliflower and kale top the list of robust antioxidant rich vegetables.8 It’s wise to seek a broad source of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, E and B complex vitamins, like those found in Pure Encapsulations® AntiOxidant Formula which also supports the protection against free radical damage in every cell of the body.‡
CoQ10
One impressive nutrient that tops the list is Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone. This nutrient is found naturally in our body and also in some foods like nuts, meats and fish. The only thing is, we may need more CoQ10 than what our diets can provide.9 So supplementation may be just the ticket to help fill that gap.
Pure Encapsulations® CoQ10 acts as an antioxidant, providing cellular protection from free radicals.10 It’s a core component in the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), producing cellular energy known as adenosine triphosphate or ATP.11 CoQ10 also provides energy support to the cells of the body and tissues that require a lot of energy, such as the heart muscle.12‡
If you are looking for the active antioxidant form of CoQ10 which is ubiquinol, consider Ubiquinol QH. This form of CoQ10 is important for older individuals and those individuals with greater levels of oxidative or physical stress. Also, Ubiquinol QH may be advantageous for those individuals who may not do that well with responding to the use of regular CoQ10 supplementation, which may be due to poor conversion of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) to ubiquinol in the body.13 Also research shows us that this form may be more readily absorbed than ubiquinone.14 Clinically studied for peak absorption of CoQ10, evidence suggests that ubiquinol is the preferred form of CoQ10 in individuals experiencing increased oxidative stress.‡
Ubiquinol VESIsorb offers enhanced absorption of ubiquinol. VESIsorb® is a patented, lipid-based delivery system that increases bioavailability. This enhanced ubiquinol absorption supports energy metabolism and cardiovascular health.‡
Adaptogens
Adaptogens are edible plant substances, also referred to as adaptogenic herbs and have been recognized for their balancing effects on physiology, encouraging cellular balance. Studies suggest adaptogens interact with the immune-neuro-endocrine system to help the body regulate its use of energy and maintain strong immune defenses.15‡
Adaptogens and antioxidants help to maintain cell health and protect healthy tissue. An advanced antioxidant and adaptogenic cellular health formula like PureCell contains antioxidant vitamins and minerals that promote healthy cell function and cell longevity. This dietary supplement also contains alpha lipoic acid, which offers intracellular as well as extracellular antioxidant protection.16 It’s important to note how vital the inclusion of N-acetyl-l-cysteine and selenium can be for cellular health. They replenish glutathione, scavenge free radicals and maintain healthy liver function.17,18‡
Polyphenols
Another way that you can support your health and promote cellular energy is by consuming foods that are rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are organic compounds naturally found in various foods, mostly fruits and veggies. They are also part of the antioxidant family.‡
Foods such as pomegranates, black raspberries, raspberries, strawberries, walnuts and almonds are all foods rich in polyphenol, ellagitannin. These polyphenol components are not absorbed intact into the bloodstream but are broken down to ellagic acid in the gut and metabolized by the gut microflora to form urolithin A and B.19 Urolithin A is a metabolite of ellagitannin rich foods. Research shows that the ability to produce urolithins declines with age and depends on a person’s gut flora. There is also a small percentage of individuals that cannot perform this conversion at all.20 It also indicates that urolithin A enhances the natural process of cellular renewal in which the body breaks down and recycles cellular components, as well as clearing and recycling of older and dysfunctional mitochondria. Mitochondrial function is critical to healthy aging and their renewal supports energy production and the overall health of cells. Therefore, RENAUL featuring Mitopure™ Urolithin A supports one’s muscle function, increases cellular energy and promotes healthy aging.‡
Ahhhh, Cellular Energy
We are all looking for a little bit of energy in our day to day! And after reading through this blog, you have learned that cell health supports cellular energy. So, if you are looking for a convenient once-a-day pack that promotes nutrient metabolism, while supporting healthy weight management and enhancing energy production, then our Energize Plus Pure Pack may be just the ticket!† Its unique profile of bioavailable vitamins, chelated minerals, fish oil and other ingredients like B vitamins, CoQ10 and magnesium all support cellular energy and health. In fact, these B vitamins, CoQ10 and magnesium act as cofactors in the body’s energy production pathway, while L-Carnitine carries fatty acids into the mitochondria for oxidation and conversion into energy. 21-24 What a great way to start your day!‡
Now that you’ve learned a little more about the importance of your cellular health and gained a better understanding on what is happening in those little powerhouses of your cells, you are well on your way to navigating a healthier lifestyle. Armed with tips on how to reduce oxidative stress you’ll be ready to make better decisions when monitoring and reducing external and internal stressors. Get ready to embrace a new level of optimal wellness as you better support your cellular health!
With great intentions, purely for you!
Do you take your supplements in the morning, or do you prefer to take them at night? Funny story, I’m a morning supplement person. I like to take my Vitamin B’s, Hair/Skin/Nails Ultra and my EPA/DHA Essentials first thing in the morning. My fiancé, on the other hand, takes his at night. Let me clarify – he likes to take his supplements except for his Vitamin B’s, at night. Every morning, he wakes up before dawn and packs his B Vitamins to take to work with him to have during the day. Well, a few weeks ago, he had forgotten to pack his B Vitamins to take to work, so I, not really thinking about it, included it in his evening supplement routine. He was up all night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because he felt too awake while I slept like a baby, oops!
Why couldn’t my fiancé get a good night’s rest? Simple! I accidentally gave him supplements that help support cellular energy in the evening. I just didn’t realize my mistake until the next morning. Let’s discuss more about what other nutrients help support cellular energy.
Aging is a natural and unavoidable process; however, research suggests that there are some natural ways we can help support healthy aging. One good place to start is encouraging healthy mitochondrial function. Mitochondria have long been recognized not merely as being energy suppliers but also as having an essential role in supporting healthy aging. Research suggests that aging is closely related to energy supply, energy imbalance and oxidative stress, or the imbalance of antioxidants to free radical species in the body.1
All of these may be supported with physical activity and healthy diet, but did you know there are ways to support energy balance through nutrition and antioxidant support to promote cellular energy and healthy aging?1 We are just getting started, but we are going to talk more about how the mitochondria help support both cellular energy and healthy aging.1‡
The mitochondria are commonly referred to as the powerhouse of the cell. But, what are they? The mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles found with cells that have the sole responsibility to help produce energy needed to power the body’s biochemical reactions. This energy the mitochondria produce is ATP, or adenosine triphosphate.2
Cells with high energy requirements actually have more mitochondria to help produce more ATP to help meet the demands of these working cells.2 Think of those cells that require more ATP – I’m talking those muscle cells literally lifting you and carrying throughout your day, your brain cells that are constantly processing info at all time, your heart muscle cells, which are pumping your blood through your veins and even your kidneys, which are working to filter and purify your blood. Yep – all those types of cells have a higher percentage of mitochondria present to help produce the ATP they need.2‡
NAD+, also known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is an important nutrient for mitochondria.‡ The reason for this is because it helps convert food into energy, maintaining DNA integrity and ensuring cellular function including cellular energy and healthy aging.3‡
Pure Encapsulations® Mitochondrial-ATP provides a compound called, Nicotinamide mononucleotide, because that’s a mouthful, I’m going to refer to it further NMN. NMN is a unique form of vitamin B3 that gets converted to NAD+. NAD+ declines with age and plays an important role in energy production within the mitochondria and cellular repair.4 Preliminary research suggests NMN supports synthesis of NAD+ in tissues, supporting cellular function and longevity, energy metabolism, aerobic capacity and glucose homeostasis.5, 6, 7‡
What’s more, this formulation contains 30 mg of CoQ10, which plays an important role in the synthesis of ATP to help support cellular energy. CoQ10 is a core component of cellular energy production and mitochondrial respiration, shuttling electrons down the electron transport chain to produce the key energy-rich molecule, ATP.8‡
If we’re going to talk about CoQ10, then we may also mention Ubiquinol. Ubiquinol-QH is an active antioxidant form of CoQ10. It’s known to help support for energy metabolism and cardiovascular health. Ubiquinol is also known as the active form of CoQ10.‡
It’s exciting to know that there are many nutrients to help support healthy cellular energy and even healthy aging. For example, alpha lipoic acid, acetyl-l-carnitine and resveratrol support mitochondria synthesis by promoting healthy activity of the key enzyme AMP kinase (AMPK).9 Polyphenols, like those found in cranberry, wild blueberry, Orleans strawberry and spinach extracts, provide support for cardiometabolic and neurocognitive benefits.10 Not to mention, our RevitalAge Ultra is another unique formula that contains 50 mg of NMN, but this formula also offers B-Vitamins. Let me tell you why B-Vitamins have long been another nutrient associated with cellular energy.‡
The reason why B-Vitamins, like those found in our B-Complex Plus, help support cellular energy is because they support mitochondrial enzymes which ultimately help to create ATP.11,12,13 For example, Pantothenic Acid, also known as Vitamin B5, is a precursor of coenzyme A (CoA).‡
One of the main functions for CoA is the formation of acetyl-CoA, vital for cellular respiration and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fatty acids through the energy-creating cycle called the Krebs cycle.14 Tissues with the highest retention of pantothenic acid are the kidneys, pituitary gland, heart, muscle, liver and adrenal glands.15 (Sounds familiar, right? Those are those hard-working muscle cells I told you about earlier). Pantothenic Acid or Vitamin B5 helps support adrenal function for cellular energy support. 14,‡ Do you want to know more about adrenal support? Keep on reading!‡
This was the perfect segue for me to introduce you to the adrenal system and the role the adrenals play in a different type of energy. The adrenals are a pair of glands that sit above the kidneys and are responsible for secreting epinephrine and norepinephrine to help energize us and increase mental alertness. The adrenals also produce corticosteroids.16 These are all different types of hormones.
The adrenals are a part of your endocrine system. You’ve probably heard of the endocrine system whenever your doctor or a friend who you know has mentioned the hormone insulin and glucose metabolism. Well, the endocrine system does much more than just manage insulin. Within that system, the adrenals produce hormones that help play a role in how your body transforms and metabolizes energy in the body from the food you eat.16
Did you know there are herbs that can help support the adrenals of the endocrine system to promote stamina and reduce occasional fatigue?‡
Adaptogens are plant compounds that have long been associated with enhancing stamina and reducing mild fatigue. They encourage both physical work capacity and mental performance. Often referred to as tonics, they have mild and diverse effects on physiology, supporting immune, cardiovascular and endocrine functions.17-23 At the same time, they support the adrenals by helping the body to adapt to and cope with occasional stress.17-19 Panax ginseng promotes endurance and stamina, while also promoting cognitive, cardiovascular and immune function.20,21 Ashwagandha is recognized for supporting healthy stress responses and cognitive function.22,‡ Rhodiola and eleuthero are traditionally associated with rejuvenating effects and the ability to promote endurance.23‡
Ashwagandha, Asian Ginseng, Eleurthero and Rhodiola extract are all found in our Pure Encapsulations® Energy Xtra formula. If you want to find an herbal option to help support your adrenal glands this is a great place to start after discussing with your healthcare provider. ‡
From mitochondria, NMN, NAD+, B-Vitamins like Pantothenic acid and herbals for adrenal support, there are so many natural ways you can help support your overall cellular energy. By supporting your cellular energy, you are helping to maintain healthy cellular function, which is particularly important as we age.1 By doing this, you’re giving your cells that rejuvenation they need to help support your mitochondria promote that natural energy production to keep you feeling great and naturally energized.‡
My fiancé would just recommend you take your cellular energy support supplements during the daytime, because we all know how important a good night’s rest can be! Now, which energy products will you choose next?
I've had numerous questions over the past several months about men's health issues and how these men could best support their health. They were not just general nutrition-related inquiries but rather had specific concerns on how to best support their cardiovascular, vision, prostate and hormone balance.
I did have some candid conversations with these gentlemen and their significant others about how they can better understand the role that men's health supplements play in their overall health and well-being and how they can achieve optimal nutrition.
From the moment we wake each morning until the time we lay our heads on our pillow at night, our eyes work as hard as any other organ to support us in our day-to-day tasks. I think we are learning as we evolve, that these precious gems need to be well taken care of so that they can continue to help us navigate life's journey. For the dads who take their first look at their beautiful newborn, to the elderly parent whose beautiful eyes have captured a lifetime of memories; you know your eye health is something you want to preserve.
But what about the daily demand on your eyes? Let's face it; you are always scrolling, snapping, typing and really racking up a lot of screen time. Spending a lot of time on your computer or cell can take a toll on your eye health. Research shows increased computer screen time is associated with increased eye fatigue and eye strain.1,2 Computer screens emit high-energy blue light that can affect eye tissue. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two important nutrients that selectively absorb high-energy blue light, as well as support immune function and cytokine balance in the eye.3,4‡
So, if your screen time is around 3+ hours each day you may want to check out ScreenProtect Gummy. It's a great-tasting nootropic blend gummy that supports visual function and mental endurance during extended computer use.‡
Starting early in life by eating a healthy diet can help support your overall health and may benefit your vision. You can start by taking a look at your plate. Does it offer variety?
If yes, is it enough? If no, then it's time to assess your intake. Focusing on adding some brightly-colored fruits and veggies on your plate may help to provide the key nutrients that you need to support not only your eyes, but your overall health.
A healthy diet rich in key nutrients like vitamins C, E, Beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and other antioxidants like catechins, along with omega-three fatty acids, are all essential to support eye health.3 But if your daily intake doesn't boast of color, then discussing with your healthcare provider the benefits of dietary supplements may be warranted.
Taking men's health supplements could be beneficial to your overall nutrition plan and also promote your eye health. Pure Encapsulations® EyeProtect Basics contains clinically researched levels of bioavailable nutrients including key antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, lutein, and zeaxanthin to support healthy vision and integrity of the eye.4 These nutrients are critical to help maintain the health of both the retina and the macula.5‡
Lutein/Zeaxanthin are the two major carotenoids stored in the macula, which is the central part of the retina. They support retinal health by promoting the integrity and density of the macular pigment, acting as antioxidants and light filters to protect the ocular tissue.6‡
One of the most common questions about men's health supplements is, "What supplement should I consider for prostate health support?" Many of you are looking to better understand how nutrition may impact your prostate health. Of course, all of you have different needs, so touching base with your health care provider is always the first thing that is suggested.‡
Considering a healthy diet that boast of antioxidants is a sure win. Choosing foods not only by color but fueling up on a variety of phytonutrients like those found in a plant-based diet can be beneficial for supporting prostate and overall health.7 Foods like whole grains, cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts), onion and garlic, as well as green tea and tomatoes.8
Tomatoes are rich in a phytonutrient, called lycopene. It is this nutrient that not only lends to the deep beautiful red color of tomatoes, but it is a carotenoid (a type of antioxidant) that may provide prostate health support.9 Data from over 47,000 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study suggested that tomato or lycopene intake was positively associated with prostate cell health.10‡
In another study involving 30 male subjects, supplementation with lycopene promoted healthy prostate function.11 A great men's health supplement is Pure Encapsulations®' Lycopene which provides a natural tomato extract rich in lycopene, various carotenoids, vitamin E and other important phytochemicals.
Other nutrients like pumpkin seed oil provide essential fatty acids and zinc, which are also important for prostate health.12 Nettle root, also known as stinging nettle, has demonstrated the ability to support healthy enzyme activity and maintain healthy hormone metabolism in prostate cells. You can find all of these in our Saw Palmetto Plus.13 In a multicenter study examining the effect of nettle root extract in over 5,000 individuals, the extract supported prostate health in the majority of subjects.14‡
It's a lot easier to take charge of your health when you use a curated selection of men's health supplements. Our Prostate Health Daily Pure Pack does exactly that! It includes: Beta-sitosterol, a plant-based ingredient to support prostate health, lycopene, which is backed by clinical studies to promote healthy prostate function and cardiovascular health and Saw Palmetto to support healthy testosterone metabolism, and specifically promote healthy urinary function.‡
Most of us know how important cardiovascular health support is but may not always know where to begin. Proper diet and exercise are a great place to start. Interestingly, there is research from a study involving ten European countries that revealed that the antioxidant properties of dietary lycopene supported cardiovascular health.15 So, if you are looking to balance your dietary intake and ensure that you get a daily dose of lycopene and other key nutrients, like green tea, selenium, vitamin D and zinc then Pure Encapsulations®' Men's Nutrients may be the men's health supplement that you may want to check out.‡ This multivitamin/multimineral complex has special features like our Cardio Polyphenol Complex‡ which supports cardiovascular health with polyphenols from pomegranate, red wine concentrate and grape seed extract.16-17‡
Men's Nutrients also helps maintain healthy prostate cells and enhances the integrity of the macula and retina.‡
Like many men, you are working hard to balance family, work and some downtime for yourself. Stress is an unfortunate part of daily life, and you may get to that point where you want to find a men's health supplement that can support occasional mental and physical stress. A broad spectrum adaptogen called Rhodiola-rosea (also known as Golden root) helps support mental and physical stress. In supplement form, this flowering plant can also help to support your cardiovascular health.‡
It also promotes energy metabolism, including improved recovery time after a high intensity work out, like those weekly basketball games with the guys, or a night spent working out at the gym. As with all men's health supplements, it is recommended that you continue your conversations with your health care provider before you start any dietary supplements.‡
Another dietary supplement that promotes mental relaxation and moderates the effects of occasional stress is our Daily Stress Formula‡. It contains ashwagandha, which is known for promoting energy, vitality and immune defense.18 It also includes chamomile and lemon balm which provide traditional support for calmness and relaxation.19-20 Additional nutrients like B vitamins and magnesium play important roles in healthy stress responses.21‡
I encourage you to continue your quest for great health, both physically and mentally. Staying active and keeping your connections with your healthcare provider is part of every man's health and wellness model. As you know, there are so many factors that affect men's health, so it is a good idea check out that plant-based diet and some additional Men's Formulas in tandem with some robust conversations with your healthcare provider. Remember, it's the day-to-day healthy habits that will support long-term wellness for you!
With great intentions, purely for you!
References:
B Vitamins have diverse functions, ranging from red blood cell function (vitamin B12) to hair, skin and nail health (biotin). There is new research suggesting their potential involvement of folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in supporting in mild memory problems associated with aging.1 According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, cognitive decline is a normal process that occurs during aging, however there may be certain non-normal health aspects that may contribute to cognitive decline. The Council for Responsible Nutrition discussed research that found that three B vitamins have potential relevance to cognitive health: vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), vitamin B9 (folate or folic acid) and vitamin B12 (cobalamin).1
The reason why these three B vitamins have drawn attention is partly because of their role in metabolizing the amino acid homocysteine. Although there remains insufficient reliable evidence to connect homocysteine to cognitive decline, observational studies have suggested a correlation between increased levels of serum homocysteine and cognitive decline.1
More importantly, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 support a process called methylation. Methylation uses homocysteine to create building blocks for neurotransmitters that enable neurons to communicate.1
Now, let's talk about the basics: What are B Vitamins? Where can you find them naturally? Keep reading to find out!
Optimal nutrition is a fundamental factor when it comes to supporting memory. B vitamins are a small but essential part of a healthy diet. B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that they are readily used by the body and any excess is naturally excreted by the body. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E and K, B vitamins are not stored in the body for later use.
So exactly what vitamins make up the vitamin B family? Well, let's take a closer look. This vitamin family is comprised of about eight vitamins that include B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate) and B12 (Methocobalamin).
The role the B vitamins play may be something you are already familiar with. When you think of B vitamins, you may immediately think “energy”. If so, then you are on the right track! Various B vitamins play a role in the conversion of carbohydrates into energy and in the metabolism of fats and protein.2 Some are essential for hemoglobin, which is the protein found in our red blood cells.3
As you can see, these busy Bs really work hard. So, where can you find these B-eautiful nutrients? B vitamins are naturally found in a variety of foods, including fortified foods. Leafy greens, legumes (black, pinto, edamame and lentils), nutritional and brewer's yeast, meats like pork, chicken, turkey, beef and liver are rich in a variety of B vitamins. So are cooked eggs, milk and yogurt, oysters, mussels and clams. Even cereals and other grains have been fortified with B vitamins.4‡
Balancing the combination of functionally interrelated B vitamins can also be obtained through dietary supplementation, such as with Pure Encapsulations® B-Complex Plus which includes B1, B2, B3, B6, B7 (biotin), B12 and folate. Our complex includes Metafolin® L-5-MTHF, a methylated, active form of folate, as well as methylated vitamin B12.
Why is this important for you?
If you are looking for a B-Complex liquid that combines B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12 in a great-tasting liquid form, then you may want to consider trying Pure Encapsulations® B-Complex liquid.
What about individuals with MTHFR polymorphisms? A common genetic variation in the MTHFR gene, which affects the majority of Americans, makes it slightly more difficult to convert the inactive form of folic acid into 5-MTHF, the usable or active form of folate.10 Individuals with the variant should consider using 5-MTHF instead of folic acid. You can learn more about this polymorphism here.
We've formulated most of our folate-containing products to include folate as MetaFolin, the universally metabolized form of folate. For example, our PureGenomics® B-Complex was specifically formulated for those with these common genetic polymorphisms and provides 800 mcg of folate as MetaFolin®. That's not all! Our B12 Folate is another example of a product we offer that was formulated to also include 800 mcg of folate as MetaFolin to provide this essential vitamin in a metabolized form for those requiring assistance with the methylation process of these nutrients.‡
New science suggests that folate and folic acid are B vitamins that play important roles in cognitive health and may play a beneficial role in mild memory problems associated with aging. This is particularly good to know, because that means that those with the MTHFR genetic polymorphism can receive the same benefits of folate and folic acid as those without the mutation.‡
Needing some nervous system support? Well, we've got you covered. This next featured B Vitamin was also one of the B Vitamins found to help support cognitive health as individuals age. Vitamin B6 plays an important role in nerve impulse transmissions and healthy functioning of the nervous system.‡
Some food sources rich in pyridoxine or Vitamin B6 include protein rich foods such as chicken, turkey, beef, salmon and cheese. Other key dietary contributors of this B vitamin include plant sources like bananas, potatoes, carrots, raisins, nuts, tofu, fortified cereals and rice.12,13
If you are looking to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet when it comes to B6, you may want to consider discussing with your healthcare practitioner if Pure Encapsulations®' B6 Complex dietary supplement is the right fit for you. Our B6 Complex offers B6 as both pyridoxine and the activated form pyridoxal-5-phosphate. With enhanced B6, this formula promotes healthy, nerve and metabolic functions.14,15‡
Have you ever heard of PQQ? Though not a true B vitamin, PQQ, or pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt, provides B vitamin-like activity with unique antioxidant properties.
If you are looking for unique nutrient support, then an enhanced B-complex is an important consideration at all stages of life but especially as we age. Pure Encapsulations®' Ultra B-Complex w/PQQ provides continued support for cellular energy and nerve health as well as help to maintain cytokine balance.‡
It is important to consider that more than over 40% of US adults aged 55 and older are regular users of dietary supplements and 26% of supplement users aged 55 and over reported being regular users of vitamins B6, B9 and B12 dietary supplements. This information has been reported by the 2021 Council for Responsible Nutrition Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, which was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.18
Aging is a natural process, and it's impossible to avoid it, but there are many ways to promote healthy aging.
A healthy mind is also exercised by physical activity, such as walking, dancing, stretching, biking, swimming or any activity that gets your body up and moving. Keeping your muscles and bones healthy, supports your balance and strength.19 If you are active, you may be more likely to get out of the house and engage in these activities with a friend or a group at the gym or local community center.19 Physical activity along with a healthy diet, can also support healthy glucose, blood lipid metabolism and blood pressure.19
Keep your mind busy with activities that you enjoy or perhaps would like to learn. It is never too late to learn to play the piano or even the newest online word or number puzzle. If you like to crochet, bake or paint, perhaps think about teaching a class at your local library or senior center. Even connecting with your grandchildren to teach them these fine crafts would be beneficial to you both.
Always keep those appointments with your healthcare practitioner. If you have questions in between your visits, then pick up the phone to share your concerns. Since life is busy, try writing important dates down on a calendar or set alarms in your cell to keep track of them.
Manage your stress and sit outside and enjoy nature's beauty. Breathe in the warm fresh air and let the buzzing of the bees and the chirping of the birds, transport you to a place of serenity.
Here at Pure Encapsulations®, we believe in following the most credible and up-to-date research. It's our goal to bring that research to you in a blog so that you have access to this new knowledge and comfort with our pure goodness products.‡ That way, you and your healthcare practitioner can have a conversation and decide which products are right to meet your unique nutritional needs. We have a wide variety of B Vitamins to choose from that may help support your cognitive health and help with those mild memory problems associated with aging. Give your brain a break and check out our B Vitamins today!
Citations:
Although we may not like to admit it, we’ve all felt the effects aging has on us. Cracking bones, tight joints, mild memory problems and even changes in energy and stamina are definitely some subtle and not-so-subtle reminders that we aren’t spring chickens anymore. But, hey! That’s okay. Aging is a natural process of life and something that happens to us all.
Still, there’s no reason why we can’t add some healthy habits into our daily lives as we age. In fact, there are several ways we can help support healthy aging both physically and nutritionally. Men, in particular, often struggle with knowing where to begin with maintaining their health and well-being as they age. So, if you’re a man (or have important men in your life) keep reading because we’ll be providing tips on exercise, nutrition and multivitamins for men over 40.‡
Why Is Exercise Important for The Aging Adult?
We’ve all heard a healthcare provider, trainer or health product commercial say, “This is part of a healthy diet and regular exercise.” It’s because diet and exercise are the two most important factors to health that may affect your overall lifestyle and health journey.‡
The CDC even suggests that regular physical activity is one of the most important activities you can do to benefit your body.1 Why? Well, the CDC states that it has the potential to support health as both men and women age.1 This concept should sound familiar, we just wrote a special feature blog surrounding Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9 and Vitamin B12 like those found in our B-Complex Plus. In general, it’s been found that these specific B Vitamins may support cognitive function, which is an important aspect of healthy aging. Exercise is important for so many reasons, not only does it help with your overall physiological health, but exercise can make you feel better too. Combine our B vitamin support for cognitive health with regular exercise and you’ve got a Royal Straight Flush!2‡
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
This is a great question! According to the CDC, adults aged 65 and older need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to intense physical activity. This would mean they would need about 30 minutes a day of walking about 5 times a week. If you’re in a time crunch and struggle to get your exercise in, I hear you! It’s also advised that 75 minutes a week of vigorous activity such as jogging, running or even hiking would also be beneficial for the average older adult.1
How Aging Affects Men’s Testosterone Levels
Testosterone helps build muscle mass. As such, low levels of testosterone may lead to a loss of muscle mass.3 In fact, it’s been found that for the general male population, testosterone levels start to decline at around age 40.4 Our Tribulus Formula was designed to help maintain the body’s normal testosterone levels. It contains D-aspartic acid and European-sourced Tribulus terrestris to support testosterone balance.5,6 It also maintains healthy aromatase enzyme activity with the flavonoids chrysin and hesperetin.7‡
Looking for something a little more versatile? Our Daily Pure Pack - Testosterone Health contains 3 Tribulus Formula capsules, 1 magnesium glycinate and also 15 mg of Zinc to help support testosterone balance and support muscle and bone health. This natural decline in testosterone as an adult male ages is particularly why the CDC also recommends strength-training at least two times per week.1
Why Balance Training Is Important for The Aging Adult
The CDC also recommends older adults engage in exercise that helps improve their stability. This type of exercise is also known as balance training. Per the CDC, this type of training is super important to help limit the risk of fall or further injury in the aging population. Examples of balance training includes step exercises, shifting your weight from one leg to the other and even practicing calf raises from a flat foot position to a raised tip-toe stance. Ballet-style barre classes are also a great option for learning how to balance train. Yes, men, there’s room for you at the barre, too! Not to mention, strengthening your back, abdomen and legs may help improve your overall balance.1‡
Do you want to learn what else supports men over 40? Our Men's Nutrients is a multivitamin for men over 40 and designed to support the prostate, heart, energy, stamina and eyes.‡ This multivitamin contains saw palmetto to help maintain healthy prostate cells with the addition of lycopene and green tea. Plus, it offers astragalus and maca to promote energy, endurance and stamina. Our formula also supports eye health with lutein and zeaxanthin (so you can help see the barre a little better during your next barre and balance class)!
How to Nutritionally Support Your Exercise
There are many ways the average aging individual may be able to help nourish their physique to help support optimal performance. One way is by supplementing electrolytes. For example, potassium, calcium and magnesium help keep up healthy muscle function which may come in handy when exercising.8 Creatine monohydrate supports ATP regeneration and enhances work output in activities such as weightlifting and sprinting.9 All these nutrients and more are found in our Pure Encapsulations® Athletic Nutrients, which is a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral complex for athletic training and performance.‡
How Exercise May Effect Oxidative Stress in the Aging Individual
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an adequate antioxidant defense. Free radicals are a type of oxidative stress which are produced during aerobic cellular metabolism. Oxidative stress is a result of different pathways such as natural aging and even exercise.10
Exercise and oxidative stress share a unique relationship in that oxidative stress is affected by exercise’s mode, intensity and duration. For example, regular moderate training appears beneficial for overall oxidative stress and health. On the other hand, short-term high energy output exercises may lead to higher oxidative stress levels. Interestingly, the same physical stimuli that lead to these increased levels of oxidative stress are also necessary for the up-regulation of antioxidant defenses.10 Research found that both exercise and a diet adequate in vitamins and minerals were necessary to maintain an optimal antioxidant status.10
Our Antioxidant Formula supports the body’s defense mechanisms against free radicals, which include the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase.11 Looking for a different approach to antioxidant support after your workout? Our Ascorbic Acid Powder provides 1,000mg of vitamin C for additional antioxidant support.‡
Protein for Aging and Exercising Adults
You’re probably very aware of the importance of including protein in your diet especially when you’re exercising. But did you know that including healthy protein in your diet is important to help preserve your muscle mass as you age? In fact, one study found older individuals who ate the protein daily lost 40% less muscle mass than people who did not include protein in their daily dietary intake.12 In addition, another study found older adults who ate more protein or took protein supplements had a slower rate of muscle loss, increased muscle mass and had the potential to help build more muscle.13
That’s a lot of pressure on protein intake, isn’t it? What is it about protein that is so important for adults over the age of 40? In simple terms, dietary protein is necessary to support metabolic reactions that generate ATP, or energy, for the body to function.14 It is important for older adults to get their protein from high quality complete protein sources.‡ Not all proteins are “complete” proteins.15 Some of them lack certain amino acids. There are 20 amino acids and to be considered a “complete” protein, the protein source, needs to contain 9 of the 20 amino acids, which are called essential amino acids. Sources that contain complete proteins include: meats, dairy, fish and eggs.15
If you’re looking for that extra protein support and struggling to include it from a food source, our Pure Encapsulations® WheyBasics Protein Powder is a highly purified, cold-pressed, undenatured whey protein providing 21 grams of protein per serving. If you’re looking for a more creative way to include some essential amino acids, or branch-chain amino acids into your diet, you can read all about our Pure Encapsulations® BCAA Powder and even try a fun egg-cup recipe here.
Let’s Get Moving!
Exercise is one of those unique factors that has a benefit in almost every aspect of life. Our bodies are meant to move and carry us into the next stage of life. As an aging individual, getting up, staying active and incorporating moderate exercise into your daily routine is an excellent way to help support your physical and emotional health.
Aging adults have many physical and hormonal changes that occur in the body. Increasing your protein intake, supporting your testosterone levels and ensuring you have adequate antioxidant support can all help keep you feeling your best. It can be a daunting task, but incorporating exercise into your daily routine may be as easy as taking one step at a time. Need a little extra help? That’s okay! You can check out our Energy and Fitness category today and get started on your wellness journey.‡
Connections
Imagine a room filled with giggling girls with emotions all over the place. That pretty much sums up most young girls and perhaps many of us women who are in the company of good friends. You know that group of gals that you kind of travel life’s roads with. When I was five and just starting out on life’s journey, I met the friends that would be with me my entire life. Obviously, I didn’t know that then, but sincerely these ladies are like my sisters. Though we still laugh about our teenage heartthrobs, our focus over the past few years has turned to women’s issues like our emotional and metabolic health.
So, cheers to your old and new friends, trusted colleagues or good ol’ neighbors who are like sisters to you. Connections are meant to lift us up and move us through life with a little more joy!
Navigating Naturally
Moving though life’s stages certainly brings a kaleidoscope of change. Our physical and emotional health all go through various stages of change as we age. Some of us may navigate things a little easier than others, but that doesn’t mean we have perfect days. We all require some coaching and support.
As women, we need to focus on a lot! Taking the time to be mindful of our own health needs may help us better navigate our metabolic health. We need to assess our current routine (physical, emotional, nutritional) and make necessary changes to ensure the very best health outcomes. How we manage our intake, physical activity and stress are all factors that affect our metabolic health. Focusing on achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is important to ensure it has a positive impact on our glucose and lipid metabolism.
Do you know which factors can make or break your metabolic health? Let’s find out below.
Hormones - Our Body's Messengers
Life stage changes like menopausal hormonal changes, can be key influences on our metabolic health. Hormones are our internal calls to action. They are nature’s way of giving us cues to the next bodily function, emotion or feeling and certainly impact how we feel. Understanding how these hormones function can help us to understand the effects of stress and other variables on our overall wellness.
One of the hormones that may come to mind is cortisol. Cortisol, mainly produced by our adrenal glands, is released in response to stress. It also helps you to regulate your sleep. As you can see, cortisol is important, but over the long haul, if it’s not controlled, it can lead to more serious health concerns and may impact your metabolic health.
Stress management is important to maintain a healthy cortisol response. In managing your cortisol levels, you may be supporting restful sleep, cognitive function and also positive mood during times of occasional stress. These things are invaluable in promoting a healthy metabolism and, by extension, a healthy you!‡
Nutrients that support a positive mood and help moderate occasional stress can be found in our Mood Balance Daily Pure Pack. This convenient pack includes our SeroPlus formula, which supports serotonin production to promote a positive mood, moderate occasional stress and maintain healthy eating behavior. Also, it contains our Emotional Wellness‡ formula, which helps support emotional and mental well-being and moderate occasional stress.‡
Taking a step back from that occasional stress is helpful, rather than letting it escalate. Though this is easier said than done, especially when you may not be able to change the situation. But being able to identify and manage your stress is healthy in both the interim and long term, and sometimes often requires support.
To keep your cortisol levels at bay is important, but how can you accomplish this and support a healthy stress response?
Well, our Cortisol Calm which contains both Rhodiola and magnolia, has shown to maintain healthy cortisol activity and offer support for occasional stress, mood and emotional well-being.1‡
Also a recent study, showed that Sensoril® an ashwagandha extract, supports not only positive mood, but also healthy stress responses.
Meet the New "B"-Inositol
One of the “newer” kids on the nutrient block that may support healthy mood is inositol, which is part of the B-Complex family. ‡
Research suggests that myo-inositol (the main form of inositol), found in the central nervous system, supports important messengers in your body like serotonin and norepinephrine.2 What this tells us is that inositol may not only support healthy mood, but also optimal levels may support emotional wellness and behavior and help lessen occasional nervous tension.3 To support women’s ovarian health, research suggests that myo-inositol may also help to support healthy ovulatory activity, ovarian function and reproductive system function.4,5‡
Pretty impressive, huh? Well, there is another form of inositol. It is D-chiro inositol and this form found in the right ratios can be found in our Inositol-Complex .
Though there isn’t a perfect solution, landing on managing stress seems to be an important way to manage cortisol, especially since it is one of those hormones that may impact your metabolic health and glucose metabolism.
CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH
Healthy Glucose Metabolism
Changes in a woman’s life affects her metabolic health as seen through her childbearing years and well into menopause. This transition to menopause brings about numerous changes including a decrease in estrogen levels but also changes in weight management, which may impact both glucose metabolism and cardiovascular health. To manage the other challenges that menopause presents, you can discuss the following supplement options to support your health with your healthcare provider.‡
MenoVive for menopausal comfort, promotes breast, uterine, cervical and cognitive health. It also supports relaxation during times of occasional stress, while supporting a healthy estrogen-to-progesterone ratio.‡
Additionally, factors like familial history, exercise and optimal nutrition, there are a variety of minerals that are associated with healthy glucose metabolism including chromium, magnesium and zinc and may be synergistic with biotin. 7,8,9,10‡
Vanadium is another important mineral found in GlucoFunction that promotes healthy glucose metabolism by supporting healthy liver and skeletal muscle function.11 This dietary supplement also contains the water-soluble polyphenol polymers found in CinSulin® cinnamon extract to promote healthy glucose function, lipid metabolism and blood flow.12,13‡
Also, Momordica charantia, or bitter melon, and Gymnema sylvestre provide traditional support for healthy pancreas and glucose function.14,15 Additionally, alpha lipoic acid supports healthy glucose metabolism by promoting healthy mitochondrial function.16,17‡
Having a conversation with your healthcare provider about your metabolic health should also include ways to support healthy glucose metabolism.
The dietary supplement MetabolicXtra provides a combination of nutrients to support healthy glucose metabolism and insulin receptor function and signaling. The natural plant alkaloid, berberine enhances the expression and function of insulin receptors.18,19 In fact, in a study involving 116 subjects, berberine provided statistically significant support for healthy glucose and lipid metabolism.20‡
Healthy Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy body weight throughout your life is an important factor in your metabolic health. A healthy dietary intake and at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week can help to optimize energy balance.21 The importance of adequate and quality sleep is also a key factor in promoting healthy weight.
Promoting emotional well-being to support healthy food behaviors, including moderating thoughts about food and occasional cravings help to support healthy weight management.‡
PureLean® Satiety targets appetite to moderate caloric intake and support healthy weight management.†‡ For example, PureLean® Satiety offers clinically researched DNF-10®, a protein hydrolysate, to moderate caloric intake and promote satiety. It also contains Sensoril® ashwagandha, to promote relaxation and emotional well-being along with chromium to support healthy glucose metabolism. The herb ashwagandha has been used traditionally to strengthen the body’s resistance to stress and fatigue, common triggers for undesirable eating behaviors.
Clinical studies indicate that DNF-10 lowers the secretion of the “hunger hormone”, ghrelin between meals and neuropeptide Y in the hypothalamus to promote satiety. In four double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies involving healthy, overweight subjects, DNF-10 promoted a significant decrease in caloric intake, weight circumference, abdominal fat and body weight.22-25 Another study reported significant reductions in total abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat and abdominal circumference. ‡
Healthy Lipid Metabolism
Research indicates that focusing on the Mediterranean way of eating and a low-fat intake of dietary fat can support your heart health.26 And sometimes, your diet and exercise may need a boost to support healthy blood lipid metabolism and function. Since highly-researched phytosterols may support healthy lipid metabolism, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider about CholestePure.‡ Here’s why:
Body, Food, Mood
As you can see it is important to realize that there are many variables that may affect a person’s weight management, glucose, lipid and cardiometabolic health. Managing stress, getting enough rest and finding ways to become more active is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In addition, eating healthy in conjunction with the healthy behaviors above may help support you on your health journey.
Let’s not forget surrounding yourself daily with good friends, family and good thoughts. May your heart be light, and your days filled with much laughter! You know, giggling like a little girl again can be quite fun and may positively contribute to your metabolic health.
With great intentions-Purely for you!
Ladies, this one is for you. I wish when I was growing up, I had a blog that helped guide me through how to support menstrual comfort. Still to this day, I can recall the discomfort, the achy lower back, the blotching and puffiness on my face and body that seemingly no amount of make-up could cover up – much to my dismay. I remember being frustrated by my mom one minute, then the very next crying in her arms while craving chocolate. I was an emotional and physiological rollercoaster. Can you relate, ladies? Well, buckle up because in this blog, we are going to talk about how to support menstrual comfort with Pure Encapsulations® nutrients.‡ Let’s get started!
What is PMS?
Great question! PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is a combination of different changes your body goes through before the arrival of your period. For example, during PMS, you may experience occasional bloating, a general sense of tiredness and even fluctuations in your mood. What once didn’t necessarily bother you, may now be seriously pushing your buttons.1
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the exact cause of PMS is unknown. It may be related to the hormonal changes women go through during their menstrual cycle. PMS usually shows up after ovulation, which is when your ovaries release an egg. It’s around this time when the estrogen and progesterone hormone levels drop. Once these hormones start to rise back up to their normal levels, usually 2-3 days after your period hits, PMS tends to start to calm down.1
How to Deal with PMS
Whenever my time of the month came, I knew there were three things I would ultimately rely on: a back massage, chocolate and pain relief medications. All these things are great when you have the time, but aren’t always realistic when life comes up. You’ve got places to be, things to do and schedules to keep up. Even though your menstrual cycle has struck, the world keeps chugging along and we as women need to keep up – even though we’d much rather snuggle in bed with a bar of chocolate while someone massages our lower back. Instead, let’s focus on some nutrients that help support menstrual comfort.‡
Our PMS Essentials, previously known as ProSoothe II, provides a comprehensive nutrient and botanical approach to support mood, cravings, cramps and bloating associated with the menstrual cycle. The nice thing about our PMS Essentials is that this product can be used daily or during the luteal phase only. You can have a conversation with your healthcare provider to determine which supplement routine is right for you. You can have confidence knowing that it provides all these beneficial nutrients as part of a holistic approach on how to support menstrual comfort during your time of the month.‡
Why Do I Crave Chocolate During PMS?
I know my body, and I swear I can predict when my chocolate craving starts. It’s always about three days before my period hits. After years and years of having my recurring menstrual cycle, you think I would’ve found out earlier why this occurs. Well, research suggests that women with higher progesterone hormone levels during the luteal phase were associated with higher levels of cravings for sweets and sweetened goods.8 Pretty much, this is a fancy way to describe that the desire for foods rich in sugar, salt and fat, such as chocolate, was higher during the pre-menstrual cycle of menstruation.9
Did you also know that while our hormones are triggering our desire to each chocolate, chocolate is also an excellent source of magnesium? In fact, 1 oz of dark chocolate provides approximately 41mg of magnesium.10
Looking for extra magnesium? Our Magnesium (glycinate) doesn’t have a laxative effect when taking greater than 350 mg per day. Also, our Women's Pure Pack provides 50 mg of elemental magnesium per serving. Or you could always be like me and keep an emergency stash of chocolate on hand for when the pre-menstrual cycle hits. See? Learning how to support menstrual comfort can be simple and easy once you have a little bit of knowledge.‡
Supplements to Support PMS During That Blah Feeling
Now, if the hormonal fluctuations, physical discomfort and cravings weren’t enough, we ladies also have to deal with potential mood changes during this time. I think it’s safe to say that we would also benefit from some positivity during this time. Lucky for us, there are some nutrients that help support menstrual comfort and help you tap into that good time feeling.‡
Oh, I know what you’re thinking –what about skin health? I swear, our bodies could use a break during PMS.‡
The beauty of these nutrients is that they are multi-faceted. Knowing how to support menstrual comfort while also supporting positive mood can be that simple.‡
Supplements to Support Occasional Stress During PMS
True story, I’ve had to apologize before for the words that I’ve spoken to my friends and family while on my period. I’m lucky because I grew up with my older sister. As such, we both understood that our stress levels ran a little higher during this time of the month.‡ Apologies in advanced… Luckily, there are some nutrients to help support positive mood that may be helpful to consider.‡
Our Emotional Wellness combines all these nutrients, amino acids, herbs and vitamin cofactors to promote healthy emotional well-being and cognitive function while moderating occasional stress.‡ One nutrient that’s also supportive for occasional stress and not found in our Pure Encapsulations® Emotional Wellness is Ashwagandha. ‡
Growing up, I relied on chamomile tea to help soothe me into sleep, especially when I wasn’t feeling so great because of my menstrual cycle starting back up. Our Best-Rest Formula combines similar ingredients such as chamomile, GABA, l-theanine and passionflower to help provide support for relaxation and sleep. Something we ladies could all benefit from to help support menstrual comfort. ‡
See You Next Time, PMS
Now you know the nutrients that may help you support menstrual comfort. So, the next time your cycle comes around, you’ll be well equipped with the nutrients needed to help you maximize the most of your lifestyle while also tackling the challenges of your monthly cycle. ‡ Want to learn more about our Women’s Health products? Check out our Women’s Health category and all the products specifically designed to support Women’s Health in every life stage here.‡
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I have wonderful memories of watching my cousin play college football when I was a kid. This young athlete enjoyed his glory days on the field leading his team to many victories. I can still recall the excitement of cheering him on during many of these games, but I also remember the times where he was being assisted by the team athletic trainer for some injuries. That young athlete is now a physician who has had his share of aches and pains. He may tell you that that if he knew then, what he knows now, supporting muscle health would have been a priority for him.
It’s not just the athlete that feels the jolts of pain from a high-impact sport, many of us experience our own discomfort just getting through our day-to-day routine. If you’re looking for some ways to continue to develop good daily habits for optimal muscle support, then read on!‡
Muscle Support-Let’s Make it Simple
I’m sure you remember learning about the ten major systems of the body, noting that the musculoskeletal system is one of them. This system includes muscles, bones, joints and other connective tissues like cartilage, ligaments and tendons. As you know, our muscles help us to walk, run, lift things and so much more.
In addition to providing stability, flexibility and movement, we have muscles like our diaphragm responsible for our breathing. There’s a lot of work our muscles do to keep things going.
And did you know that your heart (cardiac muscle) is one of the most important types of muscles in your body?
So, what can you do to keep your muscles strong and continue to ensure optimal muscle support? ‡
Well, let’s take a peek at your dietary intake and see what important nutrients you should be serious about getting into your daily diet!
The Macros
I bet the first thing you thought of was protein! Most people associate protein with muscle growth, development and a way to promote muscle support.
Protein
And if you are looking for a complete protein supplement, WheyBasics naturally contains high levels of branched-chain amino acids, as well as immunoglobulins which may help to maintain immune system function.2,3‡
Let’s keep in mind that protein isn’t the only macronutrient that plays a role in muscle support.‡
Carbohydrates
As you know, your body needs energy to move and function. Complex carbohydrates (like legumes, whole grains and whole fruits and vegetables) provide the energy we need for not only the long distance, but for our daily activities.
Other Key Nutrients:
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in supporting our immunity, musculoskeletal health and healthy bone composition.‡
Minerals
Did you know that magnesium, in conjunction with calcium, is important for bone and muscle support?‡
Magnesium helps the muscles to contract and relax and a varied diet rich in magnesium is essential for supporting overall wellness.‡
If you’re really starting to work on building a robust and varied diet, but still looking to supplement your intake, you will see that magnesium supplements come in a variety of forms such as magnesium (citrate), magnesium (citrate/malate) and magnesium (glycinate) to name a few. For those with a sensitive GI magnesium (glycinate) may be less likely to cause loose stools than other forms of magnesium.7‡
Physical Activity:
Certainly, most of us are aware of the need to become more physically active. We know we need to get in more steps or get to the gym again and have good intentions. But for some reason, today rolls into tomorrow and well, we may have not moved very much.
But did you know that physical activity is just getting your body moving, working your muscles and expending some energy? It’s making that move to walk to the bus stop with your kids, walking to get the mail, gardening or even walking and talking with your neighbors.
Becoming active will also help you to maintain your muscles, stay fit and certainly promote that general feeling of well-being. Look at your daily routine-what are you doing now and where can you make small incremental changes? Identify any challenges or barriers. Ask yourself, what are the benefits for you personally and what do you enjoy?
There are many activities that you can engage in that will give your muscles a good workout and promote healthy bone and muscle support.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) provides guidance on the importance of being physically active. Let’s look here at some key guidelines for adults:19
It’s a Balancing Act:
Take Away: Still need some time to sort out the best supplement for your bone and muscle support? If you are still looking for a little more guidance, then you will love our Vitamin Quiz, designed with you in mind.
With great intentions, Purely for You!
Dear Fellow Athletes, I hear you.
From sore and tired muscles, to the challenge of planning unique and engaging workouts, your commitment to your optimal athletic performance remains at the forefront of your goals. One thing that hasn’t changed? The constant encouragement of consuming more protein. Protein for athletes seems to have always been a constant throughout the years. This has led to so many protein supplement products on the market (it’s hard to choose which are legitimately backed by verifiable science and which are filled with extra additives your body may not need). Not to mention, the ongoing need to meal prep and plan your protein intake to help achieve your optimal athletic fitness. Why is there such an emphasis on protein for athletes? Well, it’s partly because amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and amino acids are utilized directly by skeletal muscle for protein synthesis and repair.1‡
You may likely already be tired of the protein shakes, smoothies and no-bake protein balls. Although these may be helpful ways to incorporate more protein into your daily intake, besides eating a giant plate of meat and nuts and seeds, how else can you incorporate protein into your diet?
Let me Introduce You to… BCAA Protein Egg Cup:
Yup! You read that right, an egg cup! These protein egg cups are easy to make ahead, you can store them in your refrigerator for snacks later during the week and depending on your personal preference, you can get creative and add new or different ingredients to your liking. In this recipe, we keep it basic with just egg, milk, cheese, prosciutto and a little salt and pepper, but depending on your personal tastes, you can add vegetables, or maybe even other seasonings… turmeric anyone?
In general, an egg cup requires: a protein based meat such as salami, pepperoni, or ham to coat the bottom and sides of the muffin tin (for this easy BCAA Protein Egg Cup we will use prosciutto). It also requires eggs, cheese, salt, pepper, a muffin tin and an oven. Today, we are going to enhance this recipe by adding in some BCAA Powder Pure Encapsulations® amino acid powder into our mix to help add more protein for athletes and optimize our overall protein intake. The beauty of this recipe is that you can substitute a different protein powder, or maybe our WheyBasics Powder instead? Side note, I’ve got another recipe idea to share with you all closer towards the summertime that features our BCAA powder. In the meantime, if capsules are more your forte, we offer the same helpful benefits of BCAA in our convenient BCAA capsules too!‡
Dietary Protein for Athletes: Why Eggs?
I know what a lot of you may be thinking: Why eggs for this recipe? Eggs are an excellent source of protein, healthy dietary cholesterol, Vitamin D, choline, Biotin and Vitamin A.2 In fact, one large egg has about six grams of protein.3 While we are choosing to use our BCAA Powder to help provide 3,000mg of the branch chain amino acids, l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine, image combining that with our WheyBasics Powder which provides 21 grams of protein per serving and you have a new, delicious snack that is supplemented with additional protein. Plus it’s nutritious and something that benefits every athlete.‡
Nature seemed to have designed eggs to have multiple functions, one of which is its ability to emulsify (or blend together) and stabilize ingredients that if mixed without an emulsifier would not mix together cohesively and wouldn’t be stable.4 In fact, the emulsifying capacity of whole eggs, including the yolks and whites plays an important role in baking. The absence of eggs in certain formulations such as cookies, cakes and even mayonnaise can affect emulsion stability and final product appearance.4
Whether you want to make this egg cup recipe with our BCAA Powder or even substitute it out with our WheyBasics Powder or our Magnesium Powder, the emulsification properties of an egg yolk help keep the powder from clumping. How often have you gulped down your pre-workout drink to have a surprisingly unexpected powdery taste of unmixed clump protein in your drink…no matter how many times you shook your tumbler? I know, I have!
Why the Athlete in You Should Care:
As athletes, or even those of you who just like to work out and play sports, your baseline nutrient needs differ than someone who leads a more sedimentary lifestyle.5 We all tend to be familiar with our need to replenish our extinguished electrolyte stores after exercising, but did you know that the baseline needs for athletes and physically active individuals differ from those who aren’t as active? For example, the energy needs for athletes increase based on their overall energy expenditure, the amount and duration of physical activity and the overall frequency of exercising.5 To get a better visual of this need: The Daily Value is based on an average 2,000 calorie diet, whereas, some highly competitive athletes may need anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 calories daily to meet both their caloric and nutrient needs.5‡
And that’s just calories! Let’s talk about why extra protein for athletes is helpful. In simple terms, dietary protein is necessary to support metabolic reactions that generate ATP, or energy, for the body to function.5 For those athletes participating in intense short bouts of training, they may even require higher protein intake.5
One large egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals and about 6 grams of protein. It also has all nine essential amino acids in the appropriate ratio for humans — all for the low price of 70 calories!3 It is important for athletes to get their protein from high quality complete protein.‡ This may sound crazy, but not all proteins are “complete” proteins.6 Some proteins lack certain amino acids. There are 20 amino acids and to be considered a “complete” protein, the protein source, needs to contain 9 of the 20 amino acids, which are called essential amino acids. Sources that contain complete proteins include: meats, dairy, fish and yes, you guessed it: eggs!6
My vegan and vegetarian friends, I didn’t forget about you! Quinoa, buckwheat, soy and legumes, such as chickpeas, are just a few of the healthy plant-based protein sources to help provide complete amino acid protein for athletes.7 Plus, if you’re looking for a vegan egg cup recipe, we can swap out the prosciutto in this recipe for two sheets of vegan puff pastries and use silken tofu as the egg replacement. Also, be sure to swap out the regular cow’s milk for your preferred vegan-friendly alternative milk option like oat milk, soy milk or almond milk, and you’re good to go!
BCAA Protein Egg Cup Recipe:
Here it is folks! Our BCAA Egg Cup Recipe. Remember, you can play around with your egg cups if you want to add a little extra vegetable to the mix or even try out some different seasonings, get creative, enjoy and go for it!
It’s Time for Bed
As kids, I’m not sure we learned too much about the connection between sleep and nutrition, however, I am sure our parents knew the health benefits between the two.
I remember having a set bedtime growing up. After a day at school, when my brothers and I came home, we did our homework, ate dinner as a family and then had time for riding our bikes or playing outdoor games with our neighborhood friends. We had a set time when to come in and that was usually directed by the setting of the sun. No kidding! Those were the days! A little more studying and then time for bed. On some nights, we got to watch a favorite show or two (parent approved, of course).
After some conversation with our parents or a story from my dad, we were tucked into bed with the vision of a beautiful day behind us and the anticipation of an adventurous tomorrow.
So, What’s New?
Times certainly have changed, and things seem to be moving a bit faster than you might remember. Even as adults, I am sure many of you look back and dream about those quieter times. Maybe we are so wrapped up in trying to get ahead that we may really be falling behind. Our health should be priority, but sometimes we keep burning the midnight oil, bypassing our bedtime and the internal cues our body may be sending us. Balancing family, work and play may take practice and some mindful decisions.
There are holistic ways to support our sleep and nutrition health. Engaging in some down time to meditate before the start of your day or scheduling meditation time throughout your day may help to support your emotional wellness and recalibrate your well-being. Some yoga, Pilates or even just some deep breathing to center yourself, may be great ways for you to get in tune with yourself. Knowing how to relax is your first step to a good night’s sleep.
If you’re looking for quality sleep support, check out Healthy Sleep Daily Pure Pack .‡
To promote relaxation, this convenient, Healthy Sleep Daily Pure Pack includes Magnesium (glycinate). It also contains our Best-Rest Formula which provides support for occasional sleeplessness.‡
Since cortisol, is a hormone naturally released in response to stress, Cortisol Calm may help you to maintain a healthy cortisol response and to help you with relaxation, restful sleep, and a positive mood during times of occasional stress.‡
From Dish to Dreamland
Through complex mechanisms, sleep and nutrition are closely connected. Here are some other ways we can eat our way to better sleep.
Enjoying a warm cup of tea may be soothing to savor at the end of a long day, but sipping on green tea, may also help you feel relaxed. L-Theanine, a unique amino acid, in green tea, may be responsible for promoting this relaxation.‡
Pass the protein! Both animal and plant protein provide another essential amino acid called l-tryptophan that we need to get from our diet. This essential amino acid is a serotonin precursor and is found in foods like turkey, chicken, canned tuna, milk, oats, nuts, seeds and some fruits, like apples and bananas.9
Research indicates that L-Tryptophan supplementation may support emotional well-being and restful sleep.10 L-Tryptophan also supports healthy sleep quality, onset and duration.11‡
Surprisingly, a food that may impact your sleep wellness is dark cherries. Since cherries are a natural source of melatonin, eating them may support sleepiness.12‡
If cherries aren’t on your list or you are just simply looking to supplement your diet, talk to your health care provider about Melatonin-SR, which provides 3 mg of sustained-release MicroActive® melatonin for sustained, 6-hour support, facilitating the onset of sleep as well as sleep efficiency.‡
A healthy diet with adequate complex carbohydrates and fewer simple carbs, (like sweetened beverages or other sweets), is important for healthy sleep and nutrition. Complex carbohydrates like whole fruits and healthy grains like quinoa, whole wheat grains and fibrous vegetables are recommended in the 2020 - 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.13
Include foods rich in magnesium, found in both animal and plant sources. They include avocados, spinach, legumes, seeds, nuts and also whole grains to name a few.14
Hopefully, now that you have some lifestyle and nutrition tips to support better sleep you can fluff your pillow tonight with confidence!
Lifestyle and Your Sleep Patterns
Special note: Wishing my Pure Encapsulations® Registered Dietitian (RD) colleagues, and all fellow Registered Dietitians a Healthy and Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day and National Nutrition Month!
With Pure intentions, Purely for you!
The Midnight Dilemma: To Eat or Not to Eat
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, crawled out of bed and stared into the abyss of the open refrigerator contemplating the timeless dilemma of whether or not to start snacking? All the while squinting uncomfortably in front of the refrigerator light in the wee small hours of the morning. Ever wish you’d just stay asleep? What if I told you that eating and sleep are connected and healthy eating habits during the daytime may help promote restful sleep during the night…and vice versa: restful sleep may help promote healthy eating habits during the day. Let’s dive into what steps we can take to eat a healthy and balanced diet and explore the why behind this concept may help you avoid your next 3:00 am munching trip to the refrigerator.‡
Welcome to the Paradox:
You may be wondering what to fix first, the sleep habits or the eating habits. The research all seems to agree that sleep and eating habits are interconnected but figuring out which one has the greater impact on the other has resulted in a sort of “chicken vs. egg” scenario with discussion of research findings still ongoing.
There’s research to support that poor or insufficient sleep may alter hormones in the body that regulate hunger and satiety (the hormones responsible for helping manage your appetite).1 There’s even research that indicates poor sleep is linked to a potential greater risk for higher waist circumference and health-related concerns related to glucose metabolism.2,3
Conversely, there’s also research that suggests appropriate nutrient consumption is important for healthy sleep and quality of sleep. An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Survey found that U.S. adults who slept fewer than 7 hours per night had lower intakes of vitamins A, C, D, E and K.4 Diet has also been shown to possibly affect the hormonal pathways involved in a healthy sleep cycle.5‡
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done to improve our eating and sleep habits. There are nutrients we can include in our daily routine and our diets to help ensure we are promoting not only healthy eating patterns, but also supporting our ability to attain and achieve restful and quality sleep.‡ Let’s start off with some of the lifestyle changes we can make to our diets.
Food First: How Diet Affects Sleep
As we begin to discuss eating and sleep and the relationship they share, I want to first discuss the importance of nutrition and how a healthy diet may help lead to better overall sleep health.‡
Let’s be honest, we may all benefit from an improvement in our eating and sleep patterns. Small changes in diet help you implement lifestyle changes that may lead you to noticeable benefits once these healthier eating and sleeping habits become routine.
Still struggling with that midnight appetite? Our new weight management† product, PureLean® Satiety, offers clinically-researched DNF-10® to moderate caloric intake and promote satiety. It also contains Sensoril® ashwagandha, a clinically-studied aqueous extract of leaf and root to promote relaxation and emotional well-being.‡
The Flip side of the Pillow:
We all know how good it feels to have a nice, restful evening full of quality sleep. But, did you know that sleep is helpful to the body in more ways than just helping you feel refreshed? ‡ As we mentioned a littler earlier on, research suggests that insufficient sleep has been associated with a risk of greater waist circumference.2 Now, let’s talk about why this matters:
In fact, sleep may also have some influence on weight, body composition and its effect on appetite.‡ This includes the risk of those increasing their food intake and often choosing higher caloric foods with lack of adequate sleep.10,11
Why might this occur? Well, this is because normal production of the hormones that help manage appetite and hunger (leptin and ghrelin), may be affected by occasional sleeplessness.1 Now, let me tell you, there is a nightlight at the end of the tunnel…our Best-Rest Formula.
Not to mention, our Best-Rest Formula also comes in a great-tasting and convenient gummy to help satisfy every level of tolerance.
Eating and Sleeping:
Looking for an option to specifically help promote appetite and your sleep/wake cycles? 5-HTP may just make its way into your bedtime routine.‡
Here at Pure Encapsulations® we offer a wide array of sleep products aimed at helping you support your overall sleep quality and improve your restful sleep. If you’re not quite ready for sleep, that’s okay too! Our Pure Tranquility Liquid, is a helpful way to help stir up that calm and relaxation.‡
Settling Down For the Night:
We talked about how inadequate sleep and poor dietary habits may affect you physiologically and the nutrients to help support adequate sleep. Now, it’s time to turn down the lights and settle in for the night. Together, let’s work to support your health journey by starting with a restful night’s sleep.‡
Having a Heart to Heart
We do a lot of juggling these days to keep ourselves and our families healthy and happy. Our work obligations command our attention, causing us to hyperextend our days. These day-to-day tasks and the stressors to perform well and meet deadlines may have an impact on our heart health. It’s time we have a good heart-to-heart and see what we can do to take control of better managing our heart health.
Current CDC data suggests that the majority of Americans may directly benefit from lifestyle changes in multiple health categories, including cardiovascular health.1 This may be a call for you to discover ways to better manage your intake and lifestyle to support your heart health and overall wellness.
Here are a few ways that we can improve what we do and start to focus on promoting our heart health.
What to Know:
Recalibrate: Eat Well, Be Well
Whether you are just starting on your journey or refocusing on ways that will lead to a heart healthy way of living, you may want to check in with yourself throughout the day. Building heart healthy habits take practice and repetition.
One of the very first steps you can take involves an assessment of your intake. If you self-reflect and find yourself eating too many highly-processed foods or eating out of boredom or stress or note that your portions are oversized, then you may see this an opportunity to make some modifications.
You may even want to talk to your healthcare practitioner about ways to help lessen appetite and curb excessive carbohydrate intake by supporting neurotransmitters involved in appetite and mood with CarbCrave Complex.‡
If you are looking for some heart heathy guidelines, then check out the DASH Eating Plan. This reasonable, non-restricted dietary approach encourages: 2
Supplementing Your Diet
Minerals:
Ensure an adequate intake of potassium and magnesium, which play important roles in heart health.‡
Vitamins:
Vitamin K2 helps to maintain arterial blood flow and vascular elasticity by balancing calcium levels in the blood vessel wall.‡ EmulsiSorb K2/D3 liquid offers a combination of micellized vitamin K2 and Vitamin D3 produced in a unique emulsification process while enhancing bioavailability for optimal absorption. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) promotes healthy vascular calcium balance and cardiovascular function.‡
Antioxidants:
Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone or CoQ10, supports energy production in tissues with high energy demands such as the heart muscle.3 It also acts as an antioxidant, providing cellular protection from free radicals.4 ‡
Cardiometabolic Health
Improving your body composition with diet and other lifestyle changes like physical activity and stress management is important for heart health. To support healthy weight management,† consider Adipolean II .‡
Another nutrient that supports energy metabolism, healthy blood flow and promotes healthy glucose and protein breakdown and utilization is Niacitol. Niacitol provides inositol nicotinate -- a form of no-flush niacin (vitamin B3) with a history of use in Europe to support cardiovascular health.8‡
Other options to discuss with your healthcare practitioner are berberine, resveratrol, chromium and alpha lipoic acid. Metabolic Xtra provides all 4 of these bioactives.
Remember:
With great intentions-Purely for you.
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Being Mindful
As you look to create positive habits or routines that support a healthy lifestyle, being mindful can be a great way to get you on your way to accomplish any goal that you set for yourself. Being in the moment and tapping into your feelings or emotions during any activity can support mindfulness, such as mindful eating. It is not a one-time thing, where you say, “I am aware of what I am doing or saying; so, I must be a mindful person.” It is a technique that you practice and adopt while tuning into the many sensations you are experiencing when focusing on your goal. Over time with practice, mindfulness becomes your internal compass that you look to guide you in making the decisions that are best for you.
Ready, Set, Pause
Defining a healthy lifestyle for yourself may have a different definition than that set by your coworker or your best friend. Identifying when you are ready to act and connect with your inner self to set goals for change is one of the most important steps you can take. If you’ve struggled with improving your diet in the past, taking a look at the choices you’ve been making may help you evaluate what worked for you and what didn’t. Maybe it’s time to learn how mindful eating can support your lifelong journey in promoting optimal health and supporting your well-being.
The easiest first step you can take to begin mindfully eating is….to pause. It is a simple way of halting before we are about to eat and asking questions focused on achieving our long-term health goals. For example, asking yourself “how will this cookie help me improve my health?” may help you to pause and be more mindful of your action.
Keep practicing the pause and ask yourself about the benefit of eating that dessert when you are looking for that next bite. Having an alternative on hand like your favorite fruit or veggie cup with dip, would be a great choice. Over time, you may see the benefit of your choices!
Ideally, including plenty of fruits and non-starchy vegetable lends to a diet that is rich in dietary fiber. Also, adding a blend of fiber and prebiotics like PureLean Fiber can help to support healthy weight management and promote microflora balance and digestive health.
In fact, the gut microflora is now recognized as an important factor in overall health, with potential roles ranging from cellular and immune health to metabolic function and weight management.1‡
If you are looking for support for detoxification and cellular health in addition to your daily intake of veggies, check out our DIM Detox. Interestingly, DIM is a natural component derived from indole-3-carbinole and cruciferous vegetables. This formula specifically contains BioResponse DIM® diindolylmethane complex which includes broccoli sprout concentrate.
Making a Healthy Connection
Mindful eating, for example may be a beautiful place to start your mindfulness journey. Though this may be trending, it is nothing new. For centuries mindfulness has been a part of the psychology of the human journey.
Mindful eating directs you to being present in the moment, to look inside and see how you are feeling and to embrace your positive experience of wholesome eating. Are you eating because it’s 3:00 PM and you usually grab a snack at that time of the day (aka routine/habit), or do you sense that physical feeling of hunger? If it is habit, then you may want to assess this behavior and perhaps replace with a healthy behavior, like taking a walk or getting up from our desk to chat with a coworker or take a few minutes to listen to some soothing music. Being aware of when you feel hungry and responding to that is positive. Also, being in tune with your sense of satiety or knowing when you are full will help you to understand how much and when to stop eating.
Foods that are protein rich or also have a moderate amount of dietary fat can lend to your satiety, like WheyBasics. So, when you feel hungry and are looking for a healthy midafternoon snack, try mixing WheyBasics with water and your favorite fresh or frozen fruits, like bananas, blueberries or peaches. You can enjoy this high-quality whey protein smoothie and feel good that it is supporting your daily wellness and supporting your immune system.‡
If you are looking for a vegetarian protein, PureLean Protein provides 15 grams of vegetarian protein from a unique blend of vegetarian rice, pea, and chia proteins. Also, its comprehensive multivitamin/mineral core includes antioxidants, activated B vitamins, and minerals.
Nourishing Your Journey
Taking the moment from selecting and exploring the beauty of your foods, to preparing, enjoying its aroma and every bite afterwards, will lend to a joyous mindful eating experience for you. No guilt or negative feelings, just listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues can lend to empowering you to make the right decisions for your health and well-being.
So the next time before you take a bite out of that fresh pear, take time to be mindful of how it looks (green, or golden yellow, smooth, small), how it feels (cold, warm, soft, bumpy), how it smells, and its texture or how it feels when you take each bite. How do you feel? All, just another component of mindful eating.
As always, working with your healthcare practitioner in managing your health is the perfect relationship. Being open to what you are striving to achieve, what the mutual health goals are and where you are at on our journey are things you should be mindful of on the daily.
Also, supplementing your dietary intake with Daily Pure Pack - General Wellness + Multivitamin can help you to bridge any nutritional gaps. For the convenient pack for easy daily use and travel needs, Women's Pure Pack is a multivitamin and mineral complex with optimal nutritional support for women over 40. For all the nutrients men over 40 need, offers our comprehensive daily Men's Pure Pack supports the prostate, heart, energy, stamina and eyes, as well as EPA/DHA fish oil and coenzyme Q10, both supporting cardiovascular health.‡
Your Monitoring
Though the information shared here today does not cover the extent of mindfulness and mindful eating in its entirety, I am hopeful it created an awareness for you—awareness and an excitement of the minutes that make up each moment and the events that make up your day.
Whether you are learning to become mindful in how you manage your work projects, your family dynamics or how you cope with stress, it is important to remember the mindfulness of each moment and to pay attention to how you feel and what may be triggering your emotions.
If mindful eating is something that you feel you would like to learn more about, then meeting with a health coach, Registered Dietitian or healthcare practitioner that works in this area would be a great start. For some of you checking in with a professional is key, while others may just need that self-awareness to help them to check in and keep a journal of their steps, successes and observations.
With Great Intentions, Purely for You
O.N.E.TM and Done:
It can be hard to know, or even remember, all the ins and outs of how to take supplements. Foundational supplements start with a reliable, once-daily multivitamin. The beauty of our O.N.E.TM Multivitamin is that it provides a comprehensive profile of highly bioavailable vitamins, fully chelated minerals and antioxidants to support optimal health.1‡
If you’re looking closely, you’ll notice that even though our O.N.E.TM Multivitamin is a foundational supplement, it doesn’t contain Magnesium and a few other minerals. Why is that? Keep reading to find out!
One Mineral with Multiple Functions:
I’m sure most of you have heard of Magnesium. If you haven’t, not to worry! Magnesium is a multi-faceted mineral usually found in dark leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes like beans.9 Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function and many more biochemical reactions your body relies on.9‡
The RDA for Magnesium for adults is 310-420mg depending on age and gender.9 Some Multivitamins, like our O.N.E.TM Multivitamin, don’t include Magnesium in its formulation. This is because magnesium must be bound to a large molecule (like citrate or glycinate, for example) in order to be stable and bioavailable. These forms take up space in a capsule and would require multiple capsule servings if added in a multivitamin and mineral complex. Not to fret! You can find our Nutrient 950, UltraNutrient®, Women's Nutrients, and Men's Nutrients as multivitamins complexes that provide magnesium.
The Ocean’s Omegas… Encapsulated:
We are talking foundational supplements to help support you on your wellness journey. What sort of Registered Dietitian would I be if I didn’t mention fish oils?! Did you know that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults to eat at least 8oz of seafood per week? Plus! If you’re pregnant or breast feeding, it’s recommended to consume 8-12oz of fish per week.24
This is because fish oil is a rich source of healthy Omega fatty acids such as Omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosanexaenoic acid). EPA and DHA found in fish oil, including our O.N.E.TM Omega.24
Our O.N.E.™ Omega provides 600mg of EPA and 400mg of DHA. In comparison, just one serving of 8 oz. wild-caught Atlantic salmon provides a total of approximately 1.57g of combined EPA and DHA.31 Now that we’ve discussed the role of fish oils in a foundational wellness regime, let’s talk about another well-known foundational supplement.
Chasing that Sunshine:
If you’re adding to your supplement-game, or just starting out, there’s one common denominator we need to talk about: Vitamin D.
I like to refer to Vitamin D as the “Sunshine Vitamin.” Naturally, the sun is the body’s main source of Vitamin D. This is because the UVB rays the sun emits help convert cholesterol in our skin into Vitamin D3 precursors. These precursors then travel through the body to the liver and the kidneys where it comes converted into the activated and usable form of Vitamin D in the body, or what we call: Vitamin D3.32
Vitamin D3 offers many benefits including bone, immune and cellular health just to name a few:
Vitamin D3 dosage servings is often reported in international units or, IU’s. Our Vitamin D3 25mcg provides 1,000 IU of activated vitamin D3. Our Vitamin D3 VESIsorb provides 50mcg or 2,000 IU of activated vitamin D3. The neat thing about our VESIsorb® formulation is that this technology provides a self-assembling colloidal system to help enhance that foundational supplement absorption. Can’t get enough of Vitamin D? Read more about how Vitamin D can help support your immune system here. ‡
Foundational Immune Support‡:
I love this next foundational supplement: Zinc. Zinc is an essential mineral and a constituent for over two dozen enzyme reactions in the body.38 It’s also supportive for the immune system too!‡
Not to mention Zinc plays a fundamental role in collagen formation and healthy tissue development.42 What a well-rounded foundational supplement to keep with you on your supplement journey. ‡
Why Travel Alone on Your Journey?
Last but not least, let’s discuss a probiotic to help add some variety to your foundational supplement repertoire. Certain probiotics can help support and maintain healthy gastrointestinal barrier function and help support the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal tract.43 There are some strains, like the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, found in our Pure GG 25B that have multiple benefits.
These are just a few good reasons why you should consider adding a probiotic to your foundational supplement routine. These tiny, microscopic organisms can go with you on your supplement journey.
It’s About the Destination… AND the Journey.
If you’re looking for more information about the foundational supplements to help get you rolling this year, check our Dr. Nathan Morris’s video about his top 5 supplements to support wellness. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/Bdo9due1Oa0. There you have it! The foundational supplements to help support your daily wellness. If you’re new to the journey, or just getting a refresher, complete our 5-minute Vitamin Quiz to get your FREE personalized supplement plan. Not only can you take our quiz as many times as you’d like, but you’ll receive personalized vitamin and mineral recommendations developed with medical and nutrition professionals.‡ Check it out here: https://smartq.pureforyou.com/survey!
Double the Win!
You may think of probiotics as those microorganisms specialized in helping support the G.I. tract. However, did you know certain strains of probiotics not only help the G.I. tract, but also help support the immune system? Lactobacillus rhamnosus, is an example of a probiotic strain that provides dual support for both immune and G.I. function.‡
A Little Thing Called Bacteria:
Okay, let’s get down to the basics. Probiotics are tiny microorganisms that include yeasts like Saccharomyces boulardii and beneficial bacteria like Lactobacilli, living synergistically with other organisms. While, prebiotics, like fiber, are the energy source to help feed and provide a healthy environment that supports probiotic growth and replication. So often we hear about the importance of probiotics for G.I. support, but did you know that some bacterial strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG help support the immune system and respiratory tract?‡
Not to mention, our PureGG 25B contains 25 billion CFU (or colony forming units) of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG. It’s shelf-stable and it helps provide immune support, G.I. support and overall health support across all life stages.‡
Order Up! I’ll Have the Combo Please:
Hey! Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG isn’t the only strain of bacteria that help support the immune system. The bacterial family of Bifodobacterum has also been found to help support immune health too. Both Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria supplementation have been studied to show healthy intestinal epithelial integrity support and health immune response.6,7,8‡
That’s why we designed our Probiotic 50B to include Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain with additional strains of Lactobacilli: including Lactobacillus planetarium, Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus acidophilus in combination with three different strains of Biffidobacterium: Biffidobacterium lactis, Biffidobacterium longum and Biffidobacterium bifidum. These strains are all combined in a acid-resistant capsule with targeted pH release to ensure that the live organisms make it to where they need to be in the G.I. tract.‡
Same Bacteria, Different Strain!
Now, if you’ve been paying close attention, you may have noticed that I gave particular shout outs to the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain. This part may get confusing, so try to bear with me for a moment. Lactobacillus is the largest lactic acid family of bacteria, or genus. Rhamnosus is the species within the Lactobacillus genus. Lactobacillus rhamnosus comes in other strains beyond GG too. Like our Probiotic-5 and our PureProbiotic which both offer the Lactobacillus rhamnosus in the strain of Lr-32. Both the GG strain and the Lr-32 strain offer clinical benefits. However, since they are different strains, they offer different immune support functions. For example, our Probiotic-5 is a dairy-free and soy-free five strain probiotic blend focusing on targeting healthy G.I. barrier function and immune support.‡
So, while Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG had a particular affinity for supporting respiratory health, support for modulating white blood cell signaling and cell-to-cell signaling and cytokine response,1,5 Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lr-32 has a slightly different immune support effect because it is a different strain. However, both work to help you support your immune system! ‡
Something Similar yet Different:
Okay, so I’ve discussed Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and it’s benefits for supporting the immune system, respiratory tract, and it’s beneficial adhesive effects. Now, let me mention a few strains of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium that help support other areas of the immune system such as eyes, nose and throat health.‡
Our Probiotic IMM contains a blend of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains in a 5 billion CFU count to help with healthy cytokine production including supporting IgE function and preserving mast cell integrity.‡
Both Helpful & Healthful:
When it comes to choosing a probiotic, there are so many to choose from. That’s why it’s important to understand that each strain may have beneficial functions to help support overall health and immune function beyond just supporting G.I. support. That way, you can help decide and find which probiotic is right for you.‡