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Immune / Lymphatic

Immune Support Protocols for COVID-19

The following is a summary of potential interventions, that I have written about previously, regarding immune support for COVID-19. The articles below have been collated for easy referencing:   1. COVID-19, Micronutrients, and Immune Support 2. Oral/Nasal Cleanses, SARS-CoV-2, and Early Interventions 3. Metabolic Syndrome, COVID-19 Severity, and Interventions 4. Sleep Deprivation and COVID-19 Severity:…

Metabolic Syndrome, COVID-19 Severity, and Interventions

In my last article, risk factors for COVID-19 disease virulence, and micronutrient recommendations to support the immune system, were explored. One of the major risk factors for disease severity, previously outlined, included metabolic syndrome (MS); a constellation of risk factors, that when combined, increase an individual’s chances of contracting conditions such as heart disease, stroke,…

Does Exercise Support Recovery from Cancer?

In the last several posts, this author has covered the pathophysiology of cancer, methods of tracking its preferred energy substrates, nutritional interventions to support recovery from cancer, and the potential use of antioxidants during traditional cancer therapies. In the following sections, information will be provided which considers the implementation of exercise as another means of…

Exercise, B6, and Oxidative Stress

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble micronutrient functioning as a coenzyme in over 100 enzymes (Gropper, Smith, & Carr, 2018). However, its primary role is the metabolism of amino acids in addition to the synthesis of glucose, carnitine, sphingolipids, heme, nucleic acids, and neurotransmitters (Gropper et al., 2018). A lesser known role…

Mitochondria and Cardiac Health: Exploring the Connection

The heart is a muscle (cardiac muscle) critical to sustaining life and homeostasis. Such an organ serves as a pump, which propels blood towards the lungs and other tissues via associated vasculature (Reisner & Reisner, 2017). Cardiac muscle is designed to work in almost near perpetuity; other muscles (i.e., skeletal) are not always required to…

Estrogen and Breast Cancer: Management With Exercise

Several factors (genetic, lifestyle, and environmental) have been linked with estrogen production; a hormone closely related to the growth and development of breast cancer. (Pizzorno & Katzinger, 2012). Thus, modulating such factors might help in controlling breast cancer proliferation (as part of a complete treatment). As a means of appreciating elements, which influence breast cancer…

Exercise-Induced Inflammation VS. Food-Induced Inflammation

In my last post, characteristics of exercise-induced inflammation (EII) were explored. Topics included how brief and moderately intense exercise initiated an immune response, as well as the central physiological and biochemical processes required to achieve adaptation to the same stimuli of equal magnitude. In the following sections, food-induced inflammation (FII) will be reviewed, as well…

Inflammation: Defining Its Time and Place

Inflammation is a natural immune response to neutralize and clear foreign bodies and damaged cells in a biological organism (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014). The immune response can have several etiologies such as overconsumption of omega-6 rich foods, food sensitivities, poor sleep, stress, toxic environments, and intense physical activity (Ruiz-Nunez, Pruimboom, Dijck-Brouwer, & Muskiet,…

Omega-3 Supplementation: Supporting Resistance Training and Recovery

Inflammation is a natural immune response to neutralize and clear foreign bodies and damaged cells in the body (Ilich, Kelly, Kim, & Spicer, 2014). However, prolonged states of inflammation, as seen by the frequent overconsumption of foods (i.e., refined sugars, processed foods, grain fed meats) rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (a pro-inflammatory fatty acid)…