Our bodies rely on a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds to function optimally. This reliance on supportive nutrients, many of which the body cannot produce on its own, becomes even more pronounced as we age. Healthy dietary choices and supplements go a long way in supporting whole body health. Still, it can be difficult to narrow the wide variety of options down to a manageable routine.
Discover the best nutrients for supporting the various processes and functions that influence vitality and longevity. Whether you obtain these nutrients from food or supplements, you could promote optimal immune function, oxidative response, cognitive function, and inflammatory response.
Protect Your Body from Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress and inflammation are two conditions that can occur in every part of the body and have been known to contribute to many of the symptoms and health conditions associated with aging. These two conditions are often intertwined, so antioxidant nutrients often possess anti-inflammatory properties as well.
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injuries and invading toxins like germs. During a normal inflammatory response, your body will send inflammatory cells and cytokines to the area in need. This activity is known as acute inflammation and will often lead to noticeable symptoms like flushed skin, swelling, tenderness, and/or pain in the affected area.
Chronic inflammation is often trickier to spot, and it is the result of the increased (and often unnecessary) activity of your inflammatory cells causing inflammation in various parts of the body. Some of the conditions that have been tied to chronic inflammation include cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases, anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and certain types of cancer. Chronic inflammation is most often driven by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, poor sleep, lack of physical activity, excess body fat, and chronic stress.
Oxidative stress occurs as the result of an unhealthy balance of free radical oxidant molecules and antioxidant molecules. Free radical oxidants are the natural byproduct of your body breaking food down to be converted to energy. These molecules, which are missing an electron, then seek to bond with stable molecules. When left unchecked, this chaotic activity can lead to a variety of symptoms and more serious health conditions, including cellular damage, chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, kidney disease, and some types of cancer. Antioxidant molecules attempt to neutralize free radicals by donating electrons to them.
The Best Sources of Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Nutrients
Vitamin C: This powerful antioxidant that can be found in oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, red or green bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, and cantaloupe.
Selenium: This essential mineral is known as a strong antioxidant and can be found in brown rice, eggs, tuna, and salmon.
Beta carotene: This antioxidant nutrient can be obtained from carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, apricots, cantaloupe, and mangos.
Amino acids: These chain-like molecules are often referred to as the building blocks of life due to the body’s reliance on them to perform even the most basic of functions. Amino acids like L-theanine, which can be obtained from green and black teas, have long been recognized for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Omega-3 fatty acids: These polyunsaturated fats are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties and come from fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, and mackerel.
Professional Grade Nutraceuticals
EVEXIAS Health Solutions offers a wide range of professional grade nutraceutical products for the support of whole body health.
Multivitamins like Multivitamin Ultra are a great source of antioxidants that can support a healthy oxidative response. This product contains a full profile of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and selenium. Multivitamin Ultra also contains the full B Complex of vitamins, which has been recognized for supporting a wide range of functions and processes that contribute to whole body health, including optimal cardiovascular function, energy production, and cognitive function.
EVEXIAS offers a wealth of options when it comes to products that can support an optimal inflammatory response, including fish oil products like Omega Plus and SPM Complex. L-Theanine Support can provide you with the anti-inflammatory properties of L-theanine, which also supports the optimal function of other amino acids in the body and reduces the risk of chronic inflammation by promoting healthy sleep cycles.
Boost Immune Function Through the Gut
The connection between immune function and longevity is very clear, but how do we strengthen the protective qualities of our immune system? Vitamin C and zinc are two nutrients that often appear in immune-boosting products that can be found in your local grocery store or pharmacy. While those nutrients can help promote healthy immune function, many experts believe that the best way to protect the immune system is through the gut, which is where roughly 70 percent of the body’s immune cells reside.
With such a large portion of the immune system residing in the gut, conditions like oxidative stress and inflammation have the potential to do even more damage in that part of the body. Unfortunately, the risk of inflammation in the gut is always high due to the constant struggle between harmful bacteria and healthy strains of bacteria known as probiotics. When harmful bacteria overwhelm probiotic strains, the ensuing condition known as gut dysbiosis can lead to inflammation and reduced immune function.
The Best Sources of Immune Supportive Nutrients
Probiotics: These healthy strains of bacteria can be found in fermented foods like yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, and miso soup.
Phytonutrients: Certain plant-based chemical compounds have long been recognized for supporting optimal immune function. Epigallocatechin-3- gallate (EGCG) is a catechin and the primary source of green tea’s long- recognized anti-inflammatory properties. The phytonutrient curcumin has long been lauded for providing the spice turmeric with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Professional Grade Nutraceuticals
Active Probiotic ND 50 from EVEXIAS is packed with 9 species of probiotics to promote a healthy balance of gut microflora and reduce the risk of inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Immuno-T LPT and Inflam-X LPT have been expertly developed to support healthy immune function by providing the body with phytonutrients that have long been recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Immuno-T LPT has been loaded with EGCG, while Inflam-X LPT has been packed with high concentrations of curcumin.
Protect Your Brain as You Age
Some degree of cognitive decline is inevitable during the aging process, but certain nutrients can help protect your brain from severe forms of cognitive decline like dementia. Fortunately, omega-3 fatty acids and a wide array of other anti-inflammatory nutrients have shown an ability to support cognitive health.
Researchers have also discovered a strong connection between the brain and the gut. The enteric nervous system is an independently operating section of the nervous system that exists within the GI tract and is connected to the brain by the vagus nerve. This direct connection means that unhealthy conditions resulting from inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut can have devastating effects on cognitive function. The good news is that the same nutrients that support optimal immune function through the gut can also have a positive effect on brain health.
The Best Sources of Nutrients for Cognitive Support
Phytonutrients: Certain phytonutrients have been long been utilized to support healthy cognitive function. Bacopa monnieri, which is an ancient Eastern combination of two organic chemical compounds known as bacosides A and B, has been used for centuries to promote optimal brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. ReloraⓇ is an herbal remedy that combines the barks of the magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) and phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense) plants. This combination has been recognized for its ability to promote cognitive health by supporting balanced levels of cortisol, which is also known as the “stress hormone”.
Vitamin D: This conditionally essential vitamin has been recognized for its ability to protect against severe cognitive decline by reducing levels of calcium in the hippocampus of the brain, which allows for enhanced communication between neurotransmitters. Your body naturally produces vitamin D after exposure to sunlight, but it can also be obtained from a variety of foods that include salmon, herring, cod liver oil, canned tuna and fortified products like cereal, milk, and orange juice.
Vitamin K: Like vitamin D, this vitamin has been associated with a reduced risk of severe cognitive decline. Vitamin K can also be found in a variety of foods, including kale, spinach, lettuce and other dark leafy greens.
Professional Grade Nutraceuticals
Cognitive Ultra with Relora® from EVEXIAS Health Solutions combines the herbal remedies bacopa monnieri with Relora® for the full support of healthy cognitive function.
ADK combines vitamins A, D and K to support multiple facets of whole body health, including optimal cognitive function, bone density and cardiovascular function.
Discover the Full Selection of Nutraceuticals at EVEXIAS Health Solutions Browse the entire profile of professional grade nutraceutical products at EVEXIAS. For more in-depth analysis of your comprehensive wellness, find your nearest EvexiPEL certified provider today!
