Pharmacentre Limited > Blog > Immune System
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Viridian 7 Day Sugar Detox

Say Goodbye to Sugar and Hello to Better Health, Better Sleep and Better Vitality

Sugar is addictive. There is no doubt about that. It comes in various disguises and it seems impossible to give up. it is human nature to respond positively to rewards. When you eat sugar your brain “rewards” you by producing Dopamine  – a chemical that is responsible for feeling pleasure. Good? You would think so, but in actual fact the body becomes less responsive to the dopamine and you therefore eat more sugar to get the reward feeling and this becomes a vicious cycle of highs and blood sugar crashes leaving you feeling absolutely rubbish. Sound familiar?

But we need sugar!

True. Sugar is digested and turned into glucose – one of the main fuel sources for the body. Again you would think that’s good but our body’s aren’t meant to cope with the quantities of sugar the average first world person consumes, and this is what happens:

Once your food is digested, the glucose is absorbed through the intestine, you produce insulin which acts as a transportation for the glucose to various parts of the body to be used as energy. The more simple the sugar, the faster this happens.

Once you’ve got enough energy in the cells, the leftover glucose is stored in the liver, muscles and fat cells to be used in between meals. Your body won’t waste energy and it has an endless storage supply in fat cells, so when you eat more sugars than you use, you grow more fat cells to store it.

Eventually your body develops an insulin resistance which is the pancreas producing less insulin. This leaves the body with too much glucose in the blood and nothing to transport, it and you’re left with a good chance of getting type 2 diabetes if you do not get the sugar consumption under control.

Sugar affects your immune system

Glucose is a food source for our cells but also for Candida yeast,  bacterias, and even cancer cells. This is not to say that the consumption of sugar causes these problems, only that it fuels them. Sugar is also seen to reduce the effectiveness of your immune system. A study done in the 1970’s found that eating simple sugars decreases the immune system’s effectiveness to kill bacteria and viruses it finds in the body.

Sugar affects our sleep.

Blood sugar levels that are too high or too low cause our sleep to be interrupted. Lack of a good night sleep then also causes problems with our blood sugar. Tiredness leads to the body dumping glucose into the blood stream, insulin having to transport it, and you get a cycle of cravings, mood highs and lows, and energy and exhaustion.

The average person in large cities has the following daily routine:

  • A bad night sleep leaves you slow to start, running late and grabbing a cup of coffee and chocolate muffin for breakfast – Sugar high.
  • You then have a sugar crash, so it’s a cup of tea and a biscuit to boost you, giving you another sugar high.
  • Another crash comes just in time for lunch, so you have meal deal with a chocolate bar and fruit smoothie (hidden sugars)
  • Another low in the late afternoon, so it’s another tea and biscuit
  • You get home feeling exhausted so you warm up a ready meal containing as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar.
  • Another sugar crash before bed and you’re on your way to another restless night sleep to do it all over again the next day.

Had enough?

We have too, so our product of the month is the new Viridian Sugar Detox Kit.

Start your Sugar detox

Once you decide to quite sugar. Viridian have developed a 7 day Sugar detox program supporting you with supplements and a 7 day plan to help you get over your sugar cravings for good!

The 7 Day Sugar Detox pack supplement contains Chromium, Cinnamon and Alpha Lipoic acid.

Chromium is an important mineral that contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. Cinnamon, also known as “sweet wood,” has been well studied clinically and has a long history of traditional use. Alpha lipoic acid is found in all cells and is in this formula as it has a balancing effect on blood sugar levels in the body.

You can also download the app, get free meal plans, recipes and even a shopping list to help you through program on their 7 day sugar detox website

It’s time for a better you, so give up refined sugars and have a healthier summer and future.

 

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Pukka Mushroom Gold

Our immune system can be affected any time of the year, but the winter months seem to hit us harder. Mushroom Gold is ideal for those suffering with a depleted immune system, autoimmune conditions, inflammation and fatigue due to immune weakness.

What is it?

Mushroom Gold contains full spectrum Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake mushrooms to support immunity. Full-spectrum means just that; the fruiting body and mycelium as well as the extra-cellular metabolites are included to deliver the maximum amount of concentrated β-glucan polysaccharides which are the key ingredient in supporting the immune system whether over or under active. 300mg of β-glucans is the accepted clinically effective dose and this is what Mushroom Gold delivers.

About the Mushrooms:

Maitake’s β-glucans is a potent viral inhibitor which stimulates the immune system and reduces opportunistic infections.  Maitake is also being researched for its anti-tumour effects.

Reishi is an effective adaptogen through helping to moderate the body’s stress response and also being used to help treat conditions such as chronic fatigue. Increased stress levels cause a decrease in our body’s immune response, so this adaptogenic effect in Reishi could help prenvet our immune system taking a dive when we need it most. Reishi is known as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ because of its incredible contribution to long-term health. It was originally classified as a ‘superior tonic’ in Traditional Chinese Medicine considered to prolong life, prevent ageing and boost the life-force qi.

Shiitake is highly nutritious containing all the essential amino acids, Vitamins B1 and B2, niacin, ergosterol (pro-Vitamin D) and iron. The β-glucans found in this mushroom include an immune-regulating polysaccharide called lentinan that increases the immune T-cells. Shitake also has anti-bacterial properties that have been seen to be particularly effective in the treatment of infections and conditions such as ‘strep’ throat

Any side effects?

Pukka Mushroom Gold is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Free from dairy, wheat grain, gluten, and soya as well as unnaturally occurring sugars and made without genetically modified organisms. Just to be safe, Pukka recommend you seek professional advice before using in pregnancy. There are no known contraindications, but as Mushroom Gold has such a profound effect on the immune system, its best avoided with immunosuppressive medication. Maitake and Reishi mushrooms do impact upon blood sugar levels so diabetics should take Mushroom Gold with food.

Feeling under the weather?

For added immune support take with Pukka Elderberry Syrup or a nice cup of Pukka Lemon, Ginger and Manuka honey tea. Alternatively visit us in store for a chat with a member of our Panacea team to find out more about what else you can do to support your immune system.

 

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Higher Nature Immune Plus

The armour against cold before winter time brings weakness

Winter is around the corner and the most common viral infection is ready to “attack” as soon as people’s immune system drops its defence.  This popular enemy is the common cold and everyone has suffered its symptoms once in their lifetime – sore throat, coughing and sneezing, high temperature, mild to severe headache or blocked or runny nose.  Any prevention for the body has to be considered as welcome.  Thus, boosting of the immune system is a priority in autumn and winter time. For this reason, Higher Nature does a fantastic product to protect against the cold and to reinforce immunity.  It is called Immune +

Long working hours, not enough time to prepare good food, too much coffee and tea, excess pressure at work and sleepless nights slowly compromise our health every day, and at some point the body collapses.  Supplementation can be an effective solution for supporting health.  It is true that people can get all required minerals and nutrients within their diet, but nowadays food is highly processed, animals are full of steroids and antibiotics, and vegetables and fruits are picked before they are mature causing depletion in their goodness.  Organic food could be a great alternative, but realistically not everyone can afford to buy organic products.

Higher Nature Immune + is a great combination of vitamin c, zinc and three of the most powerful antioxidant fruits: blackcurrant, black elderberry and bilberry.  Immune + could help to prevent and treat colds as it supports the immune system, maintains elasticity of the skin, heals wounds, and has been seen to be beneficial in symptoms of asthma and some cardiovascular conditions.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is well known for its role as an antioxidant and limits the damage effects of free radicals, such as smoking or pollution of our contaminated world.  Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that humans cannot create or store it. Therefore, it has to be received through food or by supplements.

Zinc

Higher Nature Immune + contains zinc which is involved in the activation of T lymphocytes cells (T cells).  These T cells play an important role in the control and regulation of the immune response, and attacks infected cells or harmful toxins in the body.  It is remarkable that Higher Nature uses zinc citrate, one of the easiest absorbable forms.

Immune + also combines blackcurrant, black elderberry and bilberry to support and strengthen the antioxidant action of billions of cells.

Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant is known as the “superstar” vitamin, despite of popular misconception, because concentration of ascorbic acid is higher than in oranges. Its anti-inflammatory effect could prevent inflammation-related fevers and help the immune system function better and to enable faster recovery.

Elderberry

Elderberry provides a good  amount of bio-flavonoids preventing quick breakdown of vitamin C and allows the body to reap more benefits. Its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties build a consistent fence for those “foreign and opportunist enemies” that take advantage when the immune system is weak.

Bilberry

Bilberry contains a compound called anthocyanosides which promotes blood vessel strength, supports lowering of cholesterol and prevents cell damage, among other benefits.

Two tablets of Immune + provides 1000mg of vitamin C, 5mg of Zinc, 80mg of black elderberry and 50mg of blackcurrant and bilberry, respectively.

As prevention 1 or 2 tablets daily should be enough to make strong armour for anyone. However, if the “enemies” are already conquering and compromising the vital immunity of the body, up to 6 tablets are allowed daily. Safety and effectiveness has been proved after many years in the market with a great feedback from customers.  One of the main ethical points for Higher Nature is that the company would not market a product, even a bestseller, if Higher Nature was not convinced of its health benefits.

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Comvita Olive Leaf Extract

Comvita is a much loved brand in health stores, and this product is no exception. Our Watford store manager, Oana, loves Comvita Olive Leaf Extract capsules. She says: “Olive leaf has been traditionally used to support a healthy immune system and is gaining a widespread reputation for it’s year-round benefits. Comvita’s new formulation of the capsules contains 66mg of Oleuropein, as well as Zinc and Copper for added immune support. You only need to take one a day to help keep the doctor away!”

Comvita uses fresh-picked Olive leaf that is grown, harvested and extracted fresh on the farm in Queensland, Australia. This fresh leaf extraction system ensures high levels of Oleuropein plus at least 11 other naturally occurring polyphenols and the only brand to do this.

Polyphenols are compounds found in natural plant food sources and have antioxidant properties. Polyphenols play an important role in maintaining your health and wellness as they help protect the cells in your body from free radical damage.

Many people are quickly realising that Comvita Olive Leaf Extract Immune Support Capsules is a supplement with a wide range of benefits suitable for the whole family. While some people are using it throughout winter, many more are finding it improves well being all year round.

 

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