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Archive for Microbiome

Top 5 Health Benefits of Pistachios

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/22/2021

Of all the consumable nuts available, my favorite is pistachios. Because of this I thought I would examine the top 5 health benefits of pistachios.

Ancient history records the consumption of pistachios as far back as 7,000 BC. Both the Queen of Sheba and Nebuchadnessar, the king of ancient Babylon, considered this nut a royal food. And when you examine its nutritional profile you can see why.

(If you would prefer to view this information in a video format, then please click on my YouTube video below:)

One ounce of pistachios contains the following:

159 Calories
8 grams of Carbohydrate
3 grams of Fiber
6 grams of Protein
13 grams of Fat of which 90% are unsaturated
6% of the RDA for Potassium
28% of the RDA for Vitamin B6
21% of the RDA for Thiamine or Vitamin B1
41% of the RDA for Copper

This nutritional profile fuels the following 5 health benefits of pistachios. Read More →

Understanding Your Immune System

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/15/2020

Understanding your immune system will help you take the needed steps to strengthen its ability to protect you from disease causing pathogens, like harmful viruses, bacteria, and mutated cells that can lead to cancer.

While your immune system is extremely complex, and involves multiple organ systems, it overall function is pretty simple. It’s designed to protect you from infection and “unhealthy cells.”

Unhealthy cells are cells that have been damaged in some way. They can be inflated by microbes such as viruses and bacteria. Or by DNA damage leading to precancerous and then cancer cells.

And while the mission of your immune system is to protect you from illness, the deployment of your immune system is like a military operation. This involves numerous cell types that either circulate throughout your body. Or reside in specific areas as an early warning defense system.

What is key to this whole operation is communication.

Like in a real war, the first places that are targeted for destruction are the communication operations. If these areas are destroyed or damaged, then the enemy (in this case the pathogen) increases its ability to cause cellular destruction.

To help you in understanding your immune system let’s first start with the various bases of operation.

Bone Marrow: Your immune system starts in the bone marrow from stem cells that then develop into mature immune cells. This conversation can take place in the bone marrow. As well as other key locations throughout the body.

These stem cells will go down one of two pathways.

Pathway One is the myeloid lineage which fuels the innate immune system. This branch of the immune system is for general protection against common pathogens. And through this branch or pathway we get the following immune cells:

Basophils
Mast Cells
Eosinophils
Neutophils
Monocytes
Macrophages
Dendritic Cells

These cells are considered “the first responders” to infection.

Pathway Two is the lymphoid lineage while fuels the adaptive immune system. This branch of the immune system develops throughout our lives. As we are exposed to specific harmful viruses and bacteria, your immune system will develop specific cells that are designed to destroy these invaders.

This branch of your immune system gives rise to: Read More →

Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/15/2020

I’ve had several clients ask me if nitric oxide therapy is one of the natural remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis. And the answer is “No” because it doesn’t address the root cause.

Nitric oxide helps to improve blood flow and circulation. This can be helpful. But if you really want to address this health challenge, then you need to understand the following statement.

The root cause is chronic inflammation cause by your immune system, which mistakenly attacks your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis targets the lining of your joints. Initially this causes swelling. And over time it results in bone erosion and joint deformity.

Currently, there is no know cure for this condition. However, there are some natural remedies for rheumatoid arthritis that can help to less its impact.

In this article I’m going to give you my suggestions on how to address this issue. However, before I get started I want you to know that I’m not a doctor. And what I share is not intended to cure or treat anyone. My background is biology and exercise physiology. So I’m going to use my background to give you my thoughts on this issue.

Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis – Two Keys

As stated earlier the root cause is chronic inflammation caused by your immune system attacking your joints. This helps us to clearly identify the two areas that need to be addressed. They are:

Chronic Inflammation
Your Immune System

Now, what I have to say next is really important to understand. Read More →

Zinc Benefits Your Immune System

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/08/2020

The reason why I titled this article zinc benefits your immune system is because this trace mineral is absolutely essential to a healthy immune system.

Currently our world is going through a major health scare due to COVID-19, which is a coronavirus. This is a new strain that seems to have originated out of China.

Now it’s important to note a couple of things before we get back to how zinc benefits your immune system.

Item #1 – Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that include the common cold. Some of these viruses are extremely deadly like the MERS-Cov and SARS-CoV. At least initially because people have not build up an immunity to them. This is why COVID-19 has had such an effect on the health of people. It’s a new strain that the human body is not used to, and doesn’t have an immunity to it. Which leads to the next item.

Item #2 – COVID-19 has been deadliest to older adults who have a compromised immune system. This is not to say that those with a good immune system will not get sick. But those who are younger, and have a more vibrant and active immune system, usually respond well to treatment.

So what does this have to do with how zinc benefits your immune system?

Well, as people age they suffer what is called “micronutrient malnutrition.” Micronutrient malnutrition is when a person lacks essential vitamins and trace minerals. This situation is common in older adults because they tend to eat less. And they have less variety in their diet.

Add to this the fact that today’s food supply is sorely lacing in trace minerals, and you can understand why the immune system of older adults are compromised.

A good example of this is a 2007 study of adults aged 55 to 87 who had lower plasma zinc levels when compared to younger adults. These older adults also had higher oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. This group of older adults were split so that half took a zinc supplement and the other half took a placebo.

After 12 months they were retested. The zinc group had a significantly lower rate of respiratory infections. And their markers for inflammation and oxidative stress were also lower.

More recently, a 2017 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated how zinc benefits your immune system. In this study they gave zinc-deficient nursing home residents either a zinc supplement or a placebo. After three months, the zinc group had an increase in their T cell numbers as well as an increase in their serum zinc.

Zinc Benefits Your Immune System – The Basics Read More →

Health Benefits of Ketones

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/01/2019

With so many people now using the Keto Diet to shed unwanted fat, I thought it would be good to discuss the health benefits of ketones.

Ketones are an alternative fuel source produced by your liver from fats and free fatty acids.

For most people glucose, which is largely derived from carbohydrates, is the main energy source for most cells.

However, excess blood glucose can damage the lining of your cardiovascular system leading to a whole host of vascular health issues. One of which is type 2 diabetes.

When you restrict your carbohydrate intake, either through fasting or eliminating carbohydrates from your diet, then your body will retool its energy pathways for ketones, which are produced in your liver. They than circulated through your body for cellular energy.

Here is a brief overview of the health benefits of ketones:

Improved metabolism for brain and muscle tissue
Linked to increased longevity and average lifespan by up to 20%
Reduced blood sugar levels with the potential to reverse type 2 diabetes
Effective weight management especially as it applies to visceral fat
Activate longevity pathways to protect cells from age-related damage and deterioration

Sounds great except for the following challenge:

Most Keto diets are extremely hard to maintain.

And the reason why is two fold: Read More →

3 Key Strategies for Effective Weight Loss

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/15/2019

In my Yahoo News Feed there was a feature on Michael Watson, an 18 year old high school senior who has lost 115 pounds. Micheal’s story was also picked up by Good Morning America.

I would like to feature Micheal, and what he had to say, to highlight 3 key strategies for effective weight loss.

Effective Weight Loss Strategy #1 – Exercise

Most people think they have to go to the gym and work out on a stair climber or treadmill to help them lose weight. Or pay a personal trainer to motivate them to exercise hard enough to burn the needed calories. Here’s a quote from the Yahoo article on what Michael did:

“Watson, now a high school senior in Canton, Ohio, started by walking to and from school every day, more than 40 minutes round trip.”

For Michael it was a simple walking program. And he did it in segments. Once in the morning and once after school.

At the start of his Junior year in high school, Michael decided to walk to school instead of riding the bus. He did this 5 days per week. Rain or shine.

He didn’t jog to school. He didn’t run to school. He just walked to school.

A simple walking program that almost anyone can do.

By making the commitment to walk, Michael began his journey towards effective weight loss, which brings us to the next strategy.

Effective Weight Loss Strategy #2 – Progress Over Time

Michael didn’t lose 115 pounds in a couple of months. Michael lost the weight over time. He started in his Sophomore year and continue his efforts through his senior year. I like this quote from the Yahoo article:

“I’d see that I was 290 [pounds] and say, ‘Let’s get to 280, come on Michael, you got this,”

Michael didn’t set his goal at 115 pounds. He set small goals that helped him make progress over time.

As he reached the smaller goals that he set for himself, this built up his confidence. He saw and felt improvements to his looks and overall health. Which helped him set his next goal. And continued his progress over time.

But the key strategy that Michael implemented, that I believe made the greatest difference, is the next one.

Effective Weight Loss Strategy #3 – Diet

Michael changed his diet. Not a restrictive diet.

Instead he change the foods he ate each day. Here’s a quote from the Yahoo article:

“Watson also changed his diet, working with his dad to learn how to count calories and then forgoing his normal fast food meals for salads, oatmeal and soup.”

Michael switch his diet from fast food meals to plant based nutrition. And he acknowledges that it was hard at first. But became easier has he consumed more plant based food sources.

Michael discovered “The New Secret to Weight Loss!”

It’s powerful because what Michael did was change his microbiome or gut health.

He stopped feeding the microbes of his small intestine with the food they love: carbohydrates, animal protein, and vegetable oils. These microbes produce toxins and cause you to store fat.

As Michael switched to plant based food sources he began to change his microbiome. The new microbes flourished and provided him with more energy and didn’t store his food as fat.

Michael also found it easier to maintain this diet because the cravings went away. Instead his microbiome wanted the plant based nutritional sources.

He discovered that if you change the gut you change the outcome!

If you don’t know the new secret to weight loss, then I would suggest watching the following video I produced to help people discover what Michael discovered:

Your Microbiome Significantly Impacts Your Weight!

The video is below. It’s short and to the point. Take the time to watch it today.

Now that you understand the new secret to weight loss, you just need to implement the 3 key strategies that Michael did. If you do, then your chances of experiencing improved health will significantly increase.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer

Can Probiotics Boost Cognitive Function?

Posted by Dan Hammer //

01/22/2019

We have an interesting question for today’s blog post: Can Probiotics Boost Cognitive Function

Maybe you’re not familiar with the term probiotics.

Very simply probiotics are good bacteria that help you recolonize your gut flora with the types of bacteria that promote good health.

You can obtain them from supplements, food, or both.

And there is plenty of good research that shows how probiotics aid in digestion as well as help in easing gas and bloating.

Now current research out of UCLA and other scientific organizations are showing a clear link on how probiotics boost cognitive function.

Here are several examples.

Probiotics Boost Cognitive Function – Studies

Scientists at UCLA designed a study to determine if probiotics boost cognitive function. They split their group of participants into two categories. One group consumed a placebo. The other group consumed a probiotic mixture. Both groups were subject to the same brain scans.

Both groups watched a series of pictures designed to stimulate an emotional response.

The brain scans of the placebo group showed activity in the emotional and sensory areas of the brain.

The brain scans of the probiotic group showed activity in the emotional and sensory areas of the brain. But they also showed brain activity in the pre-frontal cortex that helps to facilitate higher thinking and executive function.

Executive function is a term used to describe reasoning, thinking, judgment, and self-control. When this part of your brain (pre-frontal cortex) is engaged it helps you stay calm, be less anxious, and have improved clarity of thought.

In another study, researchers looked at the effects of probiotics on the cognitive functioning of elderly men with advanced stages of memory loss. There were 60 participants and they were split into a placebo group and a group that got a probiotic combination that contained L. acidophilus and B. bifium.

The group that consumed the probiotic combination showed significant improvements in memory testing.

Probiotics Boost Cognitive Function – Antibiotics

The use of antibiotics is wide spread. And as scientists explore the microbiome it has become apparent that antibiotics negatively effect your gut flora.

As most of us know, antibiotics help to destroy bad bacteria and fight infection. But antibiotics also kill the good bacteria. This has consequences to your overall health.

In studies on mice, antibiotics were used to remove good bacteria. This wiped out the good probiotics that help colonize their gut microbiome. Almost immediately the mice showed signs of memory loss. And their brain cell growth stopped.

When these mice were given a diet that included probiotics their brain cells started to grow and their memory and recall also improved.

These types of studies have shown a clear connection between gut health and cognitive function. Using probiotics to improve the good bacteria of the gut microbiome helps to improve memory and clear thinking.

Probiotics Boost Cognitive Function – Harvard Medical School

The Harvard Medical School also noted how probiotics boost cognitive health. In their article titled “Probiotics may help boost mood and cognitive function” they make the following statement:

“Research shows that the gut and brain are connected, a partnership called the gut-brain axis. The two are linked through biochemical signaling between the nervous system in the digestive tract, called the enteric nervous system, and the central nervous system, which includes the brain. The primary information connection between the brain and gut is the vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body.

The gut has been called a ‘second brain’ because it produces many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain does, like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, all of which play a key role in regulating mood. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of serotonin is made in the digestive tract.”

They go on to point out several research studies that showed how the use of probiotic foods improved cognitive function in both Alzheimer’s patients and in women.

As you research this area you will find numerous studies that demonstrate how probiotics can not only improve cognitive function, but also help to balance hormones, boost your immune system, and reduce inflammation.

This makes the consumption of probotic foods like yogurt and sauerkraut more attractive. Or using a good probiotic supplement to help reset your gut health while boosting your cognitive function.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer

The Health Benefits of Magnesium

Posted by Dan Hammer //

01/14/2019

Today I’d like to focus on the health benefits of magnesium. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been writing a series of video scripts on how to address a Leaky Gut.

Once I produce this video series I’ll be sure to share it with you.

There are 5 key steps to healing a Leaky Gut and step five centers on the health benefits of magnesium.

Most of the literature about magnesium ignores this benefit.

So let’s start our discussion on the health benefits of magnesium by addressing how it can improve your gut health.

Magnesium For Improved Gut Health!

Magnesium is a crucial mineral required for the function of hundreds of enzymes in the gut to improve immunity, digestion, regularity, and energy production.

As your gut microbiome improves, magnesium aids in the production of healthy chemical compounds that can provide the following overall health benefits:

Helps Increase Energy
Calms Nerves
Treats Insomnia
Aids Digestion
Relieves Muscle Aches and Pains
Regulates Calcium and Potassium Levels
Is Important for Heart Health
Prevents Migraine Headaches
And Helps Prevent Osteoporosis.

One of the keys to improving your gut health and reducing the potential for a Leaky Gut is to reduce inflammation. Magnesium helps in a big way.

As your body uses magnesium to help you properly digest your food, this reduces the potential for toxins. Toxins create inflammation, which damages the lining of your small intestine.

Less toxins produced, less damage to the lining of your small intestine to decrease your probability of having a Leaky Gut.

Other Health Benefits of Magnesium

In addition to having a significant impact on maintaining good gut health, magnesium has three overall health benefits:

Benefit 1 – Needed for Cellular Energy
Benefit 2 – Necessary for DNA Synthesis and Repair
Benefit 3 – Combats Chronic, Low-Grade Inflammation

When you break these overall health benefits down, they play the following role in helping your body and organ systems function better. For example:

Bone Density – Half of your total body magnesium is stored in the bones. It’s needed for bone remodeling. This is a process that your body uses to break down old bone structure to reform new bone structure.

And your blood levels of magnesium are critical to your bone density. If deficient, then your body will take magnesium from your bones, which can decrease your bone mass to contribute to osteoporosis.

This also triggers pro-inflammatory cytokines to increase inflammation.

Cardiovascular Health – Magnesium has several roles in heart health. One is helping to maintain good heart rhythm. If your magnesium levels are low, then your become more susceptible to irregular heartbeats or what the medical community calls arrhythmias.

Magnesium also improves the function of your endothelium, which lines all of your cardiovascular system. This improvement helps to dilate the blood vessels for improved blood flow. And can aid in keeping your blood pressure under control.

Metabolic Syndrome – This is a group of health risks like abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and cholesterol concerns. When taken together, these health risks increase your potential for developing cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.

Research studies have shown that magnesium can reduce the incidence of metabolic syndrome. Specifically, higher magnesium intake was associated with lower stroke risk. One study showed that for men who had the highest magnesium intake, they reduced their risk for stoke by 41%. This also applied to having lower rates of heart failure.

Health Benefits of Magnesium – Nutritional Supplements

While you can try to get your magnesium from the food you eat, the best way is to use a good nutritional supplement.

Make sure the magnesium supplement you choose is in either the citrate or chelate form.

Magnesium Chelate is highly absorb-able by your body. It’s the form naturally found in foods. Because it’s bound to several types of amino acids, this aids in restoring your magnesium levels.

Magnesium Citrate combines the magnesium with citric acid. For some this might have a laxative effect.

Now the dosage amounts vary with age and sex:

Age 14 – 18: 410 milligrams for men and 360 milligrams for women

Age 19 – 30: 400 milligrams for men and 310 milligrams for women

Age 31 and older: 420 milligrams for men and 320 milligrams for women

As you can see not a lot of difference based on age so make sure you’re taking at least 400 milligrams per day for men and at least 300 milligrams per day for women.

Since the majority of Americans do not get adequate amounts of magnesium in their diet, it would be to their best health interest to increase their consumption of this key mineral. Here are the top 10 foods listed based on highest intake of magnesium:

Food Source	Amount Need	Magnesium Intake
Leafy Greens like Kale or Spinach	1 cup	157 mg
Seeds like Flax, Pumpkin or Chia	1 ounce	150 mg
Legumes like Lentils, Beans, or Chickpeas	1 cup	120 mg
Nuts like Almonds or Cashews	1 ounce	82 mg
Whole Grains like Wheat, Oats, or Barley	1 ounce	65 mg
Dark Chocolate	1 ounce	64 mg
Avocados	Medium	58 mg
Fatty Fish like Salmon or Mackerel	Half a fillet (178 grams)	53 mg
Tofu	3.5 ounces	53 mg
Bananas	1 large	37 mg

You can decide which method is best to help you enjoy the health benefits of magnesium: food or supplements.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer

The Health Benefits of Flax Hull Lignans

Posted by Dan Hammer //

11/01/2018

Today we want to talk about the health benefits of flax hull lignans. Historically, flax has been used for thousands of years. Initially for textiles. And, as people began to consume the seeds of flax, for its health properties.

Approximately 25 years ago there was a major discovery regarding the shell or hull of the flax seed.

In the past the shells were thrown away because people assumed all the health benefits were in the seeds. However, it was discovered that the hulls actually contain very concentrated amounts of lignans.

These flax hull lignans are powerful polyphenols that can provide significant health benefits.

Health Benefits of Flax Hull Lignans

The first health benefit of flax hull lignans is that they act as powerful antioxidants to help reduce free radical damage. Read More →

L-Glutamine and Leaky Gut

Posted by Dan Hammer //

09/22/2018

Our topic of conversation in today’s blog post is l-glutamine and leaky gut. Can it help to repair a leaky gut? Is it a viable option for restoring the lining of your small intestine? And is there any research to demonstrate it’s ability to improve gut health?

As more and more research is being done on the Microbiome, scientist are coming to the conclusion that your gut is the foundation to your overall health and wellness.

And if it’s not the foundation, then it plays a significant factor in both good and bad health.

It’s estimated that our intestinal lining covers approximately 4,000 square feet of surface area. To help put this in perspective Serena Williams just competed in the finals of the US Open. The tennis court she played on is 2106 square feet.

This means that the surface area of your intestinal lining is approximately 2 tennis courts. Read More →