Question:

I’ve just started playing tennis again and I feel some pain in my elbow.  Is there a joint formula that might help with the pain?

Dr. Frank Silva’s Answer:

Sounds like a classic case of tennis elbow! Although its most common in tennis players, tennis elbow is a very common injury that occurs from overuse, injury, or strain of the tendon that attaches the forearm muscles to the boney part of the outside of the elbow.

Boswellia is an ancient ayurvedic herb that been used for centuries for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.  In patients with joint pain, boswellia helps to improve blood flow to the joints, reduce swelling, and provide pain relief.  Another well researched natural health product for joint pain is MSM, or the active form of the mineral sulfur.  MSM strengthens joints and also reduces inflammation and pain.

If your doctor suspects that the cartilage may be affected, you may want to consider glucosamine and chondroitin for additional support.  Also a natural anti-inflammatory, glucosamine is especially important for stimulating the growth of cartilage.  Chondroitin is actually a cartilage extract and can help prevent against further cartilage damage and speed up healing time.

MSM with Boswellia can help to reduce pain and swelling while strengthening joints, and Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate is well indicated for preventing and managing damage to the cartilage in addition to pain relief.

Question:

I used to hear that soy was good for me. Now I keep hearing that it’s not that great. What’s the truth about soy?

Dr. Serenity Aberdour’s Answer:

For many years, soy was promoted for a variety of its potential benefits including: as a low fat and cholesterol free protein source and as part of a healthy diet to help reduce troubling menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. Increased intake of soy has even been linked to a reduction in the risk of certain cancers, including ovarian, uterine and lung cancers and some research suggests that soy isoflavones may improve treatment outcomes in men undergoing prostate cancer treatment.  But lately, soy has been getting a bad rap. Whether it is concerns about GMO status of many soy crops or conflicting reports about the effects of soy on hormone levels, many people have become wary of soy. The truth is that soy beans are a valuable source of protein and have been a healthy part of human diets for hundreds of years. Like most things, the key is probably moderation. Including soy in the diet in amounts equivalent to what would be found in a traditional Asian diet has not been shown to produce any adverse effects in humans and can offer potential health benefits.

Question:

Can I take Ester-C to get me through allergy season?

Dr. Frank Silva’s Answer:

Vitamin C is a known immune booster.  And since allergies are caused by an improper immune response, boosting the immune system is a great way to prevent and manage the common allergy symptoms.

Ester-C has a few advantages over traditional forms of Vitamin C.  Ester-C is non acidic, meaning it’s safe and gentle on your stomach and won’t increase acidity in the body.  It is also the only form of Vitamin C with metabolites, or breakdown products, which is shown in the research to increase absorption and last longer in the body, up to 24 hours.

Quercetin can offer additional allergy support because it stops the production of histamine, the chemical that is responsible for those unpleasant allergy symptoms.  A combination of Ester-C and Quercetin can be found in Ester-C Supreme and Ester-C 1000mg to combat seasonal allergies.

Photo: José Picayo via Cooking Light

Everyone knows that if you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, eating out at restaurants isn’t exactly ideal.  Restaurant dishes can have a lot of extra fat, calories and sodium.  Cooking Light took a huge step in coming up with some copycat restaurant dishes you can make at home to satisfy those cravings, but with a lot less calories and a lot more nutrition.  Check them out.

Question:

I am a type 2 diabetic. Someone suggested that I start taking alpha lipoic acid. Is this something that would be helpful for me?

Dr. Serenity Aberdour’s Answer:

Alpha lipoic acid is an interesting ingredient. It is an antioxidant with the unique quality of being both water and fat soluble.  Most nutrients are either soluble in water or in fat, but alpha lipoic acid is able to work in either environment, making it a very hard working compound! Alpha lipoic acid also helps the body to recycle and increase levels of other antioxidants.  For diabetics, alpha lipoic acid supplements have been shown to help improve blood sugar management and can also offer some protection from the increased free radical load that can occur in chronic health problems like diabetes. In addition, alpha lipoic acid supplements can help to reduce symptoms of neuropathy, nerve pain that occurs in some diabetics, particularly in the feet.