Health News

How COVID-19 Lockdowns Affect the Immune System

In the past, it was revealed that the COVID-19 lockdowns and self-isolation contributed to a rise in emotional health problems. While this is disturbing in itself, an additional concern has been that these practices may have also had adverse effects on physical health by compromising the strength of the immune system in certain cases. Learn more about how COVID-19 lockdowns affect the immune system.

New Research Examines How COVID-19 Lockdowns Affect the Immune System

How COVID-19 lockdowns affect the immune system has become a common concern among many people in recent times. The concern is that isolation and social distancing could be contributing to poor immune system health by preventing people from exposing themselves to the bacteria, viruses and germs that would otherwise force the immune system to maintain stronger defenses.

Fortunately, lockdowns and isolation should not cause the immune system to lose the knowledge it has acquired in the past, so there’s no reason to believe that your body will no longer be able to fight off disease-causing microbes. By the time an individual reaches early adulthood, the body has already learned to fight off common threats to health. Even after a period of lockdowns and self-isolation, the immune systems of healthy adults should still be strong enough to eliminate most common microbial threats.

The story is a little different for children. When babies are born, they have the immune system that’s necessary to fight off diseases, but a lack of exposure to microbial threats means the child’s immunity isn’t fully developed. Young children need to be exposed to bacteria, germs and other threats to help their immune systems learn how to combat those threats. Doctors believe decreased exposure to these threats through more sanitary play and learning environments could be responsible for the increased incidences of eczema, hay fever, asthma and other respiratory conditions.

In short, exposure to microbial threats isn’t as necessary to continued immunity as many people believe it to be. This exposure is essential during pregnancy and through the first few months of infancy, but it becomes less important as the child ages. Instead, good hygiene and sanitary environments are actually more helpful to the immune system as children grow older. Professor Sally F. Bloomfield adds that it’s impossible to maintain an environment that’s completely free of hazardous microbes regardless of how frequently a parent cleans. As soon as those microbes are removed, more will come along to contaminate the same surface.

The answer is that moderate exposure to microbes is beneficial to immunity, but good hygiene practices are also important. For instance, taking the family for a daily “lockdown walk” to get some exercise is a good way to stay safe but also get exposure to an outdoor environment. Even allowing young children to play with friends at a playground can be beneficial; just be sure they wash their hands as soon as they get home. As more studies on how COVID-19 lockdowns affect the immune system get underway, researchers hope to find more information about how lockdowns, social distancing and self-isolation affect unborn babies and teen children.

Natural Ways to Boost the Strength of Your Immune System

If you’re concerned about keeping your immune system strong in a post-COVID world, there are plenty of natural ways you can boost your immune system. Here are a few suggestions that you can implement with your family to help keep everyone safe and healthy.

Regulate Your Circadian Rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is the biological clock that manages the various systems throughout your body. New research has found that it also regulates the release of microphages, which are immune cells that attack unwanted bacteria throughout the body.

When your circadian rhythm is disrupted, microphages can’t properly fight off disease-causing microbes. This is why people with irregular sleeping patterns have a greater risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer and other degenerative illnesses.

Proteins released by the circadian system help to regulate the production of enzymes and hormones, which, in turn, affect the functioning of the immune system. However, the positive proteins that regulate this system are sometimes blocked by negative proteins. This blockage remains in effect until the negative proteins degrade. This is a condition that can quickly create a cycle in which the positive and negative proteins are continuously interacting, preventing the positive proteins from functioning. Researchers believe these findings confirm that our circadian rhythm plays a key role in keeping our immune systems functioning optimally.

Get Better Sleep

Even though you may know that sleep is important for your health, it’s specifically vital to the production of T cells. These are the cells the immune system sends to lymph nodes, where those cells are then assigned specific tasks. In studies conducted on sleep, it was discovered that people who were denied sleep exhibited a T cell deficiency. T cells contain memory, which allows them to learn how to fight specific threats and store that information for future use.

To maintain a higher count of T cells, you can improve the quality of your sleep with the following tips:

Stop drinking caffeine six hours before bed.
Turn off your mobile device one hour before bed.
Replace scratchy or uncomfortable bedding.
Create a restful atmosphere by turning up the AC, wearing earplugs and putting on a sleep mask.
Engage in a relaxing activity, such as taking a warm bath, meditating or practicing yoga.
Take a sleep supplement that contains melatonin.

Other Methods for Boosting Immunity

There are many more ways to naturally boost your immune system, such as:

eating more plant-based foods
quitting smoking
reducing your consumption of alcohol
reducing your intake of refined sugar, trans-fat and cholesterol
exercising for 30 minutes each day

If you’re still concerned about your immune system’s strength, talk to your doctor. Your primary care physician will be familiar with your medical history, giving them the information to provide you with insight tailored to your situation. Under the guidance of your doctor, you can ensure you’ll live a longer and healthier life.

Supplementing With Omega-3 Protects Against Stress, May Help Slow Aging

Apr 28 by Ewcopywriting

Omega-3 fatty acids play a variety of roles in the body, contributing to both physical health and mental wellness. A new body of research is proving that supplementing with omega-3 protects against stress, helping to slow the aging process of the body as a result. Here is everything that you need to know about this class of fatty acids, including how you can boost your intake of this nutrient for better health.

What are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

You do not have to be a health nut to know that omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most important nutrients that you can give your body. But what exactly are these fatty acids and how do they benefit your body?

There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is primarily found in plant oils such as canola oil and soybean oil. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are generally found naturally in fish and other types of seafood. As an essential fatty acid, your body does not make ALA, meaning that you must be diligent about getting it from food and beverage sources or through the use of targeted supplements.

Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

There is no shortage of benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients can have a profound impact on the proper function of many parts of your body and brain. Sufficient intake of omega-3 is useful in fighting inflammation and in boosting bone health, helping to ward off conditions such as osteoporosis.

Because DHA is a primary structural component of the retinas in your eyes, maintaining adequate levels can be beneficial in preventing macular degeneration. Getting enough omega-3 fatty acids can also help to guard against a variety of chronic diseases and illnesses, including arthritis, heart disease and metabolic syndrome. The nutrient will also protect against autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis.

Taking in enough omega-3 fatty acids promotes better sleep while also improving the appearance of your skin. Finally, you will also reduce your risk of a host of mental disorders by boosting your intake of omega-3sm including depression, anxiety and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

It is clear that many areas of both your physical and mental health will benefit by being intentional about getting enough of this crucial nutrient.

How Supplementing With Omega-3 Protects Against Stress

A new study out of the Ohio State University revealed that daily supplements boasting 2.5 grams of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids performed the best when looking to help the body ward off the effects of stress. By suppressing the damage that stress can cause to the body and increasing protection at the cellular level, omega-3s can even potentially help to slow down the aging process.

The results of the study demonstrate that taking an omega-3 supplement is one of the easiest yet most profound ways that you can disrupt the cycle of stress on the body leading to a variety of health issues. A simple supplement is an easy way to ward off or in some cases even reverse some of the most significant health conditions that many people face.

While the 2.5-gram dose of omega-3s studied in this research is significantly more than what most people ingest on a daily basis, it is important to note that the participants in the study did not demonstrate any issues with the higher dosage.

How You Can Boost Intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

It is probably easier than you think to boost your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Start your efforts by being intentional about incorporating the foods that are rich in this nutrient into your diet. Both flaxseed oil and canola oil are high in ALA omega-3s. Sprinkling chia seeds and walnuts on to your favorite foods will also boost your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

While nearly all seafood contains omega-3s, some sources are more nutrient dense than others. Salmon is a particularly rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Herring, sardines and shellfish such as lobster and scallops also supply this nutrient. Next time you make a sandwich, consider spreading a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the bread to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Because some of these top sources of omega-3s are not widely consumed by everyone, many health-savvy individuals turn to high-quality dietary supplements that provide omega-3 fatty acids to boost their intake of this important nutrient. As the recent study out of the Ohio State University proved, omega-3 fatty acids are easily processed by the body when consumed via supplements.

While there are still questions surrounding how to best harness the power of this nutrient, it is clear that omega-3 fatty acid should be an essential part of your health routine. The recent research detailing how omega-3s can protect against stress and slow the aging process is just another in a long list of compelling reasons why you should make the intake of this nutrient a priority for your health and wellness.

7 Little-Known Gut Microbiome Facts

Apr 19 by Ewcopywriting

Chances are, you have heard of the “gut microbiome,” and may even have a general idea about its purpose and the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in your gut. But there is a good chance that you were not aware of these seven lesser-known gut microbiome facts.

What Exactly is the Gut Microbiome?

Your gut microbiome consists of the various bacteria, fungi, viruses and other tiny organisms that live inside your intestines. These microbes are primarily found inside a small pocket of the large intestine known as the cecum. Collectively, the microbes present in the large intestine are known by scientists as the gut microbiome.

Even though there may be up to 1,000 different types of bacteria species in a person’s gut microbiome, each kind plays a crucial role in protecting your overall health. While they are all microscopic individually, taken as a whole, they can weigh up to five pounds.

Gut Microbiome Facts

Now that you have a basic understanding of the gut microbiome, here are seven interesting gut microbiome facts that most people do not know about this important body system.

1. The Gut Microbiome Can Alter How Well Your Medication Works

Researchers have found that it is not uncommon for your gut bacteria to interfere with the effectiveness of medications. Not only may the state of your microbiome reduce the efficacy of important medications, but it could also render medications toxic in certain circumstances.

2. People with Fibromyalgia Have Different Gut Bacteria

Scientists in Canada were recently able to shed a little light on how women with fibromyalgia have different types of gut bacteria than those without this disease. The study found that a patient’s symptoms demonstrated a direct link to an increased amount or a significant absence of particular types of bacteria in the gut. This breakthrough will hopefully make it easier for doctors to diagnose this condition more quickly and may even help medical researchers to discover new treatments.

3. Certain Gut Bacteria Can Help Protect Against Food Allergies

Promoting a healthy gut microbiome may also help to protect against deadly food allergies. Research has shown that babies and children that suffer from food allergies are often missing particular species of gut bacteria. This revelation may provide clues to scientists as to the best ways to treat food allergies. For example, rather than using traditional oral immunotherapy treatments, it may be more beneficial to focus on introducing missing strands of gut bacteria to the patient’s microbiome.

4. The Quality of Your Diet Affects Your Microbiome

What you eat can also have a significant effect on the proper function of your gut microbiome. Being intentional about nourishing your body with a healthy and varied diet will boost the number of good bacteria in your intestine. Conversely, regularly eating foods that are void of nutritional value may increase the amount of harmful bacteria that reside in your gut. The best foods to eat if your goal is to improve the health of your gut microbiome includes naturally fermented foods, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains.

5. The Gut Microbiome May Play a Role in Prostate Cancer

As one of the most common types of cancer in men, prostate cancer is also the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. This makes it vitally important to find ways to better diagnose and treat this deadly cancer. A recent study found that men with diagnosed prostate cancer had less microbial diversity than men without prostate cancer. While this does not prove a causal effect, the knowledge could be helpful in diagnosing this type of cancer.

6. Gut Microbes Have Been Shown to Help Extinguish Fear in Mice

An experiment performed on mice has shown a clearer connection between the gut and the brain. The research detailed how microbes located in the intestine of the mice are capable of influencing the ability to unlearn certain fear responses. The results of the study showed that mice who had reduced gut microbes were not able to ascertain if a threat was present, showing a connection between the often misunderstood gut-brain axis.

7. Your Blood Type Helps Co-determine the Composition of Your Gut Microbiome

A study out of Kiel University has recently established a connection between the genetic variations that are responsible for your blood type and the occurrence of some of the bacteria that reside in the gut. These results show that an individual’s genetics are a key factor that affect the bacteria in the gut. This revelation proves that the gut microbiome is more than just a group of microorganisms that are influenced by the outside environment. Instead, your blood type and genetics can also influence this collection of helpful bacteria.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the gut microbiome. Digging deeper into the inner workings of the gut microbiome has also posed new questions that scientists will continue to explore to gain a better understanding of many health issues. This fascinating biological system holds many clues as to how you can achieve optimal health and wellness by working to maintain optimal gut microbiome health.

Five Relaxation Tips to Protect Against Burnout Syndrome

Apr 13 by Ewcopywriting

In order to avoid the dreaded “burnout syndrome” on the job, it’s important to employ solid relaxation tips on a regular basis. The right strategies will help you to relax both your mind and your body simultaneously. Not only will this help you to perform your job more effectively and efficiently, but it will also provide lasting benefits for your overall health. Here is what you need to know about job burnout syndrome and how you can take steps to mitigate this issue.

Understanding Burnout Syndrome

Burnout syndrome is a specific type of stress that comes in a job setting. The term can encompass both physical and mental exhaustion. When suffering from burnout syndrome, it is not uncommon to have feelings of overwhelm coupled with a low sense of accomplishment as it relates to your job. A serious case of job burnout may spill over into other areas of your life.

There are a number of factors that can lead to job burnout. Some of the most common are an imbalance in your work and personal life, the feeling that you do not have control over your situation, unclear expectations and challenging workplace dynamics.

Symptoms of Job Burnout

While it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly why you are experiencing burnout syndrome, some of the symptoms are easier to pinpoint. Common symptoms of this issue include a continued sense of impatience with your colleagues, a lack of intrinsic satisfaction with your achievements and a lack of motivation for tasks that used to interest you.

Other types of symptoms that may manifest themselves in your personal life include disruptions in your sleeping habits, difficulty concentrating and unexplained headaches or stomach issues. While these symptoms on their own are not necessarily an indicator of a greater issue, combined, they may be a sign that you are experiencing burnout syndrome.

Different Types of Rest

Many people simply misunderstand the various types of rest and why each one is important to your relaxation goals after a long day on the job. There are three critical components of rest and recovery. Even if you are all caught up on your sleep, you may still feel weary if you are not addressing all three of these elements.

Relaxing Your Body

When it comes to relaxation, most people think of resting the body. This means that you need to give your physical self the time and opportunity to fully rest and recover from the rigors of the day.

Relaxing Your Mind

Another important cog in the wheel of rest is to relax your mind. If your mind is running a mile a minute, you cannot expect to feel relaxed and recharged.

Relaxing Your Expectations

You are often the most guilty party when it comes to unreasonable expectations. In order to avoid burnout syndrome, it is important to keep your expectations for yourself and your co-workers realistic. Giving yourself and others grace is essential when looking to relax your expectations.

Relaxation Tips

The good news is that there are concrete steps that you can take to encourage relaxation in order to mitigate the effects and serious consequences of burnout syndrome. Here are just a few of the best ways that you can engage in helpful relaxation.

1. Get Moving

Making exercise a priority in your daily routine will go a long way in promoting effective relaxation. Regular exercise reduces stress levels, helps you to sleep better, and provides a release for those complicated emotions. There is no downside to making physical exercise a priority in your life.

2. Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude

Your attitude has a significant impact on your mental health. Mindful meditation and being intentional about practicing gratitude can help you to better deal with stress on the job.

3. Put it Out There

It is easy to think that you are alone in the fight if you are not willing to talk about your emotions. Talking about your feelings and putting them out there will provide a necessary emotional release. Along the way, you may find different ways to deal with your workplace struggles.

4. Boost Serotonin

Scientific research has demonstrated that the hormone serotonin is instrumental in boosting mental and emotional wellness. Excessive stress has also been shown to reduce the level of serotonin in the body.

Because the stress associated with burnout syndrome may affect serotonin levels, it stands to reason that being intentional about increasing serotonin levels can have a significant impact on your mental health. The use of a supplement designed to support healthy serotonin levels is an easy way to ensure adequate levels of this important substance.

5. Focus on Self-Care

Lastly, making self-care a focus in your life can help you to manage your stress levels in the workplace. How you achieve this self-care is up to you and your personal needs. For some people, it may mean quiet time alone relaxing. For others, self-care may come in the form of time with friends and family.

While it is impossible to fully guard against job burnout syndrome, these relaxation tips can form the cornerstone of proper rest. This relaxation will set you up for more success both in your job and in your personal life.

5 Tips for Healthy Eyes

Apr 07 by Ewcopywriting

Maintaining good eye health is vital to ensuring healthy vision throughout your life. Even so, 3.3 million people in the United States suffer from some type of vision problem; a number that is expected to grow considerably within the next three decades. As you age, your risk for vision problems increases, but following these tips for healthy eyes will help you maintain better vision for longer.

What Eye Health Problems Do You Face as You Age?

While some people are genetically predisposed to experience eye health issues due to their racial heritage or family health histories, there are other factors that raise the risks of developing vision problems. For instance, people who are obese or who consume high amounts of sugar are more likely to suffer from vision problems.

Additionally, the risks to eye health increase as people age and reach their senior years. One example is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which affects the center of the retina. When this condition develops, the individual is no longer able to clearly see fine details. As a result, they experience greater difficulty in driving, reading and performing other tasks that require the ability to focus the eyesight on small objects.

Glaucoma is a condition that can result in vision loss and total blindness if it’s not corrected. One reason that an individual might develop glaucoma is that fluid pressure inside the eye builds up and must be relieved. Recently, it was discovered that the condition can develop even when pressure in the eye is normal.

Other age-related vision problems include:

Cataracts: With cataracts, a film forms over the lens of the eyes, leading to blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR): DR involves damage of the blood vessels of the eyes as a result of poor blood sugar regulation.
Amblyopia: Amblyopia is poor vision in just one eye, which is the result of miscommunication between the brain and the nerve of the eye.

Effective Tips For Healthy Eyes

Taking steps now can help you to maintain healthy eyes into old age. Following are several simple yet effective tips for healthy eyes.

Take a Dietary Supplement

One of the best tips for healthy eyes that you can follow is to take a high-quality dietary supplement that is engineered to protect eye health. A good supplement for maintaining healthy vision will provide several nutrients that will help you maintain healthy eyes and strong vision.

Vitamin E

Free radicals are unstable molecules which travel through your body and attack healthy tissue. Vitamin E protects the cells in the eyes from this type of cellular damage.

Lutein

This compound acts as a powerful antioxidant, benefiting the eyes in multiple ways. In addition to protecting the eye’s cells from the damage that oxidative stress causes, it also helps to reduce inflammation and fight off free radicals.

Zeaxanthin

This is another antioxidant that works together with lutein to help protect against free radicals and oxidative stress.

Lycopene

This antioxidant is beneficial in combating age-related vision problems. Research suggests it’s particularly helpful in reducing the risks for AMD, cataracts and glaucoma. Lycopene may also help lower the risk for the nerve damage caused by diabetic retinopathy.

Bilberry

Some research suggests bilberry can help improve night vision in seniors. Additionally, it may be helpful in improving the vision problems caused by glaucoma. Some subjects exhibited a 30 percent increase in vision after taking a supplement containing bilberry.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

While omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to benefit physical health in many ways, recent research has found that the compound also helps support eye health. It may protect against age-related macular degeneration in seniors. Additionally, it helps regulate fluid in the eyes, which helps lower the risk of developing glaucoma.

Choose Low-Glycemic Index Standards

You can also reduce the risk of developing vision problems by changing your diet. In particular, opt for foods that rate lower on the glycemic index chart. This involves eating brown rice instead of white rice and choosing whole grain bread instead of white bread. You should also replace white and yellow potatoes with yams. Instead of eating potato chips, buy nuts and seeds.

Get More Exercise

You should be getting a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise each day, but getting more will help you keep your eyesight healthy. Physical activity helps burn more energy, which means more sugar will be pushed to your cells and your blood glucose levels will be lower. As a result, your risk for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy will be reduced. Lower blood sugar levels will also help protect the blood vessels in your eyes from damage.

Get Treatment For Chronic Conditions

Certain conditions, including hypertension and multiple sclerosis, can pose a danger to your vision if you don’t take steps to control them. This is because these types of medical conditions lead to chronic inflammation throughout the body. Once inflammation develops in or around the eyes, your vision will be affected. In taking steps to reduce inflammation and control the other symptoms of degenerative diseases, you’ll better protect your eye health.

Wear Your Sunglasses and Add a Hat

The sun is just as harmful to your eyes as it is to your skin, so it’s important to wear eye protection whenever you go outdoors. This includes wearing sunglasses that are designed to filter out UVA and UVB rays. Additionally, you should wear a wide-brimmed hat if you’ll be outside for an extended period of time.

How to Combat Dry Skin and Improve Skin Health From the Inside Out

Apr 02 by Ewcopywriting

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and keeping it healthy is important for a number of different reasons. The driving reason behind many peoples’ concerns about the condition of their skin is the fact that poor skin health can make you look older than your real age. Proper skin care is important all year round, but protecting against dry skin in the summer is especially important when it comes to maintaining a healthy, youthful appearance.

Why Proper Skin Care is Important

Most people are concerned to some degree with maintaining their youthful appearance, which is why there’s such a huge range of available products designed to care for your skin. Additionally, your skin acts as a barrier that protects your internal organs. Unless you suffer an abrasion or laceration that compromises your skin, it will keep diseases and bacteria from accessing your body and adversely affecting your internal organs.

In addition to acting as a barrier, your skin works as a filter, removing excess moisture, salt and oil from your body. It also helps to retain water, which is essential for hydrating your organs and the itself.

When you fail to take good care of your skin, you compromise all of the beneficial things it does for your body. Fortunately, your skin will let you know when it’s not as healthy as it should be. Skin conditions, including acne and eczema, are a few of the signs that your skin’s needs aren’t being fulfilled. If your skin feels leathery or dry, this can be another sign that you need to improve your skin care regimen before more serious conditions develop. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to take better care of your skin, and there are nutrients you can take to promote skin health from the inside out and help alleviate your skin problems.

Ways to Keep Your Skin Looking Young and Healthy

Modify Skin Care Practices

As warmer weather approaches, it’s necessary to change how you care for your skin. For example, the use of steams and exfoliating products should be reduced significantly in the spring and summer. These products promote dry skin when the temperatures are higher. Instead, use a natural moisturizer more frequently to help your skin stay hydrated.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

You should also drink more water at this time of year. Your internal organs rely on water to function properly. Your skin is one of those organs, and it needs to replenish the moisture it loses through sweating. If you’re not sure about how much water you should be drinking, ask your doctor how much you need based on your BMI (body mass index).

Buy a Humidifier

In the summer, it can be very beneficial to run a humidifier in your home. This device will add moisture to dry air, helping to restore the moisture in the exterior layers of your skin. If you do notice that your skin seems leathery or worn, running a humidifier will help hydrate your skin.

Limit Exposure to Heat and Sunshine

If you want to retain your skin’s health, be sure to avoid excess heat and the sun. Even a hot shower can be enough to negatively affect your skin. Additionally, avoid sitting near open fires, such as when cooking or sitting in front of a campfire, during the day. You should also limit the amount of time you leave your skin exposed to the sun’s rays. While sunscreen can help protect your skin, you should still avoid spending long hours exposed to the sun. If you work outdoors, use clothing to help protect your skin from exposure.

Natural Nutrients That Protect Against Dry Skin

You can also help your skin from the inside by taking a comprehensive daily supplement designed to promote glowing, healthy skin. Supplements can benefit the skin by giving your body the nutrients it needs to promote better skin health. The following ingredients are especially helpful for helping the skin to retain more moisture and minimizing the appearance of fine wrinkles that can make your skin look older and more worn.

Niacin

This is a water soluble nutrient that boosts cellular metabolism by regulating cell signaling. It also acts as an antioxidant and helps to make and repair DNA. For the skin, this means niacin helps prevent the cell damage that the sun’s rays can cause. It may also play a role in the prevention of skin cancer.

Biotin

This nutrient is also known as vitamin H and is one of several B-complex vitamins. As such, it promotes healthier skin, hair and nails. A deficiency of biotin results in skin with dry patches, as well as hair loss.

Zinc

Your body uses zinc in multiple ways, but is primarily used by the immune system to help fight off disease and infection. It’s useful in this way because it’s an anti-inflammatory agent. This means it’s also useful in keeping the skin healthy by reducing redness and irritation that’s caused by certain conditions, such as acne.

Selenium

Many of the things you expose your skin to on a daily basis contribute to the decline of your skin’s health. These are things you don’t think about, such as smoking, stress and air pollution. Selenium acts as an antioxidant that helps the body fight off the oxidative damage that these things cause to the cells in your skin.

Horsetail

What we commonly know as horsetail is a perennial plant that has been used for its medicinal value for centuries. More recent research has found that it’s particularly useful in treating skin wounds and abrasions by speeding up the healing time. It also helps eliminate skin redness and discharge from lacerations.

MSM and Hyaluronic Acid

These compounds are predominantly found in the layers of the skin, although they are also found in lesser quantities throughout the body. In the skin, they bind with cells to prevent the loss of moisture. When taken as a supplement, MSM and hyaluronic acid help increase moisture in the skin, helping to protect against external factors that may leave your skin dry or worn.