Tag: vitamin c

  • Nightshade Sensitivity: The Immune Mechanism, and Interventions

    Some people experience joint pain as an inflammatory reaction to nightshades like tomatoes and peppers. Understanding the immune pathway behind that reaction — and what separates a reactive response from a tolerant one — points toward some practical places to intervene. The Immune Pathway Behind Nightshade Sensitivity Nightshade proteins are transported across intestinal microfold cells,…

  • Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Type 2 Diabetes: Mechanisms, Markers, and Interventions

    Type 2 diabetes can be assessed from the perspective of mitochondrial dysfunction as not just a side effect, but a factor in its progression. Symptoms like fatigue and difficulty concentrating can be a sign that mitochondria aren’t functioning properly, and that same underlying dysfunction may be feeding the disease process itself. When mitochondria are impaired,…

  • Antioxidants Aren’t Simply “More Is Better”

    Supplements like quercetin, vitamin C, and vitamin E get a lot of attention as antioxidants, but the research makes a cautionary point: reactive oxygen species aren’t purely villains, and neutralizing them too well can have tradeoffs worth understanding before recommending a dose. Quercetin as a Protective Antioxidant Remigante et al. (2022) studied how quercetin can…

  • Air Pollution

    Hong et al. (2016) investigated the mechanisms behind how particulate matter, which contains chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), causes rhinitis. This was an in vitro experiment, but they found that in cells exposed to particulate matter, reactive oxygen species were increased, while superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathioneperoxidase were decreased. When the cells were…

  • Office Air

    As someone who does not like being cooped up in buildings with questionable air quality, I was intrigued by Allen et al.’s study involving office workers subjected to variations in air each day.  They described some of the history behind modern building standards, such as making buildings tighter with less outdoor air exchange in order…