{"id":21305,"date":"2017-12-05T14:39:49","date_gmt":"2017-12-05T22:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicalfitnessnetwork.org\/public\/?p=21305"},"modified":"2017-11-30T09:07:49","modified_gmt":"2017-11-30T17:07:49","slug":"protect-peripheral-nerves-top-5-supplements-optimal-foot-function","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/protect-peripheral-nerves-top-5-supplements-optimal-foot-function\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect Your Peripheral Nerves: Top 5 Supplements for Optimal Foot Function"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know that keeping our feet strong is key to proper posture, optimal movement patterns and staying pain-free as we age. In my workshops I\u2019m a huge advocate of Barefoot Baby Boomers and keeping barefoot stimulation<\/a> a key part of our lifestyle. However to truly stay #barefootstrong as we age we need to do a little more than simply train sans footwear.<\/p>\n

Biohacking Your Barefeet\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

With changing nutritional values, toxins in our food and combating everyday stress we no longer can rely on diet and exercise to ensure our youngest, healthiest selves. This is where I advise my patients to turn to vitamin supplementation and simple ways to #biohackthebody.<\/p>\n

Below are some of my favorite supplements that are all designed to enhance nerve function, reduce inflammation and combat free radicals before they damage our peripheral nerves and fascial network.<\/p>\n

Supplement #1 \u2013 Wild Blueberry Extract\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"You may have heard that blueberries are brain food. \u00a0What makes blueberries so beneficial is that they are packed with polyphenols or compounds unique to plants. Polyphenols which can also be found in coffee, dark chocolate and spices carry some of the strongest anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.<\/p>\n

A 2004 study by Youdim et al. found that wild blueberry supplementation enhanced neurogenesis in the aging brain with their flavonoids being able to cross the blood brain barrier. Now you may have been told that we do not grow new brain cells or our peripheral nerves cannot regenerate \u2013 this is not true! The research in the field of \u00a0neurogenesis is a super exciting area of medicine and is showing some exciting advances in aging, neuropathy and neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n

To maximize the benefits of blueberry polyphenols I recommend taking wild blueberry extract daily to avoid the excess sugars of eating so many blueberries daily. Also make sure the blueberries are *wild* as these contain the highest levels of polyphenols!<\/p>\n

Recommended:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Life Extension Wild Blueberry Extract<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Supplement #2 \u2013 Krill Oil\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This is one of my newest fav supplements for my patients. Krill oil is similar to fish oil supplements in that they are packed with beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA & EPA).\u00a0However unlike fish oils, krill oil phospholipids have a special\u00a0carotenoid called astaxanthin attached to it. Astaxanthin is an extremely powerful antioxidant that \u2013 get this \u2013 can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB)! This makes Krill Oil so powerful to maintaining nerve function.<\/p>\n

In addition to crossing the BBB omega 3\u2019s have such a powerful anti-inflammatory benefit that they make a great replacement or alternative to traditional NSAIDs such as Advil, Aspirin or Aleve. These anti-inflammatory benefits have shown to reduce arthritis pain<\/a>, nerve inflammation and connective tissue pain.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0Dr Mercola Antartica Krill Oil\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Supplement #3 \u2013 R-Lipoic Acid<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This was one of my favorite supplements when I was going through medical school and was a big forerunner when it came to anti-aging supplements. It\u2019s great to see that it is still one of the strongest anti-oxidants on the market \u2013 and has actually been formulated to be even more powerful when taken in its\u00a0sodium-R-lipoate form!<\/p>\n

Neuropathy has a oxidative stress theory which means that to keep the nerves of the feet (and hands) healthy we need to keep our oxidative stress low! \u00a0 Super R-Lipoic Acid is more bioavailable, stable, and potent, achieving 10\u201330 times higher peak blood levels than pure R-lipoic acid.<\/p>\n

I also recommend taking R-lipoic acid with the next supplement and nerve-protective powerhouse ALC!<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0Life Extension Super R-Lipoic Acid\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Supplement # 4 \u2013 Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

ALC is another favorite supplement when I was going through medical school and doing research in diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Again super excited to see it\u2019s still one of the best nerve-protective supplements on the market.<\/p>\n

ALC like all of the above supplements has the unique ability to cross the BBB which means it\u2019s crucial to nervous system health. Studies have shown that ALC\u00a0may have potential in exerting unique neuroprotective, neuromodulatory and neurotrophic properties that are not limited to just the central nervous system. Study after study has shown great effects of ALC on peripheral neuropathy patients.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0Life Extension Acetyl-L-Carnitine<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Supplement #5 \u2013 L-Cittruline (Watermelon)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"Watermelon is one of my favorite pre-workout drinks due to its effect on vasodilation and circulation! The vasodilation effect of watermelon is found in the amino acid L-Citruline which is a precursor to nitric oxide (think Viagra!).<\/p>\n

Nitric oxide is integral to relaxing blood vessels which is necessary for healthy blood flow to the heart, muscles, nerves and throughout the entire body. Nitric oxide helps the blood vessels maintain their flexibility so that blood flow is unrestricted \u2013 even to the smallest vessels to the peripheral nerves.<\/p>\n

To get enough L-Citrulline for optimal circulation you\u2019d need to eat 6 cups of watermelon or you can cut out the sugar and take a supplement. Amino acids are always recommended to take on an empty stomach for maximum absorption.<\/p>\n

Recommended:\u00a0Source Naturals L-Citrulline<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

To learn more about how to protect your nervous system from inflammation and oxidation and how to #biohackyourbody please visit,\u00a0dremilysplichal.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Originally printed on the\u00a0Barefoot Strong Blog<\/a>. Reprinted with permission from Dr. Splichal.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Dr. Emily Splichal, Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist, is the Founder of the\u00a0Evidence Based Fitness Academy<\/a>\u00a0and Creator of the\u00a0Barefoot Training Specialist\u00ae, Barefoot Rehab Specialist\u00ae and BARE\u00ae Workout Certifications<\/a>\u00a0for health and wellness professionals. With over 13 years in the fitness industry, Dr. Splichal has dedicated her medical career towards studying postural alignment and human movement as it relates to foot function and barefoot training.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all know that keeping our feet strong is key to proper posture, optimal movement patterns and staying pain-free as we age. In my workshops I\u2019m a huge advocate of Barefoot Baby Boomers and keeping barefoot stimulation a key part of our lifestyle. However to truly stay #barefootstrong as we age we need to do a little more than simply train sans footwear. Biohacking Your Barefeet\u00a0 With changing nutritional values, toxins in our food and combating everyday stress we no longer can rely on diet and exercise to ensure our youngest, healthiest selves. This is where I advise my patients to turn to vitamin supplementation and simple ways to #biohackthebody. Below are some of my favorite supplements that are all designed to enhance nerve function, reduce inflammation and combat free radicals before they damage our peripheral nerves and fascial network. Supplement #1 \u2013 Wild Blueberry Extract\u00a0 You may have heard that blueberries are brain food. \u00a0What makes blueberries so beneficial is that they are packed with polyphenols or compounds unique to plants. Polyphenols which can also be found in coffee, dark chocolate and spices carry some of the strongest anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A 2004 study by Youdim et al. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":21307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[139],"class_list":["post-21305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-mfn","tag-nutrition"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}