Byron Richards addressed a question: What to do about Ringing in left ear
If this is not due to prior damage from a loud concert etc. or ear trauma then it could be a lymphatic problem because the ringing is in one ear only and on the left side.
This is related to the digestive tract.
Get the gut healthy – probiotics are key. It could be a Candida problem. Try oregano oil, Candida Helper from Wellness Resources and Immune Plus.
The Real Food Revivalist!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Dry Eyes & Omega 3
Omega 3 And Dry Eyes
Source of articleRecent research indicates that increasing your omega 3 intake can help to reduce dry eye symptoms, whereas a diet rich in omega 6 increases dry eye symptoms.
Unfortunately, western diets are overloaded with omega 6 fatty acids (from vegetable oils and animal fats) and lack in healthy omega 3's from cold water fish, nuts, flaxseeds and other sources.
This increases the risk of developing dry eye.
Currently, about 8 million U.S. residents have dry eye symptoms, most of them women.
Studies, conducted by Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Schepens Eye Research Institute (SERI) in Boston clearly suggest the positive effects of omega 3 fatty acids towards relieving dry eye symptoms:
A group of women were tested who consumed at least five servings of tuna weekly - the results showed a very impressive reduction of dry eye symptoms by a factor of 68%, compared to a second group of women who had only one serving of tuna a week.
Other studies however showed that women who consumed proportionately higher amounts of omega 6 fatty acids were more likely to experience increased symptoms of dry eye.
About 37,000 women participated in the study on the relationship between dry eye symptoms and fatty acids.
Other studies also showed positive results in reducing dry eye, when flaxseed oil was added to the diet. As mentioned above, flaxseed oil is one of the richest sources of omega 3. Best results were obtained, when flaxseed oil was combined with fish oil. Make sure to use the freshest possible sources of flaxseed oil to get optimal results.
---------------------------------------
Byron Richards, Wellness Resources, also suggests that your dry eyes may indicate a problem with not having enough muco proteins. Usually this points to a problem with digestion. The digestive system has dibs on muco proteins. If you have digestive problems, your body takes glyco proteins from your eyes, lips etc. Fix the GI tract and you'll fix a host of problems.
Fatty Foods Cause Cocaine-Like Addiction
By Sarah Klein, Health.com
March 28, 2010 2:42 p.m. EDT
(Health.com) -- Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for years:
Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive.
A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin.
When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found.
Doing drugs such as cocaine and eating too much junk food both gradually overload the so-called pleasure centers in the brain, according to Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular therapeutics at the Scripps Research Institute, in Jupiter, Florida.
Eventually the pleasure centers "crash," and achieving the same pleasure--or even just feeling normal--requires increasing amounts of the drug or food, says Kenny, the lead author of the study.
"People know intuitively that there's more to [overeating] than just willpower," he says. "There's a system in the brain that's been turned on or over-activated, and that's driving [overeating] at some subconscious level."
"People know intuitively that there's more to [overeating] than just willpower," he says. "There's a system in the brain that's been turned on or over-activated, and that's driving [overeating] at some subconscious level."
In the study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Kenny and his co-author studied three groups of lab rats for 40 days. One of the groups was fed regular rat food. A second was fed bacon, sausage, cheesecake, frosting, and other fattening, high-calorie foods--but only for one hour each day. The third group was allowed to pig out on the unhealthy foods for up to 23 hours a day.
Not surprisingly, the rats that gorged themselves on the human food quickly became obese. But their brains also changed. By monitoring implanted brain electrodes, the researchers found that the rats in the third group gradually developed a tolerance to the pleasure the food gave them and had to eat more to experience a high.
They began to eat compulsively, to the point where they continued to do so in the face of pain. When the researchers applied an electric shock to the rats' feet in the presence of the food, the rats in the first two groups were frightened away from eating. But the obese rats were not. "Their attention was solely focused on consuming food," says Kenny.
In previous studies, rats have exhibited similar brain changes when given unlimited access to cocaine or heroin. And rats have similarly ignored punishment to continue consuming cocaine, the researchers note.
The fact that junk food could provoke this response isn't entirely surprising, says Dr.Gene-Jack Wang, M.D., the chair of the medical department at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, in Upton, New York.
"We make our food very similar to cocaine now," he says.
In previous studies, rats have exhibited similar brain changes when given unlimited access to cocaine or heroin. And rats have similarly ignored punishment to continue consuming cocaine, the researchers note.
The fact that junk food could provoke this response isn't entirely surprising, says Dr.Gene-Jack Wang, M.D., the chair of the medical department at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, in Upton, New York.
"We make our food very similar to cocaine now," he says.
Coca leaves have been used since ancient times, he points out, but people learned to purify or alter cocaine to deliver it more efficiently to their brains (by injecting or smoking it, for instance). This made the drug more addictive.
According to Wang, food has evolved in a similar way. "We purify our food," he says. "Our ancestors ate whole grains, but we're eating white bread. American Indians ate corn; we eat corn syrup."
The ingredients in purified modern food cause people to "eat unconsciously and unnecessarily," and will also prompt an animal to "eat like a drug abuser [uses drugs]," says Wang.
The neurotransmitter dopamine appears to be responsible for the behavior of the overeating rats, according to the study. Dopamine is involved in the brain's pleasure (or reward) centers, and it also plays a role in reinforcing behavior. "It tells the brain something has happened and you should learn from what just happened," says Kenny.
Overeating caused the levels of a certain dopamine receptor in the brains of the obese rats to drop, the study found. In humans, low levels of the same receptors have been associated with drug addiction and obesity, and may be genetic, Kenny says.
However, that doesn't mean that everyone born with lower dopamine receptor levels is destined to become an addict or to overeat. As Wang points out, environmental factors, and not just genes, are involved in both behaviors.
Wang also cautions that applying the results of animal studies to humans can be tricky. For instance, he says, in studies of weight-loss drugs, rats have lost as much as 30 percent of their weight, but humans on the same drug have lost less than 5 percent of their weight. "You can't mimic completely human behavior, but [animal studies] can give you a clue about what can happen in humans," Wang says.
Although he acknowledges that his research may not directly translate to humans, Kenny says the findings shed light on the brain mechanisms that drive overeating and could even lead to new treatments for obesity.
"If we could develop therapeutics for drug addiction, those same drugs may be good for obesity as well," he says.
Copyright Health Magazine 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Research: Selenium cuts cancer death rate 50%
Richard Passwater, phD Researcher
200 micrograms of Selenium yeast cuts rate of death from cancer by 50%.
Read the articles here
from his website, www.drpasswater.com
Cancer Prevention
Dr. Passwater’s research with selenium as a cancer preventative began more than four decades ago, and over the decades, thousands of mechanistic studies, hundreds of animal studies, dozens of epidemiological (population) studies, and at least three published clinical supplementation trials have verified his findings.
On December 25, 1996, Dr. Larry Clark and his colleagues published their large, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 1996; 276:1957-1963).
That is cancer mortality was reduced 50 percent (p=0.002).
Lung cancer deaths were reduced 53% (p=0.03)
Total cancer incidence was reduced 37 percent (p=0.001) and the total carcinoma incidence was reduced 45%.
In addition, the three leading sites of cancer had significantly lower incidence; lung cancer incidence was reduced 46 percent (p=0.04), prostate cancer incidence was reduced 63 percent (p=0.002) and colon cancer incidence was reduced 58 percent (p=0.03).
There was a 17% reduction in all cause mortality (p=0.14), which when adjusted for sex, current smoking and age yielded a 21% reduction in deaths from all causes (p=0.07).
Throughout all of the mechanistic, animal and clinical studies of selenium it has been observed that not only is the incidence reduced, but also the severity and death rate have been even more greatly reduced suggesting that tumors are being destroyed, not just prevented. At the very least, the progress is delayed.
200 micrograms of Selenium yeast cuts rate of death from cancer by 50%.
Read the articles here
from his website, www.drpasswater.com
Cancer Prevention
Dr. Passwater’s research with selenium as a cancer preventative began more than four decades ago, and over the decades, thousands of mechanistic studies, hundreds of animal studies, dozens of epidemiological (population) studies, and at least three published clinical supplementation trials have verified his findings.
On December 25, 1996, Dr. Larry Clark and his colleagues published their large, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 1996; 276:1957-1963).
This landmark research effort showed that daily supplementation of diets with 200 micrograms of selenium yeast cut the cancer death rate in half.
That is cancer mortality was reduced 50 percent (p=0.002).
Lung cancer deaths were reduced 53% (p=0.03)
Total cancer incidence was reduced 37 percent (p=0.001) and the total carcinoma incidence was reduced 45%.
In addition, the three leading sites of cancer had significantly lower incidence; lung cancer incidence was reduced 46 percent (p=0.04), prostate cancer incidence was reduced 63 percent (p=0.002) and colon cancer incidence was reduced 58 percent (p=0.03).
There was a 17% reduction in all cause mortality (p=0.14), which when adjusted for sex, current smoking and age yielded a 21% reduction in deaths from all causes (p=0.07).
Throughout all of the mechanistic, animal and clinical studies of selenium it has been observed that not only is the incidence reduced, but also the severity and death rate have been even more greatly reduced suggesting that tumors are being destroyed, not just prevented. At the very least, the progress is delayed.
Processed Food Linked to Depression
by David Gutierrez, staff writer (NaturalNews)
People who eat more processed foods are significantly more likely to suffer from depression, while those who eat more fruits and vegetables are significantly less likely to be depressed,
according to a study conducted by researchers from University College London and published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
"This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health," said Andrew McCulloch of the Mental Health Foundation.
"The U.K. population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars. We are particularly concerned about those who cannot access fresh produce easily or live in areas where there are a high number of fast food restaurants and takeaways."
Researchers collected diet and lifestyle data on 3,500 middle-aged civil servants, then ranked them according to two different measures: how much of their diet was composed of whole foods, and how much was composed of processed foods.
Whole foods included fruits and vegetables, while processed foods included high-fat dairy, processed meats, refined grains, fried food and sweetened desserts.
After adjusting for other depression risk factors such as age, education, gender, physical activity and smoking, the researchers found that
- those who consumed the most processed foods were 58 percent more likely to suffer from depression five years later than those who ate the least. Similarly,
- those who ate the most whole foods were 26 percent less likely to suffer from depression in five years than those who ate the least.
Because the study was based on correlation, the researchers could not prove that poor diet was actually a cause of depression rather than the other way around. However, the researchers found no association between a history of depression and a poor diet.
"Physical and mental health are closely related, so we should not be too surprised by these results, but we hope there will be further research which may help us to understand more fully the relationship between diet and mental health," said Margaret Edwards of the mental health nonprofit SANE.
Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.
Stop The Vitamin K Shot for Babies
The Dark Side of the Routine Newborn Vitamin K Shot
By Dr. Mercola
Full article
It has been standard practice in the U.S., and most western countries, since 1944 to welcome babies into the world by subjecting them to a variety of medical interventions, one of which is a painful jab with a syringe full of vitamin K.
This injection is routinely done to almost all newborns, unless you, as a parent, refuse to consent.
Birth is an overwhelming sensory experience for your baby. He has never before experienced cold or hunger, been blinded by artificial lights, or felt the touch of hands or metal instruments, paper or cloth. Even gravity is a foreign sensation.
A needle stick is a terrible assault to their suddenly overloaded sensory system, which is trying to adjust to the outside world.
Is this injection really in your baby’s best interest? Is vitamin K really necessary immediately after birth?
Or is there a more compassionate alternative?
Vitamin K Shots are Completely Unnecessary for Your Newborn!
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the foremost expert in the world on vitamin K, Dr. Cees Vermeer, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Maastricht (in The Netherlands), I am thrilled to be able to share with you some of the latest information about vitamin K that he shared with me.
The rest of the interview is scheduled to run later this year but this information was so vital and of public health priority that I had to share it with you now.
The great news:
Vitamin K shots are completely unnecessary for your newborn.
While this painful injection is inappropriate for reasons I will cover in detail, vitamin K is necessary. But there are other safer and non invasive ways to normalize your baby’s vitamin K levels that don’t have such damaging effects.
Why is this Shot Given in the First Place?
Vitamin K is necessary for normal blood clotting in adults and children. Some babies (in fact, most of them) are born with insufficient vitamin K levels.
In some newborns, this deficiency can lead to a serious bleeding disorder, typically in the first week of life, called Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn (HDN). Internal bleeding occurs in the brain and other organs, leading to serious injury or even death.
While this disease is rare (incidence of 0.25 percent to 1.7 percent[i] ),it is has been standard practice to give injections of vitamin K as a preventative measure, whether or not risk factors are present.
Your newborn can be at increased risk for Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn if he or she has any of the following:
Preterm delivery
Low birth weight
A forceps or vacuum extraction delivery
Mother’s use of antibiotics, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, and some other medications during pregnancy
Undetected liver disease
Extremely fast, or extremely prolonged labor, particularly during the pushing phase
Delivery by C-section
Unfortunately, the current standard of care regarding Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn and vitamin K was put into practice without adequate research to determine what was best for the newborns. These shotgun approaches were certainly convenient for the physicians but lacked any sort of consideration of side effects for the baby.
Increased rates of circumcision immediately after birth, before infants can develop their vitamin K levels naturally, has undoubtedly contributed to making vitamin K injections routine, to lower the risk for increased bleeding from these early circumcisions.
As pointed out by one Mercola reader,
it is interesting to note that a newborn’s natural prothrombin levels reach normal levels between days 5 and 7, peaking around the eighth day of life, related to the buildup of bacteria in the baby’s digestive tract to produce the vitamin K that is necessary to form this clotting factor.
Day 8 is said to be the only time in a baby’s life when his prothrombin level will naturally exceed 100 percent of normal.
As it turns out, Genesis 17:12 of the Bible mandates the circumcision of infant boys on the eighth day after birth—a recommendation pronounced long before we had the science to back it up.
Read more
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Meal Size Has Increased 70% in Last 1000 years
Last Supper study shows portion size history
By Jess Halliday, 24-Mar-2010
Nutra Ingredients-USA reports:
A new study by an obesity expert and a religious studies professor has found evidence that meal sizes have increased by almost 70 per cent in the last 1000 years – by analysing paintings of the Last Supper.
The final meal shared between Jesus and his 12 apostles, as recounted in the New Testament, has a favourite subject for artists through the ages, with the tables spread with victuals the 13 were supposed to have eaten.
Brothers Brian and Craig Wansink, the former a professor and director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and the latter professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College, decided to combine their expertise in a piece of research that studied the portion sizes represented by artists.
They wanted to find out when the trend towards larger portions began. “If art imitates life and if food portions have been generally increasing with time, we might expect this trend to be reflected in paintings that depict food,” they wrote in a study accepted for publication in the International Journal of Obesity.
Wansink and Wansink looked at 52 of the best-known Last Supper paintings dating back over 1000 years. They indexed the size of the food portions by comparing them to the sizes of the average apostle’s head.
They found a startling linear increase in the quantities of food shown over the least millennium. Overall, main courses increased in size by 69 per cent, plate size by 66 per cent, and bread size by 23 per cent.
Too much?
Attention to portion size is flagged as an important strategy in the fight against obesity, but the artists’ ideas of what constitutes a hearty meal could indicate that sizes have crept up over time – rather than leapt up in recent decades.
"I think people assume that increased serving sizes, or 'portion distortion,’ is a recent phenomenon," said Brian Wansink. "But this research indicates that it's a general trend for at least the last millennium."
It is not clear at what point in history the meals served would have been deemed optimal by today’s nutritional standards, or how the portion depictions link to historical events that may have affected food supply in the artists’ locality.
Source
International Journal of Obesity, online ahead of printDoi: 10.1038/ijo.2010.37The largest Last Supper: depictions of food portions and plate size increased over the millenniumAuthors: B Wansink, C Wansink
Vitamin D Beneficial for Heart Disease
vitamindcouncil@vitamindcouncil.org
Dr. Wang concluded, “To date, evidence from prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials suggests that vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses may have beneficial effects on reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease.”
“Lower vitamin D status seems to be associated with increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but we do not yet know whether vitamin D supplements will affect clinical outcomes.”
Dr. Anastassios Pittas and colleagues from Tufts University reviewed 106 articles and combined the 32 quality studies, a meta-analysis, looking at “cardiometabolic” outcomes such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Pittas AG, et al. Systematic review: Vitamin D and cardiometabolic outcomes. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Mar 2;152(5):307-14.
Annals of Internal Medicine review, by Dr. Lu Wang and colleagues at Harvard
looked at studies of vitamin D supplementation and found two randomized placebo controlled trials to combine. … the closer you live to the equator, the less cardiovascular disease.
Wang L, et al. Systematic review: Vitamin D and calcium supplementation in prevention of cardiovascular events. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Mar 2;152(5):315-23.
Dr. Wang concluded, “To date, evidence from prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials suggests that vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses may have beneficial effects on reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease.”
Dr. Brent Muhlestein, director of cardiovascular research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah
The Utah group studied 31,000 patients over one year and found those with the lowest vitamin D levels had a 170-per-cent greater risk of heart attacks than those with the highest levels. Those with the lowest vitamin D levels also had an 80% greater risk of death, a 54% higher risk of diabetes, a 40% higher risk of coronary artery disease, a 72% higher risk of kidney failure and a 26% higher risk of depression.
Mittelstaedt, M., Vitamin D may slash risk of heart-disease risk. Globe and Mail, 3/15/2010
In order to prove that it was the vitamin D, and not a confounder (confusing fact), Dr. Muhlestein took 9,400 patients and gave them vitamin D, finding a 30% reduced risk of death. He did not think it was ethical to withhold vitamin D in a placebo control group, in order to do a randomized controlled trial.
This Utah study is unique in that these remarkable results were obtained in only one year – not the usual ten years - so the initial 25(OH)D blood test probably represented an accurate picture of vitamin D health. Dr. Muhlestein is not waiting for further studies, saying, “My recommendation to all my patients, and certainly I did it for myself, is to get your vitamin D checked and if you’re very low or even a little bit low, start taking supplementation and then get it rechecked.”
My recommendation is if you have cardiovascular disease – and even if you don’t – take at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) per day and be sure to have your blood tested periodically for 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. (You may not need any vitamin D in the summer.) Since you already have a fatal disease, and cardiovascular disease is a fatal disease, maintain your 25(OH)D levels
in the high normal range, 70-100 ng/ml, not the mid-normal range, 50-70 ng/ml, you want if you are healthy.
Remember to obtain a copy of your 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] blood test report to guarantee your doctor ordered the correct test. Too many doctors are still ordering the wrong test, a1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D, thinking they are checking for vitamin D deficiency, when they are doing nothing but falsely reassuring you and wasting your money. Get an actual copy of your lab report and be sure it says 25-hydroxy-vitamin D or 25(OH)D.
Also, remember that vitamin D needs numerous co-factors to work in the body.
The ones you have to worry about are magnesium, zinc, boron and vitamin K because many people are deficient in these four nutrients. You can get these by simply eating a handful of seeds and nuts every day, while being careful to eat green leafy vegetables once a day.
…..
This is a good time to say that vitamin D sufficient adults need about 1,000 mg of calcium a day from all sources, including diet and supplements and even that recommendation is based largely on studying vitamin D deficient people. In my opinion, no vitamin D sufficient person should be taking 1,000 mg of calcium/day in supplements, unless they get zero from their diet, pretty difficult to do.
NIH: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium
Diagnosis & Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency Seminar
Dr. Wang concluded, “To date, evidence from prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials suggests that vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses may have beneficial effects on reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease.”
“Lower vitamin D status seems to be associated with increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but we do not yet know whether vitamin D supplements will affect clinical outcomes.”
Dr. Anastassios Pittas and colleagues from Tufts University reviewed 106 articles and combined the 32 quality studies, a meta-analysis, looking at “cardiometabolic” outcomes such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Pittas AG, et al. Systematic review: Vitamin D and cardiometabolic outcomes. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Mar 2;152(5):307-14.
Annals of Internal Medicine review, by Dr. Lu Wang and colleagues at Harvard
looked at studies of vitamin D supplementation and found two randomized placebo controlled trials to combine. … the closer you live to the equator, the less cardiovascular disease.
Wang L, et al. Systematic review: Vitamin D and calcium supplementation in prevention of cardiovascular events. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Mar 2;152(5):315-23.
Dr. Wang concluded, “To date, evidence from prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials suggests that vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses may have beneficial effects on reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease.”
Dr. Brent Muhlestein, director of cardiovascular research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah
The Utah group studied 31,000 patients over one year and found those with the lowest vitamin D levels had a 170-per-cent greater risk of heart attacks than those with the highest levels. Those with the lowest vitamin D levels also had an 80% greater risk of death, a 54% higher risk of diabetes, a 40% higher risk of coronary artery disease, a 72% higher risk of kidney failure and a 26% higher risk of depression.
Mittelstaedt, M., Vitamin D may slash risk of heart-disease risk. Globe and Mail, 3/15/2010
In order to prove that it was the vitamin D, and not a confounder (confusing fact), Dr. Muhlestein took 9,400 patients and gave them vitamin D, finding a 30% reduced risk of death. He did not think it was ethical to withhold vitamin D in a placebo control group, in order to do a randomized controlled trial.
This Utah study is unique in that these remarkable results were obtained in only one year – not the usual ten years - so the initial 25(OH)D blood test probably represented an accurate picture of vitamin D health. Dr. Muhlestein is not waiting for further studies, saying, “My recommendation to all my patients, and certainly I did it for myself, is to get your vitamin D checked and if you’re very low or even a little bit low, start taking supplementation and then get it rechecked.”
My recommendation is if you have cardiovascular disease – and even if you don’t – take at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) per day and be sure to have your blood tested periodically for 25-hydroxy-vitamin D. (You may not need any vitamin D in the summer.) Since you already have a fatal disease, and cardiovascular disease is a fatal disease, maintain your 25(OH)D levels
in the high normal range, 70-100 ng/ml, not the mid-normal range, 50-70 ng/ml, you want if you are healthy.
Remember to obtain a copy of your 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] blood test report to guarantee your doctor ordered the correct test. Too many doctors are still ordering the wrong test, a1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D, thinking they are checking for vitamin D deficiency, when they are doing nothing but falsely reassuring you and wasting your money. Get an actual copy of your lab report and be sure it says 25-hydroxy-vitamin D or 25(OH)D.
Also, remember that vitamin D needs numerous co-factors to work in the body.
The ones you have to worry about are magnesium, zinc, boron and vitamin K because many people are deficient in these four nutrients. You can get these by simply eating a handful of seeds and nuts every day, while being careful to eat green leafy vegetables once a day.
…..
This is a good time to say that vitamin D sufficient adults need about 1,000 mg of calcium a day from all sources, including diet and supplements and even that recommendation is based largely on studying vitamin D deficient people. In my opinion, no vitamin D sufficient person should be taking 1,000 mg of calcium/day in supplements, unless they get zero from their diet, pretty difficult to do.
NIH: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium
Diagnosis & Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency Seminar
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sara Lee: Deceptive Misleading "Ecograin"
Sara Lee's claims on Eco-Grain raise ire of critics
Read more: By BARRY SHLACHTER, Star Telegram
Sara Lee's EarthGrains brand has launched an "environmentally friendly" line of bread with a marketing blitz that describes itself as a "plot to save the earth, one field at a time."
But not everyone buys Sara Lee's green credentials.
Sara Lee's EarthGrains brand has launched an "environmentally friendly" line of bread with a marketing blitz that describes itself as a "plot to save the earth, one field at a time."
But not everyone buys Sara Lee's green credentials.
It's triggered a furor by critics who cite a claim by Sara Lee on its Web site -- since deleted -- that some wheat in its new EarthGrains Eco-Grains bread is more sustainably grown than organic wheat. It also alleged that organic farming "destroyed undeveloped land."
While the nation's second-biggest baker is busy clarifying its position, an organic watchdog group named the Cornucopia Institute blasted Sara Lee for "advertising malpractice" and "greenwashing" -- using questionable environmental claims to promote products.
Climate Counts, another watchdog group that fights global warming, says Sara Lee ties for last among 11 major food manufacturers rated on green practices. That's despite some improvements after paying a record $5.25 million settlement in 2003 because 57 of its 67 EarthGrains plants leaked ozone-depleting chemicals, said Wood Turner, the group's executive director.
EarthGrains plants in Dallas and Carrollton were among those cited by the Environmental Protection Agency. Read more
*******************************************
Cornucopia.org compares Organic Bread to Sara Lee's Bread with their made up "Ecograin" in the Earthgrains bread.
***************************
Mike Adams, Editor Of naturalNews.com
Natural News reported on February 22, 2010
Demand for Sara Lee to halt the deceptive advertising
The Cornucopia Institute has written to the CEOs of both Sara Lee and NPR requesting that the "misleading and unethical" packaging and advertising campaign, and associated advertising and underwriting, be immediately suspended while the corporations investigate their propriety.
In addition to the organic prohibition against chemical fertilizers, federal regulations also prohibit organic farmers from using toxic pesticides that are commonly applied to conventional wheat fields, including those growing "Eco-Grain."
One such pesticide typically used in conventional wheat production is 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), which EPA researchers have correlated with numerous birth defects of the respiratory and circulatory systems, as well as defects like clubfoot, fused digits and extra digits.
Other research has linked the use of toxic pesticides on wheat fields to increased cancer mortality rates.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sugar Changes Genes for 2 Weeks
Bad Eating Habits Can Alter Your DNA
By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D.
- Posted on Fri, Aug 07, 2009, 4:30 am PDT
Eating a single chocolate bar might cause harmful genetic changes or mutations that could have serious effects on your DNA, changes that could last for up to a couple of weeks.
That's according to a recent Australian study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, which reported that human genes actually remember a "sugar hit" for weeks.
Not only that, but according to the researchers, chronically poor eating habits were shown to permanently alter a person's DNA.
The aim of the study was to examine the impact of diet on human heart tissue and mice.
Results:
A "one-off sugar hit" affected cells by switching off genetic controls, for up to 2 weeks, that are designed to protect the body against diabetes and disease.
The lead researcher, Sam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, told the Australian Associated Press that these harmful genetic changes or mutations could linger in the cells, perhaps having the capability of altering natural metabolic responses to diet.
He also stated that chronic "poor eating would amplify the effect, with genetic damage lasting months or years, potentially passing through bloodlines ... to one's children."
What are some possible take-aways from this kind of nutritional genomics research?
Nutritional Genomics is an exciting new field that I believe will become a household name over the next few years.
___________________________________________________________
Source: Tehran Times
Genes remember sugar hit: Australian research
SYDNEY (AFP) --
Human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks, with prolonged poor eating habits capable of permanently altering DNA, Australian research has found.
A team studying the impact of diet on human heart tissue and mice found that cells showed the effects of a one-off sugar hit for a fortnight, by switching off genetic controls designed to protect the body against diabetes and heart disease.
"We now know that chocolate bar you had this morning can have very acute effects, and those effects can continue for up to two weeks," said lead researcher Sam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
"These changes continue beyond the meal itself and have the ability to alter natural metabolic responses to diet," he told Australian Associated Press Friday.
Regular poor eating would amplify the effect, said El-Osta, with genetic damage lasting months or years, and potentially passing through bloodlines.
The study's findings were reported in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D.
- Posted on Fri, Aug 07, 2009, 4:30 am PDT
Eating a single chocolate bar might cause harmful genetic changes or mutations that could have serious effects on your DNA, changes that could last for up to a couple of weeks.
That's according to a recent Australian study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, which reported that human genes actually remember a "sugar hit" for weeks.
Not only that, but according to the researchers, chronically poor eating habits were shown to permanently alter a person's DNA.
The aim of the study was to examine the impact of diet on human heart tissue and mice.
Results:
A "one-off sugar hit" affected cells by switching off genetic controls, for up to 2 weeks, that are designed to protect the body against diabetes and disease.
The lead researcher, Sam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, told the Australian Associated Press that these harmful genetic changes or mutations could linger in the cells, perhaps having the capability of altering natural metabolic responses to diet.
He also stated that chronic "poor eating would amplify the effect, with genetic damage lasting months or years, potentially passing through bloodlines ... to one's children."
What are some possible take-aways from this kind of nutritional genomics research?
Nutritional Genomics is an exciting new field that I believe will become a household name over the next few years.
___________________________________________________________
Source: Tehran Times
Genes remember sugar hit: Australian research
SYDNEY (AFP) --
Human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks, with prolonged poor eating habits capable of permanently altering DNA, Australian research has found.
A team studying the impact of diet on human heart tissue and mice found that cells showed the effects of a one-off sugar hit for a fortnight, by switching off genetic controls designed to protect the body against diabetes and heart disease.
"We now know that chocolate bar you had this morning can have very acute effects, and those effects can continue for up to two weeks," said lead researcher Sam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
"These changes continue beyond the meal itself and have the ability to alter natural metabolic responses to diet," he told Australian Associated Press Friday.
Regular poor eating would amplify the effect, said El-Osta, with genetic damage lasting months or years, and potentially passing through bloodlines.
The study's findings were reported in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Monday, March 22, 2010
How to Get off Nexium and Acid Blockers
How to get off Nexium and Acid blockers:
Take probiotics and clean up your diet.
From Suzy Cohen, R.PH. book, The 24-Hour Pharmacist
"The answer to healing your gut once and for all isn't found at your pharmacy--it's in your fridge."
Here's what she recommends (read the book to get the background info!)
Replenish your friendly bacteria with probiotics (I use Digestaguard from Perque.com).
Look for products that contain at least 5 billion organisms and at least lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium.
Suzy says that acid blockers make it harder for you to maintain healthy levels of folic acid, vitamin b12, vitamin D, and minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc.
So if you have been on these acid blockers awhile you will want to supplement the b vitamins, Calcium (as calcium citrate 600 mg/day), Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol, 2,000 mg/day), Zinc, and Iron.
Take probiotics and clean up your diet.
From Suzy Cohen, R.PH. book, The 24-Hour Pharmacist
"The answer to healing your gut once and for all isn't found at your pharmacy--it's in your fridge."
Here's what she recommends (read the book to get the background info!)
Replenish your friendly bacteria with probiotics (I use Digestaguard from Perque.com).
Look for products that contain at least 5 billion organisms and at least lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium.
Suzy says that acid blockers make it harder for you to maintain healthy levels of folic acid, vitamin b12, vitamin D, and minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc.
So if you have been on these acid blockers awhile you will want to supplement the b vitamins, Calcium (as calcium citrate 600 mg/day), Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol, 2,000 mg/day), Zinc, and Iron.
Do This Home Test & Learn Your Health Status!
The MOST IMPORTANT TEST a person can do to determine health status! The urine pH.
(to receive my e-newsletter please visit Get Better Wellness and sign up!)
Here's how it works.
Buy pH test strips at the health food store or on-line.
After at least 6 hours of sleep without (eating or peeing!) measure your "first
morning pH" by peeing on the test strip and comparing it to the chart that comes
in the box.
Write the pH number down and check for a week or two to determine an average.
[1]Tracking chart
The goal is to be 6.5 to 7.5.
Less than 6.5 means there is work to do with your diet or you are opening the
door to possible disease down the road.
More detailed directions can be found [2]here.
To raise your pH eat more alkalinizing foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds,
nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil,Real unprocessed Sea Salt, etc.
And greatly reduce the acid-forming foods like meat, dairy, corn, "supermarket
Omega 6 oils" (such as Canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soy oil),
regular table salt, breads, bagels, crackers, sugar, beer, wine, coffee, black
tea.
[3]Acid Alkaline Food Chart
Keep Learning --- Keep Reading --- Keep Improving Your Health!!
55- page Free e-book with lots of information about pH testing, how to eat the
Alkaline Way and recipes.
[4]The Joy of Food: The Alkaline Way Guide
Magnesium!!
Most of US population is deficient in magnesium. (Do you have cramps in your
legs at night, eye twitches? Are you stressed? Drink coffee, alcohol, soda?
Heart problems, muscle pain/strain? Eat processed foods?)
You are probably among the 80% of Americans that are deficient in Magnesium.
Typical supplements are in the oxide or chloride forms which are difficult to
absorb.
Read the labels and look for the best forms:
magnesium glycinate,
magnesium ascorbate, magnesium citrate, and magnesium stearate.
Supplements:
Perque Products are pharmaceutical grade supplements - absorbable, high quality!
Can't find them? Email me. [5]erin@getbetterwellness.com
[6]Visit the Website
[7]View the Blog
----Hundreds of health articles in searchable database!
Erin Chamerlik, Nutrition Coach erin@getbetterwellness.com
References
1. http://www.radiomartie.com/articles/PQ_pHLeveltracking.pdf
2. http://www.radiomartie.com/articles/Significance_of_Your_%20First_Morning_Urine_pH_and_Its_Proper_Measurement.pdf%20
3. http://www.radiomartie.com/articles/pH_chart_color.pdf
4. http://www.elisaact.com/pdfs/EAB_AlkalineWay.pdf%20
5. mailto:erin@getbetterwellness.com
6. http://www.getbetterwellness.com/
7. http://www.ChooseToTransform.blogspot.com/
(to receive my e-newsletter please visit Get Better Wellness and sign up!)
Here's how it works.
Buy pH test strips at the health food store or on-line.
After at least 6 hours of sleep without (eating or peeing!) measure your "first
morning pH" by peeing on the test strip and comparing it to the chart that comes
in the box.
Write the pH number down and check for a week or two to determine an average.
[1]Tracking chart
The goal is to be 6.5 to 7.5.
Less than 6.5 means there is work to do with your diet or you are opening the
door to possible disease down the road.
More detailed directions can be found [2]here.
To raise your pH eat more alkalinizing foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds,
nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil,Real unprocessed Sea Salt, etc.
And greatly reduce the acid-forming foods like meat, dairy, corn, "supermarket
Omega 6 oils" (such as Canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soy oil),
regular table salt, breads, bagels, crackers, sugar, beer, wine, coffee, black
tea.
[3]Acid Alkaline Food Chart
Keep Learning --- Keep Reading --- Keep Improving Your Health!!
55- page Free e-book with lots of information about pH testing, how to eat the
Alkaline Way and recipes.
[4]The Joy of Food: The Alkaline Way Guide
Magnesium!!
Most of US population is deficient in magnesium. (Do you have cramps in your
legs at night, eye twitches? Are you stressed? Drink coffee, alcohol, soda?
Heart problems, muscle pain/strain? Eat processed foods?)
You are probably among the 80% of Americans that are deficient in Magnesium.
Typical supplements are in the oxide or chloride forms which are difficult to
absorb.
Read the labels and look for the best forms:
magnesium glycinate,
magnesium ascorbate, magnesium citrate, and magnesium stearate.
Supplements:
Perque Products are pharmaceutical grade supplements - absorbable, high quality!
Can't find them? Email me. [5]erin@getbetterwellness.com
[6]Visit the Website
[7]View the Blog
----Hundreds of health articles in searchable database!
Erin Chamerlik, Nutrition Coach erin@getbetterwellness.com
References
1. http://www.radiomartie.com/articles/PQ_pHLeveltracking.pdf
2. http://www.radiomartie.com/articles/Significance_of_Your_%20First_Morning_Urine_pH_and_Its_Proper_Measurement.pdf%20
3. http://www.radiomartie.com/articles/pH_chart_color.pdf
4. http://www.elisaact.com/pdfs/EAB_AlkalineWay.pdf%20
5. mailto:erin@getbetterwellness.com
6. http://www.getbetterwellness.com/
7. http://www.ChooseToTransform.blogspot.com/
Healthcare Bill Passes
Bloody Sunday, 2010: House OKs health bill
World Net Daily
GOP: 'This is not about uninsured; it is about socialized medicine'
…..Republicans in Congress, however, who voted in a solid block to oppose the measure that many argue grants the federal government far too much power at far too much of a cost, blasted the bill during the debate as the "mother of all unfunded mandates."
"The American people know you can't reduce health-care costs by spending $1 trillion or raising taxes by more than one-half trillion dollars. The American people know that you cannot cut Medicare by over one-half trillion dollars without hurting seniors," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. "And, the American people know that you can't create an entirely new government entitlement program without exploding spending and the deficit." ….
"This debate is not about the uninsured; it's about socialized medicine," argued Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., on the House floor. "Your multi-trillion-dollar health-care bill continues the Soviets' failed Soviet socialist experiment. It gives the federal government absolute control over health care in America. … Today Democrats in this House will finally lay the cornerstone of their socialist utopia on the backs of the American people."
"From a pro-life prospective, I find absolutely no comfort in this executive order," added Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa. "This puts the fate of the unborn in the hands of the most pro-abortion president in history."
Full article
World Net Daily
GOP: 'This is not about uninsured; it is about socialized medicine'
…..Republicans in Congress, however, who voted in a solid block to oppose the measure that many argue grants the federal government far too much power at far too much of a cost, blasted the bill during the debate as the "mother of all unfunded mandates."
"The American people know you can't reduce health-care costs by spending $1 trillion or raising taxes by more than one-half trillion dollars. The American people know that you cannot cut Medicare by over one-half trillion dollars without hurting seniors," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. "And, the American people know that you can't create an entirely new government entitlement program without exploding spending and the deficit." ….
"This debate is not about the uninsured; it's about socialized medicine," argued Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., on the House floor. "Your multi-trillion-dollar health-care bill continues the Soviets' failed Soviet socialist experiment. It gives the federal government absolute control over health care in America. … Today Democrats in this House will finally lay the cornerstone of their socialist utopia on the backs of the American people."
"From a pro-life prospective, I find absolutely no comfort in this executive order," added Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa. "This puts the fate of the unborn in the hands of the most pro-abortion president in history."
Full article
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Baskin Robbins
Hate to ruin the party,
but that Baskin robbins Mint Oreo shake you're drinking...
215 grams of sugar. YIKES! That is 54 teaspoons of sugar!!!
MORE than a cup of sugar in one shake - disgusting!
The ingredient list must be seen to be appreciated:
http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Nutrition/product.aspx?Category=Beverages&id=BV339c
but that Baskin robbins Mint Oreo shake you're drinking...
215 grams of sugar. YIKES! That is 54 teaspoons of sugar!!!
MORE than a cup of sugar in one shake - disgusting!
The ingredient list must be seen to be appreciated:
http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Nutrition/product.aspx?Category=Beverages&id=BV339c
The Power of One Amazing Habit - lemon water
The Power of One Amazing Habit!
How many times have we vowed to “eat better” or stick to a diet?
Filled with optimism and good intentions we jump with both feet into the deep end of the new plan only to find ourselves missing the mark, feeling defeated and quitting the plan. People can lose weight on most diets, the problem is they are not sustainable for the long haul and often times diets are out of balance and unhealthy.
This is where the Power of One Amazing Habit comes in. What if we chose to change just one tiny thing and didn’t even think about other changes until we had mastered the first tiny change? Yes, our goal is to “eat better” but how about if we eat that elephant one bite at a time? For today, let’s focus on incorporating one new habit into our busy lives. I promise this won’t hurt! Read on….
Daily Lemon Water – One amazing Habit
What to do:
1. Upon rising, drink a glass of pure water.
2. Then, squeeze a fresh, raw lemon into a glass of water and drink it.
3. Rinse your mouth out with more pure water to get the lemon off your teeth and gums (no good for the enamel).
The lemon is unique in many ways. The chemist in me appreciates that the lemon, unlike other foods, has more anions than cations. Say, what? The electrical charge of fresh, raw lemons is unlike any other food – it is similar to the digestive enzymes in our body. Even though a lemon is acidic it has a powerful alkalinizing effect on the body…this is good! Why?
Lemons can relieve many digestive problems:
Nausea, heartburn, bloating, and belching
Constipated? (Most people are! We should have at least 1-2 bowel movements a day; 3 is a bonus!)
• Make sure you are drinking about 2 quarts of water a day.
• Drink one glass of fresh lemon water in the morning.
Lemon water helps to turn on the body’s energy and to cleanse and activate the liver, flushing out toxins. It turns on your liver, warming up the engine, preparing the liver to support the digestive process.
Lemons are great for the immune system. 1 lemon gives you 47% RDA of vitamin C.
¼ cup of fresh lemon juice has just 15 calories.
Drinking lemon juice prevents kidney stones from EVER happening in the first place. (Undissolved calcium forms crystals that end up passing through the kidneys and into the urinary tract- causing pain when one is large enough to get stuck.)
Lemon juice is acidic, that allows the calcium to dissolve in the blood, be absorbed into the digestive tract and therefore be unable to cause kidney stones.
Lemon has a powerful effect on the body’s biochemistry and pH levels.
• It’s an acidic food that makes the body more alkaline.
• Disease doesn’t like to live in an alkaline body, lemons are powerful alkalinizers!
Lemons have vitamins and minerals
• Potassium
• Vitamin C – vital for the immune system. Provides 47% Daily value
• Vitamin B, riboflavin
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
References:
The Juicing Book by Stephen Baluer
Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
1.2 million angioplasty procedures UNnecessary
Old study in the New England Journal of Med that the media did not pick up on
New Heart Stent Study is Controversial to Some,
But Considered Good News for UVa Patients
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (March 28, 2007) - A study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine has challenged the use of angioplasty in non-emergency situations and caused many doctors to reassess how they regularly treat heart disease.
Funded primarily by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the study included 2,287 patients at 50 medical centers in the U.S. and Canada. Its key finding was that many of the 1.2-million angioplasty procedures performed each year are unnecessary. Data indicated that drugs are just as effective in reducing the risk of heart attack and death in patients with stable heart disease.
While some physicians consider the study's findings controversial, Dr. Lawrence W. Gimple, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Virginia Health System, welcomes them. "This study is very good news for our patients and confirms the way our physicians have been practicing for years," he says. "When used appropriately, angioplasty saves lives, prevents heart attacks and makes people feel dramatically better. But, it's not helpful in all cardiac patients."
Angioplasty is a surgical procedure that props open clogged arteries with a tiny wire-mesh tube called a stent. At UVa, angioplasty is routinely performed on patients with unstable heart disease. To be considered unstable, heart disease patients must have increasing, new or changing symptoms, experience a heart attack or suffer from a condition called unstable angina.
"Stents have been proven to be better than medicines in treating unstable heart conditions, and that is when we normally use them," notes Dr. Michael Ragosta, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at UVa.
In treating patients with stable heart disease - mild chest pain in a consistent pattern for about six months - UVa physicians first prescribe medication. According to Dr. Ragosta, "Typically, we only use stents in these patients if drugs don't control their symptoms."
Dr. Gimple says UVa has participated in many landmark studies to determine the optimal use of stents. "Being actively involved in research has placed us on the front line of angioplasty and made us leaders in developing best practices for stenting," he explains. "We are proud to be regional leaders in all aspects of cardiac care."
Currently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of top 50 heart and vascular facilities in the nation, UVa this year is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its cardiac surgery program.
###
New Heart Stent Study is Controversial to Some,
But Considered Good News for UVa Patients
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (March 28, 2007) - A study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine has challenged the use of angioplasty in non-emergency situations and caused many doctors to reassess how they regularly treat heart disease.
Funded primarily by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the study included 2,287 patients at 50 medical centers in the U.S. and Canada. Its key finding was that many of the 1.2-million angioplasty procedures performed each year are unnecessary. Data indicated that drugs are just as effective in reducing the risk of heart attack and death in patients with stable heart disease.
While some physicians consider the study's findings controversial, Dr. Lawrence W. Gimple, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Virginia Health System, welcomes them. "This study is very good news for our patients and confirms the way our physicians have been practicing for years," he says. "When used appropriately, angioplasty saves lives, prevents heart attacks and makes people feel dramatically better. But, it's not helpful in all cardiac patients."
Angioplasty is a surgical procedure that props open clogged arteries with a tiny wire-mesh tube called a stent. At UVa, angioplasty is routinely performed on patients with unstable heart disease. To be considered unstable, heart disease patients must have increasing, new or changing symptoms, experience a heart attack or suffer from a condition called unstable angina.
"Stents have been proven to be better than medicines in treating unstable heart conditions, and that is when we normally use them," notes Dr. Michael Ragosta, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at UVa.
In treating patients with stable heart disease - mild chest pain in a consistent pattern for about six months - UVa physicians first prescribe medication. According to Dr. Ragosta, "Typically, we only use stents in these patients if drugs don't control their symptoms."
Dr. Gimple says UVa has participated in many landmark studies to determine the optimal use of stents. "Being actively involved in research has placed us on the front line of angioplasty and made us leaders in developing best practices for stenting," he explains. "We are proud to be regional leaders in all aspects of cardiac care."
Currently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of top 50 heart and vascular facilities in the nation, UVa this year is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its cardiac surgery program.
###
Monday, March 15, 2010
Reader's Digest Vitamin Article Unbalanced
Christie Aschwanden http://www.masterskier.com/article.asp?aid=181Should we take our vitamin advice from this free lance writer?
In response to the 4-10-10 Reader's Digest article, by Christia Aschwanden (above):
5 vitamin truths and a lie.
Response From Owen Fonorow
Who is Christie Aschwanden (Christie Aschwanden is a freelance writer and editor), and why did Reader's Digest deem it appropriate to publish her unbalanced opinions about the value of vitamins in the April 2010 issue?
A balanced report would have quoted experts from both sides of the argument.
There were 15 pages of drug advertisements in this issue of the Digest, but not a single advertisement for a vitamin or nutrient.
Even assuming that Miss Aschwanden is correct, that consuming the foods she lists provides a balanced intake of the essential nutrients, e.g. the vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are required for life, not many people can or do eat this well.
Fast and junk foods are the norm. A multivitamin is cheap insurance for people eating less than wholesome foods. It is potentially a serious public health mistake for the Reader's Digest to recommend against a multivitamin.As far as the studies quoted to “debunk” vitamins, most are run by biased investigators, medical doctors who have been taught in medical school that vitamins have no therapeutic value.
The study designs utilize too small amounts, especially of vitamin C, to fairly evaluate the therapeutic use of the vitamins. The placebo groups likely received similar amounts from their diets. For example, the RDA for vitamin C is 60 to 75 mg daily, and most studies run by conventional medicine have been run with 500 mg, and few, if any, exceed 1000 mg daily.
There is a long 70 year history of vitamin C research that shows better therapeutic results at higher (many gram) dosages.
Linus Pauling recommended at least 5000 mg of vitamin C for reversing heart disease, and this dosage has not been formally studied.
Owen Fonorow, Orthomolecular Naturopath
______________________
Or this, Article misleads millions of Americans...
How much Vitamin D?
fron the Vitamin D council:
As a general rule, old people need more than young people, big people need more that little people, heavier people need more than skinny people, northern people need more than southern people, dark-skinned people need more than fair-skinned people, winter people need more than summer people, sunblock lovers need more than sunblock haters, sun-phobes need more than sun worshipers, and ill people may need more than well people.
Quite a few factors are involved, as you can see. However, don't feel bad, no one understands it. Vitamin D is used by the body—metabolically cleared—both to maintain wellness and to treat disease. If you get an infection, how much vitamin D does your body use up fighting the infection? If you have cancer, how much vitamin D does your body use up fighting the cancer? If you have heart disease, how much vitamin D does your body use up fighting the heart disease? If you are a child with autism, how much vitamin D does your brain need to turn on the genes that autism has turned off? If you are an athlete, how much vitamin D does your body use to make you stronger and quicker? Nobody knows the answer to these questions.
Healthy children
under the age of 1 years should take 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per day—
over the age of 1, 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per every 25 pounds of body weight per day.
Well adults and adolescents should take 5,000 IU vitamin D3 per day. Around 2–3 months later have a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test, either through ZRT or your doctor.
As a general rule, old people need more than young people, big people need more that little people, heavier people need more than skinny people, northern people need more than southern people, dark-skinned people need more than fair-skinned people, winter people need more than summer people, sunblock lovers need more than sunblock haters, sun-phobes need more than sun worshipers, and ill people may need more than well people.
Quite a few factors are involved, as you can see. However, don't feel bad, no one understands it. Vitamin D is used by the body—metabolically cleared—both to maintain wellness and to treat disease. If you get an infection, how much vitamin D does your body use up fighting the infection? If you have cancer, how much vitamin D does your body use up fighting the cancer? If you have heart disease, how much vitamin D does your body use up fighting the heart disease? If you are a child with autism, how much vitamin D does your brain need to turn on the genes that autism has turned off? If you are an athlete, how much vitamin D does your body use to make you stronger and quicker? Nobody knows the answer to these questions.
Healthy children
under the age of 1 years should take 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per day—
over the age of 1, 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per every 25 pounds of body weight per day.
Well adults and adolescents should take 5,000 IU vitamin D3 per day. Around 2–3 months later have a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test, either through ZRT or your doctor.
Lower Diabetes Risk 36% by Switching Grains
The following article by Michael Janson, MD drjanson@drjanson.com http://www.drjanson.com/
A news release from the American Heart Association indicates that replacing refined grains (such as white rice and white flour) with whole grains can markedly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Analyzing data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (39,765 men) and the Nurses’ Health Study (157,463 women), researchers were able to evaluate 3.3 million person-years of follow-up. This is a particularly large study population
During that time, there were 10,507 incidents of type 2 diabetes. They found that people who ate five or more servings of white rice per week were 17 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of white rice per month.
However, those who ate two or more servings of brown rice per week were 11 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of brown rice per month. (American Heart Association news release, March 3, 2010).
The researchers estimated that replacing 50 grams per day of white rice with the equivalent amount of brown rice would lower diabetes risk by 16 percent.
They noted that if a variety of whole grains were consumed (such as whole wheat, oats, barley, corn, and millet), as opposed to just brown rice, the diabetes risk was lowered by 36 percent.
This confirms the value of the suggestion to eat a wide variety of whole foods, including whole grains. The generally healthier Japanese, and other Asians and white-rice consuming cultures, could be even healthier if they switched to brown rice instead.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Iodine - Are You Getting Enough?
From Al Sears, MD
Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Remember the red stuff your mom put on cuts and scrapes?
It contained iodine, a mineral that kills germs. But iodine is more than just an antiseptic you put on your skin. It’s a trace element essential for life. A teaspoon is all you need in a lifetime, but most people in the U.S. are deficient.
Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Remember the red stuff your mom put on cuts and scrapes?
It contained iodine, a mineral that kills germs. But iodine is more than just an antiseptic you put on your skin. It’s a trace element essential for life. A teaspoon is all you need in a lifetime, but most people in the U.S. are deficient.
The tragedy is that many doctors don’t recognize iodine’s role in disease. You may suffer from chronic fatigue and hear “there’s no cure.” Your cholesterol or blood pressure is too high, and nothing short of drugs brings it down. Or the doctor tells you the cysts in your breasts or ovaries lead to cancer.
You may have one of these things as a result of a simple iodine deficiency.
Almost 2 billion people in the world don’t get enough, and over 50 million people have brain damage caused by iodine deficiency.
It’s the most preventable kind of brain damage in infants and children, yet 36.5% of school age children are deficient.1,2
Brain damage also affects adults. Even a small deficiency can lower your I.Q. by 15 points.3 It may be the deciding factor whether you can get a job and keep it.
Our ancestors didn’t have this problem. In ancient times, the water and soil were rich with minerals. Plants absorbed the iodine. Animals ate the plants. Man hunted, fished, and gathered the animals and plants.
But today, our modern day diet consists of foods grown by commercial farming corporations on depleted soil. Our water is polluted. We suffer the consequences.
We have to find a way to mimic the environment of our ancestors and find good sources of iodine.
Iodine helps prevent oxidative stress that leads to chronic diseases such as
- atherosclerosis,
- diabetes, or
- arthritis.4
It’s also critical for thyroid function. When your thyroid doesn’t work well, you can develop heart disease. Your cholesterol goes up, and you can have a heart attack.
You also need it for metabolism – to convert your food to energy. If you don’t have enough iodine to keep your thyroid healthy, you get sluggish and store fat on your body. You may also develop symptoms like fatigue, depression, and weight gain.
That’s not all. When you’re short on iodine, a lot of other things can go wrong:5,6
• Breasts: A lot of iodine is concentrated in breast tissue. When you don’t have enough, you can develop fibrocystic breast disease. Up to 93% of American women have it. This is when your breasts become very painful and have nodules and cysts in them. The longer you have this disease, the higher potential for breast cancer.
• Skin: 20% of iodine is stored in the skin. Most in the sweat glands. If you don’t have enough iodine, you get dry skin.
• Digestion: Iodine is concentrated in the stomach. When you don’t have enough, you develop a condition that feels like you have too much stomach acid. But it’s just the opposite… you don’t have enough. If it goes on long enough, it can develop into stomach cancer.
• Eyes: Tear glands in your eyes contain large amounts of iodine. Lack of iodine can cause dry eyes.
• Mouth: Salivary glands in your mouth contain large amounts of iodine. Lack of iodine can cause dry mouth.
• Ovaries: Iodine is concentrated in the ovaries. Women who lack iodine develop cysts. The greater deficiency, the more cysts. It can also lead to a disease called polycystic ovarian disease.
You can avoid these problems if you pay attention to your intake of iodine. The current suggested daily dose of 0.15 mg per day of iodine is too low. It doesn’t take into account all the organs of the body that need it to stay healthy.
I suggest 12.5 mg up to 50 mg of iodine per day from natural sources to support better health.
Here is a list of foods that contain iodine:
Food Serving /Iodine (mcg)
Salt (iodized) 1 gram /77
Cod 3 ounces/ 99
Shrimp 3 ounces /35
Fish sticks 2 fish sticks/ 35
Tuna, canned in oil 3 ounces (1/2 can) /17
Milk (cow’s) 1 cup (8 fluid ounces)/ 56
Egg, boiled 1 large /12
Navy beans, cooked 1/2 cup /32
Potato with peel, baked 1 medium /60
Turkey breast, baked 3 ounces /34
Seaweed 1/4 ounce, dried /Maybe greater than
4,500 mcg (4.5 mg)
• If you find you need more support, check to see if your daily supplement contains iodine. If it doesn’t, take a trip to your local vitamin shop and ask for an iodine supplement or kelp.
It’s always best to talk to your doctor first. If you have symptoms of iodine deficiency, your doctor can take a simple test to determine your level.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1. Andersson M, Takkouche B, Egli I, Allen HE, de Benoist B. “Current global iodine status and progress over the last decade towards the elimination of iodine deficiency.” Bull World Health Organ. 2005;83(7):518-525.
2. World Health Organization. “Eliminating Iodine Deficiency Disorders.” http://www.who.int/features/qa/17/en/ (Accessed 02 2010).
3. Ibid.
4. Winkler, R, Griebenow, S, Wonisch W. “Effect of iodide on total antioxidant status of human serum.” Cell Biochem Funct. 2000;18:143-6.
5. Abraham, Guy. “Iodine, the Universal Nutrient.” http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=1781. (Accessed 02 2010).
6. Abraham, Guy. “The Concept of Orthoiodosupplementation and Its Clinical Implications” http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-06/IOD_06.htm. (Accessed 02 2010).
Friday, March 12, 2010
Drinking Soda = Rise in Diabetes: Business Week
Business Week Reports
Finding suggests new health policies could make a dent in the problem, researcher says
By Ed EdelsonHealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) --
Increasing consumption of sugary soft drinks contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of heart disease and 50,000 more life-years burdened with heart disease in the last decade, a new U.S. study finds.
"The finding suggests that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a dramatic health benefit," said senior study author Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was to present the finding Friday during the American Heart Association's Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention annual conference, in San Francisco.
The study used a computer simulation of heart disease that has been applied to other cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity and dietary salt, Bibbins-Domingo explained.
"We probably underestimated the incidence, because the rise is greatest among the young, and our model focuses on adults 35 and older," she said.
One plausible explanation is that the increased incidence of cardiovascular problems is due to a rising incidence of diabetes, Bibbins-Domingo said, while an increase in obesity might also be responsible.
"Whatever the mechanism, large population studies do suggest an effect of drinking large lots of sweetened beverages," she said.
"No one argues that these drinks are not fine in moderation, but over the past decade their consumption has been on the rise, while consumption of other beverages has declined."
A statement by Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy for the American Beverage Association, noted that the study had not yet been published in a scientific journal, and therefore had not undergone review by outside, qualified scientists.
"What we do know is that both heart disease and diabetes are complex conditions with no single cause and no single solution," Storey said in the statement, which noted that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is not listed as a risk factor by the American Heart Association.
"Rather, we need to continue to educate Americans about the importance of balancing the calories from the foods and beverages we eat and drink with regular physical activity."
But the study does suggest that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a health benefit, Bibbins-Domingo noted.
One such policy is a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, she noted.
"The reason why there is a current debate about a tax is that scientific evidence in populations has consistently shown that more than one drink a day increases your risk," she said.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda pop, while "alternative choices are available," said Dr. Robert H. Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and a past president of the association.
"Juice from fruit itself is nutrient-rich, and its nutritional value goes beyond the carbohydrate content," Eckel said.
The recommended daily sugar intake amounts to just one can of sugar-sweetened soda a day for a man and slightly less for women, he said.
More information
The cardiovascular effects of dietary sugar are described by the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, M.D., associate professor, medicine, University of California, San Francisco; Robert H. Eckel, professor, medicine, University of Colorado, Denver; March 5, 2010, presentation, American Heart Association's Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention annual conference, San Francisco
Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Increasing Soda Consumption Fuels Rise in Diabetes, Heart Disease
Finding suggests new health policies could make a dent in the problem, researcher says
By Ed EdelsonHealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) --
Increasing consumption of sugary soft drinks contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of heart disease and 50,000 more life-years burdened with heart disease in the last decade, a new U.S. study finds.
"The finding suggests that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a dramatic health benefit," said senior study author Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was to present the finding Friday during the American Heart Association's Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention annual conference, in San Francisco.
The study used a computer simulation of heart disease that has been applied to other cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity and dietary salt, Bibbins-Domingo explained.
"We probably underestimated the incidence, because the rise is greatest among the young, and our model focuses on adults 35 and older," she said.
One plausible explanation is that the increased incidence of cardiovascular problems is due to a rising incidence of diabetes, Bibbins-Domingo said, while an increase in obesity might also be responsible.
"Whatever the mechanism, large population studies do suggest an effect of drinking large lots of sweetened beverages," she said.
"No one argues that these drinks are not fine in moderation, but over the past decade their consumption has been on the rise, while consumption of other beverages has declined."
A statement by Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy for the American Beverage Association, noted that the study had not yet been published in a scientific journal, and therefore had not undergone review by outside, qualified scientists.
"What we do know is that both heart disease and diabetes are complex conditions with no single cause and no single solution," Storey said in the statement, which noted that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is not listed as a risk factor by the American Heart Association.
"Rather, we need to continue to educate Americans about the importance of balancing the calories from the foods and beverages we eat and drink with regular physical activity."
But the study does suggest that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a health benefit, Bibbins-Domingo noted.
One such policy is a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, she noted.
"The reason why there is a current debate about a tax is that scientific evidence in populations has consistently shown that more than one drink a day increases your risk," she said.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda pop, while "alternative choices are available," said Dr. Robert H. Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and a past president of the association.
"Juice from fruit itself is nutrient-rich, and its nutritional value goes beyond the carbohydrate content," Eckel said.
The recommended daily sugar intake amounts to just one can of sugar-sweetened soda a day for a man and slightly less for women, he said.
More information
The cardiovascular effects of dietary sugar are described by the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, M.D., associate professor, medicine, University of California, San Francisco; Robert H. Eckel, professor, medicine, University of Colorado, Denver; March 5, 2010, presentation, American Heart Association's Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention annual conference, San Francisco
Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Vitamin D Prevents Influenza in children
Press Release 3-12-10 from www.VitaminDCouncil.org
:
This morning, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of school children showing vitamin D prevents influenza. A secondary finding was that asthmatic children on placebo had six times more asthma attacks than did children on vitamin D.
For information, contact the lead author, Dr. Mitsuyoshi Urashima at urashima@jikei.ac.jp
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar 10. [Epub ahead of print]
Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.
Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, Ida H.
Division of Molecular Epidemiology Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku Tokyo Japan.
BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, no rigorously designed clinical trials have evaluated the relation between vitamin D and physician-diagnosed seasonal influenza.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.
DESIGN: From December 2008 through March 2009, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D(3) supplements (1200 IU/d) with placebo in schoolchildren.
The primary outcome was the incidence of influenza A, diagnosed with influenza antigen testing with a nasopharyngeal swab specimen.
RESULTS: Influenza A occurred in 18 of 167 (10.8%) children in the vitamin D(3) group compared with 31 of 167 (18.6%) children in the placebo group [relative risk (RR), 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.99; P = 0.04].
The reduction in influenza A was more prominent in children who had not been taking other vitamin D supplements (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.79; P = 0.006) and who started nursery school after age 3 y (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.78; P = 0.005).
In children with a previous diagnosis of asthma, asthma attacks as a secondary outcome occurred in 2 children receiving vitamin D(3) compared with 12 children receiving placebo (RR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.73; P = 0.006).
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that vitamin D(3) supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren.
This trial was registered at https://center.umin.ac.jp as UMIN000001373.
PMID: 20219962 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
:
This morning, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of school children showing vitamin D prevents influenza. A secondary finding was that asthmatic children on placebo had six times more asthma attacks than did children on vitamin D.
For information, contact the lead author, Dr. Mitsuyoshi Urashima at urashima@jikei.ac.jp
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar 10. [Epub ahead of print]
Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.
Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, Ida H.
Division of Molecular Epidemiology Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku Tokyo Japan.
BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, no rigorously designed clinical trials have evaluated the relation between vitamin D and physician-diagnosed seasonal influenza.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.
DESIGN: From December 2008 through March 2009, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D(3) supplements (1200 IU/d) with placebo in schoolchildren.
The primary outcome was the incidence of influenza A, diagnosed with influenza antigen testing with a nasopharyngeal swab specimen.
RESULTS: Influenza A occurred in 18 of 167 (10.8%) children in the vitamin D(3) group compared with 31 of 167 (18.6%) children in the placebo group [relative risk (RR), 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.99; P = 0.04].
The reduction in influenza A was more prominent in children who had not been taking other vitamin D supplements (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.79; P = 0.006) and who started nursery school after age 3 y (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.78; P = 0.005).
In children with a previous diagnosis of asthma, asthma attacks as a secondary outcome occurred in 2 children receiving vitamin D(3) compared with 12 children receiving placebo (RR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.73; P = 0.006).
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that vitamin D(3) supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren.
This trial was registered at https://center.umin.ac.jp as UMIN000001373.
PMID: 20219962 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Nutritional Help for Macular Degeneration & Eye health
Macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness among seniors, with approximately 1.2 million people in the United States currently suffering from the condition. The condition is believed to be irreversible by conventional medical experts, although many natural health followers have successfully halted the condition through nutritional therapies.
Natural News has posted many helpful articles on macular degeneration.
summary of the studies:
Increase Omega-3 fish oils. (Take 1 T Carlson's Cod Liver Oil per day)
Reduce refined carbs and eat vegetables and fruits.
The following supplements are recommended:
(Reference, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Balch and NaturalNews.com)
Load up on lutein
Supply the eyes with this healthy antioxidant by taking 10 mg per day and eating plenty of green leafy vegetables
Seek support from a multi
Protect your sight by taking a daily multivitamin containing beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and riboflavin
Description
Antioxidant Carotenoid. Supports Visual Function.
Lutein is an antioxidant carotenoid that occurs in nature with zeaxanthin, a closely related carotenoid.
Antioxidant Carotenoid. Supports Visual Function.
Lutein is an antioxidant carotenoid that occurs in nature with zeaxanthin, a closely related carotenoid.
Lutein and zeaxanthin concentrate in the eye's macula and lens, as well as in the skin, breast and cervical tissues.
Both lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eyes from oxidative stress.
The macula is responsible for focus and color differentiation. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in dark green, leafy vegetables.
While the average American intake of lutein is only 2 mg per day, other population groups consume up to 20 to 25 mg per day.
Jarrow Formulas Lutein is extracted from marigold petals. Each softgel contains 20 mg elemental lutein from 40 mg lutein esters, which are naturally occurring, more stable and well absorbed.
Antioxidants are very important in repair. Perque's Repair Guard is superior in this area providing almost 500,000 ORAC value.
Coenzyme Q10 plus Coenzyme A from Coenzyme-A technologies Powerful antioxidants protect against macular degeneration.
Grape Seed Extract Powerful antioxidant that protects against free radical damage
Purchase a high quality multi and the supplements suggested below if the multi does not contain the following:
Vitamin A, 25,000 IU daily
Vitamin C, L-ascorbate form, 1,000 - 2500 mg/day (Perque)
Selenium, 400 mcg/day
zinc, 45-80 mg daily
Vitamin E, 400IU daily (Carlson E Gems, UniquE)
If you need help obtaining Perque Products, please contact me.
Vitamin B12
Article on Mercola.com
Vitamin B12 depletion and deficiency are much more common than previously thought, especially in the over-60 population. In fact, it’s believed that almost one in four people over 60 have deficient levels of this vital vitamin.
Equally disturbing are emerging signs that other age groups harbor suboptimal blood levels of B12 as well.
Why is vitamin B12 deficiency such a big deal?
Your body depends on vitamin B12 for a host of functions, including…
Helping to maintain normal energy levels*
Promoting healthy neurological activity, including mental alertness*
Supporting normal homocysteine levels for healthy cardiac function*
Helping to ease occasional stress and sleeplessness*
Maintaining healthy cell growth and repair*
Promoting normal immune function*
Supporting normal metabolism of carbohydrates and fats*
Without adequate blood levels of B12, you can experience symptoms related to low energy, mental fatigue, mood changes, sleep difficulties, and even occasional indigestion.
Your body relies on the efficient conversion of carbohydrates to glucose – your body’s source of fuel – just like your car needs to be able to use gas to run smoothly.
Vitamin B12 plays a major role in that conversion in your body.
Likewise, B12 enables your body to convert fatty acids into energy as well.
Contrary to what you might have heard, there’s really no solid evidence that supplemental vitamin B12 helps you lose weight.
Overall, vitamin B12 is a nutrient your body cannot do without for efficient, healthy metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
How You Become Vitamin B12 Deficient
With each advancing year, your chances of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency increases.
The two main causes of vitamin B12 deficiency are
inadequate dietary intake and
the inability of your body to absorb the vitamin from food.*
Vitamin B12 is present primarily in animal sources of food--which is one of the reasons I advise against being a strict vegetarian or a vegan.
This deficiency can result in less than optimal nervous system function, a tendency toward nervousness, and even less-than-optimal eye health.
I recently visited India which is primarily a vegetarian based culture and current studies there show about 80% of the adults are deficient in vitamin B12.
However, vegans are not the only ones who can become vitamin B12 deficient.
The older you get the more your digestive system breaks down, especially if you have been following the standard American diet.
Specifically the lining of your stomach gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid which releases vitamin B 12 from your food.
The use of antacids or anti ulcer drugs will also lower your stomach acid secretion and decrease your ability to absorb vitamin B 12. Infection with Helicobactor pylori, a common contributor to stomach ulcers, can also result in vitamin B12 deficiency.
However the main cause of vitamin B 12 deficiency is a term researchers call food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome. Cobalamin is the scientific term for vitamin B12. This typically results when your stomach lining loses its ability to produce intrinsic factor which is a protein that binds to vitamin B12 and allows your body to absorb it at the end of your small intestine.
What Critical Health Benefits Does this Vitamin Bring to the Table?
For starters, vitamin B-12 helps folic acid regulate the formation of red blood cells, and helps your body use iron.
In addition, it is also needed for proper digestion, food absorption, carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
It also helps keep your nervous system healthy by assisting the nerves of your body to function and communicate in an optimal manner.
But that's not all...far from it!
B-12 also helps in cell formation and cellular longevity.
it can support female reproductive health, and
promote normal nerve growth and development by maintaining the fatty sheaths.
These fatty sheaths play a vital role as they cover and protect your nerve endings.*
What's more, this workhorse of a micronutrient is
critical to your circulation and adrenal hormone production -- plus,
it helps boost your immunity.
supports a healthy mood and feelings of well-being.
provides excellent support for your memory, mental clarity, and concentration.
Aside from using B-12 to give you an energy boost, when does it also make sense to supplement with this all-important vitamin? Well, there are several good reasons to take vitamin B-12
And the first reason to take it is if you are a carb type or a strict vegetarian.
If You Avoid Meat, You Probably Need to Take B-12
Plant sources have virtually no vitamin B-12. And oral forms of B-12 in nearly all supplements are practically useless, as little is absorbed into your bloodstream.
Vegetarians should take this essential micronutrient to ensure an adequate supply of it, because it is found almost exclusively in animal tissues. And, the few plant foods that are sources of B-12 are actually B-12 analogs -- not the form that provides all the benefits of the real deal.
Simply put, an analog is a substance that blocks the uptake of true B-12. The result being, your body's need for the nutrient actually increases.
Furthermore, your body's need for this nutrient may also increase if you take Metformin©. Metformin may interfere with calcium metabolism. And this interference may reduce B-12 absorption, because this absorption requires calcium.
Studies suggest that 10% to 30% of patients taking Metformin show evidence of reduced vitamin B-12 absorption. That's why it is important to speak with your doctor to discuss the best way to maintain B-12 levels when taking this medication.
What Your Sleeping Difficulties May Be Trying to Tell You!
If you suffer from sleeping difficulties, I recommend taking vitamin B-12 during the day. I believe it can help you. Here's why.
B-12 plays a vital role in melatonin production.
Melatonin has been called "the sleep hormone" because it is responsible for letting you get a good night's sleep.
As you age, it becomes increasingly more difficult to get a good night's sleep because your body becomes less efficient at making this hormone. And that's why it's a good idea to take B-12 to help you sleep like a baby each night.
Do You or a Loved One Experience Any of the Following?
Not many know it, but if you or a family member experience:
Tiredness and feelings of weakness
Less-than-optimal nervous system functioning
Less-than-optimal eye health
Loss of appetite and unintended weight loss
Occasional constipation and gas
Feelings of mild moodiness
Less-than-optimal memory
A tendency toward nervousness
Less-than-optimal balance
Less-than-optimal liver or heart health
Premature grey hair
Occasional digestive issues
...you may need to supplement with vitamin B-12, even if you eat foods rich in B-12.
You can eat plenty of meat, poultry, lamb's liver, brewer's yeast, clams, eggs, herring, mackerel, kidneys, milk, dairy products, or seafood -- and still have low levels of B-12. How can that be?
It could be because your body is unable to absorb it from your gut.
You see B-12 needs the help of a protein in order to be absorbed. That protein is called intrinsic factor. And because the lining of your stomach makes intrinsic factor, people with less-than-optimal gastrointestinal health often need to supplement with B-12.
Likewise, most people over the age of 50 have a limited ability to absorb B-12, too. Thus, the need for supplementation
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Manage Migraines
How to Manage Migraines with Nutrients, Herbs and Relaxation Techniques
by Maddie Ellison, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews)
Migraines affect millions of people each year, with about 60% of them being women.
Thankfully there are many natural and simple things you can do to prevent migraines from occurring or to help deal with the pain if one strikes.
Many herbs and vitamins have been shown to help ease migraine pain or to prevent migraines. Some migraines have been linked to a magnesium deficiency.
Taking a magnesium supplement daily may reduce your chances of getting migraines. Make sure that you don`t take your magnesium supplement with calcium. Taking it with calcium will lower its effectiveness against migraines. If you take a calcium supplement take it at least an hour after you take magnesium.
Adding evening primrose to your diet may also help keep migraines away. You can buy evening primrose in pill form at many health food stores. It contains omega 6 which is an essential fatty acid.
Herbs like feverfew and butterbur, which can also be purchased at health food stores, have shown to be helpful to migraine sufferers too. Butterbur can be used not only as a preventative but also to help ease the pain.
Once migraine pain has set in, there are some breathing techniques that may help with the pain. The first technique to try is called rhythmic breathing. If you see that your breathing is short and fast, try slowing it down by taking long, slow breaths. Inhale slowing and count to five, then count to five slowly as you exhale.
Second, you can try deep breathing. Breathe in deeply and watch your abdomen rise. Then slowly let the air out, like deflating a balloon. You should feel more relaxed with every long, slow exhalation.
Last, you can try visualized breathing. This breathing technique combines slow breathing with your imagination. Breathe in through your nose and picture a balloon rising as you inhale. Exhale slowly through your mouth and picture the balloon dropping. Another variation is to picture that you`re breathing in relaxation and blowing out tension. Each time you breathe in imagine that you are breathing in a little more relaxation and breathing out a little more tension.
Suffering from migraines can make it difficult to live a normal life. Using these natural remedies and breathing techniques may help you get back in the game of life without taking medications that have serious side effects.
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-head...
http://www.butterburresearch.org/
http://www.ctds.info/magnesium-migr...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Vitamin D Linked to Fatter Weaker Muscles
from Nutra ingredients-usa.com
Low vitamin D may mean fatter, weaker muscles: Study
By Stephen Daniells, 09-Mar-2010
Insufficient blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, leading to lower muscle strength, says a new study.
A study with 90 young women aged between 16 and 22 found that almost 60 per cent were vitamin D insufficient, and that muscle fat levels were higher in these women, compared with women with normal vitamin D levels, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The findings are said to be the first to show a clear link between Vitamin D levels and the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, and add to an ever growing body of science supporting the benefits of maintaining healthy vitamin D levels.
In adults, it is said vitamin D deficiency may precipitate or exacerbate
Study details
In collaboration with Dr Vincente Gilsanz from the University of Southern California, the McGill researchers recruited the young Californian women and measured blood levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form of the vitamin, as well as levels of fat, muscle mass, and percent muscle fat.
Results showed that almost
Low vitamin D may mean fatter, weaker muscles: Study
By Stephen Daniells, 09-Mar-2010
Insufficient blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, leading to lower muscle strength, says a new study.
A study with 90 young women aged between 16 and 22 found that almost 60 per cent were vitamin D insufficient, and that muscle fat levels were higher in these women, compared with women with normal vitamin D levels, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The findings are said to be the first to show a clear link between Vitamin D levels and the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, and add to an ever growing body of science supporting the benefits of maintaining healthy vitamin D levels.
In adults, it is said vitamin D deficiency may precipitate or exacerbate
- osteopenia,
- osteoporosis,
- muscle weakness,
- fractures,
- common cancers,
- autoimmune diseases,
- infectious diseases and
- cardiovascular diseases.
- There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 diabetes.
Study details
In collaboration with Dr Vincente Gilsanz from the University of Southern California, the McGill researchers recruited the young Californian women and measured blood levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form of the vitamin, as well as levels of fat, muscle mass, and percent muscle fat.
Results showed that almost
- 60 per cent of the women had insufficient levels, equivalent to blood levels lower than 29 nanograms per millilitre, of which 24 per cent were classed as vitamin D deficient (levels below 20 ng/ml).
- Vitamin D levels were found to be strongly linked to the percent of fat in muscle, with lower D levels resulting in higher fat content.
“This reciprocal association between vitamin D status and muscle fat was not previously reported and is unexplained and intriguing,” wrote the researchers in the JECM.
The researchers noted surprise at their findings since the women were all healthy young women living in California, with adequate exposure to sunshine.
“We are not yet sure what is causing vitamin D insufficiency in this group,” said Dr Kremer. “High levels of vitamin D could help reduce body fat. Or, fat tissues might absorb or retain vitamin D, so that people with more fat are likely to also be vitamin D deficient.”
This study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S, Department of the Army, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Dimensional Fund Advisors Canada Inc.
Data on D
Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. The former, produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm), is said to be more bioactive.
While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D.
Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Published online ahead of print, doi:doi:10.1210/jc.2009-2309“Vitamin D Status and Its Relation to Muscle Mass and Muscle Fat in Young Women”Authors: V. Gilsanz, A. Kremer, A.O. Mo, T.A.L. Wren, R. Kremer
Monday, March 8, 2010
Genetically Modified: 93% soy and 80% corn
By Peter WhoriskeyWashington Post Staff Writer Sunday, November 29, 2009
For plants designed in a lab a little more than a decade ago, they've come a long way: Today, the vast majority of the nation's two primary crops grow from seeds genetically altered according to Monsanto company patents.
Ninety-three percent of soybeans. Eighty percent of corn.
The seeds represent "probably the most revolutionary event in grain crops over the last 30 years," said Geno Lowe, a Salisbury, Md., soybean farmer.
But for farmers such as Lowe, prices of the Monsanto-patented seeds have steadily increased, roughly doubling during the past decade, to about $50 for a 50-pound bag of soybean seed, according to seed dealers.
Read the rest of the story
For plants designed in a lab a little more than a decade ago, they've come a long way: Today, the vast majority of the nation's two primary crops grow from seeds genetically altered according to Monsanto company patents.
Ninety-three percent of soybeans. Eighty percent of corn.
The seeds represent "probably the most revolutionary event in grain crops over the last 30 years," said Geno Lowe, a Salisbury, Md., soybean farmer.
But for farmers such as Lowe, prices of the Monsanto-patented seeds have steadily increased, roughly doubling during the past decade, to about $50 for a 50-pound bag of soybean seed, according to seed dealers.
Read the rest of the story
Thursday, March 4, 2010
MS - reversed?
Sherry A. Rogers, M.D.
March 2010
www.prestigepublishing.com Total Wellness Newsletter
Dear Friends,
“Whoa! This has to be impossible to heal”, I said to myself as I watched her being lead into the exam room with a parent supporting each arm. She refused to use a wheelchair even though she could not walk.
She had a patch over one eye because multiple sclerosis (MS) also frequently causes double vision in addition to destroying motor nerve function. She was only 23 and the neurologist’s MRI confirmed 12 MS lesions on the brain scan. Yet when she returned in less than two months, she was normal.
Once again, a patient was teaching me never to say “Never”. She no longer had double vision, and she walked perfectly normally by herself. She had no symptoms of MS.
For this gal, we started her on the macrobiotic diet.
You begin with (the books) You Are What You Ate and then proceed to The Cure Is In the Kitchen and last Macro Mellow.
Over the years many folks have come into the office laughing when they found that they could turn their MS symptoms on or off like a switch, just by being off or on the diet. The sad thing is their neurologists never mentioned it. And if they told him he merely denigrated and denied it could happen, even though the evidence stood before him.
For others, not as lucky, they have had to go further and identify the fatty acid deficiencies, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, and other chemical imbalances as well as even getting rid of heavy metals, pesticides, hydrocarbons and the other pollutats, etc.
Each person has their own unique total load.
Books and Total wellness newsletter by Dr. Sherry Rogers @ www.prestigepublishing.com
March 2010
www.prestigepublishing.com Total Wellness Newsletter
Dear Friends,
“Whoa! This has to be impossible to heal”, I said to myself as I watched her being lead into the exam room with a parent supporting each arm. She refused to use a wheelchair even though she could not walk.
She had a patch over one eye because multiple sclerosis (MS) also frequently causes double vision in addition to destroying motor nerve function. She was only 23 and the neurologist’s MRI confirmed 12 MS lesions on the brain scan. Yet when she returned in less than two months, she was normal.
Once again, a patient was teaching me never to say “Never”. She no longer had double vision, and she walked perfectly normally by herself. She had no symptoms of MS.
For this gal, we started her on the macrobiotic diet.
You begin with (the books) You Are What You Ate and then proceed to The Cure Is In the Kitchen and last Macro Mellow.
Over the years many folks have come into the office laughing when they found that they could turn their MS symptoms on or off like a switch, just by being off or on the diet. The sad thing is their neurologists never mentioned it. And if they told him he merely denigrated and denied it could happen, even though the evidence stood before him.
For others, not as lucky, they have had to go further and identify the fatty acid deficiencies, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, and other chemical imbalances as well as even getting rid of heavy metals, pesticides, hydrocarbons and the other pollutats, etc.
Each person has their own unique total load.
Books and Total wellness newsletter by Dr. Sherry Rogers @ www.prestigepublishing.com
Magnesium Oil - DermaMag absorbed through skin
by Sherry Rogers, MD Dr. Roger's
July 2009
"Total Wellness" Newsletter:
A New Magnesium Supplement is Absorbed Through the Skin
I've given a huge amount of data in the books and previous newsletters on the importance of magnesium. It has made the difference between who walks out of a hospital after a heart attack and who is carried out in a body bag.
July 2009
"Total Wellness" Newsletter:
A New Magnesium Supplement is Absorbed Through the Skin
I've given a huge amount of data in the books and previous newsletters on the importance of magnesium. It has made the difference between who walks out of a hospital after a heart attack and who is carried out in a body bag.
Magnesium has
- totally cured arrhythmias for which life-threatening drugs, cardioversion and ablation are often prescribed by physicians who fail to check the intracellular magnesium.
Check the life-saving instructions in my latest book "Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?". And remember from that book that as the intracellular magnesium goes dangerously lower, the "wrong" test, serum magnesium, goes higher, giving the under-educated physician a dangerous false sense of security.
WARNING: To the poorly trained doctor, the closer to death you are, the better your serum magnesium looks!
As you learned in my book "Pain Free In 6 Weeks," magnesium has
- sometimes turned around chronic back pain blamed on deteriorating discs. It has
- rescued folks from depression,
- insomnia,
- irritable bowel,
- asthma,
- congestive heart failure,
- migraines,
- angina,
- sudden cardiac arrest, and
- other spastic conditions as well as
- hypertension and even
- high cholesterol.
That's why I was tickled to find a new form of magnesium supplement that is absorbed through the skin. - DermaMag is actually magnesium oil as it is harvested from the earth's seabed. One ounce contains 3 grams of elemental magnesium. The suggested starting dose is to spray your arms and legs, gently massage it in, and let your skin dry. Eight sprays are equal to 100mg of magnesium.
Of course doses will vary with how tough your skin is, its color, how large or hairy your extremities are, and more. Certainly you want to start with clean skin with no lotions on it. The beauty is it bypasses the gut. - Remember for example, folks who have had diets high in junk food, eat out a lot or have had several anitbiotics can have overgrowth of abnormal bacteria or yeasts in the gut which foster the production of an organic acid tricarballyate.
When this is elevated on your Cadio/ION panel, it shows that you can be chelating out magnesium taken by mouth, thus thwarting your efforts to correct your RBC magnesium level. This may be just what you needed, to bypass the gut, at least until you can fix it (for directions to repair your gut, see "No More Heartburn"). You may want to add DermaMag to your current magnesium supplement arsenal.
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