Thursday, April 27, 2006

Omega-3, -6 and vitamin E could cut Motor Neurone Disease risk

27/04/2006-

Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and vitamin E in the diet could slash the risk of motor neurone disease (MND) by 60 per cent, say new research from the Netherlands. According to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the disease affects about seven people in every 100,000, with life expectancy of only two to five years. The disease characterized by the gradual death of motor neurones in the brain, which then stops muscles from working. The cause is unknown and there is no cure.

The new study, published on-line in the Journal of Neurology (doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2005.083378), reports that a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) and vitamin E could reduce the risk of developing the disease.
The researchers, from the University Medical Centre, Utrecht, investigated the diets of 132 people with a form of MND called amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Their dietary habits were compared to 220 control subjects who did not have the disease. Dietary habits were evaluated using a validated 104-item food frequency questionnaire.
While energy intake and supplement intake was similar between the groups, the researchers found that intake of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was noticeably lower in the ALS cases, which agreed with the original hypothesis.
People whose intake was more than 32 grams of PUFAs per day had a 60 per cent lower risk of ALS than those who consumed less than 25 grams per day. No differentiation between omega-3 and omega-6 was performed by the researchers.
A daily intake of vitamin E over 18 milligrams was associated with a 60 per cent reduction in the risk of ALS.
No relationship between flavonol, lycopene, or vitamins B2 and C were observed by the researchers.

“This study shows that higher premorbid dietary intake of PUFAs and vitamin E was associated with a 50 to 60 per cent decreased risk of developing ALS,” wrote lead author Jan Veldink.
The mechanism, say the researchers, is more than just the nutrients’ individual benefits. The omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linoleic acid, for example, has been reported to protect neurones. Docosahexaenioc acid (DHA) is involved in the membrane of ion channels in the brain, making it easier for them to change shape and transit electrical signals. Vitamin E, say the scientists, inhibits lipid peroxidation which leads to oxidative stress.
The nutrients’ protective activity, says Veldink, is a case of the sum greater than the parts.

“The combined analysis, including the interaction term, indicates that vitamin E and PUFAs increase their separate protective effects. Vitamin E may act directly to reduce the risk of ALS as a known inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, but it could also act indirectly through inhibition of peroxidation of PUFAs.
As a result, a higher level of PUFAs will be available biologically,” said Veldink.
Although further research is clearly needed, the results do fit with reports on the benefits of this nutrient combo for cognitive diseases. According to other studies, the risk of Alzheimer's disease could be reduced by a diet risk in plant lipids, fish, or by eating a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in both PUFAs and vitamin E.

The study has several limitations, including being non-population based and depending on dietary recall of both the cases and controls. Veldink and his colleagues are currently conducting a population-based case-control study to further test their hypothesis.
Famous people with MND include the actor David Niven and Professor Stephen Hawking.

Comment: Americans consume too many omega 6's, in the form of pre-packaged and refined foods. Omega 6 fatty acids come from vegetable oils and are pro-inflamatory. I would expect they would have had an even better result in this study, if they had used just Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil and or flax seed oil, and vitamin E.
Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflamatory in nature. Also, they could have had an even better result if they had used 400 IU's of vitamin E, instead of the 18 mgs.

CW

NSI Mega EFA

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

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Over One Billion People May Suffer From Vitamin D Deficiency

04 Apr 2006:

More than a billion may suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Consequences may be more severe than thought. Prominent clinician calls for action. Clinicians estimate that about half of the European population is suffering from mild vitamin D deficiency. Now a prominent European clinician has called for international action to address the problems which may lead to increased osteoporosis, cancer, and other diseases. Vitamin D was discovered about a century ago. Its widespread use in infants has virtually eradicated severe vitamin D deficiency and rickets. The elderly and immigrant populations with darker skin are even the populations most seriously and most frequently deficient. Moreover insufficient vitamin D may have broader health consequences than previously thought. Speaking at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Glasgow, Professor Roger Bouillon of the University of Leuven called for concerted research projects to back up the animal work linking vitamin D insufficiency with global health risks such as osteoporotic fractures, cancer and auto-immune diseases. Vitamin D status can be readily estimated by measurements of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and optimal health requires at least 20 ng 25(OH)D/ml. By this definition, half of the over 60s in Europe are already deficient. In some populations this figure is even higher, for example 2/3 of the UK Pakistani population is deficient. Vitamin D can either be obtained from food but natural food sources except fatty fish has a low vitamin D content. Exposure to sunlight can also produce vitamin D but the very same ultraviolet light is also responsible for accelerated ageing and cancer of the skin. Therefore, vitamin D intake should be increased by food supplementation. Professor Bouillon said: We already know that insufficient vitamin D increases the risk for osteoporosis, falls and fractures. This is preventable by additional calcium and vitamin D intake (400-800 IU/d) for the elderly people. There are now however new and growing evidence that mild vitamin D deficiency is also associated with more tuberculosis, and some epidemiological studies suggest an increased risk for colon, breast and prostate cancer, and also auto-immune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. Animal data clearly support an essential role of vitamin D metabolites in the regulation of cell proliferation (cancer) and the immune system (auto-immune diseases and infection such as tuberculosis).” As this insufficiency of vitamin D is a worldwide problem we need large scale prospective studies to proof that improved vitamin D intake translates into less cancer, auto-immune diseases and better global health status. If such studies show the expected beneficial effects suggested by animal studies then more than a billion people of all ages worldwide would need to increase their vitamin D intake. The message is thus simple: there is already sufficient evidence of efficacy so that the elderly population should increase their calcium and vitamin D intake (about 1g of extra calcium and about 400-800 IU vitamin D/day) to prevent osteoporotic fractures. Additional larger scale prospective studies are needed to evaluate the potential general health effects of better vitamin D nutritional status. Professor Roger Bouillon presented a talk entitled Vitamin D analogues: pharmacology and therapeutic uses at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Glasgow on Sunday 2nd April. The European Congress of Endocrinology takes place at the SECC in Glasgow from 1-5 April, 2006. This will be the biggest hormone conference in Europe in 2006, with 2200 delegates and almost1200 pieces of original research.

Comment: I believe every adult should be taking at least 2k to 4k of Vit D3 everyday, and if you have a chronic illness, 10k would not be too much.

Add Vitamin D3 to your health program: NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU

CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

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Wednesday, April 26, 2006

‘No evidence’ that coffee drinking harms heart

26/04/2006- Long-term heavy coffee drinking does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) say Harvard researchers, results that also have positive implications for the stimulant drink industry.

Coffee, one of the world's largest traded commodities produced in more than 60 countries and generating more than $70bn in retail sales a year, continues to spawn research and interest, and has been linked to reduced risks of certain diseases, especially of the liver and diabetes.
Studies have also continued into the possible role of coffee and/or caffeine and the risk of increased blood pressure, and heart disease. Indeed, Greek researchers recently proposed that caffeine increased aortic stiffness and, subsequently, the risk of heart disease (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005, Vol. 81, pp. 1307-1312).

The new prospective cohort study, published on-line in the journal Circulation (doi:10.1161/ circulationaha.105.598664), reports that both coffee and caffeine consumption may not be linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), conditions are the cause of 20 per cent of deaths in the US and 17 per cent of deaths in Europe.
The researchers used data from the 44,005 men of the Health Professionals Follow-up study, started in 1986, and the 84,488 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, started in 1976, to investigate the link between coffee consumption and the risk of CHD.
Coffee consumption was measured from validated questionnaires that were administered every two to four years.
After approximately 20 years of follow-up there were 4427 recorded cases of coronary heart disease. After adjusting the results for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI, the researchers found that people who drank between four and five cups of coffee per day had the same risk of CHD as those who drank less one cup of coffee per month.

The average American consumption is 3.2 cups of coffee per day.
Women who drank more than six cups per day actually had a 28 per cent lower risk of CHD, while the same intake was associated with a 13 per cent lower risk.
The difference between the highest and lowest intakes of caffeine was also not significant.
“These data do not provide any evidence that coffee consumption increase the risk of CHD,” concluded lead researcher Esther Lopez-Garcia from the Harvard School of Public Health.
However, the researchers did find that people who drank more coffee were more likely to be smokers, drink more alcohol, drink less tea, take vitamin supplements, or exercise regularly, all of which have been linked to increased risks of heart problems.

Based on this, it appears that it may be the other lifestyle factors of heavy coffee drinkers that may promote the risk of heart-related health problems.
This news is not only good for the coffee industry, but also for the caffeine-enriched products in the energy and stimulant drinks market.

Comment: I have always found that if coffee makes you nervous and or irritable, you should stay away from it, but otherwise, there is no evidence that it is bad for you.

CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Monday, April 24, 2006

CoQ10 may protect against Alzheimer’s

4/24/2006- Increasing intake of coenzyme Q10 may ward off the threat of Alzheimer’s disease, if the results of an animal study can be applied to humans.

The body's manufacture of CoQ10 begins to drop after the age of about 20, leading to its investigation in age-related disease. It has been shown to help prevent Parkinson's and is also thought to prevent skin ageing, significantly boosting demand in recent years to more than $200m (€162m) across the US alone.
The new study, by researchers from Hamdard University in India, John Hopkins University and the Pediatrics Medical University of South Carolina in the US, lowed at the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on rats with forced brain impairment and oxidative damage.

Although the mechanism of Alzheimer’s is not clear, more support is gathering for the build-up of plaque from amyloid deposits. The deposits are associated with an increase in brain cell damage and death from oxidative stress.

It is against the oxidative stress that CoQ10 appear to offer protection.

“CoQ10 supplementation improves learning and memory deficits possibly by inhibiting the oxidative stress and improving levels of ATP,” wrote lead author Tauheed Ishrat in the journal Behavioural Brain Research (doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.03.009).

One-year old male rats were divided into four groups, with ten animals in each group. The first group was used as the control, the second group received a daily supplement of CoQ10 in corn oil (10 mg per kg body weight), the third group received an injection into the brain of streptozotocin (STZ) to induce Alzheimer-type damage and no diet supplementation, and the fourth group was injected with STZ and received a daily supplement of CoQ10.

After three weeks, the researchers found that animals in the third group (STZ treated with no CoQ10 supplement) showed a loss of cognitive performance. However, the STZ treated rats that received the CoQ10 supplements performed comparably with rats in group 2 (CoQ10 supplement only) and group 1 (control).

Biochemical analysis of the brain tissues showed that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the main energy vehicle in energy transfer – were significantly reduced in the STZ treated group, but not in the three other groups, leading the researchers to suggest that CoQ10 has an important role in intracellular electron transport for ATP production.

“CoQ10 significantly reversed the impact of oxidative alterations seen in STZ rats; this shows the antioxidant potential of CoQ10,” concluded the researchers.

It is not clear if such studies can be directly extended to humans and significant further study is required.

Public demand for CoQ10-containing products has seen the market grow. In the United States most new CoQ10 products have been supplements, with fewer skin care products hitting the market.

In Europe, meanwhile, CoQ10 has proved more popular in skin care formulations than in supplements, thanks to its anti-aging antioxidant properties.

These new results add to earlier research linking CoQ10 to reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease and appear in-keeping with the cognitive benefits of the coenzyme.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over $100bn (€81bn) in the US alone.

Comment: To learn the benefits of CoQ10, click here...
http://www.nutrasanus.com/co-q10.html

To order, go to: NSI CoQ10 Q-Gel Mega -- 100 mg - 60 Softgels


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Higher folate and B12 intake associated with reduced breast cancer risk...

Life Extension Update Exclusive

Higher folate and B12 intake associated with reduced breast cancer risk...

The March 2006 issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention published a report by Mexican researchers that women whose intake of folate, the dietary form of the B vitamin folic acid, and vitamin B12 was high had a lower risk of breast cancer than that experienced by women whose intake was low.

Four hundred seventy-five Mexican women aged 23 to 87 diagnosed with breast cancer were compared with 1,391 women without the disease for the current study. Dietary questionnaires completed by the participants were analyzed for folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 content.
Adjusted analyses determined a lower risk of breast cancer associated with higher folate and B12 intake, however no association with vitamin B6 was found. The inverse association was greater among postmenopausal subjects. Women whose folate was in the top 25 percent of participants experienced a 36 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those whose intake was in the lowest quarter. This inverse association was stronger in women whose diets provided relatively high levels of vitamin B12. For vitamin B12, women in the top fourth had a 78 percent lower risk compared to the lowest quarter.

In their discussion of a possible mechanism for the vitamins in breast cancer protection, the authors observed that folate is a precursor of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), which is necessary for methylation reactions and for the synthesis of a compound called thymidilate, needed for DNA replication and repair. Vitamin B12 participates in folate metabolism, and low levels also affect DNA methylation.

In their introduction, the authors write, “In contrast with most known risk factors for breast cancer, dietary factors are potentially modifiable, making their identification essential.” They conclude, “Vitamin deficiency is a potentially modifiable risk factor which can be addressed by health education and expansion of fortification programs.” Further evaluation of the relation between vitamin intake and breast cancer in this population is recommended.

Comment: The best way to add these vitamins into your health program is with a high potency Multi-Vitamin and or a full range B-Complex tablet.


To order, go to... NSI Vitamin-B Complex -- 180 Caps


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

More support for vitamin K’s protection from osteoarthritis and Ortho-Molecular Medicine...

12/04/2006-

Higher intake of vitamin K, found naturally in cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, and other green leafy vegetables, could reduce the risk of osteoarthritic knee problems by 40 per cent, says new research. Other epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between high vitamin K intake and a lower incidence of osteoporosis. One European study also showed that a combination of vitamins K and D, along with calcium, could have a significant effect on improving bone strength.

The new study, published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism (Vol. 54, pp. 1255-1261), is another observational study of the benefits of the fat-soluble vitamin on bone health.
Tuhina Neogi from the Boston University School of Medicine led the population-based prospective cohort. Although deficiency of the vitamin is rare, the researchers found a difference between the highest and lowest intakes, and the respective risks of hand and knee osteoarthritis among 672 participants, with an average age of 66.
The researchers measured blood levels of phylloquinone, the main form of the vitamin, and correlated this with the occurrence of hand and knee osteoarthritis, recorded by radiographs.“As plasma phylloquinone levels rose, the prevalence ration (PR) for hand osteoarthritis decreased from 1.0 to 0.7,” reported Neogi.

“For the knee, only the PR for osteophytes [outgrowths on the bone associated with arthritis] and the adjusted mean number of knee joints with osteophytes decreased significantly with increasing plasma phylloquinone levels,” she said.

The researchers concluded that their data support the link between vitamin K status and the risk of osteoarthritis, a disease that effects about seven million people in the UK alone are reported to have long-term health problems associated with arthritis. Around 206m working days were lost in the UK in 1999-2000, equal to £18bn (€26bn) of lost productivity.

Further study is clearly need to establish if the relationship is causal, particularly clinical trials - and indeed, some are already underway.

According to Controlled Clinical Trials, there are 12 registered clinical trials at various stages of completion being conducted worldwide using vitamin K. Six are concerned with bone health, while a further four are associated with the role of the vitamin in blood clotting.

Comment: This is a great study because it shows that you do not have to have a deficiency to benefit from taking a supplement in higher amounts. This is the idea behind Ortho-Molecular Medicine. Vitamin K is also responsible for removing calcium from soft tissues and it is therefore critical to reversing calcifications in the body as we get older.

To order, go to... NSI Vitamin K-1 -- 10 mg - 90 Caps


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html


Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Vitamin C levels can influence body fat levels...

From the Life Extension Foundation

Update Exclusive
Vitamin C levels correlate with fat oxidation...

A study presented on April 3, 2006 at the Experimental Biology 2006 conference held in San Francisco found that supplementing with vitamin C improved fat oxidation in obese men and women. Fat oxidation refers to the body’s ability to utilize fat as a fuel source during exercise as well as rest. Insufficient blood levels of vitamin C have been correlated with increased waist measurements and body fat.

For the current double-blind study, researchers at Arizona State University placed 20 obese men and women on a low fat diet designed to result in an approximate two pound per week loss over a four week period. The diet provided 67 percent of the US recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. One group of participants was administered 500 milligrams vitamin C per day, while the remainder received a placebo.

Prior to beginning the study, participants with the lowest blood levels of vitamin C were found to have greater body fat mass and a reduced ability to oxidize fat compared with less obese subjects. At the end of the four week trial, both groups lost the same amount of weight, yet body fat loss was slightly greater in the group that received vitamin C. Blood levels of vitamin C increased by 30 percent among those who received the vitamin and declined by 27 percent in participants who received the placebo. Subjects who did not receive vitamin C experienced an 11 percent reduction in their ability to oxidize fat compared to their ability before the study.
Vitamin C is essential for the body’s synthesis of carnitine, which transports fat molecules to the site of fat oxidation in the cells. Insufficient access to fat as an energy source can lead to fatigue and an accumulation of fat in the tissues.

Bonnie Beezhold, a graduate student at Arizona State University who presented the study’s findings, observed that vitamin C deficiency now affects 15 percent of American adults, compared to 3 to 5 percent a quarter of a century ago. Because vitamin C is destroyed by exposure to light, oxygen and heat, processed food may be responsible in part for this decline.
The research team is now studying whether vitamin C status is associated with a gradual gain in body fat in people who are not dieting.

To order, go to... NSI Vitamin C -- 1,000 mg - 250 Caps


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Monday, April 10, 2006

High-dose vitamin D supplements act as anti-inflammatory

10/04/2006-

A high-dose vitamin D supplement inhibit pro-inflammatory and boost anti-inflammatory molecules and could help people with heart failure, says a German clinical trial. “We showed for the first time that a daily supplement of 50 micrograms vitamin D for nine months is able to increase serum concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and to prevent an increase in serum concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in CHF patients,” wrote lead author Stefanie Schleithoff from the University of Bonn.
According to the Study on Heart failure Awareness and Perception in Europe (SHAPE), about 14m people in Europe suffer from chronic heart failure (CHF) with the number forecast to rise to 30 m by 2020. About 5m people suffer from the condition in the US.

The cause of CHF is not understood, but recent theories involve increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).
The randomised placebo-controlled trial, published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 83, pp. 754-759), followed the effects of a high-dose vitamin D3 supplement (50 micrograms, equivalent to 2000 International Units) on cytokine levels and heart pumping ability of 123 patients with CHF.
Both placebo and vitamin D supplement groups were also given a daily supplement of 500 milligrams of calcium.

After nine months the researchers reported that serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the non-active ‘storage’ form of the vitamin in the body, increased by 26.8 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) from the start of the study for the supplemented group, while the placebo group’s levels decreased by 3.6 ng/mL, a not-too-unexpected result.
Levels of TNF-alpha did not differ significantly before or after supplementation with vitamin D, but it did increase by 12 per cent in the placebo group. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels increased by an impressive 43 per cent in the supplemented group, but did not change in the placebo group.

No significant difference was observed in heart function, as measured by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), for either of the groups; a result that differs from a previous study with lower vitamin D doses (400 IU) that reported improvements in LVEF, but no improvement in cytokine levels.
Twenty-five patients dropped out of the trial because of a worsening in health. However, the authors point out that these patients all had markedly higher levels of many pro-inflammatory markers at the start of the trial.

In an accompanying editorial by Reinhold Vieth and Samantha Kimball from the University of Toronto, said that the study offered two important insights: “First, the article confirms previous evidence that vitamin D supplementation affects immune-modulating cytokines in desirable ways. Second, it points to a higher dose requirement for achieving this.”

Vitamin D has been reported to improve muscular function, control blood pressure, and improve glucose tolerance, all of which underlying causes of CHF, said Vieth and Kimball.

“The more realistic question raised by Schleithoff et al is whether the use of an appropriate dose of vitamin D, as one part of a nutritional strategy, could help in the primary prevention of CHF,” concluded the editorial.

The results of this clinical trial appear to be in line with a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2003, Vol. 41, pp. 105-112) which reported that heart disease was linked to vitamin D deficiency.


Comment: Inflammation is now considered the underlying cause of all major diseases, including Heart Disease, Cancer, Auto Immune Diseases, etc. Reinhold Vieth is one of the leading authorities and a lead researcher on Vitamin D and he recommends that we need increased supplementation at levels between 2,000 IU to 4,000 IU a day. Multi-Vitamins usually only have 400 IU as a MDR.

What does Vitamin D3 do for your health.

Add Vitamin D3 to your health program: NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Need anymore proof that we need more Vitamin D ?

Life Extension Update Exclusive

Harvard study of professional men finds increased vitamin D levels associated with lower risk of cancer mortality...

The April 5, 2006 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported the findings of researchers at Harvard University that higher estimated levels of vitamin D are associated with a decreased incidence of all cancers, particularly those of the digestive system, as well as a decreased risk of dying from the disease.

Edward Giovannucci, MD, of Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues estimated vitamin D levels for 47,800 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, an ongoing prospective investigation into the causes of chronic diseases in male health professionals who were 40 to 75 years old upon enrollment in 1986. Dietary and other information was provided by questionnaires completed at the beginning of the study and every four years thereafter, and medical history was updated every two years. Long-term vitamin D levels were estimated from dietary intake and supplementation, skin pigmentation, adiposity, geographic residence, and leisure-time physical activity [this methodology was developed using the plasma 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels of a subset of 1095 participants, and verified on another group].
Between 1986 and 2000 there were 4,286 cancer diagnoses and 2,025 deaths from the disease. Men whose estimated 25(OH)D (vitamin D) levels were in the top 10 percent of participants experienced a 22 percent lower risk of mortality from any cancer than those in the lowest tenth. The research team found that an increment in vitamin D levels of 25 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) was associated with a 17 reduction in cancer incidence, a 29 percent reduction in cancer mortality, and a 45 percent reduction in digestive tract (colorectal, pancreatic, esophageal and stomach) cancer mortality.

“Achieving a 25(OH)D increment of 25 nmol/L may require a vitamin D supplementation of at least 1500 IU/day, a safe but not generally encouraged level,” the authors write. “Because current recommendations are adequate only to prevent extremely low vitamin D levels, establishing definitely whether cancer incidence and mortality rates are increased by inadequate vitamin D status should be a high priority.”

In an editorial in the same issue of the JNCI, Gary G. Schwartz, PhD, of Wake Forest University and William J. Blot, PhD, of the International Epidemiology Institute in Rockville, write, "The promising results from both observational and laboratory studies should usher in a new era of intervention studies of vitamin D and cancer risk. Because many public health scientists are already clamoring for higher levels of vitamin D supplementation for bone and other health, randomized trials of vitamin D and cancer risk should be undertaken speedily."


Comment: Receptors for vitamin D have been found all over the body from bone and brain to thymus and uterus. While there is still much to learn, strong evidence suggests that vitamin D is also important as an immune enhancement, anti-cancer and cardio- protective and joint protective agent, as well as being a potent antioxidant.
From an anthropological perspective we evolved outdoors exposed to abundant sunlight with very “high” vitamin D blood levels. Farmers and outdoor workers in sunny climates produce an equivalent of 10,000 IU vitamin D a day from solar radiation. These outdoor folks have naturally high vitamin D blood levels, at, or above the high end of normal for the standard laboratory range. These levels are maintained without any toxic effects, in fact, considerable data suggest health-promoting effects. I take 4,000 IU every day, but I do not get alot of sun.


Add Vitamin D3 to your health program: NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU

CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Ladies, would you like a 50% reduction in Breast Cancer Risk

4/4/2006-

Women who had more exposure to sun during puberty, or who have high intakes of the vitamin as adults, are less likely to develop breast cancer, say scientists at today’s 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. Over one million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with the highest incidences in the US and the Netherlands. China has the lowest incidence and mortality rate of the disease.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 13 percent of American women will develop breast cancer during their lives.

Two studies were presented at the meeting, the first (abstract number 4008) by Cedric Garland and Edward Gorham from the University of California, San Diego, reports the results of serum vitamin D levels and incidence of breast cancer for a pool of 1,760 women.
The analysis showed that a serum vitamin D level of 52 nanograms per milliliter was associated with a 50 percent reduction in breast cancer risk. To have such a serum vitamn level would require a daily intake of about 1,000 International Units (IU). The current recommended daily intake in the US is 400 IU.

Both forms of the vitamin, D2 and D3, are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the non-active ‘storage’ form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body. Scientists use serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D levels as a measure of vitamin D status.

“There is a strong inverse dose-response relationship between the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the risk of breast cancer. It’s a close fit to a linear model,” said Garland.
“There is no substantial downside to a serum level of 52 nanograms per milliliter of vitamin D,” explained Gorham. “Such levels are common in sunny climates. There is no known adverse effect of serum levels below 160 nanograms per milliliter.”

The scientists echoed calls by other researchers to increase the daily recommended intake of vitamin D3 to 1000 IU from fortified foods and supplements.
Consumption of vitamin D in a diet, without fortified foods or supplements is difficult since no food is naturally rich in vitamin D. Most vitamin D is made in the skin on exposure to sunlight, but some campaigners have advised against too much sun due to increased risk of skin cancer.
The second paper (abstract number 4009) by researchers at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, reports that women who have the highest intake of vitamin D between the ages of 10 and 29, the age range of breast development, are estimated to reduce their risk of breast cancer by 40 percent.

The preliminary findings by Julie Knight and her colleagues are based on interviews of 576 breast cancer patients and 1,135 healthy controls.

The scientists found that women who had worked in an outdoor job, been active outdoors, or consumed cod liver oil or milk during this age range had significantly lower risks of developing breast cancer.
“These outdoor activities included those that didn’t involve physical activity and so we believe that this is evidence of a reduction of breast cancer risk, associated with earlier exposure to the sun,” said Knight.

Cod liver oil consumption was associated with a 25 percent reduction in the risk, while drinking at least nine glasses of milk every week was associated with a 35 percent reduction.
“What you are exposed to during breast development may be particularly important in determining future breast cancer risk. Current thinking is that exposures during adolescence or before a full-term pregnancy may have a greater effect, as that is when breast tissue is going through the most rapid development,” said Knight.

UK researchers recently proposed 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected exposure to the midday sun as a good source of the vitamin. In the US, where over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, experts are pushing supplements, claiming recommendations for sun exposure are “highly irresponsible”.

Recent studies have shown that sunshine levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that the body makes no vitamin D at all, leading some to estimate that over half of the population in such countries have insufficient or deficient levels of the vitamin.

Add Vitamin D3 to your health program: NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Monday, April 03, 2006

Omega-3's could stop liver cancer cells growth

03/04/2006-

Omega-3 fatty acids could prevent or inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells, say researchers from the University of Pittsburgh at today’s annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to a wide-range of health benefits, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), good development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, behaviour and mood, and certain cancers.

“It has been known for some time that omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit certain cancer cells. So, we were interested in determining whether these substances could inhibit liver cancer cells. If so, we also wanted to know by what mechanism this inhibition occurs,” explained lead researcher Tong Wu, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Liver cancer is one of the rarer forms of the disease, accounting for about one per cent of all cancers. Worryingly, the risk of the disease increases with age, and rates have doubled since 1975, from two to four people per 100,000 people, according to Cancer Research UK.
The Pittsburgh scientists report the effects of omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid (AA), on liver cancer cells.

Both omega-3 fatty acids had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect, while the omega-6 acid had no effect, said the researchers.
Wu and colleagues found that DHA induced apoptosis, programmed cell death of the cancer cells, by promoting the splitting of a protein, called poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP), which is considered a tell-tale marker of cell death.
Also, both DHA and EPA indirectly decreased the levels of a protein, beta-catein, which has been linked to tumour development.

“Beta-catenin is known to promote cell growth and also is implicated in tumor cell promotion. Therefore, our finding that omega-3 fatty acids can decrease levels of beta-catenin is further evidence that these compounds have the ability to interact on several points of pathways involved in tumor progression, said Wu.

A similar study was recently published on-line in the British Journal of Cancer (doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6603030), reporting the effects of EPA, DHA and AA, on the spread of human prostate cancer cell lines.
While both omega-3 fatty acids were reported to have beneficial effects on stopping the growth and spread of the prostate cancer cells, the omega-6 fatty acid was reported to produce a metabolite, prostaglandin E2, helped the spread of the prostate cancer cells to bone marrow cells.

The role of omega fatty acids in the prevention of cancer has received increased media attention in recent weeks after a British Medical Journal article published a meta-analysis reviewing the associations between omega-3 intake and the risk of heart disease, cancer and mortality.
The analysis reported that there was no indication that the fatty acids offered protection for any of the disease, conclusions that were rounded upon by industry groups.

Dr Ray Rice, a food scientist and technical adviser to the Omega 3 Group, a consortium of fish companies, hit back at the study, saying: “This report used a faulty technique. It is conceptually flawed and should not cause people to regard seafood as anything but tasty and nutritious.”
The studies by Wu and colleagues are presented as abstracts numbers 2679 and 2680.

Comment: Our diet is too high in Omega 6 fatty acids from vegetable oils, especially in refined foods. Omega 6 fatty acids are pro-inflamatory. Omega 3's are anti-inflamatory, and are found in cold water fish and flax seeds. I take 6 grams a day of Omega 3's in capsule form.

Omega 3 EPA/DHA


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html

Calcium, vitamin D may lower diabetes risk

03/04/2006-
High intake of calcium and vitamin D, particularly from supplements, may lower the risk of diabetes by 33 per cent, say American scientists, as a leading European clinician reports that over a billion people are vitamin D deficient. A growing body of epidemiological, animal and clinical studies has linked insufficient levels of vitamin D and calcium to a broad range of health problems such as osteoporosis, cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Vitamin D is found in low concentrations in some food, and most vitamin D is manufactured in the skin on exposure to sunlight. Recent studies have shown that sunshine levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that the body makes no vitamin D at all.

Indeed, at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Glasgow yesterday, Professor Roger Bouillon from the University of Leuven reported that more than a billion people of all ages worldwide needed to up their vitamin D intake.

The new study, published in the journal Diabetes Care (Vol. 29, pp. 650-656), used data from the Nurses Health Study, and related the vitamin D and calcium intake of 83,779 registered nurses to the incidence of type-2 diabetes.
None of the women had diabetes at the start of the study, and the average body mass index was 24 kilograms per square metre (meaning that very few of the women were overweight or obese, factors that are strongly associated with increased risk of diabetes).
After 20 years of follow-up, during which time dietary and supplementary intakes were measured using validated food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, the authors concluded: “A combined daily intake of more than 1,200 milligrams of calcium and more than 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D was associated with a 33 per cent lower risk of type-2 diabetes."

Interestingly, lead researcher Anastassios Pitas, from the Tufts-New England Medical Center, found that dietary intake of vitamin D did not result in a statistically significant benefit. But women who consumed from that 400 IU vitamin D per day from supplements had a 13 per cent lower risk of diabetes, compared to women who consumed less than 100 IU per day.
Both dietary calcium and supplements were associated with significant decreased risks of type 2 diabetes, with women who had total daily intakes of calcium greater than 1,200 milligrams had a 21 per cent lower risk compared to women who had intakes less than 600 mg per day.
“For both vitamin D and calcium, intakes from supplements rather than from diet were significantly associated with a lower range of type 2 diabetes,” said Pittas.

The mechanism as to why vitamin D and calcium may reduce the risk of diabetes is not clear, but the researchers proposed that the two nutrients work together. Vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption in the intestine, while calcium is reported play a role in normalising glucose intolerance.

The researchers did not rule out a direct role of vitamin D, independent of calcium, noting that studies have reported that vitamin D insufficiency had been linked to insulin resistance and reduced function of pancreatic beta-cells.
Strengths of this study included the large-scale and long-term follow-up, but the authors note the inability of the study design to measure all the possible confounders. Also, no blood samples were taken to measure serum vitamin D levels.

“If these results are confirmed in prospective studies or in randomised trials, they will have important health implications because both of these interventions can be implemented easily and inexpensively to prevent type 2 diabetes,” concluded the researchers.
An estimated 19 million people are affected by diabetes in the EU 25, equal to four per cent of the total population. This figure is projected to increase to 26 million by 2030.
In the US, there are over 20 million people with diabetes, equal to seven per cent of the population. The total costs are thought to be as much as $132 billion, with $92 billion being direct costs from medication, according to 2002 American Diabetes Association figures.

Comment: The most recent research indicates that we need much more Vitamin D than we are getting, even when taking a multiple vitamin/mineral product. I take an additional 4,000 IU of D3 everyday on top of what I get from other sources.

NSI Vitamin D3 -- 1,000 IU


CW

Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.

Visit our website at: www.cwiechert.com

Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html