From Life Extension Foundation
Life Extension Update Exclusive 05-31-06
Lifestyle changes improve cognitive function in just two weeks...
A report published in the June, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry revealed the conclusion of UCLA researchers that adopting a healthy longevity lifestyle program involving memory and physical exercises, an optimal diet, and stress reduction amounts to increased brain efficiency among its practitioners after 14 days.
The study included 17 men and women aged 35-69 with normal memory performance scores. Eight participants were assigned to the following daily regimen: memory exercises such as crossword puzzles and brainteasers to stimulate the brain, walks to improve physical fitness, five small meals per day including abundant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and low glycemic carbohydrates to provide an optimal diet, and daily relaxation exercises to manage stress and help decrease the release of cortisol, a hormone that can impair memory.
The remaining 9 participants practiced their usual lifestyle routines. The subjects completed cognitive performance tests and self-assessments of memory before and after the study period, and received positron emission tomography (PET) scans to evaluate regional cerebral metabolism during mental rest.
After two weeks, the group following the healthy longevity lifestyle program was found to have a five percent decrease in brain metabolism in working memory regions, which means that their brains did not have to work as hard to accomplish tasks. Participants in the improved lifestyle group also had better verbal fluency, which is controlled by the same brain region. The control group demonstrated no significant changes in any of the areas evaluated in the study.
Lead researcher Dr Gary Small, who is a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior stated, "We've known for several years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health and live longer, but maintaining mental health is just as important. The UCLA study is the first to show the impact of memory exercises and stress reduction used together with a healthy diet and physical exercise to improve brain and cognitive function."
"The research demonstrates that in just 14 days, simple lifestyle changes can not only help overall health, but also improve memory and brain function," Dr Small concluded. "Our next step is to assess the individual effects of each lifestyle strategy, which may help us develop an optimal combination.”
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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, May 31, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
ADHD drugs send thousands to ERs - Needlessly
Study: ADHD drugs send thousands to ERs
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press WriterWed May 24, 10:56 PM ET
Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, according to the first national estimates of the problem.
Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds — overdoses and accidental use — could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the researchers say.
Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, high blood pressure and fast heart rate.
Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "black box," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted.
The issue was discussed in a series of letters in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, including some from doctors worried about the dangers of not treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"The numbers (of side effects) are puny compared to the numbers of stimulant prescriptions per year," said Dr. Tolga Taneli, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. "I'm not alarmed."
An estimated 3.3 million Americans who are 19 or younger and nearly 1.5 million ages 20 and older are taking ADHD medicines. Ritalin is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. of East Hanover, N.J.; Concerta by Johnson & Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J., and Adderall by Shire US Inc. of Newport, Ky.
Twenty-five deaths linked to ADHD drugs, 19 involving children, were reported to FDA from 1999 through 2003. Fifty-four other cases of serious heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes, were also reported. Some of the patients had prior heart problems.
Still, there hasn't been a clear estimate of the scope of side effects. The CDC report, while not a rigorous scientific study, attempts to provide that by using a new hospital surveillance network.
From August 2003 through December 2005, the researchers counted 188 ER visits for problems with the drugs at the 64 hospitals in the network, a representative sample of ERs monitored to spot drug side effects.
Doctors linked use of stimulant ADHD drugs to 73 patients with side effects or allergic reactions. Another 115 accidentally swallowed ADHD pills, including a month-old baby, or took too much.
"These are cases where a young child took someone else's medication or they took too much of their own," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Adam Cohen said of the second group.
Nearly 1 in 5 patients was admitted to the hospital, 1 in 5 needed stomach pumping or treatment with medicines, and 1 in 7 had cardiac symptoms. Sixteen percent of the side effects involved interaction with another drug.
Besides cardiac problems, common symptoms included abdominal pain, rashes and spasms, pain or weakness in muscles, according to Cohen. No patients died.
Extrapolating to all U.S. hospitals, the researchers estimated 3,075 ER visits occur each year.
In another letter in the journal, the heads of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry wrote they are concerned a black box warning would discourage use of ADHD drugs, raising patients' risks of academic failure, substance abuse and other problems.
This past February, an FDA drug safety advisory panel voted 8-7 for a black box warning. The next month, another FDA panel instead recommended data on cardiac and other risks go in a new "highlights" section the agency plans to add to the top of drug inserts.
Dr. Marsha Rappley, pediatrics professor at Michigan State University, and two other doctors on the advisory panels believe the vote for a black box was premature.
She said studies show the drugs raise blood pressure and pulse rates a bit, but it's unknown whether that would harm children taking them for years, and that cardiac risks may be higher for adults.
Dr. Steven Nissen, cardiology chief at the Cleveland Clinic, who had pressed for a black box warning at the FDA panel meeting, said ADHD drugs are powerful stimulants and inherently risky. Nissen and other doctors say the drugs are being prescribed to some who don't need them.
This week, the FDA said it is "working diligently" on "labeling changes that we feel accurately reflect the available data and the advice of the committees." The agency declined interview requests.
Comment: This is ridicules. In my opinion, and the opinion of MANY other health professionals, there is no reason to treat ADHD with harmful drugs. There have been many studies that show a diet low in refined carbs and artificial colorings, along with high doses of Vit B-Complex, Omega 3 Fatty Acids high in EPA/DHA and the trace mineral Zinc, are effective in correcting hyper active as well as attention deficit issues.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
SAVE 80 % OFF BRAND NAME SUPPLEMENTS
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
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press WriterWed May 24, 10:56 PM ET
Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, according to the first national estimates of the problem.
Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds — overdoses and accidental use — could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the researchers say.
Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, high blood pressure and fast heart rate.
Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "black box," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted.
The issue was discussed in a series of letters in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, including some from doctors worried about the dangers of not treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"The numbers (of side effects) are puny compared to the numbers of stimulant prescriptions per year," said Dr. Tolga Taneli, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. "I'm not alarmed."
An estimated 3.3 million Americans who are 19 or younger and nearly 1.5 million ages 20 and older are taking ADHD medicines. Ritalin is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. of East Hanover, N.J.; Concerta by Johnson & Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J., and Adderall by Shire US Inc. of Newport, Ky.
Twenty-five deaths linked to ADHD drugs, 19 involving children, were reported to FDA from 1999 through 2003. Fifty-four other cases of serious heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes, were also reported. Some of the patients had prior heart problems.
Still, there hasn't been a clear estimate of the scope of side effects. The CDC report, while not a rigorous scientific study, attempts to provide that by using a new hospital surveillance network.
From August 2003 through December 2005, the researchers counted 188 ER visits for problems with the drugs at the 64 hospitals in the network, a representative sample of ERs monitored to spot drug side effects.
Doctors linked use of stimulant ADHD drugs to 73 patients with side effects or allergic reactions. Another 115 accidentally swallowed ADHD pills, including a month-old baby, or took too much.
"These are cases where a young child took someone else's medication or they took too much of their own," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Adam Cohen said of the second group.
Nearly 1 in 5 patients was admitted to the hospital, 1 in 5 needed stomach pumping or treatment with medicines, and 1 in 7 had cardiac symptoms. Sixteen percent of the side effects involved interaction with another drug.
Besides cardiac problems, common symptoms included abdominal pain, rashes and spasms, pain or weakness in muscles, according to Cohen. No patients died.
Extrapolating to all U.S. hospitals, the researchers estimated 3,075 ER visits occur each year.
In another letter in the journal, the heads of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry wrote they are concerned a black box warning would discourage use of ADHD drugs, raising patients' risks of academic failure, substance abuse and other problems.
This past February, an FDA drug safety advisory panel voted 8-7 for a black box warning. The next month, another FDA panel instead recommended data on cardiac and other risks go in a new "highlights" section the agency plans to add to the top of drug inserts.
Dr. Marsha Rappley, pediatrics professor at Michigan State University, and two other doctors on the advisory panels believe the vote for a black box was premature.
She said studies show the drugs raise blood pressure and pulse rates a bit, but it's unknown whether that would harm children taking them for years, and that cardiac risks may be higher for adults.
Dr. Steven Nissen, cardiology chief at the Cleveland Clinic, who had pressed for a black box warning at the FDA panel meeting, said ADHD drugs are powerful stimulants and inherently risky. Nissen and other doctors say the drugs are being prescribed to some who don't need them.
This week, the FDA said it is "working diligently" on "labeling changes that we feel accurately reflect the available data and the advice of the committees." The agency declined interview requests.
Comment: This is ridicules. In my opinion, and the opinion of MANY other health professionals, there is no reason to treat ADHD with harmful drugs. There have been many studies that show a diet low in refined carbs and artificial colorings, along with high doses of Vit B-Complex, Omega 3 Fatty Acids high in EPA/DHA and the trace mineral Zinc, are effective in correcting hyper active as well as attention deficit issues.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
SAVE 80 % OFF BRAND NAME SUPPLEMENTS
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, May 15, 2006
Nutrients in the news...
People with higher levels of Magnesium, could reduce their risk of death from cancer by as much as 50 per cent, says a new study from France.
The research, published in the journal Epidemiology (Vol. 17, pp. 308-314), reports from the Paris Prospective Study 2, a cohort of over 4,000 men aged between 30 and 60 at the start of the study.
After 18 years of follow-up 339 subjects had died, with 176 due to cancer and a further 56 from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Serum analysis of magnesium, copper and zinc levels showed that highest serum level of magnesium (0.85 millimoles per litre or more) compared to the lowest level (0.76 millimoles per litre or less) was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, death from cancer, and CVD of 40, 50 and 40 per cent, respectively. High serum levels of this mineral were also linked to a 40 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a reduction of similar magnitude for cardiovascular deaths.
The research is important because dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium, found naturally in green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and milk.
Comment: I recommend taking between 600 mgs to 800 mgs total in supplement form along with eating more green vegetables.
High Fat Does NOT Increase Breast Cancer...
Fat phobia may be the height of fashion but it is junk medicine according to researchers who studied 88,795 women over the course of 14 years. They found that there was not one sign that a high fat diet was in any way associated with breast cancer.
Two very significant findings stand out:
1. Those who consumed the most unsaturated oils had the most breast cancer.
2, Those who consumed the most butter developed the least percentage of breast cancer.
Stearic acid, a component of dairy fat, was thought to be the protective agent for inhibiting
cancer.
Go back to natural fats, particularly if you want to avoid breast cancer. Unsaturated oils are natural of course, but they have been denuded of their natural anti-rancidity protectant - vitamin E - during processing and thus change into a rancid product very quickly. Butter, olive oil, coconut oil and peanut oil are better in every way and DO NOT cause cholesterol levels to rise. Fat Facts...
HIGH-CARB DIET DOUBLES RISK OF BREAST CANCER...
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports a study that indicates women who got 62 percent of their calories from carbohydrates were 2.22 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who diet was less than 50 percent carbohydrate. Researchers believe their findings are based on the fact that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels which prompts a surge of insulin, causing cells to divide and produce more estrogen, both of which can lead to cancer.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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
The research, published in the journal Epidemiology (Vol. 17, pp. 308-314), reports from the Paris Prospective Study 2, a cohort of over 4,000 men aged between 30 and 60 at the start of the study.
After 18 years of follow-up 339 subjects had died, with 176 due to cancer and a further 56 from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Serum analysis of magnesium, copper and zinc levels showed that highest serum level of magnesium (0.85 millimoles per litre or more) compared to the lowest level (0.76 millimoles per litre or less) was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, death from cancer, and CVD of 40, 50 and 40 per cent, respectively. High serum levels of this mineral were also linked to a 40 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a reduction of similar magnitude for cardiovascular deaths.
The research is important because dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium, found naturally in green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and milk.
Comment: I recommend taking between 600 mgs to 800 mgs total in supplement form along with eating more green vegetables.
High Fat Does NOT Increase Breast Cancer...
Fat phobia may be the height of fashion but it is junk medicine according to researchers who studied 88,795 women over the course of 14 years. They found that there was not one sign that a high fat diet was in any way associated with breast cancer.
Two very significant findings stand out:
1. Those who consumed the most unsaturated oils had the most breast cancer.
2, Those who consumed the most butter developed the least percentage of breast cancer.
Stearic acid, a component of dairy fat, was thought to be the protective agent for inhibiting
cancer.
Go back to natural fats, particularly if you want to avoid breast cancer. Unsaturated oils are natural of course, but they have been denuded of their natural anti-rancidity protectant - vitamin E - during processing and thus change into a rancid product very quickly. Butter, olive oil, coconut oil and peanut oil are better in every way and DO NOT cause cholesterol levels to rise. Fat Facts...
HIGH-CARB DIET DOUBLES RISK OF BREAST CANCER...
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports a study that indicates women who got 62 percent of their calories from carbohydrates were 2.22 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who diet was less than 50 percent carbohydrate. Researchers believe their findings are based on the fact that carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels which prompts a surge of insulin, causing cells to divide and produce more estrogen, both of which can lead to cancer.
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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
Thursday, May 11, 2006
When it come to surviving the Bird Flu, the early bird will have the best chance to survive...
05-13-06 -
I spent the wee hours this morning reading a 63 page joint report by The British Society for Ecological Medicine and the Alliance for Natural Health on "The Pivotal Role for Natural Products in Countering an Avian Influenza Pandemic" The report was put together by some of the best scientists and doctors in the world on Alternative Health and Ortho-Molecular Medicine. Their report argues in favor of trying to prevent through self-treatment and potential reversing the out break of the H5N1 Avian Flu Virus ( Bird Flu), into the general public, by using targeted nutritional intervention as opposed to pharmaceutical drugs.
Although ultimately many people will have to be hospitalized, the report suggests that the chances of survival could be significantly improved by the prophylactic use of mainly 3 important nutrients and some important lifestyle changes. While Tamiflu may be the medical choice for treating the Bird Flu, it might make more sense to begin a natural program early in the spread of the virus, if and when it comes, to improve your immune systems ability to handle the attack on it's own.
The report was put together in the hopes that the World Health Organization would take the boards recommendations and educate the public on what they can do to have the best chance of survival.
Without getting too bogged down with the details mentioned in the 63 page report, here is what they are recommending people to do in the event the Avian Flu hits our shores and begins to replicate between humans.
Several key micro-nutrients were mentioned as potentially life-saving because of their ability to improve the immune system and actually alter the viruses effect on the body. These nutrients included high doses of vitamin C, zinc, b-12, selenium, vitamin A and some botanical substances like Mushrooms, garlic and phytonutrients found in bright color foods.
Protocol 1 for prophylactic use of nutrients...
Zinc - Adults 25 mgs - children 10 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 3,000 mgs - children 1,000 mgs
Vitamin A - Adults 20,000 iu's - children 10,000 iu's
or Beta Carotene - Adults 60 mgs - children 30 mgs
( Program can be taken for the long term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals)
Protocol 2 for self-treatment...
Zinc - Adults 50 mgs - children 20 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 6,000 mgs - children 2,000 mgs - Start slow to bowel tolerance level.
Vitamin A - Adults 40,000 iu's - children 20,000 iu's - Short term use.
or Beta Carotene - Adults 120 mgs - children 60 mgs
( Program should be taken more for the short term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals) Do this with the support of your doctor, and or a alternative health professional only.)
NSI Vitamin C -- 1,000 mg - 250 Caps
NSI L-Optizinc -- 30 mg of Zinc - 200 Caps
Country Life Vitamin A -- 10,000 IU 100 Softgels
Nature's Way Beta Carotene -- 25,000 IU - 60 Softgels
Please read the whole report before taking on their program as their are lots of caveats that I am not including in this short review. The full report can be read at the following location and requires The Adobe Reader Program, which is free. The report can be read on their website, located on the right side of their page. http://www.anhcampaign.org/
Dietary recommendations are as follows...
A daily multi vitamin mineral suppement along with a diet of preferably 5-9 portions of organic fruits and vegetables, lots of pure water, fats from olive oil, flax seeds, fish and avoid sugar, refined foods, saturated fats and trans fats.
I personally recommend a Hunter-Gatherer type diet, including lots of proteins from fresh meats and nuts as well as the diet they contend as the best. Remember that fats and proteins are essential daily and support the immune system, but grains, cereals, and most carbohydrates are non essential, and should be in the form of low glycemic vegetables, fruits and nuts.
On a personal note, I have been on a program for over 25 years that exceeds their nutrient suggestions as a life extension program, and it has created an extremely strong immune system.
Let's all take charge of our own health, when ever possible, as no one cares more about you and your wellbeing, than you do.
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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
I spent the wee hours this morning reading a 63 page joint report by The British Society for Ecological Medicine and the Alliance for Natural Health on "The Pivotal Role for Natural Products in Countering an Avian Influenza Pandemic" The report was put together by some of the best scientists and doctors in the world on Alternative Health and Ortho-Molecular Medicine. Their report argues in favor of trying to prevent through self-treatment and potential reversing the out break of the H5N1 Avian Flu Virus ( Bird Flu), into the general public, by using targeted nutritional intervention as opposed to pharmaceutical drugs.
Although ultimately many people will have to be hospitalized, the report suggests that the chances of survival could be significantly improved by the prophylactic use of mainly 3 important nutrients and some important lifestyle changes. While Tamiflu may be the medical choice for treating the Bird Flu, it might make more sense to begin a natural program early in the spread of the virus, if and when it comes, to improve your immune systems ability to handle the attack on it's own.
The report was put together in the hopes that the World Health Organization would take the boards recommendations and educate the public on what they can do to have the best chance of survival.
Without getting too bogged down with the details mentioned in the 63 page report, here is what they are recommending people to do in the event the Avian Flu hits our shores and begins to replicate between humans.
Several key micro-nutrients were mentioned as potentially life-saving because of their ability to improve the immune system and actually alter the viruses effect on the body. These nutrients included high doses of vitamin C, zinc, b-12, selenium, vitamin A and some botanical substances like Mushrooms, garlic and phytonutrients found in bright color foods.
Protocol 1 for prophylactic use of nutrients...
Zinc - Adults 25 mgs - children 10 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 3,000 mgs - children 1,000 mgs
Vitamin A - Adults 20,000 iu's - children 10,000 iu's
or Beta Carotene - Adults 60 mgs - children 30 mgs
( Program can be taken for the long term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals)
Protocol 2 for self-treatment...
Zinc - Adults 50 mgs - children 20 mgs
Vitamin C - Adults 6,000 mgs - children 2,000 mgs - Start slow to bowel tolerance level.
Vitamin A - Adults 40,000 iu's - children 20,000 iu's - Short term use.
or Beta Carotene - Adults 120 mgs - children 60 mgs
( Program should be taken more for the short term, divided into many doses during the day,with meals) Do this with the support of your doctor, and or a alternative health professional only.)
NSI Vitamin C -- 1,000 mg - 250 Caps
NSI L-Optizinc -- 30 mg of Zinc - 200 Caps
Country Life Vitamin A -- 10,000 IU 100 Softgels
Nature's Way Beta Carotene -- 25,000 IU - 60 Softgels
Please read the whole report before taking on their program as their are lots of caveats that I am not including in this short review. The full report can be read at the following location and requires The Adobe Reader Program, which is free. The report can be read on their website, located on the right side of their page. http://www.anhcampaign.org/
Dietary recommendations are as follows...
A daily multi vitamin mineral suppement along with a diet of preferably 5-9 portions of organic fruits and vegetables, lots of pure water, fats from olive oil, flax seeds, fish and avoid sugar, refined foods, saturated fats and trans fats.
I personally recommend a Hunter-Gatherer type diet, including lots of proteins from fresh meats and nuts as well as the diet they contend as the best. Remember that fats and proteins are essential daily and support the immune system, but grains, cereals, and most carbohydrates are non essential, and should be in the form of low glycemic vegetables, fruits and nuts.
On a personal note, I have been on a program for over 25 years that exceeds their nutrient suggestions as a life extension program, and it has created an extremely strong immune system.
Let's all take charge of our own health, when ever possible, as no one cares more about you and your wellbeing, than you do.
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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, May 10, 2006
CLA does in fact reduce fat accumulation, especially around the legs & abdomen areas...
10/05/2006- Lipid Nutrition is today announcing the findings of a new human trial using CLA, that reinforces the fatty acid’s fat mass reduction claim and shed light on the main locations of the fat reduction on the human body. Lipid Nutrition is today announcing the findings of a new human trial using CLA, that reinforces the fatty acid’s fat mass reduction claim and shed light on the main locations of the fat reduction on the human body. The results, presented by Dr Sandra Einerhand, director nutrition and toxicology Europe, at Vitafoods in Geneva, reinforce the ingredient’s promotional claim to be a body shaper – especially for the upper leg and abdomen areas.
CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) is a fatty acid naturally present in ruminant meat and dairy products. Due to changes in the Western diet, average intake of CLA has fallen; if the fat is removed from a dairy product to make a low fat version that will be acceptable to consumers, CLA is removed along with it.
Dr Einerhand explained that CLA is metabolised by bacteria in the stomachs of cows from the grass they eat, but modern farming methods may mean they are not left outside to graze for as long as they were in days gone by.
This has led nutraceutical companies to research and promote CLA for use in dietary supplement and food products, largely based on its two-fold effect on humans: the reduction of fat mass and the induction of lean body mass.
The mechanism of action has been well studied: if fat consumed is not used for energy, the triglycerides are taken up by fat cells – a mechanism for which the enzyme lipoprotein lipase is responsible.
CLA inhibits this enzyme, and instead the triglycerides are diverted to the muscle cells to be burnt. Here the CLA induces the activity of another enzyme, carnitine palmitoyl transferase, which is responsible for oxidation and the burning of fat.
The new placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind study was conducted at an independent research institute and involved 180 obese or overweight adults with a body mass index between 28 and 32.
Over a six month period they received either 3.4g of CLA each day, or a placebo (olive oil).
Dr Einerhand said that the results were already evident eight to 12 weeks into the study, but at the end of the six months the effect on fat mass was seen to be around 2kg compared to the placebo – equivalent to eight packs of butter.
Lean body mass was seen to increase by an average of 0.4kg in the CLA group, over the placebo group.
But the area in which the study really shed light is the location of fat mass reduction – seen to be focused on the abdomen and the legs. This gives credence to the ingredient’s promotional claims to be a body shaper.
NSI Tonalin XS-CLA -- 1g(1,000 mg) - 120 Softgels
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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
CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) is a fatty acid naturally present in ruminant meat and dairy products. Due to changes in the Western diet, average intake of CLA has fallen; if the fat is removed from a dairy product to make a low fat version that will be acceptable to consumers, CLA is removed along with it.
Dr Einerhand explained that CLA is metabolised by bacteria in the stomachs of cows from the grass they eat, but modern farming methods may mean they are not left outside to graze for as long as they were in days gone by.
This has led nutraceutical companies to research and promote CLA for use in dietary supplement and food products, largely based on its two-fold effect on humans: the reduction of fat mass and the induction of lean body mass.
The mechanism of action has been well studied: if fat consumed is not used for energy, the triglycerides are taken up by fat cells – a mechanism for which the enzyme lipoprotein lipase is responsible.
CLA inhibits this enzyme, and instead the triglycerides are diverted to the muscle cells to be burnt. Here the CLA induces the activity of another enzyme, carnitine palmitoyl transferase, which is responsible for oxidation and the burning of fat.
The new placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind study was conducted at an independent research institute and involved 180 obese or overweight adults with a body mass index between 28 and 32.
Over a six month period they received either 3.4g of CLA each day, or a placebo (olive oil).
Dr Einerhand said that the results were already evident eight to 12 weeks into the study, but at the end of the six months the effect on fat mass was seen to be around 2kg compared to the placebo – equivalent to eight packs of butter.
Lean body mass was seen to increase by an average of 0.4kg in the CLA group, over the placebo group.
But the area in which the study really shed light is the location of fat mass reduction – seen to be focused on the abdomen and the legs. This gives credence to the ingredient’s promotional claims to be a body shaper.
NSI Tonalin XS-CLA -- 1g(1,000 mg) - 120 Softgels
CW
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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
Saturday, May 06, 2006
ADD/ADHD, Disorder or Deficiency?
Recent research in the area Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD), shows that 3% to 5% of our children here in the U.S. suffer from this difficult problem. Symptoms of this disorder include short attention span, inability to complete tasks, hyperactivity, and a tendency to interrupt others. In addition to these behavioral issues, nearly 25% of these children suffer from one or more specific learning disabilities in math, spelling, or reading. Most parents of children with ADD/ADHD report feelings of frustration because they know their kids are quite bright in spite of the evident behavior. So here is the critical question…Are these children deficient in Ridlin, the drug of choice these days, or is something natural missing from their diets?
Since 1995, many reputable studies around the world have suggested that ADD and ADHD are actually caused by a deficiency in certain essential fatty acids and not necessarily disorders requiring drug therapy. A study first reported in 1995, conducted at Purdue University, linked a sub-clinical deficiency in a long chain fatty acid derived from fish, called Docosahexaenoic Acid, or DHA, as responsible for the abnormal behavior of children with ADD/ADHD.
In 1997, Dr. Barbara Levine, Professor of Nutrition in Medicine at Cornell University, sounded the alarm that most Americans were grossly deficient in DHA because of a lack of enough fish in the American diet. DHA is the building block of human brain tissue and is very abundant in the gray matter of the brain and the retina of the eye. Low levels of DHA in adults have also recently been associated with many health issues such as depression, memory loss, dementia and visual problems.
It turns out that the DHA of an infant’s brain triples during the first 3 months of life. Lactating mothers and women who are pregnant should make sure that they are getting optimal levels of DHA during that crucial time period. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Levine, the average DHA content of breast milk in the U.S. is the smallest in the world, most likely due to our low intake of fish, relative to other countries. Making matters worse, she tells us that the U.S. is the only country in the world where infant formulas are not fortified with DHA. This, despite the fact that in 1995, the World Health Organization recommended that all baby formulas should provide at least 40mg of DHA per kilo of infant body weight. Dr. Levine believes that postpartum depression, ADD, ADHD, and low IQ’s are all linked to the dismally low intake of DHA in the U.S.
Have you ever wondered why more male children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD compared with girls? Researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Auckland discovered that male animals require 3 times as much essential fatty acids as do females in order to achieve normal neonatal infant development. Their studies also confirm that blood analysis of ADD/ADHD kids showed significantly depressed levels of DHA, and in most cases, low levels of zinc, an important trace mineral known for improving learning.
For many health reasons, americans should eat cold-water fish like salmon or mackerel at least 3 times per week, or consider supplementing with up to 850mg of concentrated fish oil from a reputable source, as many scientists are suggesting.
NSI Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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
Since 1995, many reputable studies around the world have suggested that ADD and ADHD are actually caused by a deficiency in certain essential fatty acids and not necessarily disorders requiring drug therapy. A study first reported in 1995, conducted at Purdue University, linked a sub-clinical deficiency in a long chain fatty acid derived from fish, called Docosahexaenoic Acid, or DHA, as responsible for the abnormal behavior of children with ADD/ADHD.
In 1997, Dr. Barbara Levine, Professor of Nutrition in Medicine at Cornell University, sounded the alarm that most Americans were grossly deficient in DHA because of a lack of enough fish in the American diet. DHA is the building block of human brain tissue and is very abundant in the gray matter of the brain and the retina of the eye. Low levels of DHA in adults have also recently been associated with many health issues such as depression, memory loss, dementia and visual problems.
It turns out that the DHA of an infant’s brain triples during the first 3 months of life. Lactating mothers and women who are pregnant should make sure that they are getting optimal levels of DHA during that crucial time period. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Levine, the average DHA content of breast milk in the U.S. is the smallest in the world, most likely due to our low intake of fish, relative to other countries. Making matters worse, she tells us that the U.S. is the only country in the world where infant formulas are not fortified with DHA. This, despite the fact that in 1995, the World Health Organization recommended that all baby formulas should provide at least 40mg of DHA per kilo of infant body weight. Dr. Levine believes that postpartum depression, ADD, ADHD, and low IQ’s are all linked to the dismally low intake of DHA in the U.S.
Have you ever wondered why more male children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD compared with girls? Researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Auckland discovered that male animals require 3 times as much essential fatty acids as do females in order to achieve normal neonatal infant development. Their studies also confirm that blood analysis of ADD/ADHD kids showed significantly depressed levels of DHA, and in most cases, low levels of zinc, an important trace mineral known for improving learning.
For many health reasons, americans should eat cold-water fish like salmon or mackerel at least 3 times per week, or consider supplementing with up to 850mg of concentrated fish oil from a reputable source, as many scientists are suggesting.
NSI Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
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, May 03, 2006
This is a good start, but long overdue...
Nearly All Sodas Sales to Schools to End
By SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press 05-03-06
The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to public schools, according to a deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation.
Under the agreement, the companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.
Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and the American Beverage Association have all signed onto the deal, Carson said, adding that the companies serve "the vast majority of schools." The American Beverage Association represents the majority of school vending bottlers.
The deal follows a wave of regulation by school districts and state legislatures to cut back on student consumption of soda amid reports of rising childhood obesity rates. Soda has been a particular target of those fighting obesity because of its caloric content and popularity among children.
"It's a bold and sweeping step that industry and childhood obesity advocates have decided to take together," Carson said.
A man who answered the phone at Cadbury Schweppes' London headquarters said no one was available for comment. Calls seeking comment from the other distributors were not immediately returned early Wednesday.
Nearly 35 million students nationwide will be affected by the deal, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation said in a news release. The group, a collaboration between Clinton's foundation and the American Heart Association, helped broker the deal.
"This is really the beginning of a major effort to modify childhood obesity at the level of the school systems," said Robert H. Eckel, president of the American Heart Association.
Under the agreement, high schools will still be able to purchase drinks such as diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, sports drinks, flavored water, seltzer and low-calorie sports drinks from distributors.
School sales of those kinds of drinks have been on the rise in recent years, while regular soda purchases by students have been falling, according to an ABA report released in December. But regular soda is still the most popular drink among students, accounting for 45 percent of beverages sold in schools in 2005, the report said.
The agreement applies to beverages sold for use on school grounds during the regular and extended school day, Carson said. Sales during after-school activities such as clubs, yearbook, band and choir practice will be affected by the new regulations. But sales at events such as school plays, band concerts and sporting events, where adults make up a significant portion of the audience, won't be affected, he said.
How quickly the changes take hold will depend in part on individual school districts' willingness to alter existing contracts, the alliance said. The companies will work to implement the changes at 75 percent of the nation's public schools by the 2008-2009 school year, and at all public schools a year later.
Many school districts around the country have already begun to replace soda and candy in vending machines with healthier items, and dozens of states have considered legislation on school nutrition this year.
The agreement follows an August decision by the American Beverage Association to adopt a policy limiting soft drinks in high schools to no more than 50 percent of the selections in vending machines. That recommendation was not binding.
Comment: In order to understand what happens when someone becomes resistant to insulin, we must review the role insulin and its balancing hormone, glucagon, play in the body. When we eat, our bodies break down the food into its basic components - protein (amino acids), carbohydrate (glucose), fat (fatty acids), which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. It is important to realize that carbohydrate has a far greater effect on raising blood sugar (glucose) than fat or protein. A rise in blood sugar signals the pancreas to make and release insulin. Insulin secretion should promptly return blood sugar levels to a normal fasting level within two hours after eating. This occurs as insulin transports glucose out of the blood stream, across the cell membrane, and into cells where it is either burned for energy, stored as fat in fat cells or stored as glycogen (a storage form of glucose) in muscle. Fat travels in the blood in the form of a molecule called triglyceride. A triglyceride is composed of three fatty acid molecules. When a triglyceride in the blood reaches a cell, enzymes at the surface of the cell break down the molecule and the fatty acids can enter the cell. Once inside the cell, an amino acid, L-carnitine helps shuttle the fatty acids into a fat burning factory inside the cell called the mitochondria. Although fat is able to enter the cell without using insulin to transport it like glucose must, insulin blocks this fat-carnitine system and thereby keeps the fat from entering the mitochondria where it would be burned for energy production. Insulin pushes the fatty acids back into triglycerides and out of the cell encouraging the storage of fat in adipose (fatty) tissue. In short, excess insulin directly creates obesity.
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
By SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press 05-03-06
The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to public schools, according to a deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation.
Under the agreement, the companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.
Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and the American Beverage Association have all signed onto the deal, Carson said, adding that the companies serve "the vast majority of schools." The American Beverage Association represents the majority of school vending bottlers.
The deal follows a wave of regulation by school districts and state legislatures to cut back on student consumption of soda amid reports of rising childhood obesity rates. Soda has been a particular target of those fighting obesity because of its caloric content and popularity among children.
"It's a bold and sweeping step that industry and childhood obesity advocates have decided to take together," Carson said.
A man who answered the phone at Cadbury Schweppes' London headquarters said no one was available for comment. Calls seeking comment from the other distributors were not immediately returned early Wednesday.
Nearly 35 million students nationwide will be affected by the deal, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation said in a news release. The group, a collaboration between Clinton's foundation and the American Heart Association, helped broker the deal.
"This is really the beginning of a major effort to modify childhood obesity at the level of the school systems," said Robert H. Eckel, president of the American Heart Association.
Under the agreement, high schools will still be able to purchase drinks such as diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, sports drinks, flavored water, seltzer and low-calorie sports drinks from distributors.
School sales of those kinds of drinks have been on the rise in recent years, while regular soda purchases by students have been falling, according to an ABA report released in December. But regular soda is still the most popular drink among students, accounting for 45 percent of beverages sold in schools in 2005, the report said.
The agreement applies to beverages sold for use on school grounds during the regular and extended school day, Carson said. Sales during after-school activities such as clubs, yearbook, band and choir practice will be affected by the new regulations. But sales at events such as school plays, band concerts and sporting events, where adults make up a significant portion of the audience, won't be affected, he said.
How quickly the changes take hold will depend in part on individual school districts' willingness to alter existing contracts, the alliance said. The companies will work to implement the changes at 75 percent of the nation's public schools by the 2008-2009 school year, and at all public schools a year later.
Many school districts around the country have already begun to replace soda and candy in vending machines with healthier items, and dozens of states have considered legislation on school nutrition this year.
The agreement follows an August decision by the American Beverage Association to adopt a policy limiting soft drinks in high schools to no more than 50 percent of the selections in vending machines. That recommendation was not binding.
Comment: In order to understand what happens when someone becomes resistant to insulin, we must review the role insulin and its balancing hormone, glucagon, play in the body. When we eat, our bodies break down the food into its basic components - protein (amino acids), carbohydrate (glucose), fat (fatty acids), which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. It is important to realize that carbohydrate has a far greater effect on raising blood sugar (glucose) than fat or protein. A rise in blood sugar signals the pancreas to make and release insulin. Insulin secretion should promptly return blood sugar levels to a normal fasting level within two hours after eating. This occurs as insulin transports glucose out of the blood stream, across the cell membrane, and into cells where it is either burned for energy, stored as fat in fat cells or stored as glycogen (a storage form of glucose) in muscle. Fat travels in the blood in the form of a molecule called triglyceride. A triglyceride is composed of three fatty acid molecules. When a triglyceride in the blood reaches a cell, enzymes at the surface of the cell break down the molecule and the fatty acids can enter the cell. Once inside the cell, an amino acid, L-carnitine helps shuttle the fatty acids into a fat burning factory inside the cell called the mitochondria. Although fat is able to enter the cell without using insulin to transport it like glucose must, insulin blocks this fat-carnitine system and thereby keeps the fat from entering the mitochondria where it would be burned for energy production. Insulin pushes the fatty acids back into triglycerides and out of the cell encouraging the storage of fat in adipose (fatty) tissue. In short, excess insulin directly creates obesity.
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
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
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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
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
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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
Have your nutritional questions answered by e-mail: www.cwiechert.com/QAMAIL.html
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Take extra C & E
Here is a study that was just published in the British journal Diabetic Medicine in March 20063.
Twenty patients with type II diabetes mellitus participated in a study involving an overnight fast, followed by ingestion of a standard fatty meal in the morning. The study was then repeated in a double-blinded manner with placebo. Half the group received vitamin C 1,000 mg daily for two days prior to retesting with the fatty meal, while the other group received placebo. It was found that those who supplemented with vitamin C had significant improvement in blood flow after the fatty meal compared to the placebo group. The effect lasted for at least eight hours after the fatty meal. It's not uncommon for individuals to suffer heart attacks after a fatty meal because of alterations in blood flow through arteries from effects of lipids in the bloodstream.
Another study that was done a few years ago and was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had similar results. Here, half of a group of normal individuals received high dose vitamin C (1,000 mg) and E (800 mg) where the other group was given placebo4. All had the equivalent of a heavy saturated fat Mc Donald's breakfast. Those given vitamins C and E had significant improvement in blood flow compared to the group given placebo. In a related article published in the March 2000 edition of Atherosclerosis5, researchers out of Sweden tested forearm blood flow in 12 young, healthy males. These 12 men then received infusion of endothelin-1, which exerts pro-inflammatory effects and contributes to endothelial dysfunction. When endothelin-1 was infused there was clear decrease in blood flow. However, when these same individuals were pre-treated with vitamin C at 24 mg a minute, the vitamin C was able to prevent the decrease in blood flow by the endothelin-1.
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
Twenty patients with type II diabetes mellitus participated in a study involving an overnight fast, followed by ingestion of a standard fatty meal in the morning. The study was then repeated in a double-blinded manner with placebo. Half the group received vitamin C 1,000 mg daily for two days prior to retesting with the fatty meal, while the other group received placebo. It was found that those who supplemented with vitamin C had significant improvement in blood flow after the fatty meal compared to the placebo group. The effect lasted for at least eight hours after the fatty meal. It's not uncommon for individuals to suffer heart attacks after a fatty meal because of alterations in blood flow through arteries from effects of lipids in the bloodstream.
Another study that was done a few years ago and was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had similar results. Here, half of a group of normal individuals received high dose vitamin C (1,000 mg) and E (800 mg) where the other group was given placebo4. All had the equivalent of a heavy saturated fat Mc Donald's breakfast. Those given vitamins C and E had significant improvement in blood flow compared to the group given placebo. In a related article published in the March 2000 edition of Atherosclerosis5, researchers out of Sweden tested forearm blood flow in 12 young, healthy males. These 12 men then received infusion of endothelin-1, which exerts pro-inflammatory effects and contributes to endothelial dysfunction. When endothelin-1 was infused there was clear decrease in blood flow. However, when these same individuals were pre-treated with vitamin C at 24 mg a minute, the vitamin C was able to prevent the decrease in blood flow by the endothelin-1.
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
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