VITAMIN GUIDE

Effects Of Vitamin D And Skin's Physiology Examined

2008-02-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Feb. 24, 2008) — Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that previtamin D3 production varies depending on several factors including skin type and weather conditions. Excessive exposure to sunlight does not result in Vitamin D intoxification because previtamin D3 and vitamin D3 are photolyzed to several photoproducts. During the winter at latitudes above ~35 degrees, there is minimal if any previtamin D3 production in the skin.

Increased skin pigmentation, application of a sunscreen, aging and clothing have a dramatic effect on previtamin D3 production in the skin. It has been speculated that people living at higher latitudes may be able to more efficiently produce vitamin D3 in their skin because there is less ozone to absorb the UVB photons.

Forty-five nursing home residents who were taking a multivitamin that contained 400 IU of vitamin D2 showed a dramatic decline in their 25(OH)D levels from the end of summer to the beginning of the following summer. Forty-nine percent, 67 percent, 74 percent, and 78 percent of the nursing home residents were vitamin D deficient in August, November, February, and May respectively.

Fifteen healthy adults aged 20-53 received exposure three times per week from a commercial tanning bed that emitted five percent of its UV energy in the UVB range 290-320 nm to most of their body while in a bathing suit. 25(OH)D levels were determined weekly for a total of seven weeks.

Exposure of 7-dehydrocholesterol to tanning bed irradiation revealed -1 percent production of previtamin D after one minute and a linear increase to -10 percent at 10 minutes. After one week, there was a 50 percent increase in 25 (OH)D levels that continued to increase over a period of five weeks to -150 percent above baseline levels. The blood levels of 25 (OH)D plateaued after five weeks and were sustained out to seven weeks.

"Vitamin D deficiency is common in both children and adults worldwide," said Michael Holick, PhD, MD, director of the General Clinical Research Center and professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at BUSM and senior author of this study. "Exposure to lamps that emit UVB radiation is an excellent source for producing vitamin D3 in the skin and is especially efficacious in patients with fat malabsortion syndromes."

It has been observed that living at higher latitudes and being more prone to vitamin D deficiency markedly increases risk of many deadly cancers including cancer of the colon, prostate, breast, and esophagus, according to Holick, who is also director of the Bone Healthcare Clinic and the vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center. Living at higher latitudes also increase the risk of having hypertension, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases including tuberculosis and influenza.

According to researchers, most experts now agree that a minimum of 1000 IU of vitamin D3 per day is necessary to maintain circulating concentrations of 25(OH)D.

The study will appear in the March 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Ultraviolet Light Foundation.

Adapted from materials provided by Boston University.

GINSENG

2008-02-23T17:33:00.001-08:00

The best known varieties of ginseng are Korean or Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng) and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Korean ginseng is considered to be more stimulating than Siberian ginseng. Ginseng has long been used in Chinese medicine as a tonic. The enhance to body’s ability to cope with stress, improve energy metabolism, lower blood sugar, blood immunity, enhance liver function, and regulate cell growth. Chemicals that are found in ginseng are arabinose, camphor, ginsenosides, mucilage, panaxosides, resin, saponin, and starch.

How This Mineral Works in Your Body:
Stimulates brain, heart, and blood vessels
Reduces stress and fatigue
Increases secretion of histamine
Improves appetite and digestion
Acts as a stimulant
Acts as an antioxidant
Treat rheumatic pain in the elderly
Used as an aphrodisiac
May increase mental and physical stamina
May treat symptoms of menopausejavascript:void(0)
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May reduce effects of radiation exposure
May reduce blood glucose in diabetics
May alleviate insomnia

Royal Jelly

2008-02-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Royal jelly is a milky-white, gelatinous substance secreted by the salivary glands of worker bees to stimulate growth and development of queen bees.

How This Supplement Works in Your Body:
No effects on the body have been proven.
May lengthen life span
May treat bone and joint disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis
May protect against leukemia
May contain antibiotic properties
May treat bronchial asthma
May treat insomnia
May treat liver and kidney disease

Warning :

People with asthma or allergies to bee stings should be very careful when using bee products; they should avoid royal jelly entirely.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

Immune System Support and Aging

2008-01-30T04:40:00.000-08:00

Old age isn't so bad...when you consider the alternative. Right. In youth-oriented societies, the alternative is plastic surgery and, for men, finding trophy girlfriends. Relax. You can still date (Sherry Halperin humorously explores this in RESCUE ME, HE'S WEARING A MOOSE HAT AND FORTY OTHER DATES AFTER FIFTY) and exercise and eat right to look good. Some of our not-so-bad alternatives to putting on your mom's granny dress:

Cinnamon will spice up your immune system and keep your heart healthy.

Vitamin C and E--'nuff said.

Acidophilus, so varicose veins and the portrayal of older women on TV don't turn your stomach.

Luo Han Kuo from China, where they respect aging -- you're adventurous enough to try new things, right?

Beta-carotene so you can eliminate free radicals like the ex-hippie you dated last night.

Old age isn't so bad...when nutrition smarts come with it. Immune system vitamins will keep you glowing and growing!

Heidi Splete

Bird flu may be spread indirectly, WHO says

2008-01-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

By Maggie Fox

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The H5N1 bird flu virus may sometimes stick to surfaces or get kicked up in fertilizer dust to infect people, according to a World Health Organization report published on Wednesday.

The WHO team reviewed all known human cases of avian influenza, which has infected 350 people in 14 countries and killed 217 of them since 2003, and found that 25 percent of cases have no explanation.

Most are passed directly from bird to people, they noted in their report, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. And very rarely one person can infect another -- always close relatives via intimate physical contact.

"In one quarter or more of patients with influenza A (H5N1) virus infection, the source of exposure is unclear, and environment-to-human transmission remains possible," the researchers, led by WHO's Dr. Frederick Hayden, wrote.

"For some patients, the only identified risk factor was visiting a live-poultry market."

It could be that small particles of virus-contaminated fluid stuck to surfaces, they said. Or perhaps fertilizer made from infected bird feces somehow carried the virus into people's noses or mouths.

"It is unknown whether influenza A (H5N1) virus infection can begin in the human gastrointestinal tract," they wrote.

"In several patients, diarrheal disease preceded respiratory symptoms, and virus has been detected in feces."

Government and health officials have stressed that well-cooked chicken cannot infect people. "Drinking potable water and eating properly cooked foods are not considered to be risk factors, but ingestion of virus-contaminated products or swimming or bathing in virus-contaminated water might pose a risk," the WHO team of bird flu experts noted.

ENDEMIC IN BIRDS

H5N1 is considered entrenched in parts of Asia, including Indonesia, Africa and the Middle East. It pops up frequently in Europe and has prompted the slaughter of hundreds of millions of chickens.

The researchers noted that people only rarely become infected. The fear is that the virus will mutate into a strain that passes easily from one person to another, setting off a pandemic that could kill millions of people in the space of a few months.

"After exposure to infected poultry, the incubation period generally appears to be 7 days or less, and in many cases this period is 2 to 5 days," the WHO team wrote.

"In clusters in which limited, human-to-human transmission has probably occurred, the incubation period appears to be approximately 3 to 5 days, although in one cluster it was estimated to be 8 to 9 days."

It usually causes severe pneumonia and tests suggest that it rarely or never infects people without causing symptoms.

Avian flu kills on average within nine to 10 days and has killed 61 percent of victims.

Quick use of antiviral drugs can save lives, they noted, although some strains of the virus are more treatable than others with Tamiflu, the drug of choice to treat influenza. It is made by Roche Holdings AG and Gilead Sciences under the generic name oseltamivir.

Reuters Health

Proper Nutrition To Protect Against Aging

2008-01-15T07:40:00.001-08:00

During the past thirty years, there has been a steadily growing body of scientific evidence showing that vitamins and minerals play a much more important role in our overall health than previously acknowledged.

The proper balance of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients has been linked to health benefits that include stronger immune system response, prevention of many degenerative diseases, and the slowing of the daily wear and tear that is the aging process. A well balanced diet, rich in the necessary nutrients, while difficult to achieve in our fast paced culture, has a wide range of benefits.

It is essential to overall health and longevity to keep the immune system functioning well. There are a number of nutrients that have been shown be necessary to our immune function. Antioxidants, such as the vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene, and selenium have been shown to boost immunity.

The minerals zinc and magnesium are also important for immune function. To ensure a beneficial intake of these antioxidants, you must include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Zinc and magnesium can be found in dairy products, and seafood.

Certain vitamins and minerals have been shown to aid in the prevention of some degenerative diseases, and aging disorders. Antioxidants can help to lower the risk of cataracts, and macular degeneration, which are conditions associated with aging. It is also suggested by experts that they can help slow the aging process by reducing the daily cell damage done by environmental pollution, and time.

Vitamin E has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Niacin, a B vitamin can help in reducing the level of cholesterol. Some other nutrients that are helpful in protecting against age related disorders are selenium, cartenoids, flavinoids, and some Amino acids.

Proper nutrition via the diet, while definitely achievable, is often a difficult process in today’s fast paced culture, particularly in combination with the social changes we’ve experienced. People often work longer and harder, and the two income family reigns supreme, followed closely by the single parent family unit.

Another difficulty involved in achieving the standard recommended daily intake levels of essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients each and every day has to do with food quality. As minerals are depleted from the soil, due to growing practices that include single crop plantings and failure to rotate crops or let field remain fallow to rest and regenerate, as well as through the erosion of topsoil, the mineral content of food is not always what we think it is.

Nutritional supplements offer a reliable and safe means of ensuring that we reach our nutritional goals. Nutritional supplements are not meant to substitute for a good diet, but rather to complement it.
In fact, they tend to perform much better when they have real food to interact with. If you are inexperienced with nutritional supplements, you may benefit from a consultation with a licensed nutritionist who will be able to help you to devise a nutritional supplement plan best suited for your dietary needs and health goals.

Proper Nutrition before Menopause Might Prevent Breast Cancer

2008-01-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

By Maureen Williams, ND

Healthnotes Newswire (June 7, 2007)—Many women start thinking about calcium and vitamin D after menopause, but new evidence suggests that paying attention to these nutrients before menopause could protect against breast cancer.

The new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, was drawn from the large, long-term Women’s Health Study. The analysis included information about diet and cancer diagnoses over a ten-year period from 10,578 premenopausal women and 20,909 postmenopausal women.

Some of the richest sources of dietary calcium are green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli, as well as sea vegetables such as kelp and dulse. Figs and some nuts and seeds also provide high amounts of calcium. Vitamin D has few natural sources (primarily egg yolk and fish oil) but the body is able to make plenty when it has adequate sun exposure.

Most of the calcium and vitamin D for the women in this study, however, came from fortified dairy foods and supplements. Calcium-fortified orange juice and vitamin D–fortified cereals also contributed to the total intake. This pattern reflects the eating habits of most Americans and people from other Western-influenced cultures.

Calcium and vitamin D intakes were both linked to lower breast cancer risk in premenopausal women, but not postmenopausal women. Compared with premenopausal women with the lowest intake of calcium, those with the highest intake had a 39% lower risk of developing breast cancer; for vitamin D, having the highest intake reduced the risk by 35%. Aggressive breast tumors in particular were less likely to develop in women with high calcium and vitamin D intakes.

“Higher intakes of total calcium and vitamin D were moderately associated with a lower risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women, and the lower risk was more pronounced in more aggressive breast tumors,” the study authors reported, pointing out that this was not the case for postmenopausal women.

“We already knew that women should be trying to get lots of calcium and vitamin D well before menopause to ensure the health of their bones. With these findings, there is even more incentive,” commented Dr. Julianne Forbes, a naturopathic doctor practicing in Maine. “It’s encouraging to see that science is giving us more tools for protecting women against breast cancer. I hope that future research will tell us more about how specific sources of calcium compare in their protective effect.”

(Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1050–9)

Maureen Williams, ND, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She has a private practice in Quechee, VT, and does extensive work with traditional herbal medicine in Guatemala and Honduras. Dr. Williams is a regular contributor to Healthnotes Newswire.

Vitamins And Minerals For Healthy And Efficient Functioning Of The Brain

2007-12-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can play an important role in memory. Memory is far more than a practical process that allows us to remember where we left the house keys, how to delete those temporary files clogging the system or the password for the ATM card. It is place where we store that which is most precious to us, the cute baby phrases the children soon leave behind, where we were when we decided to get married, and the faces and voices of those beloved that have long since passed away.

Striving each day to reach the standard recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is an important way to make sure that our capacity for memory last a good long time.

The vitamins that make up the powerful Vitamin B complex are essential to the healthy and efficient functioning of the brain, not only in the sense of maintaining its physical structures, but also in the sense of its cognitive functions and feeling of mental well being. That is because the brain, how we think and what we feel, come from a variety of chemical and electrical interactions.

The success of these interactions depends a great deal upon the balance of chemicals in the brain, which is often a direct result of the nutritional content the brain has to work with. Very simply, it we don’t provide sufficient fuel, the brain will be unable to function at peak performance levels.

Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is necessary to the creation of the myelin sheath, which serves to protect the nerves and to speed up its electrical transmissions, which is part of how the brain communicates with itself and part of the production of cognition and emotion. Vitamin B12 is essential for memory and concentration. Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, also serves to enable communication between nerves.

Vitamin B9, also called folic acid, has come to the attention of researchers as potentially yield some protection from Alzheimer’s disease. On every level, maintaining the standard daily amount of each of the vitamins in the Vitamin B complex is one of the best things you can do nutritionally to support both the physical structures and the mental functioning of the brain.

The antioxidant vitamins, Vitamin C, E, and A, offer vital protection for the brain by controlling damaging free radicals, which flourish in the brain as, in order to carry out its sophisticated functions, the brain requires a high degree of oxygenation. Selenium is a mineral that partners with Vitamin E, enhancing the work it does. The mineral zinc supports memory, as well, and iron serves to improve concentration. Nourishing the body undoubtedly nourishes the brain.

The Antioxidant Vitamins

2007-12-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

The antioxidant vitamins perform many essential tasks within the body. In recent years, a great deal of research has been done concerning the abilities of the antioxidant vitamins to prevent certain diseases, ranging from cancer to heart ailments. Many studies have shown promising results, and researchers continue their efforts at determining all of the ways that these powerful antioxidant vitamins protect our health and well being.

One of the many important tasks that antioxidant vitamins perform is that of bringing free radicals under control. A free radical is an unstable molecule, operating within the much larger context of a cell. What makes it unstable is that it is lacking an electron. Electrons are a part of the system that enables chemical reactions within the body. Chemical and electrical actions and reactions are the base of all operations of the body.

The free radical lacks an electron because it is the result of the splitting of a structure weakened by either one of the body’s natural metabolizing processes or by some external contaminant, such as pollution or cigarette smoke. The free radical attacks other molecules, seeking its missing part, which leads to its molecule victim becoming a free radical as well. When enough free radicals accumulate with a cell, the cell can be damaged, or worse.

Antioxidant vitamins have the power to bring these free radicals under control. They do this by meeting the free radicals’ most basic needs, by giving them the electrons they need to be stable. Thus, the antioxidant vitamins remove the free radicals’ motive for aggression and crime -- their motive to attack other molecules to steal their electrons, thereby creating still more free radicals -- and bring an end to the free radical crime wave that threatened the very existence of their world and restore social order and peace to their world, the cell, and perhaps even to their universe, the body.

The primary antioxidant vitamins are Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. They do not become free radical themselves when they give an electron to the unstable molecule, because they have the special capacity to remain stable with or without the electron. It is through this interaction with the free radicals that the antioxidant vitamins are able to assist in the prevention of damage to tissues and cells that could lead to disease.

Numerous studies have found that the antioxidant vitamins may offer protection against a variety of cancers. Other studies have associated antioxidant vitamins with helping to lower blood pressure. Controlling free radicals, as the antioxidant vitamins do, is thought to be an important part of defending the body and the mind against the effects of aging.

In addition to continuous studies concerning antioxidant vitamins potential in preventing cancers, heart disease, and diabetes related conditions, researchers are also paying close attention to the possibilities antioxidant vitamins may hold for Alzheimer's disease.

Dietary supplements offer a safe and convenient means of meeting the suggested daily intake requirements of these powerful antioxidant vitamins, provided that the standard dosage recommendations are followed.

The chemical balance that allows the body to operate at peak performance can be seriously disrupted by taking too much of any supplement. A licensed nutritionist or your health care provider can best advise you on the dosage most suitable to your individual dietary needs and health goals.

Vitamin A Each Day Is An Essential Part Of Reaching Your Health Goals

2007-12-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

Recent government surveys have found that most people do not consume enough Vitamin A in their daily diets. This is unfortunate, because Vitamin A is essential to good health. In fact, serious health problems can result from long-term, serious Vitamin A deficiencies.
Vitamin A is important from the very beginning of life. Pregnant women must be sure to consume sufficient amounts of Vitamin A, which will be more than they needed before pregnancy, because Vitamin A plays a great role in the proper physical development of a baby. It helps to promote proper cell differentiation, which is the specialization of cells upon division to take over certain tasks, meaning that cells for the heart take on their characteristics, those for the liver take on theirs, those for the brain take on their own characteristics and functions, and so on.
Vitamin A also serves in bone growth and development, as well as in the general growth and development of the body.
Vitamin A has a significant part in the quality and functioning of the body’s immune system. One facet of this functioning has to do with the skin and body’s mucus membranes. The skin and mucus membranes serve a very practical purpose for the body.
These operate as barriers against bacteria and viruses, protecting against infection and disease. Vitamin A helps to keep the skin and mucus membranes healthy and able to serve their primary purpose.
As we’ve all heard through the years, carrots are good for the eyes. That is because they are a good source of Vitamin A, which is essential to vision. In fact, a serious deficiency in Vitamin A can result in blindness. Many children living in poverty in developing nations throughout the world have become blind simply because of the lack of Vitamin A in their diets.
Vitamin A also serves to keep the surface linings of the intestinal, urinary and respiratory tracts healthy. This offers protection from bacteria, as well has promotes proper functioning.
One of the more common units of measure for Vitamin A found on packaging labels of food and dietary supplements is the International Unit, or IU. Adult and teenaged males should be sure to consume at total of 3,000 IU of Vitamin A per day.
Adult women and teenaged females should have 2,310 IU per day, 2,565 IU per day if pregnant and 4,300 IU per day if breastfeeding. For children ages 9 through 13, 2,000 IU is the recommended daily intake, with 1,320 IU being sufficient for those aged 4 through 8. From the first year through age 3, 1,000 IU is recommended.
Using dietary supplements to complete a healthy diet can ensure that the body receives the nutrients it needs for optimum performance. However, it is important to heed label and doctor recommendations for the best amount to be taken for your dietary needs.
Proper nutrition is essential to achieving and maintaining health. It is much better to avoid sickness than to recover from it. Taking steps to ensure that you are getting enough Vitamin A each day is an essential part of reaching your health goals.

Plant Oils Give Cholesterol-Lowering Medication a Boost

2007-12-19T04:04:00.000-08:00

By Jane Hart, MD

Healthnotes Newswire (December 6, 2007)—Combining plant oils (sterols), sometimes called phytosterols, with a cholesterol-lowering medication (pravastatin, brand name Pravachol) may help lower cholesterol.

Plant sterols—chemicals found in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes—have a variety of health benefits including antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering activity and hold promise as a way to help lower cholesterol through dietary measures. Although the exact mechanism is not known, plant sterols may lower cholesterol by preventing cholesterol from being absorbed in the digestive tract.

In this study, which was published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 61 people were randomly assigned to replace their usual cooking oil with one of three test oils for 12 weeks: diacylglycerol oil (which contains oleic acid and linoleic acid), diacylglycerol oil with plant sterols (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and brassicasterol), or a control oil that was not expected to have an effect (rapeseed and safflower oils). Participants were also taking 10 mg per day of the cholesterol-lowering medication pravastatin.

Total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol were significantly reduced in the group that used the diacylglycerol oil with plant sterols. These changes were not seen in the groups that used the diacylglycerol oil alone or the control oil. HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels were not affected.

“Despite low doses given [of phytosterols], a phytosterol-enriched diet fortified the potential cholesterol-lowering effect of pravastatin treatment,” said Masao Takeshita, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Kao Corporation in Tokyo, Japan, which produces the cooking oil. “Before increasing the normal dose of a statin, clinicians may consider the additional use of phytosterols as a therapeutic option.”

Some people cannot tolerate high doses of cholesterol-lowering medications due to side effects such as muscle cramps or liver damage. In such people, the use of plant sterols should be considered, Takeshita said. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends the use of a mixture of phytosterols for people with high cholesterol levels and suggests that LDL cholesterol may be reduced by about 10% with the use of plant sterols, according to the study’s authors.

Although the cooking oil used in this study is currently available only in Japan, research in this area is emerging and may yield more widely available plant-based food options to help lower cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about known dietary interventions that may help, and whether it makes sense to add more plant sterols to your diet.

(Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2007; doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2007.05.009)