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A Simple Way to Make a Major Difference in your Health

A recent study from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah has found that people who increase their vitamin D blood levels to 43 or higher may lower their risk of diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Heralded as “One of the Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2007″, Vitamin D continues to surface in new research as a critical nutrient in maintaining good health and preventing disease, yet almost half of the world’s population has lower than optimal levels of vitamin D.  

It is well known that hip fractures and muscle weakness, in people over 50, are linked with a deficiency in Vitamin D.  Many recent studies have also found that low Vitamin D levels are associated with a number of serious, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, gum disease, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, peripheral neuropathy, osteoporosis, cancer, stroke, mental decline, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.

A Vitamin D deficiency can be treated with a simple daily supplement and a blood test can measure the circulating Vitamin D levels in your blood.  A level of 30 nanograms per milliliter of vitamin D is considered normal, although this may vary from lab to lab.

Many doctors are routinely drawing blood levels of Vitamin D to to make sure patients are getting enough vitamin D to optimize good bone health and prevent chronic disease. Ask your doctor about this.

Important Note: Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, thus toxicity can occur from high intakes of vitamin D. Overdosage can occur from large amounts of supplements or cod liver oil, but it is unlikely to result from sun exposure or diet. Parents should consult with their pediatrician before giving any child vitamin D supplements. Excess vitamin D can reach toxic levels and be harmful.

  Source: “Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good”, HealthDay News, March 15, 2010 

Genetic Flaw May Be Linked With Some Cases of Obesity

Blaming people for their obesity is no longer appropriate given the number of studies that point to the genetic influence underlying many cases of obesity. The researchers say it’s likely that a “patchwork” of different genetic variations will eventually emerge to explain more cases of obesity.  These genetic flaws may result in obesity by affecting appetite, or the rate at which the body burns fat.

That being said, most of the obesity epidemic currently affecting most Western countries still is attributed to a trend towards high-calorie foods and more sedentary lifestyles.

Source: “Morbidly obese may have missing genes” BBC, Feb 4, 2010

Magnesium may Boost Memory Yet Deficiency is Common

Half the population of the industrialized countries has a deficiency in magnesium. A deficit in this important mineral has been linked with allergies, asthma, attention deficit disorder, anxiety, heart disease, muscle cramps and other conditions.  And now researchers are finding evidence that magnesium may also play an important role in memory and learning.

In a recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, mice given extra doses of a new magnesium compound had better learning abilities and working memories. This is an interesting study in that it provides evidence that a magnesium deficit may lead to decreased memory and learning ability, while an abundance of magnesium may improve cognitive function. The findings, described in the Jan. 28 issue of the journal Neuron, are early however.  Before we start taking magnesium supplements, more research needs to be done. 

It’s good to keep in mind, however, that the average adult needs to consume between 300 and 400 milligrams of magnesium a day from magnesium-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables. 

Source: Magnesium May Boost Brain Power, Fox News Health, February 1, 2010
Source: “Health Tip: Finding Magnesium in Food”, Health Day, January 14, 2010
Source: American Dietetic Association, www.eatright.org, February 2010

More Severe Asthma Linked to Low Vitamin D Levels

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with greater asthma severity, report researchers in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. In their recent study, low levels of vitamin D correlated with poorer lung function, increased airway reactivity, and reduced response to steroid treatment in adult asthmatics. As a result of these findings, the researchers suggest that vitamin D supplements might improve symptoms in some asthma patients, but this particular study did not specifically prove that vitamin D supplements would reduce asthma symptoms.

The importance of Vitamin D is considered to be one of the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2007 and researchers are continuing to find evidence of its critical importance in immune function and many other systems in the body.

In recent years, low Vitamin D levels have been linked with a number of  serious, chronic diseases such as weak bones and muscles, mental decline in elderly, diabetes, gum disease, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, osteoporosis, and possibly cancer, stroke, and heart disease have all been found to be associated with low levels of Vitamin D.

Yet despite the importance of this vitamin, a deficiency of Vitamin D remains widespread. 

The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) has set the Upper Limits (UL) for vitamin D at 2,000 IU for children, adults, pregnant, and lactating women, and 1,000 IU for infants up to 12 months of age.  A simple blood test can measure the circulating Vitamin D levels in your blood. Many doctors have recently been drawing blood levels of Vitamin D to to make sure patients are getting enough vitamin D to optimize good bone health and prevent chronic disease. Ask your doctor about this.

Read more about Vitamin D 

Source: Sutherland E, et al “Vitamin D levels, lung function and steroid response in adult asthma” Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2010; DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200911-1710OC.

Source: “Low Vitamin D Worsens Asthma”, MedPage Today, January 28, 2010

Scientists Are Learning How to Slow Aging

Scientists are getting closer to unraveling the mystery of aging and now a new study points to evidence that omega-3 fatty acids appear to slow the biological aging process.  University of California researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids may slow aging by protecting the body’s chromosomes from the usual damage that occurs with aging. In their recent study of patients with heart disease, those who had the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids had the most slowing of their biological aging process, while those who had the lowest intake of omega-3 fatty acids had evidence of the fastest rate of aging.

To determine the speed of biological aging, the researchers measured the length of telomeres on the patients’ chromosomes. Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of chromosomes and the shortening of telomeres has been linked to not only the aging process,  but cancer and a higher risk of dying. Telomeres allow cells to divide while keeping the genetic material intact. Every time a cell divides, telomeres get progressively shorter until the cell ultimately dies.  This normal aging process can be sped up by environmental factors such as obesity, poor diet, inactivity and smoking.  Scientists theorize that counteracting telomere shortening could allow people to be healthier and live longer.

In the University of California study there was no distinction between meals of fatty fish and fish-oil supplements—leaving open the question of whether it’s better for people to eat more fish, to eat plants such as flaxseed or just to take omega-3 supplements.

Experts point out that the results of this study are preliminary and need to be replicated before physicians should use them in practice, but a number of other studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to heart health, and the American Heart Assn. recommends that patients with known coronary artery disease get at least one gram a day of omega-3 fish oil through intake of oily fish, such as salmon, herring and sardines, or the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.

Source: MedPage Today January 19, 2010

Video source: JAMA

Over 100,000 Cancers in the U.S. Each Year are Linked to Obesity

According to data recently released by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), more than 100,000 cancers in the US each year are linked to excess body fat. It is well known that being overweight puts people at an increased risk of some types of cancer, but this research highlights the extent of the problem.

Excess body fat appears to be linked to 49% of endometrial cancers, 35% of esophageal cancers,  28% of pancreatic cancers, 24% of kidney cancers, 21% of gallbladder cancers, 17% of breast cancers, and 9% of colorectal cancers. 

According to one of the researchers, “The evidence is clear: If people sustain a normal body weight and remain physically active throughout life, it will have a major impact on cancer incidence.”

Learn more about the benefits of exercise and How to Start an Exercise Program

Source:  American Cancer Society, November 2009

Nightly Snacking Worse Than Daytime Nibbling

Eating at night can lead to significant weight gain according to a recent study from  Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.  Researchers fed one group of mice a high-fat diet during the hours when they normally would be sleeping, and fed another group of mice the same diet during their waking hours.  The mice who ate during their nocturnal hours gained twice as much weight over six weeks as the other group.

Although this study was on mice, and may not be applicable to humans, previous studies have also found similar results. Simply altering the timing of eating, without necessarily cutting calories or increasing exercise, may be key to success in weight loss. 

Source: Arble D, et al., “Circadian timing of food intake contributes to weight gain” Obesity 2009; DOI: 10.1038/oby.2009.264. 

Source:  MedPage Today, September 4, 2009 

Almonds May Improve Immune Health

Almonds appear to enhance immune health and reduce inflammation, according to researchers  from the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK.  The results of their research were presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia.

Almonds have also been found to be a high-fiber food and are quite heart healthy.  They’re a good snack with a lot of nutrition packed into a convenient package.  About a handful of almonds provides an excellent source of vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, monounsaturated fat, protein, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, and iron.

Source: Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK, May 2009

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protective Against Prostate Cancer

Omega-3 Fatty Acids, particularly those found in dark fish and shellfish, appear to reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer, according to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.

In their recent study, men who consumed the greatest amount of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids had a 63% reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with those who ate the least. More specifically, men who ate boiled or baked dark fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and bluefish) one to three times a month had a 36% reduced risk of aggressive disease compared with those who never ate it, and those who ate dark fish at least once a week had an even greater reduction in risk. There was also a significant benefit for those with a cox-2 genetic predisposition to the disease.