Study: B Vitamins Cut Stroke (WebMD)

B Vitamins May Cut Stroke Risk

Study Shows High Doses May Reduce Incidence of Stroke in People at High Risk

By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Feb. 20, 2009 (San Diego) -- High doses of B vitamins may help prevent stroke in high-risk people, new research suggests.

The finding comes from the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation 2 trial of more than 5,500 men and women with heart disease. Participants were assigned to a daily regimen of either B vitamins or placebo pills for five years.

Results showed that people who took the vitamins were 25% less likely to suffer a stroke over the study period than those who took placebo.

People younger than 70, those not taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs or blood thinners, and those living in regions without folic acid food fortification appeared to gain the greatest benefit.

But taking vitamins did not have any effect on the severity of stroke or any associated disabilities, says researcher Gustavo Saposnik, MD, of the University of Toronto.

He presented the findings at the International Stroke Conference 2009.

B Vitamins Lower Homocysteine

B vitamins lower blood levels of a compound called homocysteine. The risk of heart disease and stroke is increased when a person has high blood levels of homocysteine, so it follows that taking B vitamins to lower homocysteine levels would improve outcomes.

But until now, researchers have had little success trying to show that.

Study after study has failed to show that B vitamins prevent heart disease or stroke, says ASA spokesman Larry B. Goldstein, MD, director of the Duke Stroke Center at Duke University, in Durham, N.C.

"We need to sift through all the studies and try to figure out why the results are conflicting," he tells WebMD. Until then, Goldstein does not recommend taking vitamins to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Saposnik says he thinks his study is the first to "use an adequate dose" of vitamin B12 to lower homocysteine and stroke levels. The daily vitamin regimen in the new study involved 2.5 milligrams of folic acid, 50 milligrams of vitamin B6, and 1 milligram of vitamin B12 -- far more than most people get in their diets.

Still, Saposnik agrees with Goldstein that further study is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.

B Vitamins vs. Second Stroke

Also at the meeting, University of California, Los Angeles, researchers reported that taking B-complex vitamins as directed by your doctor may help lower the risk of a second stroke.

The study involved 3,353 people who had suffered a stroke. The researchers added high- or low-dose B vitamins -- folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 -- to state-of-the-art medical care for two years.

Researchers collected demographic, clinical, and laboratory data when they entered the study and at follow-up visits six, 12, and 24 months later.

Previously reported findings from the trial were disappointing, suggesting that the B vitamins did not lower the risk of recurrent stroke. But this time, researchers looked at what happened when people actually took their medication.

First, they divided the participants into two groups: Those who took their vitamins as prescribed at least 80% of the time, and those who took them less frequently.

Results showed that people who stuck with the program were much less likely to suffer a second stroke, have a heart attack, or die: Only 13% did vs. 20% of the people who didn't follow through.

Goldstein says that may be because people who take the medication as directed are more likely to have other healthful characteristics: They may exercise more and eat a healthier diet, for example.

Study: Vitamin D may help fight common colds (News-Medical.net)

There are articles every week, sometimes every day, on the benefits of Vitamin D.  I obviously don't forward them all, its overkill, but every once and a while I do distribute one, just as a friendly reminder! XOXO   Vitamin D may help fight common colds

Published: Tuesday, 24-Feb-2009

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Medical Research News Vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, report investigators from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children's Hospital Boston. In the largest and most nationally representative study of the association between vitamin D and respiratory infections, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. The risks were even higher for those with chronic respiratory disorders, such as asthma and emphysema. The report appears in the February 23 Archives of Internal Medicine . "The findings of our study support an important role for vitamin D in prevention of common respiratory infections, such as colds and the flu," says Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, UC Denver Division of Emergency Medicine and lead author of the study. "Individuals with common lung diseases, such as asthma or emphysema, may be particularly susceptible to respiratory infections from vitamin D deficiency." While vitamin C has been used for the prevention of colds and other respiratory disorders for decades, little scientific evidence supports its effectiveness. In contrast, in recent years evidence has accumulated that vitamin D - most commonly associated with the development and maintenance of strong bones - may also play a key role in the immune system. Circumstantial evidence has implicated the wintertime deficiency of vitamin D, which the body produces in response to sunlight, in the seasonal increase in colds and flu; and small studies have suggested an association between low blood levels of vitamin D and a higher risk of respiratory infections. The current study analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Participants were interviewed in their homes regarding their health and nutrition, and most participants also received a physical examination that included collection of blood and other samples for laboratory analysis. The research team analyzed blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) - the best measure of vitamin D status - from almost 19,000 adult and adolescent NHANES III participants, selected to be representative of the overall U.S. population. Study participants with the lowest vitamin D blood levels - less than 10 ng per milliliter of blood - were about 40 percent more likely to report having a recent respiratory infection than were those with vitamin D levels of 30 or higher. The association was present in all seasons and even stronger among participants with a history of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema. Asthma patients with the lowest vitamin D levels were five times more likely to have had a recent respiratory infection; while among COPD patients, respiratory infections were twice as common among those with vitamin D deficiency. "A respiratory infection in someone with otherwise healthy lungs usually causes a few days of relatively mild symptoms," explains Carlos Camargo, MD, DrPH, MGH Department of Emergency Medicine and senior author of the study. "But respiratory infections in individuals with an underlying lung disease can cause serious attacks of asthma or COPD that may require urgent office visits, emergency department visits or hospitalizations. So the impact of preventing infections in these patients could be very large." The authors stress that the study's results need to be confirmed in clinical trials before vitamin D can be recommended to prevent colds and flu. "We are planning clinical trials to test the effectiveness of vitamin D to boost immunity and fight respiratory infection, with a focus on individuals with asthma and COPD, as well as children and older adults - groups that are at higher risk for more severe illness," Ginde says. "While it's too early to make any definitive recommendations, many Americans also need more vitamin D for its bone and general health benefits. Clinicians and laypeople should stay tuned as this exciting area of research continues to expand." http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/

B Vitamins 101

I recently had a "Metabolic Assessment Program" done by a holistic doc (Dr. Bump).  He analayzed my diet, saliva, blood, stool over a 5 day period.  It was super comprehensive and awesome! 

 

One of the things I learned about is the importance of B vitamins...and am just passing on some info about it.  It was the one supplement he added to our vitamin regimen.  A "Vitamin B Complex" - which includes all 8 B vitamins.

 

XOXO

 

B vitamins

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The B vitamins are eight water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Historically, the B vitamins were once thought to be a single vitamin, referred to as vitamin B (much as people refer to vitamin C or vitamin D). Later research showed that they are chemically distinct vitamins that often coexist in the same foods. Supplements containing all eight are generally referred to as a vitamin B complex. Individual B vitamin supplements are referred to by the specific name of each vitamin (e.g. B₁, B₂, B₃ etc ).

List of B vitamins

• Vitamin B₁ (thiamine)
• Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B₃ (niacin, includes nicotinic acid and nicotinamide)
• Vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine)
• Vitamin B₇ (biotin), also known as vitamin H
• Vitamin B₉ (folic acid), also, vitamin M
• Vitamin B₁₂ (various cobalamins; commonly cyanocobalamin in vitamin supplements)

Health benefits

The B vitamins often work together to deliver a number of health benefits to the body. B vitamins have been shown to:

• Support and increase the rate of metabolism
• Maintain healthy skin and muscle tone
• Enhance immune and nervous system function
• Promote cell growth and division — including that of the red blood cells that help prevent anemia.
• Reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of cancer^[4], when consumed in food, but not when ingested in vitamin tablet form.^[5][6]

Together, they also help combat the symptoms and causes of stress, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

All B vitamins are water soluble, and are dispersed throughout the body. Most of the B vitamins must be replenished daily, since any excess is excreted in the urine.^[7]

B vitamin deficiency

Several named vitamin deficiency diseases may result from the lack of sufficient B-vitamins. Deficiencies of other B vitamins result in symptoms that are not part of a named deficiency disease.

Vitamin	Name	Deficiency effects
Vitamin B1	thiamine	Deficiency causes beriberi. Symptoms of this disease of the nervous system include weight loss, emotional disturbances, Wernicke's encephalopathy (impaired sensory perception), weakness and pain in the limbs, periods of irregular heartbeat, and edema (swelling of bodily tissues). Heart failure and death may occur in advanced cases. Chronic thiamine deficiency can also cause Korsakoff's syndrome, an irreversible psychosis characterized by amnesia and confabulation.
Vitamin B2	riboflavin	Deficiency causes ariboflavinosis. Symptoms may include cheilosis (cracks in the lips), high sensitivity to sunlight, angular cheilitis, glossitis (inflammation of the tongue), seborrheic dermatitis or pseudo-syphilis (particularly affecting the scrotum or labia majora and the mouth), pharyngitis, hyperemia, and edema of the pharyngeal and oral mucosa.
Vitamin B3	niacin	Deficiency, along with a deficiency of tryptophan causes pellagra. Symptoms include aggression, dermatitis, insomnia, weakness, mental confusion, and diarrhea. In advanced cases, pellagra may lead to dementia and death.
Vitamin B5	pantothenic acid	Deficiency can result in acne and paresthesia, although it is uncommon.
Vitamin B6	pyridoxine	Deficiency may lead to anemia, depression, dermatitis, high blood pressure (hypertension), water retention, and elevated levels of homocysteine.
Vitamin B7	biotin	Deficiency does not typically cause symptoms in adults but may lead to impaired growth and neurological disorders in infants.
Vitamin B9	folic acid	Deficiency results in a macrocytic anemia, and elevated levels of homocysteine. Deficiency in pregnant women can lead to birth defects. Supplementation is often recommended during pregnancy. Researchers have shown that folic acid might also slow the insidious effects of age on the brain.
Vitamin B12	cobalamin	Deficiency causes macrocytic anemia, elevated homocysteine, peripheral neuropathy, memory loss and other cognitive deficits. It is most likely to occur among elderly people as absorption through the gut declines with age; the autoimmune disease pernicious anemia is another common cause. It can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis. In rare extreme cases, paralysis can result.

 

Vitamin B sources

Different B vitamins come from different natural sources, such as potatoes, bananas, lentils, chile peppers, tempeh, liver oil, liver, turkey, tuna, nutritional yeast (or brewer's yeast) and molasses. Marmite and Vegemite bill themselves as "one of the world's richest known sources of vitamin B". As might be expected, due to its high content of brewer's yeast, beer is a source of B vitamins^[8], although this may be less true for filtered beers^[9]and the alcohol in beer impairs the body's ability to activate vitamins.

The B-12 vitamin is of note because it is not available from plant products, making B-12 deficiency a concern for vegans. Manufacturers of plant-based foods will sometimes report B-12 content, leading to confusion about what sources yield B-12. The confusion arises because the standard US Pharmacopeia (USP) method for measuring the B-12 content does not measure the B-12 directly. Instead, it measures a bacterial response to the food. Chemical variants of the B-12 vitamin found in plant sources are active for bacteria, but cannot be used by the human body. This same phenomenon can cause significant over-reporting of B-12 content in other types of foods as well.^[10]

Study: 1 in 7 in US are Vitamin D Deficient (News-Medical.net)

http://thehealthyclub.blogspot.com/ One in seven American adolescents is vitamin D deficient

Published: Thursday, 12-Mar-2009

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Medical Research News One in seven American adolescents is vitamin D deficient, according to a new study by researchers in the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College. The findings are published in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics and were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies' Annual Meeting in May 2008. In children, vitamin D deficiency can interfere with bone mineralization, leading to rickets. In adults, it is linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, immune dysfunction and hypertension. The study employs a new definition of vitamin D deficiency recommended by a group of scientists attending the 13th Workshop Consensus for Vitamin D Nutritional Guidelines in 2007. These experts collectively proposed that the minimum acceptable serum vitamin D level be raised from 11 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) to at least 20 ng/mL. Using the newer criteria, the study finds more than half of African-American teens are vitamin D deficient. Girls had more than twice the risk of deficiency compared with boys. And overweight teens had nearly double the risk of their normal-weight counterparts. "These are alarming findings. We need to do a better job of educating the public on the importance of vitamin D, and the best ways to get it. To meet minimum nutritional requirements teens would need to consume at least four glasses of fortified milk daily or its dietary equivalent. Other foods rich in vitamin D include salmon, tuna, eggs and fortified cereals. A vitamin supplement containing 400 IU of vitamin D is another alternative," says Dr. Sandy Saintonge, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and assistant professor of clinical public health at Weill Cornell Medical College, and a pediatric emergency physician at New York Hospital Queens, a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Healthcare System. "We should also consider a national fortification strategy, perhaps including routine supplementation and monitoring of serum levels, but more research is needed to determine optimal vitamin D levels." Of the specific findings, the authors were particularly concerned about the role of weight in deficiency. "Because vitamin D is stored in body fat, simply increasing the dosage of vitamin D may not be effective in overweight adolescents," notes senior author Dr. Linda M. Gerber, professor of public health in the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and professor of epidemiology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "As the prevalence of childhood obesity increases, vitamin D deficiency may increase as well. In this group, appropriate nutrition could solve both problems." Another concern is the increased risk of deficiency in girls, some of whom may become pregnant during adolescence. The authors note that a lack of vitamin D may increase maternal risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes and may be associated with reduced bone mineralization in the offspring. Data was obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, a cross-sectional survey administered to a nationally representative sample of persons aged 2 months and older. Analyses were restricted to 2,955 participants aged 12 to 19. The study was co-authored by Dr. Heejung Bang, associate professor of biostatistics in public health at Weill Cornell Medical College. http://www.med.cornell.edu/

Vitamin D and Breast Cancer ( A good one to pass on to anyone you know with BC)

This article is a bit old, I read it a couple of weeks or so ago, didn't distribute it because there are so many articles about Vitamin D... However, after having a long discussion with a dear friend today, a 2-year breast cancer survivor, I decided to go back and get this article and distribute it.

My friend told me that her Oncologist is supplementing her with heavy doses of Vitamin D and that testing for Vitamin D levels is now standard for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Breast cancer is so prevalent...too prevalent, and if something natural can be used to possibly inhibit it, certainly worth it, especially if there is a family history. But remember, too much vitamin D can cause toxicity (not skin generated vitamin D, only supplemental vitamin D I believe).

XOXO

Vitamin D Halts Growth of Breast Cancer Tumors Monday, February 02, 2009 by: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor Key concepts: Cancer, Vitamin D and Breast cancer

(NaturalNews) For the past 18 months, I've been working on building a new research library consisting of over 1200 books on natural health topics. Through some rather advanced technologies that took me far longer to build than I originally anticipated, I'm now able to locate and collect, within minutes, paragraphs on any combination of topics from among these 1200 books. For example, today I wanted to research "Vitamin D" and "Breast Cancer." This produced a collection of well over 650 quotations on the subject from the various sources in my private library. A small sampling of those results are shown below. The information you'll find in here is fascinating! You'll learn that vitamin D cream can be rubbed directly on tumors to make them vanish. You'll also learn how resveratrol can be used to amplify the results of vitamin D. There are also explanations on how vitamin D can be used to greatly reduce breast cancer cases in America, Canada, the UK and elsewhere. I'll be using this tool in a big way here on NaturalNews from now on, bringing you research on herbs, nutrients, natural cures and many other topics. Each article here saves you the equivalent of hundreds of hours of time you might normally have to spend searching through books to find answers on the health topics that concern you. To protect the authors and publishers of these books, we do several things: 1) All books are fully referenced and cited with the author's name. 2) Each book links to an Amazon.com link where readers can buy the book (so this citation of the book actually helps increase sales of the book, which benefits the author and publisher). 3) We LIMIT the quotes from any one book so that the amount of information cited from each book falls under Fair Use provisions. 4) We provide a second book analysis page that shows the keyword concepts used throughout the book, along with another link for purchasing the book. In this way, we help NaturalNews readers get a hint of all the great information in these books while protecting the copyrights and promoting the interests of the authors. Please support these authors by purchasing the books mentioned below. Here's the research we found on vitamin D and breast cancer: The Experts Speak: Vitamin D and Breast Cancer This activated form of vitamin D causes "cellular differentiation" — essentially the opposite of cancer. The following evidence indicates that vitamin D might have a protective role against breast cancer: • Synthetic vitamin D-like molecules have prevented the equivalent of breast cancer in animals. • Activated vitamin D appears to have antiestrogenic activity. J • Both sunlight and dietary exposure to vitamin D have correlated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. - The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D. - Available on Amazon.com Results of one small study suggested that body stores of vitamin D may be associated with survival chances in women with advanced breast cancer. "Thirteen women with normal or high levels of active vitamin D survived the 6-month test period but, sadly, in those with low levels, 5 out of 13 died within 6 months," said Professor Barbara Mawer of the Manchester Royal Infirmary in central England. - The Natural Pharmacist: Your Complete Guide to Reducing Cancer Risk by Richard Harkness - Available on Amazon.com A study comparing the health habits of 133 breast cancer patients with women who did not have the disease found that exposure to sunlight lowered the risk of breast cancer by 30 to 40% or more. - The Natural Pharmacist: Your Complete Guide to Reducing Cancer Risk by Richard Harkness - Available on Amazon.com ...when the same researchers looked at actual vitamin D levels, they found a 43 percent reduction in risk of breast cancer among women younger than 60 when comparing the highest levels of vitamin D (greater than 40) to lowest (less than 20). These findings are consistent with findings that cite a lower risk of breast cancer with increased ultraviolet light exposure, which means higher vitamin D levels are protective. Furthermore, researchers find higher activated vitamin D levels in women with less invasive and/or less advanced breast cancer. - The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford - Available on Amazon.com Two equally effective sources of vitamin D in humans are derived from plant ergosterol, which is converted to ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) by the action of sunlight on the skin. The body uses vitamin D3 for normal immune system function, to control cellular growth, and to absorb calcium from the digestive tract. Vitamin D3 can inhibit the growth of malignant melanoma, breast cancer, leukemia, and mammary tumors in laboratory animals. Vitamin D3 can also inhibit angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that permit the spread of cancer cells through the body. - Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S. - Available on Amazon.com Sun-starved females are at great risk for breast cancer, particularly women living in northern latitudes where wintertime sun exposure produces little vitamin D because of a decline in UV radiation in solar light. Dietary supplements are strongly recommended. Warnings that adults can overdose on vitamin D with daily oral doses exceeding 2,000 units are ill founded. Vitamin D's ability to inhibit breast cancer cell growth is enhanced by resveratrol, a red wine molecule. Resveratrol increases the vitamin D receptor sites on cells which sensitize the cells to vitamin D. - You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi - Available on Amazon.com George's Hospital Medical School in London finds local production of vitamin D in breast tissue reduces the risk for breast cancer. For women with low breast tissue levels of vitamin D the risk for breast cancer rose by 354%! [Anticancer Research 26: 2573-80, 2006] This study suggests women sunbathe with breast tissue exposed to the sun to enhance local vitamin D production. The provision of 400 IU of vitamin D per day has been found to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43%. - You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi - Available on Amazon.com Laboratory experiments show that vitamin D can inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer and breast cancer cells. Lung cancer and pancreatic cancer cells may also be susceptible to the effects of vitamin D. Sunlight also seems to be protective against several types of cancer, including ovarian and breast cancers, and this effect may be mediated by vitamin D levels. - The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley - Available on Amazon.com In animals fed a high fat diet, which normally would produce a higher incidence of colon cancer, supplements of calcium and vitamin D blocked this carcinogenic effect of the diet. Vitamin D inhibits the growth of breast cancer in culture, and also seems to subdue human breast cancer. Cells from human prostate cancer were put into a "...permanent nonproliferative state.", or shut down the cancer process, by the addition of vitamin D. Human cancer cells have been shown to have receptor sites, or stereo specific "parking spaces" for vitamin D. - Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin, PhD,RD,CNS - Available on Amazon.com These findings are consistent with findings that cite a lower risk of breast cancer with increased ultraviolet light exposure, which means higher vitamin D levels are protective. Furthermore, researchers find higher activated vitamin D levels in women with less invasive and/or less advanced breast cancer. - The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford - Available on Amazon.com When Japanese women move to the United States, their vitamin D intake sinks and their breast cancer rates skyrocket. Further, vitamin D slows the rate of growth of cancer cells in lab studies and cuts the rate of cancer in animals in half. All American women should eat foods with at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day, says Dr. Garland. The best sources of vitamin D are fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring and tuna as well as vitamin-D-fortified milk (make it skim). But the richest source of vitamin D in the world is eel, popular in Japanese sushi bars. - Food Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper - Available on Amazon.com But how does vitamin D actually work? For many years that was a mystery. The "revolution of information" on vitamin D began in 1968, when J.W. Blunt and colleagues discovered the form of vitamin D that actually circulates in the blood (25-OH-D3). This hormonal form of the vitamin, created in the kidneys, is ultimately responsible for the classical action of the vitamin. At the molecular level, some cancer cells appear to have receptors on their surfaces that are capable of receiving the vitamin D molecule. - Cancer Therapy: The Independent Consumer's Guide To Non-Toxic Treatment & Prevention by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. - Available on Amazon.com This could explain the incidence of breast cancer being higher in cold climates than in warm. Vitamin D lack in cold climates is also a possible explanation. To the hazards which clearly contribute towards breast cancer, hormones (estrogen), high- fat diet, abortion and family history there is one more problem. That is organochlorines. There are more than 10,000 different organochlorines, including chlordane, DDT, dioxin, vinyl chloride, atrazine, and CFCs. Studies routinely show that women with breast cancer have high tissue levels of organochlorines . - A Physician's Guide To Natural Health Products That Work by James A. Howenstine, MD - Available on Amazon.com Most of 63 recently reviewed studies found a protective effect between vitamin D status and cancer risk. A study presented at the 2006 American Association for Cancer Research meeting suggested that an increase in vitamin D lowered the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 50 percent. How might vitamin D help? It's the body's most potent regulator of cell growth, preventing cells from becoming malignant, explains Michael Holick, MD, PhD, head of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine. - Food Synergy: Unleash Hundreds of Powerful Healing Food Combinations to Fight Disease and Live Well by Elaine Magee - Available on Amazon.com Those whose cancers had such vitamin D receptors "had significantly longer disease-free survival" periods than those whose tumors did not. Vitamin D also stopped the growth of several kind of human breast cancer cells in the test tube. Treatment of mice with breast cancer "produced significant inhibition of tumor progression," according to pathologists at St George's Hospital Medical School in London, UK. Taken together, these studies suggest vitamin D may inhibit the growth of cancers that have receptors for the vitamin. - Cancer Therapy: The Independent Consumer's Guide To Non-Toxic Treatment & Prevention by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. - Available on Amazon.com Sunlight exposure, which leads to an increased level of vitamin D, correlates with a reduced risk of breast cancer. I usually recommend small amounts of vitamin D (400 to 1,000 IU) for those people without sunlight exposure, especially during the winter. I also occasionally recommend cod liver oil during the winter months as a source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the elderly and in people who live in parts of the world with little sunlight; it is also one of the major contributing factors to osteoporosis. - Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment by Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine - Available on Amazon.com With the discovery of breast cancer-associated gene mutations (BRCA1 and BRCA2), which dramatically increase the risk for getting breast cancer, many women thought a cure might be just around the corner. However, researchers detect these mutations in only about one in three hundred to five hundred people — and they account for only about 2 percent of breast cancers. - The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford - Available on Amazon.com Sunscreen is promoted for preventing skin cancer, but it also prevents the formation of vitamin D, an antioxidant which inhibits the initiation phase of breast cancer. Habitual sunscreen users have unusually low levels of vitamin D. Mineral oil, found in many skincare products, also blocks production and absorption of vitamin D. - Breast Cancer? Breath Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed - Available on Amazon.com A clinical trial of Vitamin D provided encouraging results. Patients with locally advanced breast cancer were given a highly active Vitamin D analogue cream to rub on their tumours. "It was effective in one third of the tumours," said Professor Charles Coombes, clinical oncologist, Charing Cross Hospital, London. - Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Guide by Thomas Bartram - Available on Amazon.com Your skin can manufacture its own D with roughly 15 minutes of sun exposure three or four days a week. If you shun the sun, you should be getting a minimum of 700 IU of vitamin D3 a day; 1,000 IU daily might be even better, but don't go overboard because vitamin D can be toxic at very high doses. - Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy by Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D. - Available on Amazon.com Now, sulfur dioxide (a main ingredient in smog) absorbs ultraviolet light in the very part of the spectrum that triggers the production of vitamin D in the skin. 'Acid haze' (a high concentration of sulfur dioxide in the air) may thus lead to vitamin D deficiencies and therefore breast and colon cancer. In 20 Canadian cities, there was a positive association between air pollution and the death rate from colon cancer in both women and men, as well as breast cancer in women. - Cancer Therapy: The Independent Consumer's Guide To Non-Toxic Treatment & Prevention by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. - Available on Amazon.com The collected data showed that individuals in the group with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D had the highest rates of breast cancer, and the breast cancer rates dropped as the blood levels increased. The most astounding finding in this study is that the blood level associated with a 50 percent lower risk of breast cancer could be reached by spending as little as 25 minutes in the sun for darker skinned people, and no more than 10 to 15 minutes for lighter skinned individuals. - Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz - Available on Amazon.com ...there is mounting evidence that vitamin D from sunlight and fish oil may reduce the incidence of certain cancers, such as breast cancer. Hence, some vitamin D residuals in the fish oil may actually increase its protective value against cancer as well as CHD. - Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1 by Michael T. Murray, ND - Available on Amazon.com New and exciting studies suggest that vitamin D does indeed protect against colorectal and breast cancers and that it may be beneficial in the treatment of certain cancers. There is speculation that chronic vitamin D deficiency finally shows up as cancer of the breast and colon. - The Doctor's Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia by Sheldon Saul Hendler - Available on Amazon.com Vitamin D is also important in reducing breast cancer, with increased intake of both calcium and vitamin D showing good results. - Eat To Beat Cancer: A Research Scientist Explains How You and Your Family Can Avoid Up to 90% of All Cancers by J. Robert Hatherill - Available on Amazon.com Women with breast cancer are twice as likely to have a fault in the gene required to utilize vitamin D, according to Joseph Mercola, D.O. New research from London suggests that women with polymorphisms (genetic variations) of the vitamin D receptor gene may be less able to benefit from the nutrient. The study added to the increasing evidence that vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms play a role in the disease process (Bretherton-Watt et al. 2001). - Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff - Available on Amazon.com There is some evidence that vitamin D can help transform breast cancer cells into healthy cells. Vitamin D supplements are not necessary; all that is needed for the body to manufacture adequate amounts of vitamin D for fighting cancer is to expose your hands and face to sunlight for twenty minutes each day. Do not use sunscreen during this twenty-minute period, since sun blocks screen out the kind of ultraviolet light that stimulates the natural production of the vitamin. - Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC - Available on Amazon.com Vitamin D also lessens rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, hip fractures, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, breast cancers (in areas of low solar radiation); intestinal, colon and rectal cancers; prostate cancers, and increases Lymphocytes against Candida. Full-spectrum lights on rodents slowed tumor development. Moderate ultraviolet light stimulates metabolism; the short ultraviolet rays are germicidal; improve Immunity, trigger an anti-cancer Enzyme; stimulate Vitamin D formation, saliva, and improve Calcium and Phosphorus metabolism. - Anti-Aging Manual: The Encyclopedia of Natural Health by Joseph E. Mario - Available on Amazon.com Diseases and conditions caused by vitamin D deficiency: * Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which impairs calcium absorption. * Sufficient vitamin D prevents prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer, and schizophrenia. * "Rickets" is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. * Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate type 2 diabetes and impair production of insulin in the pancreas. * Obesity impairs vitamin D utilization in the body, meaning obese people need twice as much vitamin D. - Natural Health Solutions by Mike Adams - Available on Amazon.com Buzz up!21 votes About the author: Mike Adams is a holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NaturalNews subscription database. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, Pilates and organic gardening. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at http://www.healthranger.org/

Multivitamin Study Flawed (NaturalNews.com)

This is a rebuttal to the article I distributed earlier today from the NYTimes that said multivitamins do not reduce disease risk.

XOXO

 

NaturalNews.com

Women's Multivitamin Study Seriously Flawed, As Usual

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine claims that multivitamins are useless at preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease in women. The mainstream media has predictably picked up on this story, gleefully running it as "proof" that nutrition is worthless and only pharmaceuticals can enhance your health.

What they're not telling you, though, might shock you. Here's the truth about this so-called "scientific" study on multivitamins:

• No multivitamins were even used in the study! The women followed in this study weren't actually given any multivitamins at all. They were simply asked if they take multivitamins!

• There was no quality control in the study. Since no multivitamins were given to women, there was no quality control at all. Did these women take cheap, synthetic vitamins bought at Costco? Or did they take quality supplements from better sources? Nobody knows because it wasn't tracked!

• Most people SAY they take multivitamins, but don't. If you ask most people, they will TELL you they eat healthy, and that they take multivitamins. But in reality they don't. Most people greatly exaggerate the description of their own health habits.

• Multivitamin consumption FREQUENCY was not accurately measured. There was no ability of this study to reliably measure how often consumers actually took their multivitamins. Did they take them once a week? Once a month? Once a year? Even taking them once a year would have counted in this study as "taking multivitamins." Gee, no wonder the results showed no improvement...

In effect, this study did not measure the effects of multivitamins on cancer and heart disease. What it really measured was the degree to which people exaggerate their own claims of health habits, and the degree to which the mainstream media so easily falls for junk science.

The MSM remains utterly clueless about nutrition, and it simply reprints practically any study published in a medical journal, even when that study is obviously based on deceptive science and a pro-Pharma agenda.

All these attacks on vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants and multivitamins have the same source: The Big Pharma-funded mainstream media and its effort to try to discredit nutritional supplements in order to please advertisers.

The very idea that nutrition is bad for you but Big Pharma's chemicals are good for you is insane to begin with. But that's what they want you to believe: Nutrition isn't required in the human body, they claim. But pharmaceutical chemicals are essential!

What they want you to do is shut up, eat your (processed) food, take your (chemical) medications, get your (fraudulent) disease screening, pay your taxes, watch television ads, make more (sheeple) babies and stop questioning the status quo. And multivitamins? Stop wasting your money on them. You'll need that money to buy more monopoly-priced pharmaceuticals, after all.

Multivitamins Don't Reduce Risks (NYTimes)

http://thehealthyclub.blogspot.com/

 

NYTimes

Regimens: Multivitamins Not Found to Reduce Risks

 

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: February 9, 2009

Many postmenopausal women take multivitamins in the belief that they help prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer, but a large study has found that they do neither.

Previous studies have had mixed results, some suggesting that multivitamin supplements are associated with a reduced risk for some cancers, others finding little or no effect.

For the new findings, published in the February issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed data from 68,132 women who were enrolled in a clinical trial and 93,676 in an observational study. They followed the women for an average of about eight years to track the health effects of multivitamins.

After controlling for age, physical activity, family history of cancer and many other factors, the researchers found that the supplements had no effect on the risk for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, heart attack, stroke, blood clots or mortality.

The scientists acknowledge that women who take vitamins also engage in other healthy behaviors, and that there may be unknown variables affecting their results.

"Consumers spend money on dietary supplements with the thought that they are going to improve their health, but there's no evidence for this," said Marian L. Neuhouser, the lead author and a nutritional epidemiologist with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. "Buying more fruits and vegetables might be a better choice."

Children Who Take Vitamins Often Don't Need Them (NYTimes)

http://thehealthyclub.blogspot.com/

 

My guess is this study only covered a multi vitamin, not omega 3s, probiotics, vitamin D winter levels...I still like the insurance policy a multi gives my kids.

 

XOXO

 

 

 

NYTimes

Children Who Take Vitamins Often Don't Need Them

By RONI CARYN RABIN

Published: February 2, 2009

Most children who take vitamins don't really need them, and kids who eat poorly and are most likely to benefit from nutritional supplements rarely get them, a new study reports.

The results surprised researchers, said lead author Dr. Ulfat Shaikh, a pediatrician at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine who treats children with nutritional problems.

"We hypothesized that people who use minerals and vitamin supplements might be using them to cushion the effects of poor nutrition," she said. "We actually found the opposite."

The children who used supplements the most were those who already drank a lot of milk, ate a lot of fiber and didn't consume much fat or cholesterol, Dr. Shaikh said. They were healthier overall and tended to be white, have health insurance and come from upper-income families. They also tended to get a lot of exercise, weren't overweight, considered themselves in good health and didn't watch too much television or spend a lot of time playing video games.

The study was published in today's issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Researchers derived the information from an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey results from 1999 to 2004. They found that about one-third of American children ages 2 to 17 had used a vitamin or mineral supplement within the previous month, but that most of them did not need to supplement their diet.

On the other hand, children who used vitamins the least tended to be at greatest risk for nutritional deficits. They did not eat as well as the children who were taking supplements, lived in low-income families that were short of food and had less access to health care, the study found.

"Poverty seems to be the overriding factor," Dr. Shaikh said. Although supplements may not seem expensive to a middle-class family, the cost may be onerous for a low-income family, she said. "Parents who were poor were perhaps unable to afford supplements."

Generally speaking, children who eat a varied diet do not need to take vitamins or other supplements, and the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend supplement use for children over a year who eat a healthy diet. Vitamins may be recommended for children with chronic illnesses or eating disorders and for obese children trying to lose weight.

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "it" nutrient (News-Medical.net)

Vitamin D offers widespread benefits for health

Published: Tuesday, 13-Jan-2009

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Medical Research News Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "it" nutrient with health benefits for diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and now diabetes. A recent review article published by researchers from Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing concluded that adequate intake of vitamin D may prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and reduce complications for those who have already been diagnosed. These findings appeared in the latest issue of Diabetes Educator. "Vitamin D has widespread benefits for our health and certain chronic diseases in particular," said Sue Penckofer, Ph.D., R.N., study co-author and professor, Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. "This article further substantiates the role of this nutrient in the prevention and management of glucose intolerance and diabetes." Many of the 23 million Americans with diabetes have low vitamin D levels. Evidence suggests that vitamin D plays an integral role in insulin sensitivity and secretion. Vitamin D deficiency results in part from poor nutrition, which is one of the most challenging issues for people with diabetes. Another culprit is reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is spent indoors. One study examined for this review article evaluated 3,000 people with type 1 diabetes and found a decreased risk in disease for people who took vitamin D supplements. Observational studies of people with type 2 diabetes also revealed that supplementation may be important in the prevention of this disease. "Management of vitamin D deficiency may be a simple and cost-effective method to improve blood sugar control and prevent the serious complications associated with diabetes," said Joanne Kouba, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.N., study co-author and clinical assistant professor of dietetics, Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. Diet alone may not be sufficient to manage vitamin D levels. A combination of adequate dietary intake of vitamin D, exposure to sunlight, and treatment with vitamin D2 or D3 supplements can decrease the risk of diabetes and related health concerns. The preferred range in the body is 30 - 60 ng/mL of 25(OH) vitamin D. "People at risk for diabetes should be screened for low vitamin D levels," said Mary Ann Emanuele, M.D., F.A.C.P., study co-author and professor of medicine, division of endocrinology and metabolism, Loyola University Health System. "This will allow health care professionals to identify a nutrient deficiency early on and intervene to improve the long term health of these individuals." Vitamin D deficiency also may be associated with hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and heart disease. In fact, Penckofer recently published another study in Circulation that reported on the role of chronic vitamin D deficiency in heart disease. The Circulation study authors included Glen W. Sizemore, MD, emeritus professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and Diane E. Wallis, MD, Midwest Heart Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill. http://www.luhs.org/

Omega 3: Protect your heart with these miracle fats (Natural News)

Omega-3: Protect Your Heart With These Miracle Fats

by Frank Mangano, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
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(NaturalNews) According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. The great irony is that cardiovascular disease is largely preventable. Have you taken the necessary steps to heart attack-proof yourself?

There's a simple, proven and easy way to reduce the chance of you becoming part of these grim statistics, and that is to increase your intake of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The research has continued to pour in from countless sources about the amazing benefits of the omega-3's. In fact, scientists and medical professionals alike now agree that the omega-3 fats can prevent – and even reverse - the deadly effects of cardiovascular disease and stroke (the first and third leading causes of death, respectively).

Omega-3 fats have gotten so much good press lately that you're probably already aware that you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from all types of seafood, particularly the oily fish like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Studies have shown that people who consume high amounts of fish improve their overall health and well being in too many ways to list.

A 17-year study of men with no history of heart disease, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more than 80 percent less likely to die suddenly from heart disease. And the benefits apply to women as well. A 16-year study of almost 85,000 women found that those who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of heart disease by 30 percent, compared with women who rarely ate fish.

A 1999 study called "Food intake patterns and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease," revealed some very interesting findings about omega-3 fatty acids by comparing the diet of people from America to other regions of the world. The results of this study showed that in countries like Japan, where seafood consumption is high, the prevalence of death from heart attacks is much lower than in America.

Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that Asians eat far more seafood than Americans, and 85 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. The same findings were uncovered with the Eskimos from Greenland, who also consume large amounts of seafood. The 1970 study found that despite eating a high fat diet, the Inuit had significantly lower incidence of heart disease.

So what is it about omega-3 fatty acids that make them so great for your heart? It boils down to the chemical composition of the fatty acids. If you looked at them under a microscope, you would see that omega-3 fatty acids are long strands of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These polyunsaturates - alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - lead to significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and other health benefits.

Studies show that consuming these fatty acids over an extended period of time can decrease blood cholesterol levels, cause regression of coronary heart ailments and even help in preventing the progression of colon cancer.

According to the American Heart Association, people without documented coronary heart disease (CHD) should consume fatty fish twice a week at the minimum. Those with documented CHD should consume 1 g of EPA and DHA on a daily basis.

It is also beneficial for pregnant women to consume an adequate amount of EPA and DHA each day. Because of the high amounts of mercury found in fish, however, it can be dangerous to consume the amount of seafood you would need in order to reach the optimal intake. That's why fish oil supplements are a great way to obtain your essential fats.

Carlson's Liquid Fish Oil is an excellent choice. This is due to the optimal amounts of EPA and DHA, the strict guidelines they follow for purity (keeping their oil free of chemical modification and contaminants like mercury or lead) and the addition of extra vitamin E to protect the freshness and potency of the oil.

Carlson's test their fish oil regularly for potency and purity by an independent, FDA registered laboratory and found them to be free of detectable levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, PCB`s and 28 other contaminants. These are all important considerations because there is no doubt that all brands of fish oil are not the same and you really do get what you pay for.

What about flaxseed oil? You may have heard that flaxseed is a rich source of omega-3 fats. This is true. However, flaxseed oil supplements may be less effective than fish oil and here's why: Flaxseed has high amounts of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which your body must convert into EPA and DHA. However, the EPA and DHA found in fish oils are broken down more rapidly and far more effectively than ALA. Furthermore, because the average American already consumes high amounts of ALA already, supplementing with more ALA isn't always optimal.

Bottom line: It's not often that a nutritional supplement comes along that gets unanimous thumbs up from the scientific community as well as the natural health community, but fish oil is certainly one supplement you cannot go wrong with in your quest to improve your health and protect yourself from heart disease naturally.