Saturday, April 6, 2013

Are Dietary Supplements Needed?

Update: August 26, 2013:
I read ANOTHER newspaper article yesterday from ANOTHER dietician who stated, "If you eat a good diet composed of many different healthy foods, you do not need supplementation." Of course, I shook my head. In a PERFECT world, I might agree 100% but we don't live in a perfect world. Our farms are factories, our soil is depleted, our food doesn't contain the nutrition it used to, and people don't eat 3 meals/day around a kitchen table. Because this silly "if you eat a good diet, you don't need supplementation" thinking, I felt it was time to repost this blog---

Courtesy :Jan Johansen April 05, 2013

Many people just don’t want to take pills. They believe they get all the nutrients they need from the food they eat. While that may be true, it really only applies if they eat only their home grown food, both plant and animal proteins. Even then, over 70% of that food will need to be eaten raw. But if you can’t do that, supplementation becomes not a question of if, but of what.

Our food does not contain the vitamins and minerals that it did centuries ago. The soil in most places has been horribly depleted. Modern farming methods now use chemical methods to replace a few of the minerals that our soil once contained. This causes many micronutrients to be missing from the soils, and therefore the food. Commercial growers have learned that if they pick the produce before it is completely ripe it lasts longer during shipment and storage.

Science shows that the vitamin and minerals content of the food grows exponentially the last days before peak ripeness. This means that these components are not being developed in our foods. Modern storage and cooking methods destroy even more of these vital nutrients. Most foods are now irradiated. The radiation in meant to kill any bad bacteria that is on the foods. However, it also kills many nutrients and all of the enzymes that are supposed to be in our foods.

If you are in generally good health and follow a generally healthy diet, you may be able to get by with just a good multi-vitamin. If you don’t always eat right, or have any health issues there is a good possibility you need something more.Here are some examples of supplements to reach for.

If you have macular degeneration or even if you just have a family history of it, you might want to consider supplementing with resveratrol. Studies show that this antioxidant can slow down and even reverse macular degeneration.

If your immune system is weak you may want to consider adding some zinc. Other options for a weak immune system include plant sterols and oregano essential oil. Another link found with zinc is low or hypothyroidism.Evidently without the zinc the thyroid doesn’t function as well. This can be a prime cause of fatigue and weight gain.

A B12 deficiency can mimic Schizophrenia. If you or someone you love starts showing symptoms of Schizophrenia then supplementing with B12 could prevent being labeled by the medical profession. If you eat little or no animal products it is more likely that you will develop a deficiency.

Other vitamins that modern man is typically low on include Vitamin D, Omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics, selenium, magnesium, and CoQ10.

If you are unsure if you need any of these you might consider taking a micronutrient test. This is a blood test that shows the level of different nutrients in your blood. It would be a great start to determining what supplements you need to be considering.

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(Lose Sickness and Find Wellness Comments)

When it comes to our bodies, we want to make choices that have a positive impact on our health. But some of those decisions – eating the wrong foods, making certain lifestyle choices, even the way we exercise – could impact our body's ability to maintain optimum health. Even if we think we’re making the right choices, there are other factors that help determine our overall picture of health.

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Friday, April 5, 2013

Vitamin D proven to boost energy -- from within the cells

courtesy of sciencecodex.com

Vitamin D is vital for making our muscles work efficiently and boosting energy levels, new research from Newcastle University has shown.

A study led by Dr Akash Sinha has shown that muscle function improves with Vitamin D supplements which are thought to enhance the activity of the mitochondria, the batteries of the cell.
A hormone normally produced in the skin using energy from sunlight, Vitamin D can also be found in a few foods – including fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks and fortified cereals but it can also be effectively boosted with Vitamin D supplements.

It is thought around 60% of people in the UK are vitamin D deficient, with children under five, people with dark skin and the elderly being particularly vulnerable. While it has a well-established association with helping in bone formation and a deficiency can lead to rickets, its role in other health issues is just emerging.
The researchers used non-invasive magnetic resonance scans to measure the response to exercise in 12 patients with severe deficiency before and after treatment with vitamin D.

Lead author Dr Akash Sinha who also works within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "The scans provided a unique window into what is really going on in the muscle as it works.
"Examining this small group of patients with vitamin D deficiency who experienced symptoms of muscle fatigue, we found that those with very low vitamin D levels improved their muscle efficiency significantly when their vitamin D levels were improved."

Alongside poor bone health, muscle fatigue is a common symptom in vitamin D deficient patients. This fatigue could be due to reduced efficiency of the mitochondria: the 'power stations' within each cell of the body.
Mitochondria use glucose and oxygen to make energy in a form that can be used to run the cell - an energy-rich molecule called ATP. Muscle cells need large amounts of ATP for movement and they use phosphocreatine as a ready and available energy source to make ATP. The mitochondria also replenish this phosphocreatine store after muscle contraction and measuring the time taken to replenish these stores is a measure of mitochondrial efficiency: better mitochondrial function is associated with shorter phosphocreatine recovery times.

The team found that these recovery rates significantly improved after the patients took a fixed dose of oral vitamin D for 10-12 weeks. The average phosphocreatine recovery half time decreased from 34.4 sec to 27.8 sec. All patients reported an improvement in symptoms of fatigue after having taken the supplements. In a parallel study, the group demonstrated that low Vitamin D levels were associated with reduced mitochondrial function.

Dr Sinha added: "We have proved for the first time a link between vitamin D and mitochondria function.
"Of the patients I see, around 60% are vitamin D deficient and most people living north of Manchester will struggle to process enough vitamin D from sunlight alone, particularly during winter and spring. So a simple vitamin D tablet could help boost your energy levels – from within the cells."

Source: Newcastle University

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Promotes normal bone mineral density
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Supports immune health
Helps maintain bone health
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Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 5000 IU
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in some foods and endogenously produced when sunlight strikes the skin and activates vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D promotes the efficient intestinal absorption of calcium, primarily in the duodenum and jejunum by supporting the synthesis of calcium-binding proteins to promote normal calcium absorption and retention. Vitamin D also promotes the normal formation of bone and normal bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Vitamin D deficiency can be caused by factors such as lack of exposure to sunlight, reduced skin synthesis of vitamin D, lower dietary intake, impaired intestinal absorption and reduced metabolism to active forms of vitamin D by the kidneys, all of which increase with aging. Deficiency has been linked to numerous health concerns, and insufficient levels of this vitamin are associated with weak bones and muscle weakness. In addition to promoting strong bones, vitamin D also has other roles in health, including supporting the body’s normal modulation of neuromuscular function and immune function. Vitamin D has been shown to support immune-modulation, and it is thought that supplementation promotes immune health by promoting the body’s normal regulation of T-cell function. In reference to cellular health, vitamin D supports the modulation of many genes that are responsible for encoding proteins that regulate normal cell cycle activity. Vitamin D levels have been strongly correlated to healthy cells. Lastly, through its interaction with VDR (vitamin D receptor), vitamin D supports the healthy expression of the gene encoding renin, thus helping to maintain healthy blood pressure.*
Vitamin K2 45 mcg
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin found in meat, eggs, dairy and natto. Although a fat-soluble vitamin, the body stores very little K2, and its stores are rapidly depleted without regular dietary intake. Natural vitamin K2, also known as menaquinone-7 (MK-7), is the most bioavailable form of K2 and has the longest half-life in the blood of any form of vitamin K. The Japanese soy food natto is particularly rich in menaquinone-7 (MK-7). Studies of natto consumption in Japan have linked menaquinone-7 to bone and cardiovascular health. The correlation of vitamin K to cardiovascular and bone health directly focuses on supporting proper calcium utilization, whereby adequate metabolism of calcium supports arterial and bone health. This is often referred to as the calcium paradox. The calcium paradox is explained simply as getting calcium in the right place (i.e., into the bone structures instead of the arterial vessel walls.) These events are dependent upon the synthesis of the vitamin K-dependent proteins osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein in a process called carboxylation. The carboxylation of these proteins is a post-translational step; that is, osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein are translated from their respective messenger RNA and then modified by enzymes to the active forms. These carboxylated forms support the healthy binding and releasing of calcium. This reaction is essential for optimal and healthy utilization of calcium. Vitamin K2 promotes the synthesis of proteins involved with calcium utilization, thereby supporting bone retention and arterial health. While Vitamin D supports the healthy regulation and synthesis of osteocalcin, the mineral-binding capacity of this protein requires vitamin K-dependent carboxylation and is thought to be related to bone mineralization. Gas6 is a vitamin K-dependent protein found throughout the nervous system, as well in the heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys and cartilage. Although the exact mechanism of its action has not been determined, Gas6 appears to be a cellular growth regulator involved in cellular activities such as cell adhesion, cell proliferation and protection against apoptosis.*

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Fish Oil Could Boost Immune System, Study Suggests

Courtesy of The Huffington Post

Posted: 04/05/2013 12:37 am EDT

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may have benefits beyond potentially boosting heart health -- they could also benefit the immune system, according to a new study in mice.

Researchers from Michigan State University and East Carolina University found that feeding fish oil high in the omega-3 fatty acid compound DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) seemed to boost activity of a white blood cell called a B cell, a vital part of the body's immune response. And because of the particular way the DHA-rich fish oil worked in the mice, the researchers noted the finding could have special applications for people with compromised immune systems.

The findings, which are published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, included comparing two groups of mice -- one that was fed a control diet, and one that was fed a diet that included DHA-rich fish oil. After five weeks, researchers took B cells from the mouse tissue and then examined them in the lab for B cell activation.

Omega-3 fatty acids are most commonly naturally found in fish, as well as some plant sources, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. They've been shown in research to improve cognitive health and decrease risk of heart disease and cancer. Omega-3-rich foods are also prevalent in the Mediterranean diet, which has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease and increased longevity.

But the effects of fish oil in supplement form on heart health has not been totally conclusive, with some studies suggesting it has protective benefits, while others show no effect at all. A recent review of studies, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed no difference in heart attack or stroke risk between people who take fish oil supplements and those who don't, Health.com reported. However, experts noted that the jury is still out as to who exactly could benefit from fish oil, as there weren't uniform DHA or EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid, another main compound in omega-3s) levels used in all the studies included in the review.

Currently, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends people eat around two to three servings of fish a week to get a good amount of dietary omega-3s, TIME reported. To make it even more worth your while, a recent study from Harvard and the University of Washington showed that the biggest fish-eaters (calculated by blood levels of omega-3s) also live more than two years longer, on average, than people with low omega-3 levels.