Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Did you know a vitamin D deficiency more than DOUBLES your risk of type II diabetes?


Just a few years ago, vitamin D was simply known as the “bone vitamin.” Thanks to the hard work of many scientists, especially Michael Holick, MD, a pioneer in vitamin D research, the data show that nearly every tissue and cell type in the body has receptors for vitamin D. As a result of this discovery, much higher doses are required for optimal functioning. This discovery has radically changed how we understand the role of vitamin D in the body.
            Unless you body is at optimal levels, you are opening the door to a host of disorders, ranging from heart disease and Alzheimer’s to weak bodes and diabetes.
            In fact, even if you have normal blood sugar today, a vitamin D deficiency makes you 91% more likely to progress to insulin resistance, or “pre-diabetes,” and it more than doubles your risk from progressing to active, type II diabetes.
            Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is a global epidemic. An estimated 1 billion people do not have adequate vitamin D levels. And 64% of Americans don’t have enough vitamin D to keep all of their tissues operating at peak capacity.
            The results of this deficiency are catastrophic. Studies have now shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of a long list of diseases that span all systems of the body. In fact, low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of non-Alzheimer’s dementia almost 20 times!
            While checking for vitamin D levels is still not standard care for many physicians, you will realize from reading this article that assessing vitamin D status is one of the most important health protecting steps you can take. Fortunately, achieving optimal levels of vitamin D is easy, inexpensive, and highly protective against a range of lethal diseases. 






Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Critically Ill Have Reduced Levels of CoQ10


An article published in the Journal of Critical Care revealed lower levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in critically ill patients in comparison with healthy men and women.*
The study compared 36 adult intensive care unit patients with 18 healthy controls. Septic shock was present in 12 of the critically ill subjects. While the lowest levels of plasma CoQ10 occurred in septic shock patients, levels were lower in critically ill patients both with and without septic shock in comparison with healthy subjects. Reduced levels of CoQ10 were also associated with increased age and with a decline in the ability to perform activities of daily living after hospital discharge. Authors Andrea Coppadoro and colleagues remark that CoQ10 supplementation has been associated with improvement in activities of daily living scores, neuromuscular function, and other long-term outcomes in certain groups, suggesting that supplementation could also benefit the outcome of the critically ill.
—D. Dye
Reference
* J Crit Care. 2013 Apr 22.

High Homocysteine, Low Folate, and B12 Predict Macular Degeneration


An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports the finding of a protective effect for higher levels of vitamin B12 and folate against the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).* The study also revealed a greater risk of AMD in association with higher levels of homocysteine.
Paul Mitchell and his colleagues analyzed data from 1,390 participants in the Blue Mountains Eye Study of common eye diseases. Eye examinations were conducted upon enrollment and at five, ten, and fifteen years. Serum homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 levels were measured and dietary questionnaires were completed at the five-year follow-up visit.
From the five-year through the fifteen-year follow-up visit, 219 subjects were diagnosed with AMD. In comparison with those with lower homocysteine levels, participants whose levels were greater than 15 micromoles per liter had an up to 56% greater risk of AMD.
Editor’s Note: Among those with deficient folate levels, the risk of AMD was up to 89% higher in comparison with the risk experienced by subjects with greater levels. Vitamin B12 deficiency also increased risk.
—D. Dye
Reference Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 May 1.


Monday, November 11, 2013

In Related News: Vitamin D May Protect Against the Development of Uterine Fibroids

A recent issue of Epidemiology published an article that reports the finding of vitamin D researcher Bruce W. Hollis and his colleagues of a lower risk of uterine fibroid tumors in women with sufficient levels of vitamin D.*
The study evaluated 620 African American women and 416 Caucasian women between the ages of 35 to 49 who were enrolled in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Uterine Fibroid Study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured in blood samples collected upon enrollment, and ultrasound examinations ascertained the presence and size of fibroids.
Subjects with sufficient serum levels of the vitamin, which the researchers classified as 20 ng/mL or higher, had a 32% lower risk of having fibroids in comparison with those whose levels were sufficient. Each 10 ng/mL increase in vitamin D was associated with a 20% reduction in fibroid risk.
—D. Dye
Reference
* Epidemiology. 2013 May;24(3):447-53.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Study Results Indicate Benefits of Antioxidants Following Breast Cancer Therapy



In honor of breast cancer awareness month, for anyone you know who has breast cancer, the risk of breast cancer recurrence was 36% lower in association with the use of Vitamin D. 

An article published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment reports that supplementation with antioxidants after treatment for breast cancer is not only safe, but may help improve survival.*
Elizabeth M. Poole of Harvard University and her associates analyzed data from 12,019 breast cancer survivors enrolled in one of four studies included in the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project. The analysis examined the use of supplements at least one year after diagnosis. Over follow-up, 1,298 deaths occurred, of which 65% were due to breast cancer.
Sixty percent of the women reported using supplements from one-to-five years following diagnosis. The use of any antioxidant supplement, categorized as vitamins C, E, or a multivitamin supplement in this study, was associated with a 16% lower adjusted risk of dying from any cause over follow-up, and for those who used all three supplements, the risk was 21% lower.
The risk of breast cancer recurrence was 36% lower in association with the use of vitamin D among women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors.
—D. Dye
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Reference: *Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2013 May 10


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Did you know that high blood sugar increases the negative effects of cholesterol?




According to Life Extension Magazine:
In order to reduce risk, there must be a systematic approach and understanding of the multiple factors of cardiovascular risk and atherosclerosis. Optimal cholesterol management is important for risk reduction, but so are the multiple risk factors that Life Extension has long identified. Accordingly, efforts to lower cholesterol to mitigate cardiovascular risk will only be met with optimal success if paired with measures to reduce other risk factors such as inflammation, oxidation, hypertension, excess plasma glucose, excess body weight, fibrinogen, excess homocysteine, low vitamin K, insufficient vitamin D, hormone imbalance; etc. Mainstream medicine is quick to point out that 10-15% of patients with coronary heart disease have no apparent major risk factors

 The 17 Daggers of Arterial Disease graphic has been published in Life Extension Magazine and illustrates the risk factors that Life Extension has identified as being critical to address in order to maintain optimal vascular health.
17-dagger_01-big.jpg



The chart below is the traditional cholesterol testing versus the much more informative VAP cholesterol test. Be sure to ask your doctor for the VAP test. 
VERTICAL AUTO PROFILE (VAP)
CLASSIC LIPID PANEL
Directly measures LDL
{more accurate assessment of LDL and therefore more prognostic of risk for heart disease}
Estimates LDL using a calculation
Calculated levels lose accuracy when triglycerides are very high (> 400 mg/dL)
Measures ApoB-100, which is a direct indication of LDL particle number {more particles are associated with higher atherogenic risk}Not included
Measures Lp(a)
{some evidence suggests that Lp(a) is more atherogenic than LDL}
Not included
Identifies LDL density pattern
{a small, dense pattern is more atherogenic (Pattern B); a large buoyant pattern is less atherogenic (Pattern A)}
Not included
Specifies lipoprotein subclass levels
{some subclasses of lipoproteins are more atherogenic than others}


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This natural product counteracts the effects of elevated blood sugar:




Monday, October 7, 2013

Shocking X-Ray Photo of Undigested Vitamins!



Nauseous from your vitamins? Not feeling the benefits? That’s because pills have binders and fillers! Look at this x-ray taken by a doctor showing 3 days worth of undigested pills! 




Hot flashes? Night sweats heart palpitations? Research shows this product will help you!



GENEVA, Switzerland – A clinical trial published in this month’s The Journal of Reproductive Medicine found that natural supplement Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, minimizes climacteric symptoms of menopausal women. Perimenopause, the transition that women experience leading into menopause, lasts an average of four years and is marked by a number of uncomfortable symptoms including hot flashes, insomnia, night-time sweating, palpitations, depression, anxiety and memory problems.
“Since climacteric symptoms vary from woman to woman and can manifest as any number of discomforts, it is often a difficult condition to effectively treat. We found that Pycnogenol® can aid in relief of a number of these symptoms, which helps improve the quality of women’s life during this transitional period,” said Takafumi Kohama, lead researcher from Keiju Medical Center.
The study was conducted at Keiju Medical Center in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan and examined 170 perimenopausal women. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted and participants were given either placebo capsules or 30 mg of Pycnogenol® twice per day, over a period of 12 weeks.
The rationale of the study was to identify menopausal symptoms which respond particularly well to supplementation with a low dosage of Pycnogenol®. Dr. Kohama and his group discovered that Pycnogenol® is most effective for lowering hot flashes and nighttime sweating. Kohama explains that thermal dysregulation may relate to the inability of menopausal women to radiate off excess heat because peripheral blood vessels insufficiently expand. Pycnogenol® supports vascular relaxation, which allows the body to rid of excess body heat, subsiding the sensation of hot flashes and nighttime sweating. Dr. Kohama also emphasizes the increased general risk for cardiovascular health problems of menopausal women, which may benefit from the improved vascular function with Pycnogenol®. The discovery of lowered heart palpitations in women taking Pycnogenol® in this study provides further support to this point.
This study systematically investigated and compared hormonal changes of women taking Pycnogenol® or placebo. Kohama and his co-workers did not find any significant changes between groups as for estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) and dehydroepiandrosterone. The evidence for non-hormonal effects of Pycnogenol® may be welcomed by women who wish to soothe menopausal symptoms without using supplements containing soy, kudzu, red clover and other herbals to exert hormonal activity.Though some women dropped out of the study, none of them left the study because of unwanted effects related to treatment.
An additional questionnaire, the Kupperman index, was given to participants to describe and score the level of discomfort related to climacteric symptoms, using values ranging from one (heavy discomfort) to four (no discomfort). Differences in baseline performance between the placebo group and Pycnogenol® group were tested as well as a comparison of perimenopausal symptom scores obtained during treatment. According to the study, the total symptom improvement using the Kupperman index, which represents the most commonly utilized questionnaire in Japan, was statistically significant versus the placebo group. The study identified a number of further menopausal symptom improvements such as decreased heart palpitations which reached borderline statistical significance.
“These findings leave little doubt about the benefit of Pycnogenol® for women interested in controlling climacteric symptoms with a more natural approach. Our study is the first to provide evidence for the safety and efficacy of Pycnogenol® in perimenopausal women,” said Kohama.
This study confirms findings from two previous studies, one of which investigated 200 menopausal women in double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion for half a year, that Pycnogenol® effectively improves menopausal signs and symptoms. Furthermore, Pycnogenol®’s ability to support heart health is of particular significance as menopausal women live at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. 



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About Pycnogenol®
Pycnogenol® is a natural plant extract originating from the bark of the maritime pine that grows along the coast of southwest France and is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits.  The extract has been widely studied for the past 40 years and has more than 280 published studies and review articles ensuring safety and efficacy as an ingredient.  Today, Pycnogenol® is available in more than 700 dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide.  For more information, visit www.pycnogenol.com.
About Horphag ResearchHorphag Research Ltd. is the exclusive worldwide supplier of Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all) French maritime pine bark extract. Pycnogenol® is a registered trademark of Horphag Research Ltd.; Guernsey and the company is the recipient of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan North American Health Ingredients Excellence in Research Award. For more information about Pycnogenol® visit our Web site at www.pycnogenol.com