CURRENT TOPICS

Vitamin D is Essential to Good Health

A paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  identifies vitamin D’s potential for contributions to good health in immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas,  heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity. In addition, access to adequate amounts of vitamin D is believed to be beneficial towards reducing the risk of cancer.


Thirty-six organ tissues in the body are known whose cells respond biologically to vitamin D. The list includes bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and the uterus.  Therefore we must conclude that a deficiency of vitamin D can impact all 36 organs. Already, vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle strength decrease, high risk for falls, and increased risk for colorectal, prostate and breast and other major cancers.

Dr. Anthony Norman, a  professor of biochemistry and of biomedical sciences who has worked on vitamin D for more than 45 years states “It is becoming increasingly clear to researchers in the field that vitamin D is strongly linked to several diseases. Its biological sphere of influence is much broader than we originally thought. The nutritional guidelines for vitamin D intake must be carefully reevaluated to determine the adequate intake, balancing sunlight exposure with dietary intake, to achieve good health by involving all 36 target organs”.

Vitamin D is synthesized in the body in a series of steps. First, sunlight’s ultraviolet rays act on a compound in skin. When skin is exposed to sunlight this compound is converted to vitamin D, which, in turn, is metabolized in the liver and kidneys to form a hormone.


The past recommended daily intake of vitamin D was 200 international units (IU) for people up to 50 years old and 400 IU for people 51 to 70 years old and 600 IU for people over 70 years old. Dr. Norman’s recommendation for all adults is to have an average daily intake of at least 2000 IU.

“To optimize good health you must have enough vitamin D,” he said. “Vitamin D deficiency is also especially of concern in third world countries that have poor nutritional practices and religious customs that require the body to be covered from head to toe. Ideally, to achieve the widest frequency of good health by population, we need to have 90 percent of the people with adequate amounts of vitamin D”.

About half of the elderly in North America are not getting enough vitamin D to maintain healthy bone density which increases  the risks for bone fractures and good tooth attachment in the jaw bones.

Dr. Norman has further stated “There needs to be a sea change by various governmental agencies in terms of the advice they present to citizens about how much vitamin D should be taken. The tendencies of people who spend most of their time indoors contribute to the inability of the skin to biosynthesize sufficient amounts of vitamin D”.

Found in minute amounts in food, vitamins are organic substances that higher forms of animals need to grow and sustain normal health. Vitamins, however, are not synthesized in sufficient amounts to meet bodily needs. Therefore, the body must acquire them through diet or in the form of supplements.  Because it is found in very few foods naturally, milk and other foods (often orange juice) are fortified with vitamin D.

While deficiency of vitamin D impacts health negatively, ingestion of extremely high doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, a condition in which the blood’s calcium level is above normal. The highest daily ‘safe’ dose of vitamin D is 10,000 IU.

Dr. Norman a devoted researcher of vitamin D says “More than ever we need to increase the amount of research on vitamin D, with more funding from government agencies ………………….. to meet the challenge of preserving or improving the health of everyone on the planet”.

 

Probiotics

The friendly bacteria that reside in your gut have a number of very important functions, including: 

  • Digesting and absorbing certain carbohydrates. Without good gut bacteria, your body cannot absorb certain undigested starches, fiber, and sugars. The friendly bacteria in your digestive tract convert these carbohydrates into primary sources of important energy and nutrients.
  • Producing vitamins, absorbing minerals and eliminating toxins. Probiotics help in the production of both vitamin K and B vitamins, and promote mineral absorption. They also aid in metabolism and the breakdown of toxins.
  • Keeping bad bacteria under control. A large part of the influence of the "bad" bacteria is on your intestinal lining (mucousal barrier) that is over 300 square meters, or about the size of a tennis court. Simply stated, friendly bacteria compete with the bad guys for room and board, but since beneficial bacteria are more at home there, they win most of the battles for nutrition and attachment sites within your colon.

The good bacteria tell your body how much nutrition they need and your body responds by supplying just that much and no more - so that any excess bad bacteria are starved out. The helpful bacteria also produce a substance that kills harmful microbes.

  • Preventing allergies. Friendly bacteria train your immune system to distinguish between pathogens and non-harmful antigens, and to respond appropriately. This important function prevents your immune system from overreacting to non-harmful antigens, which is the genesis of allergies.
  • Providing vital support to your immune system. Beneficial bacteria have a lifelong, powerful effect on your gut’s immune system and your systemic immune system as well. The bacteria play a crucial role in the development and operation of the mucosal immune system in your digestive tract. They also aid in the production of antibodies to pathogens.

As you can see, probiotics perform a wide variety of functions, which renders them useful and beneficial for a number of health concerns, including the prevention or control of:

 

POP Culture

The pop culture that I will be discussing has nothing to do with music, films or clothing styles but the Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs. These carbon based substances accumulate in the fat of all living organisms. Most POPs can travel thousands of miles in the air and resist breaking down.  POPs can last for as long as one hundred years or more and therefore they are called “Persistent”. They can be inhaled or pollute our food sources either directly on our plants or indirectly by being in the stored fats in our dietary meat and fish.

Prior to World War II, there were no chemical pesticides. They were developed for combat use as nerve gases and defoliants.  Chemicals like 2,4-D were developed to destroy Japanese rice crops and used later in Agent Orange during The Vietnam conflict. After World War II, these chemicals were used in general agriculture and to spray entire neighborhoods to rid them of mosquitoes.

Researchers suggest there is a strong link between POPs and diseases that are on the rise. As early as 1962, Rachel Carson brought this to our attention in her book titled Silent Spring and in 1996 T. Colborn’s book Our Stolen Future.

In 1996, at an Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety the group listed twelve POP’s to be eliminated from the environment.  They were dubbed  ”The Dirty Dozen”.  In agreement with the above forum,  2001 a United Nations Program called for an immediate ban on eleven of the dirty dozen.  The chemical DDT was in this latter group however it is still used in developing countries to control mosquitoes, with a view to preventing malaria. I believe the old saying “biting off your nose despite your face” applies to this action.  

The dirty dozen is made up of: Dioxins, Furans, PCBs, Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, HCB, Mirex, and Toxaphene.

Studies indicate that POPs have negative effects on nerve system development, thyroid, estrogen, and immune function. Women who were exposed to PCBs demonstrated low birth rates and their babies born with small head circumferences and demonstrated short attention spans.  Other studies indicate a link between these POPs and altered brain development in unborn children resulting in attention deficit attention disorder (ADHD) and other behavioral issues. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticides through lawns, gardens, school playgrounds and parks. The elderly are also vulnerable to long term exposure to pesticides and can develop neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, ALS and others.  This makes one think twice before purchasing that new golf course home.

The authors of the “Systemic Review of Pesticide Human Health Effects” say that exposure to all commonly used pesticides can increase the risk for various types of cancer, early placenta deterioration, chromosomal defects and the list goes on. Because of the wide range of commonly used home and garden insecticides and herbicides with adverse health effects, exposure to all of them should be avoided. This is easy to say, yet yesterday I went to my local Home Depot and Lowes looking for a “Green” insecticide which I had recently used up and it was no longer available. I ordered on line at Clean Air Gardening.

As of this writing, we are able to characterize the risks for only a small number of the over 100,000 POPs that are in our environment. If a product indicates there is no evidence of harmful effects, there might be harmful effect but we just have no information on this substance or chemical.

What can you do to protect yourself against POPs?  To start with look at your food sources to be certain they are pesticide and herbicide free.  Evaluate the chemicals being used inside and outside your home. Investigate what products your gardeners are using. Read the labels on the personal body care products you are purchasing for you and your family and see which ones you need to change. In my home and practice my wife is the expert in this area.  Know that the accumulation of POPs is additive and can comes from multiple sources not just one.

As I mentioned earlier, POPs accumulate in fat.  My experience is that as my clients lose weight they exhibit signs of toxic overload as they release the POPs from their fat stores.  The most common effect is disturbed autonomic nervous system (ANS) functions. The autonomic nervous system controls all actions in your body that you do not control with your thought such as heart rate, release of adrenalin or thyroid hormone.  Therefore if the ANS is not working properly then you are not working properly.

In a previous article I indicated that toxicity is a major health issue in this country and the over-riding major issue I see affecting the wellness of new clients to my practice.  Therefore each new client is given a computer analysis of their Autonomic Nervous System to evaluate its state of function.

 

Health-Promoting Effects of Vitamin D

Vitamin D has far reaching  health implications.  Over the past 40 years research has shed evidence on the many benefits of vitamin D.  Among these benefits are:

1.  Normalizing blood pressure.  Those deficient in vitamin D are more likely to have elevated blood pressure.  Treatment with vitamin D and calcium significantly lowers systolic blood pressure.

2.  Anti-inflammatory effects.  Vitamin D appears to have a potent effect on reducing inflammation as measured with (CRP) C Reactive Protein.

3.  Anti-diabetic effects.  Diabetes is more prevalent in those individuals with low serum vitamin D levels.  Vitamin D reduces blood sugar and increases insulin sensitivity.

4.  Chemoprevention.  Vitamin D has demonstrated potent cancer-prevention effects in experimental and animal studies and in humans.

5.  Osteoporosis prevention.  Vitamin D is a crucial factor in bone health.  Replacement of vitamin D to healthy levels can substantially increases bone density.

6.  Prevention of neurological disorders.  Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to  an increased likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis in light skinned people.

7.  Immune enhancement.  Scientist have proposed that low levels of vitamin D may predispose individuals to an influenza virus infection.

 

Nutritional Needs Today

Dr. Weston A. Price was one of the major nutritional pioneers of all time.  He was a dentist around 1900 who noticed something that health care practitioners still try to deny today: that with the introduction of processed food, health started to decline.  What makes Dr. Price’s work so incredible is that even though it was written in the 1920’s, it is still very true today.
Dr. Price noticed some similarities between the native diets that allowed the people to thrive. Among them:

  • The foods were natural, unprocessed, and organic (and contained no sugar except for the occasional bit of honey or maple syrup).
  • The people ate foods that grew in their native environment. In other words, they ate locally grown, seasonal foods.
  • Many of the cultures ate unpasteurized dairy products, and all of them ate fermented foods.
  • The people ate a significant portion of their food raw.
  • All of the cultures ate animal products, including animal fat and full-fat butter and organ meats.

When Dr. Price analyzed his findings, he found that the native diets contained ten times the amount of fat-soluble vitamins, and at least four times the amount of calcium, other minerals, and water-soluble vitamins as that of Western diets at that time.
Their diets were also rich in enzymes because they ate fermented and raw foods (enzymes help you to digest cooked foods).
Another major factor that made the native diets so healthy was that their intake of omega-3 fats was at least ten times higher than in today’s diet.  Today most people’s ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats (from vegetable oils) is far from the ideal 1:1 ratio of our ancestors.  Most Americans eat far too many omega-6 fats and far too few omega-3 fats, leading to a ratio that’s more like 20:1 or even 50:1!

Even though we live lives that are far different from those of our ancestors, you can still benefit from their traditional diets by following these simple steps in your own lifestyle.  

 

Conquering Menopause With Simple Lifestyle Changes

Simple lifestyle changes offer natural ways to optimize hormone levels

  • Adopt a diet based on your metabolic type
  • Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid intake
  • Exercise regularly even at a low intensity
  • Eliminate grains, sugars and low fiber vegetables as they encourage yeast growth that may worsen poor hormone levels
  •  Eliminate caffeine and alcohol
  • Take whole food supplements & herbs for the specific nutritional deficiencies of your hormone producing glands

Cell Phones and Electromagnetic Radiation

Studies are indicating the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cellular telephones may be having harmful effects on our immune, enzyme and nervous systems. Also possibly affected are our learning capabilities, moods and behavioral patterns.  These studies suggest the  EMR may disrupt the communication pathways between the 100 trillion cells in our bodies.  This disruption results in abnormal cellular metabolism or function.

Dr. George Carlo researched wireless safety for six years.  He worked with 200 associates with a budget of 28 million dollars.  He concluded the following from his research: "We are at the beginning of an epidemic of health problems related to cell phones".  He further stated that EMR causes a general stress on life unlike anything we have seen before.

The largest emerging population of cell phone users are teenagers and young adults.  A study from 2004 indicated the average teen uses their cell phone for 2600 minutes each month.  This is startling as Dr. Carlo reports the use of a cell phone for only 500 to 1000 minutes per month doubles to triples the risk for eye and brain cancers.

It is interesting to note the United Kingdom has banned cell phone use by children under the age of 8 years.

There are EMR filters available today for cell phones and for home electronic devices. 

 

Teflon is the most popular cookware in America

Teflon coated aluminum contains perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which produces the slick, non-stick finish.  PFOA presently has health dangers associated with it, making the continued use of Teflon cookware a controversial subject.

The following information is given so you can draw your own conclusions with regards to your safety and Teflon cookware.

  • Multiple class action lawsuits were filed against DuPont (the manufacturer of Teflon) in 2006 by consumers in twenty states and the District if Columbia.  In the suits, DuPont was charged with exposing millions of Americans to health risks from the PFOA on their cookware.  The suit contended DuPont knew of the risks and failed to disclose them.
  • In April of 2006, DuPont settled a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  This lawsuit alleged DuPont hid health risk data concerning PFOA for twenty years.  The settlement fine was for $10.5 million to DuPont.
  • The EPA were informed by a scientific advisory board, in March of 2006, that PFOA should be labeled a "likely carcinogen"
  • Manufacturers are implementing a voluntary reduction of PFOA cookware of 95% by 2010 and 100% by 2015