On TRAC with DrMark

Vitamin D supplements show anti-diabetes potential

 

By Stephen Daniells

 

Supplements of the sunshine vitamin may improve insulin resistance and sensitivity, both of which are risk factors for diabetes, says a new study from New Zealand.

Insulin resistance, whereby insufficient insulin is released to produce a normal glucose response from fat, muscle and liver cells, was significantly lower in women following high-dose vitamin D supplementation, according to results of a randomised, controlled, double-blind trial published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

The optimal effects were observed when blood vitamin D levels were in the range 80 to 119 nanomoles per litre, said the researchers, “providing further evidence for an increase in the recommended adequate levels”.

D for diabetes

This is not the first time that vitamin D has been linked to diabetes. A recent meta-analysis of data from observational studies and clinical trials in adults showed a "relatively consistent association" between low intakes of calcium, vitamin D, or dairy intake and type-2 diabetes (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 92, pp. 2017-2029).

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Physicians and Nurses Use and Recommend Dietary Supplements

Dickinson A, Boyon N, Shao A. Physicians and nurses use and recommend dietary supplements: report of a survey. Nutr J. 2009; 8:29. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-8-29.

According to national surveys, dietary supplements are used by a majority of American adults. Some medical and nutrition experts recommend that adults take a daily multivitamin and additional amounts of specific nutrients to ensure adequate intakes and help protect against certain chronic diseases.

 

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) contracted with Ipsos Public Affairs in 2007 to conduct the "Life…supplemented" Healthcare Professionals Impact Study (HCP Impact Study), the first of a series of surveys of health professionals regarding their dietary supplement use and whether they recommend dietary supplements to patients. Dickinson is a consultant to and former president of CRN; Shao is a CRN vice president; and Boyon is senior vice president of Ipsos.

 

A total of 8768 physicians and 3028 nurses who are members of the All Global online panel created for market research were invited to take part in the survey. To qualify for the HCP Impact Study, participants had to be physicians practicing any medical specialty except pediatrics, or registered nurses or nurse practitioners; work primarily in an outpatient practice, and see more than 50 patients in their office each week. Of those who accessed the survey, 900 physicians and 277 nurses met all qualifying requirements and fully completed the survey, which was administered October 2-11, 2007. Participants were offered a small honorarium ($25 to $50).

 

Dietary supplements were defined as vitamins, minerals, herbals, botanicals, or sport nutrition or specialty supplements. Respondents who said they used dietary supplements were asked if their use was regular, occasional, or seasonal.

 

Survey results revealed that 72% of physicians and 89% of nurses used dietary supplements (regularly, occasionally, and seasonally). Regular use was reported by 51% of physicians and 59% of nurses; occasional use by 19% and 27%, respectively, and seasonal use by 2% and 3%, respectively. Only 14% of physicians and 3% of nurses reported that they had never taken dietary supplements. The prevalence of regular dietary supplement use by these physicians and nurses is similar to the prevalence of use reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000, where 52% of adults surveyed said they had taken supplements in the last month.¹ In a 2007 consumer survey by CRN, 68% of adults identified themselves as dietary supplement users (regular, occasional, or seasonal).²

 

The product most commonly used by the HCP Impact Study survey respondents was a multivitamin, with or without minerals; 87% of physicians and 86% of nurses who used dietary supplements (regularly, occasionally, or seasonally) said they used a multivitamin; many also used other products.

 

Other commonly used vitamins and minerals included vitamin C, B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E, and calcium. The non-vitamin/mineral products most often used by physicians were green tea, fish oil, glucosamine sulfate (alone or in combination with chondroitin sulfate), soy, and flax seed. Most often used by nurses were green tea, fish oil, echinacea, glucosamine, and flax seed.

 

Overall health and wellness was the most common reason why physicians (40%) and nurses (48%) said they took supplements; however, more than two-thirds reported more than one reason.

 

Of the respondents, 79% of physicians and 82% of nurses said they recommend supplements to their patients. The most common reason for recommending supplement use to their patients was for overall health and wellness. Other reasons related to bone health, joint health, flu or colds, heart health, and immune health, among others.

 

Given the negative views sometimes expressed editorially in medical journals, it may be surprising that physicians and nurses are as likely as the general population to be using dietary supplements.³ The authors point out that much of the criticism of supplements stems from a concern over fringe products and exaggerated claims and isn't necessarily aimed toward the core products commonly used both by consumers and by health care professionals.

 

The authors conclude that physicians and nurses are as likely as other adults to use dietary supplements and that most of them recommend dietary supplements to their patients. The fact that most of the physicians and nurses said they had not received any formal education or training on dietary supplements suggests a need for medical education to expand to include not only the general topic of nutrition but also the specific topic of dietary supplements.

 

―Shari Henson

 

References

¹Radimer K, Bindewald B, Hughes J, Ervin B, Swanson C, Picciano MF. Dietary supplement use by US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000.  Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:339-349.

²Council for Responsible Nutrition, 2007. More consumers consider themselves "regular" supplement users, annual survey results show. http://www.crnusa.org/CRN_PR_100407_ConsumerConfidence.html.

³DeAngelis CD, Fontanarosa PB. Drugs alias dietary supplements. JAMA. 2003;290:1519-1520.

The Hottest Vitamin Under the Sun

Vitamin D may just be considered the “it” vitamin of 2009. This year, it seemed stories on the sunshine vitamin were published daily. Studies on its role in bone health, heart health, immune health, weight management, cancer prevention and other health conditions poured from scientific journals. With the outbreak of H1N1 influenza, the Public Health Agency of Canada plans to test vitamin D levels of people who contract the virus in order to find new ways to fight it; and the U.S. Institutes of Medicine (IOM) announced it will review the recommended daily values of vitamin D intake. Yes, vitamin D was hot this year, and not just because it comes to us from sun exposure. With all the news reports and studies, it’s no wonder awareness of vitamin D is up among consumers. The International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) Functional Foods/Foods for Health consumer survey, released in August 2009, found 90 percent of Americans recognized vitamin D offers bone-health benefits compared to 81 percent in 2007. For responders who had children, 19 percent said they look for their children’s foods and beverages to be fortified with vitamin D. Michael McBurney, Ph.D., FACN, head of scientific affairs, DSM Nutritional Products Inc. added, “Fifty-six percent of those surveyed were already choosing foods with vitamin D to promote bone health, and another 38 percent were very or somewhat likely to do so.” Vitamin D comes in two biologically inactive precursors. D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is produced by the skin when it’s exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation; D2, also known as ergocalciferol, comes from plants exposed to UV light. The liver and kidneys synthesize both forms of vitamin D into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), to make it active in the body. However, David Garner, partner, Marco Hi-Tech JV LLC, argued the body prefers consumption of D3, adding, “D3 is said to be the best form of vitamin D (cholecalciferol) as it is the natural type that also is created whenever skin is exposed to sunlight.” Humans may not be able to get all of their vitamin D from the sun due to amount of skin that is exposed, the length of exposure, UV wavelength, latitude, season, skin melanin content and age. Therefore, people are more interested in increasing their vitamin D by consuming the nutrient, but most unfortified foods do not provide adequate amounts. The few foods that do contain a significant amount of vitamin D—butter, cream, egg yolks and fatty fish, such as herring, catfish and salmon—are not, and in some cases shouldn’t be, prevalent in today’s diets. “The reality is that the average U.S. diet does not provide the required amount of vitamin D,” said Dinesh Venkateswaran, technical marketing manager, DSM Nutritional Products Inc. “Therefore, dietary supplements may be useful sources for these nutrients that otherwise might be consumed in less than recommended amounts.” U.S. dietary reference intake (DRI) guidelines established in 1997 by IOM recommend 200 IU/d of vitamin D through age 50, 400 IU/d for people ages 51 to 70 and 600 IU/d for those 71 and older. But many experts now say everyone likely needs more. For instance, in 2008, The American Academy of Pediatrics the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended breastfed infants receive supplements of 400 IU/d of vitamin D until they are weaned and consume more than 1,000 mL/d of vitamin D-fortified formula or whole milk.1 All non-breastfed infants ingesting less than 1,000 mL/d of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk should receive a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/d, they said. AAP also recommends older children and adolescents should take a 400 IU vitamin D supplement daily. In response, a new IOM panel is reviewing the recommendations on vitamin D and calcium and a report is expected in spring 2010. Huang believes FDA will follow suit. “In 2010, we believe FDA will probably increase dramatically the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D,” he said. “This will push further growth of vitamin D sales in functional foods and nutritional products.” New products fortified with vitamin D may help the many who are deficient. Recent studies have shown pregnant women who lived at a latitude of 54 to 55 degrees north (about as north as Central Canada) had insufficient levels, even among those who use supplements.2 Mothers-to-be who have lower levels of vitamin D are more likely to give birth via cesarean section.3 And Turkish researchers encouraged pregnant women to supplement their diets with vitamin D in order to reduce the risk of their children contracting acute lower respiratory infections.4 Once the children are out of the womb, they may still not be getting all of their vitamin D needs. In the United States, 61 percent of children aged 1 to 21 years who completed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004 had insufficient levels of vitamin D.5 Only 4 percent had taken a 400 IU/d supplement of vitamin D for the past 30 days. That same study found deficiency was associated with elevated parathyroid hormone levels, higher systolic blood pressure, lower serum calcium and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. The heart-health benefits of vitamin D don’t stop with the youth. A University of Colorado study found an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as all-cause mortality.6 A review in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences states cross-sectional studies found vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of CVD, including hypertension, heart failure and ischemic heart disease.7 And Reuters reported at a September 2009 meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago, researchers presented study that found younger white women with vitamin D deficiencies are about three times more likely to have high blood pressure in middle age than those with normal vitamin levels. Because vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption into the body, vitamin D is closely associated with bone health. In fact, one Swiss study found among men and women, vitamin D status seems to be the dominant predictor of bone mineral density (BMD) relative to calcium intake.8 In the study, only women with vitamin D concentrations less than 50 nm seem to benefit from a higher calcium intake alone. In a later review of eight randomized controlled trials, those same researchers found supplemental vitamin D in a dose of 700 to 1,000 IU/d reduced the risk of falling among older adults by 19 percent.9 However, doses of supplemental vitamin D of less than 700 IU or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of less than 60 nmol/l did not reduce the risk of falling. McBurney added supplementing with vitamin D is good for bone health throughout life. “Bones are remodeled every day, all our life,” he said. “So it is important to build bones when one is young, and to maintain adequate vitamin D status to maintain strong bones for life.” The benefits of vitamin D go well beyond the heart and bones. Keeping vitamin D levels high may also protect against colon cancer,10 cold and flu,11 Alzheimer’s disease,12 multiple sclerosis,13 ovarian cancer14 and weight gain.15 With all the new studies finding vitamin D’s health benefits (every study referenced in this article is from 2009), the sunshine vitamin’s future is, well, sunny. “Scientists are discovering new insights into the role of vitamin D,” McBurney said. “With the unraveling of the human genome, we are living in a period of discovery unprecedented in history. The future is very exciting.” References 1.     Wagner CL, et al. “Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents.” Pediatrics. 2008 Nov;122(5):1142-52. 2.     Holmes VA, et al. “Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in pregnant women: a longitudinal study.” Br J Nutr. 2009 Sep;102(6):876-81. 3.     Merewood A, et al. “Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;94(3):940-5. 4.     Karatekin G, et al. “Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection and their mothers.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;63(4):473-7. 5.     Kumar J, et al. “Prevalence and Associations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency in US Children: NHANES 2001-2004.” Pediatrics. 2009 Aug 3. 6.     Ginde AA, “Prospective Study of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in Older U.S. Adults.” J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Jun 22. 7.     Judd SE, Tangpricha V. “Vitamin D deficiency and risk for cardiovascular disease.” Am J Med Sci. 2009 Jul;338(1):40-4. 8.     Bischoff-Ferrari HA , et al. “Dietary calcium and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status in relation to BMD among U.S. adults.” J Bone Miner Res. 2009 May;24(5):935-42. 9.     H A Bischoff-Ferrari, et al. “Fall prevention with supplemental and active forms of vitamin D: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” J Bone Miner Res. 2009 Oct 1; 339:b3692 10.   Freedman DM, et al. “Sunlight, hormone replacement status and colorectal cancer risk in post-menopausal women.” Int J Cancer. 2009 Sep 30. 11.   Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr. “Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90. 12.   Masoumi, A, et al. “1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Interacts with Curcuminoids to Stimulate Amyloid-β Clearance by Macrophages of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients.” J Alzheimers Dis. 2009 July; 17(3): 703-717 13.   D.Sioka C, et al.  “Multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and vitamin D.” J Neurol Sci. 2009 Sep 30. 14.   Toriola AT, et al. “Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the risk of ovarian cancer.” Eur J Cancer. 2009 Aug 25. 15.   The Endocrine Society (2009, June 12). Successful Weight Loss With Dieting Is Linked To Vitamin D Levels. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from From: http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/

10 Anti-Inflammatory Supplements That Work

Inflammation — pain, swelling, redness and heat — is a double-edged sword. This immunity-mediated process is crucial when you have an injury. It helps your body fight infection and clear away damaged tissue. But inflammation can become a chronic condition if your body fails to shut off this reaction, or activates it when there is no apparent trigger.


Inflammation can last for years. It can target a particular area — like your skin, sinuses, prostate, bladder or gums. (Any diagnosis that ends with “-itis” is an inflammatory condition.) Inflammation can become a body-wide condition, and has be identified as the underlying cause of many diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and neurological degeneration, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Inflammation is a big threat. That’s why it’s so important to get it under control.

A diet focused on vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, nuts and whole grains can reduce inflammation. Nutritional supplements also help, and unlike drugs, they work without causing stomach ulcers. There are plenty of natural inflammation-fighters. Here are our top choices:   

1. Fish Oil

Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease the body’s production of a long list of pro-inflammatory biochemicals, including the same ones targeted by most NSAIDs — cyclooxygenase (COX 1 and 2). It also helps to reduce levels of inflammatory interleukins, specifically interleukin-1, a marker of chronic inflammation. In studies, people with rheumatoid arthritis who took fish oil were able to reduce their dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs. They also reported less pain and stiffness. Fish oil has a synergistic effect with aspirin on inhibiting synthesis of thromboxane A2 and the highly inflammatory leukotriene B4. It’s reported to help asthma, cystitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, prostatitis and dermatitis.

2. Antioxidants

Immune cells cause oxidative damage as they fight infection, and ongoing oxidative damage drives chronic inflammation. Reducing oxidative damage can help control inflammation. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium all help to control oxidative damage by neutralizing “free radicals,” the molecular renegades that cause oxidative damage and can start a chain reaction that keeps it going.

3. Quercetin

The anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin seem to come from its ability to dampen the production and activity of pro-inflammatory biochemicals such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins, and to block the release of histamine, the biochemical that causes allergic symptoms like runny nose and itchy eyes. Quercetin also seems to help symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic, nonbacterial prostatitis.

4. Bromelain

This protein-dissolving enzyme is obtained from the stem and fruit of the pineapple. Bromelain seems to exert its anti-inflammatory effect by altering leukocyte migration and activation. Leukocytes are white blood cells that help fight infection but can also perpetuate inflammation. Bromelain is good for an acute injury or inflammation caused by ongoing injury, such as osteoarthritis, with its ongoing injury to joint cartilage. 

5. Resveratrol

Some evidence suggests that resveratrol is a more potent anti-inflammatory agent than NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or indomethacin. Injections of  resveratrol into the joints of animals decreases inflammation and reduces cartilage destruction. Like ginger and fish oil, resveratrol inhibits a number of inflammation-producing biochemicals, including COX-1 and COX-2. It also seems to have a regulating effect on certain immune cells. It may reduce T cell proliferation. T cells are involved in some autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. It also affects cells called granulocytes, which are associated with the inflammation produced in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so it may be helpful in reducing the lung damage associated with this smoking-related ailment.

6. Flax Seed Oil

For some reason, flax seed seems to especially target the skin. In zoos, it’s given to hippos, elephants and rhinos to help keep their massive hides healthy. Some of the fat in flax seed oil converts to EPA and DHA, the same active components in fish oil. Flax seed oil can be a good addition to fish oil, especially if you are on a low-fat diet or have dermatitis — dry, scaly, itchy skin.

7. Curcumin

Curcumin, a component of the yellow spice turmeric, found in curry, may have special anti-inflammatory properties in the eyes, where a layer of yellow pigment helps to protect the retina — and especially, the macula — from the harmful effects of sunlight. The pigment actually acts as a filter, blocking harmful blue UV light from striking the retina. Curcumin has been proven helpful for chronic anterior uveitis (an inflammation of the front part of the eye) and for macular degeneration. 

8. Ginger

Certain constituents of ginger, called gingerols, have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. They inhibit a number of  biochemicals that promote inflammation, including COX and lipoxygenase pathways. Ginger has been shown to reduce pain from both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, you will need to be patient. It can take up to three months of treatment to get relief.

9. Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a coenzyme that has lots of talents, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection. It is both fat and water soluble, and can regenerate other important antioxidants like vitamins E, C and glutathione. It provides anti-inflammatory protection in blood vessels and in the fatty tissues of the brain and nerves. It’s a must for anyone with diabetes, neuritis or neuropathy, since it also improves glucose metabolism and blood flow in nerves.

10. Zinc

Many people take zinc to boost their immunity, but recent research shows that zinc may also be a natural inflammation fighter. Popping zinc regularly can help reduce inflammation and has also been shown to offer immune support. Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, tested whether zinc supplementation decreases oxidative stress. They found that consuming 25 mg three times a day for three months decreased TNF-alpha, a cytokine that amplifies inflammation.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Chronic, uncontrolled inflammation has been linked to a wide range of health problems which can dramatically affect your quality of your life as you age. But research has shown that anti-inflammatory supplements can provide effective relief with virtually no side effects. Before you start taking a NSAID or other potentially dangerous drug to deal with inflammation, why not consider some safe natural alternatives?

 

By Gale Maleskey, MS, RD

This article may be found at:

http://www.stopagingnow.com/news/news_flashes/6618/10-Anti-Inflammatory-Supplements-That-Work

What's Behind the False Flag Flu Emergency?

 

by Bill Sardi

On Friday I stood before an audience in Phoenix, Arizona and attempted to shock them with something similar to a repeat of Orson Welles' War Of The Worlds radio broadcast, a 1938 Halloween night radio announcement that said, in a series of news bulletins, Martians had landed on the earth. The public cowered in fear then, even when Welles announced it was just a radio drama, not reality.

The contrived crisis I created was the President of the United States had just announced a national emergency because of a massive number of deaths attributed to a fast-spreading strain of flu virus that had combined with a mortal form of flu virus. My hand was shaking as I read the announcement. People in the audience thought it was real. The audience began to squirm and wonder, before I finished my melodrama, just how they were going to return home without having to undergo forced vaccination at the airport.

They were relieved when I told them this crisis was purely fictional. I added the announcement for just such a contrived crisis was probably already programmed into the President's teleprompter. Little did I know how true these words were to become.

To my surprise, on the afternoon of the following day (Saturday), the President of the United States had indeed declared a national emergency due to 1000 reported flu deaths, 100 of them among children. These deaths had occurred over the past eight months.

But 1000 accumulated deaths would be far fewer than the mortality figures the Centers for Disease Control distributes – estimated at 36,000 annual flu deaths. Federal health authorities lump pneumonia deaths among the elderly with flu-related deaths to falsely inflate flu mortality figures. My own guesstimate is that only about 6000 flu-related deaths actually occur each year, but even using this figure for comparison, this year's flu outbreak appears weak. An estimated 20,000 hospitalizations have been reported since this pandemic flu strain began in March of 2009, which amounts to only about 625 hospitalizations per week spread among more than 5 thousand hospitals.

Earlier in the week CBS News reported that, five months after this unique strain of the flu had begun to spread in Mexico in March of 2009, the H1N1 pandemic flu strain only comprised 1–2% of the flu viruses in circulation by July. Yet there were massive preparations being made for a major flu pandemic without sufficient justification. Today the Centers for Disease Control says the H1N1 pandemic flu strain represents 99% of the flu cases that are typed laboratory confirmed. Just exactly which numbers are correct, if any, now come into question.

According to CBS News, only 11 million doses of flu have been administered, with millions more to arrive late, sometime in mid-November. Time Magazine reports about 30 million available doses, so that could mean up to two-thirds of the currently available vaccine is going unused.

A reimbursement crisis, not a health crisis

A follow-up report, published in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, says the emergency declaration issued by The White House has more to do with Medicare and Medicaid regulations dealing with hospitals. With the national emergency declared, hospitals have more flexibility to set up separate or even outdoor treatment areas.

The emergency appears to deal more with hospitals and their ability to get paid by federal health authorities. An article in the New York Times confirms that federal rules do not allow hospitals to establish treatment areas more than 250 yards from emergency rooms. "Tents are 300 yards or more away, typically federal dollars won't go to pay for treatment."

So the emergency appears to be financial – making sure hospitals meet federal requirements so they can get paid by Medicaid or Medicare, rather than any true health crisis.

The San Francisco Chronicle article said "White House officials were quick to note that the emergency declaration does not signify an increase in severity of the national H1N1 outbreak." But the article kept referring to all the deaths, when there appear to be fewer mortal cases of the flu in the past 8 months than prior flu seasons.

Journalists and health officials sound more duplicitous as they attempt to explain the need for the emergency declaration. Here is how the San Francisco Chronicle described it:

"Art Reingold, head of epidemiology at UC Berkeley, said the declaration doesn't mean that the national outbreak is 'any worse than it was yesterday or last week'."

"It's difficult to get the right message across to people," Reingold said. "There's this balance between the flu is important and people should be vaccinated, but you don't want an overreaction."

But once again, according to federal officials, there is little or no vaccine available.

Civil liberties threatened?

An article in the Christian Science Monitor (ASM) was more concerned that such a contrived emergency could be a veiled way to overrun civil liberties. The ASM article quoted Harold Relyea, a specialist in national government with the Congressional Research Service, who said:

"When the President formally declares a national emergency, he may seize property, organize and control the means of production, seize commodities, assign military forces abroad, institute martial law, seize and control all transportation and communication, regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel and, in a variety of ways, control the lives of United States citizens."

Few news sources were critical of the declared emergency, but expect more reporters to express skepticism over its need and to question its intent.

An article in the New Hampshire Union Leader said: "But the way the U.S. government has been handling the new flu strain, technically named H1N1, has been less than reassuring."

What to do now?

Misdirection, overreaction and lack of preparedness by public health officials is a clear indication to the public that they cannot totally rely upon potentially problematic vaccines or anti-viral drugs to defend themselves against the flu.

An ignored approach to controlling infectious disease is to address the immune status of the population. The public should utilize bona fide immune boosters such as vitamin D and vitamin C, and take nutrients that are documented to reduce the duration and severity of the disease which include vitamin E, the trace mineral selenium, the sulfur compound NAC, and elderberry.

In 2005 researchers in Rome, Italy wondered what backup treatment could be used in the event vaccines were unavailable or were ineffective against a fast mutating flu virus that had developed resistance to vaccines or anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu or Relenza.

Flu viruses require a host cell to replicate. The Italian researchers report that resveratrol, known as a red wine molecule, completely blocks entry of flu viruses into the cell nucleus in animals at a human equivalent dose of ~70 milligrams. [Journal Infectious Disease 2005 May 15; 191(10):1719–29] So the virus would enter the lungs, antibodies would still be generated to produce long-term immunity, but the virus could not duplicate into millions of daughter virions as it normally does. Resveratrol works on closing the cellular doorway rather than destroying the virus itself. Therefore it is a totally non-toxic approach to control of influenza viruses. Furthermore, resveratrol does not provoke viral resistance.

In contrast, anti-viral drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) allow viruses to enter cellular machinery to produce copies of the flu virus and then inhibits their exit from the cell via inhibition of the enzyme neuraminidase. So host cells are flooded with copies of the virus. This approach is not ideal as it can lead to drug-induced side effects which have been widely reported.

 This article may be found at:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi129.html

Supplement users may have better cancer survival

 

By Stephen Daniells

Lung cancer patients who were regular dietary supplement users prior to diagnosis may have better survival chances than non-users, says a new study from Norway.

Use of cod liver oil supplements was associated with a 44 per cent lower risk of death for lung cancer patients, while daily use of other dietary supplements was associated with a 30 per cent reduction in the risk of death among lung cancer patients, according to findings published in the International Journal of Cancer.

The study also indicated that the benefits of supplement use may even extend beyond lung cancer. The use of cod liver oil and other supplements was associated with improved survival statistics for people with any kind of solid tumor, including breast and colorectal cancer.

Study details

“When use of cod liver oil and other dietary supplements were combined into one variable daily use of both cod liver oil and other dietary supplements was associated with improved survival in lung cancer patients,” added Skeie.

Before or after?

Commenting on their study design, the researchers noted: “If the most relevant period for supplementation is after diagnosis, it is likely that our results underestimate the effect of supplementation, as some of the patients most likely have initiated supplementation.

“On the other hand, if a certain level of the nutrients or long-term

“In countries where dietary supplement use is common, analyses of survival in cancer patients, particularly lung cancer patients, should take dietary supplement use into account,” they concluded.

Source: International Journal of Cancer
Volume 125, Pages 1155-1160
"Cod liver oil, other dietary supplements and survival among cancer patients with solid tumours"
Authors: G. Skeie, T. Braaten, A. Hjartaker, M. Brustad, E. Lund

 

The entire article may be found at:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Supplement-users-may-have-better-cancer-survival-Study

Multivitamins linked to younger ‘biological age’

 

By Stephen Daniells

The cells of multivitamin users may have a younger biological age than cells from non-users, according to new research from the US.

Researchers led by Honglei Chen, MD, PhD from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age.

The ageing and lifespan of normal, healthy cells are linked to the so-called telomerase shortening mechanism, which limits cells to a fixed number of divisions. During cell replication, the telomeres function by ensuring the cell's chromosomes do not fuse with each other or rearrange, which can lead to cancer. Elizabeth Blackburn, a telomere pioneer at the University of California San Francisco, likened telomeres to the ends of shoelaces, without which the lace would unravel.

Multivitamin use

According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the-Science Panel, half of the American population routinely use dietary supplements, with their annual spend estimated at over $20 billion.

Recent results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that 35 per cent of the US adult population regularly consumes one or more types of multivitamin product (Am. J. Epidemiol., 2004, Vol. 160, Pages 339-349).

New study

Dr Chen and his co-workers analysed multivitamin use and nutrient intakes, as well as telomere length of 586 women aged between 35 and 74 in the Sister Study. A 146-item food-frequency questionnaire was used to determine multivitamin use and nutrient intakes.

Compared to non-multivitamin users, the researchers noted that that telomeres were on average 5.1 per cent longer for daily multivitamin users.

Being the first study to report such an association, Dr Chen and his co-workers emphasized that the evidence is only preliminary and that additional epidemiologic studies are required to further explore the association. The implications of the findings in terms of ageing and the etiology of chronic diseases should be carefully evaluated.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
June 2009, Volume 89, Number 6, Pages 1857-1863, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26986
"Multivitamin use and telomere length in women"
Authors: Q. Xu, C.G. Parks, L.A. DeRoo, R.M. Cawthon, D.P. Sandler, H. Chen

Harvard backs vitamin D supplements

 

By Rod Addy

Dietary supplements are the key way to deliver consumers’ vitamin D requirements, according to the latest update from the Harvard Medical School, which otherwise backs vitamin intake primarily through foods.

The September Harvard Health Publications bulletin, which is issued to US consumers, stated: “plan to take a vitamin D supplement.”

While foods such as cranberries and salmon did contain vitamin D, Dan Fabricant, interim executive director and chief executive officer of the supplements trade group Natural Products Association (NPA) told Nutraingredients-usa.com: “You can’t get much from foods. You can get it through sunlight, but it’s a lot easier to go ahead and take a supplement with 1,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D.”

Andrew Shao, vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), another trade body, supported Fabricant. “While some experts may think it ideal that we get all the nutrients we need from food alone, the fact of the matter is that the majority of Americans don’t always eat as well as they should,” he told Nutraingredients-usa.com.

“Data from the National and Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that many Americans, including children and adolescents, fail to consume recommended amounts of vitamins E, C and A as well as calcium and magnesium. A daily multivitamin could affordably and safely help fill these nutrient gaps.”

US vitamin D intake review

The problem was further compounded by continuing studies that are considering the thesis that the IU recommendation for vitamin D may need to be raised, said Fabricant.

The US and Canadian governments are sponsoring a US Institute of Medicine review of the issue, which began in April and is scheduled to be completed the summer of 2010.

“It’s not just the IOM – you’re seeing paediatric groups raising their recommendations for children to ward off asthma,” added Fabricant.

Commenting on perspectives such as the Harvard Medical School’s general view that consumers should focus on getting the vast majority of their required vitamins through food, Fabricant said: “Whatever planet they live on, I’d like to move there. I don’t know too many people who are getting everything they need through fruit and vegetables.”

 

This article may be found at:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Harvard-backs-vitamin-D-supplements/?c=hpORIm6dEDsIKY267QSsEQ%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

Low vitamin D levels linked to metabolic syndrome

 

By Stephen Daniells

 

Increasing blood levels of vitamin D are linked to a lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, as well as improved ‘good’ cholesterol levels, says a new study.

According to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin were associated with a 31 per cent prevalence of metabolic syndrome, compared to only 10 per cent for people wit the highest average levels.

“Although previous surveys have also reported associations between low 25(OH)D concentration and metabolic syndrome components, to our knowledge, the present investigation is the first to report this finding in a sample with a high prevalence of vitamin D dietary supplement users in which frequencies of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were low,” wrote the researchers, led by Kevin Maki from Illinois-based Provident Clinical Research

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

“The most notable finding from the present study was the strong relationship between serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and HDL-C concentrations,” wrote the researchers.

They also observed inverse associations between vitamin D levels and triglyceride levels, body mass index, and waist circumference, meaning that higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower values for these measurables.

Source: Journal of Clinical Lipidology
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2009.07.003
“Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D is Independently Associated with High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and the Metabolic Syndrome in Men and Women”
Authors: K.C. Maki, M.R. Rubin, L.G. Wong, J.F. McManus, C.D. Jensen, J.W. Marshall, A. Lawless

Supplement users may have better cancer survival

 

By Stephen Daniells

 

Lung cancer patients who were regular dietary supplement users prior to diagnosis may have better survival chances than non-users, says a new study from Norway.

Use of cod liver oil supplements was associated with a 44 per cent lower risk of death for lung cancer patients, while daily use of other dietary supplements was associated with a 30 per cent reduction in the risk of death among lung cancer patients, according to findings published in the International Journal of Cancer.

“This study has shown that in lung cancer patients taking dietary supplements before diagnosis was associated with better survival. Whether this is due to beneficial effects of supplements, or differences between supplement users and non-users cannot be determined,” wrote the researchers, led by Guri Skeie from the University of Tromso.

The study also indicated that the benefits of supplement use may even extend beyond lung cancer. The use of cod liver oil and other supplements was associated with improved survival statistics for people with any kind of solid tumour, including breast and colorectal cancer.

“Given that randomized controlled trials have demonstrated no effects or increased incidence of lung cancer in supplementation studies in well-nourished populations, our results may be somewhat surprising,” wrote the researchers. “However, these studies used pharmacological doses of specific nutrients, and cannot easily be compared with ours.”

Study details  

After adjusting the data to account for smoking status, the age at which the participants were diagnosed, and the stage of the cancer, Skeie and his co-workers report that consumption of cod liver oil daily for a year prior to diagnosis was associated with a 23 per cent reduction in the risk of death in patients with solid tumours, and a reduction of 44 per cent in lung cancer patients.

Additionally, daily and occasional use of other dietary supplements was associated with 30 and 45 per cent reduction, respectively, in the risk of death among lung cancer patients.

“When use of cod liver oil and other dietary supplements were combined into one variable daily use of both cod liver oil and other dietary supplements was associated with improved survival in lung cancer patients,” added Skeie.

Source: International Journal of Cancer
Volume 125, Pages 1155-1160
"Cod liver oil, other dietary supplements and survival among cancer patients with solid tumours"
Authors: G. Skeie, T. Braaten, A. Hjartaker, M. Brustad, E. Lund

This article may be found at:

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