But sunscreen is far from perfect…

Conventional sunscreens are filled with chemicals. Based on what the FDA and the American Academy of Dermatology have always told us, these chemicals are safe. At least, in the doses we’re exposed to them in sunscreen. But I have my doubts. And I’m not the only one…

FDA researchers are starting to question the safety of conventional sunscreen too because their studies keep showing that our exposure to sunscreen chemicals is actually far higher than even they think is safe…

These sunscreen chemicals are seeping into your blood at dangerous levels

Researchers from the FDA have taken a closer look at six common chemicals in sunscreen sprays and lotions: octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. What they found is alarming…

The FDA’s safe threshold for these chemicals is 0.5 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (mL) of blood plasma. They tested sunscreens containing these chemicals on 48 people, and guess what? Their blood concentration of these chemicals was higher than that. In fact, one of the chemicals — oxybenzone — had blood concentrations 360 times higher than the FDA’s safety threshold.

Even worse, blood concentrations of these chemicals stayed above the threshold for a long time —anywhere from seven to 21 days. Octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone stayed high for seven days after use. Homosalate and oxybenzone were still too high 21 days later.

Why is this worrisome? Well, there are a few reasons…

• Research shows oxybenzone can potentially cause cell damage that could contribute to skin cancer.
• In a 2017 study, octocrylene damaged DNA in aquatic animals.
• According to another 2017 study, avobenzone mixed with chlorine (the stuff found abundantly in swimming pools) has toxic effects on the kidney and liver.

Many of these chemicals are also linked to hormone disruption, which makes them endocrine disruptors. They can cause trouble from reproductive problems to thyroid diseases.

But even though these ingredients are under FDA scrutiny, they’ve not yet decided to ban them. According to information a the Environmental Working Group site, the FDA proposes these ingredients are “not generally recognized as safe and effective due to insufficient data.”

The secret to safer sun protection

As scary as this all is, I’m not going to tell you to chuck your sunscreen. There’s too much evidence that protecting yourself from UV exposure reduces your risk of skin cancer. I am going to tell you to look for a safer type of sun protection…

There are UV filters with a lower risk of toxicity. Two of them are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. But you’ll need to pay attention to more than the active ingredients in your sunscreen. Inactive ingredients like the vitamin A derivative retinyl palmitate and parabens come with serious health baggage too.

So, before you purchase another bottle of sunscreen, I recommend looking at the Environmental Working Group’s safe sunscreen database to find an option that protects you from the sun without putting you at risk for other health concerns.

Oh, and eat more grapes. Multiple studies have found that eating grapes protected against UV skin damage, increased resistance to sunburn and reduced cellular markers of UV damage. 

Sources:

1. Sunscreens leach up to 360 times more toxic chemicals into the blood than the FDA allows, raising risks for liver and kidney failure, study finds —The Daily Mail
2. Effect of Sunscreen Application on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients — JAMA
3. The Trouble With Ingredients in Sunscreens — Environmental Working Group
4. Is sunscreen bad for you — The Cleveland Clinic

The post 6 common sunscreen chemicals aren’t safe even by FDA standards appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Between fluctuating hormone levels, falling collagen levels, oxidative stress and the summer sun, your skin could probably use some help repairing itself these days. I know mine surely could…

That’s where these eight skin-supporting and skin-saving vitamins come in.

With the right nutrition and a little supplementing, you can recapture your youthful glow and maintain beautiful, healthy skin for life.

Here’s how to get started…

#1 – Vitamin D

You may not have seen that one coming but the sunshine vitamin is good for absolutely every part of your body, including your skin. That’s because vitamin D is actually a hormone and your skin is super sensitive to hormones.

You’ve probably experienced this phenomenon before when your hormones aren’t balanced and you end up with dry skin and blemishes.

But vitamin D also affords photoprotective properties to your skin, meaning it can help shield skin cells from DNA damage and reduce erythema, reddening of the skin resulting from ultraviolet exposure.

Foods rich in the vitamin include egg yolks, cheese and fish like tuna and mackerel.

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#2 – Vitamin C

Yup, it’s an alphabet soup when it comes to vitamins and we’re on to vitamin C. You see, this nutrient is vital for your skin when it comes to repairing the damage of time and erasing years off your face–all thanks to its antioxidant power. Vitamin C in cosmetics and lotions especially helps to brighten the complexion and guard against the damage caused by U.V. rays.

It also is responsible for forming the collagen that keeps your skin firm and younger-looking and helps maintain healthy blood vessels that flush your cheeks with the glow you want.

Good sources of vitamin C are guava, red and green peppers, strawberries and kiwis.

#3 – Vitamin E

Another damage-reverser, vitamin E is an antioxidant that counters the free radicals that can destroy the collagen in your skin and leave you sagging and wrinkled.

Foods rich in vitamin E are wheat-germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts.

#4 – Fish Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids are one the best nutrients you should boost for your skin. That’s because they help nourish your skin and keep it plump and youthful, which can also help to reduce wrinkles and take years off your face.

Good sources of fish oil include cold water, fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, and my favorite, krill oil (no burps!).

#5 – Biotin

Did you know that if you’re not getting enough biotin (a B vitamin) in your diet it could be the reason behind the dry, flaky patches of eczema on your skin?

Be sure to eat biotin-rich foods like cauliflower, avocadoes, mushrooms, eggs, salmon and sweet potatoes.

#6 – Pantothenic Acid

Also known as vitamin B5 or panthenol, this one will rehydrate your skin in a flash.

That’s because B5 actually prevents water loss from your skin.

You can find vitamin B5 in foods like mushrooms, eggs, beef, chicken and turkey.

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#7 – Niacin

Niacin is also called vitamin B3 and the reason you want it in your life is for its skin-brightening effects and the fact that it’s been scientifically proven to significantly improve the appearance of aged skin.

The highest sources of niacin for your diet can be found in turkey, chicken breast, peanuts, tuna and green peas.

#8 – Vitamin K

You know those dark circles under your eyes? Or, those spider veins?

Well, that’s where vitamin K comes in.

You see, vitamin K helps with the blood vessel problems that cause these issues.

The best foods for getting your vitamin K fix are kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach and asparagus.

Sources:

1. Vitamin D — You and Your Hormones
2. Vitamin D and Skin Health — Linus Pauling Institute | Oregon State University
3. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health — Nutrients
4. Oxidative damage to collagen — Experientia Supplementum
5. The Truth About Hair, Skin, and Nail Supplements — Consumer Reports
6. Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders — American Journal of Clinical Dermatology
7. Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance — Dermatologic Surgery

The post 8 vitamins for supple summer skin appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Taking vitamins might not be at the top of your list when you think of ways to stay healthy and cool this summer, but it should be…

Research shows there’s a specific vitamin that is especially important during the long, hot summer days ahead.

I’m talking about vitamin C.

Lots of folks only think about taking vitamin C during the winter months… when they want to boost their immune system and avoid colds, flu and other opportunistic infections.

But taking vitamin C during the summer can make the season safer and the heat bearable in two big ways…

#1 — Vitamin C provides sunburn protection

Taking vitamin C can help protect your skin from those painful and cancer-causing sunburns.

That’s right! Research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported that taking a combination of vitamins C and E daily can help keep you safe.

Here’s how…

The UV radiation that causes sunburns, photoaging (which causes premature aging) and malignant skin tumors, works by causing your skin to produce what’s known as reactive oxygen species, more commonly called free radical damage.

Both vitamins C and E are antioxidants… compounds that can scavenge those free radicals.

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They were proven to be photoprotective in vitro studies and animal experiments which led researchers to try out the two vitamins in humans to see how they stood up to the UV rays beaming down from above. For their study, they split participants into two groups:

• One group took 2 mg of vitamin C plus 1,000 IU of vitamin E daily.
• The other group took a placebo.

Not only did the vitamin group experience fewer problems with sunburn despite UV exposure, but the researchers say that since the group had less sunburn reactivity, they were also likely at far less risk for UV-induced skin damage later.

#2 — Vitamin C keeps you cool

Further research has shown that taking vitamin C could help you stay cool despite the rising temperatures this summer.

One study by researchers at the University of Alabama found that vitamin C actually has the power to delay your sweat gland fatigue. This boosts your heat tolerance and also helps lower your risk of both heat exhaustion and prickly heat rash.

A second study, in the Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory, Environmental, and Exercise Physiology, discovered that when you take vitamin C (as little as 250 milligrams), it helps to keep your body temperature from rising despite being exposed to rising heat levels.

All of this makes vitamin C your new best friend for the summer months ahead.

It’s best to take it with meals, and if you live with stomach problems like I do, it’s a good idea to choose one in a buffered form or with rosehips, since they are less irritating to your gastrointestinal system.

I also like to look for a supplement that has all three types of vitamin C’s forms (ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, and calcium ascorbate), plus antioxidants to get the most benefit. And, of course, if you’re looking for sun protection, vitamin E can help as well.

Now, you can clearly see why taking vitamin C is one of the best choices you can make for this summer. So, grab a bottle and grab sun and heat protection along with it.

If you need more options, reach for grapes! Pop them in the freezer for a cooling summer snack that packs powerful protection from damaging UV rays.

Sources:

1. Protective effect against sunburn of combined systemic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and d-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) — Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
2. Vitamin C and Tolerance of Heat and Cold: Human Evidence — Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine
3. Effects of plasma ascorbic acid levels on heat acclimatization in man — Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory, Environmental, and Exercise Physiology

The post Two big reasons you need more vitamin C this summer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But did you know that one of the most dangerous and prevalent side effects of type 2 diabetes is damage to your kidneys?

As with many aspects of this disease, the damage gradually worsens over the years, often to the point of renal failure which results in dialysis and even organ replacement.

That’s why in addition to properly managing diabetes, it’s vitally important to be sure you’re not deficient in this one very important vitamin…

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Thiamin protects kidneys

In a study conducted by the Warwick Medical School in the UK, thiamine (known universally as vitamin B1) was found to slow, protect, and reverse kidney damage in the early stages! Professor Paul J. Thornalley and Dr. Naila Rabbani, who led the study at Warwick, published their results in the Diabetologia medical journal.

Diabetic nephropathy results in high emission of a protein in the urine called albumin. Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were given high doses of vitamin B1 and showed a dramatic reduction of more than forty percent in the excretion of albumin! 35% of participants returned to normal urinary levels of the protein by the end of the investigation.

A prior study from Professor Thornalley’s team proved conclusively that type 2 diabetics suffer from thiamine deficiency, which may be the source of multiple vascular issues.

In the trial, forty subjects were given either a placebo or 300mg of thiamine daily over three months with fascinating results. Vascular dysfunction and albumin readings were greatly improved for those who received B1.

“This study once again highlights the importance of vitamin B1 and we need to increase awareness. [We] are planning a foundation at the University of Warwick to further education and research in thiamine deficiency,” noted Dr. Rabbani.

The American Diabetes Association released data that diabetics account for almost half of the kidney failure cases diagnosed each year. It is known to be one of the leading causes of kidney failure.

B1 is a vitamin that is well tolerated by the body overall. Three doses of 100mg of B1 daily is a safe and inexpensive way to protect your kidneys from damage as a result of pre-diabetes, diabetes, and general kidney disease.

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Don’t forget your medicine in the form of food

As you know by now, I stand behind food as a cure.

Even if you’re taking B1 supplements, including some of these delicious and nutritious foods to your meal plan will benefit your total body. Raw or in salads provide the greatest benefit of B1 since cooking causes a loss of more than a quarter of the vitamin content.

Five of the best foods rich in B-1 (Thiamine) are:

1. Brewer’s yeast – the food product with the highest concentration of B1
2. Grains and cereals – wheat germ, rice, and oatmeal
3. Meat and fish – tuna is highest followed by pork and poultry
4. Dried fruits, seeds, and nuts – sunflower seeds, peanuts, pecans, and raisins specifically
5. Green veggies – Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, peas, and avocado

There are many benefits of adding more thiamine to your daily life. You don’t hear a lot about vitamin B1 because it isn’t as popular in the media as vitamin C or E and not as interesting to most researchers as vitamin D.

Yet it is essential to your body and required for some of your critical bodily systems to function properly. It carries out metabolic tasks such as converting carbs to fuel, protects your kidneys, safeguards your central nervous system, and regulates mood.

Ignoring the importance of vitamin B1 is dangerous. So don’t do that!

Add a combination of food and supplements of this crucial (and often overlooked) vitamin to your daily life and protect your kidneys.

When supplementing choose a quality brand and follow the manufacturer’s suggestion for serving amount. If you have questions, ask your doctor.

Sources:

1. Vitamin B1 Could Reverse Early-stage Kidney Disease In Diabetes Patients — University of Warwick
2. The potential role of thiamine (vitamin B1) in diabetic complications. — Current Diabetes Review
3. Kidney Disease (Nephropathy) — American Diabetes Association

The post The vitamin everyone needs (especially diabetics) for kidney protection appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

What if we could increase our healthspans, which means not just adding years to our lifespans — but healthier ones?

What if we could support and replenish our aging mitochondria so our cells have the energy they need to keep on going — and keep us going?

What a game-changer that would be — as long we could get enough…

Can an amino acid molecule slow aging?

These are the questions that Dr. Vijay Yadav, assistant professor of genetics & development at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, had in mind when he launched a study involving dozens of researchers around the world who study aging.

Taurine first hit Dr. Yadav’s radar during previous research into osteoporosis that uncovered taurine’s role in building bone. Other researchers, around the same time, were seeing how taurine impacted immune function, obesity and nervous system functions.

That’s when a lightbulb went off…

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“We realized that if taurine is regulating all these processes that decline with age, maybe taurine levels in the bloodstream affect overall health and lifespan,” Dr. Yadav says.

When the research team analyzed levels of the amino acid in the bloodstream of mice, monkeys and people, they saw something often revealed over and over again in aging research — a deficiency.

Taurine levels had dropped substantially with age. Specifically in people, the taurine levels in 60-year-olds were only about one-third of the levels in 5-year-olds.

“That’s when,” Yadav says, “we started to ask if taurine deficiency is a driver of the aging process, and we set up a large experiment with mice.”

Taurine levels decline with age: what if we raise them?

The study included about 250 14-month-old male and female mice (the equivalent of 45 in human years). The mice were fed an amount of taurine or a control solution daily.

By the end of the experiment, they found taurine had increased the average lifespan of female mice by 12 percent and 10 percent in males. For the mice, that meant three to four extra months — the equivalent of about seven or eight human years.

But what about the impact on the animal’s health?

For that answer, Dr. Yadov looked to other researchers who investigated the effect of supplemented taurine on the health and lifespan of several species…

After measuring various health parameters in mice, they found that at age 2 (60 in human years), animals supplemented with taurine for one year were healthier in almost every way than their untreated counterparts. In fact, the amino acid:

• Suppressed age-associated weight gain in female mice (even in “menopausal” mice)
• Increased energy expenditure
• Increased bone mass
• Improved muscle endurance and strength
• Reduced depression-like and anxious behaviors
• Reduced insulin resistance
• And promoted a younger-looking immune system

At the cellular level, supplementation:

• Decreased the number of “zombie cells” (old cells that linger and release harmful substances)
• Increased survival after telomerase deficiency
• Increased the number of stem cells present in some tissues (which help repair other cells)
• Improved the performance of mitochondria
• Reduced DNA damage
• And improved the cells‘ ability to sense nutrients

But supplementing isn’t the only way they found we can increase our levels. The researchers measured taurine levels before and after a strenuous cycling workout. They found a significant increase in taurine levels in both seasoned athletes and sedentary people.

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Taurine: A natural anti-aging option

Dr. Yadav is quick to point out, however, that “these are associations, which do not establish causation, but the results are consistent with the possibility that taurine deficiency contributes to human aging.”

Randomized clinical trials, considered the gold standard in research, are needed for the definitive answer on taurine’s anti-aging benefits.

“Taurine abundance goes down with age, so restoring taurine to a youthful level in old age may be a promising anti-aging strategy.”

Dr. Bruce Ames, a Senior Scientist with a career spanning seven decades, would likely agree. His “triage theory” argues that, by skimping on inadequate amounts, we’re cheating ourselves of valuable “longevity vitamins” critical to long-term maintenance. He considers taurine one on a list of about 10 he considers valuable longevity nutrients.

Taurine is available in supplement form and is found naturally in foods like eggs, dairy, scallops, tuna, tilapia, octopus, seaweed, chicken, turkey and beef. Adding more of these foods to your diet can only help.

Supplementing taurine in reasonable amounts is safe. But if you have kidney health problems, discuss with your doctor first.

Sources:

Taurine may be a key to longer and healthier life — Eureka Alert

Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging — Science

The post Taurine: The anti-aging amino acid appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In 2021, there were 89,739 centenarians living in the United States, nearly twice as many as there were two decades ago.

So, what changed over the past 20 years? A few things:

• There have been more medical advances that allow people to live longer.
• Fewer people are smoking, and more are following a lifestyle that protects their heart health.
• Rapid population growth has also contributed to the influx of centenarians.

What about genetics?

While it’s true that genetics can play a role in enjoying life to 100 years of age, lifestyle is much more important. And there’s one factor in your lifestyle that may give you a leg up in your quest to reach the century mark — and it focuses on one specific organ….

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The longevity organ

The gut microbiome, made up of trillions of “friendly” bacteria and other microbes, is proving to be central to our health.

A thriving gut microbiome not only contributes to your overall gut health but can affect dementia risk and support mental health, promote good sleep and influence the health of your skin, muscles, heart and immune system. And when your gut microbiome is disrupted, it can trigger conditions like diabetes and obesity.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg…

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen studied the intestinal bacteria of 176 healthy Japanese centenarians to determine whether their gut microbiome had any influence on their longevity.

“Previous research has shown that the intestinal bacteria of old Japanese citizens produce brand new molecules that make them resistant to pathogenic — that is, disease-promoting — microorganisms,” says Joachim Johansen, a postdoc and first author of the study.

What these researchers discovered was that these centenarians had a unique combination of intestinal bacteria and bacterial viruses. In fact, one of the study’s findings was that specific viruses in the intestines can have a beneficial effect on the gut microbiome.

“Our intestines contain billions of viruses living of and inside bacteria, and they could not care less about human cells; instead, they infect the bacterial cells,” says Simon Rasmussen, a University of Copenhagen professor and last author of the study.

The researchers also found high biological diversity in the gut bacteria of the centenarians, which is usually associated with a healthy gut microbiome. This better protects them against aging-related diseases, Johansen notes.

The virus-bacteria connection

The researchers designed an algorithm to map the intestinal bacteria and bacterial viruses of the centenarians.

“We want to understand the dynamics of the intestinal flora,” Rasmussen says. “How do the different kinds of bacteria and viruses interact? How can we engineer a microbiome that can help us live healthy, long lives? Are some bacteria better than others?”

The researchers hope to use the algorithm to describe the balance between viruses and bacteria and determine what that optimal balance should be to protect the body against disease.

The obvious next step, Rasmussen says, is to find out whether only some or all of us have this combination of bacteria and viruses.

“Intestinal bacteria are a natural part of the human body and of our natural environment. And the crazy thing is that we can actually change the composition of intestinal bacteria. We cannot change the genes – at least not for a long time to come. If we know why viruses and intestinal bacteria are a good match, it will be a lot easier for us to change something that actually affects our health.”

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Diversify your longevity organ

If you want a gut full of diverse bacteria, a great way to start is by diversifying your diet.

A couple of years ago, researchers at Stanford School of Medicine found that a 10-week diet high in fermented foods boosted microbiome diversity and improved immune responses. According to those researchers, their findings are an example of how a simple diet change can remodel the microbiota.

Fermented foods are “foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components.”

Traditional Japanese cuisine focuses heavily on fermented foods like fermented bean paste (natto), tempeh, soy sauce, miso, rice vinegar and pickled vegetables. In fact, some type of fermented food is included at almost every meal.

Could this be the link to their longevity? Fermented foods are considered superfoods, so it certainly makes sense.

According to Tim Spector, an author and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, “The Japanese love of many fermented soy products could be one reason that they have much better health than in the west, [and] stay slimmer despite eating lots of rice and other high carbohydrate food.”

If traditional Japanese fermented foods aren’t easily available to you, try adding Kombucha tea, kefir, yogurt and cottage cheese to your diet.

Sources:

Why do some people live to be a 100? Intestinal bacteria may hold the answer — University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

More people are living to be 100: Here’s why — The Hill

Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity, decreases inflammatory proteins, study finds — Stanford Medicine

New Global Definition for Fermented Foods — The Fermentation Society

Fermented Foods: Japan’s Secret to Good Health — Discover

The post How to support your longevity organ appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So for these reasons, it’s easy to understand the hype that came about when the diabetes drug Ozempic and its off-label version geared toward weight loss, Wegovy, proved successful for many people.

It seemed that the “magic pill” of our wildest dreams, that could make managing diabetes and weight loss effortless, was finally here.

But, as with most things that sound too good to be true, we learned about alarming side effects and insane medication costs that were not always covered by insurance.

Over the past dozen years or so, research has been ongoing into a natural, plant-based compound that appears to have the ability to support blood sugar metabolism and other health benefits as well — including promising studies on weight loss — all without the side effects of medication.

Most recently, it’s been referred to as “nature’s Ozempic.” Here’s what we know about berberine…

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Is this Traditional Chinese Medicine Nature’s Ozempic?

For more than 10 years now, science has been investigating how natural chemicals from the barberry plant can help control type 2 diabetes.

Specifically, a phytochemical (natural plant compound) called berberine seems to be doing the trick.

Berberine is also found in the perennial flower known as goldenseal, and other plants including Oregon grape and tree turmeric. In most of these plants, the compound is concentrated in the root or stem.

It’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time as an anti-inflammatory agent. It may also help prevent fatty liver disease, bacterial infections and lower your risk of heart disease.

An examination of data from a number of independent studies (known as a meta-analysis) was conducted by researchers at Iranian and British universities and found that supplementing with barberry can indeed decrease insulin levels.

Seven studies that included 452 subjects were included in the review. The analysis showed that barberry significantly reduces insulin levels. And lowering insulin is the first important step to preventing type 2 diabetes.

Hyperinsulinemia (higher-than-normal insulin levels) is a sign of insulin resistance, where your pancreas is working overtime to secrete insulin because your body is not responding to it. Left untreated, this will lead to type 2 diabetes.

Glucose and cholesterol improve with berberine

Two earlier studies had already shown the effectiveness of berberine supplements in preventing diabetes.

In 2008, a Chinese study examined a group of subjects with diabetes and dyslipidemia.

Many people who are diabetic or prediabetic also have the triple whammy of dyslipidemia: good cholesterol (HDL) is low, bad cholesterol (LDL) is high, and triglycerides are high.

In the Chinese study, 116 patients were given either 1g of berberine daily or a placebo for a period of three months.

In the berberine group, fasting glucose levels decreased from 7mm/liter to 5.6mm/liter, and triglycerides dropped from 2.51mm/liter to 1.10mm/liter. The placebo group showed significantly poorer results.

Together with lifestyle changes, berberine proved effective in controlling blood sugar

In a 2012 meta-analysis, four researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China reviewed data from 14 randomized trials that included 1068 subjects.

While berberine did not control blood sugar any better than oral diabetes medications like metformin, it did have some effectiveness against dyslipidemia.

However, when combined with lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes, berberine proved more effective in controlling blood sugar than metformin or similar drugs when combined with the same lifestyle changes.

You may be surprised to learn though that berberine isn’t the only plant substance that gives metformin some competition. Be sure to check out what my colleague wrote about the diabetes spice that improved glucose tolerance as efficiently as metformin while showing no significant adverse effects.

Berberine and weight management

Some research in animals and humans indicates berberine may be helpful for weight loss.

Berberine reduced weight gain and food intake in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity while having no effects on mice on a normal diet.

In a 12-week study involving people with obesity, taking 500 mg of berberine three times a day resulted in an average 5-pound weight loss.

A study has also shown that berberine may help activate metabolism and increase brown fat in the body. Brown fat cranks up your energy burn, which has the potential to crank up your fat burn with it.

According to Medical News Today, Berberine appears to activate AMP-activated protein kinase, which can help regulate how the body uses blood sugar. Researchers believe this activation can help treat diabetes and related health issues, such as obesity and high cholesterol.

Berberine isn’t the only plant compound we’ve written about that appears to enhance the activation of energy regulator AMPK to boost metabolism.

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Supplementing berberine

Berberine supplements are available online or through your health food store. It’s always wise to choose supplements from a trusted brand and follow their guidelines on serving amount. Also check the product label for third-party certification, for example, from the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Although berberine is not known for troublesome side effects (other than digestive issues for some people) you should talk with your doctor if you’re taking any medications, especially those that already lower your blood sugar.

Berberine can interact with metformin and affect blood sugar levels, making them harder to manage. 

Whether it could be called nature’s Ozempic may be debated. It works differently because it is obviously not a drug.

Sources:

1. Berberine in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis — National Center for Biotechnology Information (ncbi)
2. The effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) on glycemic indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials — Science Direct
3. Berberine – A Powerful Supplement With Many Benefits — Healthline
4. Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Dyslipidemia with the Natural Plant Alkaloid Berberine — The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
5. Berberine — Medical News Today
6. Berberine is a potential therapeutic agent for metabolic syndrome via brown adipose tissue activation and metabolism regulation — National Library of Medicine
7. National Diabetes Statistics Report — CDC

The post Nature’s Ozempic? Berberine’s impact on blood sugar and weight loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If detected early, melanoma is one of the more curable forms of cancer.

In 2018, Dr. James Allison of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Dr. Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University won the Nobel Prize for Physiology for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.

Their work paved the way for the development of checkpoint inhibitors, a new class of cancer drugs that allows the immune system to see cancer cells as the invaders they are.

This type of immunotherapy treatment has proven to be very helpful in treating skin cancer, but it looks like a common vitamin may make the therapy even more effective…

Having enough vitamin D makes immunotherapy more effective

In a study published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, researchers reported that people with melanoma may respond better to immunotherapy treatment using immune checkpoint inhibitors if their vitamin D levels are within a healthy range.

According to the National Cancer Institute, immune checkpoints are a normal part of the immune system that helps keep the immune response from being too strong. But putting a “brake” on immune response can sometimes keep T cells from killing cancer cells. Inhibiting that action with specially designed drugs allows T cells to better kill cancer cells.

Results of the study showed that 56 percent of patients with a normal baseline vitamin D level, whether achieved through nutrition or supplements, had a positive response to the immune checkpoint inhibitors, as opposed to just 36 percent of those with low levels of vitamin D.

The researchers say that vitamin D’s effectiveness comes from its ability to strengthen the immune system, as well as some other effects that can help stop cancer cells from proliferating.

Vitamin D levels matter

I can’t say I was surprised by this news. Just earlier this year, I reported on a study that found vitamin D supplementation halved the risk of melanoma in a group of 498 adults researchers had determined to have an increased risk for skin cancers

“Of course, vitamin D is not itself an anti-cancer drug, but its normal serum level is needed for the proper functioning of the immune system, including the response that anti-cancer drugs like immune checkpoint inhibitors affect,” said lead author Łukasz Galus, MD, of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, in Poland.

“In our opinion, after appropriately randomized confirmation of our results, the assessment of vitamin D levels and its supplementation could be considered in the management of melanoma.”

Even if you’re lucky enough not to be battling cancer, vitamin D is essential to life. Among other things, it helps regulate blood sugar and slows brain aging.

Look for nutritional sources of vitamin D in foods like:

• Salmon
• Canned tuna
• Sardines
• Beef liver
• Fortified orange juice, milk, and cereals
• Egg yolk

Of course, the sun is the most natural source of vitamin D, but if you have skin cancer or want to avoid it, sun exposure may not be best. A good vitamin D3 supplement can help.

Sources:

Higher vitamin D levels may bolster immunotherapy treatments for cancer — Medical News Today

Vitamin D supplementation increases objective response rate and prolongs progression-free time in patients with advanced melanoma undergoing anti-PD1 therapy Cancer

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor — National Cancer Institute

Vitamin D — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The post Vitamin D levels bolster skin cancer treatment appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, it’s estimated that 73 percent of cases are from these two causes alone.

If you’re one of them, you know that it’s a disease that generally worsens over time.

Yet, it is possible to have CKD and not even know it. As much as 96 percent of people with kidney damage or with mildly reduced kidney function may not experience symptoms or only very mild ones, like fatigue and loss of appetite.

Luckily, a simple supplement may offer hope…

Antioxidant for metabolic disorders

Researchers from three universities got together to look into the problem of chronic kidney disease because of the danger it poses to every person who suffers from the condition — which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by two to fifty times and comes with a 50 percent mortality rate for patients with end-stage renal disease.

The team, made up of scientists from the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, and the Kashan University of Medical Sciences in Iran set out to perform a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials to evaluate the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on metabolic profiles of patients diagnosed with CKD.

The reason they focused on CoQ10 is that the antioxidant has been found to work as a complementary therapy for metabolic disorders.

It’s also been found that the circulating concentration of CoQ10 in patients with chronic kidney disease is low. All of this suggested that CoQ10 would be an ideal solution.

The team systemically reviewed seven scientific studies to evaluate the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on the metabolic profiles of patients diagnosed with CKD and found that it:

• Significantly reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (which is significant because high cholesterol levels can cut off blood flow to the kidney resulting in loss of kidney function).
• Lowered the levels of malondialdehyde, which normally increases as kidney problems progress. Malondialdehyde level is commonly known as a marker of oxidative stress and the antioxidant status in cancerous patients.
• And, reduced creatinine levels (a chemical waste that goes up as the disease gets worse because proper filtration of blood decreases).

They concluded that CoQ10 supplementation significantly improved the metabolic profile in patients with chronic kidney disease.

CoQ10 is normally produced in the body, but production declines with age, beginning as early as our 20s. Fortunately, CoQ10 is available in supplement form.

If you’re currently being treated for CKD, talk with your physician before adding any supplement to your regimen.

An alkaline diet may also be a beneficial tool for avoiding the worsening of kidney disease. Because one of the functions of the kidneys is to remove acid from the blood, nutrition.org notes that “if kidney function declines and other tissues catabolize to maintain pH, then it is very plausible that manipulating the diet to reduce the acid load could spare tissues and improve outcomes.”

Sources:

1. National Chronic Kidney Disease Fact Sheet, 2017 — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation on metabolic profiles of patients with chronic kidney disease — EurekAlert!
3. The Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Metabolic Profiles of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials — Current Pharmaceutical Design
4. Relationship between chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome: current perspectives — Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
5. Cholesterol and Chronic Kidney Disease — DaVita Inc.
6. What Is Creatinine? — DaVita Inc.
7. Malondialdehyde can predict survival in hemodialysis patients — Clujul Medical
8. Chronic kidney disease and the global NCDs agenda — BMJ Global Health

The post How CoQ10 supports kidney health appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Part of the reason is that most doctors don’t test patient levels unless asked, and many insurances won’t cover vitamin D testing like they do other blood panels. So, often, we rely on studies that focus on specific groups to understand the true depth of vitamin deficiencies.

In one such study among nursing home residents, vitamin D deficiency was as high as 60 percent, and in a general hospital ward where patients for various reasons were admitted, 57 percent were found to be deficient. Another study found two-thirds of young adults living in Boston were vitamin D insufficient at winter’s end.

Where do you think your vitamin D levels stand? And why does it matter?

Most people know that Vitamin D plays an important role in keeping our muscles and bones strong as we age.

But the ties between vitamin D and the risk of certain cancers are also undeniable.

For example, one study looked at the amount of sunlight exposure people commonly experience across 186 different countries. In countries where people experience lower levels of UVB light, they also reported higher rates of colorectal cancer.

Now, we’re finding out that it’s about more than how much vitamin D you get. It’s also about how frequently you get it…

Daily D3 reduces mortality

Dr. Ben Schöttker, an epidemiologist at the German Cancer Research Center, conducted a systematic literature search that re-evaluated 14 high-quality studies on the effect of vitamin D3 on cancer, with a total of nearly 105,000 participants.

“Based on current studies, vitamin D3 supplementation probably does not protect against developing cancer, but it could reduce the likelihood of dying from cancer,” he said.

However, previous studies on cancer have yielded varied results. In fact, the VITAL study found a 38 percent reduction in the risk of developing advanced cancer with vitamin D supplementation.

In Dr. Schöttker’s review of the 14 studies, no significant results were revealed until the studies were divided according to whether vitamin D was given once a day or at longer intervals. That’s when something very relevant emerged…

When people took a higher dose of vitamin D at longer intervals (for example, once a week), there was no effect on cancer mortality.

But when vitamin D was given once a day, even in a lower dose, the researchers saw a twelve percent reduction in cancer mortality.

The effect was more pronounced in people who were already vitamin D deficient. Additionally, it appeared that people 70 and older benefited the most from daily vitamin D3 therapy and that it was most effective when it had been started prior to a cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Schottker also noted the better efficacy of daily doses of vitamin D3 due to the regular bioavailability of the active agent, the hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is only produced by reactions of vitamin D in the body and is thought to inhibit tumor growth.

A better understanding of vitamin D supplementation

Studies like this one, and one that recently found vitamin D is not a one-size-fits-all vitamin because of how it is metabolized, and another that discovered important differences between types of vitamin D, are helping researchers understand that the devil is in the details when it comes to understanding what this vitamin is capable of.

With this information, researchers may be able to standardize factors they’re learning can have a bearing on study outcomes.

In the meantime, the most important thing to understand about vitamin D is supplementation. Most people don’t realize that the current RDA is only the minimum required for bone health.

But more and more doctors are recommending a therapeutic dosage of 5000 IUs daily. In fact, to raise deficient levels, a doctor may prescribe up to 10,000 IUs daily for several weeks, then taper off.

Just remember that since vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin, it’s important to take it with some sort of fats or oils to make sure you’re able to absorb it and grab all its benefits.

Considering all the health benefits of vitamin D3, you can’t afford not to promote sufficient levels.

Sources:

Reduced cancer mortality with daily vitamin D intake — Eureka Alert

Efficacy of vitamin D3 supplementation on cancer mortality: Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials — Ageing Research Reviews

Vitamin D Deficiency and Related Disorders — Medscape

Vitamin D Deficiency May Promote Spread of Some Breast Cancers — National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute

Vitamin D Deficiency — Cleveland Clinic

Study puts cancer patient vitamin D deficiency under the spotlight — NutraIngredients Europe

The post The one-a-day vitamin that slashed death from cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It isn’t your fault. The modern American diet has made you the victim of a tragic nutrient deficiency.

Oh, sure, you’ve probably heard all your life how important it is to eat your fruits and veggies. But you’ve also heard that you should avoid fat — thanks to the wrong-headed advice of American nutritionists.

And that lack of dietary fat is a big fat problem for more than 90 percent of Americans who are missing out on the incredible health — and weight loss — benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids.

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Healthy fats help you lose fat

Guess what? If you struggle with stubborn weight around your midsection, there’s a good chance you’re falling short in the essential fatty acids department.

That’s because without the helpful long-chain fatty acids found in omega-3s — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — the cells in your body become sluggish. When that happens, your metabolism plummets.

With the addition of EPA and DHA, however, activity within cells increases. That’s because these building blocks of omega-3s give the cells in your body what they need to operate most efficiently.

Researchers have proven that increasing omega-3 intake in obese people reduces belly fat by actually shrinking the size of individual fat cells. And here’s how it works…

Just as people who are more active tend to be leaner, the omega-3s have the amazing ability to increase metabolic activity within fat cells — so the more active cells stay in leaner shape than sluggish ones.

The benefit of kicking cellular activity into high gear is huge when it comes to sustainable weight loss. That’s because the smaller and more active fat cells that remain as you begin to shed pounds respond far better to diet and exercise.

This means that by adding more omega-3s to your diet, you actually can lose weight and keep it off without unsustainable fad diets and unrealistic exercise regimens.

Optimizing your diet with omega-3s…

A big reason so many Americans are deficient in omega-3s is that our diets are low in healthy, oily fish like salmon and mackerel. But adding more omega-3s to your diet doesn’t mean you must start buying and preparing expensive seafood dinners several times each week.

Fish oil supplements are an option, but my preference is krill oil. Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans packed with EPA and DHA. Because they are at the bottom of the food chain and found in the cleanest oceans on the planet, it’s a source of omega-3s virtually free of toxins that are commonly found in larger ocean fish.

Beyond its clean composition, what makes krill oil such a better ‘delivery method’ for omega-3s than fish and fish oil are the phospholipids that bind its fatty acids.

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Because your body naturally produces phospholipids, EPA and DHA delivered through krill oil’s phospholipid structure makes it easy for your body’s cells to get the most nutritional benefit from the oil. In fact, compared to fish oil — which delivers EPA and DHA in triglyceride form — krill oil is absorbed 10 to 15 times better.

That means your cells get packed with plenty of EPA and DHA needed for the peak metabolic function that promotes healthy weight loss.

While krill oil is an excellent weight loss aid, you’ll benefit in many other ways by making it part of your daily routine. That’s because krill oil also contains astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that’s not found in fish oil. Its antioxidant potency — in terms of ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values — is 48 times more potent than fish oil.

That means along with quick and sustainable weight loss results, krill oil can also provide:

• Better skin, hair and nail health
• Mood enhancement and improved cognitive function
• Heart benefits
• Improved joint health and relief from arthritis

To get the most out of krill oil for weight loss and overall good health, a dose of around 1000mg per day of a quality supplement should do the trick.

The post Energize your cells to shrink fat—literally appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I knew these were all signs of impending menopause, but I also knew there wasn’t much to be done to treat the symptoms. After all, hormone therapy was dangerous. 

At least that’s what I had been told based upon the findings of a seminal scientific study.

Turns out, that study was flawed…

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Jumping to conclusions

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was meant to evaluate the long-term health outcomes of postmenopausal women placed on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It commenced in 1998. 

Based on signals from smaller studies, there were high hopes that placing women on HRT was going to help them live longer better and that this large study would finally prove it. 

Instead, the study was stopped abruptly in the early 2000s when investigators found that HRT put women at increased risk of heart disease, blood clots and breast cancer. 

Panic ensued and women taking HRT were taken off the drugs immediately while women entering menopause were advised against ever using hormones.

However, if you look at the trial design in retrospect, there were many shortcomings that clearly influenced the results…  

The study used estrogen pills not patches — and we now know that estrogen delivered through the skin is processed completely differently inside our bodies and has much different effects on blood clotting. In addition, many of the women included in the trial were years, if not decades, out from menopause, complicating results interpretation.

A second look

When researchers subsequently reanalyzed the data they came to a different conclusion…

Women who used hormone replacement therapy near the onset of menopause were at no greater risk of negative health events.

In fact, using hormone replacement therapy at the correct time in the correct patient at the correct dose and in the correct combinations helps prevent osteoporosis, has little effect on cancer risk and could even lessen the risk of heart disease.

A couple of caveats: women with a history of breast or reproductive system cancers — or a strong family history of these — should probably still avoid HRT, and HRT should not be used to prevent heart disease as the sole indication (modification of other risk factors is a far more powerful intervention).

Unfortunately, the corrected message came too late to undo the dire headlines published in the early wake of study results or the original treatment guidelines that followed.

Today many women — and even doctors — still aren’t up to date on the current research. That’s a problem for many reasons, the most important being the unnecessary withholding of therapy that could markedly improve quality of life. 

Not to mention that, according to a new Mayo Clinic study, managing menopause symptoms comes at an estimated societal cost of $1.8 billion in lost work time per year and $26.6 billion annually when medical expenses are added.

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HRT is not for everyone

Women need to determine if this is an appropriate treatment for them given symptom severity, their individual risk of cancer, and other health issues that may be present. 

My best advice is to talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy and other, nonhormonal options that could be available to you, especially if you are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms and are under age 60. 

Your OBGYN is probably your best resource, and I would start there. If you don’t have an OBGYN or your doctor is not trained in menopause — not all are — here is a list of providers who have this expertise, courtesy of the North American Menopause Society.

Beyond dealing with perimenopause and the symptoms that go along with hormone changes, it bears emphasizing that heart disease risk accelerates during this time. 

Loss of estrogen, specifically, causes LDL (bad) cholesterol to rise. So make sure you’re taking advantage of all the ways that nutrition and lifestyle can help keep your cholesterol profile in a healthy range.

If you’re thinking about making dietary changes, remember that Step One Foods can kickstart that process with easy, twice-a-day food swaps.

Next week, I’ll be back with tips for keeping your heart in tip-top shape after menopause.

The post Women and heart disease: The menopause years appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And if you’re one of the more than three million Americans suffering from atherosclerosis, you know this all too well.

Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart attack, but it also causes about half of all strokes. And there are often no symptoms until it’s too late and a plaque ruptures or blood flow is completely blocked.

That’s why prevention is key. And this time, it’s pretty easy…

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3 powerful nutrients could make one heart-healthy supplement

When it comes to treating or preventing atherosclerosis naturally, three is the magic number. That’s because when used together, there are three ingredients that, when supplemented, may help keep your arteries free and clear, according to research.

Researchers from Cardiff University collaborated with UK nutritional supplement manufacturer Cultech Ltd to test their theory that three was better than one when it came to treating atherosclerosis with nutritional supplements.

“A variety of active food ingredients have been shown to impart beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease although little is known regarding their actions when taken in combination,” co-author of the study Dr. Dipak Ramji from Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences.

The artery-clearing cocktail that Ramji and fellow researchers devised included fish oil, cocoa extract and phytosterols. And based on their initial results in cell-based models, it looks like a promising way to stop the progression of atherosclerosis. The next step is to test their results on humans.

Considering what the health world already knows about these three supplements, the results are no surprise. Because of its high content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fish oil has been a frontrunner to promote artery and heart health.  And krill, which many believe to be a superior form of omega-3s, works just as well at promoting your heart health — maybe even better.

And, due to its high flavonoid content, cocoa too has developed a reputation as an anti-inflammatory hero that keeps arteries clear and heart-healthy (a reputation that is also backed up by a significant amount of science).

Last but not least, plant phytosterols (available as supplements) have been added to the atherosclerosis-fighting arsenal because they contain fatty acid esters, which are proven to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  According to the Cleveland Clinic, when phytosterols are combined with omega-3 (DHA) they not only lower LDL but also improve HDL (good cholesterol) and lower triglycerides.

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Lowering risks means more choices

With research-backed nutritional resumes like these, you would only expect that these three supplements would pack a powerful punch against arterial plaque. But perhaps most important is that this solution is natural and completely non-invasive.

And if you get a jump on the game you could avoid medical options that are risky.

Doctors would recommend stenting, which is often done as a “precautionary measure.” But a review showed that there is no data confirming that these procedures reduce the risk of stroke, which is the stated reason for the surgery and the stent in the first place. In fact, carotid stenosis screenings often lead to false positives, which lead to unnecessary procedures, which lead to people dying unnecessarily.

The results of a major $100-million study on the effectiveness of stents and bypass surgery found lifestyle and medications worked better.

But not all medications are risk-free.

Take statins? There are the studies they want you to see that make it out to be a miracle drug. But other studies show that for every 10,000 people on statins, there were:

• 307 additional patients with cataracts.
• 23 more patients with acute kidney failure.
• 74 additional patients with liver dysfunction.

Another scientific review found that statins were even worse for women, actually increasing their risk for cardiac disease.

Just remember, this dangerous condition is often symptom-free and alarmingly common, affecting up to 80 percent of Americans over 30 years old. Taking supplements, along with following a healthy diet and exercising regularly, could decrease these odds so surgery later or risky drugs aren’t your only option.

Sources:

Could a combined dietary supplement help ward off heart disease? —Science Daily

Flavonoids: Antioxidants Against Atherosclerosis — The Journal Nutrients

Chocolate Consumption is Inversely Associated with Calcified Atherosclerotic Plaque in the Coronary Arteries: The NHLBI Family Heart Study — Clinical Nutrition

Omega-3 fatty acids in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease — Future Science OA

The post Triple nutrient cocktail could help stave off heart attack and stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In all my years of natural health research, I can only come to two conclusions as to why: First, to them, health hinges on medicine alone. Secondly, they are stuck on the idea that you get all the nutrition you need from food.

I’ve written before about how inadequate our food supply is at providing proper levels of the nutrients the body needs, so I won’t bore you with all of the details — but it’s partly due to depleted soil and the business of food processing, which strips out everything healthful only to replace it with synthetic versions of vitamins your body doesn’t absorb as well.

Well, thank goodness for scientists like Dr. Bruce Ames, who, after more than a decade of research would argue that shortages of vitamins and minerals are not only very real and widespread but that by skimping by with inadequate amounts, we’re cheating ourselves of valuable “longevity vitamins” critical to long-term maintenance.

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The triage theory

Research into aging is at an all-time fever pitch. But if Dr. Ames is correct, some of the best longevity agents have been under our noses the whole time, but we’ve barely given them half a chance.

Dr. Ames has presented a novel idea about vitamins and minerals and how the body uses them, known as the triage theory. And it could revolutionize the longevity game.

In a nutshell, Dr. Ames’s theory explains why deficiencies — even ones without overt symptoms — could contribute to the aging process, shortening longevity.

According to Dr. Ames, nutrition science ignores the fact that most vitamins and minerals are not only needed to maintain our day-to-day health — but that they are also required by hundreds of enzymes within our cells that perform processes that impact long-term health, in other words — our longevity.

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When those vitamins and enzymes work together, they’ve got bigger goals in mind than just tomorrow. Vitamins like vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium are critical to helping different kinds of enzymes repair DNA damage and prevent oxidative damage — actions that prepare the body for the long haul.

So when the body is not getting enough of a vitamin (or other compounds I’ll detail shortly), it’s rationed. And you can probably guess where the largest share goes… to the processes that ensure immediate survival. That means any processes the enzymes and vitamins work together on that could impact longevity, get the short end of the stick. And so do you.

9+ Longevity “vitamins”

In his work, he has identified survival vitamins and longevity vitamins, and there is crossover as well: some vitamins may fulfill both functions, which makes sense. You can’t live later if you’re not functioning well now.

At least 70 percent of Americans are deficient in the vitamins, minerals and compounds that Dr. Ames says should be recognized as “longevity vitamins.”

Shortages can be problematic, but some deficiencies don’t make their damage known for years. Others may have a quicker impact…

For instance, Dr. Ames’s research team has seen that when low-level deficiencies of vitamin K and selenium occur, the body produces fewer enzymes needed to keep arteries clear, sacrificing more vitamin K for blood clotting.

Before I list Dr. Ames’ “longevity vitamins,” I need to mention that every nutrient on this list is not a vitamin in the traditional sense. And I’ll include a few notes from Dr. Ames’s paper in the list.

Those marked with an asterisk are both survival and longevity vitamins, of which vitamin K is also one (per the example above), and in his paper, Dr. Ames cites references that associate deficiencies of these three, and many of the others as well, with serious illnesses that affect healthy aging…

1. Vitamin D*. About 2,700 binding sites have been found in the human genome interacting with the vitamin D receptor protein. Extensive evidence shows that vitamin D deficiency causes, or has been associated with, a large number of illnesses that affect healthy aging. It is estimated that vitamin D levels in 70 percent of the U.S. population are inadequate. Dr. Ames states that fear of toxicity is to blame for discouraging supplementation and that newer evidence on the effect of vitamin D on all-cause mortality supersedes these toxicity studies, concluding that there was no increased risk even when blood levels of 25(OH)D were as high as 100 ng/mL.
2. Omega-3 fatty acids* (DHA and EPA). Dr. Ames cites research that intake of these compounds is inadequate in most of the U.S. population, and studies that conclude: low blood levels of DHA/EPA were shown in a 5-year study to be associated with a faster rate of telomere shortening, a marker of cell aging; Supplemental fish oil (2.5 g/d) slowed telomere shortening and lowered biomarkers of oxidation in older adults; Daily supplemental DHA (2 g/d) increased the rate of clearance of amyloid plaques in people with mild cognitive impairment; DHA/EPA are important for vitamin D steroid hormone effectiveness.
3. Magnesium*. About 45 percent of the American population is deficient in magnesium, which is associated with poor DNA repair capacity, telomere shortening, as well as illness.
4. Choline. Only 11 percent of women achieve the recommended intake and the average intake for the population are half to two-thirds of this recommendation; severe choline deficiency results in DNA strand breaks in rodents, alterations to epigenetic markers and histones, and affects brain development. Good sources of choline include chicken, fish, lean pork, eggs, beef, shrimp, beans, low-fat milk, broccoli, and green peas.
5. Taurine is important in preventing numerous health problems and it is particularly important in the mitochondria. Because of taurine’s extensive involvement in health problems that lead to long-term damage, Dr. Ames proposed that it is also a longevity vitamin. Most taurine is acquired from the diet, mainly from fish and other seafood, seaweed, eggs, and dark-meat poultry.
6. Ergothioneine (ESH), according to Dr. Ames, has many characteristics that suggest an involvement in healthy aging. ESH is present in almost all human cell and tissue types, often at millimolar levels in the brain, bone marrow, lens and cornea of the eye, and erythrocytes, where it appears to play a significant role as an antioxidant. It is present in the human diet, mostly synthesized by most mushrooms. A detailed analysis suggests that mushrooms are a major ESH source in Europe. Oyster and king boletus mushrooms contain about >100 mg/kg wet weight. Foods known to have moderate levels of ESH (1 mg/kg wet weight) include beef, pork, lamb and chicken. Oat bran, black turtle bean and red kidney bean contain >3 mg/kg.
7. Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ). PQQ is an important plant growth factor imported from rhizobacteria. It is a powerful antioxidant and is much more stable than ascorbic acid. PQQ supplementation improved antioxidant potential and decreased the levels of mitochondrial-related intermediates and metabolites in urine, providing support for previous studies that demonstrated that PQQ improved mitochondrial efficiency.
8. Queuine has a complex role in the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine, of tryptophan to serotonin, of tyrosine to DOPA (which gets converted into epinephrine and norepinephrine), of arginine to NO, and for the oxidation of alkyl glycerol lipids — therefore relevance to numerous neurological conditions. Queuine is an evolutionarily ancient compound, and detectable amounts of queuine have been identified in tomatoes, wheat, coconut water, and milk from humans, cows, and goats. Humans and mice recover queuine from either ingested food or the gut flora.
9. Carotenoids: This group includes lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin and the powerful marine carotenoid astaxanthin. These first six are plant carotenoids that account for 95 percent of the carotenoids found in American blood and brain. Astaxanthin is sourced from algae, yeast, salmon, trout, krill, shrimp and crayfish.

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Dr. Ames is a Senior Scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), director of their Nutrition & Metabolism Center, and a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley. His scientific career has spanned seven decades.

Says Dr. Ames, “The prevention of the degenerative diseases of aging is a different science than curing disease: it will involve expertise in metabolism, nutrition, biochemistry and genetic regulatory elements and polymorphisms.”

Sources:

Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States

Adequate Consumption of ‘Longevity’ Vitamins Could Prolong Healthy Aging, Nutrition Science Says — University of California San Francisco

The post The unseen damage of vitamin deficiencies: Sacrificing longevity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But researchers are finding out what causes HSV-1 to flare up, which could lead to new ways to prevent these recurrences…

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Gaining a better understanding of the cold sore virus

Researchers at the University of Virginia recently examined exactly how things like stress, illness and overexposure to the sun can trigger unwanted HSV-1 outbreaks.

“Herpes simplex recurrence has long been associated with stress, fever and sunburn,” says researcher Dr. Anna R. Cliffe of UVA’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. “This study sheds light on how all these triggers can lead to herpes simplex-associated disease.”

Once HSV-1 has entered the body, it lays dormant inside neurons until something triggers its reactivation. Cold sores, or fever blisters, are one of the most common signs of HSV reactivation. It can also be reactivated in the eye in a condition called herpes keratitis, which if left untreated can lead to blindness. And in rare cases, HSV-1 reactivation can cause encephalitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the brain.

While it’s been known that recurrences of HSV-1 can be set off by stress, illness or sunburn, what’s not been clearly understood is exactly what causes the virus to reactivate. Cliffe and her team discovered that when neurons containing HSV-1 were exposed to stimuli that cause “neuronal hyperexcitation,” the virus senses this change and takes the opportunity to reactivate.

Utilizing a model developed using mouse neurons infected with HSV-1, the researchers found the virus takes over the body’s release of a critical immune response to inflammation or stress: the release of the cytokine interleukin 1 beta. When epithelial cells in the skin and eye experience damage, such as that caused by ultraviolet light, they release interleukin 1 beta. This cytokine then increases excitability in the affected neurons, which then can cause HSV-1 reactivation.

“It is really remarkable that the virus has hijacked this pathway that is part of our body’s immune response,” Cliffe says. “It highlights how some viruses have evolved to take advantage of what should be part of our infection-fighting machinery.”

A more complete picture needed

While the insights help increase understanding of how HSV-1 interacts with neurons and the immune system, the researchers say more study is needed to fully understand the potential factors involved in herpes simplex disease. They note that these factors could vary depending on the virus strain or type of neuron infected, and that it’s still not known if HSV-1 changes how neurons respond to cytokines like interleukin 1 beta.

“A better understanding of what causes HSV to reactivate in response to a stimulus is needed to develop novel therapeutics,” Cliffe says. “Ultimately, what we hope to do is target the latent virus itself and make it unresponsive to stimuli such as interleukin 1 beta.”

Until then, the best defense is not to become infected with HSV-1. Wash your hands frequently and avoid close contact with someone who has a cold sore or thinks they’re about to have a cold sore. Also, do not share their personal items such as towels, razors or eating utensils.

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Controlling cold sore flareups

If you already have HSV-1, you can take measures to prevent outbreaks like cold sores. As with most illnesses, it’s important to eat well, exercise and get enough sleep to manage stress and give your body stamina to fight off sickness. In the case of HSV-1, it also helps to protect your face and lips from sun exposure by using sunscreen and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

When a cold sore does appear, you can prevent spreading HSV-1 by practicing good hygiene. Try not to touch it, and if you do, make sure you wash your hands right away. That will help keep you from spreading it to other parts of your body, or to other people. Also, change your toothbrush and throw out any creams, balms, ointments or makeup you’ve been using on your face or lips.

We’ve written before about natural ways to treat cold sores, including applying licorice root, peppermint oil, vanilla oil or extract, tea tree oil, lemon balm or manuka honey directly to the sore. Aloe vera gel also can help a cold sore heal and in lab studies has shown the potential to fight viruses, including HSV.

Thymoquinone (TQ), one of the active compounds in black cumin seed oil, has been studied for exhibiting antiviral properties. It is considered an immune system modulator, meaning it may help balance an overactive immune response. In one study, TQ was found to inhibit the entry and cell to cell spread of HSV-1.

In addition, the essential amino acid lysine has proven in studies to be effective at reducing the severity and duration of cold sores. You can get lysine through supplementation or by eating foods like fish, poultry, legumes and vegetables. Be aware that the amino acid l-arginine can lower levels of lysine, so you may want to avoid foods high in l-arginine if you’re susceptible to cold sores or having frequent flare-ups. L-arginine can be found in chocolate, spinach, nuts and nut butters, lentils and soybeans.

Sources:

Cold Sores: Here’s How Stress, Illness and Even Sunburn Trigger Flareups — UVAHealth

Neuronal hyperexcitability is a DLK-dependent trigger of herpes simplex virus reactivation that can be induced by IL-1 — eLife

Reducing Your Risk of Cold Sores (Herpes Simplex Type 1) — Winchester Hospital

N Vitro And In Silico Evaluation Of Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus Potentials Of Thymoquinone — Research Gate

How to Get Rid of Cold Sores — WebMD

The post What triggers cold sores to flareup? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For good reason. The bite of some species of ticks carries the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, responsible for what might be considered a silent plague…

Based on data from 2010 and 2018, the CDC estimates more than 475,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported each year in the U.S. And other than long-term antibiotic therapy — which the medical community admits is not always effective — there isn’t much else available that your doctor can offer.

That leaves a lot of Lyme disease victims suffering from debilitating fatigue, joint pains, memory problems, facial paralysis, aches, stiffness in the neck, heart palpitations, and severe headaches — for life.

But there may be light at the end of the tunnel…

That’s because the treatment of Lyme disease is at least one area where the medical community may be forced to realize the benefit of alternative treatments.

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Natural extracts that fight Lyme disease

The antibiotics doxycycline and cefuroxime are currently the go-to antibiotics used against the bacterial species behind Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi)

However, antibiotics are not effective in eradicating all traces of B. burgdorferi from the system, which means that the disease can persist.

The impressive likes of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with colleagues at the California Center for Functional Medicine and Focus Health, surveyed the power of 14 plant-based extracts to kill the bacteria, compared to antibiotic treatment.

What they found was downright impressive…

The researchers show that plant extracts from black walnut, cat’s claw, sweet wormwood, Mediterranean rockrose and Chinese skullcap had strong activity against B. burgdorferi, outperforming both tested antibiotics.

But by far the strongest performers were Ghanaian quinine (Cryptolepis sanguinolenta; also known as yellow-dye root, nibima, or kadze) and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum).

Ghanaian quinine is a shrub from West Africa containing the antimicrobial alkaloid cryptolepine and is used in ethnomedicine to treat malaria, hepatitis, septicemia and tuberculosis.

Japanese knotweed is a traditional medicine in India and China that contains the polyphenol antioxidant resveratrol. In other preclinical studies, it has been found to have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects and protect the nervous system and heart.

Extracts from both plants were found to kill microcolonies of Borrelia burgdorferi and inhibit the division of the planktonic form, even at low concentrations (0.03-0.5 percent). In fact, just a single 7-day treatment with 1 percent Ghanaian quinine could completely eradicate the bacterium. Amazingly, it did not regrow, even under optimal conditions.

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Resveratrol: The power behind Japanese knotweed.

So if someone like me wants to feel like I’m doing something “extra” that could lessen my risk of contracting Lyme (in addition to wearing lightweight clothing to my ankles and wrists), would choosing a resveratrol supplement make sense?

I’m going to take resveratrol anyway, so why the heck not?

Most supplements containing resveratrol source this powerful antioxidant from the Japanese knotweed. You would see it listed as Polygonum cuspitadum.

According to the information I read at examine.com — an independent educational organization that analyzes nutrition and supplement research — most of the benefits attributed to Japanese knotweed are likely because of its resveratrol content.

More good news is that a forgotten antibiotic, hygromycin A, first discovered in the 1950s is also proving helpful against Lyme disease in mice studies. It was also less disruptive to the mice’s gut microbiomes than conventional broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Above all this summer, be cautious in wooded areas or even in your yard, especially if you let the grass get a little high. Do self-checks to make sure if a tick did hitch a ride, or worse, bite you, you make the discovery as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is imperative when it comes to antibiotic therapy and Lyme disease.

To safely remove a tick, follow these instructions from the CDC.

Stay safe this summer!

Source:

1. Ethnobotanical medicine is effective against the bacterium causing Lyme disease — EurekAlert

The post Could a resveratrol supplement fight Lyme disease? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Many of the drugs we take have their origins in traditional plant medicine. For instance, aspirin can be traced back to willow tree bark. The cancer drug taxol originates from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. And from the leaves of the Madagascar periwinkle plant, we get the chemotherapeutics vinblastine and vincristine.

One of the richest sources of plant-based remedies is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Scientists have found anticancer drugs obtained from TCM are more effective than chemical synthetic drugs and have less toxic side effects.

That’s why a team of researchers from China and the U.K. are collaborating to unlock the secrets of one of these medicinal herbs. And what they’ve discovered could be a breakthrough for treating this terrible disease…

Tracing the anticancer activity of barbed skullcap

TCM has used the Skullcap genus for centuries to treat different medical conditions. Previous clinical work has shown using preparations based on Scutellaria barbata during chemotherapy can reduce the risk of metastatic tumors, an advanced form of cancer that spreads to other areas of the body.

But until now, previous research had been unable to unlock how the plant produced its cancer-fighting compound which acts against a range of cancer cells.

In this most recent collaboration, led by CEPAMS, a partnership between the John Innes Centre and the Chinese Academy of Science and supported by The Royal Society, the researchers used DNA sequencing technology to assemble the complete genomic sequence of the barbed skullcap, scientifically known as Scutellaria barbata.

This genetic information — a microevolutionary history — gave researchers exactly what they needed to know about the plant’s powerful anti-cancer compound: scutebarbatine A.

Professor Cathie Martin, Group Leader at the John Innes Centre, and one of the authors of the study said, “We have found that the primary metabolite has activity against cancer cells but not non-cancer cells which is especially important for an anti-cancer metabolite. Now we are looking to develop synthetic methods for producing more of the lead compound.”

In TCM, practitioners isolate the medicinal chemistry of the herb by boiling it in water for 2 hours, then drying the extract to produce a powder. That powder is then taken as a decoction or concentrated liquid.

But now, knowing the biochemical pathway behind barbed skullcap’s anticancer activity allows researchers to come closer to synthesizing large quantities of the compound more rapidly and sustainably.

From nature to pharmaceutical

The road to becoming a drug is usually quite long and that alone comes with pros and cons. When pharmaceutical companies patent an active ingredient it can restrict other uses. But with TCM’s long history and knowledge, hopefully, true practitioners will be able to carry on their legacy as a welcomed presence within integrative medicine.

More doctors take an integrative approach to treating cancer than ever before. That means using the best of conventional medicine and traditional therapies. If you or someone you know is interested in the anti-cancer potential of Chinese skullcap, seek out an expert and talk to your physician.

One of the problems with buying “Chinese skullcap” supplements off the shelves of your local health foods store, or online, is that many of these are made using a different type of skullcap, Scutellaria baicalensis. Like Scutellaria barbata, Scutellaria baicalensis has shown some anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Scutellaria barbata may also be labeled “barbed skullcap” or “ban zhi lian.”

As with any supplement, always follow the manufacturer’s serving suggestion and do not take more than is specified. Chinese skullcap varieties may cause irregular heartbeat, anxiety and mental confusion. It also should not be taken with statin drugs or blood thinners. It may also lower blood pressure, which could be a problem for anyone already on blood pressure-lowering medications.

Sources:

Discovery of anti-cancer chemistry makes skullcap fit for modern medicine — John Innes Center

The genomes of medicinal skullcaps reveal the polyphyletic origins of clerodane diterpene biosynthesis in the family Lamiaceae — Molecular Plant

Success Story: Taxol — National Cancer Institute

Vinblastine — Science Direct

The aspirin story – from willow to wonder drug — British Journal of Haematology

Scutellaria barbata: Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Current therapeutic role and medicinal potential of Scutellaria barbata in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western research — Journal of Ethnopharmacology

The post This ancient Chinese herb could be the next big thing in cancer treatment appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But in their testing, something unexpected happened…

Men who took this drug experienced a big improvement — in their ability to get and maintain erections. Even more exciting was this happened within 30 to 60 minutes after use!

Knowing a marketable drug when they see dollar signs, Pfizer patented sildenafil in 1996. Just two short years later, the drug was approved by the FDA for treating erectile dysfunction and marketed to the world as Viagra.

What makes this story so important isn’t so much about what that “little blue pill” is famous for. As significant as that is, there’s a much bigger story to tell…

That’s because the mechanism behind Viagra just happens to be a key biological signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system so important, that its discovery earned a Nobel Prize…

The magic behind how Nitric Oxide helps the body

The same year Viagra got the thumbs up from the FDA, three pharmacologists won the Nobel Prize for work that had started decades earlier.

Fred Murad, Robert Furchgott and Louis Ignarro all produced compelling scientific work that identified nitric oxide (NO), a gas the body produces that acts as a signaling molecule telling blood vessels to relax, expand and open wide for one very important purpose: healthy blood flow to every nook and cranny of the body.

NO was found in the endothelial cells that lined artery walls — where its chief function was as a powerful vasodilator. It was also found that NO was how nitroglycerin and many other vasodilating compounds worked.

But not only did this “gas” regulate important cellular functions, they speculated it also regulated some hormones.

Problems with erectile dysfunction are vascular and hormonal. And NO is needed to help the muscles in the penis to relax so chambers inside the penis can fill with blood — and, yes, stand tall.

Even though harnessing NO put an end to erectile dysfunction for many men — and made Viagra one of the top-selling drugs in the world — natural support for blood pressure, blood flow and blood vessels is where NO truly shines.

And you don’t have to take a drug to help your body produce the NO it needs. I’ll explain how, but first, let’s review what science shows NO can do…

Nitric Oxide and Heart Health and Hypertension

The lining of your blood vessels performs important functions that affect your blood flow and blood pressure. But the lining of the arteries, known as the endothelium, loses much of its flexibility with age and in people with heart problems.

That loss of pliability can restrict the heart’s ability to supply adequate blood to your muscles, the heart and the brain. Plus, the resulting stiffness can lead to serious increases in blood pressure.

A study in the American Journal of Hypertension found that participants who struggled with hypertension experienced significant improvement after following a diet rich in the amino acid L-Arginine — a building block of NO. They also found that L-Arginine was responsible for a blood-pressure decrease, as well as a fall in fasting glucose, and the lowering of total cholesterol and triglycerides.

Nitric Oxide for Energy Levels and Blood Flow

In 2013, researchers at Kansas State University tested a beetroot-based drink for its NO-boosting abilities. They discovered the nitrates in beetroot juice concentrate increased blood flow to skeletal muscles by as much as 10 percent.

More importantly, according to the lead researcher, those who struggle with heart issues or who have suffered from heart failure in the past received the biggest benefit from this oxygen increase.

Nitric Oxide, Brain Health and Alzheimer’s

Researchers from Wake Forest University found combining beetroot juice and exercise improves brain connectivity, making it behave years younger — and it’s much more effective at boosting brain health than exercise alone.

All study participants took a 50-minute walk on a treadmill three times per week for six weeks. But half of the participants received a beetroot supplement drink, and the other half received a placebo. At the end of the six weeks, the participants who took the beetroot supplement had better brain connectivity than those who didn’t.

Nitric Oxide and Diabetes

Cardiometabolic syndrome encompasses the conditions of metabolic syndrome but also includes symptoms and conditions, like inflammation and prothrombotic factors (blood clots), that lead to cardiovascular disease-related outcomes.  

Researchers investigated a theory that providing a sustained supply of NO may be an efficient way of treating cardiometabolic syndrome. That’s because reduced NO absorption is a hallmark of the disorder.

And they were right. In experiments using mice, those that had their nitric oxide levels boosted had better glucose tolerance, lower fasting insulin and lower fasting leptin levels. And compared to a control group that was not supplemented with NO, the NO mice gained 17 percent less body weight.

Nitric Oxide and Sexual Function

When the blood vessels in the penis can dilate sufficiently, it helps to maintain pressure in the corpus cavernosum (the penis’ sponge-like erectile tissue) and allows a man to sustain an erection.

Beets help the body produce NO, which has been shown to be vital to penile erectile function (remember Viagra?).

That’s because beets are naturally high in nitrates, which are converted to nitrites in your mouth when you eat them. The stomach converts the nitrates to NO, which dilates blood vessels and blood flow.

l-arginine and l-citrulline can help produce NO to aid sexual performance problems as well…

In one blind study, 24 men, averaging in their mid-50s received a placebo for one month followed by 1.5 grams of l-citrulline (a precursor to nitric oxide) each day for a month. During the placebo phase, only two of the 24 men reported an improvement in erection hardness score from 3 (mild erectile dysfunction) to 4 (normal erectile function). In contrast, half of the men reported similar improvement when taking citrulline, with no noted side effects.  

Women can also experience the sexual health benefits of NO and better blood flow, including an increase in sensitivity and satisfaction.

Nitric oxide, altitude sickness and performance

You may have read that beetroot juice, which contains NO precursors, has become popular among athletes. That’s because people drinking beet juice require less oxygen to walk, run or exercise.

A study at Leeds Beckett University indicates that supplements from red beets can significantly improve athletic performance by allowing the body to perform well even in environments with thin air.

In fact, producing NO with the help of beets has also been shown to alleviate symptoms of altitude sickness. A study recently published in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry showed that consumption of organic nitrate-rich beet juice restored reduced blood vessel function at high altitudes.

How to naturally generate nitric oxide for your body

As we age, we tend to produce lower levels of NO. So, when NO production goes down, your chances of experiencing problems due to reduced blood flow go up.

But when it comes to helping your body produce NO, you have a couple of choices. Let’s start with the amino acids l-arginine and l-citrulline.

Research shows that when either is consumed, they are broken down in the body and used to produce NO.

Food sources high in L-arginine include:

• Lobster
• Crab   
• Turkey
• Game meats
• Chicken
• Goat
• Fish

L-citrulline, another nitric oxide building block, has been shown in some cases to provide more on-demand NO when compared to l-arginine.

Sources of l-citrulline include:

• Watermelon (The highest, more potent source)
• Bitter gourd
• Squash

• Nuts
• Chickpeas
• Pumpkin
• Cucumbers
• Gourds

As effective as l-arginine and l-citrulline are, they can’t compete with increasing nitric oxide levels via the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway.

Research claims it’s the most bioavailable, sustainable and fastest route for raising NO levels. Here’s how it works…

When we eat foods containing dietary nitrate, like spinach or beets (don’t confuse this with sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate food preservatives used in lunch meats and hot dogs), a chemical reaction occurs with good bacteria or microflora on the tongue. The result is that the nitrates are converted to nitrites and then nitric oxide in the gut, bloodstream and various organs.

And the effect is almost immediate. It starts working much quicker since there isn’t a digestive process to slow things down.

Although a select list of vegetables contain inorganic nitrate, like lettuce, spinach and celery — beetroot is a jam-packed nitrate powerhouse, as the researchers at the University of Exeter found when it dropped study participants’ systolic blood pressure (the top number in your blood pressure reading) by an average of five points (mmHg).

Don’t cheat yourself of NO

One way to totally interfere with the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway is by using mouthwash. As it kills bacteria that can cause tooth decay and bad breath, it also kills the beneficial bacteria that help convert dietary nitrates to NO.

It’s also a good idea to avoid much salt in your diet. In mice experiments, it was found that salt decreases nitric oxide production in the brain. Conversely, healthy levels of nitric oxide kept tau (the protein that collects on the brain and leads to Alzheimer’s) in check.

Sources:

FDA approves Viagra – History.com

A novel therapy ameliorates obesity and Type 2 diabetes in mice fed a high-fat diet – pubs.acs.org

Drink the Heart Health Super Juice – Easy Health Options

Microvascular oxygen pressures in muscles comprised of different fiber types: Impact of dietary nitrate supplementation – Pubmed.gov

Science looks to beetroot to fight the root of disease like Alzheimer’s and MS – Easy Health Options 

With beetroot juice before exercise, aging brains look ‘younger’: study – Medical Xpress

The pre-workout drink that beats brain aging – Easy Health Options

Blood pressure and metabolic changes during dietary L-arginine supplementation in humans – Pubmed.gov

The amino acid supplement that boosts your sex life – Easy Health Options

Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction – Pubmed.org

The post Nitric oxide: The pathway to better blood vessels, blood pressure and blood flow appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Phosphatidylserine is essential for healthy nerve cell membranes and myelin, an insulating layer or sheath made up of protein and fatty substances that forms around nerves, including those in the brain.

The sheath allows for successful neurotransmissions — electrical impulses that transmit along the nerve cells. In the brain, this allows brain cells to communicate with one another, making it possible for you to concentrate, remember, learn, and manage emotions, as well for the brain to signal locomotor functions, like rapid reactions and reflexes.

Although the body manufactures some PS on its own, our primary sources of PS are dietary or supplemental. This is especially important to remember, as the body produces less of this important nutrient with age.

Let’s talk about the benefits of PS and how to keep them coming…

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The benefits of phosphatidylserine

Memory. Phosphatidylserine (PS for short) is best known as a nootropic, meaning simply that it supports brain function.

As the human brain ages, it experiences biochemical alterations and structural deterioration that impair transmission between nerve cells. In other words, the protective myelin sheath may break down and the electrical impulses involved in nerve communication don’t work as they should. This results commonly in memory and cognition problems that we’ve come to accept as a normal part of aging.

According to a review of 127 scientifically published papers on the nutrient, study authors concluded that 300 to 800 mg of PS is not only absorbed efficiently but also “crosses the blood-brain barrier and safely slows, halts or reverses the biochemical alterations and structural deterioration in nerve cells.”

The authors also stated that it “supports human cognitive functions, including the formation of short-term memory, the consolidation of long-term memory, the ability to create new memories, the ability to retrieve memories, the ability to learn and recall information, the ability to focus attention and concentrate, the ability to reason and solve problems, language skills, and the ability to communicate. It also supports locomotor functions, especially rapid reactions and reflexes.”

In another study, subjects’ increased memory scores were mostly attributed to an increase in delayed verbal recall, where a person must repeat a sequence of words an hour or more after hearing them.

This type of verbal recall is one of the first memory abilities to be lost in the early stages of cognitive decline.

Sleep. PS supplements are perhaps the safest sleep aid out there. They’re made from plant extracts and act naturally on the brain.

By resensitizing the hypothalamus and the hippocampus — the brain’s “shut-off valves” for cortisol — to your natural circadian rhythm, they help do away with the extreme fluctuations in cortisol that result from stress and can interfere with proper sleep.

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Depression and anxiety. Research has shown that depression can accelerate aging and conversely, aging can impact depression. In a study published in Mental Illness, researchers reported that PS and omega-3 fatty acids relieved depressive symptoms in elderly individuals suffering from late-life depression who had been previously unresponsive to antidepressant medications. Studies have also found PS brought an improvement in symptoms of Parkinson’s patients, including better mood control.

Stress. Clinical studies have found that taking supplemental PS reduces serum adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol levels, as well as salivary cortisol levels following mental stress. In other words, PS helps blunt the effects of stress by decreasing blood levels of the stress hormones ACTH, cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

How to increase phosphatidylserine

As we age, we naturally produce less and less PS. Fortunately, there are some good dietary sources of this nootropic. There are a few foods sources, including soy, white beans, egg yolks, chicken liver, and beef liver. Soy lecithin and sunflower lecithin are high sources usually included in supplements.

As the extensive study review that we mentioned above found, a dosage of between 300 and 800 milligrams daily is absorbed well by most people. A “therapeutic” dose is 100mg three times a day.

As always when starting a new supplement, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor if you have any conditions that require certain medications.

Sources:

Phosphatidylserine and the human brain — The Journal Nutrition

The Health Benefits of Phosphatidylserine — verywellmind.com

Phosphatidylserine and the human brain — Science Direct

Soybean-Derived Phosphatidylserine Improves Memory Function of the Elderly Japanese Subjects with Memory Complaints — Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition

PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE — WebMD

What is Phosphatidylserine? — Wisepowder.com

Everything you need to know about tofu — Medical News Today

The post Phosphatidylserine: The natural way to a better brain and mood appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You’re going about your day and then the pain starts. Within minutes, you can go from happy and productive to out for the count.

While most of us think of migraine when it comes to debilitating headaches (they’re so common that 30 percent of us will suffer from one this year), migraine isn’t the only type of headache that can ruin your day.

In fact, cluster headaches, which occur in groups and have been linked to low oxygen levels, can affect both men and women and come on in waves.

Now, there’s evidence that both of these severe headache disorders could be linked to the body’s biological clock.

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Do your headaches happen at the same time every day?

For many people who live with migraine and cluster headaches, it seems that their pain hits at approximately the same time of day, no matter what other headache triggers they’re exposed to.

It’s a fact that led researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston to wonder whether there might be a connection between headaches and circadian rhythm — the body’s internal system that tells us when it’s time to sleep and when to wake.

To test their theory, the researchers combed through all available studies on cluster headaches and migraine that included circadian features.

They looked at the timing of headaches during the day and during the year. And they delved through data on whether genes associated with the circadian clock are more common in people with these headaches.

They even took a deep dive into studies that linked cluster headaches and migraine to hormones related to the circadian system, like the stress hormone, cortisol, and the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Here’s what they discovered by headache type…

A definite circadian connection

When it came to cluster headaches and the circadian rhythm, the research revealed:

• 71 percent of cluster headache sufferers had headaches at approximately the same time, showing an undeniable link to sleep rhythms.
• Most cluster headaches occur either late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
• Cluster headaches are more likely to occur in the spring and fall.
• Cluster headache was associated with two main circadian genes.
• Five genes that increase the likelihood of having cluster headaches are genes with a circadian pattern of expression.

Additionally, the researchers found that people who live with cluster headaches have significantly higher cortisol levels and lower melatonin levels than people without cluster headaches.

When it came to migraines and circadian rhythm, the connection was similar:

• 50 percent of migraine sufferers showed a circadian pattern of attacks.
• Migraines are more likely to occur from late morning until early evening and less likely to happen overnight.
• Migraine was associated with two core circadian genes, and 110 of the 168 genes associated with migraine were genes with a circadian pattern of expression.

Like people with cluster headaches, people with migraine had lower levels of melatonin in their urine than people without migraine. And, melatonin levels were quite a bit lower during a migraine attack.

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Harmonize your clock to reduce headaches

According to the researchers, “The data suggest that both of these headache disorders are highly circadian at multiple levels, especially cluster headache,” said study author Mark Joseph Burish, MD, PhD.

“This reinforces the importance of the hypothalamus — the area of the brain that houses the primary biological clock — and its role in cluster headaches and migraine. It also raises the question of the genetics of triggers such as sleep changes that are known triggers for migraine and are cues for the body’s circadian rhythm.”

This means that for those of us who suffer from migraines or cluster headaches, harmonizing our body clocks to ensure a healthy circadian rhythm is vital.

Because melatonin levels may be low, as the research indicates, supplementing the sleep hormone may improve circadian rhythm, especially if it’s disrupted by sleep problems. But that’s not all…

Supplementing melatonin has been associated with greater than a 50 percent reduction in migraine frequency in a head-to-head study against Amitriptyline.

Never take more than is directed. If melatonin doesn’t help you sleep, consider your vitamin D levels. The two have a synergistic relationship and if your vitamin D blood levels are low, melatonin won’t work as well for you.

Sources:

Cluster Headaches – Johns Hopkins

Headache Disorders – World Health Organization

Do your headaches happen at the same time of day? – ScienceDaily

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Most of us are lucky just to make it through our fifties before developing multiple health conditions that could make reaching 80 or 90 a challenge at best.

Well, we may finally have the answer…

According to research by a team of scientists from Boston University School of Medicine, the secret to joining the ranks of centenarians is an incredibly powerful immune system…

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Youthful immunity into extreme old age

It’s not something we think about often, except when cold and flu season rolls around and we need a secret weapon to stay healthy, but your immune system plays a pivotal role in the function of the 30 trillion cells that make up your body.

Sadly, for most of us, a natural age-related decline in immune system function leaves us wide open to threats.

Because centenarians not only live longer but also experience delays in age-related diseases, scientists have theorized that their immune systems remain youthfully functional into extreme old age.

It’s a theory those Boston researchers decided to put to the test, assembling the largest dataset that delved into the differences between centenarian immune cells and those possessed by the rest of us.

Specifically, the team focused on sequencing peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) — a category of immune cells circulating in the blood of centenarians versus people of other age groups to evaluate cell composition and activity change with age.

And sure enough, centenarians seem to have exceptional immune system function…

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Better immunity for a longer life

The research confirmed that people who live to be 100 or more possess distinct immune cell type composition and activity and are blessed with highly functional immune systems that have successfully adapted to a history of sickness allowing for exceptional longevity.

According to the researchers, when people are exposed to infections and recover from them, their immune system learns to adapt. But this ability to respond declines as we age.

Yet, for those rare individuals, immune system decline is not in the cards.

As study senior author, Paola Sebastiani, PhD,  explains, “The immune profiles that we observed in the centenarians confirms a long history of exposure to infections and capacity to recover from them and provide support to the hypothesis that centenarians are enriched for protective factors that increase their ability to recover from infections.”

Because of this, the researchers believe that “Centenarians, and their exceptional longevity, provide a ‘blueprint’ for how we might live more productive, healthful lives.”

How can you keep your immune system functioning like a younger version of yourself? Well, previous research has shown that exercise can certainly help…

It has a unique effect on the thymus, a gland in your chest that produces T cells (those first-line defense cells that attack pathogens). The thymus tends to shrink into adulthood and produce fewer T cells. But researchers found that older endurance cyclists were producing the same level of T-cells as adults in their 20s!

Compared to the people who didn’t exercise, had a lowered immune system and were at higher risk for infections, the older cyclists had immune systems that were still capable of putting up a strong fight.

Sources:

Study finds centenarians possess unique immunity that helps them achieve exceptional longevity – ScienceDaily

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The reasons why have been viewed as complex. But now, a study has made an important connection that could help improve those odds.

And it has to do with an important vitamin that more and more research has shown is imperative for good health…

A vitamin deficiency that takes lives

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Treatment Center in Los Angeles took a deeper dive into the reasons that African American men are so much more vulnerable to prostate cancer.

“African American men are more likely than European American men to develop prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from the disease,” said Dr. Moray Campbell, a research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and senior author of the study.

“Large-scale studies have shown that differences in access to healthcare do not fully account for this health disparity, and our study identifies biological factors that might explain it.”

Dr. Campbell and her team discovered that vitamin D is the missing piece to the puzzle. That’s because vitamin D affects prostate cancer risk in two ways…

First, it guards against cell damage. Cancer is caused by genetic mutations, so it makes sense to protect against such cell damage.

This may be the reason that men who have higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of deadly prostate cancer.

The second way vitamin D helps is that it stimulates the maturation of cells. Cancer cells do not behave like normal cells. Instead of maturing and dying, they continue to divide, creating more and more abnormal cells.

“Without sufficient levels of vitamin D to cause them to mature, the cells in a tumor continue to multiply out of control,” says Dr. Campbell.

What makes African American men more prone to a D deficiency

Campbell and his research team found that the vitamin D receptor, a protein that helps the body use vitamin D, appears to have adapted differently in people of African ancestry.

“The forebears of African American and European American men adapted to the climates where they originated,” Campbell said. “African men retain higher melanin levels in the skin to protect against the strong sun — which also helps the body produce vitamin D. Because of this, their descendants in the U.S., which receives fewer hours per year of bright sunshine than African countries do, are often vitamin D deficient.”

For African American men, this spells an even higher risk of prostate cancer and means they need to work harder at maintaining healthy vitamin D levels.

This isn’t the first time that the melanin-vitamin D factor has come into play for African American health. This difference in how darker skin produces vitamin D also raises the risk of heart disease. In general, it’s also been tied to shortening lifespan.

Getting more vitamin D

This means African American men need to work harder at getting vitamin D. Experts believe at least 40 percent of Americans in general have deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D.

If you want to know where your levels are, see your doctor to have your vitamin D blood levels checked. If you are deficient, your doctor may recommend a high-dose supplement to raise your levels.

Make sure you choose vitamin D3. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of vitamin D2 and D3 supplements on blood levels found that D3 supplements tended to raise blood concentrations of the vitamin more and sustained those levels longer than D2. That’s likely because D3 is the form naturally produced in the body and found in foods, like eggs.

Sources:

Study: vitamin D may play a role in prostate cancer disparities — Eureka Alert

African American Prostate Cancer Displays Quantitatively Distinct Vitamin D Receptor Cistrome-transcriptome Relationships Regulated by BAZ1A — Cancer Research Communications

6 things you should know about vitamin D — Harvard Health

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They say that you can outgrow pollen allergies, but I haven’t been that lucky. To this day, my favorite season of the year is full of flowers, blooming trees… and sneezing.

Some days, the sneezing and runny nose are bad enough to make me stop everything else I’m doing. My body feels like I’ve got the flu. And on some nights, it’s enough to keep me awake into the wee hours.

I’ve found an antihistamine that doesn’t make me drowsy, but it doesn’t always give me a lot of relief.

This year, I began looking to more natural ways to tamp down my allergies and relieve my suffering, and here’s what I’ve found…

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Allergy remedies for natural relief

1. Honey. The bee pollen in honey is said to desensitize your body to other pollens. Just make sure that it’s honey local to your area. Start adding honey to your diet each day before allergy season starts.

2. Vitamin C. Vitamin C prevents your immune system from forming histamines, chemicals that cause the sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose of allergy sufferers.

Foods that have both vitamin C and flavonoids, especially quercetin and bromelain, are particularly effective. These include pineapple, citrus fruits, strawberries, cranberries and red peppers.

Vitamin C supplements work best if they are taken at intervals throughout the day.

3. Hot peppers. Capsaicin, the active chemical found in hot chili peppers, can open nasal passages and reduce congestion. While it won’t prevent the allergic reaction itself, it can make you a lot more comfortable during allergy season.

4. Carotenoids. The natural pigments that give many fruits and vegetables their bright yellow, red and orange colors also act as a type of antioxidant that decreases inflammation and supports the upper respiratory tract.

5. Chamomile tea. Like vitamin C, chamomile has been shown to reduce the production of histamines. Warning: chamomile has proteins similar to those found in ragweed and could cause itching or swelling of the tongue, lips or mouth in some people with a ragweed allergy. Chamomile is also known as a sleep aid, so you may want to use this allergy remedy in the evening near bedtime.

6. Black seed oil, which comes from the seeds of the Nigella sativa plant, was found to be an effective treatment for symptoms of allergic rhinitis when you want to avoid the effects of other allergy drugs. In a study of 66 patients, symptoms including nasal congestion, nasal itching, runny nose and sneezing were relieved during the first two weeks of using it.

7. Green tea. Naturopathic physician Dr. Peter D’Adamo suggests drinking a daily cup of green tea starting weeks before allergy season begins.

The polyphenols in green tea, as well as the amino acid theanine, are natural antihistamines, and that daily cup of green tea will build up your reserves before the pollen arrives in earnest. If you need to sweeten it, remember to use local honey.

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8. Turmeric. Among all its other well-known health benefits, turmeric is an immune system modulator. That means that it, too, helps to slow the release of histamines.

9. Resveratrol. According to WebMD, using a nasal spray containing resveratrol three times daily for 4 weeks seems to reduce allergy symptoms in adults with seasonal allergies. You might find such a nasal spray online, but there are plenty of food sources, including grapes, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries and more.

Dehydration can make your allergy symptoms worse

During spring and into the summer months, as the weather warms and we become more active, dehydration can become a real danger.

In order to prevent allergy symptoms, staying hydrated is also crucial.

Dr. Susanne Bennett is a specialist in allergy treatment, and founder of the Wellness for Life Center in Santa Monica, California.

She says that allergy sufferers need extra water to support the increased drainage (translation: runny nose) and tears that flush mold and pollen out of our noses and eyes.

The more hydrated you are, the more those allergens are diluted and the less those histamines will go after them and bring on your allergy symptoms.

Dr. Bennett suggests taking your weight, dividing it in half and drinking that number of ounces of water each day during allergy season.

Sources:

1. The best natural hayfever remedies and relief — Good to Know
2. Vitamin C for Allergies — New Health Advisor
3. The Best Foods to Manage Your Seasonal Allergies — Next Avenue

The post 9 natural allergy remedies that won’t put you to sleep appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Spring cleaning washes away months of dirt, dust and grease, freshens the air, and gets rid of clutter. And, if done with some happy music in the background, it can be fun!

But you can do more than just clean your home this spring. With a little planning, you can detoxify and cleanse your home and make it a healthier living space than it’s ever been before.

I’ve written before about the host of harmful chemicals in household cleaners. Phthalates are among the worst. They’re in any products that make your home smell good, from air fresheners to dish soap to laundry detergent. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors. They interrupt the function of your body’s many hormones — including your thyroid hormones.

Now I’d like to offer you a comprehensive list of tips on cleaning and detoxifying your home this spring that are safer. Even if you do half of these things, you’ll be breathing easier in the coming months.

Here’s how you can purge your home of hormone-harming, life-stealing toxins…

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8 things you can do now

1. Keep houseplants in every room.
Living with green plants increases the oxygen level in your home. During photosynthesis, plants absorb the carbon dioxide we breathe out and release oxygen.

At night, photosynthesis stops and most plants give off carbon dioxide. A few, including orchids, succulents and bromeliads, continue absorbing CO2 and releasing oxygen at night.

Also, see this NASA-approved list of plants you should keep throughout your home and especially in your bedroom to improve the air quality in your home while you sleep.

Note: Many beautiful plants are poisonous to dogs and cats and to curious babies and young children. Check with your pediatrician or your veterinarian before selecting houseplants that your children or furry friends might want to taste.

2. Take shoes off at the door.
Keeping dirt, soil and dust out of your home is important for more than cosmetic reasons. Most of the dirt, lead and toxins in your home come in on your shoes. So it’s a good idea to leave your shoes at the door and put on house slippers to avoid tracking it inside.

Simple trick: instead of placing your doormat horizontally across the doorstep, place it vertically. More dirt will be scraped off that way.

3. Freshen the air without chemicals.
Using synthetic air sprays and other fresheners is hazardous to your health. These products contain carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, respiratory irritants and other toxins.

Instead, put a box of baking soda in an inconspicuous place in your kitchen and bathroom, buy some fresh flowers, and open a window. Homemade sprays that include distilled water and essential oils are lovely and non-toxic.

I’ve been using a combination of distilled water, pure vanilla extract and sweet orange essential oil to sweeten the air in my kitchen.

Quick tip: Keep your orange or lemon peels and place them in about half a cup of water in a small sauce pan. Throw in a couple of cloves and simmer on your stovetop on low. Makes the whole house smell great!

4. Switch to pure beeswax candles.
Paraffin candles release benzene and toluene, both known carcinogens. As for soy candles, they are still processed with small amounts of paraffin, and most contain artificial fragrances.

Beeswax candles, on the other hand, burn clean, with no black petroleum-based soot. They give off a wonderful warm honey smell.

5. Stop cleaning with poison.
You’d be surprised at how a few inexpensive items you probably have at home can substitute for toxic cleaning products.

For example, a paste made from baking soda, castile soap and a few drops of the essential oil of your choice can clean sinks, counters, tiles and toilets beautifully (a final wash with water removes any baking soda residue).

A little research online or at your bookstore will reveal many aromatic housecleaning formulas that are safe and easy to make. Why not infuse your home with lavender, sweet orange or peppermint, instead of eau de formaldehyde?

6. Use essential oils for cleaning.
Commercial antibacterial products contain triclosan and formaldehyde, which lead to thyroid disruption and inflammation. Oregano oil soap or tea tree oil are great alternatives.

Clove oil is a sweet-smelling, non-chemical way to ditch the bleach and still get rid of mold and mildew.

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7. Filter your water.
There’s a lot we can do proactively to keep toxins out of our homes. One easy step is to purchase and install filters for drinking water taps and showerheads.

EWG’s Tap Water Database can help you identify potential toxins in your community’s drinking water.

In my small town water, it identified seven contaminants above health guideline levels, including arsenic, cadmium and cancer-causing PFOAs. Sure glad I’ve got a water filter on my tap!

But why a shower filter? Because many contaminants in tap water become gases at room temperature. A shower filter can help keep these toxins out of your air.

8. Filter your air.
Vacuum regularly. Those dust bunnies are natural magnets for chemicals. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, and an allergen-capturing dust bag.

Placing a free-standing HEPA air purifier unit in your living room and bedroom will dramatically reduce the dust and airborne toxins you breathe. Be sure to get one large enough for the room and make note of when filters need changing.

Remember to change the filter regularly in the return air vent of your home’s HVAC system.

Little-known tip: Did you know you can also filter the air in your home as it blows through your registers? You can find small filters at most home goods stores that are easy to cut to size. And, they are easy to slip into your floor or ceiling registers. This way the air in your home is filtered as it is pulled into the return air vent, as well as when it blows back out through the registers.

The post 8 ways to rid your home of dust, dirt and toxins this spring appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

After all, having to stay awake when everyone else is sleeping, and sleep when everyone else is awake, plays havoc with your circadian rhythm, which regulates hormones, mood, appetite and a multitude of other processes in the body.

That’s why shift work has been linked to health dangers ranging from heart disease, diabetes and stroke to mind-stealing plaques… and even cancer.

But up until now, we truly didn’t realize how dangerous shift work is for our bodies as a whole — especially if you’re a woman.

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The combination of factors that lead to frailty

Researchers at York University set out to investigate the comprehensive connection between shift work and frailty — which is considered a holistic measure of the risk of disease and death.

Measurements of frailty look at 52 factors that can lower lifespan, like depression, osteoarthritis, history of heart attacks, mobility issues and more.

You’re considered mildly frail if you have at least five factors. If that number goes up to 11, you land in the ‘very frail’ category.

The research included a 48,000 participants whom the researcher followed up with after three years to measure for frailty. Here’s what they found…

• People who had a history of shift work had a higher likelihood of frailty compared to people who only worked daytime hours.
• More than one in four shift workers were found to be mildly frail. And an additional seven percent were very frail.
• For women, the issue was even worse. The results showed that women whose longest job consisted of rotating shift work were especially likely to be considered frail.
• More than 31 percent of female shift workers were mildly frail category.
• And approximately 11 percent of women fell into the very frail category.

According to York professor Heather Edgell, “The circadian rhythm influences your brain’s ability to control your hormones, which can influence your menopause. So, there are a lot of physiological changes that can occur because of shift work.”

An earlier study by these researchers even found that shift work may be linked to delayed menopause.

This could explain why women may face increased health risks from working outside the traditional 9-5 hours than men do.

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Reducing your frailty risks

Clearly, this means that if you can avoid shift work, you’ll be doing your body a favor.

Of course, that’s not always possible.

But there are a few ways to protect yourself if you are stuck with shift work:

• Keep a set schedule rather than rotating to allow your body to adjust
• Get as much light as possible when you’re awake
• Sleep as close to the p.m. hours as you can

It’s also important to add in frailty protection, whether you’re still doing shift work or retired.

You can do this by:

#1 – Getting more vitamin D

Research has shown that low levels of vitamin D may contribute to frailty. This makes taking a quality vitamin D3 supplement and spending time in the sun a frailty-prevention priority.

#2 – Eating a Mediterranean diet

One study found that eating a Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables could help you slash your frailty risk by up to 50 percent.

#3 – Supplementing CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 is essential for charging the cellular mitochondria that serve as the body’s powerhouses. Is it any wonder then that studies have shown that older people with more symptoms or markers of frailty have less CoQ10 in their blood?

Sources:

Women working rotating shifts especially likely to be frail, York study finds – EurekAlert!

The post Frailty: The surprising threat to female shift workers appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Health issues ranging from vision loss and depression to lifestyle factors like drinking too much (or too little alcohol and even your relationship status can impact your risks.

And there’s one more you can add to that list — weak bones.

That’s right…

If your doctor has warned you that you may be experiencing bone loss, osteoporosis and increased fracture risk may not be your only concerns…

The egg, not the chicken

Bone loss and dementia are both issues we’re all more likely to experience with age.

Yet, little has been known about whether there was a connection or not — and if there was, which came first?

So, researchers in the Netherlands set out to follow over 3,600 participants, with an average age of 72, for approximately 11 years — and find out.

While none of the people who volunteered for the study had dementia at the start, by the end of the period, 19 percent were affected.

And sure enough, those who had weaker bones to begin with were far more likely to end up in that unlucky 19.

After adjusting for all other factors like age, sex, medication use and family history, the results showed that people with the lowest total body bone density were a startling 42 percent more likely to develop dementia within 10 years than people with stronger bones.

And as for that question of which came first — the chicken or the egg…

Here’s what study author Mohammad Arfan Ikram, MD, Ph.D. had to say: “Low bone density and dementia are two conditions that commonly affect older people simultaneously, especially as bone loss often increases due to physical inactivity and poor nutrition during dementia. However, little is known about bone loss that occurs in the period leading up to dementia.”

“Our study found that bone loss indeed already occurs before dementia and thus is linked to a higher risk of dementia.”

So, it looks like bone loss is the egg, not the chicken.

To healthy bones

The good news is that much is already known about how to support healthy bones — and as it turns out, a couple of those same factors can pull double duty for your brain too…

Take regular exercise, for example, especially weight bearing. That doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym. Your body is a weight, and walking is one of the best exercises to kick bone loss to the curb. And several years ago, researchers proved that walking 4000 steps a day actually changed the size of the brains in study subjects aged 60 and over.

But probably best known is the dynamic duo calcium and vitamin D for bone health. Calcium is a building block for strong bones, but without adequate vitamin D, the body only absorbs about 10 to 15 percent of dietary calcium. Not getting enough vitamin D is a problem for your brain too…

One of the most dramatic findings came from a 2014 University of Exeter study that included 1,658 older adults. That study found that those with very low vitamin D levels (lower than 25 nmol/L) had a 122 percent higher risk of developing dementia than those with higher levels. They also found that vitamin D deficiency of any kind (severe or moderate) was tied to a 51 percent higher risk of developing dementia.

Although calcium is easy enough to come by in your diet, vitamin D is not so much. Sure, you can find it in fortified foods like cereal. But that form of vitamin D is not as easily absorbed and used by the body. Vitamin D3 is the most bioavailable form of vitamin D, known as cholecalciferol.

A therapeutic dose of 5000 IU helps me keep my levels where they can do me the most good (far from the 42 percent of Americans who are deficient), so I have fewer worries with every passing birthday and bone density test.

Sources:

Is bone health linked to brain health? – ScienceDaily

Calcium and Vitamin D: Important at Every Age  NIH

Vitamin D and dementia: A very close tie – Medscape

The post Bone loss: A significant risk factor for dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But during COVID, children seemed less affected. But younger adults (under 50), that was another story. Of course, certain pre-existing conditions like heart problems or diabetes could set up anyone up for a harsher bout of COVID that could even require hospitalization, but that wasn’t always the case.

But as the pandemic went on, a clear connection between obesity came to the forefront. Adults, young and old alike, who were overweight were experiencing the worst that COVID-19 had to offer.

And while the statistics clearly showed a link between obesity and COVID-19 severity, researchers have been working to get to the bottom of the connection. Up until now, some investigators thought it may be due to excessive inflammation in obese patients.

Cytokines, molecules that set off an inflammatory response that combats infection, were firing… and kept firing. This phenomenon has come to be known as a “cytokine storm.” And it was believed to have caused the death of seemingly healthy, younger people during the pandemic.

However, a new study indicates the opposite may have been true….

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Underactive, not overactive, immune response

“During the pandemic, the majority of younger patients I saw on the COVID wards were obese,” says Professor Menna Clatworthy, a clinician scientist at the University of Cambridge. “Given what we know about obesity, if you’d asked me why this was the case, I would have said that it was most likely due to excessive inflammation. What we found was the absolute opposite.”

Clatworthy and her team analyzed blood and lung tissue samples taken from obese patients with severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation and intensive care treatment, as well as a group of control patients who did not have severe COVID-19 and had not been ventilated.

Contrary to their expectations, the team found that obese patients had underactive immune and inflammatory responses in their lungs.

Specifically, when compared to the control patients, cells in the lining of the obese patients’ lungs and some immune cells had lower levels of activity among genes responsible for producing interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma as well as those responsible for producing tumor necrosis factor. Interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma are two molecules that help control the immune system, while tumor necrosis factor causes inflammation.

The researchers then looked at immune cells in the blood of adults from an independent cohort. Results showed a similar, but less pronounced, reduction in the activity of interferon-producing genes as well as lower levels of interferon-alpha in the blood.

“This was really surprising and unexpected,” Clatworthy says. “Across every cell type we looked at, we found that that the genes responsible for the classical antiviral response were less active. They were completely muted.”

The researchers were able to replicate these findings in nasal immune cells taken from obese children with COVID-19. Because the nose is one of the entry points for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a robust immune response there could keep the infection from spreading further, while a weaker immune response would be less effective against the virus.

“Hunger hormone” could be the link

A surprising explanation for the finding involves the hunger hormone, leptin. Leptin is produced by fat cells and controls appetite. But it turns out leptin also plays a role in the body’s immune response. In individuals of “normal weight,” leptin levels increase in response to infection, and the hormone directly stimulates immune cells.

However, obese people have chronically elevated levels of leptin. And, because of this, Clatworthy says, it’s possible that those with obesity no longer produce sufficient additional leptin in response to infection. It’s also possible those who are obese may have lost their sensitivity to the hormone. Both these possibilities could lead to inadequate stimulation of their immune cells.

These findings could have implications both for the treatment of COVID-19 and the design of clinical trials to test new COVID-19 treatments.

For instance, doctors have been using anti-inflammatory drugs to quell the overactive immune and inflammatory response associated with severe COVID-19 in some patients. However, these drugs may not be appropriate for obese patients.

“What we’ve shown is that not all patients are the same, so we might need to tailor treatments,” says study co-author Dr. Andrew Conway Morris from the University of Cambridge. “Obese subjects might need fewer anti-inflammatory treatments and potentially more help for their immune system.”

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Fighting leptin resistance: for healthy weight and healthy immune response

Clearly, one way of addressing this issue is to treat obesity. But it can be difficult for people who are obese to lose the weight they need to get into a healthier weight range. One reason for this could be the lack of leptin sensitivity the Cambridge researchers cited in their study.

If you’re obese and you find yourself struggling to lose weight, it could very well be leptin resistance that’s blocking your efforts.

Research into leptin resensitization in mice found that dietary interventions, including fasting, energy (caloric) restriction and switching from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet can help. Phenolic compounds, like resveratrol, can also modulate leptin sensitivity.

Additional tips for resetting your leptin sensitivity include:

• Avoiding certain foods. In addition to avoiding high-fat, high-sugar foods, also, try to lower your intake of refined carbohydrates, which can reduce your level of leptin resistance-causing triglycerides.
• Moving your body. It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, it’s just important to do it consistently. Regular exercise will help decrease your leptin resistance and your weight.
• Getting good sleep. Lack of sleep, or a shortage of good quality sleep, can both contribute to leptin resistance.
• Managing stress levels. Too much day-to-day stress can increase your body’s resistance to leptin.
• Giving yourself a cheat day. Once a week, let yourself have that piece of pizza or scoop of ice cream. This can help your brain become more responsive to the leptin your body produces.

One last thing: it’s always a good idea to discuss any major lifestyle changes with your doctor first. They can help you narrow down which areas are most important for you to focus on in your effort to combat obesity.

Sources:

Underactive immune response may explain obesity link to COVID-19 severity — University of Cambridge

Obesity Is Associated with Attenuated Tissue Immunity in COVID-19 — American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Leptin resensitisation: a reversion of leptin-resistant states — Journal of Endocrinoloyg

Obesity Statistics — Forbes Health

The post The link between a hunger hormone, immune response and COVID-19 appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And, because the disease is often silent, up to 9 in 10 patients don’t even realize they have it until it’s severe.

If that weren’t bad enough, over the past four decades, modern medicine has offered only a handful of new options for treating it.

But that may be changing — thanks to the identification of an enzyme “helper” molecule that could be used not only to help develop new treatments, but prevent kidney disease in the first place…

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Protecting the vital role of tubule cells

Metabolic reactions spark energy to carry out specific functions in the human body. Metabolites are like fuel for those reactions. Without these helper molecules, important processes can go awry and often lead to disease conditions.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that using a common supplement to boost one such helper molecule, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD for short), protected mice from kidney dysfunction by protecting the mitochondria of kidney tubule cells.

Mitochondria are responsible for supplying energy to most cells in the body. And similarly, NAD is found in all living cells. Of course, NAD synthesis (like so many things) decreases with age and also quickens aging.

When the researchers were mapping metabolite changes in mouse and human kidneys, they identified differences in levels between healthy and diseased kidneys that were consistent, including a prominent decrease in NAD in diseased kidneys.

So they decided to give mice supplements to see if it would reverse the NAD loss — and it did. That protected the mitochondria in the tubule cells which are used to return filtered nutrients to the body’s bloodstream.

When the mitochondria in those cells are damaged, a pathway causing inflammation and kidney disease development is activated. But NAD supplements suppressed the inflammation,  protected the tubule cell mitochondria and prevented kidney dysfunction in the mice.

When asked what the results of this study could do for the future of kidney disease treatment, co-lead investigator Katalin Susztak, MD, Ph.D., had this to say: “We hope that this research can lead to improved care in the future. So when patients have metabolite changes, they can receive treatment before kidney disorders arise.”

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Boosting the body’s NAD

The research team hopes that their research will lead to further studies into the role of metabolite changes in kidney dysfunction, as well as the development of new pharmaceuticals to prevent and treat kidney disease.

But the supplement that boosted NAD used in this research is already readily available over the counter…

The researchers suggested nicotinamide riboside or nicotinamide mononucleotide — both of which are forms of B3 — and act as precursors to help the body produce the enzyme NAD.

For people at risk of kidney disease, supplementing to support NAD could be key to avoiding it.

If you currently have kidney disease and take medication, it’s a good idea to discuss taking supplements with your prescribing physician.

Sources:

Key mechanism for kidney disease identified – EurekAlert!

Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States – NIH

The post Key player in kidney disease identified (and a supplement that helps) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Almost by definition, depression can cause fatigue and lack of motivation, which in turn can get in the way of making behavioral changes that might help, like exercising regularly.

We’re finding out that the long-standing theory of a serotonin imbalance being the cause of depression is little more than a myth, which is why medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are often of little use.

But there is another way around depression, a natural pathway within our bodies that may hold the key.

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The gut-brain axis: key to mood regulation

We talk about having a “gut  feeling.” Research has shown that this association between our gut and our brain may have crept into our language by way of a biological pathway known as the gut-brain axis.

The gut-brain axis is like a two-way road of nerves that connects the central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord, controlling thought and movement) with our enteric nervous system, a web of nerves that regulates our gastrointestinal tract.

The teeming mass of microbes that make up a healthy gut microbiome play a major role in this connection between brain and gut. They control the production of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that influence the immune system, metabolic functions and even mental health.

Take the bacteria Lactobacillus for example. Many species of this bacteria produce the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays an important role in inhibiting brain activity and controlling unwanted thoughts — which can be a problem in both anxiety and depression.

We know that we can regulate debilitating anxiety by controlling the bacterial environment of our gut. So what about depression?

Probiotic use alters brain neurons to relieve depression

Scientists at the University of Basel have shown that taking probiotics as an add-on therapy resulted in an improvement of depressive symptoms.

The clinical trial involved patient volunteers from the University’s psychiatric clinic who were currently having depressive episodes.

They were randomly assigned to either receive a formulation of live microbes or a placebo for 31 days while continuing to take their antidepressant medications. The study participants nor the study staff knew which patients were taking probiotics or the placebo.

The researchers used a clinical scale to measure depression at the start of the trial (as a baseline) and again upon conclusion.

They found the probiotic group showed fewer depressive symptoms than the placebo group.

But most impressive of all?

Compared with those who took a placebo, brain imaging in those who took probiotics revealed less neural activity in the putamen, a brain area involved in emotional processing and associated with depression.

In other words, adding probiotics to the gut affected actual changes in the brain.

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Be selective when shopping for a probiotic supplement

The makeup of the bacteria in our guts has been linked to high blood pressure and dozens of other conditions, so even if you’re not dealing with anxiety or depression, it’s a good idea to support your gut microbiome.

But just as everyone’s gut is different, all those probiotic supplements you see in your health food store are different, too.

In this particular study, the researchers used a specific formulation of eight strains of bacteria. Some of the strains in the formula were:

• Lactobacillus paracasei     
• Lactobacillus plantarum     
• Lactobacillus acidophilus  
• Bifidobacterium longum     
• Bifidobacterium infantis      
• Bifidobacterium breve        
• Streptococcus thermophilus

Remember, the right foods can also help promote a healthy and balanced gut microbiome as well — especially fermented foods like:

• Yogurt
• Sauerkraut
• Kefir
• Miso
• Kombucha
• Buttermilk
• Cottage cheese

If you’re currently being treated for depression do not stop any medication without consulting with your physician.

Sources:

Neuroimaging Supports Probiotic Add-on Intervention That Improves Patients’ Depressive Symptoms — Neuroscience News

Effects of a probiotic add-on treatment on fronto-limbic brain structure, function, and perfusion in depression: Secondary neuroimaging findings of a randomized controlled trial — Journal of Affective Disorders

What are probiotics? — Web MD

The post Brain imaging shows common supplement’s impact on depression appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Crawling into bed only to be plagued by those tickling, crawling or aching sensations in your legs can make getting a good night’s sleep difficult, to say the least.

Sadly, for far too long, the cause of RLS has been poorly understood, leaving anyone living with the condition to suffer endlessly.

Luckily, there’s hope on the horizon with research showing a crucial link between a common vitamin deficiency and a neurotransmitter that may kick off the restless legs cycle…

Dopamine signaling and legs that just won’t quit

That neurotransmitter is known as dopamine, which is a molecule that is used by your brain to send out specialized messages about motor control and muscle movement.

Dopamine sends an “off signal” that relaxes your leg muscles. But if you don’t have enough of the neurotransmitter in your cells, those “off messages” get lost and your “on light” just keeps shining.

That’s why you feel like you have to move your legs continuously or else suffer all of those creepy crawlies. And, because of this, RLS is believed to be the result of issues in the brain’s dopamine pathways.

So how do those dopamine pathways become compromised due to a vitamin deficiency?

The sunshine vitamin and dopamine

Well, first it’s important to understand that the vitamin we’re talking about here is vitamin D — otherwise known as “the sunshine vitamin.”

And it plays a powerful role in regulating the development and functioning of your brain cells, specifically your dopaminergic neurons.

It also increases the amount of dopamine in the motor cortex of your brain (the area that sends those “I have to move” signals to your legs), which means it could help switch the signal from on to off when you hit the sheets each night.

What the research says about the connection

This is a fact that was backed up by a 2012 study that found that people with decreased vitamin D levels suffered from increased RLS severity.

And the evidence stacked up further with 2014 research that discovered that taking vitamin D supplements significantly improved RLS symptoms.

Now, there was one study in 2018 that was unable to show improvement in RLS symptoms with vitamin D supplementation. However, even the researchers who performed the study said they felt the results would have been much different if they had given participants higher levels of the vitamin or provided supplementation for a longer period.

Fast forward to research from December 2021 and the vitamin D connection to RLS seems cut and dry…

That’s because when researchers examined patients with RLS that were treated in the Department of Neurology at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2019 to October 2020 and compared them to a control group, they saw:

• Serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower in patients with RLS than in the healthy control group.
• The incidence of insufficient serum vitamin D levels was significantly higher in patients with RLS than in the healthy control group.
• The serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower in (extremely) severe patients with RLS than in mild to moderate patients with RLS.

All of this led these researchers to conclude that “The serum VitD level is generally lower in patients with RLS than in healthy people, and lower serum VitD level is associated with more severe symptoms of RLS, worse quality of sleep, and worse depression.”

Upping your vitamin D levels to up your sleep levels

So if RLS is keeping you up at night, increasing your vitamin D levels to support your brain’s dopamine pathways could help you find the relief you’d given up on.

Easy ways to raise your D levels include:

• Taking a D3 supplement – 5,000 IUs of vitamin D is a therapeutic amount to raise low levels.
• Spending more time outside – Your body naturally makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the UV rays of the sun, so getting out into the bright morning sunshine can help.
• Eating vitamin D-rich foods – Certain foods like cold-water fish, mushrooms and eggs can help raise your blood levels of vitamin D.

Restless Legs Syndrome is beyond frustrating. But there is relief in sight when you take steps to combat vitamin D deficiency.

Sources:

Is There a Link Between Vitamin D and Restless Legs Syndrome? – Restless Legs Syndrome A Sleep-Disorders.net community

Analysis of Serum Vitamin D Level and Related Factors in Patients With Restless Legs Syndrome—Frontiers in Neurology

The post The vitamin deficiency behind restless legs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Studies have shown omega-3s help lower triglyceride levels and reduce risks for stroke and heart attack. In fact, the FDA has acknowledged that two of the three primary components of omega-3s — docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) — may reduce the risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease.

But that’s far from all omega-3s can do. After much debate on their brain health benefits, the final answer is in: Omega-3s help protect against Alzheimer’s… as long as you take a high enough dose.

And many of us — especially those with arthritis — swear by it for pain relief.

EPA converts into prostaglandins, which are essential to cardiovascular health, but also help conditions tied to inflammation, like some allergies and pain. Interestingly, EPA has been known to reduce neuropathy.

However, the science behind why it relieves pain hasn’t been completely understood — until now…

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How EPA essentially blocks chronic pain

Sometimes the body experiences neurological, metabolic and immunological disruptions that emit a pain signal. When this happens, a form of cellular signaling known as “purinergic” chemical transmission leads to the binding of energy carriers like adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to “purinoreceptors.” This causes and exacerbates the perception of neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

The ATP-purinoreceptor binding is mediated by a vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT), which then becomes the key molecule in setting off purinergic signaling.

Researchers at Okayama University theorized that EPA targets VNUT, blocking the chemical transmission and reducing pain perception.

They decided to test this hypothesis both in vitro using human-derived VNUT, and in vivo using a wild-type mouse model and one that’s deficient in VNUT.

“We found that low concentrations of EPA completely and reversibly inhibited the release of ATP from neurons, without inhibiting the release of other neurotransmitters,” says research professor Takaaki Miyaji of Okayama University. “Compared with other drugs, EPA demonstrated a higher analgesic effect and fewer side effects.”

The research opens up several avenues not just for exploration in treating neuropathic pain and its associated insulin resistance, but the analgesic effects of EPA can further extend to chronic pain associated with several other conditions like chemotherapy, diabetes, rheumatism, gout, sciatic nerve ligation and inflammation.

Additionally, purinergic chemical transmission is also associated with a variety of conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and depression, for which EPA can be explored as a therapeutic strategy.

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Best sources of Omega-3s to get plenty of EPA

Omega-3s, including both DHA and EPA, are “essential” because the human body cannot make them on its own. This is why we need to eat certain foods or take supplements to obtain omega-3s for health support.

These omega-3s are abundant in fish oil capsules, oily fish like salmon, sardines, cod liver, herring, mackerel and halibut. It’s also found in hemp and linseed oils and some algae like spirulina.

Krill oil is also an excellent source of omega-3s. Some studies indicated that the fatty acids in krill oil are more easily absorbed. A 4-week study found taking krill oil versus fish oil resulted in higher levels of both EPA and DHA in the bloodstream.

In addition, many food suppliers now include algae and/or flaxseed in the diet of their hens to produce an egg that is rich in omega-3s. These omega-3-enriched eggs provide 20 percent of the recommended amounts of ALA and 25 percent of EPA and DHA.

As for what dosage of EPA to take every day, many studies have demonstrated 500 mg of EPA and DHA as being safe and effective for boosting omega-3 levels in the blood. For reference, one gram of fish oil gives you around 300 mg of combined EPA and DHA.

Sources:

Elucidating the Molecular Targets of “Eicosapentaenoic Acid”: A Natural Remedy for Chronic Pain — Okayama University

Vesicular nucleotide transporter is a molecular target of eicosapentaenoic acid for neuropathic and inflammatory pain treatment — PNAS

FDA Announces New Qualified Health Claims for EPA and DHA Omega-3 Consumption and the Risk of Hypertension and Coronary Heart Disease — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

4 Fish Oil Facts to Help Ease Joint Pain — UPMC Health Beat

The post The omega-3 fatty acid that essentially blocks pain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could stop this from happening? While we can’t halt the inevitable march of time, research has revealed a few ways to at least slow the aging process…

Exercise can definitely help, as can getting enough sleep, quitting smoking and managing your stress load. So can the right diet.

But by far the most convincing evidence for slowing aging has come from calorie restriction.

For years, studies involving fruit flies, worms and even mice have shown calorie restriction — with proper nutrition — seems to extend lifespan and delay the onset of age-related disorders by reducing what is called reactive oxygen species in the body.

And now, drum roll please, they’ve finally gone a done it…

An international team of researchers led by Columbia University conducted the CALERIE study — which stands for Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy — the first-ever investigation into the effects of long-term calorie restriction… in humans.

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Slowing the pace of human aging

They chose 220 healthy and non-obese clinical trial participants who were randomly assigned to a 25 percent calorie-restricted diet or a normal diet for two years.

To measure their biological aging, researchers analyzed the participants’ blood samples at the start of the trial, then again at 12 months and 24 months. Specifically, they looked at chemical tags on each participant’s DNA sequence that are known to change with aging, measurements that are sometimes referred to as “epigenetic clocks.”

The researchers focused on three such measurements. The first two are the PhenoAge and GrimAge epigenetic clocks, which estimate the chronological age at which a person’s biology would appear normal. The third, DunedinPACE, estimates the pace at which biological deterioration, or aging, occurs over time.

The researchers say to think of the first two measurements as “odometers” that give a static measure of how much “aging mileage” a person has experienced. The third measurement is more like a “speedometer” that shows how fast the aging process is going — and this is the measurement that related most to slowing aging.

In fact, the effect of the calorie restriction intervention on DunedinPACE represented a 2 to 3 percent slowing in the pace of aging. This translates to a 10 to 15 percent reduction in mortality risk, which is similar to the impact of quitting smoking.

“In contrast to the results for DunedinPace, there were no effects of intervention on other epigenetic clocks,” notes Dr. Calen Ryan, a research scientist at Columbia’s Butler Aging Center and co-lead author of the study. “The difference in results suggests that dynamic ‘pace of aging’ measures like DunedinPACE may be more sensitive to the effects of intervention than measures of static biological age.”

There is an ongoing follow-up of trial participants to determine if the calorie restriction intervention had long-term effects on healthy aging. In other studies, a slower DunedinPACE has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, disability and dementia.

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Simplifying calorie restriction

Ryan cautions that calorie restriction may not be for everyone.

Most of the CALERIE participants couldn’t attain the full 25 percent restriction goal but still saw considerable weight loss, changes in body composition and age-associated physiological alterations.

“Our findings are important because they provide evidence from a randomized trial that slowing human aging may be possible,” he says. “They also give us a sense of the kinds of effects we might look for in trials of interventions that could appeal to more people, like intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating.”

But if you want to give calorie restriction a try but are feeling intimidated, it’s probably best to start slow. Pick one day a week and cut back your calorie intake just by 500 calories. If you can handle that two days a week, give it a go for a couple of weeks and decide if you want to try it for 3 days.

Then if you want to take your calorie-restricting efforts up a notch, try a fast-mimicking diet. This eating plan specifically reduces your calorie intake while proportioning your protein, fat and carbohydrate consumption in a very specific way that mimics the effects of a 5-day water fast.

Obviously, there’s nothing easy about slowing aging this way. You may also want to consider supplements that have been studied for their effects on aging processes…

•  Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), is an antioxidant naturally occurring in the body that’s important to mitochondrial function. According to research, CoQ10 can revive ailing mitochondria, restore lost function and slow the aging process. Since CoQ10 levels decline with age, taking a CoQ10 supplement can help.

• Researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Brighton have delved into the aging process and found that the antioxidant resveratrol can make old cells act like younger cells.

• And lastly, another powerful antioxidant, astaxanthin gives the body’s aging processes quite a challenge, in part because of its powerful impacts on the body’s most vital systems and organs.

Sources:

Calorie Restriction Slows Pace of Aging in Healthy Adults — Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

Effect of Long-Term Caloric Restriction on DNA Methylation Measures of Biological Aging in Healthy Adults: CALERIE Trial Analysis — Nature Aging

Aging: What to expect — Mayo Clinic

The post ‘First of its kind’ study: Restricting calories slows pace of aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

When scientists at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University analyzed the natural substances in blueberries, they found that a compound called pterostilbene in blueberries pumps up the immune protection offered by vitamin D.

Their analysis shows that when you eat blueberries, pterostilbene may work in tandem with vitamin D to increase the action of a disease-fighting entity called cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP gene) that helps the immune system fight off disease.

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The resveratrol in grapes was found to have a similar effect.

“Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out,” says researcher Adrian Gombart. “Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It’s a pretty interesting interaction.”

Scientists are also studying the CAMP gene. It plays an important role in what is called the innate immune system. This system forms the body’s first line of defense against infections caused by bacteria.

More reasons to enjoy more blueberries

Blueberry juice supports brain health and memory. In study participants between the ages of 65 and 70, researchers found that drinking two tablespoons of blueberry juice daily (the equivalent of one and a half cups of berries) improved cognition scores by 40 percent and memory scores by 30 percent.

MRI scans of those who drank the juice also had increased gray matter activity and improved blood flow to the brain!

Considering the ties between vitamin D and dementia are growing stronger, this is a win-win for this special combo.

Blueberries promote healthy blood pressure. A team of researchers from King’s College in London found that drinking 200g (almost a cup) of blueberries every day for four weeks led to decreased systolic blood pressure. In fact, drinking blueberry juice lowered blood pressure by 5mm Hg, comparable to what’s expected from using blood pressure medication. Supplementing vitamin D reduces systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure in people with both vitamin D deficiency and hypertension

Overeating? Berries can put you back in control. This may be because berries are of full fiber, particularly soluble fiber. Research shows that soluble fiber causes food to move through your digestive tract slower. This makes you feel full for longer. In fact, one study found that eating twice as much fiber can cause you to lower your calorie intake by 130 calories per day. And if you need an edge to maintain a healthy weight, keep your vitamin D levels up.

Blueberries lower blood sugar. Researchers at Louisiana State University System’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that two blueberry smoothies a day helped improve insulin sensitivity in obese, insulin-resistant people. The researchers credited the berries’ high content of phytochemicals, particularly anthocyanins — powerful antioxidants that give blue and purple foods their color. Vitamin D has also been found to help push back against prediabetes.

The post To make vitamin D work better, eat this superfruit appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Or at least, that’s what the mainstream wants you to believe. That’s why, if it were up to them, everyone would be taking statins as if they were vitamins or something.

Unfortunately, there are two very big problems with just whipping out that prescription pad.

The first is that these drugs come with some major side effects, ranging from milder symptoms like headache, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, muscle aches and pains, nausea and constipation — to even more severe problems, including memory loss, confusion, high blood sugar and extreme muscle inflammation that can lead to kidney failure.

If that list of side effects wasn’t bad enough on its own, there’s the fact that you may not even need those drugs in the first place…

You see, your high cholesterol could actually be the result of a completely different health problem.

Yet, if you get this health problem under control, your high cholesterol may be a thing of the past, all without those prescription drugs and their scary side effects.

High cholesterol — a thyroid problem in disguise

According to the American Thyroid Association, an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Up to 60 percent of these people are completely unaware of their condition. And, women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems.

Despite these figures, while most people’s yearly blood work at their doctor’s office includes a check on their cholesterol levels, many never receive a full thyroid screening.

This means that while you’re often aware that you have a cholesterol problem, you have no idea that your thyroid function is compromised. And, it just might be at the root of your other health issues.

The reason that an underactive thyroid could be behind your high cholesterol is because it is the gland responsible for producing the hormones that control your metabolism. If your thyroid gland slows, your metabolism slows with it.

This slowing metabolism results in your body being unable to clear out the extra cholesterol in your bloodstream. Instead, the cholesterol is deposited in your arteries and around your heart, increasing your risk for heart disease.

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Even the Mayo Clinic has said, “Hypothyroidism may also be associated with an increased risk of heart disease, primarily because high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, can occur in people with an underactive thyroid. It is not unusual that when low thyroid function is addressed, (high) cholesterol will often return to normal levels.”

With this known connection, you would think it would be standard practice for anyone with high cholesterol to have a full panel of blood work performed to check on thyroid function, especially in women, who are much more likely to suffer from thyroid problems.

However, for most patients even with a diagnosis of high cholesterol, they are still not screened for an underlying thyroid condition. This leaves them to suffer for years, not only from the effects of high cholesterol itself and the side effects of the prescription drugs they’ve been given for it, but also from all of the other symptoms a low thyroid can present, including:

• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Dry skin
• Brittle hair
• Cold hands and feet
• Hoarse voice
• Depression
• Muscle aches and pain
• Joint pain
• Poor memory

How to find out if a thyroid problem is causing your high cholesterol

If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol and suffer from any of the symptoms listed above, your thyroid may be behind your cholesterol problems.

Ask your doctor to run a comprehensive thyroid panel to check your thyroid function.  Just checking your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level is not enough.

You need to request a full blood panel that includes your TSH, total T4, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, Thyroglobulin antibody (ATA), and Thyroid Peroxidase antibody (TPO) to check for underlying conditions that could be damaging your thyroid function.

You can’t always rely on your doctor to know and run the tests you need. As my colleague Jedha Dening recently shared, doctors don’t always listen, especially to women. So be your own advocate and request the exams yourself.

You should also consider the importance of iodine on the health of your thyroid.

Source:
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

The post The sneaky gland causing cholesterol problems appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Diabetes can affect many parts of the body and is associated with serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-limb amputation, among other conditions.

Exercise and diet are your main weapons against becoming a diabetes statistic.

But aside from avoiding sugar and processed foods and “eating healthy,” there’s an important trace mineral that can further swing the odds in your favor…

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Manganese for regulating blood sugar

Manganese is a trace mineral, one that your body only needs in small amounts. But without it, your body is in trouble.

To illustrate this point, iron is also considered a trace mineral, and we know that iron deficiency results in anemia.

Manganese is heavily concentrated in the pancreas and is involved in the production of insulin.

A person with insufficient manganese will have impaired glucose tolerance. In other words, blood glucose is raised beyond normal levels, but not high enough to warrant a diabetes diagnosis… yet.

That’s called prediabetes, and in addition to making you ripe for a diabetes diagnosis sooner than later, it carries serious risks of its own.

Research links insufficient manganese with diabetes risk

According to previous research published in Diabetes Care, a higher intake of manganese is associated with a lower type 2 diabetes risk among postmenopausal women.

Jung Ho Gong, an undergraduate research assistant at Brown University, looked at 84,285 postmenopausal women who had taken part in the observational study portion of the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term national health study.

He evaluated the association between manganese intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes and found that those in the highest 20 percent for manganese intake had a 30 percent lower risk than those in the lowest 20 percent.

Related: The diabetes ‘spice’ that beat metformin

And additional research supports these findings…

A 2014 study based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNAHNES) had previously shown a connection between manganese and reduced risk of diabetes.

This study measured the blood manganese levels of 3,996 participants and evaluated them for the presence of diabetes and four other chronic diseases.

Blood manganese levels were significantly lower in subjects with diabetes. This suggested to the researchers that manganese played a role in maintaining a steady glucose level.

This isn’t surprising since manganese helps the body metabolize fats and carbohydrates, a process that must run well to regulate blood sugar.

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Other ways manganese is important for your body

Having sufficient manganese in your diet protects you from more than diabetes. In fact, it’s…

• essential for bone strength and the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures.
• a vasodilator, so it promotes healthy blood flow.
• involved in the digestion of proteins and amino acids.
• important in the production of thyroxine, the main thyroid hormone that controls how much energy the body uses (when it doesn’t function well, you have low energy associated with low thyroid).

But just how much manganese do you need to consume to benefit?

According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the adequate daily intake for manganese is 2.3 milligrams in adult men and 1.8 milligrams in adult women. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for manganese is 11 milligrams per day. Manganese can become toxic in higher doses, don’t go over that amount.

Good food sources of manganese include:

• Shellfish
• Nuts, especially almonds and pecans
• Beans and legumes such as lima and pinto beans
• Oatmeal and bran cereals
• Whole wheat bread
• Brown rice
• Spinach
• Pineapple
• Dark chocolate
• Sweet potatoes

Also, manganese is a part of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the most important antioxidants in your body. It works to prevent disease by fighting free radicals.

So, getting those manganese-rich foods into your diet may not only keep diabetes away, but it can keep your immune system strong. That’s something we all want and need right now!

Sources:

1. Higher manganese intake may be tied to lower type 2 diabetes risk — Medical Xpress
2. 10 Evidence-Based Benefits of Manganese — Healthline
3. Diabetes Statistics — Diabetes Research Institue Foundation
4. Statistics About Diabetes — American Diabetes Association
5. Welcome to the Women’s Health Initiative — Women’s Health Initiative

The post Is this trace mineral behind your blood sugar problems? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a serious disease that can cause blindness, foot amputation, nerve damage and kidney problems, to name a few of the possible long-term effects.

And even though diabetes doesn’t just appear out of thin air, it can sneak up on you…

Approximately 1 in 3 American adults have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but have not crossed the threshold for diabetes yet.

Unfortunately, most people in this stage don’t know the warning signs of prediabetes, that it carries a serious threat for heart damage or that it’s a critical point for stopping the trajectory to type 2 diabetes.

Physicians will advise keeping weight, blood sugar and cholesterol levels healthy through diet and exercise to avoid prediabetes.

But if you still find yourself in prediabetes limbo, you could benefit from extra help — like taking a common vitamin found to slash the risk of progression to full-blown diabetes…

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Vitamin D could save millions from a diabetes diagnosis

Vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin, is best known for powerful immune support. Few of us realize it also has important roles in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. In fact, previous research has associated low blood levels of vitamin D with a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Researchers from Tufts Medical Center conducted a review and meta-analysis (they combined the statistical results) of three clinical trials comparing the impact of vitamin D supplements on diabetes risk for adults with prediabetes.

Over a three-year follow-up period, they saw that supplementing vitamin D was associated with a 15 percent decreased likelihood for developing type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes.

Given the fact that more than 374 million adults worldwide have prediabetes, the authors used their findings to deduce that vitamin D supplementation could delay the development of diabetes in more than ten million people.

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Vitamin D helps take down risk factors

If you know a little more about vitamin D’s association with other risk factors that are known to contribute to the development of diabetes, there’s no mystery about why D is the anti-diabetes vitamin…

Take obesity, considered one of the top risk factors. People who are low in vitamin D are also more likely to be obese. But worse, a study from Spain has shown that lacking vitamin D expands your chances of developing diabetes even more than being overweight.

Another study found that people with vitamin D blood levels of 50 ng/mL (considered adequate) were five times less likely to develop diabetes than those with 20ng/mL. The lead author of that study, Dr. Cedric Garland, believes rather than focusing solely on obesity and sugar and fat intake, we should be focusing on vitamin D levels.

Per the good folks at Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health, the RDA for vitamin D provides the daily amount needed to just maintain healthy bones and normal calcium metabolism in healthy people. That means 600 to 800 IU a day likely won’t turn prediabetes around.

The Institute of Medicine increased the upper limit of vitamin D to 4000 IU a day for adults, but other experts recommend a therapeutic daily dose of 5000 IU. Because of a growing body of research that’s finding vitamin D is not a one-size-fits-all vitamin, some have also suggested that dosage be based on BMI.

If you’re unsure what your vitamin D levels are, your doctor can test them. He’d also best know of any conditions or medications that could lower your levels or potential interactions.

Sources:

Vitamin D supplementation may lower diabetes risk for the more than 10 million adults with prediabetes — Eureka Alert

Vitamin D and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in People With Prediabetes — Annals of Internal Medicine

Time out: should vitamin D dosing be based on patient’s body mass index (BMI): a prospective controlled study — Cambridge University Press

The post The vitamin that could turn prediabetes around appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And supplements appear to be among the top contenders…

Take omega-3s. Several studies have found these fish oil nutrients improve memory function, boost brain volume and help clear plaques from the brain. At first, experts were skeptical until they finally realized dosage matters, since most omega-3s don’t make it to the brain.

Then there’s niacin, which belongs to the family of  B vitamins. More than a decade ago, researchers found that people with the lowest food intake of niacin were 80 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than those with the highest.

But vitamin D’s relationship with brain health may have the most research and most clout. In fact, a search of medical databases will pull thousands of hits on this dementia repellent. So why do researchers keep going back for more? If there could be a magic pill, vitamin D may be the closest we ever get…

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More research shows vitamin D adds dementia-free years

The latest, a study from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute, has found that taking vitamin D is associated with more dementia-free years of life.

These findings were drawn from over 12,388 participants in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (part of the National Institute on Aging), a national database of standardized clinical research data.

The study also found that a group of people who took vitamin D supplements had 40 percent fewer dementia diagnoses than those who did not take the supplements.

However, if you are genetically predisposed, the level of benefit may not be as high…

The APOEe4 gene is connected with a higher-than-average risk for Alzheimer’s disease. This study found that those who did not carry this gene saw “significantly greater” benefits from taking vitamin D (the reason for this is not fully understood).

They also saw that women appeared to benefit more than men. I wonder if that is because up to two-thirds of people with dementia are women.

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An important note about vitamin D

Professor Zahinoor Ismail of the University of Calgary, lead author of the study, says, “Our findings give key insights into groups who might be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation. Overall, we found evidence to suggest that earlier supplementation might be particularly beneficial, before the onset of cognitive decline.”

So if you’re not already supplementing with vitamin D, there’s no better time than now to start. But you should know that vitamin D is not a one-size-fits-all nutrient…

We’ve known for some time that weight is a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency. In other words, people who are overweight are as much as 23 percent more likely to be deficient.

A recent study also found that something different is happening with vitamin D metabolism at higher body weights that diminishes the vitamin’s benefits.

That means it’s important to do two things:

1. Maintain a BMI under 40 in order to ensure your body is using vitamin D to its fullest efficacy;
2. Supplement adequately. The current RDA of 600 to 800 IU for vitamin D is considered woefully insufficient by many experts by a factor of ten. You can read more about that here and why 5000 IU daily is considered a safe therapeutic dose for adults.

Also, to help vitamin D work even harder for you, pair it with this superfruit.

Sources:

Taking vitamin D could help prevent dementia, study finds — Eureka Alert

Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia: Effects of sex, APOE, and baseline cognitive status — Alzheimer’s Association

Low levels of vitamin D in the brain linked to increased dementia risk — Medical News Today

About NACC — National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

The post The ties between vitamin D and dementia thicken appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because as estrogen levels go down, a woman’s chances of osteoporosis go up.

Is it any wonder then that one in two women over the age of 50 will suffer a fracture due to declining bone mineral density, or that 80 percent of the approximately 10 million Americans living with osteoporosis are women?

This means that as women, we have to be particularly aware of things that can make our bones more brittle — some of which can be surprising.

 And according to research from the Women’s Health Initiative Study, one of the most surprising and dangerous might just be air pollution…

Breathing in bone damage

The research followed over 9,000 post-menopausal women through almost 33,000 doctor’s visits. Each woman’s exposure to air pollutants was estimated based on where they lived and then compared to their bone mineral density over a period of six years.

Advanced models were used to investigate the impact of four common air pollutants from a family of gases that form when fuel is burned at high temperatures — exactly what you find emitting from automobiles, trucks and even construction equipment and boats.

And sure enough…

The results clearly showed that long-term exposure to air pollution could take a woman’s bones from strong and healthy to weak, brittle and osteoporotic.

Unfortunately, post-menopausal women living in areas with high levels of air pollutants suffered the highest levels of bone loss.

While the research didn’t reveal exactly how these pollutants eat away at healthy bones, the investigators believe it likely has to do with inflammation and oxidative stress. That’s not especially surprising given that exposure to air pollutants has been linked to these same destructive processes in other studies.

Preserving your bone health now and post-menopause

So how can you keep your bones strong when even the air around you could be turning them brittle with every breath?

Of course, I firmly believe vitamin D is essential to bone health (and so much more). And, as I’ve said before, most people’s blood levels show they are deficient in this valuable nutrient.

But air pollution is a different kind of ever-present threat. To reduce the silent damage it’s doing with every breath we take, we have to go after the two ways it appears to eat away at our bones…

That means combatting the inflammation and oxidative stress we just talked about.

For that, there are two options at the top of my list…

• Omega-3’s – The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are powerful inflammation fighters. But one source of omega-3s, krill oil, also offers high levels of the powerful antioxidant, astaxanthin, which can also provide protection from oxidative stress. That makes krill oil a two-in-one for inflammation and oxidative stress.
• Exercise – Physical activity helps to render inflammatory molecules powerless to keep inflammation from destroying the tissues of your body. And we know exercise, especially weight-bearing, strengthens bones. A side benefit of taking omega-3s when exercising? Doubling your muscle strength which can help guard against a vicious cycle of bone loss, muscle loss and weight gain that happens often around menopause and post-menopause.

Sadly, every day we’re learning more about how air pollution can drag our health down. It’s easy to feel powerless against it. But the truth is, you can still fight back.

Sources:

Air pollution and decreased bone mineral density among Women’s Health Initiative participants – eClinicalMedicine

Vitamin D – Mayo Clinic

Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation and oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials – NIH

The post Breaking the link between air pollution and osteoporosis appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We’re not just talking about canned or frozen foods that have been minimally altered by removal of inedible parts, drying, crushing, roasting, boiling, freezing or pasteurization, to make them safe to store and eat later.

Ultra-processed foods are made up from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars and hydrogenated fats. They’re filled with additives we can’t pronounce, including emulsifiers that make them artificially smooth and creamy, not to mention artificial colors, flavors and stabilizers.

It wasn’t too long ago that I wrote here about the strong correlation between these foods and both obesity and cancer.

But if you need another reason to avoid this fake food, here’s some news about what it does to your ability to control overeating…

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Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Astrocytes are star-shaped cells in the brain that express receptors for hormones and metabolic factors — including ghrelin, which signals hunger, and its counterpart, leptin, which signals fullness.

In tests on rats, scientists found that after longer periods of being fed a diet high in fat and calories, the signaling pathway between the brain and the gut apparently gets disrupted, no longer regulating calorie consumption.

“Over time, astrocytes seem to desensitize to the high-fat food,” says Kirsteen Browning, a professor of neural and behavioral science at Penn State College of Medicine.

“We have yet to find out whether the loss of astrocyte activity and the signaling mechanism is the cause of overeating or that it occurs in response to the overeating”

But they did find out how much ultra-processed food it would take before the astrocyte signaling pathway malfunctioned…

They found that only 10 to 14 days on an ultra-processed diet was enough to make astrocytes lose their ability to regulate calorie intake.

Not only that, but this also disrupts signaling to the stomach and delays how the stomach empties.

As mentioned above, we still aren’t sure whether eating too much fat makes astrocytes stop regulating intake, or whether astrocytes stop functioning and cause overeating.

Either way, it appears that about a week of frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets and other ultra-processed favorites seems to be enough to convince your brain that it should just keep eating more of the stuff.

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Gaining control back

Regardless of whether too much fat from processed foods or an astrocyte dysfunction is to blame, ultimately the brain’s ability to regulate hunger hormones becomes dismantled.

Leptin is made by fat cells. The more body fat someone has, the more leptin they have in their bloodstream. So you’d think the signals would come through loud and clear to stop taking in more calories.

But according to obesity expert Mary Dallman, Ph.D., from the University of California at San Francisco, obese people may build up resistance to the appetite-suppressing effects of leptin.

It likely starts when the astrocytes, as the current study has shown, become desensitized.

If you think about it, this is similar to what happens in the case of insulin resistance. With every spike in blood sugar, the pancreas pumps out more insulin to convert that to energy and get it into cells. But when sugar spike after sugar spike keeps coming, the cells stop responding — becoming resistant to all the insulin the pancreas is releasing to keep up.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about how to stop dieting and eat more to live better. And it sounds like that could be the best way to avoid the destruction of our hunger hormones by ultra-processed food. The secret starts, of course with ditching the ultra-processed foods and eating the right stuff. Read how, here.

Sources:

Why a high fat diet could reduce the brain’s ability to regulate food intake The Physiological Society

High-Fat Diets May Break The Brain’s Ability to Regulate Calories Science Alert

The post How ultra-processed foods destroy your hunger hormones appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

At least one team of international physician-researchers emphasized the role of good nutrition in shoring up the immune system.

They recommended getting the following nutrients every day, whether through diet or supplementation:

• Vitamin C, which helps immune cells grow and plays an important role in antibody production.
• Vitamin D, which helps regulate the immune system and may cut the risk of developing a respiratory infection by nearly half.
• Zinc, which has proven antiviral properties.
• DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps prevent disease by reducing inflammation and improving the function of B cells that produce antibodies.

Then there was the open letter from an international group of 120+ respected scientists and researchers that called on “all governments, doctors and health care workers — worldwide — to immediately recommend and implement efforts appropriate to their adult populations to increase vitamin D, at least until the end of the pandemic.”

Now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us, you and a lot of other people may be wondering what was ultimately decided. Does vitamin D have exceptional clout or not?

Researchers in Italy took a conclusive look back at the vitamin that stole the spotlight during our darkest time, and here’s what they had to say…

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Vitamin D’s ‘protective effect’ stands out

The research team from Italy conducted a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) of five existing trials of vitamin D in COVID-19 patients. In other words, they did their homework…

A TSA is a method where scientists take what they gathered from a meta-analysis (the results of multiple studies), weigh any potential errors and estimate when the effect is large enough to be unaffected by further studies.

They confirmed a few things first:

• Vitamin D was already shown to protect against respiratory issues prior to the pandemic.
• Various studies conducted before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic showed that patients who received vitamin D supplements had a lower risk of acute respiratory infections and a shorter duration of symptoms. This was true among patients taking between 400 and 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily for up to a year.

Then they reinforced a definite correlation between taking vitamin D supplements and less severe outcomes for COVID patients…

• Recent data have suggested a protective role of vitamin D in COVID-19-related health outcomes.
• Vitamin D administration results in a decreased risk of death and ICU admission.
• The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D and ICU admission showed that, since the pooling of the studies reached a definite sample size, the positive association is conclusive.

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No official support — yet

With all this mounting evidence, you would think government health agencies would finally get off the fence and start advising the use of vitamin D as part of a COVID-19 mitigation strategy.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The most recent statement from the U.S. National Institutes of Health insists there’s still insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the use of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

It’s a mystery why they’re dragging their feet on this. But what is clear is that keeping your vitamin D levels up is something you don’t need a government agency to sanction.

It’s not easy to maintain optimal vitamin D levels. We often don’t get enough sun exposure for the body to make its own vitamin D. And it can be even harder to produce and maintain vitamin D if you have a health condition like chronic kidney or liver disease, obesity, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease or osteoporosis, among others.

If you supplement, make sure you’re getting vitamin D3. Research published in 2022 in Frontiers of Immunology found key differences in vitamin D3 and D2…

According to Professor Susan Lanham-New, co-author of that study, “We have shown that vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the type I interferon signaling system in the body — a key part of the immune system that provides a first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining a foothold in the body.”

She went on to add that D2 did not have the same effect and that D3 should be the favored form for fortified foods and supplements.

Also, when supplementing be sure to follow serving recommendations.

Sources:

New study finds vitamin D lowers risk of death among Covid patients – ‘protective effect’ — Express

Protective Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19-Related Intensive Care Hospitalization and Mortality: Definitive Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis — Pharmaceuticals

COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines: Vitamin D — National Institutes of Health

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