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A Systemic Review of the Roles of n-3 Fatty Acids in Health and Disease. Riediger ND, Othman RA, Suh M, Moghadasian MH. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Apr;109(4):668-79. PMID: 19328262 doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.12.022

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a gene that plays a critical regulatory role in the process of converting dietary carbohydrates to fat. In a new study, they disabled this gene in mice, which consequently had lower levels of body fat than their normal counterparts, despite being fed the equivalent of an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet. The authors of the study, to be published in the March 20 issue of the journal Cell, say the gene, called DNA-PK, could potentially play a role in the prevention of obesity related to the over-consumption of high-carbohydrate foods, such as pasta, rice, soda and sugary snacks.

Vitamin K has been known as the coagulation vitamin, because of its role in the blood-clotting process. However, research over the last few decades has shown that the role of K Vitamins - and natural Vitamin K2, the menaquinones, in particular - has been greatly expanded. Of note, K Vitamins activity outside the liver is required for calcium utilization, the key factor in maintaining both bone and cardiovascular health.\n\nVitamin K2 helps to activate vitamin K-dependent proteins responsible for healthy tissues. In bone, it activates osteocalcin, a protein required to bind calcium to the mineral matrix, thus strengthening the skeleton. In circulation, Vitamin K2 participates in carboxylation of Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), the most potent inhibitor of arterial calcification known, lowering the risk of vascular damage.

Vitamin d and its role in cancer and immunity: a prescription for sunlight. Mullin GE, Dobs A. Nutr Clin Pract. 2007 Jun;22(3):305-22. Review. PMID: 17507731 (free full text PDF available)

Omega-3 fatty acids: a comprehensive review of their role in health and disease. Yashodhara BM, Umakanth S, Pappachan JM, Bhat SK, Kamath R, Choo BH. Postgrad Med J. 2009 Feb;85(1000):84-90. PMID: 19329703 doi:10.1136/pgmj.2008.073338

Pittas AG, Lau J, Hu FB, Dawson-Hughes B. \nThe role of vitamin D and calcium in type 2 diabetes. A systematic review and meta-analysis.\nJ Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jun;92(6):2017-29. Epub 2007 Mar 27. Review.\nPMID: 17389701 [PubMed - indexed for MEDL

Woo TC, Choo R, Jamieson M, Chander S, Vieth R. Pilot study: potential role of vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) in patients with PSA relapse after definitive therapy.Nutr Cancer. 2005;51(1):32-6.PMID: 15749627 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

(NaturalNews) 30 years ago the famous Nobel laureate Linus Pauling said that vitamin C supplements can prevent cancer, a highly controversial statement at the time. Now a team of Johns Hopkins scientists have shown that vitamin C stops the growth of some tumors in mice. The Study The study was lead by Chi Dang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and oncology and Johns Hopkins Family Professor in Oncology Research. Their work is detailed in Cancer Cell, Volume 12, Issue 3, 230-238, 11 September, 2007. They found that the antioxidants' actual role may be to destabilize a tumor's ability to grow under conditions where there isn't enough oxygen to feed it. The conventional belief is that vitamin C helps prevent cancer growth by grabbing up volatile oxygen free radical molecules and preventing the damage they do to our DNA. "The potential anticancer benefits of antioxidants have been the driving force for many clinical and preclinical studies," Says Dang. "By uncovering the mechanism behind antioxidants, we are now better suited to maximize their therapeutic use."

Obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis are alleviated by {omega}-3 fatty acids: a role for resolvins and protectins. González-Périz A, Horrillo R, Ferré N, Gronert K, Dong B, Morán-Salvador E, Titos E, Martínez-Clemente M, López-Parra M, Arroyo V, Clària J. FASEB J. 2009 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19211925 doi: 10.1096/fj.08-125674

It seems not a single day passes that I don't learn something new about this unique hormone (mis)named "vitamin D." \nFrom its humble beginnings recognized only as the factor responsible for bone maturation (with deficiency leading to childhood rickets), vitamin D now commands a recognized role in almost every conceivable aspect of health and disease. \n

The vitamin K dependant protein osteocalcin may have a positive effect on reducing obesity and diabetes, suggests a new study with mice.\nResearchers writing in the journal Cells studied the effect bone cells have in energy regulation, and found that osteocalcin plays a key role in regulating insulin activity.

NaturalNews) Researchers from Oxford University and the University of British Columbia have discovered that Vitamin D deficiency affects a section of the human genome already linked with multiple sclerosis (MS) risk, adding further weight to theories that this vitamin deficiency might play a role in development of the disease. "Here we show that the main environmental risk candidate -- vitamin D -- and the main gene region are directly linked and interact," said co-author George Ebers.

If wheat is so bad, what about all the other grains? First of all, I demonize wheat because of its top-of-the-list role in triggering: --Appetite--Wheat increases hunger dramatically --Insulin --Blood sugar--Wheat is worse than table sugar in triggering a rapid, large rise in blood sugar --Triglycerides --Small LDL particles--the number one cause for heart disease in the U.S. --Reduced HDL --Diabetes --Autoimmune diseases--Most notably celiac disease and thyroiditis. Most other "healthy, whole grains" aren't quite as bad. It's a matter of degree.

(NaturalNews) Zinc is an integral part of the male hormonal system, and a primary part of the semen. It plays a major role in the production of sperm. Studies also reveal that Zinc Deficiency may be a cause of Prostate Enlargement.\n\nAs men age into their 50s and older, there is a natural decline in zinc. A zinc deficiency can lead to prostate enlargement, as well as a number of other male problems including impotency. This is because the prostate tissues are highly dependent on zinc to maintain its health and integrity. Zinc increases sperm count and sperm motility. High zinc levels also mean lower levels of estrogen and prolactin thereby reducing the risk of prostate disease.

MedWire News: Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) play a role in prostate cancer disease progression and are a potential prognostic indicator, Norwegian study findings suggest.

Body detoxification plays an important role in determining our health status and prevent most common diseases. Whether we like it or not, toxins in various

ScienceDaily (May 12, 2009) - Taking folic acid supplements for at least a year before conception is associated with reduction in the risk of premature birth, according to a study by Radek Bukowski (from the University of Texas Medical Branch, United States of America) and colleagues. Although most pregnancies last about 40 weeks, many babies (for example around 12% in the United States) are born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Babies born prematurely are less likely to survive than full-term babies and are more likely to have breathing difficulties and learning or developmental disabilities. Currently, there are no effective methods of prevention or treatment of premature (preterm) birth, but previous studies have suggested that lower concentrations of folate (folic acid) are associated with shorter duration of pregnancy. Bukowski and colleagues therefore tested this idea, by analyzing data collected from a cohort of nearly 35,000 pregnant women. The results of this study showed that taking folate supplements for at least one year before conception was associated with a 70% reduction in spontaneous premature birth between 20 and 28 weeks (a reduction from 0.27% to 0.04%), and a 50% reduction between 28 and 32 weeks (reduction from 0.38% to 0.18%), as compared to the rate of preterm birth when mothers did not take additional folate supplementation. Folate supplementation for less than a year before conception was not linked to a reduction in the risk of premature birth in this study, and folate supplementation was not associated with any other complications of pregnancy. In a related commentary also published in this week's PLoS Medicine, Nicholas Fisk from the University of Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues (who were not involved in the original study) say "Methodologically, the study has several strengths... It is based on a huge dataset, with prospective recording of dietary supplements and potential confounders, and gestational age determined accu

Strong correlations have been noted between cardiovascular diseases and low bone density / osteoporosis-connections so strong that the presence of one is considered a likely predictor of the other. This relationship has led to the hypothesis that these conditions share core pathophysiological mechanisms. Recent advances in our understanding of the complimentary roles played by vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 in vascular and bone health provide support for this hypothesis, along with insight into key metabolic dysfunctions underlying cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Part II, The Vitamin K Connection to Cardiovascular Health, reviews the ways in which vitamin K regulates calcium utlization, preventing vascular and soft tissue calcification while complimenting the bone-building actions of vitamin D, and also discusses vitamin K safety and dosage issues, and the necessity of providing vitamin K and vitamin A along with vitamin D to preclude adverse effects associated with hypervitaminosis D.

Strong correlations have been noted between cardiovascular diseases and low bone density / osteoporosis-connections so strong that the presence of one type of pathology is considered a likely predictor of the other. This potentially causal relationship has led to the hypothesis that these conditions share core mechanisms. Recent advances in our understanding of the complimentary roles played by vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 in vascular and bone health provide support for this hypothesis, along with insight into key metabolic dysfunctions underlying cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Part I of this review summarizes current research linking vitamin D deficiency to cardiovascular disease, the physiological mechanisms underlying vitamin D's cardiovascular effects, and leading vitamin D researchers' recommendations for significantly higher supplemental doses of the pro-hormone. Part II reviews the vitamin K connection to cardiovascular disease; the ways in which vitamin D and vitamin K pair up to prevent inflammation, vascular calcification and osteoporosis; and the necessity of providing vitamin K along with vitamin D to preclude adverse effects associated with hypervitaminosis D, which include vascular and other soft tissue calcification.

Ecological studies of ultraviolet B, vitamin D and cancer since 2000. Grant WB, Mohr SB. Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):446-54. Epub 2009 Mar 9. PMID: 19269856 CONCLUSION: These findings provide strong evidence that vitamin D status plays an important role in controlling the outcome of cancer. Support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer theory is now scientifically strong enough to warrant use of vitamin D in cancer prevention, and as a component of treatment. More research studies would help to explore whether there are benefits beyond the substantial effects that have been observed.