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The effects of whole mushrooms during inflammation. Yu S, Weaver V, Martin K, Cantorna MT. BMC Immunol. 2009 Feb 20;10:12. PMID: 19232107 doi:10.1186/1471-2172-10-12 In RAW 264.7 cells the induction of TNF-α production was highest in LPS and WB stimulated rather than the crimini, maitake, oyster, or shitake stimulated cells. The differences might be a result of differences in the quantity of the immunomodulatory substance or substances and or differences in solubility of mushrooms in the DMSO used to produce the extracts. However, the direction of the changes (increase versus decrease) were not different among the mushroom treatments. The lack of differential effects on cytokine secretion by the mushroom extracts suggests that the whole mushrooms must share a common component(s) that act to regulate immune function.

Mushrooms could give the immune system a hand in attacking foreign invaders, if the effects in mice translate to humans. What's more, the common white button mushroom had stronger immune-boosting effects than more exotic -- and more expensive -- fungi such as oyster and shiitake mushrooms, Dr. Keith Martin of Arizona State University in Mesa and his colleagues found

Is sunshine more than just a home remedy for a cold? New research suggests it may be: In a study that will be published tomorrow, people with low levels of vitamin D - also known as the "sunshine vitamin" - were more likely to catch cold and flu than folks with adequate amounts. The effect of the vitamin was strongest in people with asthma and other lung diseases who are predisposed to respiratory infections.

Use of vitamin D in clinical practice. Cannell JJ, Hollis BW. Altern Med Rev. 2008 Mar;13(1):6-20. PMID: 18377099 The recent discovery--from a meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials--that supplemental cholecalciferol (vitamin D) significantly reduces all-cause mortality emphasizes the medical, ethical, and legal implications of promptly diagnosing and adequately treating vitamin D deficiency. Not only are such deficiencies common, and probably the rule, vitamin D deficiency is implicated in most of the diseases of civilization. Vitamin D's final metabolic product is a potent, pleiotropic, repair and maintenance, seco-steroid hormone that targets more than 200 human genes in a wide variety of tissues, meaning it has as many mechanisms of action as genes it targets. One of the most important genes vitamin D up-regulates is for cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic. Natural vitamin D levels, those found in humans living in a sun-rich environment, are between 40-70 ng per ml, levels obtained by few modern humans. Assessing serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) is the only way to make the diagnosis and to assure treatment is adequate and safe. Three treatment modalities exist for vitamin D deficiency: sunlight, artificial ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, and vitamin D3 supplementation. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy patients with 2,000-7,000 IU vitamin D per day should be sufficient to maintain year-round 25(OH)D levels between 40-70 ng per mL. In those with serious illnesses associated with vitamin D deficiency, such as cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, autism, and a host of other illnesses, doses should be sufficient to maintain year-round 25(OH)D levels between 55 -70 ng per mL. Vitamin D-deficient patients with serious illness should not only be supplemented more aggressively than the well, they should have more frequent monitoring of serum 25(OH)D and serum calcium. Vitamin D should always be

ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2009) - Vitamin D is significantly associated with muscle power and force in adolescent girls, according to a new study. Although vitamin D is naturally produced in the body through exposure to direct sunlight, vitamin D deficiency has become widely common in the United States. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to have a significant negative impact on muscle and bone health, and can lead to conditions including osteoporosis and rickets.

Th1/Th2 balance: the hypothesis, its limitations, and implications for health and disease. Kidd P. Altern Med Rev. 2003 Aug;8(3):223-46. Review. PMID: 12946237 Th1 pathways typically produce activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Tc), NK cells, macrophages, and monocytes, all of which can attack cancer cells and generally defend against tumors. 55 IFN-gamma and other Th1 cytokines are typically lower in advanced cancer patients, while the Th2 marker IL-4 can be higher or unchanged.56 Nodules of non-small cell lung cancer freshly removed from patients expressed a marked imbalance toward Th2, as did biopsy samples from basal cell carcinoma.57 In prostate cancer patients IL-2 was low (Th1) and IL-10 high.58 IL-10 is a confirmed Th1-suppressive cytokine, and heightened IL-10 is a common factor in cancer.55 IL-10 has a variety of suppressive effects that include inhibiting Th1 cytokine production, down-regulating APC and NK cell function, and lowering overall T-cell proliferation.57 Especially under the influence of IL-4 (Th2), tumor cells apparently up-regulate IL-10 that suppresses nearby killer cells. Tumor-derived IL-10 has been documented in lymphoma, ovarian carcinoma, melanoma, neuroblastoma, and renal cell and colon carcinoma.57 IL-12 is another cytokine that can be up-regulated by Th1 activity and inhibited by Th2.59 A low IL-12/IL-10 ratio was found in cervical cancer patients.55 Recent clinical studies suggest elevated IL-10 is predictive of a poor prognosis. 57 With both IL-4 and IL-10 being proven inhibitors of Th1 and promoters of Th2 activity, the recognized capability of cancerous tissue to suppress immunity is readily rationalized.

DHA and EPA generally modulated different sets of genes, although a few common effects were noted. In our approach, we used preneoplastic adenoma cells which are a relevant model for target cells of chemoprevention. If verified with real time PCR, these results identify genes and targets for chemoprevention of colon cancer. Modulation of gene expression in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid treated human colon adenoma cells. Habermann N, Lund EK, Pool-Zobel BL, Glei M. Genes Nutr. 2009 Mar;4(1):73-6. Epub 2009 Feb 21. PMID: 19234733 doi: 10.1007/s12263-009-0112-y.

Vitamin D and skin physiology: a D-lightful story. Holick MF, Chen TC, Lu Z, Sauter E. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Dec;22 Suppl 2:V28-33. PMID: 18290718 doi: 10.1359/jbmr.07s211 Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and those that do have a very variable vitamin D content. Recently it was observed that wild caught salmon had between 75% and 90% more vitamin D(3) compared with farmed salmon. The associations regarding increased risk of common deadly cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular disease with living at higher latitudes and being prone to vitamin D deficiency should alert all health care professionals about the importance of vitamin D for overall health and well being. Humans have depended on sunlight for their vitamin D requirement. The impact of season, time of day, and latitude on vitamin D synthesis is well documented.(2,3) We now report that altitude also has a dramatic influence on vitamin D3 production and that living at altitudes above 3500 m permits previtamin D3 production at a time when very little is produced at latitudes below 3400 m. It was surprising that, at 27° N in Agra (169 M), little previtamin D3 production was observed. However, there was significant air pollution that caused a haze over the city. It is likely the ozone and other UVB-absorbing pollutants in the air prevented the solar UVB photons from reaching the earth's surface to produce previtamin D3.

Vitamin D and diabetes: improvement of glycemic control with vitamin D3 repletion. Schwalfenberg G. Can Fam Physician. 2008 Jun;54(6):864-6. PMID: 18556494 Conclusion These cases support information that is already known about VTD and its effect on the islet cell. As discussed above, this might be true only for vitamin D3 and not vitamin D2, although vitamin D2 has been shown to improve bone health. Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency is common, and repletion might improve glycemic control early in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases worldwide. Vitamin D3 is inexpensive and readily available. Well-designed clinical studies are required to ascertain if improving 25(OH)D levels from an insufficiency or deficiency to sufficiency improves glycemic control in diabetes. These studies need to be properly designed: a randomized controlled trial with VTD deficiency or insufficiency identified in diabetic patients of various ethnic

Vitamin D: a D-Lightful health perspective. Holick MF. Nutr Rev. 2008 Oct;66(10 Suppl 2):S182-94. Review. PMID: 18844847 DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00104.x Sunlight provides most humans with their vitamin D requirement. Adequate vitamin D(3) by synthesis in the skin or from dietary and supplemental sources is essential for bone health throughout life. Vitamin D deficiency is defined as a 25(OH)D concentration 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L), and insufficiency as 21-29 ng/mL. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency has been linked to a wide variety of chronic diseases including common cancers, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the vitamin D deficiency pandemic. Guidelines for sensible sun exposure and supplemental vitamin D of 800-1000 IU/day are needed.

The review, published in Osteoporosis International, provides a global perspective of vitamin D status across different regions of the world and identifies common and significant determinants of hypovitaminosis D. Six regions of the world were reviewed-Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, and Oceania-through a survey of published literature.

Comment: Although lower risk associated with vitamin D exposure was shown most consistently for ER+/PR+ tumors, the result might simply reflect that this tumor subtype was the most common. Nonetheless, these findings support vitamin D's beneficial effects on breast cancer risk, regardless of hormone-receptor status. Sun exposure and dietary intake (Table 1) are key sources of vitamin D.

Measurement of vitamin D levels in inflammatory bowel disease patients reveals a subset of Crohn's disease patients with elevated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and low bone mineral density. Abreu MT, Kantorovich V, Vasiliauskas EA, Gruntmanis U, Matuk R, Daigle K, Chen S, Zehnder D, Lin YC, Yang H, Hewison M, Adams JS. Gut. 2004 Aug;53(8):1129-36. PMID: 15247180 doi: 10.1136/gut.2003.036657. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that elevated 1,25(OH)2D is more common in CD than previously appreciated and is independently associated with low bone mineral density. The source of the active vitamin D may be the inflamed intestine. Treatment of the underlying inflammation may improve metabolic bone disease in this subgroup of patients.

Prevalence and Associations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency in US Children: NHANES 2001-2004. Kumar J, Muntner P, Kaskel FJ, Hailpern SM, Melamed ML. Pediatrics. 2009 Aug 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19661054 CONCLUSIONS: 25(OH)D deficiency is common in the general US pediatric population and is associated with adverse cardiovascular risks.

Differences in vitamin D status between countries in young adults and the elderly. McKenna MJ. Am J Med. 1992 Jul;93(1):69-77. PMID: 1385673 PURPOSE: To compare vitamin D status between countries in young adults and in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reports on vitamin D status (as assessed by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) from 1971 to 1990 were reviewed. Studies were grouped according to geographic regions: North America (including Canada and the United States); Scandinavia (including Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden); and Central and Western Europe (including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom). RESULTS: Vitamin D status varies with the season in young adults and in the elderly, and is lower during the winter in Europe than in both North America and Scandinavia. Oral vitamin D intake is lower in Europe than in both North America and Scandinavia. Hypovitaminosis D and related abnormalities in bone chemistry are most common in elderly residents in Europe but are reported in all elderly populations. CONCLUSIONS: The vitamin D status in young adults and the elderly varies widely with the country of residence. Adequate exposure to summer sunlight is the essential means to ample supply, but oral intake augmented by both fortification and supplementation is necessary to maintain baseline stores. All countries should adopt a fortification policy. It seems likely that the elderly would benefit additionally from a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D.

A high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Finnish medical in- and outpatients. Kauppinen-Mäkelin R, Tähtelä R, Löyttyniemi E, Kärkkäinen J, Välimäki MJ. J Intern Med. 2001 Jun;249(6):559-63. PMID: 11422663 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00847.x CONCLUSION: Hypovitaminosis D is very common amongst Finnish in- and outpatients in both sexes, causing secondary hyperparathyroidism in females. More extensive studies are warranted to elucidate the vitamin D status of the Finnish population.

Vitamin D deficiency and bone health in healthy adults in Finland: could this be a concern in other parts of Europe? Lamberg-Allardt CJ, Outila TA, Kärkkainen MU, Rita HJ, Valsta LM. J Bone Miner Res. 2001 Nov;16(11):2066-73. PMID: 11697803 Low vitamin D status was prevalent in these young adults in northern Europe in winter, although the vitamin D intake met the recommendation. This probably is not a local problem for northern Europe, because the natural sources of vitamin D are scarce and fortification is not very common in Europe, and with the exception of the southern part of Europe, sunshine is not very abundant in this part of the world. Thus, the results of this study indicate that more attention should be focused on vitamin D status and the sources of vitamin D in these countries.

Published March 30th, 2009 in General Interest, Health, Health News, Health and Wellness, Life, Medical News, Nutrition, Parents, Popular Scientists studying a mysterious neurological affliction in pregnant cats that have been fed irradiated food have discovered a surprising ability of the central nervous system to repair itself and restore function when placed back on a normal diet. In a study published today (March 30, 2009) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that the restoration in cats of myelin - a fatty insulator of nerve fibers that degrades in a host of human central nervous system disorders, the most common of which is multiple sclerosis - can lead to functional recovery