Nutrition

" Wolfberry is also another name for the western snowberry, Symphoricarpos occidentalis. Wolfberry Lycium barbarum fruits Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Lycium Species * Lycium barbarum L. * Lycium chinense Mill. * Lycium halimifolium Mill. (synonym for L. barbarum) * Lycium ovatum Loisel. (synonym for L. chinense Mill. var. chinense * Lycium turbinatum Veill. or Loisel. (synonym for L. barbarum) * Lycium vulgare Dunal (synonym for L. barbarum) Wolfberry, commercially called goji berry, is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and L. chinense (Chinese: 枸杞; pinyin: gǒuqǐ), two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae (which also includes the potato, tomato, eggplant, deadly nightshade, chili pepper, and tobacco). It is native to southeastern Europe and Asia.[1] It is also known as Chinese wolfberry, mede berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll's tea tree, Murali (in India),[2] red medlar, or matrimony vine.[3] Unrelated to the plant's geographic origin, the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji are in common use in the health food market for products from this plan"

"Is there a whole food more effective than: * Coenzyme Q10 for supporting heart function? * Echinacea in enhancing immunity? * Oat bran in lowering cholesterol? * St. John's Wort for treating depression? * Lutien for preserving vision? * Milk Thistle in regenerating the liver? * Insulin for controlling diabetes? * Is there a food that has been shown to combat cancer in multiple clinical studies? Hundreds of studies conclude that a little known fruit from Northern China may, in fact do all of the above. The Goji Berry has been found to be the most nutritionally dense food on earth!"

"Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefits as a result. For example, blueberries are often considered a superfood (or superfruit) because they contain significant amounts of antioxidants, anthocyanins, vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber.[1] However, the term is not in common currency amongst dieticians and nutritional scientists, many of whom dispute the claims made that consuming particular foodstuffs can have a health benefit[2] There is no legal definition of the term and it has been alleged that this has led to it being over-used as a marketing too"

"Not everyone has access to pastured eggs. "Omega-3 eggs" come from hens fed an omega-3 enriched diet*. Not only do they have a much higher omega-3 content than conventional eggs, they also contain less AA. One study found that omega-3 eggs contain 39% less AA than conventional and organic eggs. Omega-3 eggs were also rich in short- and long-chain omega-3 fats. Omega-3 eggs are certainly not nutritionally equivalent to pastured eggs, but they're a step in the right direction. "

Depression is associated with decreased 25-hydroxyvitamin D and increased parathyroid hormone levels in older adults. Hoogendijk WJ, Lips P, Dik MG, Deeg DJ, Beekman AT, Penninx BW. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 May;65(5):508-12. PMID: 18458202 Conclusion The results of this large population-based study show an association of depression status and severity with decreased serum 25(OH)D levels and increased serum PTH levels in older individuals.

Vitamin D supplement in early childhood and risk for Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. The EURODIAB Substudy 2 Study Group. [No authors listed] Diabetologia. 1999 Jan;42(1):51-4. PMID: 10027578 DOI: 10.1007/s001250051112 In conclusion, this large multicentre trial covering many different European settings consistently showed a protective effect of vitamin D supplementation in infancy. The findings indicate that activated vitamin D might contribute to immune modulation and thereby protect or arrest an ongoing immune process initiated in susceptible people by early environmental exposures.

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms influence susceptibility to type 1 diabetes mellitus in the Taiwanese population. Chang TJ, Lei HH, Yeh JI, Chiu KC, Lee KC, Chen MC, Tai TY, Chuang LM. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2000 May;52(5):575-80. PMID: 10792336 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2265.2000.00985.x CONCLUSIONS Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms were associated with type 1 diabetes in a Taiwanese population. However, functional studies are needed to establish the role of the vitamin D receptor in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Vitamin D receptor allele combinations influence genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes in Germans. Pani MA, Knapp M, Donner H, Braun J, Baur MP, Usadel KH, Badenhoop K. Diabetes. 2000 Mar;49(3):504-7. PubMed PMID: 10868975. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.49.3.504

Vitamin D and mood disorders among women: an integrative review. Murphy PK, Wagner CL. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2008 Sep-Oct;53(5):440-6. Review. PMID: 18761297 Four of six studies reviewed imparted significant results, with all four showing an association between low 25(OH)D levels and higher incidences of four mood disorders: premenstrual syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, non-specified mood disorder, and major depressive disorder. This review indicates a possible biochemical mechanism occurring between vitamin D and mood disorders affecting women, warranting further studies of these variables using rigorous methodologies.

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on symptoms of depression in overweight and obese subjects: randomized double blind trial. Jorde R, Sneve M, Figenschau Y, Svartberg J, Waterloo K. J Intern Med. 2008 Dec;264(6):599-609. Epub 2008 Sep 10. PMID: 18793245 Conclusions. It appears to be a relation between serum levels of 25(OH)D and symptoms of depression. Supplementation with high doses of vitamin D seems to ameliorate these symptoms indicating a possible causal relationship.

Association between depressive symptoms and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Pan A, Lu L, Franco OH, Yu Z, Li H, Lin X. J Affect Disord. 2009 Nov;118(1-3):240-3. Epub 2009 Feb 27. PMID: 19249103 doi:10.1016/j.jad.2009.02.002 Conclusions Depressive symptoms are not associated with 25(OH)D concentrations in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Further prospective studies are required to determine whether they are correlated.

Correlation of symptoms with vitamin D deficiency and symptom response to cholecalciferol treatment: a randomized controlled trial. Arvold DS, Odean MJ, Dornfeld MP, Regal RR, Arvold JG, Karwoski GC, Mast DJ, Sanford PB, Sjoberg RJ. Endocr Pract. 2009 May-Jun;15(3):203-12. PMID: 19364687 Conclusions: Compared with participants in the placebo group, patients in the treatment group showed mild short-term improvement in the overall fibromyalgia impact score, but did not show significant improvement in most musculoskeletal symptoms or in activities of daily living.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse cognitive performance and lower bone density in older African Americans. Wilkins CH, Birge SJ, Sheline YI, Morris JC. J Natl Med Assoc. 2009 Apr;101(4):349-54. PMID: 19397226 CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency in older African Americans was associated with worse cognitive performance and lower BMD of the hip

Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cognitive performance in middle-aged and older European men. Lee DM, Tajar A, Ulubaev A, Pendleton N, O'Neill TW, O'Connor DB, Bartfai G, Boonen S, Bouillon R, Casanueva FF, Finn JD, Forti G, Giwercman A, Han TS, Huhtaniemi IT, Kula K, Lean ME, Punab M, Silman AJ, Vanderschueren D, Wu FC; EMAS study group. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2009 Jul;80(7):722-9. Epub 2009 May 21. PMID: 19460797 doi:10.1136/jnnp.2008.165720 Conclusion: In this study, lower 25(OH)D levels were associated with poorer performance on the DSST. Further research is warranted to determine whether vitamin D sufficiency might have a role in preserving cognitive function in older adults.

Vitamin D and depressive symptoms in women during the winter: a pilot study. Shipowick CD, Moore CB, Corbett C, Bindler R. Appl Nurs Res. 2009 Aug;22(3):221-5. PMID: 19616172 doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2007.08.001 ESULTS: Vitamin D supplementation was associated not only with an increase in the serum D levels by an average of 27 ng/ml but also with a decline in the BDI-II scores of an average of 10 points. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that supplemental vitamin D3 reduces depressive symptoms.

Association of vitamin D deficiency with cognitive impairment in older women. Cross-sectional study. Annweiler C, Schott AM, Allali G, Bridenbaugh SA, Kressig RW, Allain P, Herrmann FR, Beauchet O. Neurology. 2009 Sep 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19794127 doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181beecd3 Conclusions: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D deficiency was associated with cognitive impairment in this cohort of community-dwelling older women.

Vitamin D replacement in Asians with diabetes may increase insulin resistance. Taylor AV, Wise PH. Postgrad Med J. 1998 Jun;74(872):365-6. PMID: 9799895 We report three cases of vitamin D replacement in British Asians with vitamin D deficiency and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In all cases, replacement resulted in an increase in insulin resistance and a deterioration of glycaemic control

Consumption of cod and weight loss in young overweight and obese adults on an energy reduced diet for 8-weeks. Ramel A, Jonsdottir MT, Thorsdottir I. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Dec;19(10):690-6. Epub 2009 Apr 8. PMID: 19356912 Conclusion A dose-response relationship between cod consumption and weight loss during an 8-week energy restriction diet is found and 5×150g cod/week results in 1.7kg greater weight loss in young overweight or obese adults than a isocaloric diet without seafood

"Let's get the religion out of the way first. I follow an eating pattern loosely based around Dr Jan Kwasniewski's Optimal Diet. I vary from the OD in that I tend to vary my protein sources somewhat more than specified, I think a little omega 3 supplementation is worthwhile, that having a "normal" vitamin D level is probably worth while (though this is an interesting subject) and in that I specifically avoid gluten and most other grains. So I do my own thing somewhat, while still keeping a heavy emphasis on animal fat, egg yolks and trying to keep to real food as far as I practically can. When I say I avoid ketosis because Kwasniewski says avoid ketosis, that's religion. My follow on problem from this that, when you can get hold of the data, Kwasniewski is usually correct. My even bigger problem is that, when you get beyond simple diet information, some of JKs ideas are very far off the wall. And some of the off the wall ones also seem to be correct to me, which is a little uncomfortable! So religion is a real non starter."

"This article was originally published in 2004 in the Chicago Tribune. It's still knocking around on the web in various places but the original seems to have disappeared. You can't have too much of a good thing. Obviously Stephan's recent posts on lard prompted me to put this one up. The imported nutritionist doesn't seem quite as dismissive as you might expect! But notice in the last paragraph that the big bogeyman is protein overload damaging the kidneys! On 60g/d of protein??? Sobor clearly knows nothing about high fat diets, certainly not the one he is commenting so authoritatively about in this case!"