Nutrition

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

"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. "

"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"

The açaí palm or aqai (Euterpe oleracea) is a species of palm tree in the genus Euterpe cultivated for their fruit and superior hearts of palm. Its name comes from the European adaptation of the Tupian word ïwasa'i, '[fruit that] cries or expels water'. Global demand for the fruit has expanded rapidly in recent years, and açaí is now cultivated for that purpose primarily. The closely-related species Euterpe edulis (jucara) is now predominantly used for hearts of palm.[citation needed] Eight species are native to Central and South America, from Belize southward to Brazil and Peru, growing mainly in swamps and floodplains. Açaí palms are tall, slender palms growing to 15-30 meters, with pinnate leaves up to 3 meters long.

"This is for anyone researching goji berries, in the hope they'll come across this page, and not just accept the usual marketing page they come across. Goji berries are a great food. But they do not contain 500 times more Vitamin C than oranges, as is so often misleadingly claimed on marketing sites. Goji berries contain 2500mg/100g, while oranges contain 50mg/100g Vitamin C. That's 50 times more! Still a great food, but not quite what is claimed"

"Also known as Lycium barbarum fruit, goji berry grows on a bush and is native to northwestern China. The oblong-shaped berries are bright red and contain 20-40 tiny seeds, and can be eaten raw, or made into a juice or wine, brewed for tea, or prepared as a tincture. But it's the extracted phytochemicals used in nutritional supplements that provide the most potent health benefits. Goji berry has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years as a health tonic to promote overall health and healthy eyesight, strengthen the immune system, protect the liver, improve circulation and sperm production, and to enhance sexual performance. It has also been used as a remedy for diabetes, anemia, tinnitus, and lung diseases."

"Guavas are plants in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) genus Psidium, which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Most likely naturally spreading (by means of ocean drifting) to parts of the Caribbean and some parts of North Africa, guavas are now cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics, and due to growing demand they are also grown in some subtropical regions."

" 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!"

"With daily news reports warning of a swine flu pandemic, members have besieged our health advisors with questions about what they should do to protect themselves against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. The good news is that Life Extension® members obtain a considerable amount of immune support via the supplements they already use, especially those taking high-dose vitamin D. An important question, however, is what one should do if they develop symptoms of a viral infection? As the days grow colder, the risks of contracting common flu and cold viruses increase. Each year, flu virus infections kill around 36,000 Americans and cause miseries for millions.1 An outbreak of the swine flu virus is expected this winter. While certain supplements (and drugs) purport to shorten the duration of a viral infection, most of them fail to provide significant relief. Over the past 28 years, Life Extension® personnel have experimented with various nutrients, hormones, and drugs in order to minimize the impact of the common cold and typical flu viruses. In this article, I will reveal what has worked for me personally to ward off common cold/flu viruses and what has been validated in the scientific literature to be effective. I will also elaborate on some aggressive prescription drug strategies to consider in the event that you contract a severe form of swine flu or other type of influenza."

"A recent thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that eight-year-old children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who seldom drink milk. The study showed that children who drink full-fat milk every day weigh on average just over 9 lbs less"

"March 18, 2009 | Marlene Busko Palm Harbor, FL - In a large study of adolescents, low serum levels of 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) strongly predicted prevalence of hypertension, hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome [1]. The findings were reported at the AHA 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. Adolescents with vitamin-D levels in the lowest quartile were almost four times more likely to have metabolic syndrome than those with vitamin-D levels in the highest quartile. "I think that is quite alarming," lead author Dr Jared P Reis (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD) said in an AHA podcast issued to the media."

"June 29, 2009 | Shelley Wood Boston, MA - A massive, National Institutes of Health-sponsored study looking at whether vitamin-D and/or omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, or cancer will get under way in January 2010, according to a website for the study. Drs JoAnn Manson and Julie Buring (Harvard Medical School/ Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA) will head up the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL). The study is aiming to enroll 20 000 men and women, one-quarter of whom will be black. According to a Brigham and Women's Hospital press release, the study is intentionally aiming to illuminate a potential racial and ethnic disparity hypothesized to be linked to vitamin D [1]. "African Americans have a higher risk of vitamin-D deficiency as well as a greater frequency of diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancer," a press release notes. For VITAL, women need to be over age 65 to enter the study; men need to be over age 60. Study participants will be randomized to one of four groups: daily vitamin D (2000 IU) and fish oil (1 g); daily vitamin D and fish-oil placebo; daily vitamin-D placebo and fish oil; or daily vitamin-D placebo and fish-oil placebo. The trial will run for five years and is expected to cost US $20 million."

"November 25, 2009 | Susan Jeffrey Naples, Italy - A new meta-analysis confirms that high salt intake is associated with increased risks of stroke and total cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1]. The pooled relative risk showed that an average difference of about 5 g of salt per day was associated with a 23% increased risk of stroke, the researchers report, and a 17% increase in CVD risk. The average habitual salt intake in most Western countries is 10 g per day, double the level currently recommended by the World Health Organization. "Given that the case-fatality rate for stroke is estimated at one in three, and that for total cardiovascular disease at one in five, a 23% reduction in the rate of stroke and a 17% overall reduction in the rate of cardiovascular disease attributable to a reduction in population salt intake could avert some one and a quarter million deaths from stroke, and almost three million deaths from cardiovascular disease each year," the researchers, with lead author Dr Pasquale Strazzullo (University of Naples Medical School, Italy), conclude. Moreover, because of some imprecision in salt-intake measurements in these cohort studies, the actual effects are likely to be underestimated, they add. The study was published online November 24, 2009 in the British Medical Journal."

"November 24, 2009 | Lisa Nainggolan Orlando, FL - Inadequate levels of vitamin D are associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and death, a new observational study has found. Dr Tami L Bair (Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, UT) reported the findings here at the American Heart Association 2009 Scientific Sessions. Bair and colleagues followed more than 27 000 people 50 years or older with no history of cardiovascular disease for just over a year and found that those with very low levels of vitamin D (30 ng/mL). Those deficient in vitamin D were also twice as likely to develop heart failure as those with normal levels. "We concluded that even a moderate deficiency of vitamin D was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and death," said coauthor Dr Heidi May (Intermountain Medical Center). However, "it is not known whether this is a cause and effect relationship," she told heartwire. Because this study was observational, more research is needed "to better establish the association between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease," she noted."

Urgent action needed to improve vitamin D status among older people in England! Hirani V, Tull K, Ali A, Mindell J. Age Ageing. 2009 Nov 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19934073 CONCLUSIONS: poor vitamin D status of older people continues to be a public health problem in England. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with many risk factors and poor health outcomes. There is now an urgent need for a uniform policy on assessment and dietary supplementation of vitamin D in older people to prevent poor vitamin D status and its negative consequences

"Good research is good for medicine. The only thing more important than good research is ethical research. The February 16th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) had a research paper on vitamin D and colon cancer. Was it good research? Was it ethical research? At stake are the lives of 36,000 older American women who agreed to participate in the Women's Health Initiative. "

"Naturally, we are all mildly worried about the swine flu (the delayed 'flu' season). Taking Vitamin D will certainly provide several layers of protection for our family and hopefully avert potential complications. Studies show 36% of individuals who are Vitamin D deficient develop respiratory infections"

Estimation of the net acid load of the diet of ancestral preagricultural Homo sapiens and their hominid ancestors. Sebastian A, Frassetto LA, Sellmeyer DE, Merriam RL, Morris RC Jr. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Dec;76(6):1308-16. PMID: 12450898