Post by Magnus Mulliner on Aug 14, 2009 18:01:26 GMT
Sunscreen…
Although sunblock has plenty of them, the major reason sunblock has had such a devastating effect on human health is that it has deprived millions of people of one of our most important nutrients, vitamin D.
We make vitamin D from the UVB rays in sunlight on our skin. But even a weak sunscreen like SPF 8 blocks up to 95% of these rays.
A growing body of research has revealed widespread deficiencies of this crucial nutrient. It has also shown that we need more than the RDA. How much more is still an open question. Although current recommendations may be sufficient to prevent diseases like rickets and other bone deformities, we need much higher levels of D to prevent many of the major chronic diseases of our time: cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more.
It isn't the use of sunblock alone that's to blame. We live more and more of our lives in artificial environments deprived of fresh air and sun, while smog and other air pollutants cause haze that interferes with sunlight when we do poke our heads out of our homes and offices.
There are additional reasons why vitamin D deficiency has become a major problem. In this chapter, I'll talk about them and about why adequate levels of "the sunshine vitamin" are so very important.
The more we have departed from the life of our ancestors, the bigger price we have paid biologically.
We evolved as a species that spent its days hunting and gathering in the great outdoors, getting plenty of exercise, excitement, camaraderie, fresh air and sun. Those were the good old days when the best things in life were free.
It is disheartening to discover that so many have become deficient in a vitamin that is really free for the asking. Yet that is what study after study is finding.
Here are some figures from studies done within the last ten years: 84% of elderly subjects found deficient in vitamin D; 30% of adolescents found deficient; 70-80% of people over the age of 50 found deficient; 32% of adults under the age of 30 found deficient!
Pediatricians are even seeing an increasing number of cases of rickets in children, a disease of the bones that doesn't occur except under severe vitamin D deficiency conditions.
As more scientific research is done, we continue to discover the many important roles vitamin D plays in the human body, and the dire consequences of D deficiencies.
What we currently know about the many roles of vitamin D is still the tip of the iceberg, but we know enough to state with confidence that D deficiencies are a major contributor to our current epidemic of chronic disease.
Arthritis. Vitamin D plays an important role in the synthesis of synovial fluid, the fluid that protects joint health. Vitamin D status has been found to be protective in both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis.
Autoimmune Disease. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked with lupus, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's Syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis and Crohn's disease.
Cancer. Vitamin D helps to prevent 77% of all cancers through a variety of mechanisms. As the use of sunblock has gone up, so has the cancer rate. Cancer rates also increase the further you live from the equator (and the less sunlight you get).
Cardiovascular Disease. Vitamin D helps protect against heart disease by promoting the body's production of anti-inflammatory chemicals and suppressing the calcification of blood vessels. It has been used as a treatment for high blood pressure, and those with low levels have twice the risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia. Correction of vitamin D deficiencies have led to amelioration of symptoms.
Depression. Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder have responded favourably to vitamin D treatment. Vitamin D regulates the production of serotonin and other important neurotransmitters.
Diabetes. Supplementing with vitamin D and calcium cuts the risk of developing diabetes by 33%. Children who receive D supplementation from the age of one have an 80% reduced risk of developing Type I diabetes. Vitamin D also improves insulin reception. Insulin resistance is a factor in not only diabetes but in heart disease and cancer.
Immunity. Vitamin D plays an important role in the immune response and is itself an anti-viral. Vitamin D researcher Dr J.J. Cannell reported that in a psychiatric institution where he works, while every ward around his fell victim to an influenza epidemic, the vitamin-D supplemented patients in his ward did not.
Inflammation. Vitamin D is an anti-inflammatory, helpful with allergies or any other inflammatory condition.
Muscles/Pain. Muscle pain and fatigue are among the first signs of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D improves motor function, muscle strength and maintenance of muscle mass, balance, speed, and quickness of reaction; in addition it lowers both chronic pain and pain after injury. Elderly supplemented with vitamin D have fewer falls.
Osteoporosis. Vitamin D plays crucial roles in calcium absorption and metabolism, and in bone building. Supplementing with both calcium and vitamin D reduces bone loss and fracture risk.
Parkinson's Disease. Vitamin D is crucial in the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine. It has been shown to be protective against getting Parkinson's, and D-deficiency may be a major cause of this disease.
Periodontal Disease. Low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with periodontal disease.
Women's Health. Infertility is associated with low vitamin D status. PMS has been completely reversed by supplementing with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Vitamin D has been used successfully to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder leading to irregular periods, masculinisation and often obesity.
The only way to know for sure is with a test called the 25(OH)D test, which measures blood concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. A level below 20ng/ml is considered deficient, although I believe you should aim for a "high normal" level, generally around 50ng/ml.
Make sure you get the 25(OH)D test rather than an older test, which is not as useful, called 1,25(OH)D.
Here are some factors that can lead to deficiency:
In order for your skin to make vitamin D from the sun, the UV Index must be over 3. We live in a cold and warm climate, however in the UK it doesn't occur during the fall, winter and early spring -- hence the valuable tradition of taking vitamin D-rich cod liver oil during these months or a Vitamin D3 with K. Up to 5000 units daily.
The lighter your skin shade, the more readily you absorb and convert UVB rays from the sun into vitamin D. The converse is true if you are dark-skinned, and in fact vitamin D deficiency is much more prevalent among African Americans than Caucasians.
Obese people tend to store vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, in their fat stores where it is inaccessible, so they need more.
Over the age of 50 or so, we start becoming less efficient at making vitamin D from the sun. This, combined with the fact that elderly people spend most of their time indoors, makes deficiency a particular problem in these populations.
Many people today have malabsorption problems, and these people can be low on D. If so use a liquid D3, which is perfect so people can absorb it directly in through the mouth.
Pregnant women need more D, and unless they supplement at very high doses (4,000 IU/day), their breast milk will not be an adequate source of vitamin D for their infant child. For this reason the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends supplementation of 400 IU to all children from birth.
Toxins, for example lead, will impede the formation of the active form of vitamin D.
For the body to make the conversion of UVB rays from the sun into useable vitamin D, a number of chemical processes needs to occur. If you're not healthy - in other words if you are nutrient-deficient and/or toxic, you will be hampered in making this conversion.
Other conditions like chronic renal failure, gastric bypass surgery and taking steroid drugs necessitate taking additional vitamin D.
Certain drugs interfere with vitamin D absorption and metabolism, including Dilantin, phenobarbital, laxatives, and cholestyramine or any other drug that binds fats.
The worst thing since sliced bread…
A new study from Tel Aviv University, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found a proven link between eating high glycaemic foods and damage to your arteries, leading to potentially severe cardiac problems. You’ve heard me say this before… eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugars and you won’t get fat, you won’t get sick and you’ll improve your whole quality of lifeJ
High glycaemic foods (refined carb’s) include foods like white bread, cereals and other highly-processed, sugar-laden foods, a diet that most people in the Western world follow.
In this research they split their sample into four groups and fed each of them different diets for a month; one group had cornflakes and milk; a second group focused on a sugar mixture: a third group had bran flakes; and the fourth group had water (as a control).
They measured the results through a newly invented cuff on the arm of the subjects. This breakthrough device allowed the researchers to actually see what was happening inside peoples' arteries, as it visualises what is taking place inside their arteries before, during and after eating these specific foods.
Before eating, all of the subjects' arteries were found to be functioning in similar ways.
After eating their specific diets, all of the first three groups experienced a reduction in functionality in their arteries. (Except the 'water' group who stayed the same). The researchers noted that this effect was far worse for the first two groups where they found, a sudden, temporary dysfunction in the thin layer of cells that line the arteries (the endothelium). These cells operate normally to reduce any turbulence as blood flows round your body.
When this effect is repeated over time it can reduce the elasticity of your arteries and result in heart disease or even sudden death. The lead author, Dr. Shechter, who practices at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center - Tel Hashomer Hospital said:
"We knew high glycaemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how. Foods like cornflakes, white bread, French fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries. We've explained for the first time how high glycaemic carbs can affect the progression of heart disease."
Endothelial health can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body. It is "the riskiest of the risk factors," says Dr. Shechter. So - what should you do? Dr. Shechter says to stick to foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycaemic index. Exercising every day for at least 30 minutes, he adds, is an extra heart-smart action to take.
Although sunblock has plenty of them, the major reason sunblock has had such a devastating effect on human health is that it has deprived millions of people of one of our most important nutrients, vitamin D.
We make vitamin D from the UVB rays in sunlight on our skin. But even a weak sunscreen like SPF 8 blocks up to 95% of these rays.
A growing body of research has revealed widespread deficiencies of this crucial nutrient. It has also shown that we need more than the RDA. How much more is still an open question. Although current recommendations may be sufficient to prevent diseases like rickets and other bone deformities, we need much higher levels of D to prevent many of the major chronic diseases of our time: cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more.
It isn't the use of sunblock alone that's to blame. We live more and more of our lives in artificial environments deprived of fresh air and sun, while smog and other air pollutants cause haze that interferes with sunlight when we do poke our heads out of our homes and offices.
There are additional reasons why vitamin D deficiency has become a major problem. In this chapter, I'll talk about them and about why adequate levels of "the sunshine vitamin" are so very important.
The more we have departed from the life of our ancestors, the bigger price we have paid biologically.
We evolved as a species that spent its days hunting and gathering in the great outdoors, getting plenty of exercise, excitement, camaraderie, fresh air and sun. Those were the good old days when the best things in life were free.
It is disheartening to discover that so many have become deficient in a vitamin that is really free for the asking. Yet that is what study after study is finding.
Here are some figures from studies done within the last ten years: 84% of elderly subjects found deficient in vitamin D; 30% of adolescents found deficient; 70-80% of people over the age of 50 found deficient; 32% of adults under the age of 30 found deficient!
Pediatricians are even seeing an increasing number of cases of rickets in children, a disease of the bones that doesn't occur except under severe vitamin D deficiency conditions.
As more scientific research is done, we continue to discover the many important roles vitamin D plays in the human body, and the dire consequences of D deficiencies.
What we currently know about the many roles of vitamin D is still the tip of the iceberg, but we know enough to state with confidence that D deficiencies are a major contributor to our current epidemic of chronic disease.
Arthritis. Vitamin D plays an important role in the synthesis of synovial fluid, the fluid that protects joint health. Vitamin D status has been found to be protective in both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis.
Autoimmune Disease. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked with lupus, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's Syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis and Crohn's disease.
Cancer. Vitamin D helps to prevent 77% of all cancers through a variety of mechanisms. As the use of sunblock has gone up, so has the cancer rate. Cancer rates also increase the further you live from the equator (and the less sunlight you get).
Cardiovascular Disease. Vitamin D helps protect against heart disease by promoting the body's production of anti-inflammatory chemicals and suppressing the calcification of blood vessels. It has been used as a treatment for high blood pressure, and those with low levels have twice the risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia. Correction of vitamin D deficiencies have led to amelioration of symptoms.
Depression. Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder have responded favourably to vitamin D treatment. Vitamin D regulates the production of serotonin and other important neurotransmitters.
Diabetes. Supplementing with vitamin D and calcium cuts the risk of developing diabetes by 33%. Children who receive D supplementation from the age of one have an 80% reduced risk of developing Type I diabetes. Vitamin D also improves insulin reception. Insulin resistance is a factor in not only diabetes but in heart disease and cancer.
Immunity. Vitamin D plays an important role in the immune response and is itself an anti-viral. Vitamin D researcher Dr J.J. Cannell reported that in a psychiatric institution where he works, while every ward around his fell victim to an influenza epidemic, the vitamin-D supplemented patients in his ward did not.
Inflammation. Vitamin D is an anti-inflammatory, helpful with allergies or any other inflammatory condition.
Muscles/Pain. Muscle pain and fatigue are among the first signs of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D improves motor function, muscle strength and maintenance of muscle mass, balance, speed, and quickness of reaction; in addition it lowers both chronic pain and pain after injury. Elderly supplemented with vitamin D have fewer falls.
Osteoporosis. Vitamin D plays crucial roles in calcium absorption and metabolism, and in bone building. Supplementing with both calcium and vitamin D reduces bone loss and fracture risk.
Parkinson's Disease. Vitamin D is crucial in the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine. It has been shown to be protective against getting Parkinson's, and D-deficiency may be a major cause of this disease.
Periodontal Disease. Low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with periodontal disease.
Women's Health. Infertility is associated with low vitamin D status. PMS has been completely reversed by supplementing with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Vitamin D has been used successfully to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder leading to irregular periods, masculinisation and often obesity.
The only way to know for sure is with a test called the 25(OH)D test, which measures blood concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. A level below 20ng/ml is considered deficient, although I believe you should aim for a "high normal" level, generally around 50ng/ml.
Make sure you get the 25(OH)D test rather than an older test, which is not as useful, called 1,25(OH)D.
Here are some factors that can lead to deficiency:
In order for your skin to make vitamin D from the sun, the UV Index must be over 3. We live in a cold and warm climate, however in the UK it doesn't occur during the fall, winter and early spring -- hence the valuable tradition of taking vitamin D-rich cod liver oil during these months or a Vitamin D3 with K. Up to 5000 units daily.
The lighter your skin shade, the more readily you absorb and convert UVB rays from the sun into vitamin D. The converse is true if you are dark-skinned, and in fact vitamin D deficiency is much more prevalent among African Americans than Caucasians.
Obese people tend to store vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, in their fat stores where it is inaccessible, so they need more.
Over the age of 50 or so, we start becoming less efficient at making vitamin D from the sun. This, combined with the fact that elderly people spend most of their time indoors, makes deficiency a particular problem in these populations.
Many people today have malabsorption problems, and these people can be low on D. If so use a liquid D3, which is perfect so people can absorb it directly in through the mouth.
Pregnant women need more D, and unless they supplement at very high doses (4,000 IU/day), their breast milk will not be an adequate source of vitamin D for their infant child. For this reason the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends supplementation of 400 IU to all children from birth.
Toxins, for example lead, will impede the formation of the active form of vitamin D.
For the body to make the conversion of UVB rays from the sun into useable vitamin D, a number of chemical processes needs to occur. If you're not healthy - in other words if you are nutrient-deficient and/or toxic, you will be hampered in making this conversion.
Other conditions like chronic renal failure, gastric bypass surgery and taking steroid drugs necessitate taking additional vitamin D.
Certain drugs interfere with vitamin D absorption and metabolism, including Dilantin, phenobarbital, laxatives, and cholestyramine or any other drug that binds fats.
The worst thing since sliced bread…
A new study from Tel Aviv University, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found a proven link between eating high glycaemic foods and damage to your arteries, leading to potentially severe cardiac problems. You’ve heard me say this before… eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugars and you won’t get fat, you won’t get sick and you’ll improve your whole quality of lifeJ
High glycaemic foods (refined carb’s) include foods like white bread, cereals and other highly-processed, sugar-laden foods, a diet that most people in the Western world follow.
In this research they split their sample into four groups and fed each of them different diets for a month; one group had cornflakes and milk; a second group focused on a sugar mixture: a third group had bran flakes; and the fourth group had water (as a control).
They measured the results through a newly invented cuff on the arm of the subjects. This breakthrough device allowed the researchers to actually see what was happening inside peoples' arteries, as it visualises what is taking place inside their arteries before, during and after eating these specific foods.
Before eating, all of the subjects' arteries were found to be functioning in similar ways.
After eating their specific diets, all of the first three groups experienced a reduction in functionality in their arteries. (Except the 'water' group who stayed the same). The researchers noted that this effect was far worse for the first two groups where they found, a sudden, temporary dysfunction in the thin layer of cells that line the arteries (the endothelium). These cells operate normally to reduce any turbulence as blood flows round your body.
When this effect is repeated over time it can reduce the elasticity of your arteries and result in heart disease or even sudden death. The lead author, Dr. Shechter, who practices at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center - Tel Hashomer Hospital said:
"We knew high glycaemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how. Foods like cornflakes, white bread, French fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries. We've explained for the first time how high glycaemic carbs can affect the progression of heart disease."
Endothelial health can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body. It is "the riskiest of the risk factors," says Dr. Shechter. So - what should you do? Dr. Shechter says to stick to foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycaemic index. Exercising every day for at least 30 minutes, he adds, is an extra heart-smart action to take.