Health Advice/Discussion

EstherM wrote:
Well, it can heal wounds

It can also make people leap tall buildings in a single bound....and it can also make people look better...if you drink enough.

Tu_triky wrote:


It can also make people leap tall buildings in a single bound....and it can also make people look better...if you drink enough.

in short it's magical :mrgreen:

EstherM wrote:

in short it's magical :mrgreen:

:hehe: :hehe:

Yes. Maho no Biru.....

Low Vitamin D Intake Boosts Heart Attack, Stroke Risk by 60 Percent
by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Medical School and published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

Researchers followed 1,739 people for five years, assessing their vitamin D levels by means of regular blood tests. The average age of participants was 59. All participants were white, had no prior history of cardiovascular disease, and were the children of the original participants in the multigenerational Framingham Heart Study.

Participants with low levels of vitamin D had a 60 percent higher chance of experiencing a cardiovascular event, including heart attack, heart failure or stroke, during the study period than participants with high blood levels. The correlation remained even after researchers adjusted for other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Those who had both vitamin D deficiency and high blood pressure had twice the risk of cardiovascular events as those who had vitamin D deficiency alone.

"There is a growing body of experimental literature suggesting that vitamin D may have some actions on the heart and major blood levels," said lead researcher Thomas Wang. "As a corollary, the lack of vitamin D may be associated with the development of cardiac abnormalities."

The connection between Vitamin D and bone health is well-established, due to the vitamin's role in helping the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a bone softening disorder in children known as rickets, and can increase adults' risk of osteoporosis. More recent research has also suggested that high vitamin D intake may also protect against certain cancers and the neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis.

The body naturally produces vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight. Health professionals recommend that light-skinned people get 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine exposure at least three times per week, and that darker skinned people get up to twice that amount.

^ They didn't mention what was low level was and was a person's intake should be... Though I recall it was something like 3000+ units.

bmwracer wrote:^ They didn't mention what was low level was and was a person's intake should be... Though I recall it was something like 3000+ units.

A low level is usually described as below 25 nanomoles per liter as determined by a 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) test. Yeah one recommendation was to take about 3000 IU of Vitamin D3. I would recommend at least supplementing with 1000IU a day. I supplement with a min. of 2400IU sometimes up 9600IU a day.

I recommend Heathy Origins 2400 IU Vitamin D3 softgels...a 360 count bottle only costs about 12 bucks...if you took one a day...the darn thing would last you a whole year, and each softgel is so small, about the size of a bb. If you're interested I recommend getting it @ www.iherb.com. Fast shipping, cheap, and it's a local company.

I would put money that almost everybody even in L.A. is deficient in Vitamin D. I read a study conducted by the Univeristy of Wisconsin on Hawaiian residents and their Vitamin D levels...93 test subjects in the study...even among this random population sampling in Hawaii, a land DRENCHED in Sun...51% of the sample population was Vitamin D deficient. :shocked:

^ Checking out the site now. :victory:

bmwracer wrote:^ Checking out the site now. :victory:

Cool. That's where I get the majority of my supplements...it's so cheap and they have all the name brands.

Not to be redundant...but if you want the best extensive info on vitamin D, including all the cutting edge research, I suggest the Vitamin D Council website.

By the way Healthy Origins also offers 1000 IU softgels if you feel that is more appropriate for you.

Tu_triky wrote:Cool. That's where I get the majority of my supplements...it's so cheap and they have all the name brands.

Not to be redundant...but if you want the best extensive info on vitamin D, including all the cutting edge research, I suggest the Vitamin D Council website.

By the way Healthy Origins also offers 1000 IU softgels if you feel that is more appropriate for you.

From reading Wiki, it seems that taking cod liver oil softgels will give you the benefit of vitamin D AND omega-3... Comments?

bmwracer wrote:
From reading Wiki, it seems that taking cod liver oil softgels will give you the benefit of vitamin D AND omega-3... Comments?

Just make sure it's from a pure source so it's not contaminated...one concern about cod liver is that it has a high level of Vitamin A, which isn't necessarily bad but if you overdo it with the cod liver you could be getting too much Vitamin A (retinol) which may actually INTERFERE with the activity of Vitamin D, particularly as it relates the absorption and regulation of calcium.

My personal opinion, take Vitamin D softgels, not the cod liver oil ...I think that advice is also suggested at the Vitamin D Council website. :)

Tu_triky wrote:Just make sure it's from a pure source so it's not contaminated...one concern about cod liver is that it has a high level of Vitamin A, which isn't necessarily bad but if you overdo it with the cod liver you could be getting too much Vitamin A (retinol) which may actually INTERFERE with the activity of Vitamin D, particularly as it relates the absorption and regulation of calcium.

Yeah, further reading has pointed that out as well... Besides the vitamin D concentrations in cod liver oil isn't that high, only around 400-600 IU.

Looks like the Healthy Origins supplements give you the best bang for the buck. :)

bmwracer wrote:
Yeah, further reading has pointed that out as well... Besides the vitamin D concentrations in cod liver oil isn't that high, only around 400-600 IU.

Looks like the Healthy Origins supplements give you the best bang for the buck. :)

Yeah my mom takes the Healthy Origins supplement 2400 IU a day. ;)

August 11, 2008

Omega-3 Heart Benefits Affirmed by U.S.-Japan Study
Findings appear to eliminate genetic explanations for Japanfs low rates of heart disease.

by Craig Weatherby

The results of a new study affirm the idea that consuming fish or fish oil frequently can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and consequent injuries or death.

Itfs long been known that people in fish-loving Japan have much lower rates of heart disease, compared with Americans and most Europeans.

The same is true of Iceland and other countries where fish consumption is high.

Rates of coronary heart disease and heart-related deaths remain very low in Japan despite major shifts toward American-style diets and lifestyles: an anomaly called the gJapanese paradoxh.

Japanfs reduced heart risk rates linked to fish, not genes

An international team from Japan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Hawaii examined blood samples and health records of Japanese men, white American men, and Japanese-American men (Sekikawa A, et al. 2008).

The results showed that the Japanese men had omega-3 blood levels two times higher than white Americans or Japanese-Americans, and that the Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis (dangerous arterial plaque).

Lead author Akira Sekikawa from the University of Pittsburgh made two important points in a press release:

gOur study suggests that very high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have strong properties that may help prevent the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries.h
gOur study shows [that the] much higher intake of fish observed in the Japanese may have strong anti-atherogenic [plaque-preventing] effect.h
Dr. Sekikawa's team examined blood and health data from 868 men between 40 and 49 years of age.

Of these, 281 were born and living in Japan (Japanese), 306 were white men born and living in the U.S. (white American), and 281 were men of Japanese ancestry born and living in the U.S. (Japanese-American).

To rank the menfs risk of atherosclerosis, the researchers measured the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery, which provides a pretty good indication of the presence and severity of atherosclerotic plaque.

The Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis, as measured by their carotid arteries' IMT.

And the Japanese advantage held steady after the researchers accounted for other plaque-promoting factors such as higher cholesterol levels, blood pressure, cigarette smoking, higher body mass index, and diabetes.

The Japanese-Americans and the white Americans had similar levels of LDL cholesterol, but the white American men had significantly higher levels of the riskiest form of cholesterol (large VLDL) and significantly lower levels of the most protective kind (large HDL).

The teamfs conclusion summarizes their finding succinctly:

gVery high levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids have anti-atherogenic [plaque-preventing] properties that are independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and may contribute to lower the burden of atherosclerosis in Japanese, a lower burden that is unlikely the result of genetic factors.h (Sekikawa A, et al 2008)

^ There's also the French Paradox, where there's a lower incidence of heart disease in France, despite the high consumption of red meat... And high consumption of red wine. :)

bmwracer wrote:^ There's also the French Paradox, where there's a lower incidence of heart disease in France, despite the high consumption of red meat... And high consumption of red wine. :)

Yes, indeed...that is now thought to be due to the resveratrol (antioxidant) present in French red wines...resveratrol is said to be highly protective, anti-aging, and actually mitigates the effects of high fat meals.

Tu_triky wrote:

Yes, indeed...that is now thought to be due to the resveratrol (antioxidant) present in French red wines...resveratrol is said to be highly protective, anti-aging, and actually mitigates the effects of high fat meals.

Also there is the increasing discussion about Omega 3/Omega 6 dietary ratios being so skewed in the US (closer to 20 to 1 than the pre-industrial 1.5-2 to 1) as playing a more profound role in heart disease, diabetes, and atherosclerosis than saturated fats (a possible misinterpretation propagated by post-WW2 wishful thinking and erroneous conclusions about health changes.)

For an interesting discussion of this, check out Nina Plank's recent work - here's a discussion panel she held recorded on KUOW: http://kuow.org/program.php?id=14191

There is an increasing body of data and research which is stealing the thunder from our recent vilification of saturated fats and could change how we look at our dietary choices. Michael Pollan also discusses this erroneous conclusion in his most recent book In Defense of Food, which talks about commoditization of nutrients and how our current perspective of healthful eating is framed by arguable non-sequiturs. Almost all the interesting stuff in the book is contained in an article he published last year, Unhappy Meals. You can read it here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html

phlargo wrote:

Also there is the increasing discussion about Omega 3/Omega 6 dietary ratios being so skewed in the US (closer to 20 to 1 than the pre-industrial 1.5-2 to 1) as playing a more profound role in heart disease, diabetes, and atherosclerosis than saturated fats (a possible misinterpretation propagated by post-WW2 wishful thinking and erroneous conclusions about health changes.

For an interesting discussion of this, check out Nina Plank's recent work - here's a discussion panel she held recorded on KUOW: http://kuow.org/program.php?id=14191

There is an increasing body of data and research which is stealing the thunder from our recent vilification of saturated fats and could change how we look at our dietary choices.

Thanks for that...yes, I agree the ratio of fats is important...that's why a host of compaines provide these oils in proper ratios of n-3, n-6, and n-9 fatty acids in some of their products, as opposed to just Omega-3 fatty acids. A dizzying array of choices exists on the shelves.

phlargo wrote: which talks about commoditization of nutrients and how our current perspective of healthful eating is framed by arguable non-sequiturs.

If people didn't know you were a lawyer before, they do now. [/list:u]

gaijinmark wrote: If people didn't know you were a lawyer before, they do now. [/list:u]

I'll say.

I could've sworn I heard that line from an episode of Law & Order. :beaten:

gaijinmark wrote: If people didn't know you were a lawyer before, they do now. [/list:u]

Are you kidding.. I've talked like that since I was 15 ;-) I've always liked 'poetic' writing :hehe: My undergraduate anthropological framework, however, did nothing to suppress my propensity for colorful phrasic composition.

I actually made a concerted effort during the tenure of scholastic writing to avoid the alienation that I believe academia has systematized through the arcane nature of its publication style. I always try to write so anyone can get the meaning, avoiding obscure terms of art and obtuse language.

I do, however, strongly believe that not all words are created equally in describing the same emotion or thinking and it is the subtle nuance which can make or break an argument ... so I try to employ the words I feel best further my intentions and will usually not substitute a common word for a choice word where meaning or connotation would be lost.