Thursday, July 29, 2010

“FORGOTTEN for Over 80 Years - Could this be the New Vitamin D?”

Considered unimportant and forgotten for decades, scientists worldwide are now recognizing its extraordinary benefits to your bones and heart health.* This is one vital nutrient you do NOT want to be deficient in…

It’s been over 10 years, since I began educating and helping people understand the importance of vitamin D… specifically, vitamin D3.

Of course, I wasn’t alone in this effort. Many others contributed to helping overcome some of the myths about sunlight and how critical vitamin D3 is to your overall health.

And now I believe another nutrient, appropriately labeled the ’forgotten vitamin,’ is about to explode in popularity as researchers are uncovering more of its spectacular health benefits every day.

Why has it been forgotten and somewhat ignored for over 80 years?

I’m not sure anyone can really answer why this vitamin’s health-enhancing benefits have been so overlooked. But certainly there’s a clue to its importance here because in some areas of the world (like India), government health agencies regulate this vitamin.

If this nutrient did not have any beneficial health advantages, why would it be regulated by government health agencies?

Plus, your potential benefits from this extraordinary nutrient are pretty much off the chart.

For example, this vitamin…

* Helps you build strong bones and keep them healthy*
* Helps boost your vascular (arteries and veins) system*
* Promotes your healthy heart*
* Helps you fight against premature aging*
* Enhances your memory function*

And this is just a start…

Before I get into more details on this vital nutrient, I must warn you up front… there are synthetic forms of this nutrient that may put your health at risk.

So, it’s very important to make sure you fully understand what to look for.

After all, the whole purpose here is to give more exposure to the ‘forgotten vitamin’ so you can reap the benefits… not to spike any health risk.

And that’s exactly what I’m planning to do. Just please pay close attention to the details on the different types of this nutrient to avoid potentially risky synthetics.

Next, let’s discover…
Why You Could be Deficient in this Vital Nutrient

It’s hard to understand why this vitamin has been so overlooked over the years. And estimates range as high as 99% of the population could be deficient in this nutrient.

There are many conditions where you could be putting yourself at risk for a higher likelihood of deficiency.

First of all, this vitamin is fat-soluble.

What does that mean? Well, fat-soluble simply means that dietary fat is necessary for efficient absorption. So, if your diet does not contain adequate amounts of dietary fat, your absorption of this nutrient could be impacted.

There are additional conditions that could increase your risk of deficiency in this essential vitamin…

* Eating a poor or restricted diet
* Having certain conditions like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, celiac, and others that interfere with nutrient absorption
* Dealing with a liver condition that interferes with vitamin storage
* Taking certain medications such as broad-spectrum antibiotics, cholesterol drugs, and potentially aspirin that may impact or block vitamin absorption
* Eating foods containing the wrong type of this vitamin with poor bioavailability

I’m ready to dive into your best natural source of this ‘forgotten vitamin’… but first, right up front, I want to further raise your awareness of…
Synthetic Pretenders – What to Look For and Avoid

If you haven’t figured out what the ‘forgotten vitamin’ is by now let me tell you that this new wonder kid on the block is vitamin K. You can rest assured that in the next few years you will hear the media rave about its benefits.

But fortunately, since you are reading Mercola.com you can learn about this long before the rest of population discovers its benefits.

Danish scientist, Dr. Henrik Dam, discovered vitamin K in 1929. The ‘K’ is for ‘koagulation’ – essential for blood clotting.* But it only starts there.

Vitamin K is unique because it has multiple effects in your body, but doesn’t demonstrate any known toxicity. With research focused on potential effects on your skeletal system, brain, liver, and pancreas, vitamin K is one of the most promising nutrients of our time.*

But you should know about the different types. And in particular, know which synthetic type to be on the look out for.

There are three main forms of vitamin K…

* K1 – phylloquinone, aka phytonadione
* K2 – menaquinone
* K3 – menadione synthetic variant

Vitamin K3 is a synthetic variant of the vitamin which I don’t recommended for human consumption… this is the one you and your family need to avoid at all costs.

Green leafy vegetables – including lettuce, broccoli, and spinach contain vitamin K1. And it makes up about 90 percent of the vitamin K in the Western-style diet.

The vitamin K which I recommend is vitamin K2 – natural, non-toxic, and made in your body as well.

Vitamin K2 includes several menaquinones (MK-n, with the ‘n’ determined by the number of prenyl side chains), such as MK-4 found in meats, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 found in fermented food products like cheese and natto.
What is Your Best Source of the ‘Forgotten Vitamin’?

One of the best natural sources of vitamin K2 comes from an ancient Japanese food called natto.

So, what is natto?

Natto…

* Is a fermented soybean food
* Contains nattokinase, a powerful beneficial enzyme rich in vitamin K2
* Comes loaded with a healthy bacteria called bacillus subtilus that may also serve as a probiotic*

Fermented foods, like natto, typically have the highest concentration of vitamin K in the human diet. Levels of vitamin K found in natto (K2) have been shown to far exceed those amounts found in dark green vegetables (K1).

In fact, vitamin K2 concentration after the consumption of natto has been shown to be about 10 times higher than that of vitamin K1 after eating spinach.

Unfortunately, most people do not eat or enjoy many fermented foods.

And the absorption of vitamin K1 through eating green leafy vegetable is not very efficient… some research shows only about 10-15% gets absorbed even when consumed with dietary fat.

The problem with natto is that most people do not enjoy eating it because they find it very distasteful. It has a slippery texture with a strong flavor and pungent aroma.

Some people do acquire a taste for natto over time. But many never do.

Any wonder why most people may be deficient in vitamin K?... They simply may not be eating the right food to provide what’s needed.

So, what can be done to solve this issue? That’s where I can offer some recommendations to help out.

Before we dive into that, I first want to address the natto issue and the fact that it comes from soy. If you’ve been a visitor to my site, you’re probably already aware that I’m not a big fan of soy. But if you look closely, there is one exception and that’s…
Why This Type of Soy Could be Healthful for You

Like I said, I’m not an advocate of eating unfermented soy.

Why?

Many people still believe unfermented and processed soy products like soy milk, soy cheese, soy burgers, and soy ice cream are actually healthful when nothing could be further from the truth.

Today’s high-tech processing methods leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths, and petroleum solvents in unfermented soy.

Natto does not come from unfermented soy… it’s derived from healthful fermented soy and provides an extraordinary rich source of vitamin K2.

more here: http://products.mercola.com/vitamin-k/?source=nl

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Dangers of using Caffeine to fight stress or fatigue...



Dr. Mercolla talks about the dangers of masking the problem like stress or fatigue by drinking coffee, coke or anything with caffeine.

THIS Asthma Solution Costs No Money…

Posted By Dr. Mercola | July 13 2010

Asthmatic children with low blood vitamin D levels may have a greater risk of suffering severe asthma attacks.

A study followed more than 1,000 children with asthma for four years, and found those with vitamin-D insufficiency at the outset were more likely to have an asthma attack that required a trip to the hospital.

Reuters reports:

“When the researchers considered other factors -- including the severity of the children's asthma at the study's start, their weight and their family income -- vitamin D insufficiency itself was linked to a 50 percent increase in the risk of severe asthma attacks.”

Sources:
Reuters June 23, 2010
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology June 8, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]
Eurekalert June 25, 2010
Eurekalert June 23, 2010
Phytotherapy Research June 14, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

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Vitamin D never ceases to amaze, and research into its impact on non-bone related diseases continues to yield positive results.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of health conditions, from depression to autoimmune disorders, to colds and flu, to cancer, and now asthma, and even cognitive function.

This is good news.

Asthma has increased by more than 300 percent over the last two decades, now affecting some 20 million Americans, and if vitamin D is even partially responsible for this meteoric rise in prevalence, then the answer is literally right outside your door.

Millions of people are needlessly exposing themselves to the dangers inherent with the standard drug treatments for asthma. Advair, for example, contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol, which can actually increase the severity of an asthma attack.

Researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year. Conventional asthma treatments can also increase your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, just to name a few.

This is why it’s so important to start focusing our attention on simple, effective, and infinitely safer methods, such as increasing vitamin D levels, to combat the underlying cause of this growing health problem.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Asthma at All Time Highs

Right now, only 5 to 37 percent of American infants meet the standard for vitamin D set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which will make them prime candidates for a slew of future health problems related to vitamin D deficiency – one of them being asthma.

At the end of 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommended dose of vitamin D for infants, children and adolescents, raising it from 200 to 400 units per day. But research published earlier that same year revealed children may need ten times that amount in order to receive the health benefits that optimal vitamin D levels have to offer.

Many mothers also are vitamin D-deficient, which is another contributor to asthma. A 2007 study showed that poor diet and lack of vitamin D during pregnancy were the determining factors in whether their children suffered from asthma by the age of five.

In addition, this latest study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology confirms previous findings, showing that asthmatic children with low blood vitamin D levels also have an increased risk of suffering severe asthma attacks.

According to this study, vitamin D insufficiency itself was linked to a 50 percent increase in the risk of severe asthma attacks.

This makes sense, as a number of other studies have confirmed that there’s an inverse association between respiratory infections and vitamin D levels in children. This is likely because vitamin D upregulates a specific gene that produces over 200 anti-microbial peptides, some of which work like a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

In addition, optimizing your overall immune function is an essential part of treating asthma, and vitamin D is proven to be an incredibly powerful immune modulator, which is why optimizing your vitamin D levels is so essential.

Beware: Conventional Vitamin D Recommendations are Still Too Low

Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU’s of vitamin D per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women.

This is a far cry from the 200-600 IU’s currently recommended by our health agencies.

Remember, however, that vitamin D requirements are highly individual.

Your vitamin D status is dependent on several factors, such as the color of your skin, your location, and how much sunshine you’re exposed to on a regular basis. So, although these recommendations may put you closer to the level of what most people likely need, it is virtually impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone.

The only accurate way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you’ll want to maintain a vitamin D level of at least 50ng/ml and perhaps as high as 80-90 ng/ml year-round.

For in-depth information about safe sun exposure, dosing and other recommendations to safely and effectively optimize your vitamin D levels, please review this previous article.

Additional Safe and Effective Strategies to Treat Asthma

Although asthma is a serious disease, safely treating your asthma is not complicated.

Optimizing your vitamin D levels is the first step, but there are other simple strategies that can help treat the root of the problem as well.

In my experience, the following strategies are highly effective when treating asthma:

* Increase your intake of animal-based omega 3 fats and reduce your intake of processed omega 6 fats
* Consider the hygiene hypothesis – There’s a tendency in our modern culture to be obsessive about cleanliness, but this may not be as healthy as initially thought. It appears that being exposed to common bacterial and viral infections as a child can be instrumental in providing the stimulus to your immune system to prevent asthma naturally.
* Get regular exercise – Exercise (especially out in fresh air if you’re an asthmatic) is actually crucial, as it helps to moderate insulin levels. It increases your insulin receptor sensitivity, and as a result your body produces less insulin, which tends to optimize it.
* Purify your indoor air
* Avoid all commercial milk products. They are notorious for making asthma worse. If you consume milk at all, use only raw milk products from grass-fed cows, but even then be careful and take note of whether or not the raw milk is making your asthma better or worse.
* Eat foods rich in vitamin E. Much like vitamin D, higher vitamin E intake has also been associated with lower serum IgE concentrations and a lower frequency of allergen sensitization.
* Hydrate well. You will want to make sure you drink enough clean pure water to turn your urine a light color of yellow, as dehydration will clearly worsen asthma.
* Try some Butterbur (Petasites hybridus). This perennial shrub has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of conditions. As far back as the 17th century, butterbur was used to treat coughs, asthma, and skin wounds. Researchers have since identified the compounds in butterbur that help reduce symptoms in asthma by inhibiting leukotrienes and histamines, which are responsible for symptom aggravation in asthma. In one study, 40 percent of patients taking a butterbur root extract were able to reduce their intake of traditional asthma medications.
* Build your immune system with allergy testing. In my experience, conventional testing does not work very effectively and there is a fair amount of risk. A far better intradermal skin test is the provocation neutralization testing. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has a list of physicians who are trained in this highly effective technique.

The Link Between Asthma and Allergies

In addition to the 20 million Americans suffering from asthma, another 60 million are affected by allergic rhinitis, or ‘hay fever.’

The hidden link between asthma and allergies?

Again, vitamin D deficiency!

So whether you’re an asthmatic or suffer from allergies, optimizing your vitamin D levels should be at the top of your list.

For natural allergy relief, another recent study found that Pycnogenol®, an antioxidant plant extract derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree can offer significant relief.

Although it won’t treat the root cause of the problem, it may be worth a try to get relief from the symptoms, which can be quite debilitating for some, such as itchy rashes, swelling, hives, and excessive mucous.

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Vitamin D is Important for Thinking Clearly Too

As I mentioned at the beginning, scientists have also found more evidence linking vitamin D and cognitive function, by studying seniors receiving home care. Cognitive function is the level at which your brain is able to manage and use available information for daily activities.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, vitamin D receptors have been identified throughout the human body, and scientists have shown that vitamin D influences at least 3,000 different genes. So it is no surprise that metabolic pathways for vitamin D also exist in your brain. In this case, researchers located pathways in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain.

These are the areas of your brain that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories.

Of the 1,000 participants, only 35 percent had sufficient vitamin D levels.

Keep in mind that “sufficient levels” in this case are based on the conventional recommendation, which states that 15 ng/ml is sufficient for bone- and overall health.

We now know this is woefully inadequate for most.

Experts now believe the optimal level for general health lies between 50-70 ng/ml.

Still, participants with higher vitamin D levels performed better on cognitive tests than those who were deficient.

Other studies have also provided evidence that vitamin D is involved in brain function by promoting detoxification of damaging heavy metals. One such study showed that vitamin D helps remove mercury by radically increasing intracellular glutathione.

As you can see, there’s plenty of reasons to check your vitamin D levels, if you haven’t done so already, to make sure you’re within the optimal range.

source link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/insufficient-vitamin-d-tied-to-severe-asthma-attacks.aspx