Ideal Vitamin D Blood Levels Lower All-Cause Mortality by Thirty Percent

The importance of vitamin D for human health has been the topic of extensive research over the past decade. Suboptimal levels of the prohormone are known to compromise immunity, cardiovascular health, bone health and normal metabolism. The result of a new meta-analysis study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that adequate circulating vitamin D reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 29%.

Vitamin D has been shown to provide the blueprint required for healthy DNA replication of cellular structures; low levels of the sunshine vitamin dramatically increase the incidence of many cancer lines as genetic mutations proliferate. Millions of at-risk people can protect themselves by ensuring normal blood saturation levels through a simple blood test and prudent sun exposure or supplementation.

Vitamin D Blood Level Lowers Colorectal Cancer Risk by Forty Percent

Vitamin D deficiency runs rampant in the aging population around the world. Researchers estimate that correcting this deficiency by doubling the typically low vitamin D levels would result in a 20% mortality reduction. A body of evidence shows that senior adults with the lowest level of vitamin D blood saturation more than double their risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Researchers performed a large meta-analysis of eleven vitamin D studies including 59,231 individuals. They compared individuals in the highest quartile with those in the lowest quartile and found the increased risk of early morality from all causes was 29%. As blood levels dropped below 30 ng/mL, the risk for death went up in a linear manner. It is important to note that fifty-percent of U.S. citizens have vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL and forty percent have major deficiency (below 20 ng/mL), problems made worse by lack of sun exposure in the winter.

Maintain Optimal Vitamin D Blood levels with a Simple 25(OH)D Test

In an independent and supporting body of research, scientists from the national cancer Center in Tokyo publishing in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that the highest levels of vitamin D blood saturation lowered the risk of colorectal cancer by forty percent. In a study of 737 people with colon cancer and 703 cancer free individuals, researchers found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D and increased levels of calcium experienced the lowest risk from this common form of cancer.

World-renowned vitamin D expert, Dr. Michael Holick commented “maintaining optimal vitamin D status is important for reducing risk of colorectal cancer independent of the calcium effect.” Nutrition experts recommend maintaining vitamin D levels between 50 and 70 ng/mL as measured by a 25(OH)D blood test. New evidence suggests that calcium provided from natural food sources (590 mg per day) provides a synergistic effect with vitamin D to dramatically lower all-cause mortality "Infolinks 2012".

Omega-3 Fats are Essential to Prevent Nerve Damage after Traumatic Injury

People that have suffered a traumatic injury face an uphill battle as they attempt to regain their health and fight the risk of depression as a long term consequence of the event. British researchers from Queen Mary at the University of London have published the result of a study in the Journal of Neuroscience that explains how omega-3 fatty acids play a significant role in preventing and protecting nerves from injury.

The research focused on peripheral nerve cells which transmit signals between the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Omega-3 fats from food sources including sardines, salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds provide for decreased cell death from injury and may offer significant protection against future damage.

Omega-3 Fats Help Prevent Nerve Damage and Assist the Repair Process

Current research indicates that our nerves do have a limited capacity to regenerate, but recovery is severely limited depending on the extent of the injury. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the body's normal growth and development and have been well researched for their health benefits, largely focused on brain and heart health. The body is unable to manufacture its own Omega-3 fat supply, so it is necessary to obtain sufficient intake from foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds or through supplementation.

Researchers studied the effect of Omega-3 fats on isolated mice nerve cells, known to parallel human nerve responses. They simulated nerve damage caused from an accident or injury by either stretching the cells or starving them of oxygen. Both types of damage can kill a significant portion of nerve cells, but enrichment with omega-3 fatty acids in cells gave them significant protection and decreased cell death.

EPA and DHA Fats Lower Sciatic Nerve Injury Damage and Prevent Muscle Wasting

The study also examined sciatic nerve damage in the mice. They found that a high level of omega-3 fatty acids helped mice to recover from sciatic nerve injury more quickly and more fully, and that their muscles were less likely to waste following nerve damage. The team leader, Dr. Adina Michael-Titus, Professor of Neuroscience concluded “Our previous research has shown that these fatty acids could have beneficial effects in a number of neurological conditions. This new study suggests that they could also have a role in treating peripheral nerve injuries.”

The findings from this research should come as no surprise to integrative health followers. The Omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are essential building blocks to all cellular structures in the body and are particularly dominant in the brain and nervous system. A healthy supply of Omega-3 fatty acids allows for natural cell repair and the effective chemical and electrical communications that are important to optimal nerve function. Consuming fatty fish three to four times a week or supplementing with molecularly distilled fish oil (1 to 2.4 grams total EPA/DHA) supports the nervous system and regeneration process after injury.

Processed Meats Boost Pancreatic Cancer Risk by Nearly One-Quarter

Researchers publishing in the British Journal of Cancer have determined that processed meat consumption increases the risk of developing one of the most deadly forms of pancreatic cancer by nineteen percent in men and women. In addition, the same study found that a diet high in red meat can lead to increased risk of the disease in men. Eating the equivalent of one sausage or two strips of bacon each day was found to jump the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in this prospective meta-analysis study, compared to those who consumed no meat.

A diet of just over four ounces of red meat eaten daily increased the risk of pancreatic cancer in men by close to thirty percent. Health-minded individuals wishing to limit their risk for developing pancreatic cancer will want to eliminate processed meats and severely limit red meat consumption.

Research Shows That Processed Meats and Smoking Dramatically Increase Pancreatic Cancer Risk

The lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer in western cultures is 1 in 79 for women and 1 in 77 for men, compared to smoking which increases the risk by 74%. Any habit that increases the risk of developing this form of the disease that defies early diagnosis and carries a dismal five-year survival rate less than five percent is unacceptable.

British researchers conducted a meta-analysis of eleven significant studies involving more than 6,000 individuals with pancreatic cancer. The scientist’s compiled details on the consumption of processed and red meats for the study subjects across all studies considered, and then analyzed to determine the impact on disease genesis and prognosis. The study leader, Professor Susanna Larsson noted “Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates. So as well as diagnosing it early, it’s important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease.”

Deadly Carcinogenic Amines Form When Meats are Cooked at High Temperatures

Researchers found that process meats contain a high level of nitrites and N-nitroso compounds used to preserve the meat and provide flavor. The positive association between processed meat consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer increases as the compounds pass from the bloodstream to the pancreas where they are known to be carcinogenic. In a similar fashion, humans are exposed to N-nitroso compounds via cigarette smoking, an established risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The study suggests that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is greatly increased with a diet of processed meats and smoking.

Interestingly, the study did not find that eating red meat increased pancreatic cancer risk in women. The authors believe this is because women eat less red meat than men, and there is a tolerance level exceeded by men and not women. Similar studies have shown that heterocyclic amines form when red meat is cooked using high-temperature methods such as pan frying or grilling directly over an open flame, dramatically increasing pancreatic cancer risk.

Health-minded individuals are well advised to avoid all processed meats (sausage, bacon and luncheon meats). The study researchers concluded “The jury is still out as to whether meat is a definite risk factor for pancreatic cancer and more large studies are needed to confirm this. But this new analysis suggests processed meat may be playing a role.”

High Fiber, Lo-Carb Diet Lowers Risk of Inflammatory Diseases

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have published the result of a study showing that a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as leafy green vegetables, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with the onset of chronic disease. The work, reported in The Journal of Nutrition, explains that a diet rich in high-fiber foods significantly improves insulin signaling and resistance that promote life-shortening diseases including cancer, cardiovascular, stroke and dementia.

Monitoring the glycemic-load of different foods lowers the risk of blood glucose spikes and also increases a hormone that helps regulate the metabolism of fat and sugar. Health minded individuals will want to ensure they eat between thirty and fifty grams of fiber from a variety of food sources each day to control systemic inflammation and lower disease risk.

Low Glycemic Diet Lowers Inflammatory Blood Marker by Nearly a Quarter

The random controlled study involved eighty healthy men and women selected from the Seattle, WA area. Half were considered to be of normal weight, and the other half were overweight or obese as measured on a standardized BMI scale. Researchers found that among overweight and obese study participants, a low-glycemic-load diet reduced a biomarker of inflammation called C-reactive protein by about 22 percent.

Other studies in the past have suggested a correlation between dietary carbohydrate and sugar consumption as measured by the glycemic index of foods and systemic inflammation. This research is important because the C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease.

Lowering Blood Glucose Levels Increases Adiponectin to Guard Against Cancer and Diabetes

Dr. Marian Neuhouser, a member of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center noted “Lowering inflammatory factors is important for reducing a broad range of health risks. Showing that a low-glycemic-load diet can improve health is important for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese.”

Neuhouser and her team also found that increasing low glycemic load foods in the participants diet by just five percent resulted in increased blood levels of a protein hormone called adiponectin. The hormone is known to protect against a number of different cancer lines as well as metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hardening of the arteries.

Many health-minded people know the importance of avoiding processed carbohydrates and sugar-laden foods while increasing dietary fiber. Dr. Neuhouser concluded “Whenever possible, choose carbohydrates that are less likely to cause rapid spikes in blood glucose… these types of low-glycemic-load carbs include whole grains; legumes such as kidney beans, soy beans, pinto beans and lentils as well as fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and pears.” This study provides another chapter to the growing body of research that demonstrates the importance of dietary choices to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and most chronic illnesses.

Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Improve Memory and Cognition as we Age

Researchers from the Australian National University have shown that essential B vitamins combat stress that results in a loss of memory and normal thought patterns that cause abnormal brain aging. Publishing in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists found that long-term supplementation of daily folic acid and vitamin B-12 promotes improvement in cognitive functioning after a period of two years, particularly in immediate and delayed memory performance.

B vitamins are crucial for nerve transmission and are needed in higher amounts as your stress level increases. Health-minded adults will want to ensure that they obtain an optimal daily dose of these important vitamins from diet or supplemental sources.

Folic Acid and Vitamin B-12 Fight Brain Stress and Inflammation in the Elderly

The study leader, Dr. Janine Walker and her team conducted a two year intervention among elderly participants confined in a community-dwelling environment. All participants exhibited symptoms of depression and were under moderate stress due to environmental and lifestyle conditions. The study was designed to determine if nutritional intervention could prevent cognitive decline under randomized and controlled conditions.

Researchers supplemented one group of study volunteers with an oral dosage of 400 micrograms of folic acid and 100 micrograms of vitamin B-12 daily. This group was compared against a control set of participants that received a placebo. The results were measured at twelve and twenty-four month intervals using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status Standardized Test and the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (to determine processing speed). An Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly was administered at two years to provide a final analysis of cognitive function.

B Vitamin Duo Synergistically Improves Memory Performance in Aging Adults

The study authors found that the group receiving the supplemental B-vitamins experienced significantly better memory function when compared to the control subjects. The research team determined that stress results in inflammation to neuron structures in the brain and inhibits electrical and chemical transmissions between nerves that are required to form new memories and maintain a healthy degree of cognitive function. The body uses B-vitamins, especially folic acid and vitamin B-12 to fight brain inflammation and ensure proper brain communications.

After the two year study period, Dr. Walker concluded “Long-term supplementation of daily oral 400 mcg folic acid and 100 mcg vitamin B-12 promotes improvement in cognitive functioning after 24 months, particularly in immediate and delayed memory performance.” The entire family of B-vitamins has been shown to lower the impact of brain stress and inflammation. Health-conscious adults will want to combine a daily supply of B-vitamins with the Omega-3 fats EPA and DHA to dramatically lower the risk of memory loss and cognitive decline.