Sugar Dangers

I read another interesting article by Dr. Mercola about the sugar dangers and I have re-published it below for your information and convenience.

Almost Everyone Eats it, But it’s a “Breeding Ground” for Disease

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Story at-a-glance

• According to Dr. Robert Lustig, one of the leading experts on childhood obesity, sugar is a poison, responsible for obesity along with chronic and lethal diseases
• Recent research shows that fructose can activate taste cells found on your pancreas, a reaction that can increase your body’s secretion of insulin and raise your risk of type 2 diabetes
• Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a complex group of compounds formed when sugar reacts with amino acids. Glycation is one of the major molecular mechanisms whereby damage accrues in your body, which leads to disease and aging
• As a standard recommendation to limit glycation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day

By Dr. Mercola

Evidence is mounting that sugar is the primary factor causing not just obesity, but also many chronic and lethal diseases.

Dr. Robert Lustig, one of the leading experts on childhood obesity, and arguably the number one enemy of the sugar lobby, has published a well written article in the prestigious scientific journal Nature arguing that sugar is a poison.ⁱ

He believes that the negative health effects of sugar consumption can no longer be ignored, any more than the health effects of tobacco and alcohol could.

According to Dr. Lustig, via the website Diet Doctorⁱⁱ:
“The problem with sugar isn’t just weight gain … A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases.

A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.”
For the first time in history, “lifestyle” diseases — diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers — are killing more people than communicable diseases. And treating these entirely preventable illnesses costs more than one-seventh of the U.S. GDP. It stands to reason then that simply preventing these diseases could save the US health care system around
one trillion dollars a year.

One of the primary, and likely most effective ways of preventing these diseases would be to curb the outrageous over-consumption of sugar

Dr. Lustig rightfully argues that sugar used to be available to our ancestors only as fruit or honey—and then only for a few months of the year—compared to today, when sugar (primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is added to virtually all processed foods and drinks; even items you normally would not think of as being high in sugar. Tragically, many href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/29/chocolate-toddler-formula-pulled-after-sugar-uproar.aspx">infant formulas even contain more than 50 percent sugar! “Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy,” Dr. Lustig says.

Fructose is NOT the Same as Glucose

Glucose is the form of energy you were designed to run on. Every cell in your body, every bacterium — and in fact, every living thing on the Earth — uses glucose for energy.

Fructose is not the same molecule. Glucose is a 6-member ring, but fructose is a 5-member ring. Sucrose (table sugar) is 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose, and HFCS is 42-55 percent fructose.

If you received your fructose only from vegetables and fruits (where it originates) as most people did a century ago, you’d consume about 15 grams per day. Today the average is 73 grams per day which is nearly 500 percent higher a dose and our bodies simply can’t tolerate that type of biochemical abuse.
Furthermore, in vegetables and fruits, the fructose is mixed in with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all of which help moderate the negative metabolic effects. So it’s not that fructose itself is “poisonous”—it’s the biologically inappropriate doses you’re exposed to that make it hazardous to your health and well-being.

How High Fructose Corn Syrup has Decimated Human Health

We now know, without a doubt, that it’s the excessive sugar content in the modern diet that is taking such a devastating toll on people’s health. According to GreenMedInfo.com, scientific studies have linked fructose to about 78 different diseases and health problemsⁱⁱⁱ. Select the hyperlinks provided to review how fructose may

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was invented in Japan in 1966 and introduced to the American market in 1975. Food and beverage manufacturers quickly began switching their sweeteners from sucrose (table sugar) to corn syrup when they discovered that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) could save them a lot of money.Sucrose costs about three times as much as HFCS. HFCS is also about 20 percent sweeter than table sugar, so you need less to achieve the same amount of sweetness.

In the mid 1970s, dietary fats were blamed for heart disease, giving rise to the “low-fat craze,” which resulted in an explosion of processed nonfat and low fat convenience foods—most of which tasted like sawdust unless sugar was added. Fructose was then added to make all these fat-free products more palatable. Yet as the low-fat craze spread, rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity skyrocketed…

Clearly, there was a major flaw in the plan, and it’s not difficult to see that trading fat for sugar is not a wise move.

The problem is that excessive fructose consumption leads to insulin resistance, and insulin resistance appears to be the root of many if not most of the diseases listed above. Insulin resistance has even been found to be an underlying factor of cancer.

How Fructose Increases Insulin Secretion and Worsens Your Insulin Sensitivity

Interestingly, recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that fructose can activate taste cells found on your pancreas, a reaction that can increase your body’s secretion of insulin^iv. And, while this is of particular concern for people prone to diabetes, if statistics are any indication, this could include virtually everyone.

At present, one in four Americans already have either pre-diabetes or some form of diabetes, and type 2 diabetes is directly linked to your diet, so anyone on a high-fructose diet can be at risk.

In this study, the researchers were able to demonstrate that fructose activates the same proteins in your pancreatic cells that your tongue uses to taste sweets. And when these cells are exposed to both glucose and fructose, they secrete more insulin than they do when exposed to glucose alone According to Science News^v:
“Most sugars join the [metabolic assembly line] at a point where a supervisory enzyme can control the flow of goods. But fructose comes in farther down, where it can lead to an overproduction of fat. And because fructose … doesn’t stimulate the same insulin response that glucose does, the hormone isn’t doing the other regulatory things it usually does, like moderating appetite.”

Limiting Sugar is Also Vital for Longevity

By increasing your insulin and leptin levels (and subsequently decreasing receptor sensitivity for both of these vital hormones), excessive sugar/fructose consumption not only increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, it also accelerates aging in general. In fact, limiting sugar in your diet is a well-known key to longevity, because of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in your body, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging.

Two years ago, the journal Nutrients published an excellent report on the impact of fructose on aging.^vi Fructose is a particularly potent pro-inflammatory agent that creates advanced glycation end products, commonly known as “AGEs.”

AGEs are a complex group of damaging compounds that form when sugar reacts with amino acids. Besides oxidation, glycation and the subsequent formation of AGEs is one of the major molecular mechanisms causing ongoing damage in your body, which leads to disease, (premature) aging and, eventually, death. According to the authors: “[T]he data are supportive that endogenous AGEs are associated with declining organ functioning. It appears that dietary AGEs may also be related… As of today, restriction of dietary intake of AGEs and exercise has been shown to safely reduce circulating AGEs, with further reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers.”
In short, if you want to live a long healthy life, you need to restrict your consumption of sugar, particularly fructose. As a standard recommendation to limit glycation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.

Most people would be wise to limit their fructose to 15 grams or less however, especially if you have elevated uric acid levels, which can be used as a predictor for fructose toxicity. This includes keeping track of your fructose intake from whole fruits. To evaluate the fructose content of many common fruits, please see this helpful fructose chart. I recommend this lower level of 15 grams a day simply because if you consume processed foods or sweet beverages at all, you’re virtually guaranteed to consume “hidden” sources of fructose that can have a major impact on your health.

When I have mentioned this in the past many people have strongly disagreed with me as they believe fruit is fine because it is natural. And it may be ok for some people, especially those doing long and intense exercise sessions. However, there is an easy way for you to find out your risk. If your uric acid is above 5.0 would be wise to follow the rule. The higher above 5.0 your uric
acid is, the worse your risk for damage. If your uric acid is between 3.5 and 5 you should be fine. I believe I must have a genetic polymorphism for uric acid as mine is always above 5.5 even with intense exercise and less than five grams of fructose a day, so I nearly always avoid fruit.

The authors of that paper offer an in-depth review of the many health hazards of fructose, due to its pro-inflammatory actions: “Accumulation of AGEs has been found in healthy aging persons, and this accumulation is higher during high glucose concentrations. Microvascular and macrovascular damage, seen in diabetes, is attributed to the accumulation of AGEs in tissues, but it is also associated with atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, end stage renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcopenia, cataracts, and other degenerative ophthalmic diseases, Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia and several other chronic diseases. For instance, Bar etal. have demonstrated differential increases of AGEs products in Alzheimer’s dementia and vascular dementia compared to controls. It has also been suggested that AGEs are involved in the loss of bone density and muscular mass associated with aging.”

How to Tame Your Sugar Cravings

If you’re struggling with sugar addiction, I recommend trying an energy psychology technique called Turbo Tapping, which has helped many “soda addicts” kick their sweet habit. If you still want to use a sweetener occasionally, here’s what I recommend in lieu of sugar:

1. Use the sweet herb stevia.
2. Use organic cane sugar in moderation.
3. Use organic raw honey in moderation.

Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners, which can damage your health even more quickly than fructose. Agave syrup has been touted as a healthy alternative by many, but don’t fall for it. It’s a highly processed sap that is almost all fructose, and should therefore be avoided.

Source: Diet Doctor February 8, 2012

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I read recently an interesting article at http://www.theloseweightdiet.com/weight-loss-supplements.html which discusses this subject and I want to summarize the main point.

The best and safer supplements for weight loss are the following:

a) Fish Oil. You know how there’s “good” fat and “bad” fat? Well, fish oil contains the omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are the VERY BEST fats. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil have been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation and joint stiffness, and treat various mood disorders. Fish oil has also been shown to either help improve or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, depression, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, hyperactivity, ADHD and more. It will also help your body to lose fat, build & maintain muscle, recover from exercise, etc. just a little bit better. It also provides It also provides an improved insulin sensitivity and calorie partitioning (meaning calories would be more likely to be used for something useful rather than get stored on your body as fat).

b) Protein Powder. It is useful for weight loss because it is satiating and is also a requirement for maintaining muscle. Your goal might be “weight” loss, but it’s really fat that you’re looking to lose, not muscle. Ensuring you eat enough protein each day is key in preventing muscle loss. While you should get the majority of your protein intake from high protein foods (chicken, fish, turkey, lean meats, egg whites, etc.), protein powder is a quick, simple, convenient way to ensure you get enough protein each day.

c) Multivitamin. t sort of works as your diet’s backup plan. That’s exactly why I take one. My diet is quite good. I eat better and healthier than most of the population. But, I still love the idea of taking a multivitamin each day to serve as my little nutrition insurance policy making sure my body gets everything it needs everyday. In order to lose weight, we need to be alive, healthy and functioning properly. If a multivitamin contains the things our bodies need to help make this happen, then it indirectly helps make weight loss happen.

Resources

You will find good information on weight loss methods at the following Weight Loss review site:

==> http://www.YourBestWeight.info

Some good information can also be found on the following Amazon books:

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Patrick Holford is a British nutritionist, author, and the founder and director of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London. He is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder (with Professor André Tylee of the Institute of Psychiatry) of the special interest group that developed into Food for the Brain Foundation, a registered charity which has the stated aim of promoting mental health through nutrition. He is also director of the Brain Bio Centre, which specializes in a nutrition-based approach to mental health problems. He appears regularly on television and radio in the UK.

You will find below a list of good titles on Nutrition:

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We have been told to take more of it, and there’s strong evidence that Omega 3 really is crucial for our brains, hearts and immune systems.

Moreover “Fish oil may really be an ‘elixir of youth’ because of its effects on our biological ageing,” says The Daily Telegraph.

The news is based on a study measuring heart patients’ levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fish and supplement pills. Researchers then looked at sections of the patients’ DNA called telomeres, measuring the speed of naturally occuring changes associated with ageing. The results showed that there was an association between higher omega-3 levels and a reduction in the rate at which the patients’ telomeres shortened.

While this study may shed light on the possible actions of omega-3, it did not assess whether these changes affected the health or wellbeing of the participants. This was preliminary research, and further studies are needed to see whether omega-3 fatty acids have a direct effect on telomeres.

Everyone is recommending Omega-3 fish oil these days. If you are on a low fat diet you really need to learn about these healthy fats.

The White House has asked the USDA to update its Food Guide Pyramid to recommend omega-3 “healthy fats” from fish, fish oil and flaxseed oil.

More and more doctors are recommending these good fats too.

The new guidelines from the American Heart Association have also been updated and now focus on omega 3 fish oil.

You can see below an interesting video about using Omega3  in Weight Loss Diets.

You can read more on The Diet Solution Program at:

==> http://www.TheDietSolutionProgram,com

==> Your Best Weight   Blog

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Your anti-aging ‘wonder’ silently attacks free radicals, while you enjoy
a life of energy and vitality.*

Some Harvard-educated researchers believe they’ve discovered a proverbial ‘fountain of youth’.*

They’re talking about resveratrol, calling it a miracle ingredient, and the greatest discovery since antibiotics.*

Resveratrol is a compound found in the skin and seeds of grapes.

Researchers have been mystified for years about how the French can smoke cigarettes and eat high-fat foods, yet still have extremely low rates of cancer and heart disease. They call it the French paradox.

Harvard researchers Dr. Christoph Westphal and David Sinclair conducted genetic research to investigate the French paradox.

Until now, scientists believed drinking red wine had health benefits*… but couldn’t put their finger on exactly why.

Now they believe the resveratrol in wine activates cells into behaving more youth-like in a number of ways.*

The biggest hurdle with resveratrol is finding a way to consume the large concentrations required to provide you with a benefit. You’d need several bottles of wine per day to get the anticipated benefit from resveratrol. Drinking large amounts of wine or other alcoholic beverages will increase your insulin levels, which will eventually have a negative impact on your health in a number of ways.

I’ll tell you in a minute how you can get your highly-concentrated resveratrol without the alcohol, sugars and calories of red wine.

But first, let’s discuss how to control your free radical levels…

Neutralizing the Free Radical Threat

Every day of your life you face exposure to dangerous free radicals. No matter how healthy a lifestyle you lead or how healthy your diet is, this is simply a fact of life.

Fortunately this is not all bad – as your normal bodily functions (breathing, metabolism, and physical activity) naturally generate free radicals. Your immune system also generates free radicals to help neutralize viruses and bacteria.

But some free radicals are the result of environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, pesticides, and cigarette smoking.

The problem starts when these free radicals attack your healthy cells and cause them to weaken and become more susceptible to health disorders. Plus, this can also have a profound effect on how you age.

But as part of normal functioning, your body is capable of keeping free radicals in check and naturally neutralizing them, unless you…

• Eat a diet consisting mostly of processed junk food
• Cut corners on getting enough sleep on a daily basis
• Ignore your need for regular exercise
• Find yourself under a great deal of stress
• Expose yourself to a high number of environmental free radicals

Exposing your body to these types of conditions may overwhelm it with free radicals and cause damage.

Plus, free radical damage accumulates with age. So, the longer your lifestyle and environment expose you to this damage, the greater your consequences as you age… the greater potential consequences to your overall aging process.

So what can you do?

Well, first of all, it would be helpful to address the unhealthy habits listed above.

Additionally, consider going the next step and find ways to fortify your healthy diet with antioxidant rich food.

I’m sure you’re well aware of the benefits of antioxidants from all the discussion on my site. I’ve spent literally decades researching this topic and cannot stress their importance to you enough.

Antioxidants provide your body with natural protection against free radicals and help you neutralize and keep them under control.

Why Organic Food is Your Best Choice
for Natural Free Radical Protection

There are many sources of antioxidants available to help boost your health.

Most of these sources come directly from consumption of high quality, fresh, organic and preferably locally grown vegetables and fruits. But there is a catch.

The catch is that, to get the most potent antioxidant content from the fruits and vegetables – they need to be organically grown and processed.

Here’s why.

Research shows that certain organically grown fruits and vegetables have significantly higher levels of potent antioxidants than traditionally grown foods.

The key to all this is a large family of natural antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.

Polyphenols exist in plant floods and their contribution to the antioxidant capacity of the human diet is much larger than even that of vitamins.

And a subclass of this antioxidant-rich family found in fruits and vegetables is flavonoids.

In response to environmental stressors like insects and other competing plants, plants produce flavonoids with potent antioxidant activity.

Unfortunately, conventional growing methods that use pesticides and herbicides hamper the production of flavonoids.

Plants exposed to pesticides and herbicides have less of a need to produce such compounds. And therefore, these plants produce fewer antioxidants than organically grown food.

You don’t want to miss out on polyphenol flavonoids because they can:

• Improve your memory and concentration
• Boost the effectiveness of vitamin C in your antioxidant network
• Regulate nitric oxide – a potent free radical that regulates your blood flow
• Help promote your healthy heart
• Bolster your immune system

So, to take advantage of the highest potency flavonoids and rich antioxidants, always choose organically grown fruits and vegetables.

Fresh organic foods are important not only for what they give you, higher levels of antioxidants and nutrients, but also for what they don’t give you… exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and non-organic fertilizers.

Now let’s take a closer look at some common and not so common food sources of antioxidants – keeping in mind that for you to receive the highest antioxidant potential, organic is best.

Thus article was originally published by http://products.mercola.com

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Stroke, or brain attack, is the 3rd leading cause of mortality in the United States.  Each year, over 140,000 Americans die because of stroke, and 500,000 people are left temporarily or permanently disable.  The condition is primarily caused by the absence of blood flowing to the brain, depriving the organ of its much needed oxygen and nutrients.

Deficient vitamin D levels increases stroke risk twice over in white people, but not in blacks.    This is according to a team of researchers coming from Johns Hopkins.  Vitamin D is an essential nutrient obtained from the rays of the sun as well as in various food sources.

Vitamin D and Stroke

According to the researchers, their research findings supports evidence obtained from previous studies at Johns Hopkins, associating vitamin D insufficiency to higher death rates, cardiovascular diseases and the development of peripheral artery diseases in most adults.  The findings will be presented at the yearly Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, to be held on November 15 in Chicago.

The research team from Johns Hopkins said that the results of the study failed to explain the reason behind high stroke rates among African Americans, who are obviously expected to have insufficient levels of vitamin D because of their dark skin pigment.  The dark pigmentation present in the skin of African Americans blocks the rays of the sun which is an important source of vitamin D. The study involved 176 participants who died because of stroke in a period of 14 years, 60 of whom were black, and 116 participants were white.  Nonetheless, African Americans are 65% more likely to suffer from severe bleeding in the brain, or a disruption of blood flowing to the brain compared to whites, when vitamin D insufficiency, age and other known stroke risk factors were included in the analysis.

Dr. Erin Michos, M.H.S., a co-lead investigator of the study, said that higher rates for diabetes and hypertension explain why black people have excess stroke risk in contrast to whites.  But the 65 percent risk is far too much, Michos emphasized.  She thinks that there might be other reasons behind the said problem but deficits in vitamin D is not one of them.  She further reiterated that vitamin D deficiency should not be blamed for the high rates of stroke among black people.

Almost 8,000 primarily healthy women and men of both races were included in the recent study, which is actually a part of a bigger, national health status evaluation that is in progress.  The researchers evaluated the risk of death due to stroke between people who have high amounts of vitamin D to those with the lowest vitamin D levels in their blood.  Data revealed that 32.3% of black people and 6.6% of whites possessed very low levels of vitamin D in their blood – which as not more than 15 ng/ml.

Furthermore, Dr. Michos said that the probable explanation for this is that blacks may have adapted to the chronic deficiency in vitamin D which is already present for generations. There is no need, therefore, to increase the levels of vitamin D in blacks in order to equate with the vitamin’s levels in whites just to lessen stroke risk. She advised that the recorded mortality rate of blacks due to stroke may not be statistically sufficient to associate it with deficient vitamin D.

The study was funded by the P.J. Schafer Cardiovascular Research Fund and the American College of Cardiology.

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that helps in the absorption and breakdown of phosphorus and calcium.  Phosphorus is needed for the maintenance of healthy teeth and bones as well as for energy metabolism and maintaining the balance of acids and bases in the body.  Calcium, on one hand, is important in constructing, forming and maintaining teeth and bones. So this explains why deficient levels of vitamin D can affect the levels of Phosphorus and Calcium in the body.

Aside from its important function in maintaining healthy bones, vitamin D has an important role in the preventing the growth of abnormal cells and in strengthening the immune system. Insufficient levels of vitamin D have been linked to higher rates of depression and breast cancer, especially among the elderly.

Previous studies have been conducted with regards to the health benefits of vitamin D.  Here are some examples:

• According to scientists from Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, vitamin D may be an essential way to boost the immune system from conditions like the common cold.
• The director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center of the Oregon Health and Science University, Dennis Bourdette, said that vitamin D may decrease the risk of multiple sclerosis.
• A study involving 3000 European men, with ages ranging from 40 to 79 years, revealed that vitamin D may play a role in maintaining brain health, especially on the later part of life.
• In a research conducted at Georgia, USA’s Medical College, results revealed that vitamin D is possibly associated to the maintenance of a healthy weight.
• Vitamin D can also reduce the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms, and reduce the possibility of asthma-induced hospitalizations.  This is according to a study conducted by the researchers of Harvard Medical School after they have monitored 616 children located in Costa Rica.
• Women with high risk of rheumatoid arthritis can also benefit from vitamin D.

Sources of Vitamin D

Dr. Michos suggests that people should make sure that they maintain healthy levels of vitamin D by the regular intake of fish such as tuna and salmon.  She also recommends daily sun exposure for brief periods to take advantage of the sun’s ultraviolet light which produces vitamin D. 10-15 minutes of sun exposure is advised.

Some of the top healthy sources of vitamin D are:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Cod Liver Oil
• Mushrooms
• Oatmeal
• Sweet Potatoes
• Dandelion Greens
• Egg Yolks

This article was originally published at: Natural Health on the Web

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Magnesium Benefits

I found an interesting article by Dr. Mark Stengler about Magnesium benefits and I have re-published it below for your convenience.

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Vitamin D Benefits

I found another interesting article by Dr Mercola about the Vitamin D benefits for cancer prevention on the website and I have re-published it below for your information and conveniene

The Wonder Vitamin That May Help You Prevent 16 Types of Cancer

Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 22 2011 | 6,700 views

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Vitamin D Resource Page

Sun CAN Actually Help Protect You Against Skin Cancer

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Vitamin D

I have just read another good article by Frabk Mangano about the benefits of Vitamin D on his Natural Health on the Web website and I have re-published it below for your information and convenience

Why Vitamin D is Good for You: Stroke Prevention and Many More

Written by Frank Mangano

Stroke, or brain attack, is the 3rd leading cause of mortality in the United States.  Each year, over 140,000 Americans die because of stroke, and 500,000 people are left temporarily or permanently disable.  The condition is primarily caused by the absence of blood flowing to the brain, depriving the organ of its much needed oxygen and nutrients.

Deficient vitamin D levels increases stroke risk twice over in white people, but not in blacks.    This is according to a team of researchers coming from Johns Hopkins.  Vitamin D is an essential nutrient obtained from the rays of the sun as well as in various food sources.

Vitamin D and Stroke

According to the researchers, their research findings supports evidence obtained from previous studies at Johns Hopkins, associating vitamin D insufficiency to higher death rates, cardiovascular diseases and the development of peripheral artery diseases in most adults.  The findings will be presented at the yearly Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, to be held on November 15 in Chicago.

The research team from Johns Hopkins said that the results of the study failed to explain the reason behind high stroke rates among African Americans, who are obviously expected to have insufficient levels of vitamin D because of their dark skin pigment.  The dark pigmentation present in the skin of African Americans blocks the rays of the sun which is an important source of vitamin D. The study involved 176 participants who died because of stroke in a period of 14 years, 60 of whom were black, and 116 participants were white.  Nonetheless, African Americans are 65% more likely to suffer from severe bleeding in the brain, or a disruption of blood flowing to the brain compared to whites, when vitamin D insufficiency, age and other known stroke risk factors were included in the analysis.

Dr. Erin Michos, M.H.S., a co-lead investigator of the study, said that higher rates for diabetes and hypertension explain why black people have excess stroke risk in contrast to whites.  But the 65 percent risk is far too much, Michos emphasized.  She thinks that there might be other reasons behind the said problem but deficits in vitamin D is not one of them.  She further reiterated that vitamin D deficiency should not be blamed for the high rates of stroke among black people.

Almost 8,000 primarily healthy women and men of both races were included in the recent study, which is actually a part of a bigger, national health status evaluation that is in progress.  The researchers evaluated the risk of death due to stroke between people who have high amounts of vitamin D to those with the lowest vitamin D levels in their blood.  Data revealed that 32.3% of black people and 6.6% of whites possessed very low levels of vitamin D in their blood – which as not more than 15 ng/ml.

Furthermore, Dr. Michos said that the probable explanation for this is that blacks may have adapted to the chronic deficiency in vitamin D which is already present for generations. There is no need, therefore, to increase the levels of vitamin D in blacks in order to equate with the vitamin’s levels in whites just to lessen stroke risk. She advised that the recorded mortality rate of blacks due to stroke may not be statistically sufficient to associate it with deficient vitamin D.

The study was funded by the P.J. Schafer Cardiovascular Research Fund and the American College of Cardiology.

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that helps in the absorption and breakdown of phosphorus and calcium.  Phosphorus is needed for the maintenance of healthy teeth and bones as well as for energy metabolism and maintaining the balance of acids and bases in the body.  Calcium, on one hand, is important in constructing, forming and maintaining teeth and bones. So this explains why deficient levels of vitamin D can affect the levels of Phosphorus and Calcium in the body.

Aside from its important function in maintaining healthy bones, vitamin D has an important role in the preventing the growth of abnormal cells and in strengthening the immune system. Insufficient levels of vitamin D have been linked to higher rates of depression and breast cancer, especially among the elderly.

Previous studies have been conducted with regards to the health benefits of vitamin D.  Here are some examples:

• According to scientists from Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, vitamin D may be an essential way to boost the immune system from conditions like the common cold.
• The director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center of the Oregon Health and Science University, Dennis Bourdette, said that vitamin D may decrease the risk of multiple sclerosis.
• A study involving 3000 European men, with ages ranging from 40 to 79 years, revealed that vitamin D may play a role in maintaining brain health, especially on the later part of life.
• In a research conducted at Georgia, USA’s Medical College, results revealed that vitamin D is possibly associated to the maintenance of a healthy weight.
• Vitamin D can also reduce the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms, and reduce the possibility of asthma-induced hospitalizations.  This is according to a study conducted by the researchers of Harvard Medical School after they have monitored 616 children located in Costa Rica.
• Women with high risk of rheumatoid arthritis can also benefit from vitamin D.

Sources of Vitamin D

Dr. Michos suggests that people should make sure that they maintain healthy levels of vitamin D by the regular intake of fish such as tuna and salmon.  She also recommends daily sun exposure for brief periods to take advantage of the sun’s ultraviolet light which produces vitamin D. 10-15 minutes of sun exposure is advised.

Some of the top healthy sources of vitamin D are:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Cod Liver Oil
• Mushrooms
• Oatmeal
• Sweet Potatoes
• Dandelion Greens
• Egg Yolks

Sources
algaecal.com
medicalnewstoday.com
naturalways.com
eurekalert.org

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Spirulina ia a  unique freshwater plant that has enormous benefits on many health conditions It helps to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, cardiovascular health and is usedul against Diabetes and other illnesses. I found an interesting article by Dr. Mercola on the Mercola.com website about the Spirulina benefits and   I have copied the article below for your convenience.

Just 1 TBSP a Day: An Easy Way to Lower Your Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and…

Posted By Dr. Mercola | July 17 2011 | 252,713 views

By Dr. Mercola
What if consuming a tablespoon or two per day of a simple food could drastically lower your chances of developing cancer, heart disease or stroke, or of contracting a life-threatening virus such as HIV?

Would your interest be piqued?

There is a unique freshwater plant that has been of enormous interest to nutritional scientists over the past decade, and it shows promise for doing all of the above—and then some. It’s one of the most nutrient-packed dynamos of the superfood world.

This simple food is spirulina.

I recently posted a report about the radioprotective effects of spirulina. But its health benefits go far beyond that application. But what exactly is spirulina? You may be surprised!

Spirulina: One of Nature’s Near-Perfect Foods

Spirulina is similar to sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp, nori, Kombu, arame, and wakame. Along with its cousin chlorella (another one of my favorites), spirulina is a member of the “blue-green” family—but this family is actually not truly algae.

Although you will often hear the term “blue-green algae,” spirulina and its kin are actually cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are classified as bacteria because their genetic material is not organized in a membrane-bound nucleus. Unlike other bacteria, they have chlorophyll and use the sun as an energy source, in the way plants and algae do.

Spirulina is primarily produced by two species: Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima.

One of the special traits of spirulina is its rich protein content—it’s 50 to 70 percent protein by weight and contains all of the essential amino acids. Records of the Spanish conquistadors suggest that the Aztecs consumed spirulina as a food source, and the Kanembu people of Central Africa harvested it from what is now called Lake Chad.

Wild spirulina grows in the alkaline lakes of Mexico and on the African continent, although it is commercially grown and harvested all over the world. It reproduces quickly, and because the individual organisms tend to clump together, it’s easy to harvest. Commercial production of spirulina is estimated to reach 220,000 tons by the year 2020. Japan is the largest producer of spirulina, as well as the largest consumer.

Spirulina Packs Quite a Nutritional Punch

Spirulina is one of the most nutritious and concentrated food sources on the planet. As a result, it’s appearing more frequently all the time in natural foods and beverages, such as green foods and drinks, energy bars and oral supplements.

Spirulina consistently boasts an amazing protein level of 60 percent on average—even better than red meat, which is about 27 percent protein. And spirulina’s protein is biologically complete, containing all of the essential amino acids needed for human health. Spirulina also contains a potent array of other beneficial nutrients, including the following:

(For specific concentrations of the above-mentioned nutrients in spirulina, refer to Table 1 in this spirulina report by S. Thomas of Parry Nutraceuticals.) In addition to this rich nutritional blend, spirulina has the following special properties:

• The proteins in spirulina are of a highly digestible type (83 to 90 percent digestible), due to the fact that it does not have cellulose walls, like yeast and chlorella do. Therefore, the net protein utilization (NPU) is high (between 53 and 61 percent) and requires no cooking to increase the bioavailability of its proteins.
• Studies confirm a very high “protein efficiency ratio” (PER) for spirulina, meaning your body will be able to efficiently use these amino acids.
• Gamma-linolenic acid is rarely this high in ANY food and normally has to be synthesized by your body from linoleic acid. GLA is a precursor to important biochemicals such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes, which serve as chemical mediators for inflammatory and immune reactions.
• Spirulina has no fatty acids with uneven carbon numbers and very low-level branched-chain fatty acids—two types of lipids that higher order animals, like you and me, cannot metabolize.
• Spirulina has about the same calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium content as milk, a vitamin E (tocopherol) level comparable to wheat germ, and four times as much vitamin B12 as raw liver!

Research-Based Health Benefits of Spirulina

Now that you have spirulina’s nutritional overview, let’s take a look at what this unique blue-green cyanobacteria can do for your health. The health benefits of spirulina continue to be widely researched. As a result, there is really no way to cover all of the literature related to its potential benefits because there are so many!  There are scientific studies supporting spirulina’s potential usefulness in preventing and/or treating the following health conditions:

As you can see, the health benefits of spirulina are truly far-ranging.  The remainder of this report will focus on how spirulina can address some of the diseases listed in the above table (the ones shown in bold).

Spirulina and Your Eyes

As the population ages, the prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is on the rise. ARMD is the deterioration of your macula (the region in your eye that controls acute vision), which typically occurs later in life.  ARMD is the leading cause of blindness today.

Your eyes’ macular membranes contain several carotenoid pigments called xanthophylls—lutein, zeaxanthin, and possibly astaxanthin, if you’re getting it as part of your diet. These special pigments help protect your eyes from damage by slowing down ultraviolet-induced oxidation of lipid membranes, thereby helping prevent degeneration of your macula.

Additionally, xanthophylls may be effective in preventing cataracts. Spirulina provides 3,750 to 6,000 mcg zeaxanthin per serving size (3 grams). Eggs are another excellent source of both lutein and zeaxanthin (200mcg zeaxanthin per yolk). Astaxathin is also another marine based nutrient that is in the carotenoid family and is also a potent preventor of ARMD.

Spirulina and Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in the Western world today. It is really a cluster of related pathologies, including insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Spirulina has been shown to benefit diabetics in the following ways:

• Reducing systemic inflammation. (Insulin resistance has come to be associated with a state of systemic low-grade inflammation.)
• Favorably altering your lipid profile by reducing serum triglycerides and increasing HDL.
• Improving vasodilation in those who are obese as a result of high fructose diets (which has benefits for diabetics, as well as for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease).

Spirulina and Your Cardiovascular Health

Diabetes and cardiovascular health are intimately connected, so it’s no surprise that spirulina shows great potential for people with cardiovascular disease, in terms of creating better lipid profiles, controlling hypertension, and increasing blood vessel elasticity. Diabetic patients given 2 grams per day of spirulina showed improved glycosylated hemoglobin and better lipid profiles in this 2001 study. And in this study of the Mexican population, 4.5 grams per day of spirulina significantly reduced serum triglyceride levels and total cholesterol, boosted HDL, and reduced blood pressure in test subjects.

It is thought that the lipid action of spirulina may be due to its phycocyanin content, which inhibits pancreatic lipase activity, and this in turn causes higher excretion of triglycerides through your feces.

In one animal study, spirulina prevented hypertension and vasoconstriction in rats fed fructose-rich diets, but rats fed fructose-rich diets without spirulina had those adverse health effects. Hamsters consuming spirulina were protected from developing atherosclerosis in this 2007 study.

Spirulina and Your Liver

The accumulation of fats in your liver is closely associated with metabolic syndrome and strongly raises your risk for dying from cardiovascular disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in North America and notoriously difficult to treat, at least with traditional medical measures.

Animal studies suggest spirulina can protect your liver, probably as a result of its high antioxidant properties and its ability to synthesize or release nitric oxide. Studies show that spirulina does the following for your liver:

• Prevents the buildup of triglycerides in your liver
• Inhibits lipid peroxidation
• Reduces liver inflammation
• Protects your liver from damage by heavy metals, like lead and mercury

Spirulina and Your Brain

The third leading cause of death in the U.S. is stroke. Diets high in antioxidants have been shown to lower your risk for stroke. Two studies (one in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the other in the British Journal of Nutrition) showed that Spirulina reduces platelet aggregation, which plays an important role in vascular diseases by reducing your risk for thromboembolism.

In another study, three antioxidant-rich diets (blueberries, spinach, and spirulina) were compared for their neuroprotective effects. Spirulina was found to have the highest neuroprotective effect, possibly due to its ability to squelch free radicals and reduce inflammation.

And in an Oregon State University study of rats that had induced strokes, the group fed spirulina showed brains lesions that were 75 percent smaller than those in control groups.

Oxidative stress is one major source of inflammation, and in your brain, it can result in loss of dopamine neurons and lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. An enzyme complex called NADPH oxidase has been shown to play a role in these diseases, and the phycocyanin in spirulina can suppress NADPH oxidase, lowering your risk for these age-related brain diseases. (I will go into this further in the next section.)

In animal studies, diets enriched with spirulina were found to reverse the inflammation that can lead to diminished neurogenesis (production of new neurons), which is another factor in degenerative diseases of the brain. Bob Capelli, of Cyanotech Corporation said:

“Spirulina has long been associated with immune building and anti-viral properties, eye and brain health and cardiovascular health, but we now see that spirulina also has anti-inflammatory properties through this research on one of the principal constituents in spirulina, phycocyanin. This study isolates the mechanism of action for phycocyanin as an anti-inflammatory.”

Let’s look a little more at the antioxidant properties of spirulina—in particular, its special pigmented component, phycocyanobilin.

The Spirulina-Bilirubin Connection

Phycocyanobilin contained in spirulina is a close chemical relative of bilirubin. In mammalian cells, phycocyanobilin is converted into phycocyanorubin, a compound nearly identical to bilirubin. Bilirubin is the chemical responsible for the yellow color of bruises, urine, and jaundice and occurs as a breakdown product of your red blood cells (heme). When a newborn baby gets jaundice, he is placed under “bili lights” in the hospital nursery to prevent brain damage (kernicterus), if his bilirubin levels become too high. The lights break down the bilirubin so it can be excreted.

But bilirubin, at appropriate levels, has a strong free radial scavenging effect.

Until recently, scientists were not aware that bilirubin may actually have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and atheroprotective properties—and there is a growing body of scientific and clinical evidence to support this. From an evolutionary/biological perspective, it makes sense that nature would have created a way for your body to break down heme, which can be toxic if it accumulates.

The way bilirubin is thought to provide these health benefits is through its ability to inhibit NADPH oxidase, a metabolic enzyme that is activated in a large number of pathological conditions and generates a great deal of oxidative stress in your body. In fact, NADPH overactivity appears to play a significant roll in a wide range of adverse health conditions, including but not limited to the following:

• Vascular diseases and vascular complications of other diseases (diabetes, kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, etc.)
• Insulin resistance
• Neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
• Many human cancers
• Glaucoma
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Erectile dysfunction

NADPH seems to be a chemical that can be helpful or harmful, depending on how much of it is circulating at the time, so it needs to be carefully regulated by your body. For example, NADPH oxidase plays a key role in helping your immune system fight bacteria and helps your T-cells to function properly.

It follows then that preventing many chronic diseases would require finding a means of inhibiting or modulating NADPH oxidase.

Bilirubin is now believed to assist with this modulating effect.

People with Gilbert Syndrome comprise 5-10% of the population and illustrate this phenomenon very nicely—they are genetically predisposed to chronically elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin. These individuals, having two to three times as much bilirubin as the rest of us, enjoy a greatly reduced risk for coronary artery disease, hypertension and carotid atherosclerosis, and these protections are thought to be related to their high bilirubin levels.  I happen to be one of those with Gilbert’s and did not realize until reviewing the research for this article that my elevated bilirubin levels were actually a major benefit.

Since phycocyanobilin is a very close relative of bilirubin—and spirulina is a great source of phycocyanobilin—spirulina has enormous clinical potential due to its NADPH oxidase inhibiting effect. This is why phycocyanobilin has been the focus of a large amount of research of late. Phycobilin extracts have been shown to inhibit NADPH oxidase activity in human aortic endothelium, aortic smooth muscle, and renal cell cultures. And bilirubin protects against diabetic nephropathy via downregulation of NADPH oxidase in rats.

Concluding Remarks

The scientific evidence for spirulina’s health benefits is abundant, frequently showing remarkable clinical results. And spirulina’s safety is equally impressive! Rodents show no ill effects when fed diets very high in Spirulina. And remember, it was a major component of the Aztec diet.

Spirulina is even good for your pet (be he dog, cat, bird, fish or reptile) promoting a strong immune system, a healthy coat, heart and joint health, and even fresher breath—which is why I now offer SpiruGreen Superfood for Pets. It appears this is a near-perfect food for everyone in your family—one more natural way to take charge of your health.

Where to Buy Spirulina?

Spirulina can easily be found in most health shops. It is also sold at Amazon where you will find pretty good offers.

Click here for the Spirulina offers at Amazon UK

Click here for the Spirulina offers at Amazon US

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