High levels of vitamin D in older people can reduce heart disease and diabetes

Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.

A team of researchers at Warwick Medical School carried out a systematic literature review of studies examining vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders. Cardiometabolic disorders include cardiovascular disease,type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.


Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and is also produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are good sources of vitamin D, and it is also available as a dietary supplement.

Researchers looked at 28 studies including 99,745 participants across a variety of ethnic groups including men and women. The studies revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33% compared to low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55% reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51% reduction).

The literature review, published in the journal Maturitas, was led by Johanna Parker and Dr Oscar Franco, Assistant Professor in Public Health at Warwick Medical School.

Dr Franco said: “We found that high levels of vitamin D among middle age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease incardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

“Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders.”
All studies included were published between 1990 and 2009 with the majority published between 2004 and 2009. Half of the studies were conducted in the United States, eight were European, two studies were from Iran, three from Australasia and one from India.

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news185446287.html

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Here's to your health!

THE POWER OF A CUCUMBER

The Amazing Cucumber This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.  Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake?  Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

What You May Not Know About Multivitamins

While multivitamins are a popular catch-all for nutritional deficiencies, the pills have proven to have little effect on health. 40 % of Americans take vitamin or mineral supplements, likely because only 3% of Americans follow the U.S. dietary guidelines.Americans spend $23 billion per year on these supplements and there are some who believe that $1 out of every $3 spent is completely wasted. Why would anyone think this when we’ve been told to take our vitamins our whole lives?

The two major concerns about multivitamins especially, because they are the most popular supplement, is how their actual contents differ from their labels and their poor level of absorption into the bloodstream. Most name brand multivitamins have about a 10-20% absorption rate, which is quite poor. In fact, nurses often find them in patients’ bedpans fully in tact after passing through the entire digestive tract.

In one test, 7 Canadian and American biochemists compared the contents of 110 different multivitamins by separating and measuring each ingredient: vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and other components. They examined how absorbable the vitamins were, whether they were in the right amounts/form and the variety of vitamins and minerals in the right combinations for what the body needs. They gave each a score out of 100% and 50 of the multivitamins (including most major supermarket brands) did not reach 10%, while only the top 11 were above 25% of that the human body needs on a daily basis.

Vitamins and other supplements are not regulated by the FDA and are not required to prove that their supplements are safe or effective, as long as they do not claim that the supplements can “prevent, treat, or cure any specific disease.” Pretty scary stuff.

Some products may not contain the amount of the substance that is written on the label, and some include other substances, contaminants or toxic agents. Actual amounts per dose vary between brands or even between different batches of the same brand. Another test found that more than 30 percent contained significantly more or less of an ingredient than claimed, or were contaminated with lead. Additionally, they found that several multivitamin products tested, including three for children, exceeded tolerable upper limits established by the Institute of Medicine for ingredients such as vitamin A, folic acid, and niacin. Some men’s multivitamin products contained too much folic acid, which may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Among four women’s multivitamins tested, one provided only 66 percent of its claimed vitamin A and one of five seniors’ multivitamins tested contained only 44 percent of its vitamin A.

Current research has shown no evidence that vitamin pills help to prevent or cure cancer, heart disease or any other non-deficiency related disease. In a government-funded study of 161,808 women, conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative, data was collected from forty centers around the country on multivitamin use. The research has proven that people whose diets are nutrient-rich and filled with fruits and vegetables have lower rates of cancer and heart disease, but taking a daily supplement doesn’t appear to offer the same health benefits.

So it’s really best to save the money and skip the supplements. Just make sure that you are getting the proper nutrition in your daily diet. One excellent way to do that easily and inexpensively is to incorporate a nutrient rich super food into your diet everyday.