A recent report released by environmental working group, a consumer protection agency, has found that many popular sunscreens contain chemicals that are known carcinogens, which defeats their intention of preventing skin cancer.

The research shows that sunlight combined with certain sunscreen ingredients  can damage skin cells, which leads to the development of cancer cells.   Unfortunately, the United States FDA, has supposedly been aware of this critical research for the last decade, but has not acted to warn consumers about it.

According to a news story released by AOL news, approximately 50% of sunscreens tested contained vitamin a ingredients and derivatives like retinol and retinyl  palmitate, which studies conducted by the FDA have demonstrated its ability to cause cancer when exposed to sunlight.

Also, an older FDA study explains that sunscreens containing vitamin A ingredients cause  tumors and lesions to develop and spread almost 21% faster than sunscreens that do not contain vitamin A ingredients.

To be clear, vitamin A found in food and nutritional supplements is absolutely essential for good health.  Vitamin A added to sunscreens are chemically different, and their interactions with sun rays, in particular, ultraviolet rays actually create carcinogens in the scan.

According to Jane Houlihan, when questioned by AOL news about the issue, “The FDA continues to remain silent about the dangers of vitamin A and sunscreen, including its recent updated sunscreen guidelines that make no mention of them.

“There was enough evidence 10 years ago for the FDA to caution consumers against the use of vitamins A in sunscreens.  The FDA launched this one is study, completed their research, and now 10 years later, they say nothing about it, just silence.”

AOL news question the FDA about this matter, and a spokeswoman responded by claiming that the agency “thoroughly checked” its records and could not find any evidence of such a study.

However, a report issued in 2000 by the United States national toxicology program site the same FDA research which found that vitamin A derivatives are both phototoxic and photocarcinogenic.

The Environmental No Working Group tested numerous sunscreens and found that only 7.8% that were tested as part of its annual analysis turned out to be “Safe effect was a warning to the group’s safety standards.  The remaining 92.2%, which represented hundreds of sunscreens on the market currently, contain one or more ingredients known to be harmful to health, which is a very shocking number when considering how widespread their use is. .

Regarding safe sunscreens to use, the group recently released its fifth annual sunscreen guide, a database of more than 1700 sun products from 292 brands that are recognized as containing non-toxic and safe ingredients.

Ideally for health, however regular exposed to sunshine without the use of a sunscreen is necessary for obtaining and maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D.  The vast majority of sunscreens block the ultraviolet B sunrays that are responsible for stimulating the production of vitamin D in the skin.

The vitamin D Council, a nonprofit group dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of vitamin D for health, recommends that all individuals use the Sun as their primary source of gain vitamin D.  Depending on your skin type, meaning your level of pigmentation, you will need anywhere from 15 minutes to over a half an hour of daily sunlight exposure.  In order to achieve and maintain optimal vitamin D levels.

Source:

AOL news

www.vitamindcouncil.org

A study found that cholesterol lowering drugs, also known as statin drugs, are associated with decreased heart muscle function.

These drugs are linked to muscle damage,  weakness and a breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream.

Statin drugs are highly toxic because they stop the cells from producing a key vitamin, CoQ10, which is the cause of the side effects.  Relatively low doses of statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor effectively reduce plasma cholesterol levels. These drugs function by halt an enzyme that changes the chemical HMG-CoA to mevalonate, which is an early and rate-limiting step in cholesterol production. A branch of the mevalonate cholesterol pathway in mammalian cells leads to the formation of CoQ10. Also, high levels of statin drugs can reduce CoQ10 in the liver and compactin reduces LDL-bound CoQ10 at doses prescribed by physicians.

Unfortunately, most doctors are unaware of the cause of these complications, and could recommend taking CoQ10 supplements to their patients when prescribing these drugs.   Pharmaceutical company even has a patent on the drug and CoQ10 combination, since but never released it.

A Unique Drug Vitamin Patent

In 1989, Merck& Co., makers of lovastatin was awarded patent #4,933,165.  Tthe reasons for the combination of statin drug plus CoenzymeQ10 are as follows:

Coenzyme Q10 is a redox component in the respiratory chain and is found in all cells having mitochondria. It is thus an essential co-factor in the generation of metabolic energy and is particularly important in muscle function.

Researchers, led by Dr Karl Folkers, have measured the levels of Coenzyme Q10 in heart tissue biopsy samples taken from patients with varying stages of damage to the heart muscle.  These researchers observed decreasing tissue levels of CoQ10 with increasing severity of the symptoms of cardiac disease.

No FDA Warning

Unfortunately, the FDA doesn’t warn consumers of this dangerous and reversible side effect.

There are no official warnings in the U.S. regarding CoQ10 depletion from taking statin drugs, and many physicians fail to inform you about this problem as well. Labeling in Canada, however, clearly warns of CoQ10 depletion and even notes that this nutrient deficiency “could lead to impaired cardiac function in patients with borderline congestive heart failure.”

The majority of people who use statin cholesterol-lowering drugs are doing so because they believe lowering their cholesterol will prevent heart attacks and strokes. However, new research shows they are linked to heart muscle damage and an increased risk of having  stroke!

A study published in Clinical Cardiology determined that the heart muscle function in the control group, the participants who didn’t take a statin drug was much better compared to those who did.

Also, the usefulness of statin drugs has received tough scrutiny in recent months, and that scrutiny is well deserved.  A study published in Clinical Cardiology found that heart muscle function was “significantly better” in the control group than in those taking statin drugs! The researchers concluded:

“Statin therapy is associated with decreased myocardial [heart muscle] function.”

What’s often the end result when your heart muscle function is weakened or decreased? Heart failure!

How Statin Drugs Damage the Heart

The Clinical Cardiology study did not address causes, because statin drugs damage muscle, it is completely logical to see how the heart can be damaged by this drug, since it is a specialized muscle.

In addition to halting CoQ10 production, these drugs,  also reduce the blood cholesterol that transports CoQ10 and other fat-soluble antioxidants.

The loss of CoQ10 leads to loss of cell energy and increased free radicals which, in turn, can further damage your mitochondrial DNA, effectively setting into motion an evil circle of increasing free radicals and mitochondrial damage.

As your body gets more and more depleted of CoQ10, you may suffer from fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness, and eventually heart failure, so it is imperative if you take statin drugs that you take CoQ10 or, if you are over the age of 40, the reduced version called ubiquinol.

In our next issue, we’ll take a look at its role in increased stroke risk and other diseases.

Source:

Clinical Cardiology December 2009; 32(12):684-9

A study finds in addition to benefits related to the common cold and cancer, vitamin C helps reduce both the physical and psychological effects of stress on people.

Research studies have found that vitamin C recently helps reduce both the physical and psychological effects of stress on people.

People who have high levels of vitamin C do not show the expected mental and physical signs of stress when subjected to acute psychological challenges. What’s more, they bounce back from stressful situations faster than people with low levels of vitamin C in their blood.

Earlier studies showed that vitamin C stopped cortisol release in stressed animals. It is  a hormone created by our adrenal glands in response to stress. Cortisol stimulates our “fight or flight” response to stress. That allows us to spring into action when we sense danger. Once it gets into the circulatory system, it is responsible for triggering a protective response to the entire body.

German researchers subjected 120 people to a well known stressor, public speaking, combined with solving math problems. Half of those studied were given 1,000 mg of vitamin C. Indicators of stress, include elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol and high blood pressure were much higher in those who did not receive the vitamin supplement. The participants taking  vitamin C experienced feeling less stress when they got the vitamin.

Our bodies easily recover from a short term release of this hormone.  But continuous high levels of cortisol,  overstimulates our cells and can lead to tissue and organ damage. Thus making us more susceptible to memory loss, learning impairment, the development of chronic diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and cognitive impairment.

In the animal studies, vitamin C fed to rats undergoing stress not only maintained normal cortisol levels, it also stopped the  animals from exhibiting the known signs of physical and emotional stress, including loss of body weight. Those that did not receive vitamin C had t a three -fold increase  of stress hormones.

The current recommended daily amount (RDA) for vitamin C for adults is 60 milligrams—a fraction of the 1,000 mg given and found helpful in the new stress study.  Many believe, the  RDA for vitamin C is vastly underestimated.  It was set several decades ago and is based on the minimum on the amount of the vitamin needed to ward off scurvy (vitamin C deficiency disease).

Current thinking looks at vitamin C from the opposite direction: The amount needed to promote health under varying environmental conditions. That appears to be a lot greater than the amount needed to prevent deficiencies.

There’s also evidence suggesting that our ancient ancestors had a tropical diet  fruit rich diet that allowed the consumption of  large amounts of vitamin C in a.  If so, the physiological constitution we have inherited may require far larger daily doses of vitamin C than the current RDA, perhaps as high as 1,000 mg.

Vitamin C is found in fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits and red and green peppers. It’s also found in papayas, cantaloupes, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, asparagus and parsley. Vitamin C is not present in meats, and a small amount in raw fish.

Source:

http://clinicalstudiespublishing.com/pdf/supplemental/intjsptmed2001_22.pdf

According to a recent study, conducted at several research institutions across the United States, – Vitamin D deficiency is present in almost all patients who’ve experienced an acute heart attack (acute myocardial infarction).

The active Vitamin D 25(OH)D levels were measured in 239 patients  that were participants in  a 20 hospital prospective myocardial infarction registry. Patients enrolled from June 1 to December 31, 2008, had blood samples sent to a centralized laboratory  and analyzed. Normal 25(OH)D levels are ≥30 ng/ml, and patients with levels <30 and >20 ng/ml were classified as insufficient and those with levels ≤20 ng/ml as deficient.

Over 75% Were Vitamin D Deficient

Of the 239 enrolled patients, 179 (75%) were 25(OH)D deficient and 50 (21%) were insufficient, for a total of 96% of patients with abnormally low 25(OH)D levels.

No significant differences  was observed among age or gender subgroups, but 25(OH)D deficiency was more commonly seen in non–Caucasian patients and those with lower social support, no insurance, diabetes, and lower activity levels.

Radiation Protection

While our knowledge of Vitamin D increases, it is becoming clear that the most active form, Vitamin D3 (calcitriol), has the ability to provide  protection against a spectrum of cellular damage caused by radiation. It’s protective action is carried coordinated by a wide variety of mechanisms.

A paper in the International Journal of Low Radiation argued that vitamin D should be considered among the prime nonpharmacological agents that offer protection against low radiation damage and radiation-induced cancer — or even the primary agent.:

“… [O]ur understanding of how vitamin D mediates biological responses has entered a new era … In view of the evidence that has been presented here, it would appear that vitamin D by its preventive/ameliorating actions should be given serious consideration as a protective agent against sublethal radiation injury, and in particular that induced by low radiation”.

Sources:

www.sciencedailynews.com

International Journal of Low Radiation 2008; 5(4)

A new study determines high dose supplements of vitamin D may increase the exercise capacity and strength of respiratory muscles in people with emphysema, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study indicates.

According to findings presented at the ATS 2011 International Conference in Denver, after taking monthly doses of  high amounts of 100,000 IUs (international units) of vitamin D, people with COPD experienced significant improvements in exercise capacity and respiratory muscle strength compared to those in the placebo group,

Current US government recommendations for vitamin D are 600 IUs per day for adults up to age 70 and 800 IUs daily over 70 year-olds.

Miek Hornikx from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium said, “Low levels of vitamin D in the blood have been related with muscle weakness, a major target for respiratory rehabilitation and increased risk of falls.

“These results support the idea that correcting vitamin D deficiency by adding vitamin D supplements to training programs allows COPD patients to achieve better results from rehabilitation, including improvements in muscle strength and exercise capacity,” she added.

D plus physical rehabilitation

COPD primarily impacts people with a history of cigarette smoking, and is the number five cause of death worldwide.  Their lungs show signs of chronic inflammation in the small airways and causes excessive mucus production, excessive fibrousconnective tissue development (fibrosis), and breakdown of proteins (proteolysis).  It is a chronic, treatable disease, without a known cure.

COPD patients frequently experience vitamin D deficiency. Researchers in Belgium evaluated  the effects of a high-dose vitamin D supplement versus placebo in 50 COPD patients.

After ninety days of vitamin D supplementation  in conjunction with a lung  rehabilitation program, the researchers reported that subjects in the vitamin D group experienced  a significant improvement in their exercise capacity and breathing (respiratory) muscle strength, in comparison to a group not receiving vitamin D (the placebo group).

“Our study shows that high doses of vitamin D supplementation on top of a standard rehabilitation program improve the outcome in terms of exercise capacity and respiratory muscle strength,” said Hornikx.

Source: ATS 2011 International Conference
Colorado Convention Center; Abstract 17477
“Vitamin D Supplementation During Rehabilitation In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Intervention Study”

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego’s rule of medicine in Creighton University School of Medicine have discovered that when much higher doses of vitamin D are consumed on a daily basis, the risks associated with developing several major chronic diseases are reduced by approximately 50%.

Dr. Cedric Garland, professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and distinguished vitamin D researcher, said “we found the daily intakes of vitamin D by Delta in the range of 4000 to 8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases–breast cancer, colon cancer, multiples sclerosis, in type I diabetes.

“I was surprised to find that the intakes required to maintain vitamin D status for prevention of disease or so.  Much higher than the minimum intake of vitamin D of 400 IU/day that was needed to defeat rickets in the 20th century.”

While current federal government daily recommendation of 400 or 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D are not enough to prevent the development of chronic serious illnesses, this study, published in the Journal Anti-Cancer Research has found are not enough to fit the development of serious diseases such as breast cancer.

The researchers reviewed several thousand volunteers taking between 1000 and 10,000 IU per day of vitamin D found that much higher daily intakes of the vitamin are needed to reach blood levels in the healthy range of 40 to 60 ng/mL. And those who take such high doses of vitamin D are less likely to develop serious disease.

Dr. Garland also noted, “Now that the results of this study are in, it will become common for almost every adult to take 4000 international unit a day. This is comfortably under the 10,000 IU per day that the Institute of medicine committee considers as the lower limit of rest, and the benefits are substantial. Now is the time for virtually everyone to take vitamin D to help prevent some major type of cancer, several other illnesses, and fractures.”

Yours in good health,

Elaine R. Ferguson, MD
How To Get Well Faster

Source:

www.grassrootshealth.net

Vitamin D3 is More Potent than D2

Results of a study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism show that Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and is 87% more potent, in terms of elevating increasing the blood levels and also increased the vitamin’s storage level 200-to 300% compared to vitamin D2.

Creighton University researchers gave 33 healthy adults 50,000 units of vitamin D3 or D2 for 4 months.  The findings found that approximately 17 & of the vitamin D3 was stored by the participants, while the remainder was used by the body.

“This is a daily utilization rate of about 6500 IU at a blood vitamin D concentration of 50 ng/ml at the end of the treatment,” the researchers wrote, led by Robert Heany, MD.

“At the dose used in the study, most vitamin D is consumed.  This is the first study, to our knowledge to  have quantified this issue” added Dr. Heaney and his associates.

The Sunshine Vitamin’s Forms

Vitamin D occurs in two inactive forms-D3 cholecalciferol and Dr2 know as ergocalciferol.  They are both altered in the kidneys and liver into 25- hydroxyvitamin D.

An ongoing debate for many years has centered around the differences between these two forms.  Other studies have determined that vitamin D3 is between 30 and 50 per cent more effective than D2 in maintain blood levels. While a one study found that both forms are equally effective.

Dr. Heany and his associates wanted to clarify the inconsistencies in the research studies. They noted that  their findings are limited by the relatively short length of the treatment, and by their methods, which calculated.  They recommended a longer study would help to make a better determination, if it included multiple samples of fat tissues, to determine the vitamin D levels.

They concluded, “Given is greater potency and lower cost, D3 should be the preferred treatment option when correcting vitamin D deficiency.

This study confirms the findings of earlier reports, and my clinical observations as well.

Vitamin D is a hormone, unlike other vitamins and is critical to the function of thousands of genes.

It is not merely responsible for our bone health, it is crucial to our physical and mental well-being. It prevents the development of numerous chronic diseases including cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression (especially seasonal affective disorder) and many more.

Source: www.nutraingredients.com

A recent study reported in the American Journal of Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms that  children taking vitamin D supplements taken during the winter and early spring had a lower incidence of seasonal flu and asthma attacks.

Motoyami Urashima, of Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, and colleagues to in a double blind study randomly assign a group of 6- to 15-year-old children to take vitamin D3 supplements (1,200 international units daily) or inactive placebo during a cold and flu season.

Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is more readily absorbed by the body and more potent than vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, the form often found in multivitamins.

The study began in December 2008 and ended March 2009. One hundred sixty-seven children participated.  The researchers found that  31 of 167 children taking placebo caught influenza A, the most common form of the virus, compared with only 18 of 167 taking vitamin D.

The vitamin D group was 58 percent less likely to catch influenza A, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Vitamin D also appeared to suppress asthma attacks in children with a history of asthma. Two children taking vitamin D had asthma attacks during the study, compared to 12 children taking placebo. Urashima admitted to being a bit surprised by this finding and hopes to confirm it in a randomized trial targeting children with asthma.

Dr. Adit Ginde, of University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health: “This is the first time a study has been done that rigorously shows that vitamin D supplementation can reduce a type of influenza in a dedicated clinical trial.” Ginde and colleagues published a study a year ago showing that asthmatics with lower vitamin D levels were at five times the risk for colds and flu.

In the Japanese study, vitamin D supplementation did not prevent influenza type B, which tends to appear later in the flu season than the “A” flu variety.

Ginde said there is no solid explanation for why vitamin D prevented influenza A and not influenza B. “The immune system fights different viruses in different ways. This finding needs to be explored in more detail,” Ginde said.

Based on the current study, giving kids vitamin D supplements during the winter may help reduce cases of influenza A, the researchers conclude. Urashima suggests that children could take 1,200 IU per day starting in September to prevent flu and asthma attacks during the flu season, but best for parents to check with their pediatrician first.

Source:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.29094v1

New research indicates that several B vitamins may be the gateway to discovering more about the brain’s power and functions as well as detecting mental health issues.

Lindsay Allen, a U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritionist, reports that low levels of the B vitamins, folate, are associated with dementia symptoms and “cognitive decline” in brain function.

Allen in conjunction with scientists from the University of California-Davis, the UCD Medical Center and the University of California-San Francisco teamed together on the long-term research project called the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging.

The study began in 1996 with Allen explaining in a news release that earlier research conducted before that time were inconclusive and had confusing results. The team’s ongoing work now includes about 1,800 Hispanics ages 60 to 101.

Allen notes that vitamin B-12 deficiency in particular has been very common in developing countries because the only foods you can get it from are animal sources, such as milk, eggs and meet, and many people in poor countries don’t consume them.

“But B-12 deficiency is also very common in the elderly U.S. population because they stop being able to absorb it from their diet as they grow older,” she says. “We think supplements will work in the elderly because even though they can’t absorb it naturally through food, they can through supplements.”

Mary Haan of UC San Francisco led the group as they collected blood samples from the volunteers to be analyzed.

An analysis of volunteers’ blood samples found that decreased  levels of one B vitamin, folate, are associated with symptoms of dementia and poor brain function, also called “cognitive decline,” as determined by standard tests of memory and other factors. The impairments were detectable even though less than 1 percent of the volunteers were actually deficient in folate.

Researchers also found that women with low folate levels fared worse than men. In women, low levels of folate were associated with symptoms of depression. Women in the bottom third subgroup with a folate deficiency more than doubled their risk for depression, when compared to those in the highest third.  This finding provided new evidence of an association between lower blood folate and depression. Other studies have previously determined that depression does impact brain function.

During the vitamin B-12, the SALSA team determined that a protein known as holoTC, short for holotranscobalamin, could be a doorway to a different approach for detecting cognitive decline earlier and more accurately.

The researchers have published these and other findings, beginning in 2003 and continuing through this year, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The Journal of Nutrition, and The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100817134302.htm

Results of a cell study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, found a link between vitamin D levels and the activity of certain allergy associated immune cells. Vitamin D may inhibit an allergic response in asthmatics to a common mold, suggests a new study from the US supporting the vitamin’s immune health effects. 

According to Louisiana State University’s Dr. Jay Kolls, “We found that adding vitamin D not only substantially reduced the production of the protein driving an allergic response, but it also increased production of the proteins that promote tolerance.” 

Asthmatics experience a higher incidence of allergies, particularly to common mold (Aspergillus fumigatus). Their immune system’s overreaction can cause often severe complications for asthma sufferers as well as cystic fibrosis patients. 

Most people don’t react to the environmental mold, despite that the fact that it  is one of the most widespread fungal organisms inhaled by people.  But asthmatics and patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), exposure can lead to significant allergic symptoms. 

Approximately 15 percent of CF patients do experience severe allergic responses – called Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) – due to common mold inhalation. 

Dr. Kolls and colleagues planned to determine why only certain sub-set of patients with asthma and CF suffered from the mold allergy.  They assessed the factors that regulate the tolerance or sensitization to common mold during the development of ABPA. 

The study found that the protein OX40L was important in fueling the allergic response to A. fumigatus. OX40L increased the Th2 cells’ activity and a more powerful response was observed  in immune cells isolated from patients with ABPA. 

The cells from the immune system of patients without ABPA were found to have higher levels of certain proteins that are crucial in the developing tolerance to the allergen. 

The research demonstrated that high Th2 allergen reactivity in ABPA patients occurs with lower blood levels of vitamin D. 

“We found that adding vitamin D not only substantially reduced the production of the protein driving an allergic response, but it also increased production of the proteins that promote tolerance,” said Dr. Kolls. 

The study concludes that its findings, “strongly implicates vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for ABPA”.  Additionally  it indicates that vitamin D enrichment or supplementation may be a valuable way to treat, and potentially  prevent allergic reactions to common mold in people that are already experiencing significant lung conditions. 

“Our study provides further evidence that vitamin D appears to be broadly associated with human health,” added Kolls. 

“The next step in our research is to conduct a clinical trial to see if vitamin D can be used to treat or prevent this complication of asthma and Cystic Fibrosis.” 

Kolls also said that the findings of the study “may be relevant to other allergies”. 

He added: “Although there is no precise experimental data so show it, some of the results with knockout mice suggest that vitamin D could play a role with other allergens.” 

Source: 

Journal of Clinical Investigation 

“Immune tolerance to Aspergillus fumigatus versus Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis: roles of OX40L and vitamin D in humans and mice.”Authors: J.L. Kreindler, C. Steele, N. Nguyen, Y.R. Chan , et al.