Many of the various medical articles circulated on the Internet eventually become attributed to the world-renowned Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Most of these articles are just urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. But here's a bizarre urban legend that really CAN be traced straight back to Johns Hopkins: titled “Vitamin E supplements might kill you”.
As urban legends go, you can find wilder ones, but you won't find any less accurate.
Nearly five years ago, JHU associate professor Edgar R. Miller III, Ph.D., and colleagues published an article in which they concluded: "High-dosage (400 IU/d) vitamin E supplements may increase all-cause mortality and should be avoided." Unfortunately, this study was enough to send uneducated doctors everywhere scrambling to cover their rears and start recommending that anyone with existing or even the likelihood of getting heart disease, should avoid vitamin E like the plague. Typical overreaction without having the facts.
This quote from Health Sciences Institute Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., says it all; "What a joke. I can't believe such a moronic study even got published."
More recently, Dr. Spreen noted the upcoming anniversary in an issue of NorthStar's Guide to Good Health e-letter. In his article, titled "The Ghost of Vitamin E: Still Haunting Us Five Years Later," Dr. Spreen once again explains the glaring flaws in the JHU study.
More importantly, Dr. Spreen offers tips on supplementation, along with evidence that shows the safety in large vitamin E doses. In addition, he cites two recent vitamin E studies in which generous intake of the vitamin is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular-related death, while poor intake of E is linked to higher risk of bowel cancer, breast cancer, and general physical decline.
To the research noted above I can add another new study that's indispensable to many with prostate cancer or at high risk of developing the cancer.
In 2004, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) did a review of a large cancer-prevention study. Blood samples revealed that men with the highest levels of the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E lowered their risk of developing prostate cancer by more than 50 percent. Those with the highest levels of the gamma-tocopherol form of the vitamin lowered risk by nearly 40 percent.
In the new study (also from NCI), researchers used data from the same cancer-prevention study to examine the effects of vitamin E intake on subjects who already had prostate cancer. They identified nearly 1,900 cases of prostate cancer. About 400 of these subjects died from their disease. Examining records that showed blood levels of alpha- tocopherol as well as vitamin E supplement intervention, they found that the highest intake of the vitamin significantly improved chances of prostate cancer survival.
That result seems like a perfect way to mark the fifth anniversary of JHU's infamous vitamin E urban legend.
It is clear from the many (valid) studies done over the years and from real world experiences by people like Dr. Bruce West, MD who is one of the most respected pioneers of natural health, that vitamin E is one of the most critical nutrients for health and healing in the human body. But as I have said many times in Real Health, all vitamins are not created equal! While the regular so called “natural” forms of vitamin E that are available in the stores and everywhere else can be beneficial, they are far less effective than the “real” form of vitamin E containing ALL of its fractions including gamma-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol listed in the study above.
Real, whole vitamin E as it is found in food, is critical for heart health and for preventing heart disease. Whole Vitamin E is required to repair and prevent damage to muscles and the circulatory system. Because your heart is also a large muscle, it responds extremely well when given the proper nutrients. Even a heart damaged from a heart attack can be repaired when given the proper nutrients. But the only products that I know of that provide these kinds of “whole” nutrients are made by Standard Process Labs (SPL). They are extremely difficult to manufacture, but if you want real vitamin E and the other whole nutrients that actually heal and protect your heart and circulatory system, then use Cardio-Plus™ supplements from SPL.
I have recommended Cardio-Plus™ several times in Real Health because it is such an important supplement for cardiovascular health and everyone over 30 should be taking it. Cardio-Plus contains the whole vitamins E, C, the full B vitamin complex including B4 (which is not found in other supplements) along with calcium lactate, magnesium, selenium, wheat germ and many other hard to find “whole” nutrients. No other product works as well to provide heart nutrition.
So do yourself a favor and get your family on Cardio-Plus. A maintenance dosage of 3-4 tablets a day is good for healthy people and up to 9 tablets a day (split up twice a day) for people with heart disease or other circulatory issues. Be sure to add a high quality cod liver oil or fish oil to your diet too.
Standard Process Labs supplements can be ordered from Health Alert at 800-231-8063, and they are also now available from Naturamart.com at http://www.naturamart.com/ . Naturamart even offers free shipping on orders of $49 or more. These are the highest quality supplements available and are typically only sold directly to doctors.
If you have specific health conditions that you want to address you can email me and I will provide more detailed information on recommended protocols from Dr. West.
New Health Tech News: Replace lost teeth with Bioengineered teeth
Here is some information on the great progress being made to re-grow natural teeth where you have lost your originals.
A Japanese group, led by cell biologist Takashi Tsuji of Tokyo University of Science in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, focused on tooth germs, the embryonic tissues that develop into teeth. After obtaining such germs from mouse embryos, they separated out two types of cells--epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells--and then recombined them into a new bioengineered tooth germ. The team then grew the bioengineered germs in a special culture for 5 to 7 days and transplanted them into the upper jaws of adult mice in the place of an extracted molar. New teeth poked through the gums after about 36 days and reached the proper size and alignment with opposing teeth for proper chewing after 49 days.
All indications are that the teeth function just like the real thing. They have the roots, inner pulp, and outer enamel of normal teeth and are just as hard, the team reports. Moreover, unlike dental implants, the regenerated teeth develop the periodontal ligaments that tie normal teeth to the supporting bone and the nerve fibers that give sensitivity to chewing pressure and other stresses. "We clearly demonstrated that the bioengineered organ germ could develop into a fully functioning organ," Tsuji says.
Further challenges include demonstrating the formation of different kinds of teeth and the proper location of cusps. Tsuji admits that although the bioengineered teeth are functional, the crown widths, cusp positions, and tooth patterning were not quite normal. But he expects his group to gain control over such details with further research.
So the days of dentures and gumming your food may be limited.
As always, feel free to send me any questions or requests for additional information. Until next time, stay healthy and happy.
JD Roma
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment