I could stop right there and you'd have reason enough to make sure you're getting plenty of vit. D from cod liver oil or D3 supplements. But as I've mentioned before, vitamin D has also been shown to help maintain strong bones and muscles, support cognitive function, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
And there is also your heart... For several years it has been known that vitamin D deficiency is closely linked to higher risk of congestive heart failure. We also know that narrowing of the arteries in type 2 diabetics might be delayed and even reversed when D levels are raised.In 2002, a study that followed nearly 10,000 women over the age of 65 showed a link between vitamin D supplement use and a reduced risk of death from heart disease.
Now seven years later, new research from Utah's Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center expands on that research with impressive results. The Utah team collected blood samples from more than 27,000 healthy subjects over the age of 50 with no history of heart disease.
Results for subjects with the lowest blood levels of D:
- Twice as likely to experience heart failure
- 45 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease
- Nearly 80 percent more likely to have a stroke
In this study, lowest D levels were less than 15 nanograms per milliliter.
Talk to your doctor about testing your blood level of vitamin D. Then you can discuss supplement strategies for keeping levels high while we wait for summer to return. The suggested daily vitamin D3 supplement dosage is 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day. Vitamin D3 is available wherever vitamins are sold and it usually comes in very small gel capsules that are easy to swallow. It is a simple way to help keep your immune system strong and healthy and protect your heart at the same time.
New tests show frightening extras flow from the tap
The contamination of our water supply is the biggest public health crisis that no one will talk about – probably because at least some of the poison is put in on purpose.
The latest incident starts out innocently enough: Researchers in Washington studying the Puget Sound have found spices in the water. If you're a salmon there, you may have even noticed a distinct vanilla flavor these days. But these fish aren't getting some kind of treat. They're getting a bi-product of human waste, because everything we eat and excrete is making it right back out into the environment. Then, it goes into the ground water... and eventually into your tap water.
Think about that next time you fill your drinking glass or coffee pot. You may be thinking I am just being paranoid, this water is treated and filtered, right?" Right – and if you could see how ineffective this process can be, you'd never touch the faucet again, and vanilla flavoring is the least of your worries.
In Spain, researchers recently ran 24 water samples at a treatment plant –AFTER the H20 underwent supposedly rigorous filtering. Twenty-two of those samples tested positive for cocaine byproducts. In Italy, researchers say 44 pounds of pharmaceuticals flow down the Po River each day.
Think it is better here? Antibiotics, painkillers, sunscreen, hormones, drugs and so much more are routinely found in U.S. waters. In some parts of our nation, male fish are growing female parts because they're literally swimming in hormones. Most cities don't even bother testing for meds in the drinking water. When they do, they inevitably find them – pharmaceuticals have been found in the drinking water of 51 million U.S. homes. If we tested everywhere, I'm sure we'd find them everywhere.
Tests have even shown that some American drinking water is contaminated with perchlorate – the chemical used to make rocket fuel.
All this and I haven't even touched on the dangerous chemicals our own government proudly adds to the water, like fluoride and chlorine. Both of which can be toxic.
A simple way to help prevent drinking contaminated water is to add a good quality water filter. I use one made by Aquasana which has been chosen as a “Best Buy” by Consumer Digest for six years in a row. Here is a link http://www.aquasana.com/?discountcode=AQGO&gclid=CJubttzixJ4CFRifnAod4nSLqA for buying it at a 20% discount. They have both under counter and on the counter models in addition to a whole house system. The under counter model is very easy to install with a water spout on the sink.
There are better filters available but they can be fairly expensive. The best filters are a reverse osmosis filter or a distillation type filter that will remove just about everything including the natural minerals which can leave the water tasting a little flat. Another downside is these types can be much slower and can waste energy and water during the filtering process.
My recommendation:
Take at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day during the fall and winter. It is very cheap insurance for your health.
Drinking clean water is very important, so install a water filter like the Aquasana to provide your family with much cleaner and safer water to drink that you can feel good about. If you want, you can upgrade to a more expensive filter later. One other thing I would recommend is to add small filters to your shower nozzles that will remove chlorine, which is damaging to your hair and skin as it is absorbed, and to your body when you inhale the chlorine vapors.
Please Note: on the right side of the blog page I have added a list of recommended health related books that everyone may enjoy reading and find very informative. If you have one that you highly recommend then pass it along and I will include it.
Until next time, stay happy and healthy
JD Roma
No comments:
Post a Comment