THE GREATEST MEDICINE OF ALL… IS TEACHING PEOPLE HOW NOT TO NEED IT
IF YOU DON’T MAKE TIME FOR YOUR WELLNESS - YOU WILL BE FORCED TO MAKE TIME FOR YOUR ILLNESS!
Vitamin D Seems To Prevent dementia
Vitamin D pops up in pretty much every general discussion of health maintenance and disease prevention. Having enough of it seems to help while having too little seems to cause — or at least associate with — everything from cancer to heart disease. So keeping lots of vitamin D in one’s bloodstream is kind of a no-brainer.
The reason I’m posting this now is that new research just linked a lack of this nutrient to dementia, which we baby boomers really, really want to avoid. So here’s an overview, followed by the dementia findings and a couple of tips:
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in two main forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 is synthesized in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight, while vitamin D2 is obtained from dietary sources.
Key functions of vitamin D include:
- Calcium and Phosphorus Regulation: Vitamin D helps regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines, promoting bone health and mineralization, thus staving off rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.
- Immune System Support: Vitamin D is involved in modulating the immune system, and its deficiency has been linked to an increased susceptibility to infections and autoimmune diseases.
- Cell Growth and Differentiation: Vitamin D is implicated in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis (programmed cell death).
- Cardiovascular Health: Some research suggests that vitamin D may have a role in maintaining cardiovascular health by influencing blood pressure regulation and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Mood and Mental Health: Vitamin D may play a role in mood regulation, and its deficiency has been associated with conditions like seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Sources of vitamin D include:
Sunlight: Exposure of the skin to sunlight is a natural way to synthesize vitamin D. However, factors such as geographic location, time of day, skin pigmentation, and the use of sunscreen can affect the production of vitamin D from sunlight.
Diet: Some food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel), fortified dairy products, fortified cereals, and egg yolks.
Supplements: Vitamin D supplements are also available and may be recommended for individuals who have limited sun exposure or are at risk of deficiency.
My Comment: Here in the Northwest, it is impossible to get enough vitamin D from sun exposure for about 8 months of the year. So taking a D3 supplement is required. A minimum of 4,000 IU per day is the typical recommendation.
The Dementia Connection
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Higher Risk of Early Onset Dementia: New research identifies 15 factors tied to increased risk of early-onset dementia.
Forgetfulness and confusion, once considered normal signs of aging, are now increasingly striking adults at the peak of their careers. Rates
of early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease among Americans younger than 65
have inexplicably doubled between 2013 and 2017, according to data from Blue
Cross Blue Shield, a health insurance provider.
Now, new research identifies vitamin D deficiency, which affects 35 percent of adults in the United States, among 15 adjustable lifestyle factors that appear to drive up a person’s early dementia risk. While the findings also highlight alcohol abuse and isolation, the surprising link between low vitamin D levels and early cognitive decline suggests a simple daily supplement may help the fight against this baffling rise.
Largest Study of Its Kind
The average age of someone between 30 and 64 years old living with either young-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s is 49, with women being disproportionately affected compared to men, according to the BCBS data.
In a recent large-scale study published in JAMA Neurology, researchers identified 15 lifestyle and health risk factors associated with early-onset dementia. The study analyzed information from over 356,000 people younger than 65 whose data were in the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research initiative in the United Kingdom, between 2006 and 2010.
“This is the largest and most robust study of its kind ever conducted,” David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter said in a press statement. It is also the first to suggest people can take actions to reduce their risk of the condition by targeting an array of different factors, he added.
Risk Factors for Young-Onset Dementia
“Young-onset dementia has a very serious impact, because the people affected usually still have a job, children, and a busy life,” Stevie Hendriks from the Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and lead author of the study said in the statement. “The cause is often assumed to be genetic, but for many people we don’t actually know exactly what the cause is.”
Major contributing risk factors included alcohol abuse, stroke, and hearing impairment—all previously identified as risks for cognitive decline.
However, the study also identified some additional risk factors associated with early-onset dementia that have not been previously explored in depth, including vitamin D deficiency, high levels of inflammatory C-reactive proteins, specifically in women, orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure that happens when standing after sitting), and social isolation.
Vitamin D Reduced Dementia Risk by 40 Percent
Previous epidemiological studies have also linked vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of dementia, Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association, commented.
However, relatively few studies have specifically examined risk factors for young-onset dementia, making Ms. Hendriks and team’s study “a welcome addition to the literature,” Ms. Sexton said.
Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, compared dementia onset between people who took vitamin D supplements versus those who did not. The study included 12,388 Americans without a dementia diagnosis at baseline, with an average age of 71.
The study found that among those who developed dementia within 10 years, about 75 percent were non-supplement takers compared to only 25 percent who took vitamin D supplements. Supplementation provided greater protection for women, though it reduced dementia risk in both sexes.
Interestingly, the study found vitamin D seemed to offer more benefit if people supplemented it before there were signs of cognitive problems. “Vitamin D effects were significantly greater in females versus males and in normal cognition versus mild cognitive impairment,” the authors wrote.
Overall, the researchers associated vitamin D supplementation with a 40 percent lower incidence of dementia compared to no supplementation.
Turmeric Extract 100% Effective At Preventing Type 2
Diabetes, ADA Journal Study Finds
Article published by GreenMedInfo
A remarkable human clinical study published in the journal Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, revealed that turmeric extract was 100% successful at preventing prediabetic patients from becoming diabetic over the course of a 9-month intervention.
Performed by Thailand researchers, the study's primary object was to assess the efficacy of curcumin, the primary polyphenol in turmeric which gives the spice its golden hue, in delaying the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a prediabetic population.
The study design was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial including 240 subjects who met the American Diabetic Association's criteria for prediabetes. All subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 250 mg of curcuminoid or placebo capsules for 9 months.
Type 2 diabetes progression was assessed by measuring a wide range of parameters, including changes in the insulin-producing cells within the pancreas known as β-cells, insulin resistance, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine known as adiponectin, at four different times: baseline, 3-, 6-, and 9-month visits during the course of intervention.
The results were reported as follows:
"After 9 months of treatment, 16.4% of subjects in the placebo group were diagnosed with T2DM, whereas none were diagnosed with T2DM in the curcumin-treated group. In addition, the curcumin-treated group showed a better overall function of β-cells, with higher HOMA-β (61.58 vs. 48.72; P < 0.01) and lower C-peptide (1.7 vs. 2.17; P < 0.05). The curcumin-treated group showed a lower level of HOMA-IR (3.22 vs. 4.04; P < 0.001) and higher adiponectin (22.46 vs. 18.45; P < 0.05) when compared with the placebo group." [emphasis added]
The researchers concluded:
"A 9-month curcumin intervention in a prediabetic population significantly lowered the number of prediabetic individuals who eventually developed T2DM. In addition, the curcumin treatment appeared to improve overall function of β-cells, with very minor adverse effects. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the curcumin intervention in a prediabetic population may be beneficial."
The full study can be viewed for free on the American Diabetic Association's Diabetes Care website: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/35/11/2121.full
Discussion
Considering that at least 40% of the US population ages
40-74 are believed to have prediabetes, according to CDC statistics, the
health implications of this study are profound.
Curcumin, which constitutes approximately 3-4% of dry turmeric powder by weight, is affordable, safe and easily accessible. Moreover, over 600 potential health benefits of curcumin (and/or turmeric) have been documented within the biomedical literature freely available to peruse on either the National Library of Medicine's open access database (pubmed.gov search: "curcumin"), or for your convenience, our intricately organized Curcumin database.
Considering the abject failure, if not also sometimes deadly nature of diabetic medications, turmeric (curcumin) provides an ideal alternative. We can only hope that medical professionals who treat prediabetics and diabetics will take seriously this study, especially considering that it was published in the American Diabetic Association's very own, highly respected journal.
Revolutionary Trial Favors Exercise Over NSAIDs For Knee Arthritis
Could properly performed squats, lunges and leg lifts relieve knee osteoarthritis symptoms better than celebrex or advil?
This groundbreaking study found a tailored 12-week exercise program yielded superior improvement in pain, function and quality of life compared to NSAID treatment in knee osteoarthritis patients. The findings support conservative exercise therapy over risky anti-inflammatories.
Could simply exercising properly relieve knee arthritis symptoms better than pills? For osteoarthritis sufferers worldwide, movement may soon trump medication as first-line treatment.'
A landmark randomized controlled trial published in Cartilage reveals 12 weeks of customized strengthening, flexibility and stabilization exercise training leads to significantly greater relief from knee osteoarthritis symptoms and functional limitations than standard NSAID treatments (celecoxib (aka Celebrix), diclofenac (aka Voltaren) and naproxen (aka Advil)).
Study lead author Dr. Jing Chao of Hebei Medical University explains: "This study shows that exercise rehabilitation provides significant improvements in pain, other symptoms, and quality of life compared to that achieved by conventional treatments."
The study divided 166 knee osteoarthritis patients randomly into a structured, progressive lower limb exercise program performed under physiotherapist guidance for 20 minutes daily or control groups receiving standard care with NSAIDs over 12 weeks.
Per Dr. Chao, "the average Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) scores after treatment were 84.4 ± 15.2, 108.3 ± 3.9, 107.4 ± 5.4, and 107 ± 6.0 in the exercise rehabilitation, diclofenac, naproxen, and celecoxib groups, respectively."
This demonstrates profoundly increased symptomatic relief from customized training versus all drugs tested.
The tailored physical therapy yielded statistically significant superior improvements in joint pain, stiffness and physical function compared to all medication groups as measured by standard Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Lysholm knee surveys. The exercise group also experienced greater gains in overall wellbeing, quality of life and knee range of motion.
This pioneering study supports a pivot in knee osteoarthritis care away from risky anti-inflammatories towards exercise and active self-management as first line treatment. The trial cements exercise therapy’s prime role for durably improving function and quality of life in knee arthritis sufferers without drugs.
Until next time, stay healthy and happy.
The information on this blog is provided for educational
purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, and
medical advice and services are not being offered. If you have, or suspect you
have, a health problem you should consult your physician (preferably a
Naturopath).
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