Diet & Nutrition

New Research Highlights the Importance of Getting Enough Vitamin D During Pregnancy

Recommendations for vitamin intake during pregnancy are constantly being modified to reflect new research. Most people are aware of the importance of taking in enough folic acid and other B vitamins during their child-bearing years. A new study on taking vitamin D during pregnancy suggests that this vitamin also may be crucial to developing children, especially in the areas of social development and motor skills.

The Effects of Vitamin D During Pregnancy

It is well known that it is important to get a wide range of vitamins as part of your prenatal care while pregnant or planning a pregnancy. However, not all vitamins are created equal. Some vitamins, such as folic acid, are more important during pregnancy because we know that a deficiency can cause very serious and specific problems.

Vitamin D is perhaps best known for its effects on mood and on bone growth. Unsurprisingly, it has been linked to fetal bone growth as well. Pregnant women are routinely told to get enough of this vitamin to ensure that their fetus can develop healthy bones. Vitamin D also helps to keep an expecting mother’s bones strong at a time when their body is facing a range of new demands. However, this may not be the only role of this nutrient in growth and development. New research on vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin may have very serious effects on the developing fetus in the areas of social and motor development, effects that can last a lifetime.

Vitamin D and Social Development

Researchers looked at a group of pregnant women who had low vitamin D levels as well as those who had normal amounts of this vitamin while expecting. They assessed the health of the children resulting from these pregnancies and found surprising results. Children who were born to mothers who had a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy scored lower on both social and motor skills. They scored lower on motor skills such as kicking a ball and jumping. In addition, these children had more trouble with social skills in their preschool years.

How can vitamin D affect such a diverse range of skills in a developing fetus? While researchers are not sure of the exact mechanism, it definitely appears that this nutrient has a more profound effect on fetal development than was previously known. Although the effects of low vitamin D are acknowledged by the medical field, American doctors do not currently recommend routine screening of pregnant women for a deficiency of this vitamin. As a result, many expecting mothers may be deficient without knowing it. At a time when many mothers are worried about their children developing autism and other increasingly common neurological disorders, taking a vitamin D supplement may be an easy way to give children a better chance at a healthy life.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Although vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for human health, many modern people are deficient. This vitamin is produced mainly through a reaction found in skin cells when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. Many people in the modern world wear sunscreen to lower their skin cancer risk, leaving them with low vitamin D levels. However, there are several ways to ensure that you get the vitamin D you need without increasing your risk of skin cancer.

• Spend a few minutes a day in direct sunlight without sunscreen. This is not enough to get a sunburn or increase cancer risk but will ensure that your cells are able to manufacture vitamin D.

• Eat foods that are rich in this vitamin. These include eggs, meat, leafy greens and also cereals. Cereals in Western countries are fortified with vitamins A and D, so they are a rich source of this nutrient.

• Take a vitamin D supplement to ensure that you get enough of this vitamin even if you lack sun exposure or a diet rich in animal foods.

• Consider getting a special lamp that emits ultraviolet rays, such as the ones used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). These have the wavelength of light needed to encourage your skin to produce vitamin D.

Not Just for Pregnant Women

Even if you are not pregnant, your body needs vitamin D to survive and to thrive. Vitamin D has a variety of effects that are beneficial to all people. It is important in producing the biochemicals that contribute to maintaining a happy and positive mood, which is why a deficiency has been shown to cause depression and seasonal affective disorder. It also is important to the growth and remodeling of your bones. Vitamin D serves as a cofactor in a variety of important metabolic reactions. People who are deficient in this vitamin often find that they suffer fatigue, malaise and sleep disorders. Last, this vitamin is important to the immune system. Without it, you may find that you become sick more easily and take longer to recover from even minor and routine illness.

Eating a well-balanced diet is crucial to human health. However, the food supply is more depleted in nutrients than ever before. More and more people are finding that they have better health when taking a multivitamin with a wide range of essential vitamins and nutrients. Good nutrition is the building block of good health, so getting your vitamins either from a balanced diet or a supplement is more important than ever.

New Research Sheds Light on Link Between Iron and Heart Disease

Aug 03 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Are you getting enough iron in your diet? Research on iron and heart disease suggests that getting enough of this mineral may be crucial to your health.

We hear a lot about how diet can affect disease risk. However, there is a great deal of conflicting information. Is vegetarian food the healthiest choice? Should we be eating low-carb instead? While there is no solid evidence about what diets are best, the need for a variety of nutrients is well supported by research. There are numerous vitamins and minerals that can protect your body against disease. According to several studies on iron and heart disease, iron may be one of the most important nutrients in maintaining good health, particularly good cardiac health.

Heart Disease: A Public Health Crisis

While people in the West are less susceptible to communicable diseases and infections than ever before, several other diseases are increasing at an alarming rate. Heart disease is one of these illnesses. A great deal of heart disease is caused by coronary artery disease, an illness in which the arteries that supply the heart become hardened, blocked, or otherwise unable to pass blood. The result is that the heart does not have the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function and becomes increasingly diseased over time. This eventually can lead to angina, a heart attack or a stroke.

There are many theories about what factors contribute to coronary artery disease. Lifestyle appears to be a huge influence. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help to prevent the illness. In addition, it appears that getting enough iron can lower a person’s risk.

New Links Between Low Iron and Heart Disease

Exactly how can iron levels have this effect? It appears that iron levels can affect which genes are expressed, which, in turn, can protect against coronary artery disease or exacerbate it. In addition, the genes expressed by the body also can cause or prevent low iron levels. Low iron correlates with higher rates of coronary artery disease, but which is the causative factor?

According to studies on heart disease risk and blood iron levels, low iron levels appear to be at least partially a cause of coronary artery disease. However, correcting these levels by taking increased iron supplements may not affect disease risk. The issue appears to be more complicated than it previously seemed. It is important to get enough iron, but exactly how much iron seems to remain a controversy.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

This research may lead many to wonder: If low levels of iron are linked to poor heart health, are higher iron levels beneficial? However, research does not appear to support this. While low levels of iron may contribute to heart disease, higher levels of certain kinds of iron appear to be unhealthy. There are different kinds of iron found in foods, with a type called heme most common in red meats. Heme is absorbed more easily than the types of iron found in plants, which is why it is often preferred by people who are anemic or have high iron needs. However, eating large amounts of heme iron appears to be an independent risk factor for heart disease. Eating high levels of non-heme iron, the kind found in plants, does not appear to have this effect.

How can heme iron have this effect on the heart? It appears to contribute to the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which in turn contributes to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Non-heme iron has a different chemical structure and thus does not oxidize LDL cholesterol in this manner.

Are You Getting Enough Iron to Protect Against Heart Disease?

There is still much research to be done on the link between irons levels and heart disease. However, it currently appears that getting enough iron, and getting enough of the right kind of iron, may help to prevent damage to coronary arteries. There are several ways to increase iron intake, including:

Choose plant-based iron foods over meat to keep levels of non-heme iron high.
Eats beans, leafy greens and other good vegetarian sources of iron.
Eat iron-rich foods with acidic foods such as citrus foods, which helps vegetarian iron to be absorbed at a higher rate.
Choose cereals and grains that have been fortified with iron.
Avoid caffeinated drinks, which reduce iron absorption.
Take an iron supplement or a multivitamin that contains iron if you feel you cannot get enough of this mineral in your daily diet.
Talk to your doctor about how much iron you need, as it varies widely according to your activities and general health.

While there is often conflicting information on what diet and which nutrients are the most important for good health, one thing remains clear. Eating a varied and well-balanced diet while getting plenty of exercise is the most important way to prevent heart disease as well as other potentially deadly chronic illnesses. While you should not take in very high amounts of heme iron from meats, vegetarian non-heme iron appears to be crucial in helping your body maintain healthy blood vessels and heart tissue.

New Link Between Lutein and Inflammation Hints at Heart Health Benefits

Jul 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Heart disease is the leading cause of early death; it is estimated that over 17 million people die from heart disease every year. The rates of heart disease are on the rise; experts believe that by 2030, over 23 million people will die of heart disease yearly.

One of the most common forms of heart disease is known as coronary heart disease. This condition develops due to a process called atherosclerosis which is when fatty deposits build up in your arteries. This causes the arteries to become more narrow and stiff, impeding the normal flow of blood. Possible complications of coronary heart disease include angina, which is a pain in the chest, and heart failure, which is often fatal. Atherosclerosis by itself costs $448 billion every year in healthcare. However, advancements in our medical understanding of atherosclerosis have revealed that the detrimental process is not only due to fatty buildup but also has a prominent inflammatory aspect to it.

The Link Between Lutein and Inflammation

Lutein is a compound that imparts a yellowish color to certain foods. Dietary sources of lutein include broccoli, carrots, corn, kale, oranges, peas, spinach, yellow and orange peppers and egg yolk. Recently, researchers at Linköping University in Sweden published a study in the journal Atherosclerosis that suggests lutein can help mitigate inflammation. Specifically, the study looked at this yellow pigment’s effects on inflammation in heart disease patients. This finding may prove very useful to millions of people who have cardiovascular problems or who are at an elevated risk for them.

Researchers conducted the study by recruiting 193 volunteers with coronary artery disease. They measured the participants’ blood lutein levels as well as their levels of an inflammation marker known as interleukin-6. Upon analysis of the data, the scientists found that the higher your levels of lutein, the lower your inflammation marker levels will be. This suggests that starting to consume more lutein could positively affect inflammation that already exists.

Though more research is needed, there is some potential that lutein’s ability to promote healthy inflammatory processes could also be helpful for inflammatory disorders like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

The Additional Benefits of Lutein

Along with other dietary nutrients like folic acid and fiber, lutein is beneficial to the health of your blood vessels. One study looked at the effects of lutein on 65 people who had “early atherosclerosis,” which is atherosclerosis in a person under the age of 59. Researchers administered either lutein or placebo to the volunteers every day for three months. Blood samples were taken before and after lutein treatment to measure blood levels of the compound.

As with the previously-mentioned study, this study found that lutein decreased levels of inflammatory marker interleukin-6. Researchers also found that levels of another inflammatory marker, MCP-1, were also decreased. Some other benefits of lutein that this study discovered include a 9.4 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol and a 34.6 percent decrease in blood triglycerides.

Lutein may play an important role in eye health. Lutein, among other pigments, protect your eyes’ retinal cells from damaging blue light. Getting plenty of lutein in your diet could help prevent or even treat macular degeneration, an age-related eye disorder that leads to loss of vision. Specifically, eating two to four eggs a day has been shown to increase levels of lutein in your eyes.

Plant-Derived Compounds Similar to Lutein

Besides lutein, there are many plant pigments that provide health benefits. Many of these, including lutein, belong to a family called carotenoids. Carotenoids include such beneficial compounds as beta-carotene and lycopene.

Good sources of beta-carotene include:

apricots
broccoli
butternut squash
cantaloupe
carrots
kale
peas
red peppers
spinach
sweet potato

Some examples of lycopene sources are:

asparagus
carrots
grapefruit
guava
mango
papaya
red cabbage
red peppers
tomato
watermelon

Though lutein was the only carotenoid found to have benefits relating to inflammation, the other carotenoids have their own advantages. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that may slow cognitive decline and may help preserve lung strength in older adults. Lycopene is also an antioxidant, and research suggests it may have benefits for eye, brain, heart and bone health.

The Importance of a Plant-Rich Diet

The various antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are of great importance. For optimum health, it’s best to make sure you consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day. This way you can receive a wide variety of antioxidants and beneficial compounds, as well as vitamins and minerals. Experts recommend that you eat four to five servings of vegetables as well as four to five servings of fruit daily. Try to eat some from each color group—red, orange and yellow, dark green, light green and blue and purple.

Turmeric and Diabetes: An Ancient Spice Shows Promise for a Modern Disease

Jul 06 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Much has been researched and written about the curative properties of turmeric. New studies on turmeric and diabetes suggest that this tasty spice may offer new hope for an all-too-common disease.

Turmeric is gaining popularity, both as a spice and as a natural remedy. Not only is this exotic spice an important part of popular foreign cuisines such as East Indian food, but it also is being suggested as a natural remedy that can benefit a variety of serious conditions in several new studies. An increasing body of new research on the link between turmeric and diabetes suggests that this bold spice may also help protect against diabetes and may even soothe some symptoms of this common concern.

What Is Curcumin?

Many people have heard of turmeric but few have heard of curcumin. Curcumin is the compound in turmeric root that gives it its distinctive color and flavor. In lab tests, curcumin has been found to protect against inflammation, slow the growth of tumors and otherwise promote good health. According to new studies, curcumin in turmeric root can offer a number of benefits in relation to diabetes, including reducing complications and even helping to protect against this common metabolic condition. This makes sense in light of other recent studies finding that diabetes can be at least partially attributed to inflammation in the endocrine system.

The Link Between Turmeric and Diabetes Prevention

According to new research, consuming turmeric may act as a powerful preventative measure for diabetes. People who were at risk for diabetes were placed on a turmeric supplement and had their hemoglobin A1c as well as inflammation markers tested at regular intervals. Hemoglobin A1c is a popular measurement that tells doctors how high a person’s blood glucose has been on average for the past three months.

Taking a turmeric supplement led to a quick decrease in hemoglobin A1c and blood glucose. It also led to lower levels of inflammatory markers and less insulin resistance than a placebo. While this effect may not be enough to cure diabetes once the disease process has begun, it very well may help to prevent the disease. In addition, turmeric appears to reduce the immune response in people with type 1 diabetes, which can lessen the severity and extent of the disease immensely.

In addition, curcumin and turmeric can be used to prevent the complications of diabetes once the disease has been diagnosed. People with diabetes often suffer from end organ damage such as peripheral neuropathy, kidney disease, cataracts and even progressive cognitive decline. While these processes can be slowed down by controlling blood glucose, they often cannot be stopped entirely. However, turmeric appears to slow the development of these diseases even further. Turmeric appears to have a huge effect on the damage to blood vessels and organs that be caused by high blood sugar.

Can Diabetes Be Treated Naturally?

Although there are several popular medications to treat diabetes, it often can be managed naturally. Many people find that diet and exercise both help to keep both sugar levels low. In addition, you can try any one of the following:

Eat more whole foods. Processed foods tend to have hidden carbs that can drive blood glucose high.
Add fiber to every meal. Fiber slows the absorption of dietary sugars.
Test your blood glucose regularly. This is important to identify what unique factors affect your own blood glucose. Your doctor can tell you how often is ideal for you.
Take supplements that may benefit metabolism and promote healthy blood glucose levels after talking to your doctor. There are also many natural remedies besides turmeric/curcumin that can help you to get your blood glucose under control.

Getting More Turmeric in Your Diet

Turmeric has been found not to just be helpful for diabetes, but for a wide range of inflammatory disorders. These can include joint disease, heart disease and more. People around the world eat turmeric in larger quantities than in the United States, which may be part of the reason that we have such high rates of autoimmune and inflammatory illness. If you are trying to get more turmeric, consider eating more yellow curries and East Indian food. These contain plenty of turmeric, enough to have a positive effect on your life.

If you are not a fan of curry, there are other ways to get the health benefits of this spice. There are many capsules on the market that offer turmeric in a form that does not require a taste for hot foods. It is important to start with a very small dose and then to gradually work up to a higher one. This will allow you to have fewer side effects such as stomach upset. Also, it is important to talk to a doctor before beginning this or any new supplement. Even natural medications have drug interactions and contraindications to be considered.

Diabetes is becoming a health crisis in the Western world, with millions of Americans struggling to manage their blood sugar due to this devastating disease. However, there are many proven ways to prevent and treat this disease naturally. Consider taking turmeric and other natural supplements to get your blood sugar under control once and for all.

Discovered: The Relationship Between Healthy Gut Bacteria and IBD

Jun 30 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Got bacteria? Research on the link between gut bacteria and IBD suggest that a well-balanced intestinal microbiome may be crucial to treating this disease.

An increasing amount of research about the importance of the gut microbiome has flooded science newspapers and journals. We have linked the bacteria that live in our gastrointestinal tracts to digestive health, diabetes risk and even to mental health and mood. The latest research on gut bacteria and IBD suggest that a healthy range of gastrointestinal flora may actually help people with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is not a single disorder but rather a group of several different diseases. All types of IBD cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. This category includes Crohn’s disease as well as many different types of chronic colitis. Although the individual conditions grouped together as IBD differ, they all have several things in common. Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract leads to diarrhea, poor digestion, poor absorption of nutrients and a variety of other symptoms.

There are currently several treatments for IBD, but these are avoided by many people because of their high rates of side effects. Many of these treatments focus on suppressing the immune system, leaving people more susceptible to infections. Many people attempt to control these conditions with diet and natural remedies, but little is known about what may be effective in the battle against IBD. New studies, however, suggest several natural approaches that may make a difference.

Healthy Gut Bacteria and IBD

Doctors recommend eating a healthy diet and developing strategies to deal with stress as ways of dealing with IBD. They also suggest consuming foods or supplements that are rich in probiotics. Probiotics, which are foods or supplements containing bacteria that are part of a healthy GI tract, appear to reduce many of the symptoms of some types of IBD such as ulcerative colitis. Research has found that some cases of IBD are linked to high levels of unhealthy bacteria in the GI tract. A probiotic supplement can colonize the gut with good bacteria which then flourish and crowd out bad bacteria.

New knowledge about the link between certain types of bacteria and IBD also may be helpful for identifying different kinds of IBD. These diseases are currently diagnosed with a biopsy, which requires invasive procedures. Soon, however, doctors may be able to diagnose these diseases with a simple test for different levels of unhealthy bacteria.

Could Plant Fats Help?

There are a lot of theories about what the ideal diet for IBD might be. However, until recently, there was no solid proof to support any of the purported foods. However, new research suggests that eating a diet rich in plant fats may calm much of the inflammation underlying inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers fed lab mice with IBD different kinds of diet and tracked their symptoms along with levels of inflammation in their GI tract. A diet with plenty of plant fats such as coconut oil and cocoa butter appears to reduce inflammation along with the symptoms that it causes.

How can plants fat have this beneficial effect? According to this study, they appear to feed beneficial gut bacteria and help them to flourish. Once again, a healthy gut appears to be dependent on having the right balance of flora.

Treating IBD Naturally

Whether you have IBD or simply have the occasional digestive issue, there is a good chance that you may benefit from a healthier GI tract. People who have healthy digestive systems absorb more nutrition, suffer less cramping and other ill effects and generally lead healthier lives. Because our intestines are responsible for absorbing nutrients and excreting wastes, a lot of medical issues can result when they are out of balance. There are a few ways you can help to support a healthy GI tract, such as:

Reduce stress, or learn ways to deal with it before it affects your health.
Eat plenty of healthy plant fats, such as avocado oil and coconut oil.
Ensure that your diet is rich in probiotics, whether these come from yogurt, kefir, fermented foods or a probiotic supplement.
Avoid antibiotics unless totally necessary, as these kill off your beneficial flora while allowing disease-causing bacteria to flourish.
Eat plenty of soluble fiber, as this feeds the good bacteria that you need for optimal digestion. You can also take a prebiotic supplement that contains the foods that feed a healthy GI tract.
Get plenty of exercise, as this helps your GI tract to move more efficiently.
Avoid saturated fats, concentrated sugars, and processed foods that promote a less healthy digestive system.

Although plant oils and probiotics are not part of a traditional Western diet, they are becoming more popular and more accessible every day. Adding these foods to your diet may be just the healthy change that your body needs to more efficiently and painlessly digest foods. A beneficial balance of gut bacteria is increasingly being linked to the health of the entire body, so the effort will likely pay off.

Newly Discovered Link Between Vitamin A and Diabetes Offers Hope for Sufferers

Jun 28 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Almost 30 million people in the United States suffer from diabetes, a disorder of glucose metabolism. This number is growing at an alarming rate, making this one of the most studied diseases of our times. According to a new study, vitamin A plays an incredibly important role in maintaining insulin production. Could a link between vitamin A and diabetes—namely a deficiency of vitamin A—be partly to blame for growing rates of this serious disease?

Diabetes and Insulin

There are two different kinds of diabetes, but both have to do with insulin. Insulin is a hormone that “unlocks” cells so they can take in glucose. This hormone is made by the beta cells of the pancreas in response to the body taking in glucose. Without insulin, cells begin to starve as they do without this very efficient energy source, even when it is in ample supply in the bloodstream. In addition, glucose remains in the bloodstream where it can cause damage to delicate tissues.

In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas so they cannot produce insulin. This is a permanent condition and the only treatment is supplementation of insulin. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body gradually builds a resistance to insulin. Over time, cells stop responding to insulin for reasons we don’t entirely understand. Even when the body has high glucose levels and high insulin levels, glucose still is not taken into cells. This condition is called insulin resistance.

The Link Between Vitamin A and Diabetes

New technology has allowed scientists to look more closely at cells on a molecular level. Researchers discovered that beta cells are covered not just in glucose receptors, but in vitamin A receptors as well. When these receptors were blocked in mice, the beta cells had difficulty sensing and responding to high blood glucose levels. They then repeated the test on human cells with the same result: Blocking the vitamin A receptors impaired the ability of beta cells to release insulin in response to high blood glucose levels. When the beta cells of people with type 2 diabetes were compared to those of people without the disease, the same results were found.

What does this mean for public health? First, getting enough vitamin A is crucial to good metabolic function, particularly to good beta cell function. Second, a childhood vitamin A deficiency may actually do lifelong damage to beta cells in the pancreas, setting the child up for future metabolic problems.

The Role of Vitamin A in Metabolism

This is not the first study to link vitamin A to beta cell function. Previous studies have shown that this nutrient is extremely important to beta cell development in the fetal period. Having low levels of vitamin A may actually decrease beta cell function by as much as 30 percent, enough to have a dramatic effect on glucose levels. Because vitamin A is uniquely involved in cell differentiation, beta cells may simply need this nutrient to develop properly. However, these new studies make it clear that vitamin A deficiency can cause diabetes-like dysfunction of insulin release even in people who have had normal development.

If you are struggling with diabetes or another type of metabolic disorder, a vitamin A deficiency may be partially to blame. Other symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include dry or itchy eyes, loss of vision, poor bone growth, poor hair growth and impairment of the immune system. This vitamin is crucial not just for children who are developing, but for adults who wish to maintain a healthy body. However, many people in the United States and the Western world are deficient in this nutrient.

Getting Enough Vitamin A

The recommended daily allowance for vitamin A is 3000 IU for adult males and 2300 IU for adult females. Some populations, such as people with diseases of the intestines, pancreas or liver may need much more than this. The foods richest in vitamin A are liver and oily fish. In addition, dairy products are fortified with vitamin A. However, there are also many plant sources. Orange or red vegetables such as carrots, orange squash, red bell peppers and tomatoes also are generous sources of this vitamin.

Despite the availability of many foods rich in vitamin A, deficiencies remain common. Oily fish and liver simply are not huge parts of most Western people’s diets. For this reason, many people benefit from taking a supplement that has their recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. This ensures that you will always have the amount of this nutrient needed to support a healthy metabolism. While vitamin A is important for insulin production and diabetes prevention, it also supports whole-body health in a variety of ways.

Getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals is crucial to maintaining optimal health. Despite the wide availability of healthy foods, many Americans simply do not get the nutrients that they need. According to research on vitamin A and diabetes, this depleted diet may be part of the reason for our high rates of diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. If you are concerned that you have a vitamin A deficiency, it is important to find a supplement or other multivitamin that has the vitamins you need to maintain metabolic health over a lifetime.