Diet & Nutrition

Research on Vitamins and Sleep Links Vitamins A, B12 and D to Healthy Circadian Rhythm

Disordered sleep is a common and growing public health problem affecting 50-70 million people in the United States. While part of this is due to the business of modern life, there also appear to be other factors at play. At the same time, many Americans suffer from vitamin deficiencies due to poor diet and depleted food. Could these two issues be related? New chronobiology research on the link between vitamins and sleep suggest taking a multivitamin may be an important part of maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm.

Vitamin D: How the Sunlight Vitamin Regulates Circadian Rhythm

There has long been a suspected link between vitamin D and sleep, whereas many people who are deficient in this vitamin suffered from fatigue, insomnia and other indications of a circadian disorder. According to new studies, this is due to the role of vitamin D in the transcription of genes related to the circadian rhythm.

It is well known that sunlight is one of the major cues for our sleep-wake cycle. Previous research has shown that this is at least partially due to its effect on our hypothalamus, which cues the release of the sleep hormone in the absence of light cues from the eyes. However, vitamin D also may be part of the way that sunlight regulates the circadian rhythm. Vitamin D is synthesized when the ultraviolet rays of the sun interact with proteins in our skin cells. In turn, this vitamin D activates certain circadian genes. If you are not getting enough vitamin D, your body may be losing one of its ways of determining whether it is day or night and sleep disorders may ensue.

Seeing the Light

When it comes to vitamins and sleep, vitamin A appears to affect the circadian rhythm in a different but just as crucial way. Vitamin A is very important to maintaining good vision. This includes differentiating light from dark. As mentioned before, your eyes’ perception of light is crucial to maintaining appropriate melatonin cycles and thus a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Without the ability to perceive light, your brain may release melatonin throughout the day, making you sleepy and fatigued. It ends up that the cells in your eyes that are responsible for perceiving light levels are especially dependent on vitamin A.

Even if you can see well, the parts of your eyes that perceive light levels, known as rhodopsins, may not be getting enough vitamin A to function correctly. In fact, night blindness and sleep disorders may be the first signs of a deficiency. If you have trouble sleeping, your diet may be a partial cause. This may be the first sign of a vitamin A deficiency that is having less-noticeable negative effects on your health.

B Vitamins and Sleep

B vitamins are well known for contributing to our energy levels. This is partially due to their role as cofactors in metabolic reactions. However, there may be a second reason that you feel tired when you don’t get enough of this broad class of vitamins. Studies have found that people sleep better and have more REM sleep when given B vitamin supplements. We also know that B vitamins are important in the synthesis of hormones related to sleep and circadian rhythm, such as serotonin.

Vitamin B12 appears to have an especially important role in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. People who take a vitamin B12 supplement report better sleep and also have higher levels of melatonin metabolites in their urine at night. They also have decreased melatonin levels during the day, suggesting that B12 helps the body to maintain better control over their sleep-wake cycle. Taking a supplement of this vitamin has also been found to help treat jet lag and other common circadian disorders.

Getting the Vitamins You Need for a Healthy Circadian Rhythm

If you are interested in sleeping better—and who isn’t?—getting enough vitamins may be an easy first step. Many people in the West have lower than optimal levels of nutrients, in part due to depleted soil. However, there are many supplements and multivitamins on the market that can help you to get enough of all of the nutrients you need. While it is important to eat a varied diet and to get as many vitamins as possible from your food, many people cannot get enough vitamins without taking a multivitamin. In addition, getting enough sunlight is important to metabolizing vitamin D, as well as to maintaining healthy melatonin levels. If you wear sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight to prevent skin cancer, an additional supplement of vitamin D may be necessary.

Many chronic diseases have been found to be linked to vitamin deficiencies. New research suggests that sleep disorders may also be caused by not getting the nutrients we need. Eating a healthy diet and taking supplements as needed to keep vitamin levels high is one of the most important things you can do to maintain optimal health and a healthy circadian rhythm.

Top 6 Crucial Vitamins for Men’s Health

Jun 20 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Today, the “Standard American Diet” has become, well, standard — especially among men. This diet is based on processed foods that are often lacking in nutrients and vitamins. The result is that many men in the United States are deficient in vitamins. In addition, men have slightly different nutritional needs than women and require more of certain vitamins to produce testosterone, prevent heart disease and otherwise promote good health. Exactly which vitamins are western men lacking? We’ve identified the following top six.

1. Vitamin D

Many modern people do not get enough vitamin D due to widespread sunscreen use. While protecting against skin cancer is important, it is also important to take in enough vitamin D. Not only does this vitamin help you to feel energetic and have good bone strength, it may also be important for the future health of your children. Men need vitamin D to produce the testosterone needed for high fertility and good health. Maternal vitamin intake is not the only kind that matters. Recent studies have found that men who take vitamin D around the time of conception have healthier children with lower rates of obesity.

2. B Vitamins

B vitamins are essential to your metabolism and immune system. They may also be especially important for protecting your cells and tissues from harmful elements in our environment. Air pollution is a health risk in many American cities, contributing to higher rates of cancer and even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers have found that B vitamins keep pollutants from doing as much damage in your cells. If you live in a city or town with air pollution, taking enough B vitamins could significantly impact your health.

B12 is especially important for men as they age. Many of the medications taken for heart disease and other common male problems keep the body from absorbing this nutrient. The result is that many men are deficient in this important vitamin.

3. Antioxidants

Antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E are crucial to preventing tissue breakdown and aging. Our bodies produce free radicals in normal cellular processes, which can accumulate and cause a great deal of damage as we age. Anti-oxidants help to remove these free radicals before they can cause damage. Not only does this slow aging, but it also can help to prevent diseases that are unfortunately common in men such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia.

4. Vitamin K

Vitamin K is well known for being important for bone health and for maintaining good clotting. However, there are other benefits to this vitamin for men. Vitamin D has been found in several research trials to reduce heart disease, which is one of the top killers of men. Because it is found mainly in leafy greens, broccoli and similar foods that are not eaten enough in the Western world, many men may benefit from a supplement.

5. Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is not just important for maintaining healthy muscles and blood vessels but as an electrolyte that helps our bodies to run more efficiently. Without enough of this mineral, people may suffer muscle spasms, hypertension, headaches and a variety of other health complaints. Unfortunately, the amount of magnesium in our food supply has become depleted in modern times. In addition, modern men are subject to a wide range of conditions that lower magnesium levels such as stress and excessive workouts. If you’re a man and you aren’t taking a supplement or a multivitamin that contains ample amounts of magnesium, you probably aren’t getting enough.

6. Omega-3 Fish Oils

Omega-3 fish oils may not technically be a vitamin, but they function as one in the male body. These oils help to lubricate joints, reduce rates of heart disease, promote healthy mood and cognitive function and otherwise improve your whole body health. Because we can only get these oils from certain types of oily fish, the average man simply does not take in enough. Taking an omega-3 supplement will improve your health by ensuring that you always get enough of these oils.

Vitamins for Men Throughout the Lifespan

Getting enough of the right vitamins is not just important in youth, but as we age as well. In fact, older men have very special dietary needs. Vitamin B12 keeps your muscles and other tissues healthy, while vitamin B6 ensures that you have the healthy blood supply you need for high energy and effective healing. Vitamin D and calcium are also important in preventing osteoporosis and bone loss as men age.

How can you make sure that you get enough of these essential vitamins for men? Eating a variety of healthy foods is a start, but it is not enough for many people. Our soils have been depleted of many nutrients, leaving our food without enough of the vitamins we need. Taking a multivitamin is the best answer for many modern men. This is a simple way to ensure that you get all of the vitamins that you need to be healthy over a long lifetime.

Turmeric Benefits for Inflammation and Cellular Health

May 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

In the Western world, we don’t use turmeric heavily in our diet, although this is beginning to change. Many people are starting to enjoy spicy foods such as curries as part of their daily meals. Pungent spices are an integral part of Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian cuisine and even Latin American foods. In some cultures, turmeric is even made into a tea that is enjoyed both for flavor and as a traditional medicine. Whether you enjoy spicy foods or not, several new studies on turmeric benefits may encourage you to take in more of this potent yellow spice.

An Ancient Natural Remedy

Although most people in the West know turmeric as a yellow spice with a distinctive pungent flavor, it has been used for hundreds of years in other parts of the globe as a medicine. As a plant, turmeric is closely related to the popular spice ginger, which also has been found to have health benefits. It is the reason curries are yellow as well as a component of mustard. Both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine consider turmeric an important medicine as well. People who take turmeric medicinally can take it as a spice, as a tea and even in capsules.

Traditionally, turmeric has been used to fight infections and reduce inflammation. This is due to a compound called curcumin that is present in high levels in this spice. New studies suggest that it indeed is useful for these health issues. However, it appears to have even more benefits for modern wellness than previously realized.

Turmeric Benefits for Cellular Health and More

Turmeric has been the subject of several recent studies due to its purported health effects. It has antioxidant properties that prevent cell damage from environmental exposures as well as daily wear and tear. In addition, it fights cytokines, the molecules that are responsible for inflammation in our bodies. Proven benefits of turmeric also include reducing chronic joint pain from arthritis.

These actions add up to a lot of benefits for human health. Turmeric is the latest natural wonder compound. It has been shown to affect the size of tumors, prevent heart disease and lessen some of the deadly side effects of cancer treatments. High turmeric intake may be the reason that places such as India have much lower rates of cancer. People who have inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis also may see a reduction in symptoms when taking this spice. It is clear that practitioners of ancient medicine were right about the health benefits of turmeric. Are there any drawbacks to taking this compound?

Potential Drawbacks of Turmeric

As with all compounds, too much turmeric can have drawbacks. While eating this spice in foods or taking a modest dose as a daily supplement are safe for most people, researchers are clear that this spice can have negative health effects in mega doses—as with all dietary supplements. People who take more than 12 grams of turmeric a day may have diarrhea, headaches and skin rashes. In addition, turmeric can cause people to have yellow feces. It can also interact with other drugs, most notably chemotherapy drugs and the popular blood thinner Warfarin. At very high doses, it can even cause some of the inflammation that it treats in more modest amounts.

As with all medicinal compounds, it can be beneficial to take turmeric—but not in huge quantities. In addition, people who take other medications should talk to their doctor to ensure that there are no interactions with other drugs they are prescribed. However, people in India eat large amounts of turmeric as part of their daily diet with no ill effects. It is difficult to get too much of this natural remedy without taking capsules and supplements that contain a higher than recommended dosage.

Future Studies on Turmeric

This spice shows huge promise as a treatment for several of the most common diseases in the developed world. Because of this promise, it is currently being studied more seriously as a future medicine. For example, researchers at Ohio State University are looking at ways to enable better absorption of this spice as well as ways to increase its anti-inflammatory effects. Scientists are also studying its effects on cancer and tumors, with hopes that it may someday be added to the arsenal of chemotherapy drugs on the market. It is also being studied as a treatment for several common diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer dementia and osteoarthritis. While we know much about the benefits of turmeric, it appears that there may be much we do not know yet about its disease-fighting potential.

Turmeric is not the only spice that has been found to have health benefits. It appears that these compounds may not just flavor our foods, but contribute to whole body health. Whether you choose to take a supplement containing turmeric simply eat more curry, adding some extra turmeric to your diet may improve your health in a variety of ways.

Consuming Soy Isoflavones for Hormone Balance, Cardiovascular Support and Healthy Bones

May 19 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Soy is one of the more controversial foods in the modern culinary world. People read conflicting headlines every day that imply soy is either very good or very bad for us. However, there is no conflict about the benefits of soy isoflavones. These unique phytoestrogens from soy protein are increasingly being found in research to have a variety of positive health effects. Even if you are not a fan of soy in general, you may want to add isoflavones to your diet to get some of the health benefits of this kind of protein.

What Are Soy Isoflavones?

Why do people in Asia and other areas of the world have lower risk of heart disease and other serious illnesses? Many doctors and researchers believe that the answer is their high dietary intake of soy. Soy has a variety of health benefits, ranging from hormonal balance to preventing cancer to improving cholesterol and blood pressure numbers. According to new studies, these may be almost entirely due to the action of soy protein compounds such as isoflavones in the human body.

Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, a substance that mimics the effects of estrogen in the human body, found mainly in soybeans as well as other legumes. They have been linked to a variety of beneficial effects, including:

decreasing the rate of breast and endometrial cancers
improving bone density to help protect against osteoporosis
reducing risk of prostate cancer
helping to protect a healthy heart, with specific effects on cholesterol numbers and the risk of strokes and heart attack
positive effects on age-related cognitive decline
promoting good gastrointestinal health and optimal digestion
reducing the symptoms of menopause

New studies suggest that these health benefits may be even more pronounced than previously believed. Soy isoflavones appear to make a meaningful difference in disease risk, often drastically reducing rates of certain diseases for many of the conditions listed here. This may be a major reason for the much higher rates of chronic disease in Western countries where soy and soy products are not a major part of the diet.

Inflammation: A Public Health Threat?

How can such a small component of soy protein have such a huge effect on a person’s health? Researchers believe that this is due to the inflammation-modulating and antioxidant effects of isoflavones. Oxidation and inflammation are the root of many diseases, so a protein that attacks these root causes will have beneficial effects in a variety of conditions.

In recent studies, isoflavones have been found to promote healthy cellular inflammatory processes. Only a small dose of soy protein is needed to get this effect; in recent studies, replacing just 12 percent of protein with soy was enough to get measurable health effects. This will benefit not just inflammatory diseases such as IBS and Crohn’s disease, but a variety of health issues. Caused by over-activity in the immune system, inflammation is believed to be the root cause of many serious diseases including heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Treating inflammation may reduce the risk of developing a wide range of diseases.

Second, isoflavones have been found in laboratories to act as antioxidants. They bind to and remove the dangerous oxygen radicals that are produced in cells as a result of different metabolic processes. If left unchecked, these radicals damage DNA and cell proteins, contributing to aging, cancer and a variety of negative health conditions. The antioxidant role of isoflavones is likely responsible for many of their health benefits.

Protecting against inflammation and oxidation are key to maintaining whole body health. This may be why people in Japan, China and other areas of high soy consumption have lower rates of serious diseases that threaten so many people in the West.

Getting More Isoflavones in Your Diet

How much soy protein do you need in your daily diet to get these health benefits? Doctors recommend that people take 50 mg of soy protein a day to improve their cardiovascular risk, or 40 to 80 mg a day if taking it to treat menopause or other hormonal imbalances. Regardless of the amount your physician recommends, there are a variety of ways to add more isoflavones to your diet. Consider adding some of these tasty foods to your diet:

soy dairy products such as soy milk, soy yogurt and soy cheese
tofu
tempeh and other soy-based meat substitutes
soy nuts
edamame
miso, an ingredient in the popular miso soup
natto and other products made with fermented soy beans

In addition, there are many supplements including capsules and protein shakes on the market that contain therapeutic levels of isoflavones and other beneficial components found in soy proteins. It is incredibly easy to add more of these nutritious proteins to your diet if you are interested in reaping the positive health effects.

Inflammation and oxidative stress appear to be the root causes of many of the most deadly and feared diseases faced by mankind. However, there are ways to naturally and safely prevent these conditions. Taking an isoflavone supplement may be a very important part of maintaining whole body health for a lifetime.

New Study Says Eating Yogurt Builds Healthy Bones

May 17 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New research on yogurt for bone health suggests that probiotic foods and other products may offer more benefits for building strong bones than calcium alone.

Probiotics have been the subject of much modern scientific research. Studies indicate that they can help to maintain a healthy GI tract and contributing to better digestive, immune and even brain function. However, this is not the only way that yogurt and other fermented probiotic foods may support good health. New research suggests that probiotics also can be important in building strong bones and preventing diseases of low bone density such as osteoporosis.

Bone Strength and Whole Body Health

Our bones are crucial to the health and good function of our entire bodies. They provide a scaffolding for the rest of our tissues and are the basis of movement such as walking. Our bone marrow is the site where all blood cells are made. Bones also are integral in regulating the balance of calcium and phosphate within the body, which in turn is important to the function of our heart and muscle cells. Diseases of low bone density such as osteoporosis are often deadly due to fractures, organ damage and infection.

Low bone density is unfortunately common, especially among women and elderly people. It also costs the economy a huge amount of money, as expensive DEXA scans must be utilized routinely in screening and then expensive drugs with side effects used to reverse bone damage. What if there is an easier and cheaper way to build stronger bones? New research on eating yogurt for bone health suggests that probiotics may be the answer.

Should You Be Eating Yogurt for Bone Health?

Many people eat yogurt and other probiotic foods for GI tract benefits. However, new research suggests that this delicious food may also be good for the bones. Researchers looked at the bone density of older adults who had different lifestyle factors. Unsurprisingly, exercising, maintaining a healthy BMI and taking plenty of calcium and vitamin D were all linked to higher bone density. However, yogurt consumption was also linked to stronger bones. In fact, elderly people who ate yogurt on a daily or regular basis had three to four percent stronger bones in bone scans. Women had a 39 percent lower rate of osteoporosis while men had more than 50 percent less osteoporosis. Yogurt appears to have a huge effect on bone health and density.

This is not the first study to find this connection between probiotics and bone health. Previous studies have found that probiotics increase bone density in mice and other animals. The link is believed to be related to the process of inflammation. An imbalance of bacteria in the gut can lead to inflammation, which in turn causes the release of inflammatory molecules such as cytokines. These molecules in turn inhibit the formation of strong bones.

Men appear to benefit disproportionately from the influence of probiotics. Male mice given a probiotic supplement saw an almost immediate increase in bone density, while the changes in female mice were more subtle. Osteoporosis and other diseases of low bone density are more common in women, so it is especially important for women to do everything possible, including supplementing with probiotics of some type, to build and maintain healthy bones.

Building Stronger Bones for a Lifetime

While there are several medications available to treat elderly people with low bone density, doctors increasingly recommend that people instead work to build healthy and strong bone throughout their lifetimes. This is best done with natural lifestyle changes such as exercise, diet and supplements. Research suggests that the following healthy measures all can contribute to good bone density:

consuming a probiotic supplement or priobiotic foods like yogurt for bone health
increasing vitamin D intake through taking a supplement or spending more time in the sun
eating calcium-rich foods
taking in plenty of magnesium and B vitamins, all of which support strong and healthy bones
eating plenty of leafy greens, which contain high amounts of the nutrients needed to build bone health
adding foods with soy isoflavones to your diet; these have been found to contribute to healthy hormonal levels and thus to stronger bones
performing weight bearing exercise, which has been repeatedly shown in research to contribute to healthy bone development

It is also important to get screening for weak bones as recommended by your doctor. This is usually done with a DEXA scan, a test that measures your bone density using technology similar to x-rays and then compares it to that of a person who is young and healthy with optimal bone strength. Mild to moderate bone loss is called osteopenia, while severe loss is known as osteoporosis. People with these diseases may need to take medications to prevent further bone loss and complications such as fractures and intense bone pain.

Building bone strength will pay off over your lifetime, in fewer fractures and less of the complications of low bone density often seen in old age. Adding yogurt or other probiotic foods to your diet as well as taking a bone-building supplement are all effective and delicious ways to help maintain good whole body health throughout your entire life.

Sunscreen and Vitamin D Deficiency Linked, Says New Study

May 12 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

If you are like many modern people, you spend much of your life avoiding the sun. We all have heard about the links between ultraviolet light exposure and skin cancer. As a result, even sun worshipers now take precautions to protect their skin from these harmful rays. We wear sunscreen on a daily basis and cover ourselves with hats and long sleeved shirts. However, this avoidance of sunlight may be leading to epidemic levels of vitamin D deficiency.

The Importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins, needed for a variety of crucial cell processes. Without it, our immune systems cannot function properly and our teeth become weak. Our nerve and muscle function suffers as well. Most importantly, it is essential in absorbing calcium and maintaining strong bones. Without enough vitamin D, children can develop rickets, a condition in which their bones become so soft that they bend and become malformed. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak muscles, as well as osteomalacia and osteoporosis, conditions in which bones become brittle and weak, easily prone to fractures.

Vitamin D is indeed necessary for good health, but it is available in only a small number of foods. This vitamin can be also synthesized in our own skin cells using ultraviolet rays from direct skin exposure. Historically most people got their vitamin D this way. However, in a modern world where an increasing number of people work to reduce ultraviolet light exposure, an equally increasing number are deficient in this important vitamin.

Sunscreen and Vitamin D Deficiency

The recommended daily allowance of vitamin D set by the government is 600 IU for children and adults, with adults age 70 and over needing 800 IU. However, this goal may be too low. New research estimates that modern people who do not receive a great deal of direct unprotected sunlight may need as much as 10 times this amount. The daily allowances were based on a population that gets much more sun exposure than we currently receive. Modern sunscreen use is estimated to reduce vitamin D production in the skin by as much as 99 percent, leaving many people deficient in this key nutrient.

Sunscreen is not the only culprit in our collective vitamin D deficiency. Several diseases that are common in the modern world also can make it difficult for the body to absorb vitamin D from the diet. These include digestive diseases along with chronic kidney disease and even the common type 2 diabetes. These together may be responsible for as many as one million cases of vitamin D deficiency worldwide every year.

In addition, people with certain diets are at risk of a vitamin D deficiency because they do not take in enough vitamin D-rich foods. These at-risk diets include vegan diets as well as diets lacking dairy products, which are fortified with this vitamin.

Could You Be Deficient?

Are you one of the many people who are not getting enough vitamin D? A blood test is the only definitive way to diagnose this, but there are a few signs and symptoms that you can watch for as well. These include:

bone pain
muscle weakness
fatigue
increased infections, especially respiratory infections such as colds and pneumonia
depression
low metabolism
foggy thinking

If you or a loved one have these symptoms, it may be time for a visit to the doctor. You can also find ways to increase your vitamin D intake to see if this relieves your symptoms.

Getting More of the Sunshine Vitamin

The obvious way to get more vitamin D is to get more unprotected sun exposure. However, there are downsides to this as well, including sunburns, accelerated aging and increased rates of skin cancer. If you are not willing to give up your sunscreen, there are several ways that you can get enough of this important nutrient. First, consider getting a vitamin D lamp. These emit wavelengths of light that cause your skin to produce vitamin D, but in controlled amounts that are less likely to cause damage.

Second, add more vitamin D-rich foods to your diet. These include fortified products such as milk, other dairy products, orange juice and soy milk. There are also foods that are naturally high in vitamin D such as beef liver, egg yolks and fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Last, many people take a vitamin D supplement to get the vitamin D that they need without spending time in the sun or changing their diet.

The links between sunscreen and vitamin D deficiency are concerning when we consider how many people are taking steps to protect themselves from the sun. However, there are many ways to get enough of this nutrient in your diet and maintain good health for a lifetime. Whether you decide to spend more time in the sunshine, add vitamin D-rich foods to your plate or simply take a daily vitamin, you can ensure that you get all of the positive health benefits of this important vitamin.