Vitamin D on Swine Flu ??

1. Believe or not: the best recommendation to prevent swine flu was, Vitamin D. Please read on:

Warning: Swine Flu Shot Linked to Killer Nerve Disease

2. Vitamin D – Popular Science

It's D-lightful, It's D-licious, It's D Vitamin...

Believe or not? Back pain relief from taking supplements

I got this from one of my friends when I was looking for a way to treat the back pain for myself, my mon, and my elder brother, who suffer too much!

"This information is not intended to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any specific medical condition and these products are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author hereby declares that this writing is made without any statement or declaration which would represent that he/she is a doctor, licensed medical professional, or other type of medical counselor."

"Back Pain

Since falling in December 1988, I have had a chronic pain syndrome that became global pain (total body involvement). There were days when I could not lean back in a chair due to skin sensitivity, could not walk due to leg pain, did not even want a hug because it hurt to be touched. The list could go on and on. Needless to say, my physical well-being and my lifestyle were far from ideal.

I traveled far and wide from my home seeking pain relief and discovery of the cause. At one time I spent three weeks in a pain clinic at Texas where I had a pump to feed painkillers inserted into my spinal column. I had myotherapy and finally repetitive injections of procaine into all the trigger points and scar tissue on my body. The doctor administering the trigger point injections was a strong proponent of vitamin supplements and through their use I experienced partial pain relief but was not pain free.

My husband and I began taking OPC antioxidant the same day. One week later he was a new person but I had no relief. I wondered what "snake oil" was giving him such a turn around while I was not feeling any different. However, I had to consider the lengthy time, almost 7 years, that I had been suffering so I continued my saturation dosage.

On day 31, I awoke pain free and it frightened me! I was afraid to do anything that might bring my pain back. The second, third and fourth days I began to experiment to see if I would aggravate anything and bring the pain back, not that I wanted it back, but I had to cautiously test my ability to resume activities I had been unable to do for so long.

I have been much more active and leading a normal life now for over five months. For the first time in seven years I am not regularly seeing a doctor. In fact, my most recent doctor is personally becoming active with OPC-3^™.

After more than six years and over $100,000 in medical bills, I have found the relief for my condition. I'll take it everyday for the rest of my life and preach it's life changing results to all who will listen, and many who won't.

xxxx Pittsburgh, PA"

In March of 2009, I attended a health seminar and got a kind of "prescription" to improve the back pain by taking the following supplements:

1. Isotonix OPC-3

2. Isotonix Calcium Plus

3. Glucostrian

4. Prime Balance

In an about one month, I felt-

1. very energetic and light through all body

2. Back pain is gone

3.The bitter flavor in my toungue is gone

4. My appetizer improved a lot

5. Significantly improve my sleeping quality

With this result, I let my mon and elder brother take the same products, they got the benefits in 2 weeks. It is amazing! Even myself cann't believe it. But it is true!

As a matter of fact, I do not believe the supplements can work for this at the beginning. After I have read the book title"What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You", I changed my mind and decided to have a try. As a result, it unexpectly solve my problem. And I also realize we can not fully depend on medicine or doctor to maintain our health.

I also would like to point out that I do not mean to advertise on any products by sharing my experience.

Vitamin D: how much we know about it?

1. Vitamin D in the News

• Vitamin D Vital for the Heart
• Sunscreens can block vitamin D
• Pediatricians Double Vitamin D Requirement
• Vitamin D Deficit in Pregnancy Tied to Caesarean Risk

• Lack Of Vitamin D Can Double Your Risk Of Stroke

2. Role of vitamin D

· Promotes the proper synthesis and functioning of important proteins essential for proper calcium utilization

· Supports the maintenance of bones

· Supports immune health

· Helps maintain cardiovascular health

· Helps maintain normal blood pressure

·

3. Sources of vitamin D

· Fat-soluble vitamin can obtain from:

· Food

o Salmon: 360 IUs

o Mackerel: 345 IUs

o Tuna: 200 IUs

o Sardines: 250 IUs

o Fortified Milk: 98 IUs

o Supplementation

o Sunlight

· Supplementation

· Sunlight

4. Vitamin D Deficiency

· More than1 billion people worldwide do not consume adequate amounts of vitamin D

· More than 50% of postmenopausal women taking medication for osteoporosis have suboptimal levels of vitamin D

· Without adequate vitamin D, only 10-15% of dietary calcium is absorbed

· Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences ( Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):1080S-6S)

o Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic.

o Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and foods that are fortified with vitamin D are often inadequate to satisfy either a child's or an adult's vitamin D requirement

o Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures in adults

o Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases

5. Research findings

· Vitamin D supplementation and total mortality (Arch Intern Med. 2007 Sep 10;167(16):1730-7)

o A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials including 57,311 participants.

o Intake of ordinary doses (300 to 2000 IU) of vitamin D supplements seems to be associated with decreases in total mortality rates.

· Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk ( Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1586-91)

o A 4-year, population-based, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial.

o 1179 healthy postmenopausal women aged >55 years.

6. Current Researches

· Vitamin D may reduce prostate cancer metastasis by several mechanisms including blocking Stat3 (Am J Patholo. 2008 Nov;173(5):1589-90)

· Double-dose vitamin D lowers cancer risk in women over 55 (J Fam Pract. 2007 Nov;56(11):907-10 )

7. Use of vitamin D in clinical practice (Altern Med Rev. 2008 Mar;13(1):6-20)

· Natural vitamin D levels, those found in humans living in a sun-rich environment, are between 40-70 ng per ml.

· Treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy patients with 2,000-7,000 IU vitamin D per day should be sufficient to maintain year-round 25(OH)D levels between 40-70 ng per mL.

· In those with serious illnesses associated with vitamin D deficiency, such as cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, autism, and a host of other illnesses, doses should be sufficient to maintain year-round 25(OH)D levels between 55 -70 ng per mL.

8. Why Vitamin K2?

· Promotes normal calcium absorption

· Promotes healthy arteries

· Active form of vitamin K with highest bioavailability

· Women with low bone density have been found to be deficient in vitamin K

· Addresses the “calcium paradox”

· Vitamin K1 vs. K2

o Both are naturally occurring forms of vitamin K. Different chemical structures resulting in different pharmacokinetic properties

o K1 is absorbed primarily in the liver where at high doses it may interfere with anticoagulant medications

o K2 is transported primarily to the bones and blood vessels

o Only 10% of dietary vitamin K is in K2 form

9. Why take vitamins D and K as supplements?

· Most people are vitamin D deficient or insufficient

o Diet

o Sun exposure

· Very little vitamin K is stored in the body

· These vitamins work together

Important ingredients that support neurological, metabolic, and digestive health

Various ingredients that have shown a role in helping those with neurological and digestive health issues. To date, there have been countless studies documenting these effects from some of ingredients like

· Folic Acid

• Vitamin B6 (P5P)
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Magnesium

No doubt that many people have heard of folic acid, an important B vitamin for many processes in the body, specifically for the nervous system. Folinic acid is the metabolically active form of folic acid and one less step is required for its conversion in the body. Usually folic acid has to be activated but it’s more readily available by using folinic acid. Folinic acid aids in the conversion of sulfur-containing compounds to glutathione, an antioxidant found in the body. Studies on folinic acid have shown improvements in sleep, communication, social interaction in those with neurological, metabolic and digestive needs. The Better-Worse ratio is 11 :1, meaning supplementation with folic acid caused 11 children to get better for every one that got worse.

Another extremely important vitamin is vitamin B6. Food sources include beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables. Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) is the active form of vitamin B6 and it has been shown that the conversion to P5P is problematic in some children. Some studies have shown a low activity of pyridoxal kinase, which is the enzyme required for the conversion to P5P. For this reason, it is best to only supplement with the P5P form. B6 is also involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain and peripheral nerve cells, which are critical for the development of language, attention, alertness etc.

Vitamin B12 is naturally found in foods that come from animals, including fish, meat, and poultry. It’s a vitamin needed for many processes, including nerve cell activity, DNA replication. It’s best to use methylcobalamin, rather than cobalamin, as evidences indicate this form is utilized much more efficiently, especially in children with methylation defects. Every cell in the body expresses the folate/methionine cycle, defects in transmethylation can affect vital biochemical reactions at many places in metabolism. This is important, as some children do have methylation defects. So it makes sense to consume B12 in a form in which it's already metabolically active and maximally reduced, and thereby put less of a strain on our bodies' antioxidative capacity.

Zinc is a mineral that can be found in the following food sources: oysters, red meat, beans, nuts and grains etc. It is an essential mineral that is a component of more than 300 enzymes needed to repair wounds, synthesize proteins, aid in the development and maintenance of the brain, help cells reproduce, preserve vision, boost immunity, and protect against free radicals, among many other functions. It is a known fact that when zinc levels are down, copper levels are often increased. 90% of children with neurological and digestive needs have this abnormal zinc to copper ratio. Excess copper can lead to copper imbalance in the body and organs and copper imbalance in children is associated with delayed development, anti-social and hyperactive behavior, and learning difficulties. Because zinc helps facilitate the excretion of excess copper, it is important to make sure a multivitamin has an adequate amount of zinc. You should avoid copper-containing supplements for these children. Also, the B:W ratio for zinc is 22:1, even higher than that of vitamin C!

In support of the use of these ingredients for certain children, Adams and co-workers (Adams J et al. Pilot study of a moderate dose multivitamin/mineral supplement for children with autistic spectrum disorder. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 10(6):1033-1039, 2004) conducted a small pilot study using a strong, balanced multivitamin/multimineral formulation. 20 children ages 3-8 years old with neurological and digestive issues. This formulation included the P5P form of vitamin B6, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B12, calcium, among others. The results clearly indicated statistically significant improvements in sleep and GI health. They also determined a functional need for more B6 and vitamin C in these individuals.

Nutrition and cancer: the current epidemiological evidence

A good paper worth reading!

Free radicals: the hidden killers of your health

Free radicals are unstable, unbalanced, and unpaired molecules. They can react quickly with nearby molecules to capture needed electron to gain stability. As they find needed electrons, it leaves behind another unstable radical and a chemically unstable chain reaction of similar events occurs. In this process, delicate biological tissues vital to life encounter a radical, the reactive radical may cause destruction in the tissue/cell, resulting in human diseases. They are very destructive and non-selective.

The typical FREE RADICALS impacting our human body are: Superoxide anion ( O^-₂ and O^-₂ rich salts), Hydroxyl radical ( OH^- ), Hypochlorous acid (ClO^- ),Nitric oxide ( NO^- ),Singlet oxygen ( O^- ), hydrogen peroxide ( H₂O₂),Fatty acid hydroperoxides , and oxidized Protein, etc.

Free Radicals can be generated from metabolism, ionizing radiation, smoke, inflammation, UV, air pollution etc.

Free Radical Attack Related Diseases:

• Cardiovascular Diseases

• Cancer

• Stroke

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Alzheimer's Diseases

• Parkinson's disease

• Emphysema

• Autoimmune diseases (Asthma, Diabetes • • •)

• Arthritis

• Cataracts

Antioxidants have been proven to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. They can neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-"stealing" reaction. They typical antioxidants and their electron donating capacities are:
( - vitamin E [1e^-]

- vitamin C [2e^-]

- flavonoids [>2e^-]

- OPC [>50e^-]

Effects of Antioxidants:

• Protect us from free radical damage: a leading causes of tissue injury
• Prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol
• Helps cells produce energy (CoQ10)
• Enhance synthesis & protection of collagen (Vit C)
• Protect skin from radiation damage (Vit E, Beta Glucan)
• Improve circulation and oxygen delivery (Ginko, OPC)
• Reduce inflammation (OPC, Ginko, Vit E)

The best way to ensure adequate intake of the antioxidant nutrients is through a balanced diet and/or taking supplements per day.

Detoxification: start from food

There is no doubt that there exists toxin accumulation in our body, which is often overlooked. However, such a silent accumulation may surprise us (cause diseases) someday. Here is a list of food that will help our body detoxification based on experts:

1. Colon detoxification
· apple
· black wood ears
· blueberry
· Grains
· red bean
· soy bean

2. Liver detoxification
· carrot
· garlic
· grape
· aloe juice
· Chrysanthemum tea

3. Kidney detoxification
· cucumber
· cherry
· lotus seed
· CommonYam Rhizome


Certainly it is more effective by taking some natural supplements.