Having problems with message search?
Today we'll start off with a story about vitamin D. Many scientists believe this is one of our most valuable supplements. I take 800 units every morning and hardly ever get a cold. Who knows - maybe there's something there.
Read more about vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, below.
The ABCs of D - Almost Everyone Needs More of the Sunshine Vitamin.
By Deborah Kotz
A single nutrient that keeps bones strong, wards off diabetes, and protects against tuberculosis, cancer, colds, and the flu. Sound too good to be true? There's more: It's free. But you're almost certainly not getting enough.
Research on vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, has flooded out over the past few months, linking a growing array of health ills to low levels of the nutrient. Last week, for example, University of Pittsburgh researchers reported that a D deficiency doubles the risk of dangerous hypertension during pregnancy. In March, a study examining how the vitamin affects the pancreas's release of insulin found the risk of diabetes to be one-third lower in people with the highest levels. "The vitamin D story is becoming clear. I think it's very exciting," says Robert Heaney, a professor of medicine at Creighton University who now thinks supplements are a good idea.
Prior to the industrial revolution, humans had no trouble getting an abundance of the sunshine vitamin; a mere 10 to 15 minutes outdoors at midday gives the average fair-skinned person 10,000 international units. That's far above the government's dietary recommendations. But most people nowadays spend little time outdoors, and food sources such as milk and salmon contain relatively modest amounts. What's more, the rash of new findings suggests to the experts that the guidelines are way too low. "There's no one working in the field who thinks these levels still make sense," says Walter Willett, a professor at Harvard University.
But having too little appears to cause the immune system to weaken as well. An immune system link might explain why the flu seems to strike only during the winter. A review of more than 100 studies on vitamin D found that low levels probably allow the viruses to penetrate the immune system. "It's the first comprehensive theory set forth to explain the seasonality of influenza," says vitamin D expert John Cannell. What's now needed, he says, is a trial to see if those exposed to flu viruses are less likely to come down with an infection if they take supplements.
With cancer, it's thought that vitamin D might prevent tumors from rapidly growing by controlling the expression of certain genes that regulate cell division. Harvard University researchers led by Walter Willett found that people who took in the highest amounts of vitamin D cut their risk of pancreatic cancer almost in half. Earlier, they'd found a similar degree of protection against colon cancer. "The epidemiological evidence is very strong; we know there has to be something going on," says Anthony Norman, a professor of biochemistry at the University of California. Is the evidence strong enough to recommend supplements for cancer prevention? "Unequivocally yes," he says.
How much to take? The government last year suggested that African-Americans and the elderly might want more than the guidelines suggest, but it has set 2,000 IUs as its ceiling for safety. Most experts think the limit is too conservative, noting that there's no evidence of toxicity at much higher doses.
Click Here For The Complete Story=>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/061210/18vitamin.htm
As you may already know, there is a big controversy regarding HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Most physicians have concluded that HRT is harmful to women in menopause. A minority of physicians, including myself, feel that HRT is overwhelmingly beneficial to women if started early in the menopause.
At long last research is being planned to show, once and for all, if starting hormones at the onset of menopause protects a woman from heart disease and numerous other ailments. It's called the "KEEPS" study. Hopefully this study will provide clear answers to guide physicians about prescribing HRT. Please read about it below:
HRT Could Prevent Heart Disease.
Hormone therapy might be an effective heart disease treatment, despite a major US study which suggested it caused harm, scientists say. The Women's Health Initiative study was stopped in 2002 amid concerns over raised heart disease and cancer risk. But now other US experts say the WHI may have covered the wrong age group and used the wrong dose of HRT. They hope a new study will pinpoint those women at risk of heart disease who would benefit from hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy might be an effective heart disease treatment, despite a major US study which suggested it caused harm, scientists say. The Women's Health Initiative study was stopped in 2002 amid concerns over raised heart disease and cancer risk. But now other US experts say the WHI may have covered the wrong age group and used the wrong dose of HRT. They hope a new study will pinpoint those women at risk of heart disease who would benefit from hormone therapy.
Women are protected against all forms of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, until the menopause. But their risk then rises to be the same as men's'. This has led researchers to conclude the sex hormone oestrogen, levels of which fall after the menopause, must be involved.
Animal studies have shown this is the case. But the Women's Health Initiative, a study of 16,000 women, found hormone therapy had no benefit - and may even be harmful.
But the average age of women in the WHI study was 63 - a decade later than the average menopause.
Virginia Miller, professor of surgery and physiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, who is one of the researchers in the new eight-centre KEEPS study, said that starting hormones at age 63 was too late, and women may already have an increased heart disease risk. "If you start treatment 10 years later, that's 10 years where damage has been accumulating." Professor Peter Weissberg added: "It is probable that many of the women participating already had a atherosclerosis before they started taking HRT, which lead to an increased risk of a heart attack.
Although the science is still unclear, Miller believes it is likely that the estrogen in HRT helps prevent the build-up of fatty plaque inside women's arteries when given early. If given late, when plaque is already established, it could cause it to break up, triggering blood vessel blockages and heart attacks.
"It may not benefit everybody but we think there is a group of women where you can intervene early to provide protection not only for cardiovascular but also other diseases of aging, such as osteoporosis and cognitive function," Miller said.
The KEEPS study will look at over 700 healthy women aged 42 to 58 who have recently gone through the menopause and are already taking hormone replacement medication. It will also compare oral oestrogen treatment and patch therapy. "The trial may establish whether HRT can protect against heart disease if treatment is started early enough."
Click Here For The Complete Story=>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6190903.stmAnd Click Here For Two Related Stories=>
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/22/nhrt22.xmlWe all know that too much salt is bad for your health, and too much fat in your diet can lead to heart disease. But too much water? . . . . . As your mother always told you - everything in moderation.
Woman in Water Drinking Contest Dies
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A woman who competed in a radio station's contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom died of water intoxication, the coroner's office said Saturday.
Jennifer Strange, 28, was found dead Friday in her suburban Rancho Cordova home hours after taking part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest in which KDND 107.9 promised a Nintendo Wii video game system for the winner.
"She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad," said Laura Rios, one of her co-workers in Sacramento. "She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."
Click Here For The Complete Story=>
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/Water_Intoxication.htmlThe above is not meant to be medical advice. Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc.
If you know anyone you think would like to receive "DrRehertsAlerts," CLICK HERE to send me their email address and I'll add them to the list.
Best wishes, Dr. Rehert
Offline 
Send Email