Greetings:

I am sure that both of you get the lef.org newsletter,

[I have gotten the weekly "Update" newsletter since it began several years ago,
but I wasn't aware that they had a daily newsletter. I see that it is mostly
articles of news picked up from elsewhere and since those which are of high
interest to life extensionists are generally posted to sci.life-extension (which
I already check almost daily), I think getting the LEF newsletter will be
information overkill for me. However, for many readers of this group who are
not reading sci.life-extension and doing other research, this daily newsletter
may be very worthwhile. --Paul]

[Paul also gets Science Week and Science World sent to him by email each week
(forwarding items to me that he thinks of special interest), and then there is
the Science News magazine weekly subscription that we both read regularly,
usually at meals. I almost always read the Health and Science sections of BBC
online in addition to perusing sle. However, I will try the LEF daily newsletter
to see if the items reprinted are ones we miss otherwise. Sometimes, though, I
feel input overloaded myself. **Kitty]


but in case
many of the other readers of the group don't, I wanted to would pass
along this interesting article on Vitamin D and its potential in
fighting Seasonal flu among other things.

[There are new benefits of vitamin D coming out frequently. In addition, there
is now good evidence that it is both safe and effective at much higher dosages
than the RDA. I have recently once again increased the daily dose for me and
Kitty by another 1000 IU, now up to 3351 and 3084 respectively. For us I think
that may be sufficient since we get some sunshine on our skin all year round.
--Paul]


Uncharacteristically for LEF.org,
they don't provide any references for the stated benefits if Vitamin
D, but considering their reputation and my long experience of them, I
give them the benefit of the doubt on the stated claims.

[The reason no references are supplied is that this is simply an article copied
from another source, instead of written by LEF. Of course, if someone
knowledgeable at LEF did not agree with its authenticity, then LEF presumably
would not have copied it to their daily newsletter. --Paul]

[If you missed it, Erich, at the very top under the title, the source is given
"The Independent - London". This is why the article refers to UK people.
**Kitty]


Among the more interesting points are:
Every winter, as the nights draw in and the weather grows cold, people
start to cough, sniffle and run a fever. Patients crowd doctors'
surgeries and sales of painkillers, hot lemon drinks and cough syrup
soar. Flu is back.

[Except this has not happened to me for at least the last 20 years, and Kitty
not since she began eating food and supplements according to my suggestions,
even before we began high dose vitamin D. --Paul]


But why? What is it about flu that means outbreaks only occur in the
winter? Isolated cases occur throughout the year, as reported to the
Royal College of GPs' Flu Monitoring Unit in Birmingham, proving that
the virus is in constant circulation year-round.

Now a group of researchers has come up with a novel answer to the
conundrum. The "seasonal stimulus" behind the annual winter flu
epidemics is a lack of vitamin D due to shorter days and lack of sunlight.

And they have even suggested that by taking a mega-dose of the vitamin
at the first sign of the illness, its worst symptoms might be
alleviated - which could prove to be a potential life-saver in the
event of the threatened avian flu pandemic.

The article also points out that:

Vitamin D lowers insulin resistance which is one of the major factors
leading to heart disease.

It acts as an immunosuppressant and may help protect against the
development of type 1 diabetes.

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=4335&Section=VITAMINS&source=DHB\
_060916&key=Body+ContinueReading

Erich Brueschke

[As always, thanks again Erich for thinking of the MoreLife Yahoo group and
bringing its readers interesting information. --Paul]