My doctor says I am low in vitamin D and that puts me at risk for cardiovascular disease. Is he correct? If so, how can I get an adequate level of vitamin D?
Dr. Brownstein’s Answer:
A prospective study involving 41,504 subjects and reported in the American Journal of Cardiology supports what your doctor told you. It showed a highly significant correlation between low vitamin D levels and the development of cardiovascular disease. While researchers found almost 64 percent of those studied had low vitamin D levels, I believe the numbers in the population at large are even higher than that.
Vitamin D deficiency was associated with highly significant increases in the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and peripheral vascular disease. Those without risk factors but with a severe deficiency had an increased likelihood of developing diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The vitamin D levels also were associated with coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
The authors concluded, “We have confirmed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the general healthcare population, and an association between vitamin D levels and prevalent and incident CV risk factors and outcomes. These observations lend strong support to the hypothesis that vitamin D might play a primary role in CV risk factors and disease.”
Friday, January 28, 2011
Treating Acid Reflux
Question: I recently started taking medication for acid reflux. But the medication would cause more problems than the reflux. Do you know of a natural remedy I could take instead of omeprazole?
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
Omeprazole (Prilosec) is part of a class of pharmaceutical medications known as proton pump inhibitors. I describe the problems of this class of drugs in greater detail in my book, "Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do."
You are right: There can be many problems associated with long-term use of proton pump inhibitors. First, you should search for what is causing the reflux. Common causes of reflux include having too much abdominal weight, eating a poor diet, and not drinking enough water.
These problems can all be rectified by eating a healthier diet and losing weight.
Sometimes aloe vera juice can provide good relief from reflux. However, you do not want to let reflux esophagitis persist — it can be associated with severe problems such as esophageal cancer. A holistic approach to reflux can minimize the use of acid-blocking medications.
Keep in mind that sometimes these medications are indicated for severe reflux cases.
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
Omeprazole (Prilosec) is part of a class of pharmaceutical medications known as proton pump inhibitors. I describe the problems of this class of drugs in greater detail in my book, "Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do."
You are right: There can be many problems associated with long-term use of proton pump inhibitors. First, you should search for what is causing the reflux. Common causes of reflux include having too much abdominal weight, eating a poor diet, and not drinking enough water.
These problems can all be rectified by eating a healthier diet and losing weight.
Sometimes aloe vera juice can provide good relief from reflux. However, you do not want to let reflux esophagitis persist — it can be associated with severe problems such as esophageal cancer. A holistic approach to reflux can minimize the use of acid-blocking medications.
Keep in mind that sometimes these medications are indicated for severe reflux cases.
Fight Cancer, Eat Fruit
Question: Can eating fruit reduce my risk of getting cervical cancer?
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
The results of a recent large study tell us that eating fruit likely helps cut cancer risk. Researchers studied 299,649 women (from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition study) to ascertain if fruit intake affects the rate of cervical cancer. An average nine-year follow-up found a significantly inverse association between daily increase in intake of fruits and invasive cervical cancer.
The researchers wrote in the September edition of the International Journal of Cancer, “Our study suggests a possible protective role of fruit intake and other dietary factors on invasive cervical cancer.”
This study shows that what your mother told you was correct: Eat more fruit! Fruit contains many valuable phytochemicals, including vitamins and minerals that supply the body with the building blocks it needs to maintain an optimal immune system.
Whether as a deterrent for cancer or just to maintain overall health, eating more whole foods — fruits included — and less refined foods is something we all should do.
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
The results of a recent large study tell us that eating fruit likely helps cut cancer risk. Researchers studied 299,649 women (from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition study) to ascertain if fruit intake affects the rate of cervical cancer. An average nine-year follow-up found a significantly inverse association between daily increase in intake of fruits and invasive cervical cancer.
The researchers wrote in the September edition of the International Journal of Cancer, “Our study suggests a possible protective role of fruit intake and other dietary factors on invasive cervical cancer.”
This study shows that what your mother told you was correct: Eat more fruit! Fruit contains many valuable phytochemicals, including vitamins and minerals that supply the body with the building blocks it needs to maintain an optimal immune system.
Whether as a deterrent for cancer or just to maintain overall health, eating more whole foods — fruits included — and less refined foods is something we all should do.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I care about how you feel when you're wearing something, because I think that if you feel confident, you look beautiful.
Get Long and Lean
Want to build muscle and strength without bulk? The fluid moves of ballet might be just the ticket.
"Ballet builds terrific posture and body awareness, and can also be a lot of fun," says Mary Helen Bowers, the professional ballerina who trained actress Natalie Portman for her role in the movie Black Swan. "Ballet dancers are also unbelievably strong, but their muscles are very long and lean."
"Ballet builds terrific posture and body awareness, and can also be a lot of fun," says Mary Helen Bowers, the professional ballerina who trained actress Natalie Portman for her role in the movie Black Swan. "Ballet dancers are also unbelievably strong, but their muscles are very long and lean."
17 Ways to Sit Less
Even if you routinely do moderate or intense exercise, sitting for long periods of time is hazardous for your health. However, taking short breaks to move around, for as little as a minute, can do you a lot of good.
Researchers in Australia analyzed data from more than 4,700 American adults and found that waists of people who took the most breaks from sitting were, on average, just over 1.5 inches smaller than waists of people who sat for the longest periods of time. And there were other differences.
In the study, published in the European Heart Journal, blood tests showed that sitting for long periods also increased chronic internal inflammation, unhealthy cholesterol levels and other markers of risk for heart disease, blocked arteries, and diabetes.
“Even small changes, which could be as little as standing up for one minute, might help to lower this health risk,” says lead researcher Genevieve Healy, Ph.D. Overall, she estimates that sitting for one to two hours less per day can significantly improve the health of your heart.
These are some simple ways to sit less and move more:
1. Getting up and doing a few stretches while watching television
2. Doing simple chores more frequently instead of letting them pile up
3. Walking to the store instead of driving
4. Parking in one place and walking to several stores instead of driving to each one
5. Parking at the far end of any parking lot
6. Getting up more often to put things away instead of letting them pile up on a desk or table
7. Walking down the hall at the office to talk to someone instead of using the phone or messaging
8. Organizing a closet or cupboard
9. Dusting more often
10. Shoveling snow or gardening more often
11. Cleaning out the garage or attic a little at a time instead of making it an annual project
12. Taking out the trash more often
13. Walking to a restaurant instead of driving, before or after a movie
14. Getting your own snack or drink instead of asking someone else to get it
15. Walking around while talking on the phone
16. Taking stairs, whenever possible, instead of elevators or escalators
17. Fixing more things around the house
If you use extra activity to do the things you tend to put off, you might also give yourself a new and improved outlook on life.
Researchers in Australia analyzed data from more than 4,700 American adults and found that waists of people who took the most breaks from sitting were, on average, just over 1.5 inches smaller than waists of people who sat for the longest periods of time. And there were other differences.
In the study, published in the European Heart Journal, blood tests showed that sitting for long periods also increased chronic internal inflammation, unhealthy cholesterol levels and other markers of risk for heart disease, blocked arteries, and diabetes.
“Even small changes, which could be as little as standing up for one minute, might help to lower this health risk,” says lead researcher Genevieve Healy, Ph.D. Overall, she estimates that sitting for one to two hours less per day can significantly improve the health of your heart.
These are some simple ways to sit less and move more:
1. Getting up and doing a few stretches while watching television
2. Doing simple chores more frequently instead of letting them pile up
3. Walking to the store instead of driving
4. Parking in one place and walking to several stores instead of driving to each one
5. Parking at the far end of any parking lot
6. Getting up more often to put things away instead of letting them pile up on a desk or table
7. Walking down the hall at the office to talk to someone instead of using the phone or messaging
8. Organizing a closet or cupboard
9. Dusting more often
10. Shoveling snow or gardening more often
11. Cleaning out the garage or attic a little at a time instead of making it an annual project
12. Taking out the trash more often
13. Walking to a restaurant instead of driving, before or after a movie
14. Getting your own snack or drink instead of asking someone else to get it
15. Walking around while talking on the phone
16. Taking stairs, whenever possible, instead of elevators or escalators
17. Fixing more things around the house
If you use extra activity to do the things you tend to put off, you might also give yourself a new and improved outlook on life.
High Trans-Fat Diet Tied to Depression
Eating foods high in trans fats and saturated fats increases the risk of depression, according to a Spanish study published in the United States Wednesday, confirming previous studies that linked "junk food" with the disease.
Researchers also showed that some products, such as olive oil, which is high in healthy omega-9 fatty acids, can fight against the risk of mental illness.
Authors of the wide-reaching study, from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed and analyzed the diet and lifestyle of more than 12,000 volunteers over six years.
When the study began, none of the participants had been diagnosed with depression; by the end, 657 of them were new sufferers.
"Participants with an elevated consumption of trans fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially produced pastries and fast food) presented up to a 48 percent increase in the risk of depression when they were compared to participants who did not consume these fats," the lead author said.
Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also noted that in the event "more trans fats were consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced in the volunteers."
The research team found, at the same time, that after assessing the impact of polyunsaturated fats — composed of larger amounts of fish and vegetable oils — and olive oil, these products "are associated with a lower risk of suffering depression."
The report, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, noted the research was performed on a European population that enjoys a relatively low intake of trans fats — making up only 0.4 percent "of the total energy ingested by the volunteers."
"Despite this, we observed an increase in the risk of suffering depression of nearly 50 percent," said researcher Miguel Martinez.
"On this basis we derive the importance of taking this effect into account in countries like the United States, where the percentage of energy derived from these fats is around 2.5 percent."
The report pointed out that the current number of depression sufferers in the world is around 150 million people, and has increased in recent years.
This rise is attributable, according to the authors, "to radical changes in the sources of fats consumed in Western diets, where we have substituted certain types of beneficial fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated in nuts, vegetable oils, and fish — for the saturated and trans fats found in meats, butter, and other products such as mass-produced pastries and fast food."
Though not a focus of the study, researchers pointed out that deadly cardiovascular disease is "influenced in a similar manner by diet, and might share similar mechanisms in their origin."
Researchers also showed that some products, such as olive oil, which is high in healthy omega-9 fatty acids, can fight against the risk of mental illness.
Authors of the wide-reaching study, from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed and analyzed the diet and lifestyle of more than 12,000 volunteers over six years.
When the study began, none of the participants had been diagnosed with depression; by the end, 657 of them were new sufferers.
"Participants with an elevated consumption of trans fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially produced pastries and fast food) presented up to a 48 percent increase in the risk of depression when they were compared to participants who did not consume these fats," the lead author said.
Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also noted that in the event "more trans fats were consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced in the volunteers."
The research team found, at the same time, that after assessing the impact of polyunsaturated fats — composed of larger amounts of fish and vegetable oils — and olive oil, these products "are associated with a lower risk of suffering depression."
The report, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, noted the research was performed on a European population that enjoys a relatively low intake of trans fats — making up only 0.4 percent "of the total energy ingested by the volunteers."
"Despite this, we observed an increase in the risk of suffering depression of nearly 50 percent," said researcher Miguel Martinez.
"On this basis we derive the importance of taking this effect into account in countries like the United States, where the percentage of energy derived from these fats is around 2.5 percent."
The report pointed out that the current number of depression sufferers in the world is around 150 million people, and has increased in recent years.
This rise is attributable, according to the authors, "to radical changes in the sources of fats consumed in Western diets, where we have substituted certain types of beneficial fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated in nuts, vegetable oils, and fish — for the saturated and trans fats found in meats, butter, and other products such as mass-produced pastries and fast food."
Though not a focus of the study, researchers pointed out that deadly cardiovascular disease is "influenced in a similar manner by diet, and might share similar mechanisms in their origin."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)