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Vitamin D-fense against disease: studies show vitamin D benefits more than just your bones. It may help you ward off heart disease, diabetes and some cancers

Nov 13

Our understanding of vitamin D has evolved. Once believed to be a central player only in bone health, vitamin D is now known to be integral to overall well-being.

“There’s a relationship not only with bone health, but with immunity and anti-inflammatory components,” says Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy at Cleveland Clinic. “Vitamin D has a role in many different types of actions within the body.”

Though we know more about vitamin D today, as many as 50-90 percent of middle-aged and older adults aren’t getting enough of it, depending on which study you read.

Recent research highlights the benefits of vitamin D intake and the consequences of vitamin D deficiencies. An analysis of studies, published in the Sept. 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, suggested that people who took vitamin D supplements had a seven percent lower risk of death than those who didn’t. Also, a study presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting in November found that low vitamin D levels may worsen knee osteoarthritis.

VITAMIN D AND YOU

Vitamin D is available in two forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol), the latter being the better-absorbed form found in most supplements. Your body converts vitamin D into an active form that aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are vital to bone growth and repair.

Research also has demonstrated that vitamin D can reduce inflammation, the body’s immune response to injury that some experts suspect is a culprit in heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and prostate and colon cancers. Its anti-inflammatory properties may be one reason why some research has linked low vitamin D levels to the risk of these diseases.

HOW YOU GET YOUR D

Several factors may contribute to the burgeoning rates of vitamin D deficiency. It’s not prevalent in our diet, and unless you’re eating a lot of fatty fish or drinking plenty of fortified milk, you’re probably not getting enough from foods.

Vitamin D has been called the “sunshine vitamin” because your body produces it when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate the skin. Sunscreens can hamper this penetration. Many people are getting less sun exposure, and the skin’s ability to make vitamin D from sunlight declines with age.

So, most people need supplements to get their daily vitamin D quota, but questions remain about how much you need. Most multivitamins contain 400-600 international units (IUs). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that adults ages 51-70 get 400 IUs and those 71 and older get 600 IUs daily. But, those guidelines are based on amounts needed for bone health, Moore says.

“The recommendations, at this point, may be adequate for bone mineralization, but may be inadequate for reducing the risk of some of these chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” she says.

Several studies looking at vitamin D’s effects on these diseases used doses ranging from 300-1,000 IUs, while others have gone as high as 2,000 IUs, the maximum dose (from food and supplements) deemed safe for adults by the IOM. Intakes above this amount can be toxic.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR

Since people process vitamin D differently–for example, people with dark skin synthesize less vitamin D from sunlight–Moore recommends consulting with your doctor about how much you need. You also might ask your physician about testing your vitamin D level.

“People should not self-medicate with vitamin D. There is true danger from exceeding the safe limits,” Moore says.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

* Include more vitamin D-fortified foods (such as milk and cereals) and vitamin D-rich fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) in your diet.

* Get 10-15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen at least twice a week on your face, hands, arms or back.

* If you need a supplement, look for products containing vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

HOW TO GET VITAMIN D FROM FOODS

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Here are some good dietary sources of vitamin D:

Food & serving size                        International    Daily
                                             units per     value %
                                              serving

Cod liver oil (1 tablespoon)                   1,360         340

Cooked salmon (3 1/2 ounces)                    360          90

Cooked mackerel (3 1/2 ounces)                  345          90

Sardines, canned in oil (1 3/4 ounces)          250          70

Tuna, canned in oil (3 ounces)                  200          50

D-fortified milk, all varieties (1 cup)         98           25

Ready-to-eat cereals fortified with 10 %        40           10
of the DV for vitamin D (3/4 to 1 cup)

Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements

COPYRIGHT 2008 Belvoir Media Group, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Complementary medicines, VitaminD, cardiovascular diseas, diabetes, vitamins     0 Comments

Cancer fighter: ginseng boosts immune function, combats stress and fatigue, and even helps fight breast cancer

Sep 26

Michael Castleman
IN ASIA, ginseng has been revered for centuries as a total-body health enhancer. But the mounting excitement in the West is focused on a very specific benefit. “Many studies show that ginseng helps prevent and treat breast cancer,” says Christine Homer, M.D., author of Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner’s Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer (Basic Health Publications, 2005).

One clinical vote of confidence occurred last spring when researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville concluded that Panax ginseng increases both the length and quality of life for women with breast cancer. Among 1,455 women followed for six years after a breast cancer diagnosis, regular ginseng users had 30 percent less risk of dying from the disease and 29 percent less risk of dying from any other cause, compared with nonusers. The 2006 study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, noted that those women who consumed the most ginseng reported the greatest improvement in quality of life.

Scientists believe that ginseng counteracts the cancer-stimulating action of the body’s own estrogen. The herb is actually a phytoestrogen that binds to estrogen receptors in the body, locking out its hormonal counterpart; by itself, ginseng is too weak an estrogen to spur breast cancer.

Beyond the breast

Ginseng’s Latin name, Panax, comes from the Greek word for “panacea,” and its effects are impressively diverse. “The Chinese consider ginseng a tonic, something that strengthens the whole body,” says Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., a Chinese medicine practitioner in San Francisco and a Natural Health advisor. “Western medicine has been skeptical of ginseng, as though it’s too good to be true. The skeptics should study the research.”

In addition to breast cancer, ginseng may discourage a range of cancers. Researchers at the Korea Cancer Center in Seoul tracked ginseng use in 4,634 subjects for five years. Compared with those who used no ginseng, those who took it regularly had 60 percent less risk of developing any cancer. The results were published in 1998 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Overall, there seems to be a particularly positive effect on immune function. In the journal Pharmacy Research in 1996, University of Southern California researchers noted that ginseng increases production of interferon, the body’s own antiviral compound. In a related study in 2002, published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, Korean researchers discovered that ginseng also enhances the ability of white blood cells to manufacture pathogen-devouring cells called macrophages.

By boosting immune function, ginseng may improve the efficacy of vaccinations. According to a 1996 study in Drugs in Experimental and Clinical Research, Italian researchers gave 227 volunteers a placebo or 100 milligrams of ginseng daily. A month later, everyone received flu shots; 42 placebo takers caught the flu, but only 15 ginseng patients became sick–a highly significant difference.

Several studies also indicate that ginseng’s immune-friendliness may help prevent the common (and always aggravating) cold. In 2006, University of Connecticut researchers gave 43 adults over age 65 a placebo or 400 mg of ginseng per day. For the first two months, both groups caught the same number of colds. But during months three and four, the ginseng group became sick only half as often (32 percent versus 62 percent), and their cold symptoms lasted less than half as long (six days compared to 13 days).

Total impact

In keeping with its reputation as an adaptogen, e r whole-body tonic, ginseng has been found to enhance both mental and physical performance, aid fertility and virility in men, reduce fatigue, and lower blood sugar in diabetics.

INTELLIGENCE. In a 1996 Danish study, 112 middle-aged adults were given cognitive-function tests before and after taking a placebo or 400 mg per day of ginseng for eight weeks. The placebo group showed no change in brainpower, while those who took ginseng demonstrated significant improvement. British researchers conducted a similar study in 2002 using the same dose of ginseng, which again seemed to enhance memory and attentiveness.

STAMINA AND FATIGUE. When Italian researchers tested 50 male gym teachers, ages 21 to 47, on a treadmill, those taking ginseng had greater stamina than did the placebo group; another Italian study found that ginseng improves reaction time. And a 1999 Japanese study in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics showed that the herb helps relieve the fatigue some women experience during menopause.

DIABETES. In a 2000 study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, University of Toronto researchers gave ginseng (a relatively high dose of three grams) to diabetics before a meal. Blood sugar typically rises after eating, but 40 minutes after the meal, the ginseng takers showed a decrease in blood sugar levels.

REPRODUCTION AND SEX. While an Italian study showed that ginseng boosts sperm count, two Korean studies–published in 2002 in the Journal of Urology and in 1995 in the International Journal of Impotence Research–confirmed the herb’s reputed aphrodisiac effect. Apparently, ginseng increases production of nitric oxide, which plays a key role in sex-related blood flow into the genitals; taking 900 mg three times per day helped restore faltering erections.

WITH SO MANY BENEFITS, it’s no wonder that ginseng users taking as little as 200 mg daily continually report improved quality of life, mental health, and social functioning. After University of Connecticut investigators reviewed research on the herb as it relates to quality of life, their 2003 report, published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics, found improvement in eight out of nine studies.

Those are darned good odds for a naturally healthier life.

Photograph by DAWN SMITH

RELATED ARTICLE: How to take it.

Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) are botanically the same, while Siberian ginseng is a different plant. To use it in a healing tea, simmer one to three grams of the sliced root in 24 ounces boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes; the tea is traditionally cooled and served at room temperature, but you can drink it hot. if you want to try it in capsule form: Nationally recognized surgeon Christine Homer, M.D., recommends 200 to 400 milligrams daily, though daily doses of up to 600 mg are common. For health maintenance, ginseng should be taken in cycles, e.g., daily for two or three weeks followed by a two-week abstention.

Ginseng is distributed in both white and red varieties: The white is unprocessed root, while the red is steamed, then dried. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), red ginseng is considered “hot,” with stronger restorative action for disease recovery. The milder, white ginseng is “warm” and is thought to be preferable for long-term use. Western research draws no distinction between white and red ginseng; if you can’t decide which variety to take, consult a TCM practitioner. The herb causes no significant side effects, though caffeinelike jitters are possible; people with high blood pressure are advised to avoid ginseng without the guidance of a qualified herbalist.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning



Complementary medicines, Ginseng, alternative, anti-cancer agents, anti-cancer food, breast, breast cancer, cancer, cancer studies, chemotherapy, chronic fatigue, diabetes, herbs, immune system, men, side effects, tired, women     0 Comments

Control Switches Found For Immune Cells That Fight Cancer, Viral Infection

Aug 22

ScienceDaily (July 11, 2008) — Medical science may be a significant step closer to climbing into the driver’s seat of an important class of immune cells, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Nature Immunology.

The researchers showed that a single protein, HS1, enables key functions of natural killer (NK) cells, which kill early cancers and fight off viral infections. The protein allows the NK cells to pursue their targets, latch on to them and configure the cellular machinery it uses to kill them.

“Further study of how HS1 controls these processes may open up new possibilities for revving up the NK cells to fight infection and cancer,” says senior author John Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and physiology. “We also may be able to use this same protein to inhibit the activities of other immune cells and prevent them from contributing to autoimmune conditions such as diabetes.”

Cooper, who is a member of the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, studies how different types of cells use a primary component of their skeletal system known as an actin network. Earlier, his laboratory had probed the role of a protein called cortactin in specialized cells that break down bones. They showed that cortactin’s effects on the actin network made it possible for the cells to form a tightly sealed bond with bones.

“This bond is analogous to a plunger,” says first author Boyd Butler, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Cooper’s laboratory. “The cell sits down on the bone, seals tightly, and then starts secreting the acid and other compounds that break down the bone.”

NK cells have to form a similar plunger-like bond, known as a lytic synapse, with the targets they attack. They do not make cortactin but produce HS1, which is a very similar protein. Butler decided to see what would happen to NK cells in human blood samples if he turned down their ability to make HS1. The resulting cells were severely disabled: They couldn’t effectively pursue target cells, bind to them or prepare to kill them.

Prior research by other scientists had revealed that when NK cells are in motion or attacking a target, HS1 has chemical modifications attached to it at specific points. Giving the NK cells normal HS1 restored their lost functions, but when researchers gave the NK cells HS1 where these attachment points had been altered, the cells were selectively disabled. Changing one attachment point prevented them from pursuing target cells, while changing the other impaired their ability to bind to targets and kill them.

“Tight regulation is very important to prevent NK cells from harming the body’s own tissues,” Boyd says. “This ability to switch where the control signal goes makes HS1 a powerful regulator of NK cell activity–it allows the cells to provide just the right services at the right time.”

Cooper and Boyd plan follow-up studies that will start at the attachment points on HS1 and trace connections with and influences on other proteins.

“NK cells are very good at nipping early cancers in the bud,” says Cooper. “If we can better understand how they’re activated, this could lead us to ways to make them better killers of cancers and cells infected by viruses and other invaders.”

Funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Siteman Cancer Center supported this research.

Journal reference:

1. Butler B, Katendieck DH, Cooper JA. Differentially phosphorylated forms of HS1 mediate distinct functions in natural killer cells. Nature Immunology, Online June 29, 2008

Adapted from materials provided by Washington University in St. Louis, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

NK cells, autoimmune, diabetes, fight infection, immune system, infection, natural killer cells     0 Comments