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Monday, August 30, 2010

Vitamin D Rather Than Flu Shot? Vitamin D Benefits Part 2 of 3

Continuing my 3-part series on the benefits of vitamin D.  In my post yesterday I created a foundation showing you how your body transforms the ultraviolet light of the sun into vitamin D.  I showed you how much you would need to eat in order to obtain those same amounts.  You saw that a mere 15-30min of sun exposure when it is at its highest point in the sky results in 15,000-20,000IU of vitamin D.  And that you simply cannot overdose on vitamin D from the sun.

In this next edition, I will be getting into some of the benefits of vitamin D, and the use of nutritional supplements when you can't get enough sun.  Let's start off with some of the benefits.  During his lecture, Dr. Wentz listed a series of chronic diseases that may be "warded off" by adequate amounts of vitamin D.  I'm not saying that it will CURE any of these, but rather that it will protect you from these diseases, and in some cases actually help, more than someone with a vitamin D deficiency.  The list will shock you:
  • Heart Disease
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Dementia
  • Influenza (remember this one...I'll be touching on it later)
  • Bacterial Infection
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Muscle Weakness
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Psoriasis
  • Muscular Sclerosis
  • Hypertension
Pretty big list.  Now before you write this off as "snake oil", let's look a little deeper.  Dr. Wentz stated that teens who are vitamin D deficient are 4x more likely to suffer from Type-2 Diabetes in their life.  In addition, teens who DO have adequate levels of vitamin D are 60% less likely to develop heart disease in their life.

There have been 2500+ studies looking at the effect of vitamin D and the PREVENTION of cancer.  These studies show that vitamin D outpaces the effects of a healthy diet.  It actually creates apatosis in pre-cancerous cells...essentially, they commit suicide before developing into cancer.  Studies have shown that the further you are from the equator, the greater your chances of dying from cancer.  Why?  Because of the available sunlight.

Even Muscular Sclerosis has been shown to be 500x more likely in a temperate zone vs. a tropic zone.  However, this is merely a preventative technique.  While there have been some successes in treating MS with vitamin D, more research is needed.

What about the flu?  Have you ever stopped to think WHY there is a "flu season"?  Flu season in Wisconsin generally starts towards the end of fall...around November.  And carries through the winter (which sadly lasts far too long here).  What else happens during this timeframe?  First, the amount of sunlight we get decreases every day.  Second, the sun is lower in the horizon.  And third, as it gets colder we tend to pile on more clothing...eventually resulting in blocking any sunlight from hitting our skin.  Therefore, in the winter we just don't absorb any sunlight and, therefore, our vitamin D levels decrease drastically.  You're losing out on those 15,000-20,000IU/day during the winter.  Even individuals in more southern climates are affected by this.

Therefore, more studies are showing that individuals in northern climates need to start supplementing with vitamin D in the winter months.  As we saw in the previous post, it is simply not possible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D solely through diet.  Put 2-and-2 together and you begin to see that your risk of contracting the flu may be directly related to the amount of vitamin D you have in your system.  Remember the list above?  It fights off bacterial infections and influenza.

What about getting a flu shot?  And, of course, there's H1N1..how does it effect that?  This can be viewed in two ways:  the effects of getting a flu shot and the effects of vitamin D.  This study in Japan (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article7061778.ece) had the following results:

"The Japanese scientists, writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, say that the anti-viral drugs zanamivir and oseltamivir reduce risk of flu infection by 8 per cent in children who have been exposed to infection, compared with a 50 per cent or greater reduction with vitamin D.".

8% for drugs compared to 50+% for vitamin D.  The children were given 1200IU/day of the sunshine vitamin every day for 3-months.  That's a HUGE difference.  Now what about the effects of the flu shot?  Let's just say the results have not been very positive.  Australia has recently banned flu shots because they have been linked to vomiting, fevers, and seizures (Australia Bans Flu Shot).  In Finland and Sweden a " H1N1 vaccination program was halted following a 300 per cent increase in cases of the neurological disorder narcolepsy amongst children and young people who had received the shot over the last six months.".

Instead, Dr. Wentz indicated that "physicians recommend increasing vitamin D to 5000IU/day during flu season rather than taking the flu shot".  And if you are worried about overdosing on the supplement, you would need to take 10,000IU/day for 6-months in supplement form before maybe seeing any side effects.

So there you have it.  Several of the benefits vitamin D provides.  Especially when it comes to flu season.  Share this article with your friends and family, as the word needs to spread.  And if you like this blog, please take some time to "vote for me" on the right panel.  In the final post of the series I will tie up some loose ends and give the remaining content from Dr. Wentz's lecture.

To Your Health

Scott Huff

Scott Huff is a professional in the nutritional supplements area.  For more information on the specific products he markets, please visit www.huffster.usana.com.  And if you are interested in seeing how easy it is to create a residual income simply by helping yourself and other become healthier, take a free video web tour at www.incomesafetynet.info where you can learn about this unique opportunity.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Vitamin D Benefits from Sun Exposure - Pt 1 of 3

Vitamin D could very well be the most important nutritional you don't know about.  This past Thurs I had the privilege of watching a lecture given by Dr. Myron Wentz regarding vitamin d benefits.  And what I learned was, in a word, amazing.  This will be the first of a 3-part blog series to relay what I learned from this lecture.

First off, Dr. Myron Wentz is an internationally recognized microbiologist, immunologist, and pioneer in the development of human cell culture technology and infectious disease diagnoses.  He developed the first commercially available test for diagnosing infection with the Epstein-Barr virus...better known as Mono.


In today's world, we have been told that any exposure to the sun could result in sun burn and/or skin cancer.  And so we lather on sunscreen to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun.  However, by doing that we are missing out on some extremely beneficial effects of the sun.  In fact, Dr. Wentz stated, "The sun is as essential to your body as oxygen".  In addition, this fear of the sun has resulted in a large majority of the population to be vitamin D deficient.


What does the sun have to do with vitamin D?  We get most of our vitamin D from the sun...specifically the ultraviolet light.  Our body transforms the light and creates vitamin D.  In fact, a mere 15-30min of exposure to the sun when it is at its highest point in the sky results in approximately 15,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D.  To put this in perspective, the recommended daily value of vitamin D (as given by the FDA) is only 400 IU/day.  But don't worry...it is impossible to overdose on vitamin D.


Now, maybe you have heard from various individuals that we can get all the vitamins and minerals we need from what we eat.  That depends upon your definition of "need", but for now let's see what it takes to obtain 15,000-20,000IU of vitamin D from our diet:


To get this amount of vitamin D from your diet, you would need to eat:
  • 30 cans of sardines OR
  • 100-200 glasses of milk OR
  • 100-200 bowls of fortified cereal OR
  • 500-1000 egg yolks
I don't know about you, but there is no way I could eat that amount of food.  So, I would much rather get that amount from the sun. If you are an individual who immediately puts sunscreen on before going out, remember this.  Putting on just an SPF-15 sunblock will reduce the amount of vitamin D your body produces by 90%!!!  Instead, spend some time in the sun without sunblock first to get your vitamin D benefits before putting on sunscreen.


As I said, this is the first of a three part series.  There is literally too much information to include in just one blog, and I just wanted to provide a foundation.  In the next two parts of the series, I will cover specific benefits of vitamin D, including protection from the flu.  You'll be interested to hear about some physicians now recommending vitamin D supplements over the seasonal flu shot.  We will also cover the differences in teens who have adequate amounts of vitamin D vs. teens who do not.  Benefits of supplementing your diet with vitamin D.  Studies on the effects of vitamin D and MS.  And many more points.  Stay tuned.


To Your Health

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Vitamin D May Protect Against Crohn's Disease

A "Health Nugget" from Dr. Ray Strand:

"We are already aware of the fact that low vitamin D levels increase your risk of developing MS.  Therefore, supplementing your diet with vitamin D decreases your risk of developing MS.  Now their is another autoimmune disease that seems to respond to vitamin D supplementation.  Researchers published a study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry showing that vitamin D supplementation could help protect against Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that is felt to be another autoimmune disease."

"Vitamin D is a very important nutrient and over 90% of the population is deficient in this nutrient.  It is critical to maintain your vitamin D level above 60 ng/ml to optimize your immune function.  Now studies like these are also showing that it will also decrease your risk of developing MS and Crohn's disease, which are autoimmune diseases."

Monday, August 23, 2010

Cigarettes and Free Radicals

We have all heard how bad cigarettes are.  They cause cancer.  They affect others around you.  You shouldn't smoke when pregnant.  Certain states have even passed law preventing individuals from smoking in public places.  But here's something I'll bet you haven't heard.  Just 1 puff causes up to 1 quadrillion free radicals.

Before I go further, I need to give some background information.  Specifically to what a free radical is.  Maybe you have or have not heard of a free radical, and I'm not going to go in depth here.  Free radicals are all around us.  They come from the food we eat and the air we breathe.  Even exercise causes some free radicals.

So what is a free radical?  Very simply, it is an electron within your body who has "gone rogue".  Not to go to deep into "high school chemistry" with you, cells in your body are made up of neutrons, protons, and electrons.  When a free radical is formed, it steals an electron from a healthy cell, thus making that cell "unstable" and creating other free radicals.  And the process just cascades from there.

Sounds scary, but normally your body can handle this issue via anti-oxidants and the body's natural immune system.  That's the good news.  The bad news?  It can't ALWAYS handle the issue.

The best example I've heard comes from Dr. Ray Strand.  Imagine you have a fireplace with a nice rug in front of it.  Normally, you would have some type of a screen on the fireplace to protect from embers being spit out from the fire.  I remember as a kid watching my grandfathers fireplace and would love seeing the fire spit out embers...hearing that crackling sound.  Luckily, there was a screen between the fire and myself.

Now, let's say you didn't have a screen in front of the fireplace...allowing the fire to spit out embers.  Imagine those embers coming out of the fire and landing on your rug.  One ember might cause a spot on the rug, but nothing major.  However, over continued use more embers may hit on or near that spot on the rug.  Eventually, that spot on the rug gets larger and larger.  Well, the same thing happens in your body.

These free radicals are the embers of the fireplace.  The screen would be the anti-oxidants and immune system in your body.  But what happens if the screen breaks down?  That rug starts to get burned.  Perhaps the "rug" is affecting your cardiovascular system causing cardiovascular disease.  Or maybe it is affecting your eyes causing macular degeneration.

In any case, sometimes it is necessary to repair that screen.  Or sometimes, to put a screen up.  And to do that, you need to increase your intake of anti-oxidants to combat the affect.

So what on EARTH does this have to do with cigarettes?  Just this.  1 puff of a cigarette causes up to 1 quadrillion free radicals (Free Radical Study - Pg 877).  1 quadrillion.  Is that even a number?  Sounds like something you made up as a kid in grade school.  A quadrillion comes right after a trillion.  Look it up.  But now that we've established that it is, in fact, a real number....just how BIG of a number is it?  Put it this way.  If you spent 1 Million dollars every DAY, every YEAR, from the year 0 until today (Monday, August 23,2010), you would have spent $733,520,000,000.  Not even 1 trillion dollars.

Now, generally a person does not take 1 puff of a cigarette before tossing it away.  Let's assume someone takes an average of 10 puffs before the cigarette is used up.  So, let's spend $10 million dollars every day.  That would get us up to over $7 trillion.  We're STILL not even up to 1 quadrillion...the amount you get from just 1 puff.

Suffice to say, goal number 1 is to stop smoking if you are a smoker.  Or if you know someone who is a smoker, share this article with them because odds are, they really don't know the full affect it is having on their body.  And goal number 2 is to start taking a high-quality anti-oxidant to help combat the affects of free radical damage.

If you can relate to this post, or have anything to add, please post a comment.  But no spam.  This is simply a discussion forum.

To Your Health

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Vitamin D Levels Related to Asthma?

Could Vitamin D levels be related to asthma?  According to researchers at National Jewish Health, "Low levels of vitamin D in asthma patients are associated with reduced lung function and less response to steroid medications".  The study can be found here.

Researchers evaluated 54 adults with asthma.  Those with higher vitamin D levels exhibited higher lung function.  Whereas, those with lower levels were "almost twice as sensitive to the airway irritant methacholine, commonly used to evaluate the likelihood of airway constriction".

As I've mentioned in previous posts, one method of obtaining vitamin D is by absorbing sunlight.  Your body will convert the ultraviolet light into vitamin D.  But nowadays there are a few problems with that.  Increased fear of skin cancer has lead to an increase in sun block usage.  While skin cancer is legit, you should still try to get 10-15min of sun exposure without any sunscreen in order to increase your vitamin D levels.

The second issue is for people living in northern climates.  During the winter months, odds are your skin is not being exposed to the sun's rays very much.  Hats, gloves, winter coats, etc drastically cut down on the amount of sun you get.  And even if you did have some exposure, the sun is not at the proper angle in the sky to receive enough ultraviolet light to transform into vitamin D.  In fact, the recommendation is to supplement your diet with 1000IU of vitamin D, as expressed in this article in the Washington Post.  And in this study published in The Journal of Nutrition, they recommend anywhere from 800IU to 2000IU of vitamin D supplementation.

As always, if you are considering this approach I would recommend looking at a pharmaceutical grade supplement to ensure you are receiving the greatest benefit.  And in addition, consult with your doctor to determine if this is the right approach for you.

If you have any thoughts, please feel free to post a comment.  And consider subscribing to our blog to not only receive updates as they happen, but also receive our free monthly newsletter.

To Your Health

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Fish Oil vs. Statin Drugs

Crestor, Lipitor, etc al are statin drugs.  These are advertised all over TV, newspapers, and magazines telling you how you can reduce your cholesterol levels.  But is there an alternative?  Yes.  Lowly Fish Oil.

The problem with statin drugs is all the side effects.  Liver failure, decrease in CoQ10 levels, and a decrease in energy.  Odds are, if you are taking a statin drug like Lipitor or Crestor, you need to make regular doctor appointments to see how your liver is handling the drug.  Here's the rub.  Have you heard about the various fish oil studies?  Probably not.  And that's why I'm here.  Here are a few studies:

Archives of Internal Medicine:  Statins and n3 (fish oil) fatty acids are the most favorable lipid-lowering interventions with reduced risks of overall and cardiac mortality. 

Journal of American Medical Associates: "Among women, higher consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of CHD, particularly CHD deaths."

The difference?  Statin drug:  many possible side effects and high costs.  Fish oil:  NO side effects and minimal costs.


To Your Health

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Top 4 Secrets to Losing Weight

Losing weight.  It's a goal of many people out there.  And we are constantly bombarded with ads promoting 'quick fix' products.  But the problem with most of these products and fad diets is that a majority of individuals who actually do lose weight will put it back on.  Sound familiar?  If so, here are the top methods for losing weight and KEEPING it off:
  1. Exercise.  The key here is to make sure you burn off more calories than you take in each day.  Try to get at least 20min/day.  More if possible.  And while any type of exercise will be beneficial, anything which raises your heart rate will have greater benefits.
  2. Cut Out Soda.  Just one can of soda contains roughly 40g of sugar and 150 calories.  It would take a person weighing 150lbs about 7min of jogging, or 30min of walking to burn off those calories.  Even longer if you weigh less than 150lbs.  Plus, a can of soda/day raises the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.  And while diet soda is usually calorie free, the increased Diabetes risk is still there.  Neither have any nutritional content, so grab a bottle of water instead or drink tea.
  3. Multiple Meals.  Wait, what?  Eat more OFTEN?  Yes, it's true.  What you're trying to do is kickstart your metabolism and keep it going throughout the day.  In the book, "Body For Life", the recommendation is to eat 6 times/day.  A moderate breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with healthy snacks in-between.  But make sure you have something for breakfast, even if it's only a banana.  This gets your metabolism going, which helps to burn off fat.
  4. The Glycemic Index.  Foods can be broken down into two types:  High Glycemic and Low Glycemic.  The difference is how your body handles them.  High glycemic foods will raise blood sugar levels in the body quickly, then drop them just as fast.  This results in those cravings to eat when you're not hungry.  Junk food is a good example, but probably the best example are many of the energy drinks on the market.  If you use energy drinks, you may have experienced the "crash" after finishing one.  Low glycemic foods, on the other hand, raise your blood sugar levels much slower and keep those levels steady.  Thus reducing those cravings which tack on unnecessary calories.  A simple Google search will provide you with a list of both high and low glycemic foods.  Below is a graph showing the effects of both.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Study Shows Calcium and Vitamins Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Breast Cancer Risk was found to be reduced by 30-40% in individuals taking vitamins and calcium supplements.  This was the conclusion of a study reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in April of 2010.

Participants in the study who took vitamins were shown to have a 30% lower risk of breast cancer compared to those who did not take vitamins.  And those who took calcium were shown to have a 40% lower risk compared to those who did not supplement.

This is not an immediate result, but rather the results of taking supplements over long periods of time.  You can read the full study here:  AARC Breast Cancer Study.

My recommendation is always to look for high quality, pharmaceutical grade supplements if you are considering a change to your health maintenance.  These types of supplements will absorb better in your body (compared to store bought vitamins and popular multi-vitamins) and are generally manufactured using superior ingredients.

To Your Health

Monday, August 9, 2010

Big Pharma and Your Life

An ex-Pharma rep gives her insider view on the industry.  Please share this with others you know.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Fish Oil May Decrease Disease Risk

An article from Dr. Ray Strand:


Very high intake of omega-3 fatty acids may decrease your risk of developing several chronic degenerative diseases according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. High levels of DHA and EPA, which is found in omega-3 fatty acids, were associated with lower levels of triglycerides and C-reactive proteins, and higher levels of HDL cholesterol. This signaled decrease risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. These researchers that dramatically increasing the level of omega-3 fatty acids in the general population could have a tremendous effect on chronic disease risk.

To Your Health

Learn to profit from your health

Thursday, August 5, 2010

The Top 5 Myths About Vitamins

What are the top myths regarding vitamins?  You've probably heard them all, but not like this.  Here is a Top 5 list (in no particular order) of the most common ones.  And using the grading system of one of my favorite shows, Mythbusters, you'll see how these myths stand up.

Myth #1:  It doesn't matter what kind you take, all vitamins are the same. - BUSTED
I covered this in more detail in one of my earlier posts, "All Supplements Are the Same, Right?".  But what it boils down to is this:  there is a HUGE difference in vitamins, depending upon how they are rated.  Food grade (the vitamins you find in your local store) are regulated by the FDA.  Who, according to a recent study by Consumer Reports, isn't doing too great of a job keeping tabs on the quality of these supplements.  Not to mention, they can contain at least 10% worth of fillers and sometimes even more.  Plus, often they use cheaper, synthetic versions of vitamins which do not dissolve as well, nor do they absorb into the body as well.

On the other hand, Pharmaceutical Grade vitamins follow more stringent regulations.  They MUST be free of fillers and be over 99% pure.  They follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), meaning they are safer than the food grade vitamins.  Often, an independent 3rd party, such as The National Sanitary Foundation, will evaluate both the products as well as the manufacturing process.  And, because they use higher quality ingredients and non-synthetic versions of vitamins, they will absorb into your body better than food grade.

Myth #2:  Taking too many vitamins can be bad for you - PROBABLE
Why is this rated 'PROBABLE'?  Well, it's based on several factors.  Certain vitamins and minerals, such as synthetic Vitamin A and Iron, can be toxic in large doses.  However, with most others the amount you would need to take to reach toxic levels is pretty high.  If you are taking pharmaceutical grade vitamins, you will be alright.  There is also the issue of certain toxins and foreign substances being found in vitamins.  The recent Consumer Reports article brought this out, as has ConsumerLabs.com.  Again, manufacturers following GMPs will not have this issue very often.

Myth #3:  I can get everything I need from what I eat - PROBABLE
This is completely dependent upon how you define "need".  To cover the basics first, the RDA, or %DV, (that percentage on your package labels) is the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to prevent deficiencies, which could lead to classic diseases.  For instance, not obtaining the RDA amount of Vitamin C could result in developing scurvy.  And being deficient in Vitamin D could lead to rickets.  So, if you "need" to ensure that you are simply not deficient in vitamins and minerals, then yes...it's possible to get what you need from what you eat.  Keeping in mind that the amounts of vitamins and minerals contained in our foods are gradually decreasing due to modern farming techniques and processing.  Now, if you define "need" as the optimal amount needed to enhance your immune system, then it will be fairly difficult to obtain those amounts from eating.  For instance, to obtain the optimal amount of Vitamin E (400IU has been shown in studies to have positive health effects) you would need to eat 28 pounds of spinach every day.  Or 2 pounds of almonds.  Possible, sure...if you name happens to be Popeye.  We get Vitamin D from the sun, and already it has been suggested, through studies, that people get at least 600-1000IU/day.  However, in the summer most people lather on sunscreen which blocks the production of Vitamin D.  And people in northern climates do not get much sun during the winter.

Myth #4:  Vitamins don't do anything/I've never noticed a difference - BUSTED
There are far too many studies out there showing the positive affects of taking supplements.  And generally, when there is a study done showing "harm" from taking supplements, only 1 vitamin was studied.  Thing is, supplements work best when taken together...a process called synergy.  For instance, Calcium alone may not do much, and was the topic of a recent study linking Calcium supplements to a 31% increase in heart attacks due to there being too much of the mineral in the blood.  However, Calcium needs Magnesium to get out of the blood and into the bones.

If you have never noticed a difference while taking supplements, my questions would be "but how do you know it's not doing anything and how long did you give it?".  Body types are different for everyone.  As such, supplements react differently with each individual.  Some may see results within a month, some in 3-months, some may never see a result.  But that doesn't mean they aren't doing anything either.  Maybe you don't FEEL different, but if you were to look "under the hood" you might see your blood pressure coming down to normal levels or your high cholesterol decreasing.  The only way to know is to speak with your doctor and get tests done on a periodic basis. 

Myth #5:  Olive Oil and Fish Oil are good for blood pressure and cholesterol - CONFIRMED
Doing a simple Google search on either of these will provide you with several studies which show an increase in consumption of olive oil and fish oil can result in lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol.  Try looking for a supplement which uses an olive oil extract, as consuming 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil can add a considerable amount of calories to your diet.  Likewise, trying to consume enough fish to increase levels of fish oil can have some negative consequences, due to the mercury content in fish.  While some fish should be consumed (once per week is suggested), taking a pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement guaranteed to be contaminate free, can help you get to those beneficial levels.  In fact, studies have shown fish oil to be more effective in controlling cholesterol levels than Statin drugs.  Not to mention, olive oil and fish oil do not have side effects; whereas medication for blood pressure and cholesterol do have side effects.

To Your Health

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Consumer Reports Says Many Supplements Not Safe

According to a report published Tues by Consumer Reports, many of the supplements found in your local store are not safe.  Specifically, many of the ingredients may cause cancer, heart problems or kidney/liver damage.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38542031/ns/health-alternative_medicine

The report states, "Of the more than 54,000 dietary supplement products in the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, only about a third have some level of safety and effectiveness that is supported by scientific evidence".

Not to mention that many of the ingredients found in these supplements come from China, and the FDA has not inspected one single factory there.

This information goes hand-in-hand with my blog post from 7/29, "All Supplements Are The Same, Right?".  It just brings to light the absolute need to look for supplements which are pharmaceutical grade, follow GMPs, and are inspected by a 3rd party organization such as the NSF if you want to be sure what you are taking is both safe and effective.

To Your Health

Scott

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Monday, August 2, 2010

Calcium Supplements Lead to Heart Attacks?

Calcium supplements lead to 31% increase in heart attack risk.  These were the findings of a study published this past Thurs (July 29th) in a British Medical Journal (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/341/jul29_1/c3691).  However, these results are very misleading.

Why are these results misleading?  First, this was not a stand-alone study, but rather a "meta-analysis".  Meaning, they took the results of other studies and reported their findings based on these other studies.  Now, you're probably saying, "Well, wouldn't that CONFIRM the results?  Aren't they essentially creating an 'average' of all these studies?".  See, that's the problem.  They didn't use that many studies.  Only 15 to be exact.  And of those 15, their findings on the cardiovascular outcomes came from only 5 of those 15 studies.

Andrew Shao, a PhD and VP of for the Council of Responsible Nutrition was quoted, "...seven of the 15 trials evaluated had no, or incomplete, data on cardiovascular outcomes, and only five of the 15 studies accounted for almost all of the cardiovascular outcomes".  And further, "...because the researchers chose to exclude any trials administering calcium plus vitamin D, many large, important trials—including the Women’s Health Initiative, which found calcium plus vitamin D had no effect on the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke—were not included". (http://www.crnusa.org/CRNPR10_BMJCalciumMetaAnalysis72910.html)

So you can see to the casual observer this may appear to say "Don't Take Calcium Supplements".  But when you start to dig into the study a bit more you can reach other conclusions.

Secondly, this "study" looked ONLY at the affect of calcium supplementation.  And the main issue was that taking calcium supplements led to a higher concentration of calcium in the blood.  Here's the problem with that.  Calcium need magnesium to help it get into bones, and thus, out of the blood.  This study did not look at the affect of taking calcium along with magnesium.  Nor did it look at taking calcium with Vitamin D, which has already shown benefits in other studies where both were administered.

Long story short, when you see or read things like this on the news, please do yourself a favor and either do some additional research.  Try not to depend solely upon the opinions of others.  Thus the reason why I included links in the above post.  The more information you have, the better equipped you are to make a decision that is best for YOU.

To Your Health
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