Do UV Light Bulbs Produce Vitamin D?

With the winter months now here, I've been receiving an increased number of questions about Vitamin D.  First some background on why you may be deficient in Vitamin D during the winter months.  And then I'll touch specifically upon UV lights and UV light bulbs.

I've covered the positive effects of Vitamin D in previous posts.  In fact, you can look at part 1 of a 3-part series I did earlier.    So I won't be going any deeper in this post.  Suffice to say, Vitamin D has MANY benefits.

So let's start with some basics and get a good foundation.  Vitamin D is called the "sunshine vitamin" because our body turns the suns rays into Vitamin D.  During the summer months, 15-30 minutes of direct sunlight when the sun is at its highest (10:30am - 2:30pm) can result in 15,000-20,000 IU of Vitamin D produced by your body.

Let's dig a little deeper into that.  The sun produces two types of rays:  UVA and UVB.  Now, UVA rays are the type you hear all the negativity about.  They damage the skin and are also responsible for tanning.  Tanning salons will use UVA bulbs in their beds (though some do also use UVB).  However, vitamin D production comes from the UVB rays.  When we are talking about natural sunlight, there is another big difference between UVA and UVB.  Our atmosphere will actually deflect UVB rays.  So, depending upon the season and the time of day, you may not get much, if any, UVB rays for Vitamin D production.

In fact, from mid-October through mid-March, the sun will be at such an angle that all the UVB rays will be deflected and not even reach the surface.  That translates into zero Vitamin D production from sunlight.  To get any production, the UV Index needs to be at 3.0 or above.  You can find the UV Index for your area by looking at the EPA's UV Index website.

An easy way to keep track of this...if you live above 42-degrees latitude, then during the winter months the UV Index will be below 3.0 and you will not be able to absorb any UVB rays for Vitamin D production, due to the angle of the sun.  42-degrees latitude runs from the northern border of California through Chicago, IL, and over to Boston, MA.  So if you live north of these locations, you aren't going to get any Vitamin D from the sun during these months.

If you are in one of these locations, then you may want to consider getting your Vitamin D through other methods, due to the plethora of benefits.  My recommendation would be a pharmaceutical grade supplement, as this is the only way you can be guaranteed of receiving the full amount advertised on the bottle in a bioavailable form.  Meaning, it will absorb into your body.

However, there is another method gaining in popularity.  And that would be UV lights and light bulbs.  Light therapy is especially popular with treating SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  But do these lights actually produce Vitamin D?  Well, it depends.  You now know your body needs UVB rays to produce Vitamin D.  So it simply comes down to that.  If the light you are using will emit UVB rays, then you will be able to use it effectively as an alternate to natural sunlight.  It's that simple.

As I stated above, my personal preference is a pharmaceutical grade Vitamin D supplement.  And this one is top notch.  Not only is it pharmaceutical grade, but it is also NSF certified, so it goes through rigorous 3rd party testing.  Each pill is smaller than a Tic Tac and contains 2000IU of Vitamin D.

Just keep in mind, if you live in the northern hemisphere, and above the 42nd parallel, you're going to go almost half-a-year without sufficient UVB rays to manufacture Vitamin D on your own.

For more information, please feel free to contact me via email, Twitter, Facebook, or join our Facebook Fan Page.  And please feel free to link to my blog or share the information via your favorite social media websites.

To Your Health

Question: Are Children Vitamins Worthwhile?

I have discussed how important supplements are, but does the same hold true for children vitamins?  Do children actually benefit from taking vitamins?  And what do you need to look for when selecting one?

Obviously, this decision is left up to the parents.  But I can tell you, the importance of taking supplements for children is no different from the importance of taking them as an adult.  Nowadays, our diets just are not very good so we generally do not get enough of the vitamins and minerals we need for optimal health.  And even if our eating habits are top notch, due to food processing and modern farming techniques, we simply do not get enough vitamins and minerals from the food we eat.

Now, the big difference here is that children do not require as much as adults do.  So I believe the odds of children getting what they need from eating are a little better.  The question is...do they get what they need?  That said, there are certain supplements which can be of extra value to kids.

Fish oil is important as early as a fetus.  It helps with brain development.  And that effect continues through life.  Not to mention the added benefit of cardiovascular health.  Did you know atherosclerosis can be found in children as young as 10-years old?  It's never too early to start thinking about cardiovascular health.

Calcium is also important at a young age to help with the development of bone growth.  But make sure the calcium supplement also has magnesium included, as this assists in the calcium absorption into the bone.

When it comes to choosing a vitamin for children, the same rules apply to children as they do for adults.  You want to find a pharmaceutical grade supplement to ensure your children are getting an actual benefit from what they are taking.  To be quite honest, the gummy vitamins and "popular cartoon" vitamins you find in your local store do not provide much benefit for children.

The book "Comparative Guide To Children's Nutritionals" by Lyle MacWilliam is an excellent resource to use for making your selection.  The book rates some of the most popular children's vitamins on the market.  I use it in my business to show people the vast differences in supplements.  Incidentally, the gummy and "cartoon" vitamins I took as a kid and are still being marketed today?  They were rated 1/2 star out of 5.

If you are looking for more information on supplements, for children, I would highly recommend starting with this book.  And if you are specifically looking for information on pharmaceutical grade supplements, my other site has detailed information on ingredients and benefits.

Post a comment if there is a specific topic you would like me to post on.  I would be happy to research the subject matter and report on the findings here.

To Your Health

Top 5 Supplements For Breast Cancer Prevention

As it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I felt it appropriate to write a post detailing some of the studies out there showing how supplements may assist in breast cancer prevention, and in some cases breast cancer recurrence.  If you think about it, you have probably been told to do regular breast exams or get a mammogram to prevent breast cancer.  However, this does not PREVENT breast cancer, but rather DETECTS breast cancer.  This post will show studies which suggest certain supplements can actually reduce your risk of breast cancer, thus preventing it.

If you ever have questions regarding the use of these supplements, I always encourage you to have a discussion with your physician.  Feel free to print off the studies I reference and ask your physician to comment on them.  In no particular order, these are the Top 5 Supplements For Breast Cancer Prevention:

1. Fish Oil/Omega-3.  On July 8th, 2010, ABCNews reported on the findings of a study which looked at the effectiveness of fish oil for breast cancer prevention.  The "Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle followed 35,016 post-menopausal women who had no history of breast cancer.".  These women were followed for an average of 6 years.  It was found those who used fish oil supplements had a 32% reduced risk of developing breast cancer.  The study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention and was also referenced in this WebMD article.
2. Olive Oil.  The people of Greece have some of the world's lowest rates of heart disease and cancer.  And now studies are showing a direct link to their use of olive oil with regards to these decreased risks. This article from National Geographic outlines a study from 2005 which showed oleic acid (the main fatty acid in olive oil) "can cripple a cancer gene responsible for 25 to 30 percent of all breast cancers.".  Another article in WebMD reported on a study which showed olive oil reduced the risk of breast cancers having the HER2 molecules.  Another major study was begun this year and will last approximately 5 years.  You can also view my previous post on the benefits of olive oil, "How Olive Oil Benefits Your Health".
3. Grape Seed Extract.  In a previous post, "The Top 5 Best Supplements For Your Health", I touted the effects of grape seed extract as it relates to heart disease and cancer.  In fact, studies show grape seed extract actually promotes apoptosis, or self-destruction, of cancer cells (see this Oxford study).  Currently, studies are being undertaken to specifically look at the effects of breast cancer prevention in humans.  However, test tube studies have been promising.
4. Vitamin D.  Back in August and September, I had done a 3-part series on Vitamin D.  You can read part 1, part 2, and part 3 if you haven't seen them yet.  But looking just at cancer risks, the results are quite stunning.  The National Cancer Institute states, "an inverse relationship was found between sunlight exposure levels in a given geographic area and the rates of incidence and death for certain cancers in that area. Individuals living in southern latitudes were found to have lower rates of incidence and death for these cancers than those living at northern latitudes. Because sunlight/UV exposure is necessary for the production of vitamin D₃, researchers hypothesized that variation in vitamin D levels accounted for the observed relationships.".  Furthermore, Vitamin D has shown to create apopotosis in cancer cells.  They also highlighted a study which followed 1300 post-menopausal women who took calcium supplements and 1100IU of Vitamin D every day.  The women taking the supplements showed a 60% reduction in cancer rates.  Dr. Christine Northrup also recommends Vitamin D supplementation as a aid in preventing cancers of all types, including breast cancer.
5. Vitamin E.  The general consensus here is that Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant.  And some cancers have been shown to be the result of free radical damage.  Antioxidants help protect against these free radicals.  When it comes to specific studies regarding Vitamin E, the jury is still out.  However, the Nurses Health Study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine 1993;328: 1444-9, studied 83,234 women for 14 years.  And they found women with a family history of breast cancer who took the highest quantity of Vitamin E showed a 43% reduction in breast cancer as opposed to women with no family breast cancer history (16% risk).

 As someone who has lost a dear friend to breast cancer, I can only hope people look into these preventative measures a little closer.  As you can tell from the studies, I am not suggesting you will never be diagnosed with breast cancer.  However, it appears as though your risks can be decreased.  Please distribute this post via your favorite social media outlet (Twitter, Facebook, etc) and email so we can get the word out.  There's a chance you could help save a life.

You can follow me on Twitter by clicking on the 'Follow Me' icon to the right.  Also, please friend me on Facebook and join our Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/ahealthieryou.

To Your Health.

Scott Huff is a professional marketer of pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  For more information on the specific products he markets, please visit our online store.  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 where you can learn about this unique opportunity

Sugar In Soda And The Diabetes Link

Soda has sugar in it.  Nothing new there.  But it's the amount of sugar in soda that can be dangerous towards your health.  And many people do not realize how much sugar is in soda.  A 12oz cola has between 9 and 10 teaspoons of sugar.  And an orange soda has up to 13 teaspoons.  Head to your kitchen, grab the sugar bowl, and measure out 9 teaspoons of sugar into a bowl if you want the full effect.

But before you put down the soda and grab a fruit drink, take a look at the amount of sugar.  12ozs of apple juice can have just as much sugar as a soda (10 teaspoons, or 39g).  Even if it's advertised as sugar free.  Why?  Because fruit naturally has sugar in it.

So what kind of effect does this have on your risk of diabetes?  It's huge.  According to this Time article, "A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who regularly drank sugar-sweetened soda or fruit punch gained significantly more weight and had a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than women who rarely indulged in high-sugar drinks.".  A 40% greater risk.  But the risks are not confined just to women.

But surely if you drink diet soda you're safe, right?  According to the same study, there was no significant effect with drinking diet soda.  Participants were just as likely to develop diabetes.  Unfortunately, the bad news doesn't end there for diet soda drinkers.  An 8-year study at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, found that individuals who consumed "several cans of diet soda every day were more likely to become overweight or obese than those who drank several regular sodas".

The American Heart Association also found individuals who drank at least one diet or regular soda/day had an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

So in order to cut down on your risk of Type 2 Diabetes, and a generally healthier lifestyle, put the soda down.  Have a glass of water or milk instead, and if you have to have a soda now and then, moderation is the key.

If you have found this article beneficial, please feel free to share it via your favorite social media website such as Twitter or Facebook.  And if you would like information on how you can help change the lives of others, as well as yourself, take a look at our video web tour.

To Your Health.

Scott Huff

Vitamin B May Reduce Lung Cancer Risk

A quick-hit post from Dr. Ray Strand.  Wanted to get this out, as it has important info regarding a study of the B vitamins and your risk of lung cancer.

"There are have been several studies in regards to the use of nutritional supplementation and lung cancer.  Beta carotene was one of the most famous nutrients studied.  However, a recent study just released in the June 16, 2010 issue of the JAMA looked at vitamin B levels and the risk of lung cancer.  There results suggest that above average levels of B6 and methionine reduced the risk of developing lung cancer by 50%.  When you also looked at above normal levels of folate, another B vitamin, along with vitamin B6 and methionine, there was a reduction in lung cancer by nearly two-thirds."

"Again, supplementing your diet with high-quality, complete and balanced nutritional supplements including the B vitamins is an excellent choice."

To Your Health

CoQ10 - What Is It?

CoQ10 is the shorthand version of CoEnzyme Q10.  The purpose here is to show you some CoQ10 benefits.  But first, we need to explain what it is.

CoQ10 is produced naturally in your body and is essential for the functioning of cells.  Specifically, as an antioxidant, boosting the immune system, and increasing energy.  In fact, if you think of your heart as a furnace, CoQ10 is the coal that keeps the furnace going.  As such, the majority of studies done on CoQ10 have focused on it's benefits with relation to heart disease.  And these studies have all confirmed it's effectiveness.

Studies also show CoQ10 benefits when it comes to hypertension and high blood pressure.  In a study "...of 109 patients with essential hypertension, 51% were able to stop between one and three antihypertensive drugs at an average of 4.4 months after starting CoQ10 treatment..."

Another study showed individuals who started taking CoQ10 supplements within 3 days of suffering a heart attack were "significantly less likely to experience subsequent heart attacks and chest pain.".

CoQ10 even has an effect on cholesterol, as show by the University of Maryland, "Levels of CoQ10 tend to be lower in people with high cholesterol compared to healthy individuals of the same age. In addition, certain cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins (such as atorvastatin, cerivastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin) appear to deplete natural levels of CoQ10 in the body. Taking CoQ10 supplements can correct the deficiency caused by statin medications without affecting the medication's positive effects on cholesterol levels. Plus, studies show that CoQ10 supplementation may decrease the muscle pain associated with statin treatment."

To Your Health

Melatonin As A Natural Sleep Aid

Odds are you've never heard of melatonin.  It is actually a hormone created naturally in your body and helps control your sleep and wake cycles.  Thus its use as a natural sleep aid.  However, as we grow older, our bodies produce less of it.  Some individuals may have problems creating it in sufficient amounts.  This is where supplementation comes in.

Melatonin is available in a supplement form, and it is perfectly safe.  There can be very slight side effects, as this article from WebMD points out:  headaches, stomach problems, and (this will shock you) sleepiness.  Why that would be listed as a "side effect" when that is the intent is beyond me.  However, the main thing to keep in mind is that this is NOT an addictive treatment.

I have personally seen melatonin supplements work extremely well with helping people as a sleep aid.  In fact, one customer of mine had a battle with chronic insomnia which lasted several months.  She tried all sorts of insomnia cures, including snake venom!  Nothing worked.  Within a week of trying the melatonin supplement, she was actually entering REM sleep and having dreams.

Melatonin can also be used with children, but only with a doctors approval.  Another customer of mine received a recommendation from her physician to try melatonin with her child, and the results were nothing short of amazing in her case.

Suffice to say, if you know of someone who is having trouble sleeping, taking a melatonin supplement may be something to consider.  But you should always consider a pharmaceutical grade supplement, as this is the only way to ensure you are receiving the full benefits of the supplement.  I have written a few other blogs on this topic.  One was a Consumer Reports article on "over the counter" supplements found in your local store and another compared "over the counter" supplements to pharmaceutical grade supplements.

If you have tried melatonin yourself, we would love to hear about it.  Please post a comment detailing your experiences.  And if you have found this post helpful, please feel free to share it via Twitter, Facebook, or another favorite social media website.  You can also add me as a friend on Facebook.  And if you are interested in hearing more about the pharmaceutical grade melatonin supplements used by the people in my examples, please contact me or visit our website.

To Your Health.

Selenium - What Is It?

Selenium?  What on EARTH is Selenium and why am I bringing it up here?  Why?  Because it's a mineral you haven't heard about.  Nor, have you heard about the benefits of it.

So what is selenium?  Simplified, it is an essential mineral in everyone's diet and found in such foods as nuts, cereals, and fish like lobster and crab.

OK, big deal.  So what does it do for me.  Ah, that's the big question.  And the answer is something you probably have never heard of.  Cancer prevention.

A study done in 1997 by Cornell University looked at the effects of selenium on men and women.  And they found a 41% reduction in the occurrence of cancer when compared to a placebo.  

According to the governments Office of Dietary Supplements "Taking a daily supplement containing 200 μg of selenium did not affect recurrence of skin cancer, but significantly reduced the occurrence and death from total cancers. The incidence of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer was notably lower in the group given selenium supplements.

Research suggests that selenium affects cancer risk in two ways. As an anti-oxidant, selenium can help protect the body from damaging effects of free radicals. Selenium may also prevent or slow tumor growth. Certain breakdown products of selenium are believed to prevent tumor growth by enhancing immune cell activity and suppressing development of blood vessels to the tumor."

Selenium in high quantities can be toxic, but according to the studies, modest supplementation shows a benefit in the prevention of cancer.  There have also been positive results in the areas of arthritis and HIV.  Suffice to say, selenium bears a closer look in the daily supplementation needs of individuals.

As always, I recommend passing on this info to your physician if you are considering a selenium supplement.  And I always recommend taking a pharmaceutical grade supplement to ensure you are getting the proper amounts in a safe dosage.

To Your Health.

Quick Hit Video on Vitamin D

Winter is fast approaching.  For the benefit of some of the new readers, I wanted to put together a quick video on Vitamin D.  If you want further information, you can find it in some of my earlier posts.

Vitamin E - What Is It?

For those of you who have been following this series, thank you.  And you're probably wondering, "Hey...the last one you did was Vitamin C, but now you're on Vitamin E.  What happened to Vitamin D?".  Well, I've actually done quite a bit on that already, and you can find those posts here, here, and here.  So I thought, rather than rehashing what I've already talked about, I would just provide links to those articles and move forward to Vitamin E.

The first thing you should know is there are two forms of Vitamin E available:  d-alpha tocopheryl and dl-alpha-tocopheryl.  If you are currently taking a multi-vitamin, go ahead and grab your bottle now and see what form of Vitamin E you are taking.  If you bought your vitamins off the shelf, odds are you'll see that you have the dl-alpha form.  So what does that mean?  The d-alpha is the natural form of Vitamin E; whereas, the dl-alpha form is synthetic.  There's a problem with that.  The synthetic form (dl-alpha) does NOT absorb into your body very well, about half as well.  So if it's advertised on the bottle that you're getting 50IU, you may only be absorbing 25IU.  And if you aren't absorbing the full amount, then it's really not doing as much as it could be.

Now that we have that out of the way, what exactly does Vitamin E do for you?  First of all, it is a very good antioxidant, so it is providing you those benefits.  Beyond that, supplementing with natural forms of Vitamin E have been linked to a decrease in cardiovascular disease and death.  For instance, in one study it was found that individuals consuming over 10.5IU of Vitamin E were 35% less likely to die from a heart attack when compared to individuals consuming less than that amount.

Another study looked at men who had recently undergone bypass surgery.  In this study, it was found those taking 100IU/day dramatically reduced the progression of atherosclerosis.  However, there are other studies which have shown no benefit to taking Vitamin E.  But additional studies are ongoing and these mixed-reviews may be related to how the vitamin is being administered.

Recently, a study showed that supplementing with Vitamin E can actually increase your risk of death by 6%.  However, you would need to consume over 2000IU/day.  Which is much more than the average person actually consumes.  The upper limit (UL) for individuals over 19yrs of age has been set at 1000IU/day.

So what does this mean for you?  As I stated earlier, Vitamin E does function very well as an antioxidant and it does boost the immune system.  Research also confirms that it assists the body in defending against cancer cells, causing apoptosis (self-destruction) of those cancer cells.  A process your body does naturally, this just helps the process along.  The Linus-Pauling Institute feels there is enough evidence available to recommend taking 200/day with a meal, and this amount "may help protect adults from chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and some types of cancer".

As always, you should always consider speaking with your physician if you are thinking about starting a supplement plan.  I would also recommend you look into taking pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements, as this is the best way to ensure you are receiving the most benefit in a safe form.  You can also view this site to see how you can actually start a home business by marketing pharmaceutical grade supplements to people just like you.

To Your Health

What Is The Function Of Vitamin C?

Ah, Vitamin C.  In my opinion, probably the most well-known of all the vitamins.  Everyone knows you get Vitamin C from eating citrus fruits or drinking orange juice.  Why does everyone know that?  Because their moms told them.

The most common perception is that Vitamin C will help to prevent colds or shorten their duration.  Nearly everyone has heard of this, but is it true?  Well...somewhat.  Studies have been done which indicate taking Vitamin C at the first onset of cold symptoms may reduce the length and severity of the cold.  And what about preventing the cold?  Studies have been done on this as well, and the results have been mixed.  Taking 2g/day for the average adult showed no change in the frequency of colds.  However, when 1g/day was given to a subgroup of marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers training in the Arctic, the frequency of developing a cold was cut in half.  So if you lead a strenuous life, there could very well be some benefit for you.  This study, and more information on Vitamin C can be found here.

Regardless, Vitamin C has been shown to stimulate the immune system and aids in the development of white blood cells.  Not to mention it is a powerful antioxidant.  But the benefits do not stop there.  As you can see from the link above, there are many other benefits.

For instance, one study showed that men taking 50mg/day of Vitamin C had a 42% lower rate of death from cardiovascular disease.  Another study showed a 42% lower risk of stroke in people who have adequate levels of Vitamin C in their body.  However, these individuals primarily received their dosage from fruits and vegetables.  Another study looked strictly at supplementation.  500mg showed no benefit, but the results of this story have also been challenged by the Linus Pauling Institute.

A study of 870 men, followed for 20yrs, showed a 64% reduction in lung cancer when taking 83mg/day.  And "...premenopausal women with a family history of breast cancer who consumed an average of 205 mg/day of vitamin C from foods had a 63% lower risk of breast cancer than those who consumed an average of 70 mg/day.".

So as you can see, the most commonly known use for Vitamin C is only somewhat helpful when it comes to colds.  But according to other studies, there can be significant benefits.  So maybe mom was right afterall.

To Your Health