Showing posts with label vitamins. Show all posts

The fact is the practice of flu vaccination in the elderly is not based on evidence, but an article of faith.
Should the Elderly Get the FLU jab?

Use the search window in the right column to find our numerous posts on vaccines, flu, vitamin D, vitamin C, and more Natural Health News to keep you healthy and well...

From Dr Eisenstein

The risk of children suffering from flu can be reduced by 50% if they take vitamin D, doctors in

Japan have found. The finding has implications for flu epidemics since vitamin D, which is

naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight , has no significant side effects, costs little and can be several times more effective than antiviral drugs or vaccines according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Only one in ten children, aged six to 15 years, taking the sun shine vitamin in a clinical trial came down with flu compared with one in five given a dummy tablet. Mitsuyoshi Urashima, the Japanese doctor who led the trial, told The Times that vitamin D was more effective than

vaccines in preventing flu.

Vitamin D was found to be even more effective when the comparison left out children who were already given extra vitamin D by their parents, outside the trial. Taking the sunshine vitamin was then shown to reduce the risk of flu to a third of what it would otherwise be.

Dr. Damien Downing, a doctor and medical consultant has publicly stated that governments "do like" epidemics as a chance to impose their will. The London based doctor has been advising patients to increase their vitamin D intake rather than get the vaccine.

You might be shocked to know that there are many physicians in both Canada and the United

States who prescribe as much as 50,000 IU of vitamin D daily as a treatment for a long list of

chronic diseases.

Dr. John Cannell, MD, suggests high dose vitamin D (50,000 IU) be consumed for three days at the first sign of a cold or the flu. If you have an infection, the truth is you need more vitamin D. In other words, vitamin D acts as a natural antibiotic. It works against every type of microbe (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites).

Vitamin D deficiency is common during the winter months, especially in countries far north of

the equator. Vitamin D acts as an immune system modulator, preventing excessive production of inflammatory cytokines and increasing macrophage (a type of white cell) activity. Vitamin D

also stimulates the production of potent antimicrobial peptides in other white blood cells and in epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract, protecting the lungs from infection.

50 Percent Reduction In Flu Infections Using Vitamin D

Altogether 354 children took part in the trial. Vitamin D was found to protect against influenza A but not against the less common influenza B.

The trial, which was double blind, randomised , and fully controlled scientifically, was conducted by doctors and scientists from Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.

The children were given a daily dose of 1200 IUs (international units) of vitamin D over a period of three months. In the first month children in the group taking the vitamin became ill just as often as those taking the dummy tablet. But by the second month, when the vitamin level in the children’s blood was higher, the advantage of the vitamin was clear.

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 percent in children who

have been exposed to infection, compared with a 50 percent or greater reduction with vitamin D.

Antivirals are typically more effective than vaccines for the influenza virus which suggests that

both forms of medical intervention would consistently fail in similar studies when pitted against

vitamin D.

Antivirals are expensive, and possibly toxic. Vitamin D additionally supports bone health but is believed to reduce risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illness, including various bacterial and viral infections.

The Japanese finding supports a theory that low blood levels of the sunshine vitamin occurring in winter explain why flu epidemics generally peak between December and March.

1. Get a Vitamin D blood test25(OH)D
2. Make sure your whole family has adequate blood levels of Vitamin D this flu season (>50 to 80ng/ml). Most children and adults Vitamin D blood level is <30ng font="" ml.="">

3. Adults .................................. 5,000 IU daily.

4. Children ............................... 1,000 IU/25lbs.

5. Chronic conditions....................... 10,000IU daily

6. At the first symptoms of a cold or flu 1,000IU/ lb. daily for 7 days.

Examples:

50 lb daily 50,000IU daily.

100 lb daily 100,000IU daily.

150 lb daily 150,000IU daily.

200 lb daily 200,000 IU daily.

NB from Natural Health News:

Vitamin A will assist in protecting lung health and against pneumonia. Vitamin E is also helpful to carry oxygen across the alveolar membrane in the lungs into the blood.

Healthy fat in your diet is required to absorb Vitamins A-D-E-K.

Add adequate daily vitamin C and probiotics. Always stay hydrated.

Kedar N. Prasad, PhD

This time the change may be back to the past, and to tell you the truth it really annoys me.

Not that it is a personal annoyance, its more like one huge road block put in your path because other people's ignorance can really harm your health.

I think it is strange in a Jim Morrison kind of way that some get turned into celebrities by the media not really based on out come but because they are on TV or they get interviewed by someone else in the TV spotlight.

Just because someone is on TV really does not mean they are an expert in what they plie on their show. Remember that every show has sponsors and producers. If the recommend something it does not really mean it is effective or effective for you. All it is is mass marketing. And where are you when that suggestion fails you?

Its also like aggregator web sites. They fill their pages with info taken from other sources, make it look as if this was original material, and never give you and thing to assure you it might be bogus while trying to make it look like the latest hot new discovery or cure.

Thinking of something Dannion Brinkley said not too long ago about how he believes that the it is through healthcare that the globalists will find the key to controlling the world.

If you accept Dannion's premise then it won't surprise you when I suggest how crazy it is to find too loud Jillian Michaels on "Everyday Health" as one of their 'talking heads'.

And to me it is even crazier to think she has an interview with David Agus MD about cancer.

Now mind you, I do have to agree with him on the failure of the establishment on the issue of prevention.

Agus states: " ... we can win the war on cancer — but not the way we’re fighting it now.“We’ve made almost no impact on making people live longer with cancer,” he says in an interview ... noting that the death rate is down only 8 percent over the past six decades.Part of the problem, ..., is the way we think about the disease. “Instead of just trying to shrink the cancer, which buys a little bit of time, I want to change the entire state of your body. But I know, as a cancer doctor, I’m not that good. And I know that I lose two or three patients a week — and I don’t want to do that anymore.”The solution, he explains, is not to treat the disease but to stop it from happening in the first place. “Most cancers are preventable. We’ve got to take aggressive stances in that regard.”He goes on to tell you however, to ditch your vitamins and get your nutrients from food.

And this is where we part ways. The parting is of course because clearly Agus has failed to do the research that proves, even if it is organic, the nutrient level in food has diminished over the years. It is worse for products grown in commercial agriculture.

I of course support organic and buying local but I also know that not everyone can afford this. And so what does Agus offer you if you fall in the less affluent part of our culture?

Not much.

But our Food Cleansing Healthy Handout does and it is an inexpensive way to make food healthier.

And being that we believe in supplements, the correct choices of supplements so that it isn't a one size fits all, but a targeted approach to regaining your health. The science on supplements supports my position, even for cancer. Maybe something will change some day for Agus and he will see the light.

Let's hope, and work to prove Dannion wrong.

If you are looking for conscientious help in the area of supplements for health consider Health Forensics.

Read more: confusion about supplements here.

I am sure everyone is buzzing about the fallacious news stories from the last couple of days that are telling you taking vitamins is risky for your health. Every time I hear reports on these studies I get mad. I get more so when I hear the local ABC outlet news anchor say she does fair and balanced reporting.
If her reporting was fair and balanced she would include the following information from Mitch Stargrove an ND I have known over some years:
It is not advisable to make a causal statement of excess risk based on these observational data..." Without proper accounting of and informed choices for form, dose, combination, sequencing of nutrients this data says little of clinical consequence. Moreover, the fundamental premise of natural medicine is personalized and evolving care in concert with a healthcare professional trained and experienced in nutritional therapies. All contemplated supplement usage should be discussed with primary care providers, such as (licensed) naturopathic physicians, who are trained in their appropriate, prudent and proper usage. Lastly, reliance of foods, i.e., fruits and vegetables, is not what it used to be. Solid research shows that the nutrient content of commercially grown foods sold in the USA has declined markedly over the past 30 years; presumably due to industrial/petrochemical agribusiness practices and priorities. Other problematic factors have been mentioned by previous responses to this alarmist declaration which reveals a hostile and prejudiced posture in the conventional medical world that does not serve the patient's best interests nor the methodology of science and discovery.

The only concern I have fore vitamins used by people over 40 is iron unless the person is clearly anemic. Iron is known to be a higher risk of heart attack in this age group.

Zinc is important for immune support and endocrine health. If elevated Copper is usually low. Too much copper is a risk but reputable supplements know the safe limits.

Magnesium is good for the brain and nervous system just like the B vitamins. Magnesium is usually deficient especially if you are using Rx drugs.

Many forms of calcium are not well absorbed and yet this "study" tells you to take it.

If you need help deciding on your supplements we offer this service through our Health Forensics programs. Email us for more information.

I'll continue taking my vitamins, Thank you!

From Natural Products Insider

Then consider this from MedPage Today

Readers Say Vitamin Levels Should Be Checked Yearly

By Chris Kaiser

Cardiology Editor, MedPage Today
Published: October 07, 2011

Processed foods, mineral-depleted soil, overcooked vegetables, increased stress levels -- all of these increase the chances of having a vitamin deficiency, according to a vocal majority ofMedPage Today readers who commented on last week's poll.

We asked readers if and when patients should be assessed for vitamin deficiencies. Of the more than 2,200 votes, 69% said that patients' vitamin levels should be assessed at least annually.

"I cannot remember how many patients have been rescued from dementia and psychosis by B12, especially when I have a geriatric focus," said one doctor, who also touted vitamin D, calcium, fish oil, and thyroid testing. "Everybody deserves a look about once a year."

But once a year was not enough for some (9% said every visit) and too much for others. One cardiologist said he or she tests vitamin levels every six months with a "pick up rate over 25%." Another commenter said that yearly testing seems too frequent. "Getting a baseline every five years with additional testing as needed seems better."

We received several anecdotal accounts about vitamin deficiency being caught, but only when the patient requested the test.

"I was diagnosed with severe insufficiency of vitamin D and only had it tested because I requested it," said one woman, who added that her mother and daughter were subsequently found to be vitamin D-deficient.

"I have just been rescued from severely low vitamin D levels, and my daughter has been found to have low vitamin levels as well. I wish my doctors had been checking levels all along," noted another MedPage Today reader.

And another expressed similar exasperation. "It was not until I was diagnosed with osteoporosis that I had a vitamin D 25-OH test, and found out that despite being outside every day, my level was insufficient. By then it was too late. I am very disappointed that my physician did not order this inexpensive test years ago. Now, I have asked for a B12 test as well."

One woman's B12 deficiency mimicked multiple sclerosis and she went through a battery of tests before a neurologist ordered vitamin testing for her.

"It baffles me that insurance companies aren't pushing for annual vitamin testing, because so many conditions can be resolved with proper vitamin supplementation," wrote one woman, who also was found deficient in vitamin D after she requested the test.

The comments also parsed the meaning of "recommended daily allowance" (RDA). Most agreed that the RDA is not meant to prevent disease states but more to support optimum health.

"The original purpose of RDAs was to specify the amounts of various micronutrients needed by the 'average' person to guard against deficiency disease; the fact that a person does not have scurvy or anemia doesn't mean she/he is getting enough vitamin C or B12, respectively, to be as healthy as possible," wrote one commenter.

But what is the root cause of vitamin deficiency? "We need to start with nutrition," was how one physician simply put it.

Others, as well, chimed in with the notion that vitamin deficiencies and chronic diseases are symptoms of malnourishment, which is symptomatic of poor eating habits.

As expressed by one European, "Ultimately, there is simply no substitute for a healthy diet. Sadly, American diets often lean toward processed foods, which tend to be low in nearly every (micro)nutrient other than sodium."

"Healthy eating is almost nonexistent today," said another commenter. "Processed and modified foods simply are not as nutrient-dense as their counterparts were perhaps 20 years ago."

And, as usual, we had at least one post worthy of going in the X-file.

"I wonder how much this 'concern' is being driven by yet more EU 'directives' banning the sale of 'natural' additives and supplements," this commenter wrote. "Whilst the profession should remain wary of too close an 'association' with what is considered as 'Big Pharma,' we should also remain acutely aware of signs and symptoms of deficiencies which have been known and recognized for centuries. The prescribing decisions must always be made as a result of knowledge, not some bureaucratic nonsense from an invisible and unaccountable back-room mandarin with several bees in his bonnet and 'fees' to be earned!"

And now the meaningless study -

Dec 27, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – An analysis of "real-world" clinical data indicates that vitamin E, and drugs that reduce generalized inflammation, may slow the decline of mental and physical abilities in people with Alzheimer's ...

Dietary Supplements Linked to Higher Death Risk

By Todd Neale, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: October 10, 2011
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

In postmenopausal women, the use of several common vitamin and mineral supplements was associated with an increased risk of death, researchers found.

After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, use of multivitamins and vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper supplements was associated with greater all-cause mortality through 19 years of follow-up (HRs 1.06 to 1.45), according to Jaakko Mursu, PhD, of the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, and colleagues.

Use of a daily calcium supplement, on the other hand, was associated with a lower risk of death (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.94), the team reported in the Oct. 10 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Based on existing evidence, we see little justification for the general and widespread use of dietary supplements," they wrote, citing a body of literature generally supporting no association with mortality, with some suggestions of harm. "We recommend that they be used with strong medically based cause, such as symptomatic nutrient deficiency disease."

"We cannot recommend the use of vitamin and mineral supplements as a preventive measure, at least not in a well-nourished population," they wrote. "Those supplements do not replace or add to the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and may cause unwanted health consequences."

Taking dietary supplements to improve health and prevent diseases is widespread, with about half of U.S. adults using one or more in 2000, according to Mursu and colleagues. Annual sales top $20 billion.

The long-term impact of supplementation is unknown, however, and some studies have suggested a relationship between supplements and increased mortality.

As Rita Redberg, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, wrote in an editor's note, "manufacturers are not required to disclose to the FDA or to consumers the evidence they have regarding their products' safety, nor must they empirically back up claims of purported benefits."

In light of this uncertainty, Mursu and colleagues examined the use of vitamin and mineral supplements among 38,772 postmenopausal women participating in the Iowa Women's Health Study. The mean age of the women at baseline in 1986 was 61.6.

The participants reported their use of supplements in 1986, 1997, and 2004. The percentage who reported using at least one supplement daily increased from 62.7% to 85.1% during the study. In 2004, more than one-quarter of the women (27%) said they used four or more.

The most commonly used supplements were calcium, multivitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Through 2008, 40.2% of the women died.

After adjustment for demographics, dietary and lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and use of hormone replacement therapy, the following supplements were associated with a greater risk of death during follow-up:

Multivitamins: HR 1.06 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.10)

Magnesium: HR 1.08 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.15)

Zinc: HR 1.08 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.15)

Iron: HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.17)

Vitamin B6: HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.21)

Folic acid: HR 1.15 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.32)

Copper: HR 1.45 (95% CI 1.20 to 1.75)

Absolute increases in risk ranged from 2.4% with multivitamins to 18% with copper.

After multivariate adjustment, use of calcium supplementation was associated with a lower risk of death (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.94). The absolute risk reduction was 3.8%.

To account for the multiple comparisons made, however, the researchers set a P value of less than 0.003 to establish significance. Only the increase associated with multivitamins, calcium, and copper remained significant using this threshold.

"However, many of the additional statistical tests were confirmatory, strengthening confidence that findings were not explainable by chance," Mursu and colleagues noted.

In particular, the findings related to iron and calcium remained consistent when the analysis was restricted to follow-up from 1986 to 1996, from 1997 to 2003, and from 2004 to 2008.

In addition, the mortality risk associated with iron supplementation increased in a dose-response fashion.

The relationship was not significant for doses of 200 mg/day or less, but was significant for a dose of 201 to 400 mg/day (HR 1.35) and for a dose of 400 mg/day or more (HR 1.57).

"Iron is suggested to catalyze reactions that produce oxidants and thus promote oxidative stress," the authors noted, acknowledging that they did not examine possible mechanisms in the current study.

"However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the increase in total mortality rate was caused by illnesses for which use of iron supplements is indicated," they wrote. "Chronic disease, major injury, and/or operations may cause anemia, which is then treated with supplemental iron. However, we could find no evidence for such reverse causality."

In their commentary, Bjelakovic and Gluud said that "one should consider the likely U-shaped relationship between micronutrient status and health," with risks associated with both insufficient and excessive intake.

"Therefore, we believe that politicians and regulatory authorities should wake up to their responsibility to allow only safe products on the market," they wrote.

Added Redberg, "A better investment in health would be eating more fruits and vegetables, among other activities. Because commonly used vitamin and mineral supplements have no known benefit on mortality rate and have been shown to confer risk, this article has been given our 'Less Is More' designation."

Mursu and colleagues noted that their study was limited by the possibility of residual confounding and changes in supplement use during the study, the inability to exclude the chance that some supplements were taken in response to symptoms or clinical disease, the lack of data on nutritional status or detailed information on the supplements used, and the study sample comprised of white women, which limits the generalizability of the findings.

The study was partially supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the Academy of Finland, by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, and by the Fulbright program's Research Grant for a Junior Scholar.

One of Mursu's co-authors is an unpaid member of the scientific advisory board of the California Walnut Commission.

Bjelakovic and Gluud reported that they had no conflicts of interest.

Primary source: Archives of Internal Medicine

Source reference:
Mursu J, et al "Dietary supplements and mortality rate in older women: the Iowa Women's Health Study" Arch Intern Med 2011; 171: 1625-1633.

Additional source: Archives of Internal Medicine
Source reference:
Bjelakovic G, Gluud C "Vitamin and mineral supplement use in relation to all-cause mortality in the Iowa Women's Health Study" Arch Intern Med 2011; 171: 1633-1634.

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Vitamins for Alzheimer's

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: More Vitamins Please

Oct 13, 2008

More Vitamins Please. In the long ago days of the youth of my children our pediatrician rather naturally had us offer liquid vitamin drops daily from infancy onward. Back then it was common to find 400 to 800 IU 0f ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Good News About Vitamins

May 25, 2010

Good News About Vitamins. That TV Doctor Lisa Masterson would just love you to believe her propaganda force fed to medical students and reinforced by mainstream media that all you need for good nutrition is a healthy ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Vitality from Vitamins

Jul 03, 2008

Fatty meals may cloud the brains of people with type 2 diabetes, but antioxidant vitamins can help clear the fog, Canadian researchers demonstrated in a study they conducted. The findings suggest, the researchers say, ...

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FLU FOR YOU? or Prevention

The time, it is forever changing

VITAMINS HAVE NEVER KILLED ANYONE

Readers Say Vitamin Levels Should Be Checked Yearly

Dietary Supplements Linked to Higher Death Risk

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