Vitamin D is a very complex substance. For more than half a century vitamin D was thought only to mineralize bones. But recent studies indicate that it does much more:
•Regulates calcium in all cells (especially brain cells)
•Protects the immune system
•Regulates cell growth and cell death
•Provides antioxidant and antiviral benefits
Since foods contain very little vitamin D, the body’s major source is from that manufactured in the deeper layers of the skin. Food, even fortified milk, is a poor source of vitamin D-3. This leaves sun exposure and vitamin D-3 supplements as the two most important sources. Many forms of commercial vitamin D supplements are not the active form.
When you buy vitamin D supplements, make sure they are vitamin D-3!
Vitamin D-3 and Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is another neurodegenerative disease of aging that is strongly related to chronic brain inflammation, but different parts of the brain are involved than in Alzheimer’s disease.
This means that your best protection against developing neurodegenerative diseases is to take vitamin D-3 in higher doses than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) every day to attain maximum protection.
What Are Recommended Doses?
Recommended levels of supplemental vitamin D have recently been shown to be far too low at 200 to 400 IU a day. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that safety concerns with vitamin D toxicity are grossly exaggerated and that the daily dose should be 2,000 IU a day.
Recent reviews by health “experts” have revised the recommended doses for vitamin D from 400 IU to 2,000 IU a day, a dramatic five-fold increase. Daily doses of 10,000 IU or less have been shown to produce no complications. For daily maintenance in otherwise healthy people, 2,000 IU a day appears to be adequate. For those with autoimmune diseases, cancer or viral illnesses, higher doses may be needed — doses as high as 5,000 IU a day.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Coffee Or Tea?
By Audrey Kim
Every fall, school and life seem to pick up speed and overwhelm college students with stress, anxiety and all-nighters. Exhaustion becomes the norm that underlies all activity and it comes to replace the boundless energy we once had in the summer, just a few weeks ago.
Soon enough, our small talk in between classes will be consumed with the depths of exhaustion and its various cures, such as deciding whether to have a jolting cup of java or a cup of tea, pinkie-lifting tranquility.
The benefits of caffeine culture for college students include the ability to combat slumber and ride out the misery of sleep deprivation. As an increasing number of UC Irvine students join the ranks of those relying on caffeine to add some pep to their step, the question is whether they are putting their faith in coffee or tea.
Tessa Zelaya, a third-year social ecology major and Starbucks barista, says, ‘I drink coffee for the taste. Tea is just too watered down. I need caffeine to speed up my day, so I’ll drink around four cups.’
She adds, ‘At Starbucks, I’ve noticed that people are a lot more health conscious from the shift in orders. There are more espresso drinks instead of frappuccinos; especially non-fat lattes.’
‘Tea is healthier and lighter,’ said first-year biological sciences major Kevin Ergina. ‘It helps me urinate and it’s more tasty than coffee. Caffeine is something I try to stay away from.’
People are increasingly realizing that those caffeinated beverages they drink all night to help them finish their assignments are affecting their health, and they need to focus more on the beverage itself and less on the jolt. This critical awareness has sparked the debate over the health benefits that coffee and tea offer and spawned countless research studies.
The Journal of the American Medical Association did a report on a team of Japanese researchers who were able to link green tea consumption with decreased mortality from all causes, including cardiovascular disease. Green tea is high in polyphenols, which are compounds with strong antioxidant activity that in test-tube and animal models show anticancer and heart-protective effects.
The researchers followed 40,530 healthy adults from the ages of 40 to 79 in a region of northeastern Japan, where most people drink green tea. They monitored these adults for up to 11 years. Those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had significantly lower mortality rates than those who drank less than one cup a day. There were also fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease.
But the results showed no such association with deaths from cancer. Nor was consumption of oolong or black tea linked to any decrease in mortality. Those teas are more oxidized in processing, which not only darkens the color of the leaves and changes their flavor but also reduces their polyphenol content.
Habitual tea drinkers’ reduced cancer risk might stem from tea’s high antioxidant capacity. Tea might protect the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots and reducing cholesterol levels. And researchers speculate that the fluoride and estrogen-like substances in tea may bolster bone density.
Coffee is more complicated. It has received both gold stars and black marks in the medical literature. It, too, contains antioxidants, although they have not been studied as well as the polyphenols in tea. However, evidence for the health benefits of coffee is growing.
In the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a group of investigators from Finland, Italy and the Netherlands report that coffee seems to protect against age-related cognitive decline. The scientists studied 676 healthy men born from 1900 to 1920 and followed them for 10 years, using standardized measures of cognitive function.
Their conclusion: the men who consumed coffee had significantly less cognitive impairment than those who didn’t. Three cups a day seemed to provide maximum protection.
Population studies like those help form hypotheses about relationships between dietary habits and long-term health. But scientists still have to test our suppositions in controlled conditions and measure the effects of coffee and tea on various systems of the body.
A joint study by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham & Young Women’s Hospital has found that there is no long-term link between coffee consumption and increased blood pressure in women.
The BBC Health reports found that coffee has been linked with a number of the risk factors for coronary heart disease, including increased blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels.
However, no relationship has been found between coffee drinkers and the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease. Research has found that coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, kidney stones and colorectal cancer.
A couple of cups of coffee a day is safe, but much more will raise the risk of other problems and side effects, including jittery hands, disruption to the sleep cycle and palpitations, not to mention stained teeth.
Yet it’s difficult to suggest a safe limit for coffee intake because of the huge variation in caffeine content of different brands and an individual’s sensitivity to the drug. People with high blood pressure and pregnant women are advised to limit their caffeine consumption.
For the rest of the population, there’s no evidence coffee does any long-term harm. Caffeine does have a mild diuretic effect, however, so try to include plenty of non-caffeinated drinks throughout the day as well.
Caffeinated and decaf coffee each contain antioxidants and other substances that may help regulate blood sugar, which may explain the apparently reduced diabetes risk. Certain compounds in coffee also appear to help prevent bile from crystallizing into gallstones. Also, caffeine may cut the risk of Parkinson’s by boosting supplies of the brain chemical dopamine, at least in men.
Although coffee often seems more ubiquitous due to the Starbucks culture, consumption of tea is quickly growing as well. One may argue the ceremony factor: tea requires patience to make, and the process is more enjoyable than the rush of making coffee.
Kombucha tea has become popular, but there aren’t any clinical findings to verify its health effects. Kombucha mushroom tea, also known as ‘Manchurian tea’ or ‘Kargasok tea,’ is not actually derived from a mushroom, but from the fermentation of various yeasts and bacteria. A starter culture is added to a mixture of black tea and sugar, and the resulting mix is allowed to ferment for a week or more.
However, research can only go so far. Dr. Soheyla D. Gharib of the Center for Wellness and Health Communication at Harvard University Health Services notes the old adage: ‘everything in moderation.’
Most students say research studies are unlikely to change their behavior, though the results may sit in the back of their minds.
‘I’m just annoyed with it all,’ said fifth-year mechanical aerospace engineering major Paul Zelaya. ‘It’s the 21st century, and we figured out how to get to the moon, but we’re still debating about whether or not we should be drinking more coffee or tea.’
Tiffanie Ramos, a second-year psychology major, says, ‘It’s not a religion. It’s just a drink.’
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Every fall, school and life seem to pick up speed and overwhelm college students with stress, anxiety and all-nighters. Exhaustion becomes the norm that underlies all activity and it comes to replace the boundless energy we once had in the summer, just a few weeks ago.
Soon enough, our small talk in between classes will be consumed with the depths of exhaustion and its various cures, such as deciding whether to have a jolting cup of java or a cup of tea, pinkie-lifting tranquility.
The benefits of caffeine culture for college students include the ability to combat slumber and ride out the misery of sleep deprivation. As an increasing number of UC Irvine students join the ranks of those relying on caffeine to add some pep to their step, the question is whether they are putting their faith in coffee or tea.
Tessa Zelaya, a third-year social ecology major and Starbucks barista, says, ‘I drink coffee for the taste. Tea is just too watered down. I need caffeine to speed up my day, so I’ll drink around four cups.’
She adds, ‘At Starbucks, I’ve noticed that people are a lot more health conscious from the shift in orders. There are more espresso drinks instead of frappuccinos; especially non-fat lattes.’
‘Tea is healthier and lighter,’ said first-year biological sciences major Kevin Ergina. ‘It helps me urinate and it’s more tasty than coffee. Caffeine is something I try to stay away from.’
People are increasingly realizing that those caffeinated beverages they drink all night to help them finish their assignments are affecting their health, and they need to focus more on the beverage itself and less on the jolt. This critical awareness has sparked the debate over the health benefits that coffee and tea offer and spawned countless research studies.
The Journal of the American Medical Association did a report on a team of Japanese researchers who were able to link green tea consumption with decreased mortality from all causes, including cardiovascular disease. Green tea is high in polyphenols, which are compounds with strong antioxidant activity that in test-tube and animal models show anticancer and heart-protective effects.
The researchers followed 40,530 healthy adults from the ages of 40 to 79 in a region of northeastern Japan, where most people drink green tea. They monitored these adults for up to 11 years. Those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had significantly lower mortality rates than those who drank less than one cup a day. There were also fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease.
But the results showed no such association with deaths from cancer. Nor was consumption of oolong or black tea linked to any decrease in mortality. Those teas are more oxidized in processing, which not only darkens the color of the leaves and changes their flavor but also reduces their polyphenol content.
Habitual tea drinkers’ reduced cancer risk might stem from tea’s high antioxidant capacity. Tea might protect the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots and reducing cholesterol levels. And researchers speculate that the fluoride and estrogen-like substances in tea may bolster bone density.
Coffee is more complicated. It has received both gold stars and black marks in the medical literature. It, too, contains antioxidants, although they have not been studied as well as the polyphenols in tea. However, evidence for the health benefits of coffee is growing.
In the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a group of investigators from Finland, Italy and the Netherlands report that coffee seems to protect against age-related cognitive decline. The scientists studied 676 healthy men born from 1900 to 1920 and followed them for 10 years, using standardized measures of cognitive function.
Their conclusion: the men who consumed coffee had significantly less cognitive impairment than those who didn’t. Three cups a day seemed to provide maximum protection.
Population studies like those help form hypotheses about relationships between dietary habits and long-term health. But scientists still have to test our suppositions in controlled conditions and measure the effects of coffee and tea on various systems of the body.
A joint study by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham & Young Women’s Hospital has found that there is no long-term link between coffee consumption and increased blood pressure in women.
The BBC Health reports found that coffee has been linked with a number of the risk factors for coronary heart disease, including increased blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels.
However, no relationship has been found between coffee drinkers and the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease. Research has found that coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, kidney stones and colorectal cancer.
A couple of cups of coffee a day is safe, but much more will raise the risk of other problems and side effects, including jittery hands, disruption to the sleep cycle and palpitations, not to mention stained teeth.
Yet it’s difficult to suggest a safe limit for coffee intake because of the huge variation in caffeine content of different brands and an individual’s sensitivity to the drug. People with high blood pressure and pregnant women are advised to limit their caffeine consumption.
For the rest of the population, there’s no evidence coffee does any long-term harm. Caffeine does have a mild diuretic effect, however, so try to include plenty of non-caffeinated drinks throughout the day as well.
Caffeinated and decaf coffee each contain antioxidants and other substances that may help regulate blood sugar, which may explain the apparently reduced diabetes risk. Certain compounds in coffee also appear to help prevent bile from crystallizing into gallstones. Also, caffeine may cut the risk of Parkinson’s by boosting supplies of the brain chemical dopamine, at least in men.
Although coffee often seems more ubiquitous due to the Starbucks culture, consumption of tea is quickly growing as well. One may argue the ceremony factor: tea requires patience to make, and the process is more enjoyable than the rush of making coffee.
Kombucha tea has become popular, but there aren’t any clinical findings to verify its health effects. Kombucha mushroom tea, also known as ‘Manchurian tea’ or ‘Kargasok tea,’ is not actually derived from a mushroom, but from the fermentation of various yeasts and bacteria. A starter culture is added to a mixture of black tea and sugar, and the resulting mix is allowed to ferment for a week or more.
However, research can only go so far. Dr. Soheyla D. Gharib of the Center for Wellness and Health Communication at Harvard University Health Services notes the old adage: ‘everything in moderation.’
Most students say research studies are unlikely to change their behavior, though the results may sit in the back of their minds.
‘I’m just annoyed with it all,’ said fifth-year mechanical aerospace engineering major Paul Zelaya. ‘It’s the 21st century, and we figured out how to get to the moon, but we’re still debating about whether or not we should be drinking more coffee or tea.’
Tiffanie Ramos, a second-year psychology major, says, ‘It’s not a religion. It’s just a drink.’
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Dietary supplement may stall Parkinson’s
An over-the-counter dietary supplement may help slow the progression of Parkinson’s Disease, a degenerative neurological disorder marked by tremor, stiffness of the limbs and trunk, impaired balance and coordination, and slowing of movements.
The supplement, called coenzyme Q10, is a vitamin-like compound with powerful antioxidant properties that is vital for the proper function of virtually every cell in the human body.
Although it is produced naturally by the body, levels typically dwindle with age.
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that low levels of coenzyme Q10 play an important role in many age-related diseases.
The results of several recent studies show that individuals with Parkinson’s have lower levels of coenzyme Q10 compared to those without the disorder.
Supplementation with coenzyme Q10 can help boost levels in the body and protect the specific area of the brain damaged by the disease.
In a 16-month clinical trial, researchers evaluated the effects of coenzyme Q10 in 80 individuals with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. Reporting in the medical journal Archives of Neurology, the scientists noted the supplement was safe and well tolerated in daily doses ranging from 300 mg to 1,200 mg.
At doses of 1,200 mg per day, individuals with Parkinson’s experienced significantly less functional decline and were better able to carry out activities of daily life, such as feeding and dressing themselves, compared to those treated with a placebo pill.
These findings are particularly important, since few treatment options are available and, to date, no prescription drugs have been found effective in slowing the natural course of the disease.
Coenzyme Q10 may benefit individuals with other neurological disorders. In preliminary trials, the dietary supplement was found to slow the progression of dementia in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
In individuals with migraines, coenzyme Q10 has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, especially when taken daily for a period of at least three months.
In a study published in the medical journal Cephalgia, researchers found that daily doses of 150 mg coenzyme Q10 reduced migraine symptoms by half in more than 60 percent of individuals treated.
Coenzyme Q10 appears to be just as beneficial for the cardiovascular system as it is for the brain.
The supplement is often recommended for individuals who have suffered a heart attack and for those diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
The results of several clinical trials have demonstrated that daily doses of 100 mg to 200 mg can improve cardiac function and reduce the risk of future heart attacks in these patients.
For individuals who suffer from heart-related chest pain known as angina pectoris, supplementation appears to improve exercise tolerance and to protect the heart from further damage.
Numerous studies have proven coenzyme Q10 beneficial in the treatment of hypertension. Daily doses of the supplement have been found to produce measurable reductions in blood pressure, similar to the reductions achieved with some prescription medications.
Interest in coenzyme Q10 as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer arose after scientists discovered low blood levels of the substance in individuals suffering from cancers of the breast, lung and pancreas. Preliminary research indicates the supplement may be beneficial in the treatment of these cancers, especially when combined with other therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation.
Use of the supplement also has been found beneficial in the treatment of gum disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, male infertility and age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly.
While aging and poor nutrition are believed to be the most common cause of low blood levels of coenzyme Q10, there is evidence that certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, interfere with the body’s ability to produce the substance.
More research is needed to determine whether coenzyme Q10 supplementation should be routinely recommended for individuals taking these cholesterol-lowering drugs.
It is possible to modestly boost your intake -- and your blood levels -- of coenzyme Q10 without taking a handful of pills.
Good food sources of the substance include meat, poultry and fish, as well as nuts and canola oil.
To obtain a therapeutic dose of coenzyme Q10, you’ll probably need a dietary supplement, which you can get without a prescription at pharmacies and health food stores.
Although most adults can safely take the nutritional supplement, it’s wise to consult your doctor first.
Taking coenzyme Q10 won’t keep you from aging, but it may help protect you from many age-related diseases.
Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including “Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.” Her Web site is www.rallieonhealth.com.
She has also created www.MommyMDGuides.com, which features the advice of mommy MDs from top-notch hospitals, medical centers and universities around the country.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
The supplement, called coenzyme Q10, is a vitamin-like compound with powerful antioxidant properties that is vital for the proper function of virtually every cell in the human body.
Although it is produced naturally by the body, levels typically dwindle with age.
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that low levels of coenzyme Q10 play an important role in many age-related diseases.
The results of several recent studies show that individuals with Parkinson’s have lower levels of coenzyme Q10 compared to those without the disorder.
Supplementation with coenzyme Q10 can help boost levels in the body and protect the specific area of the brain damaged by the disease.
In a 16-month clinical trial, researchers evaluated the effects of coenzyme Q10 in 80 individuals with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. Reporting in the medical journal Archives of Neurology, the scientists noted the supplement was safe and well tolerated in daily doses ranging from 300 mg to 1,200 mg.
At doses of 1,200 mg per day, individuals with Parkinson’s experienced significantly less functional decline and were better able to carry out activities of daily life, such as feeding and dressing themselves, compared to those treated with a placebo pill.
These findings are particularly important, since few treatment options are available and, to date, no prescription drugs have been found effective in slowing the natural course of the disease.
Coenzyme Q10 may benefit individuals with other neurological disorders. In preliminary trials, the dietary supplement was found to slow the progression of dementia in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
In individuals with migraines, coenzyme Q10 has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, especially when taken daily for a period of at least three months.
In a study published in the medical journal Cephalgia, researchers found that daily doses of 150 mg coenzyme Q10 reduced migraine symptoms by half in more than 60 percent of individuals treated.
Coenzyme Q10 appears to be just as beneficial for the cardiovascular system as it is for the brain.
The supplement is often recommended for individuals who have suffered a heart attack and for those diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
The results of several clinical trials have demonstrated that daily doses of 100 mg to 200 mg can improve cardiac function and reduce the risk of future heart attacks in these patients.
For individuals who suffer from heart-related chest pain known as angina pectoris, supplementation appears to improve exercise tolerance and to protect the heart from further damage.
Numerous studies have proven coenzyme Q10 beneficial in the treatment of hypertension. Daily doses of the supplement have been found to produce measurable reductions in blood pressure, similar to the reductions achieved with some prescription medications.
Interest in coenzyme Q10 as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer arose after scientists discovered low blood levels of the substance in individuals suffering from cancers of the breast, lung and pancreas. Preliminary research indicates the supplement may be beneficial in the treatment of these cancers, especially when combined with other therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation.
Use of the supplement also has been found beneficial in the treatment of gum disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, male infertility and age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly.
While aging and poor nutrition are believed to be the most common cause of low blood levels of coenzyme Q10, there is evidence that certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, interfere with the body’s ability to produce the substance.
More research is needed to determine whether coenzyme Q10 supplementation should be routinely recommended for individuals taking these cholesterol-lowering drugs.
It is possible to modestly boost your intake -- and your blood levels -- of coenzyme Q10 without taking a handful of pills.
Good food sources of the substance include meat, poultry and fish, as well as nuts and canola oil.
To obtain a therapeutic dose of coenzyme Q10, you’ll probably need a dietary supplement, which you can get without a prescription at pharmacies and health food stores.
Although most adults can safely take the nutritional supplement, it’s wise to consult your doctor first.
Taking coenzyme Q10 won’t keep you from aging, but it may help protect you from many age-related diseases.
Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including “Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.” Her Web site is www.rallieonhealth.com.
She has also created www.MommyMDGuides.com, which features the advice of mommy MDs from top-notch hospitals, medical centers and universities around the country.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
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