Monthly Archive for May, 2010

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Research Links Pesticides with ADHD in Children

Published on May 17, 2010 in health topics and sabrina's posts. 0 Comments

Recent research published this week in the Journal Pediatrics, has determined a correlation with pesticides exposure and attention-deficit disorder in U.S. children.  The kids’ urine was tested for pesticide residue and those with the highest levels had increased chances of having ADHD which is associated with trouble in school and with learning.  It isn’t clear whether they were exposed in the food they eat or by environmental factors such as drinking water or air.  Pesticides were found in the urine of 94% of the 1,139 children tested.

Previous studies have shown that switching to organic fruits and vegetables drops levels of pesticide compounds in urine to undetectable or close to undetectable levels.  I personally feel that more studies should be done that may actually prove causality and not just correlation with pesticide levels on fruits and vegetables that will push the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lower the levels of pesticide that are deemed expectable in all food.   Until then parents in general should be aware of the risks that may be involved when feeding their children non-organic produce and non-filtered water.

Here at Purity Products we established our Organic Brothers line of Certified Organic Triple Greens and Organic Reds Formula exactly because of our concern for this issue.  Our customers can feel confident drinking our Reds and Triple Greens knowing they are certified organic by the USDA and QAI.  I love when my kids drink our powdered drinks because I know the benefits are tremendous and the drinks are so pure and contaminant free.  Also, many of our other powdered drinks although not certified organic contain many organic ingredients as well.

I for one, try to buy as much organic food as I can to make sure my kids have as little pesticide exposure as possible.  Reality is we are all exposed to pesticides and chemicals on some level.  Why not do what you can to lower the exposure as much as possible especially for our children who are more susceptible due to their growing bodies and relative size?

Sabrina Levin

Organic vs. Non-Organic Eggs—is it worth it?

Published on May 17, 2010 in health topics and sabrina's posts. 1 Comment

Buying Organic eggs?  Ever wonder if it’s worth it?  I was at the market the other day and observed a young couple.  The female went to put some organic eggs into the cart when her significant other said, “Hold on now, why would be pay so much more for the same thing?”  I could tell the girl was disappointed and felt like she needed to defend what she wanted to do.  I tried to walk away and mind my own business but not until I put my organic eggs into my cart.  I understand times are tough and people have to cut corners but I believe that buying organic eggs is so worth it for me.  Firstly, eggs are a very healthy complete food.  One egg has most of the nutrients one needs to have optimal health.  The protein value is excellent in building strong muscle and it’s a great food for pregnant women and kids too.  In fact, I believe having organic eggs, let’s say as an omelet with vegetables for dinner, is much more economical than many other food choices and you will get much more bang for your buck nutritionally.  Also, I always feel full and satisfied after this type of meal and can go longer between meals which can also be argued as a great way to cut down on expenses and calories that would have been spent on snacking foods.

Organic eggs are always free-range.  These hens are always fed an organic diet.  The eggs are healthier with higher levels of Vitamin B, Folic Acid and higher Omega-3’s as well.  Non organic chickens, unless they are free range, may be and more often than not are usually kept in small cages and fed genetically engineered corn, animal by-products and antibiotics. The overuse of antibiotics can result in antibiotic resistance in humans and can contribute to overgrowth of yeasts and other unfriendly bacteria in the intestinal tract.  The farmers may also be using hormones which could further jeopardize our health and vitality in the long run.  The USDA organic standards are the strictest food production standards in the world and are regularly inspected by a third party. Also, organic means that the chickens can’t be fed food from genetically modified sources.  Lastly, by buying organic eggs I know I am going green as we like to do here at Purity Products, by supporting the organic farmers, and supporting a system which doesn’t pollute our environment further.

Sabrina Levin

Utilizing the same stringent standards it applies to products and customer service, Purity Products has made a standing commitment to environmental preservation and conservation.

Vitamin D: The Vitamin of the 21st Century

Published on May 17, 2010 in healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D – the Vitamin of the 21st Century

Recent times have seen a reawakening of interest in the utility of vitamin D. Increasingly, scientists are recognizing the plethora of health-promoting activities of this unique “prohormone”. Acting as a master switch that turns genes on and off, the key to your genome, this nutrient is much more than a vitamin; vitamin D “directs” the play of life by influencing multiple facets of the genetic code to act as it should. And the production and metabolism of the vitamin slows with aging. Ensuring sufficient levels of this critical nutrient can go a long way in supporting optimal wellness. With all of the health factors that are influenced by vitamin D, and with more being discovered every day, this nutrient potentially holds more than just the golden key to healthy aging.

Vitamin D and Helper Nutrients

Published on May 16, 2010 in healthy aging spotlight, vitamin d and zinc. 0 Comments Tags: , .

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D’s Helper Nutrients

In order to work effectively in the body, vitamin D needs certain cofactor nutrients. Vitamin D is metabolized by enzymes of the Cytochrome P-450 system. These enzymes require magnesium to facilitate their function. Subclinical magnesium deficiencies are common because many of us do not eat enough of the foods that contain magnesium (green vegetables, nuts, and whole grains). Research supports the fact that a majority of Americans are magnesium deficient. Besides playing a role as a cofactor for numerous enzymes, magnesium plays other significant roles in the body, including supporting bone health, nerve transmission and muscle function. Magnesium also promotes cardiovascular function.

Some very important calcium proteins, called Vitamin K dependent proteins, need adequate amounts of vitamin K to work properly. Vitamin K promotes calcium formation in bone but prevents deposition in other organs. The best source of vitamin K is green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale. How often do you eat those vegetables? Furthermore, research shows that K2, the preferred supplemental form of vitamin K, plays a large role in cardiovascular health in addition to its role in supporting bone health.

In addition to ensuring sufficient magnesium and vitamin K levels, vitamin D requires zinc to perform its designated functions. The Vitamin D Receptor is like a glove, and the base of the fingers of the glove is a zinc molecule. Thus, in those who are zinc deficient, vitamin D cannot function properly. Zinc deficiencies are common, especially in those who eat little meat.

Boron may be another key mineral for enabling vitamin D’s beneficial biological effects. While little is known about boron, other than it is common in green vegetables, fruit and nuts, a number of studies have found that it is important for facilitating the actions of vitamin D on the cell wall. Studies show many Americans get little Boron, again because green vegetables, fruit, nuts, and whole grains are not consumed as often as they should be.

Thus, the key to health remains 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day and a healthy diet, one rich in colorful vegetables and fruits, whole grains, adequate protein, and cold-water fatty fish, a diet that is varied, containing many different foods, and one that is low in foods that contain “empty calories.” For added insurance, everyone should be on a multivitamin containing sufficient levels of magnesium, vitamin K, zinc and boron, among the other essential vitamins and minerals.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D – the Vitamin of the 21st Century

Vitamin D and Athletic Performance

Published on May 15, 2010 in Dr. Cannell, healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D – Run Faster, Jump Higher!

A little-appreciated consequence of too little vitamin D is muscle soreness that can often result in sore legs and increased discomfort while walking or even standing up. Research findings presented at a June 2006 conference on bone health indicate that vitamin D is a powerful promoter of muscle health and function in older adults and the elderly. In this study, daily dietary supplementation with 3,000 IU of vitamin D for 6 months increased lower limb muscle strength in previously vitamin D deficient elderly men and women by an average of 20% – enough to restore mobility and improve their quality of life substantially.27 We do not know if this would be increased even further if they took 5,000 IU/day. In addition, none of the supplemented subjects exhibited any signs of vitamin D toxicity after the 6 months of vitamin D supplementation and all exhibited minimization of PTH secretion, a proposed measure of vitamin D adequacy.

Keeping with this line of thought, research over several decades points to the ability of vitamin D to influence athletic performance. A recent review highlights the results of numerous studies dating back to the 1950s showing that ultraviolet light exposure improves athletic performance.1 This interesting review also suggests that athletic performance has seasonal variations, peaking at times of the year when vitamin D concentrations are naturally higher and decreasing when vitamin D levels are seasonally lower. Vitamin D administration has also been found to increase muscle strength and the percentage of Type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibers in humans. Studies in the elderly have found that vitamin D can improve balance and reaction time. Given that vitamin D is known to affect the expression of more than 1,000 genes, these findings come as no surprise.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D’s Helper Nutrients

References:
27. Pedrosa MAC, Moreira LDF, Barros ER, Kunii I, Lazaretti-Castro M. Cholecalciferol supplementation reverts 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) insufficiency and increases lower limb muscle strength (LLMS) in elderly people living in long-stay geriatric care (LSGC) (abstract P367SA). Proceedings, International Osteoporosis Foundation World Congress on Osteoporosis, Toronto, Canada, June 2-6, 2006, pp. 132-133.
1. Cannell JJ, Hollis BW, Sorenson MB, Taft TN, Anderson JJ. Athletic Performance and Vitamin D. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009; 41(5):1102- 1110.

Vitamin D and Immune System Support

Published on May 14, 2010 in healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D – Immune System Support to the Next Level

Activation of the beneficial health-protective activities of white blood cells is a crucial event in the rapid response that is often required of the immune system. Research published in the Journal of Immunology has shown activated vitamin D to be a powerful stimulant to the white blood cells that mount the first line of chemical defense during the initial phases of a heightened immune response.24 This finding has been confirmed more recently by data published in the FASEB Journal and in Science.25,26 Both studies illustrate the effectiveness of vitamin D in maintaining optimal immune responses by targeting the activities of immune components.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D – Run Faster, Jump Higher!

References:
24. Wang T-T, Nestel FP, Bourdeau V, Nagai Y, Wang Q, Liao J, Tavera- Mendoza L, Lin R, Hanrahan JH, Mader S, White JH. Cutting edge: 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a direct inducer of antimicrobial peptide gene expression. J Immunol 2004;173:2909-2912.
25. Gombart AF, Borregaard N, Koeffler HP. Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) gene is a direct target of the vitamin D receptor and is strongly up-regulated in myeloid cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. FASEB J 2005;19:1067-1077.
26. Liu PT, Stenger S, Li H, Wenzel L, Tan BH, Krutzik SR, Ochoa MT, Schauber J, Wu K, Meinken C, Kamen DL, Wagner M, Bals R, Steinmeyer A, Zugel U, Gallo RL, Eisenberg D, Hewison M, Hollis BW, Adams JS, Bloom BR, Modlin RL. Toll-like receptor triggering of a vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial response. Science 2006;311:1770-1773.

Vitamin D: Defender of Self-Recognition

Published on May 13, 2010 in healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D – Defender of Self-Recognition

The importance of vitamin D’s contribution to a healthy immune system cannot be overstated. According to research published recently in the Journal of Immunology 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 acts within the immune system to reduce the activity of the subpopulation of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) that are the most prone to accidentally mistake one of your cells for an outside invader.23 In other words, vitamin D focuses cells on performing their designated tasks and prevents them from overdoing it – truly a nutrient that works as an immune modulator. It promotes enhanced immune activity when necessary but protects the immune system from becoming overactive.

At the same time, locally produced 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 also stimulates the activity of the subpopulation of lymphocytes responsible for correcting any “mistakes” that have already occurred. Thanks to vitamin D, your immune system is able to distinguish friend from foe and take the appropriate actions by fixing what’s needed to get your immune system to function at its best.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D – Immune System Support to the Next Level

References:
23. Chen L, Cencioni MT, Angelini DF, Borsellino G, Battistini L, Brosnan CF. Transcriptional profiling of T cells identifies a role for vitamin D in the immunoregulation of the V.9V.2 response to phosphate-containing ligands. J Immunol 2005;174:6144-6152.

Vitamin D and Mature Behavior in Young Cells

Published on May 12, 2010 in healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D – Promoter of Mature Behavior in Young Cells

One of the most important functions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 throughout the body is its ability to force young cells to “grow up,” called cellular differentiation. Because nature has decided that a cell can either reproduce itself or mature into its full function, all young cells face a choice: reproduce or go to work. Activated vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) forces a cell to choose maturity and function instead of immaturity and continued replication. This tutelage by vitamin D ensures that there are enough working cells to keep any organ or tissue healthy.

Vitamin D keeps cells healthy and in a working state, allowing them to keep functioning at a high level and doing their designated job. The results of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study that was published recently have shown that routine daily consumption of about 1500 IU of vitamin D enhances the ability to maintain digestive tract, and particularly colon, health.20 These results also predict that routine daily consumption of only 400 IU of vitamin D doesn’t have the same effect and likely will not support a healthy digestive tract, confirming the results of earlier research and results obtained again in the Women’s Health Initiative Study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.21,22

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D – Defender of Self-Recognition

References:
20. Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Rimm EB, Hollis BW, Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men. J Natl Cancer Inst 2006;98:451-459.
21. Grau MV, Baron JA, Sandler RS, Haile RW, Beach ML, Church TR, Heber D. Vitamin D, calcium supplementation, and colorectal adenomas: Results of a randomized trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 2003;95:1765-1771.
22. Wactawski-Wende J, Kotchen JM, Anderson GL, Assaf AR, Brunner RL, O’Sullivan MJ, Margolis KL, Ockene JK, Phillips L, Pottern L, Prentice RL, Robbins J, Rohan TE, Sarto GE, Sharma S, Stefanick ML, Van Horn L, Wallace RB, Whitlock E, Bassford T, Beresford SA, Black HR, Bonds DE, Brzyski RG, Caan B, Chlebowski RT, Cochrane B, Garland C, Gass M, Hays J, Heiss G, Hendrix SL, Howard BV, Hsia J, Hubbell FA, Jackson RD, Johnson KC, Judd H, Kooperberg CL, Kuller LH, LaCroix AZ, Lane DS, Langer RD, Lasser NL, Lewis CE, Limacher MC, Manson JE; Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med 2006;354:684-696.

Vitamin D is not just for bones

Published on May 10, 2010 in healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Vitamin D – Not Just for Good-Looking Bones

Although you and your doctor may not know this, very reliable hard-core research (most funded by the US government) has demonstrated that without a doubt, failing to consume enough vitamin D will increase your chances of developing several chronic conditions.6

As important as it is to consume enough vitamin D to maximize intestinal calcium absorption and minimize PTH secretion, much more vitamin D is necessary to supply enough 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to the brain, heart, small intestine, colon, prostate, breast, lung, stomach, pancreas, skin, testes, ovaries, parathyroid gland, macrophages, lymphocytes, bone marrow and other organs and tissues to allow them to perform their own local conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.6 In fact, locally-produced 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is now known to support many physiologic functions in these organs and tissues that are not related to bone health, including regulation of normal blood glucose metabolism, regulation of lymphocyte function, stabilization of heart muscle contractions, normalization of inflammatory responses, production of naturally occurring antibiotics called antimicrobial peptides, promotion of healthy thyroid function, and hundreds of other functions. For example, a 20-year study of 83,779 female nurses (the Nurses’ Health Study) found that women who consumed the RDA for calcium plus at least 800 IU of vitamin D daily were very much more likely to have healthy blood sugar levels when these nutrients were consumed as a part of their diet.19

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D – Promoter of Mature Behavior in Young Cells

References:
6. Holick MF. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79:362-371.
19. Pittas AG, Dawson-Hughes B, Li T, Van Dam RM, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB. Vitamin D and calcium intake in relation to type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care 2006;29:650-656.

How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?

Published on May 7, 2010 in Dr. Cannell, healthy aging spotlight and vitamin d. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each day, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?

A steadily growing body of scientific research demonstrates that daily intakes of vitamin D much greater than the current RDA of 400 IU are required to minimize PTH secretion, optimize skeletal health, and perform the myriad of other functions inside the cell. For example, the results of an elaborate analysis of published research in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), indicate a clear improvement in bone health among men and women over 60 years of age who routinely consumed double the RDA (about 800 IU of vitamin D daily) compared to those who stuck to the RDA.15 In fact, the results of the Women’s Health Initiative Study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine proved that the RDA for vitamin D was no better than vitamin D deficient diets in protecting the skeleton.16 The results of another study published recently in the British Medical Journal indicate that even 800 IU daily is not enough vitamin D for every elderly person to help prevent falling and fractures.17

The best estimates available suggest that an intake of 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day is the bare minimum that should be consumed by adults who also expose themselves to full-body sun on the weekends, just to ensure that the body’s daily needs are met. A pioneer of vitamin D research, Dr. Hector F. DeLuca of the University of Wisconsin, has advised all adults to consume 2000 IU of vitamin D daily.15 However, remember studies suggest that an intake of between 3,800 IU and 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 are needed on a daily basis to achieve levels of 25(OH)D3 of 30 ng/ mL in 97.5% of people.4 Many researchers, including Dr. John J. Cannell, Director of the Vitamin D Council, have suggested that optimal levels of 25(OH)D3 for health and wellness are 50 to 80 ng/ml.2 In order to obtain these levels, most adults require a daily intake of 5,000 IU of vitamin D3. Certain individuals (those with dark skin, obese, or older) may require even more. Taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 on a daily basis is very safe with little, if any, risk of toxicity. It has been suggested that everyone should be periodically tested for blood levels of twenty-five-hydroxy-Vitamin D [25(OH)D] to ensure that adequate concentrations are being sustained. The first test can be performed after 2 or 3 months on a daily dose of 5,000 IU, and then periodically thereafter. This is in fact the only way to ensure that you are getting the amount of vitamin D that your body needs to function optimally. Check with your nutritionally-oriented physician or naturopathic doctor in order to assure that your 25(OH)D levels are between 50 and 80 ng/ml, the midpoint on the reference range.

Next  Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Vitamin D – Not Just for Good-Looking Bones

References:
2. Cannell JJ, Hollis BW. Use of vitamin D in clinical practice. Altern Med Rev 2008 Mar;13(1):6-20.
4. Aloia JF, Patel M, Dimaano R, Li-Ng M, Talwar SA, Mikhail M, Pollack S, Yeh JK. Vitamin D intake to attain a desired serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun;87(6):1952-8.
15. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Willett WC, Wong JB, Giovannucci E, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B. Fracture prevention with vitamin D supplementation: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA 2005;293:2257-2264.
16. Jackson RD, LaCroix AZ, Gass M, Wallace RB, Robbins J, Lewis CE, Bassford T, Beresford SA, Black HR, Blanchette P, Bonds DE, Brunner RL, Brzyski RG, Caan B, Cauley JA, Chlebowski RT, Cummings SR, Granek I, Hays J, Heiss G, Hendrix SL, Howard BV, Hsia J, Hubbell FA, Johnson KC, Judd H, Kotchen JM, Kuller LH, Langer RD, Lasser NL, Limacher MC, Ludlam S, Manson JE, Margolis KL, McGowan J, Ockene JK, O’Sullivan MJ, Phillips L, Prentice RL, Sarto GE, Stefanick ML, Van Horn L, Wactawski-Wende J, Whitlock E, Anderson GL, Assaf AR, Barad D; Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of fractures. N Engl J Med 2006;354:669-683.
17. Porthouse J, Cockayne S, King C, Saxon L, Steele E, Aspray T, Baverstock M, Birks Y, Dumville J, Francis R, Iglesias C, Puffer S, Sutcliffe A, Watt I, Torgerson DJ. Randomised controlled trial of calcium and supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) for prevention of fractures in primary care. BMJ 2005;330:1003 (6 pages). doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7498.1003
(http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/330/7498/1003).