Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

The World Health Organization recently issued a report on the sun and its role in human health.

Ultraviolet light from the sun is needed for the body to produce Vitamin D, of course, but it also causes serious health problems including sunburn, skin aging, cataracts, and skin cancer, the last of which can be deadly.

The Reuters Health account of the report cites up to 60,000 annual deaths from too much sun!

The report concludes that:

The application of sunscreens should not be used to prolong sun exposure but rather to protect the skin when exposure is unavoidable.

That will take a change, won’t it? I have to admit, I’m accustomed to viewing sunscreen as a way of buying more sun time. How about you?

The July 2006 issue of Neurology reports on a study of vitamin B6 consumption compared to developing Parkinson’s disease. B6 is required for the nervous system, and is needed for normal brain function.

According to the Reuters Health report of this study:

[T]hose who reported taking in the most vitamin B6 were about half as likely as those who consumed the least to develop Parkinson’s disease.

Keep in mind that B vitamins do not exist in isolation in nature. There are 8 B vitamins and they offer the greatest synergistic value when consumed together as a B-Complex.

A review, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, of fifteen studies concludes that eating processed meats increases the risk of stomach cancer.

The Reuters Health report of this research review quoted the Swedish Karolinska Institute as saying that:

[P]rocessed meats were often salted or smoked, or had nitrates added to them, in order to extend their shelf-life, which could be connected to the increased risk of stomach cancer, the fourth most common type of cancer.

We don’t eat the bacon, the sausage, the smoked ham very often, but it can be so tasty once in awhile.

Did you know that Vitamin C is believed to help neutralize the free radical cell damage caused by nitrates? So, at least pop an extra sustained release Vitamin C when you indulge!

There has again been press recently about the chemicals in plastics and the potential health hazards created when they leach into food or water.

A recent ABC News report revealed that:

Last month, San Francisco banned a type of sturdy, hard plastic made with a molecule known as bisphenol A, or BPA. Any toys, bottles and pacifiers made with BPA must be replaced, according to the law the mayor signed in June.

This is just another reminder of the incredibly toxic world in which we live in this day and age.

Why adopt natural health and wellness principles to support my immune system? Why regularly take food supplements? Why try to use personal care products and household cleaners that are non-toxic?

Because, as the ABC News article states:

BPA, like many other man-made chemicals, is now detectable in most people’s bloodstreams and could cause dangerous hormonal changes in children.

And our bodies were NOT designed to house BPA!

Reuters Health reports that research shows more linkage between glucose intolerance (a precursor to diabetes) and stroke (from the June 2006 issue of Stroke). This increased stroke risk was demonstrated for those who had already had a mini-stroke (also called a TIA). Maintaining proper glucose levels is an important health consideration.

Here’s another “eye” (aye) for omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil: Studies just published in the Archives of Opthamology suggest that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurred less often in those who ate fish once or twice a week. And this was true even for smokers (who have a much higher risk of AMD).

According to the Yahoo news account of these studies:

Researchers don’t yet know why eating fish seems to protect the eyes. Omega-3 fatty acids may neutralize free radicals in the eye, preventing the formation of new blood vessels, reducing inflammation or all three, [National Eye Institute's Dr. Emily] Chew said.

You may want to consider omega-3 fatty acid capsules to maximize chances of AMD prevention. Be sure to get pure fish oil that is contaminant-free.

Want to lose weight? New research published in the June 2006 Journal of the American Dietetic Asociation suggests that dietary fiber is key.

Found in whole grains, fresh veggies and fruits, and legumes, the foods that contain fiber are just plain good for us.

But fiber also stabilizes blood sugar (which helps control binge eating), makes us feel full (so we eat less), and is typically in lower-calorie foods.

Want to boost your fiber intake? There are some natural fiber supplement choices, and you can even get extra fiber as part of a healthy meal replacement drink, another weapon in the weight war.

The July/August 2006 edition of the Journal of Nutrition reports on recent research demonstrating the heart-healthy effects of vegetable consumption. According to the Reuters Health report of this research:

[Veggies] may thwart the progression of atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of arteries that can lead to heart disease and stroke.

The anti-oxidants in the veggies are believed to be responsible for this health benefit, shown in this research in mice.

So, mice genetically bred to have fast-hardening arteries ate broccoli, green beans, peas, corn, and carrots and had cleaner arteries than the veggie-deprived mice.

I found it very interesting to note that the funding for this study was from General Mills, who makes the Green Giant brand of frozen and canned vegetables.

Now, I’m all for eating veggies as part of a healthy diet, but I am not persuaded to make the jump from this research to believing that I am providing my heart with considerable protection when I spoon in the peas and carrots.

According to the general body of research I’ve seen, the range of protective benefits for humans from antioxidant consumption requires antioxidant amounts far in excess of the average processed veggie of today. I like most vegetables fairly well, but I don’t fancy the prospect of eating mountains of broccoli to get antioxidant heart health.

By neutralizing free radicals, which damage cells throughout the body, antioxidants provide a wide range of health benefits. To be sure I’m getting them in the amounts I need, I’m much more confident in consuming these plant-based nutrients in a reliable, convenient form, like an easy-to-swallow supplement!

The possibility of diabetes prevention using carotenoids becomes even more critical when we consider this recent data from the American Diabetes Association’s 66th Scientific Sessions:

In the past two decades, the number of people with diabetes worldwide has increased from 30 million to 230 million!

The New York Times report of these statistics states:

There are many factors driving the growth in diabetes worldwide, but most experts agree that changes in lifestyle and diet are the chief culprits, in addition to genetic predisposition. As developing countries rapidly industrialize, people tend to do work involving less physical activity. At the same time, the availability of food that is cheap but high in calories becomes more common. The combination causes weight gain, which leads to greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Aargh… we’re doing it to ourselves! Lousy diets, not enough movement… the same old culprits.

I sometimes wonder if future generations will look back on this period in history and shake their heads in disbelief over the ways we killed ourselves.

Reuters Health reports:

For people who don’t smoke, the risk of developing diabetes is lower in those with higher levels of carotenoids in their blood, according to a new report. The effect is not seen in smokers, however.

Carotenoids are fat-soluble phytonutrients (antioxidants occurring in plants that provide protection against free radical cell damage).

This is another good strategy for diabetes prevention and a reminder of the incredibly negative consequences of smoking, which, I would surmise, negate the prevention power of the carotenoids.

These research findings were published last month in the American Journal of Epidemiology.