Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

The July 2006 edition of Health magazine touted the health benefits of a zippy little fruit…the blueberry. What’s in blueberries that make them a health food? Antioxidants – those phytonutrients known to fight off free radical cell damage that is at the root of many health challenges (including cancer, arthritis, macular degeneration and many more). According to the Health article, “Wild blueberries rank Number One in antioxidants for fruit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a score of more than 13,000 for total antioxidant capacity per. Cultivated blueberries are the second highest, with about 9,000 (for comparison, Gala apples score around 3,900).”

I like blueberries, but as with many food sources of nutrients, I wonder if it’s possible to consume enough to really have a health impact on my body. Would you like to have a convenient, easy way to regularly get the equivalent of 31 servings of blueberries (along with hundreds of other fruits and veggies)? It’s a whole new level of antioxidant protection!

The July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reports that women in their 50’s who took in more than 500 milligrams of calcium daily in supplements gained 4 pounds less over 10 years than women who didn’t use supplements

Why? Dr. Alejandro J. Gonzalez of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle told Reuters Health the most likely explanation may be “studies showing that low calcium intake boosts the amount of calcium contained within cells, which in turn switches on genes involved in fat formation while inhibiting fat breakdown.” So, calcium supplementation would have the opposite effect and the fat-forming genes don’t get initiated.

I’ll take every help available in the battle of the bulge… how about you? The many other benefits of calcium supplementation make this an easy one!

Chalk up another one for fruits and veggies! Yes, we know they’re good for us, but maybe it helps motivate us to actually EAT them when we see this hard data.

Recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a link between fruit/vegetable consumption and bone mineral concentrations (think osteoporosis prevention). The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene, as well as the bone formation contribution of Vitamin K, all found in the foods of nature, are credited with this positive health benefit in people of all ages.

Study commentators reflected that:

In addition to their antioxidant effects, fruit and vegetables are generally alkaline and thus may counteract the increasing risk of bone destruction, which is known to occur in the acidic environment created by proteins and refined grains.

All these positive health effects of common nutrients reinforce my desire to make SURE I’m getting them on a daily basis with a baseline, convenient, daily supplement program.

Everyone knows that water is essential for summer hydration. But it turns out that water alone may not be enough.

Some professional athletes may sweat away 5-8 pounds in a single game or event. But even if you don’t sweat that much, it only takes a loss of 2% of your body weight to cause fatigue and slow you down in the summer heat.

When you perspire, you’re not only losing fluids: you’re also losing precious electrolytes that are important for staying hydrated and you’re losing carbohydrates that maintain blood glucose levels and help with energy levels.

You also deplete your body of sodium when you sweat. Sodium is a nutrient vital to the nerves that lead to muscle movement. Consumption of water with the intention of replacing the fluids lost when through perspiration will not replace the sodium and electrolytes. In fact, drinking only water can actually weaken the concentration of these essential elements, further complicating your health status.

While drinking additional amounts of water in the summer months is important, when you’re in the heat and sweating, you’re better off drinking something specifically formulated to replace your lost sodium and electrolytes and help sustain your glucose levels.

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.

From the American Society for Clinical Nutrition:

The constant struggle diabetics face to monitor and maintain stable blood sugar levels may have just become much easier, according to a new European study. Published in the July 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study found that supplementing high-glycemic meals with protein shake supplements helped keep blood sugar levels near their normal levels in many type 2 diabetics (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 82, No. 1, 76-83, July 2005). When the shakes were replaced with other protein sources, such as lean meats, the stabilizing effect was much more muted.

If you’re interested in protein shakes, these protein shake options are low-glycemic and have been independently proven not to spike blood sugar levels.

You’ve probably seen reports that asthma rates in the U.S. are on the rise. Researchers are trying to determine why. I’m heartened to see that diet and, specifically, nutrient intake, are among the factors being considered.

Researchers reported in the May 2006 edition of the journal Thorax that they compared diets of healthy control subjects with those of asthma patients, some experiencing symptoms, and some not having had symptoms for the last year.

What I found most interesting in the Reuters Health account of this research was that compared to asymptomatic asthmatics, “Lower intake of both vitamin C and manganese were tied to an increased risk of symptomatic asthma”. Also, “…symptomatic asthma patients had significantly lower levels of plasma vitamin C than healthy controls.”

Vitamin D seems to be getting a fair amount of attention lately. We’ve learned that it can help in managing congestive heart failure and is important for bone health. New research suggests it also is linked to higher birth weights for newborns.

Reuters Health reported on an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal revealing that lower levels of Vitamin D consumption — even when those levels were within the recommended range — were associated with giving birth to smaller infants.

Reuters Health stated, “There has been little research, [however,] into women’s vitamin D needs during pregnancy. The adequate level set for all younger adults is based on decades-old research on the amount of vitamin D necessary to prevent the bone disease rickets.”

It is gratifying to see an acknowledgement that “official” recommended nutrient levels are geared only to deficiency disease prevention… and are quite old. They have no bearing, really, on the levels that are optimal for health and well-being. And, as these researchers acknowledged, more, new research needs to be done to establish those optimal levels. I hope it happens!

Researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this month that Vit. D supplements “may be useful in managing patients with congestive heart failure.”

I continue to be so encouraged by these studies looking at the role of natural approaches in preventing and dealing with serious health issues! In school, a “D” doesn’t look too good, but it sure looks good here.

You may have heard before about the role of calcium in reducing the risk of colon cancer. New research reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this month affirms this role, concluding that “the risk of colon cancer from all regions of the colon and rectum decreased according to increased total dairy food consumption.”

Researchers also noted the need to consider the potential beneficial effect of other nutrients in dairy products. That is so true… nutrients do not occur in nature in isolation, do they? There is a whole complement of compounds in any natural food source, some of which we have not yet even identified!

That’s why, when we’re using supplements to provide the nutritional support that our current food supply can’t provide, it is SO important to be sure that the supplements we use include and preserve these additional compounds as found in nature. Presumably because of the expense and scientific prowess required to do so, many supplement manufacturers, unfortunately, do not.