Thursday, December 13, 2007

Vitamin D deficiency too common in our climate


Posted: Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007 - 09:33:50 am PST


Nikki Luttmann





iHealthTree.com Home Page
|

beauty,beauty products,personal care,personal care products,supplements,vitamins,herbs,herbal products,minerals,health books,weight,nutrition,vitamin A,vitamin D,vitamin A,vitamin C,vitamin B,vitamin E,multi-vitamin,multi-vitamins,multiple vitamins,mineral, antioxidants,antioxidant,diet,dietary supplements,glucosamine



For many years, Vitamin D has been a known cure for rickets, once common in young children and now rare. More recently, it has been shown to help boost calcium absorption in the body, preventing or slowing osteoporosis. Now, vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to other chronic conditions such as autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis, for example) and even some forms of cancer.

Vitamin D, the only vitamin that is also a hormone, is made by the skin through exposure to sunlight or ingested in food or supplement form. After it enters the body, it is converted into an active hormone by the liver and kidneys to control calcium absorption. Without Vitamin D, calcium is passed through the body as waste, thus weakening our bones, teeth and muscles.

Though our bodies are efficient at making Vitamin D when exposed to the sun, there are several factors that contribute to how much of this precious vitamin we are actually absorbing. In northern climates, especially during the winter months, it is almost impossible to get all the Vitamin D our bodies need through sunlight alone.

To get the recommended amount, we would need to spend fifteen to twenty minutes several times a week outdoors with our face and arms exposed to direct sunlight (not through a window). Cloud cover, cold weather and sunscreen all contribute to making this difficult for a good portion or the year.


Also, it would be a challenge to get all the Vitamin D we need through our diet. We'd have to eat mass quantities of foods like sardines and egg yolks. So, that leaves sunshine and supplements as the best ways to get enough of this vitamin.

According to the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes, the best way to get vitamin D is to take 1000 International Units (IUs) of Vitamin D3, the most readily absorbed form of the vitamin, in supplement form every day. Since Vitamin D is fat-soluble and can stay stored in the body indefinitely, there is a cap to how much we should take, as there's some concern that it could be harmful in large doses.

Therefore, check the Vitamin D amounts on the labels of all your supplements to make sure that you are getting just the 1000 IUs daily, and not more.

When taken with calcium, Vitamin D is good for the bone and muscle strength of men and women of all ages. And in our climate zone, it's important to be aware of how little we may be getting from the sun. Ask your physician about the new Vitamin D recommendations, and keep in mind that it is always a good idea to let your health care provider know what supplements you are taking.

• Nikki Luttmann is a community development specialist at Bonner General Hospital.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Learn How to Increase-Enhance Libido

Libido is the drive and passion for sexual interaction. How to increase libido is a frequent concern and issue amongst both men and women. Increasing of the sperm count is a good foundation to build upon. In order for the ovum, or egg, to become fertilized, a considerable volume of sperm is necessary. With regards to such sperm volumes, in relevance to fertilizing an egg, the numbers required can range from in the hundreds an on up into thousands and millions of individual sperms.

Daily diet is an excellent approach in how to increase libido. In both men and women, their respective bodies need a number of essential foods that possess both nutritional and supplemental value towards the adequate and ample productive volumes of both sperm, ovum or eggs. In a summary, there had to be sufficient eggs to fertilize, and, in conjunction, enough sperm has to present in order to fertilize the egg. Sexually charged enhancements, in how to increase libido, can be found in foods that are plentiful in zinc. In remaining on and enforcing the significant importance as to sufficient nutrition, particularly, in men growing adequate quantities of sperms, is to include vital foods and supplements that contain folic acids, lycopene, selenium and water, along with other vitamin and mineral sources that constitute a well-balanced daily diet, which are essential aspects towards how to increase libido.

In opposition, is in how to increase libido, by not consuming or ingesting the wrong elements, where diet is concerned. Men and women alike, though, in this instance, due to sperm count; the focus is more directed towards the male sex. Foods that are refined, in composition, such as flours and sugars, must be eliminated from the diet on a regular basis. As a supplemental counter effect, the consumption of any vegetables, particularly those of the green leafed variety, in the aiding support of how to increase libido.

To supplement one's dietary needs, in the continual pursuit of how to increase libido, is within the scope of another of nature's aspects. Such natural aspects, through the gifts of nature, have furnished us with provisions in how to increase libido, as well as for remedying a variety of circumstances, ailments and conditions, and, more targeted, in this instance, to the libido. Such enhancements and solutions can be resourced and obtained through herbal practices. Amid the vast variety of herbs, there are such herbs in existence for how to increase libido for optimum virility. Among those herbs suitable and appropriate in how to increase libido, include such ones as akarkara, salad misri, shilajit and kohinoor gold.

Dr John Anne is an Herbal and Sex Specialist having years of experience in the field of Sexual Health Care


Learn How to Increase-Enhance Libido



Why The Magic of Manganese Isnt Just In The Name

Why The Magic of Manganese Isnt Just In The Name

Manganese is one of those elements commonly referred to as "trace" minerals within the human body, because they're found and required only in relatively tiny quantities. But that description should not be taken as reducing the importance of manganese in any way. Indeed the very name is derived from the Ancient Greek word for magic; evidencing the special powers which they attributed to it. Modern science is probably too cautious to go as far as that, but there's no doubt that manganese has a number of vital functions within the body.

Manganese is an essential element in the production of a number of vital enzymes. Perhaps particularly important amongst these is superoxide dismutase, an anti-oxidant enzyme which has a crucial role in protecting the mitochondria of every cell in the body from the oxidative free radical damage which can lead to DNA damage, premature ageing and even, eventually, degenerative disease. Manganese dependent enzymes are also essential for the effective metabolism of protein and carbohydrates from the diet, as well as cholesterol.

In addition to helping maintain normal cholesterol levels, it has also been noted that cardiac patients tend to have depleted levels of manganese in the heart muscle, and there is research evidence to suggest that manganese may also help protect against arterial damage.

Manganese is also regarded as important for bone and joint health. Some commercial preparations containing glucosamine, a popular supplement marketed as an aid to joint flexibility and for reducing the pain of osteo-arthritis, also contain significant quantities of a manganese compound, and there's evidence that manganese, like glucosamine, has a significant effect in helping the repair of joint cartilage. Low blood levels and deficiencies of manganese have also been associated with an increased incidence of osteoporosis, ie brittle bones; and wound healing depends on prolidase, another manganese activated enzyme.

Although orthodox medicine remains reluctant to accept the link, there is evidence that low levels of manganese are associated with the glucose intolerance characteristic of diabetes, and, coincidentally or not, it has also been noted that many so-called "natural" nutritional therapies for the disease are often based on manganese rich herbs. No one is claiming that manganese supplements may act as an alternative treatment for diabetes, but many practitioners maintain that when taken together with a manganese rich diet, they may well assist sufferers to manage their blood sugar levels. Finally, a number of research reports have confirmed an associative, but not necessarily causal, relationship between low manganese levels and brain (epileptic) seizures in both humans and other animals. Whilst it is generally recognised that more research is required, it seems reasonable to suggest that ensuring good levels of manganese in the body may have some protective effect. The US Food and Nutrition Board has recommended an upper safe limit for manganese intake of 11 mg a day for adults, and there are potential concerns about manganese toxicity. These appear to arise, however, from the direct inhalation of manganese dust and the consumption of manganese contaminated water or heavily polluted air, rather than from diet or supplements.

These external pollutants apart, there is much more likely to be a deficiency of manganese than an excess. Whole grains, leafy green vegetables, certain fruits and green or black tea are reasonably good sources, but many modern Western diets may still struggle to provide even the minute amounts required. As usual, the stripping of nutrients from the soil along with our increased dietary reliance on heavily refined grains are the main culprits. But in the case of manganese this problem is compounded by its negative interaction with other essential minerals needed by the body in larger quantities. It appears, for example, that the absorption of manganese from food decreases in proportion with the amount of iron contained in that food, and the amount of iron stored in the body.

Blood levels of both manganese and the important anti-oxidant, superoxide dismutase have been found to be reduced in individuals following a program of iron supplementation, and similar results have been found in people supplementing with magnesium, as is very commonly recommended in the interests of cardiac and cardiovascular health.

Relatively high doses of calcium supplements have also been found to reduce the absorption of manganese and perhaps also increase its rate of excretion from the body. But none of the above effects should be taken as reasons not to supplement with these other minerals should such a program be regarded as potentially beneficial. They are, however, yet more evidence of the holistic operation of the body's systems and the mutual interdependence of all the many nutrients on which these rely.

Thankfully, though, the answer to the problem is simple enough. It is to ensure that no supplements of minerals, or for that matter vitamins, are ever taken in isolation, but only in the form of comprehensive multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplements. And of course, these should always be regarded as being in addition to a nutritionally well balanced diet rather than a replacement for it. Such a multi-mineral supplement should provide more than sufficient manganese but it is also worth noting that good intakes of both vitamin C and zinc, in particular, appear significantly to improve manganese absorption.

by Smith

Why The Magic of Manganese Isnt Just In The Name

Technorati

Technorati Profile

Vitamin and Supplements Blog

Zulaikha talks in the blog about vitamin and nutritional supplements, low carb, weight loss supplements and other health products