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Category: Diabetes

Vitamin D Could Fight Crohn’s Disease

Taking vitamin D supplements may help fight Crohn’s disease, according to a new Canadian study published in the latest issue of journal of Biological Chemistry. 
“Our data suggests, for the first time, that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to Crohn’s disease,” said Dr. John H. White of McGill University. 
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s disease symptoms include abdominal pain, and diarrhea, weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever among others. 
There is no known cause for the disease, but one theory speculates that people with the condition have a malfunctioning innate immune system which inadequately responds to foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria. 
What White and colleagues found is that vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an antibacterial peptide, and also the so called NOD2 gene, which alerts cells to the presence of invading bacteria and viruses. 
Vitamin D has been known to be involved in the production of antimicrobial peptides because of which the vitamin is believed to be able to help fight infection such as flu.  Numerous studies have indeed associated vitamin D deficiency with high risk of infection. 
Vitamin D may not only help prevent or treat Crohn’s disease, but also many types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, depression, according to the Vitamin D Council. 
Other diseases related to vitamin D deficiency include Alzheimer’s disease, allergy, asthma, autism, celiac disease, cerebral palsy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic pain, cognitive function, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, Gaucher’s disease, Graves’ disease, hypertension, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular weakness and falls, obesity, otosclerosis, and parkinson’s disease. 
Dr. John Cannell, a vitamin D expert, director of vitamin D Council suggests on its website that to prevent diseases, high doses may be needed. For adults, 4000 to 6000 IUs per day may be adequate to maintain a serum level that prevents diseases. 
For more information on vitamin D, visit vitamindcouncil.org and for more information on Crohn’s disease, visit http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/

Source:  www.FoodConsumer.org

Laurie Puckett
Remmel Wellness Center
Your full service chiropractic and wellness center in St. Petersburg, Florida

No Comments by on February 25, 2010
filed in Diabetes, Vitamins and Supplements, Wellness
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Vitamin D – Effective in Reducing Heart Disease and Diabetes

Yesterday we discussed Vitamin D – what it does and where we get it from.  Over the next week or two, we will be exploring the myriad of benefits we can get from Vitamin D.  I was going to pull an article from a back log of articles I have received on Vitamin D, when I discovered a new article from www.FoodConsumer.com in my inbox.  Since February is national Heart Health month, I thought I would highlight the heart benefits of high levels of Vitamin D in individuals as we age.  

This article is based off of a study done by Warwick Medical School in England:

High Levels of Vitamin D in Older People Can Reduce Heart Disease and Diabetes 

Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick. 
A team of researchers at Warwick Medical School carried out a systematic literature review of studies examining vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders. Cardiometabolic disorders include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. 
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and is also produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are good sources of vitamin D, and it is also available as a dietary supplement. 
Researchers looked at 28 studies including 99,745 participants across a variety of ethnic groups including men and women. The studies revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33% compared to low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55% reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51% reduction). 
The literature review, published in the journal Maturitas, was led by Johanna Parker and Dr Oscar Franco, Assistant Professor in Public Health at Warwick Medical School. 
Dr Franco said: “We found that high levels of vitamin D among middle age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. “Targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders.” 
All studies included were published between 1990 and 2009 with the majority published between 2004 and 2009. Half of the studies were conducted in the United States, eight were European, two studies were from Iran, three from Australasia and one from India.

No Comments by on February 17, 2010
filed in Diabetes, Heart Health, Uncategorized, Vitamins and Supplements, Wellness
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Your Heart Health – Part 6: Reduce Blood Sugar

Forgive me if this series is a bit “Ground Hog-esque”, but I feel it is important to really stress the key factors that impact your overall heart health:

Do you know your BMI (body mass index)?  Generally speaking, it should be below 25.

Do you know your BP (blood pressure)?  A healthy BP is no higher than 120/80. 

What is your cholesterol (LDL) level?  Hopefully below 200.

If your numbers aren’t where you’d like them to be, check out the American Heart Association’s ‘My Life Check”, which was designed with the goal of improved health by educating the public on how best to live. These measures have one unique thing in common: any person can make these changes, the steps are not expensive to take and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference. Start with one or two. This simple, seven step list has been developed to deliver on the hope we all have–to live a long, productive healthy life. 

Step 6: Reduce Blood Sugar

The American Heart Association considered diabetes one of the six major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  In fact, adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes.

Diabetes is treatable, but even when glucose levels are under control it greatly increases the risk of heard disease and stroke.  In fact, most people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.  

What Does This Mean?

Diabetes can cause your blood sugar to rise to dangerous levels.  Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy.  The pancreas, an organ near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help get into our bodies’ cells.

Why is Reducing Blood Sugar So Important?

Pre-diabetes and subsequent Type II diabetes usually results from insulin resistance.  When insulin resistance or diabetes occurs with other CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and high triglycerides, the risk of heart disease and stroke rises even more.

Controlling glucose can slow the progression of long-term complications.  Often, many small changes add up to surprising improvements in diabetes control, including less need for medication.

American Heart Association Guidelines

When diabetes is detected, a doctor may prescribe changes in eating habits, weight control, exercise programs and medication to keep it in check.  It’s critical for people with diabetes to have regular check-ups.  Work closely with your healthcare provider to manage your diabetes and control any other risk factors.  For example, blood pressure for people with diabetes should be lower than 130/80.

Source:  American Heart Association – www.mylifecheck.heart.org

 

 

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No Comments by on February 9, 2010
filed in Diabetes, Heart Health, Wellness
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