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(BPRW) DIET SWAP PROVIDES CLUE TO AFRICAN AMERICANS’ LEVEL OF COLORECTAL CANCER RISK
- Study Presented at DDW® 2013 Finds Dramatic Changes
-
(BLACK PR WIRE) – Orlando, FL (May 18, 2013) — Research presented at this year’s Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) features new data on gut bacteria and colorectal cancer risk in African Americans. Researchers found a dramatic and rapid shift in gut microbiota after switching the diet in healthy subjects from a traditional Western diet to a Zulu African diet and vice-versa. Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the study’s results might explain levels of colorectal cancer risk.
“African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates of all racial groups in the U.S. The reasons for this are not yet understood,” said Franck Carbonero, postdoctoral research associate at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Our findings offer insight into this disparity and pave the way for new research.”
Researchers fed 20 Zulu Africans 600 grams of meat per day for two weeks and fed 20 African Americans in Pittsburgh a traditional Zulu diet comprised primarily of a corn-based porridge called putu. Comparing stool samples before and after the diet exchange in each case, researchers found dramatic changes in colonic microbiota.
“Our results show that the human colonic microbiota is shaped by diet in a very dynamic manner,” said Rex Gaskins, PhD, professor of Immunobiology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Not only that, we observed alterations in the balance of beneficial and detrimental microbial groups, which may explain, in part, the increase in colorectal cancer risk that is conferred by a Western diet.”
Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 18 to 21, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at www.ddw.org.
Follow us on Twitter @DDWMeeting; hashtag #DDW13. Become a fan of DDW on Facebook.
Contact Information
Lauren Adams
202–745–5076
ladams@gymr.com
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No Implied Endorsement:
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"Let's Grow Act," Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act of 2013
- Huffington Post - Food Policy Could Expand Access to Healthy Produce, Support Local Farmers (5/15/13)
-
Kimberly Freeman Brown
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kimberly-freeman-brown/food-policy-could-expand-access_b_3280286.html
My in-laws were raised in the South where they had access to fresh produce that they grew alongside their parents. They knew what good, wholesome food was and they established healthy eating habits for their kids -- my husband and his brother -- even in Brooklyn, N.Y., where they resided for 46 years.
My husband's family is likely the exception. For many kids growing up in the inner city, chances are tomatoes, green beans and peaches that haven't come out of a can are hard to come by. In far too many urban areas, eating healthy is not just a luxury -- it's next to impossible.
Consider this: More than two million American families live more than a mile from the nearest supermarket, and do not have access to a vehicle. Low-income neighborhoods have roughly half as many supermarkets as wealthy neighborhoods. Meanwhile, only 8 percent of African Americans live in an area with a supermarket nearby, compared with 31 percent of whites.
It's not just that it's harder for low-income and people of color to get to a supermarket with fresh produce. It's also that there is a proliferation of convenience stores in these areas -- stores that offer mostly preservative-laden, high-fat, high-sugar foods that contribute to health problems like obesity and diabetes.
Is it any wonder, then, that urban, low-income communities are most vulnerable to these problems? In Canada, for example, if you earn less than $15,000 a year, you are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. And your risk of life-threatening obesity is much greater if you are African American (26 percent) or Latino (21 percent).
One of the best ways we can combat obesity, diabetes, and other conditions caused by poor nutrition is simply by improving access to healthy foods. A growing number of our leaders in Congress are working to do just that. Representative Marcia Fudge's "Let's Grow Act" would expand access to healthy and affordable local produce, in part by incentivizing and expanding the use of SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) benefits to purchase vegetables and fruits at farmer's markets. It would connect farmers with preschool programs, ensuring that small children have a chance at a healthy meal.
In addition to combating hunger and obesity among children, seniors, and low-income communities, the Act would also improve water quality in cities and encourage food production on vacant land. The legislation also includes the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which provides "loans and grants to eligible healthy food retailers to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved, urban, suburban, and rural areas."
Meanwhile, another bill, the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act of 2013, sponsored by Representative Chellie Pingree and Senator Sherrod Brown, would encourage sustainable agriculture and tap into the tremendous opportunity created by the growth of local food markets. Today, there are almost 8,000 farmers' markets throughout the United States. And according to the Department of Agriculture, local food sales now account for $5 billion annually. These markets represent an important new source of green jobs and businesses.
The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act would expand opportunities for local farmers and ranchers by connecting them to more consumers, both through expanded SNAP benefits and through creative solutions, like giving school districts a choice to purchase lunch foods from local and regional producers. At the same time, these programs give more Americans -- especially kids and seniors who are living in poverty -- access to healthy food.
Today, low-income Americans are being squeezed harder than ever. We're seeing unprecedented cuts to SNAP and other programs that promote health and create opportunities for local, minority farmers. Faced with these devastating cuts, legislation like this is critical.
As both the House and Senate debate their respective versions of the Farm Bill this week, Senator Brown, Representatives Fudge and Pingree, and other leaders are fighting hard to make sure it includes key pieces of these bills, and to ensure that access to healthy foods is not a luxury reserved for a few. They need your help. Please contact your representatives and ask them to support these healthy food provisions. For more information, click here.
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(BPRW) Breathe Easier This Summer: Tips to Control Your Child’s Asthma
(BLACK PR WIRE) — As the school year draws to a close and the temperature rises, children and families everywhere start to look forward to the simple pleasures of summer—jumprope, sunshine, playing ball, and cookouts.
However, for the 1 in every 10 children in the United States who has asthma—including one in every 6 African-American children, summer can also bring wheezing, coughing and trouble breathing.
The joys of summer can be challenging if your child has asthma, a common but serious chronic disease. Summer’s long afternoons spent playing outside can expose children with asthma to triggers that can bring on attacks, such as increased pollen and allergens from blossoming plants and trees, and increased air pollution on some especially hot summer days.
“While controlling asthma requires daily attention, your child doesn’t have to be sidelined,” said James P. Kiley, Ph.D., director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Division of Lung Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. “With proper treatment, most children who have asthma can avoid attacks, experience fewer symptoms, be physically active, and enjoy summertime.”
To make sure your child doesn’t miss a thing this season, the NHLBI recommends that you work with your child's doctor and ask him or her to take the following key actions that can help your child—and you—breathe easier.
• Tell you what medication your child needs to control asthma symptoms. Inhaled corticosteroids, taken daily, are the most effective medication for reducing the inflammation that causes asthma symptoms in people who have persistent asthma.
• Give you a written asthma action plan that spells out what to do every day to control your child's asthma, and how to handle symptoms or asthma attacks.
• Check your child's asthma control at regular visits, and adjust medication as needed to keep your child's asthma in control.
• Schedule regular follow-up visits (at least every six months).
• Work with you to identify your child's asthma triggers, such as allergens like pet dander and pollens and irritants like tobacco smoke, sprays and pollution, and talk about ways your child can avoid them.
• Ask before you leave the doctor's office or pharmacy for someone to show you and your child how to use each prescribed medication and device correctly.
You can visit the NHLBI’s website http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/ for more information, and to order publications from the NHLBI’s National Asthma Education and Prevention Program: So You Have Asthma, How Asthma Friendly is Your School?, Asthma & Physical Activity in the School, and a sample Asthma Action Plan.
Contact Information
NHLBI Communications
301-496-4236
NHLBI_news@nhlbi.nih.gov
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No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
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(BPRW) Access to Cancer Screening and Care Can Help Erase Racial Disparities
(BLACK PR WIRE) – A new report shows that an aggressive, state-wide effort to provide African Americans with colorectal cancer screening and treatment eliminated long-standing disparities in survival between blacks and whites with the disease. The program may offer a model for how other states can help more African Americans access potentially life-saving cancer care.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S., with over 102,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Yet it is also very treatable if it is detected at an early stage. In many cases, the cancer can even be prevented by detecting and removing small “pre-cancers” during routine screening tests called colonoscopies.
African Americans are much more likely to develop colorectal cancer, and to die from the disease, than any other racial group in the United States.
While reasons for these disparities aren’t fully understood, the new report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, demonstrates that limited access to health care is one key factor – and that this challenge can be overcome.
This report examined an innovative state wide program created by the Delaware Cancer Consortium, which offered free comprehensive colorectal cancer screening to low-income and un-insured Delaware residents. For people diagnosed with the disease, the program also covered necessary cancer treatment. The program also included outreach services to connect people to the free screenings.
Over the first seven years of the program, the researchers saw remarkable results. State-wide screening rates for African Americans over age 50 increased from less than half to nearly three-quarters of residents. (Colonoscopy is routinely recommended for all Americans starting at age 50.)
Researchers also found that the number of new and advanced colorectal cancer cases among African Americans declined dramatically over the course of the program, and became similar to those of whites. Racial disparities in death rates also virtually disappeared over the same time period.
“This study shows that access to screening and treatment is lifesaving and necessary to reverse the disparities that impact so many African Americans with cancer,” said Sandra Swain, MD, President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “Other states need to look to Delaware’s example.”
“We can achieve tremendous progress when governments, insurers and providers work together,” said Dr. Stephen Grubbs, an oncologist at Christiana Care's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, who led the program.
More information:
Cancer.Net: http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/colorectal-cancer
Contact Information
Amanda Narod
571-483-1364
Amanda.Narod@asco.org
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No Implied Endorsement:
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ASTHMASENSE CLOUD LAUNCHES WITH NEW FEATURES TO
BETTER MONITOR ASTHMA
- iSonea Ltd. Unveils Newest Smartphone Application -
SEVERNA PARK, Md. (April 11, 2013) – Medical technology company, iSonea Ltd. (ASX: ISN; OTCQX: ISOAY), launched Thursday the newest smartphone asthma management application, AsthmaSense™ Cloud, to help asthmatics adhere to physician-prescribed treatment plans.
The AsthmaSense Cloud application, available on iPhone and Android platforms, has enhanced features to track and manage chronic asthma including:
· Safe storage of a user’s asthma profile and event history in a password-protected, HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based data warehouse;
· Protected access and easy data recovery if one’s phone is replaced, lost, stolen or damaged;
· Ability to view and edit the application data on a computer;
· Tracking system to identify potential risk patterns and trends in asthma symptoms, medication use and testing results;
· Interactive medication and testing reminders as well as medication usage records;
· One-touch dialing of contact numbers, including auto-selected emergency number based on GPS location; and
· The ability to maintain multiple user profiles with a single application; a benefit to families with more than one person suffering from asthma.
“Growing asthma trends represent a serious challenge in the United States and globally,” said Michael J. Thomas, chief executive officer for iSonea. “The need for better, consumer-friendly asthma management tools is critical to improve the patient’s well being while reducing costs.
“By improving awareness of symptoms, asthma episodes, medication usage and potential risks, AsthmaSense Cloud can help asthmatics adhere to a physician-prescribed treatment plan.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 25 million adults and children in the United States have asthma. It is estimated that asthma affects 300 million people globally, and an additional 100 million people will suffer from asthma by 20251. Increased emergency room visits, hospitalizations, medical costs and deaths reinforce the need for better monitoring.
The AsthmaSense smartphone application provides patients and caregivers with an easy-to-use monitoring tool that sends alerts and reminders to help manage the condition in accordance with a physician-prescribed treatment plan. The addition of a convenient cloud portal increases the flexibility of storing, sharing and editing data.
AsthmaSense Cloud is available on iPhone and Android devices and may be downloaded for free from Apple iTunes, Google Play and Amazon application stores.
For more information, please visit www.soundasthma.com or www.iSoneaMed.com.
Media Contacts:
Michael Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
iSonea Limited
(410) 777-5251
mthomas@iSoneaMed.com
Crystal Emerick
ASPIRE Communications
(704) 361-5230
cemerick@aspirecommunications.org
About iSonea Limited:
iSonea Limited (ASX:ISN; OTCQX:ISOAY) is an emerging medical technology company developing innovative, non-invasive devices and mobile health apps to improve the management of chronic, costly respiratory disorders such as asthma and COPD. By leveraging iSonea’s proprietary Acoustic Respiratory Monitoring™ (ARM) technology with its AsthmaSense™ mobile applications, iSonea is creating a better monitoring system—enabling anyone, anywhere, at any time to monitor breathing distress symptoms, in order to take action. iSonea’s ARM devices have been cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Australian TGA and the European Union. For more information, please visit www.soundasthma.com or www.iSoneaMed.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on iSonea’s current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry in which iSonea operates, and its beliefs and assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “guidance” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, particularly those risks or uncertainties inherent in the process of developing technology and in the endeavor of building a business around such products and services. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the control of iSonea, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. iSonea cautions shareholders and prospective shareholders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of iSonea only as of the date of this release. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. iSonea will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.
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Uninsured and Unhealthy: The Health Insurance Woes of African Americans
The picture isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s very alarming!
- There is an increase in the number of people who cannot afford medical coverage
- The percentage of African Americans expected to live in good health is way below
White Americans and even Hispanics
- Roughly half of African Americans have no health insurance
- More elderly African Americans will require care
Will Obamacare improve the health insurance situation of Black Americans? This was
the question running through my mind as I pieced together data from the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention and the US Census Bureau. Perhaps you can provide a
better answer because from where I sit things don’t look good for the African
American community.
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No Implied Endorsement:
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Your Nutritional Supplements Might Be Doing You More Harm Than Good
So you’re following your daily vitamin regimen and you feel you’re doing something beneficial for your health. Well, you’re certainly on the right track in your recognition of the need to supplement your dietary intake of nutrients. Virtually everyone reading this article should be doing so.
Due primarily to modern agricultural techniques carried out by large agribusiness concerns which provide most of our nation’s food supply, our food has only a fraction of the nutrient density it had just fifty years ago.
(http://www.nutritionsecurity.org/PDF/NSI_White%20Paper_Web.pdf)
(http://www.nutritionsecurity.org/PDF/Food%20Nutrition%20Decline.pdf)
(http://organic.insightd.net/reportfiles/Yield_Nutrient_Density_Final.pdf)
The alarming fact is that foods – fruits, vegetables and grains – now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain needed nutrients, are starving us of nutrition no matter how much we eat. And the meat we eat feeds on a diet that is nutritionally depleted as well, causing it to provide less nutrition than it once did.
In the United States and throughout the world, much of the inventory of arable topsoil has been lost due to erosion, overuse of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers, and other farming practices that leave the soil depleted. The depletion of soil nutrients and soil microorganisms in turn contributes to further soil erosion and the loss of arable topsoil.
Early picking is another modern farming technique that adversely impacts the nutrition of the food that reaches the store shelves. Plants synthesize a number of nutrients from the soil and also develop nutrients as they grow. But because food is shipped over such long distances, many crops are harvested before they are ripe. Early picking aims to prevent over-ripened produce from arriving at our nation’s grocery stores. As produce is shipped over long distances it continues to ripen and develop color. However, it does not continue to synthesize nutrients from the soil.
Government data from both America and the United Kingdom have shown that the concentration of a range of essential nutrients in the food supply has declined in the last few decades, with double digit percentage declines of iron, zinc, calcium, selenium and other essential nutrients across a wide range of common foods.
The decreased nutritional density of our food supply is one of a number of culprits behind the current state of obesity in the United States. One of the reasons Americans overeat is because we are starved for nutrients. Our bodies crave nutrients, and we must consume many more calories today than we did a few decades ago to obtain those nutrients.
If you’re supplementing your dietary intake of nutrients, you’re absolutely correct in your recognition of this need as a very important aspect of maintaining good health. But chances are the supplements you’re taking aren’t doing you the good they promise. Here are some facts about conventional nutritional supplements that should give all of us pause:
Be Aware of the Ingredients in Conventional Supplements (Especially Additives)
As of this writing there are 8 supplement makers in America that produce about 80% of all the supplements in the United States, and they are all owned by the drug companies. These supplements are pre-made by private label manufacturers. They're simply packaged differently and are sold under separate labels at different price points even though they're the exact same pill. These supplements are typically made using a number of potentially harmful ingredients as fillers, binders and flowing agents in the manufacturing process.
Capsules are produced by encapsulating machines which have tubes through which the ingredients flow at incredibly high speeds. In order to ensure the capsule manufacturing operation is working at maximum efficiency so the supplements are produced at a low cost, each of the multitude of machines utilized in a manufacturing operation produce capsules at a rate of tens of thousands per hour. If the tubes get clogged the machines have to be stopped for cleaning, which drives up the manufacturer’s costs substantially. To prevent this from happening, flowing agents are used to help the ingredients flow through the machinery. Two of the most common of these agents are magnesium stearate (or stearic acid) and talcum powder (or talc). Magnesium stearate, whose use is most prevalent in the production of conventional supplements, is a hydrogenated oil that research has shown suppresses your T-cells, which are a crucial component of your immune system. Magnesium stearate also stimulates your gut to form a biofilm, which acts as an effective barrier to the absorption of not only that particular vitamin, but to the nutrients you’d normally get from food sources as well:
(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/28/half-of-americans-use-supplements.aspx)
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1384169/pdf/immunology00130-0101.pdf)
According to the Cancer Prevention Coalition, talc is closely related to the potent carcinogen asbestos, and talc particles have been shown to cause tumors in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims:
(http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/talc.htm)
Almost All Supplements on the Market Today are Man-Made Isolated Synthetics
About 95% of supplements sold today are man-made synthetics. There are some who believe these isolated synthetics, which are generally made with the use of magnesium stearate or talc, are actually worse for you than taking no supplements at all. The study of biochemistry teaches us that vitamins do not exist as single compounds that act on their own. Vitamins are made up of several compounds including enzymes, co-enzymes, factors and co-factors that must work together to produce their intended biological effects. If you’re taking a man-made synthetic that contains only part of the vitamin complex, your body must gather all of the other components of the full complex from your body’s other tissues in order to make use of it. In the likely event your body doesn’t have adequate reserves of the other components, the portion of the complex in your synthetic supplement will not provide the health benefits that are derived from the full complex.
Let’s look at vitamin C as an example. Most vitamin C supplements found in pharmacies, grocery stores, and vitamin shops contain only ascorbic acid or a compound called ascorbate, which is a less acidic form of ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is NOT vitamin C, and represents only the outer ring that serves as a protective shell for the entire vitamin C complex. Real vitamin C obtained from food contains the following components:
• Rutin
• Bioflavinoids (vitamin P)
• Factor K
• Factor J
• Factor P
• Tyrosinase
• Ascorbinogen
• Ascorbic Acid
When you take only ascorbic acid found in your synthetic vitamin C supplement, as previously stated, in order for the supplement to provide the biological effects of natural vitamin C, your body must gather all of the other components of the full vitamin C complex from your body's other tissues. The chances you have adequate reserves of the other components but not enough ascorbic acid is highly unlikely.
Like vitamin C, almost all other vitamins offer their full health benefits when they are in the presence of a number of enzymes, co-enzymes, factors, co-factors, and even minerals.
The reason vitamin makers choose to produce isolated synthetic supplements rather than whole food nutritional supplements is because the production costs are significantly lower, which makes the profit margin significantly higher.
Is Something Sinister At Work Here?
As mentioned before, magnesium stearate suppresses your T-cells and interferes with nutritional absorption, and talc is a known toxin. It goes without saying a compromised immune system coupled with nutritional deficiencies, or the repeated long-term consumption of a small amount of a carcinogenic mineral might lead to illness. It is well worth remembering, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the companies that sell these additive-containing synthetic supplements are the very same companies who are in the business of selling you pharmaceutical drugs should illness befall you! And that certainly would be a clever strategy wouldn’t it? - selling a product whose use all but guarantees the need for other of the company’s products.
At a minimum pharmaceutical companies who sell nutritional supplements, and again, this is most supplements on the market, have an inherent conflict of interest. After all, if their supplements helped to keep you healthy, that would cut into the sales of their main product. It’s been reported that pharmaceutical companies’ average cost to bring one new drug to market is around $1 billion. Obviously they must sell an awful lot of drugs to make a return on their enormous investment. And at close to 1/3 of a trillion dollars per year in drug sales in the U.S. alone (that’s right, trillion with a T!), they are doing just that.
It was my personal experience that ignited a passion for this issue. I’d like to share with you one of the many amazing benefits I’ve experienced after resolving nutritional deficiencies through the use of natural whole food supplements. I think you’ll find it instructive.
Before I continue, it’s important to point out that the best and most healthful supplements are not going to be found on the shelves of your grocery store, pharmacy or vitamin shop. They’re generally going to be sold through such channels as direct marketing, on-line retailers or naturopathic physicians. The reason for this is the cost of producing whole food supplements made from ingredients that are natural and truly healthful, and made using the best manufacturing practices is higher than that of the products found on the store shelves. Therefore, in order to maintain price competitiveness, formulators and manufacturers of supplements who are concerned with producing a quality, beneficial product have to distribute those products in the most economical way. Additionally, they have to forgo the kind of advertising done by most supplement makers who, again, are owned by the drug companies and are backed by their deep pockets. As the truth begins to get out, this will change as consumers will undoubtedly begin to stop using conventional supplements in favor of healthful, quality, natural ones (Now I can assure you as the word on this starts to get out, the drug companies will respond by obscuring their association with the supplement side of the business. It’s important to exercise diligence when selecting a supplement).
That said, several years ago I developed severe allergies. I went to see an allergist who after conducting the “pin prick” test gave me the diagnosis ‘you’re allergic to everything’. Now this was obviously meant to be an amusing colorful exaggeration, but most of what he tested for, I had an allergic reaction to. So this allergist did what allopathic doctors do. He prescribed not one, but two medications - pills and a nasal spray. Well, the pills threw my equilibrium off and put me in a terrible brain fog, and the nasal spray gave me nose bleeds. I was miserable taking this stuff. Fortunately, a few months into taking the meds, I began to develop an interest in and began exploring natural approaches to health, which was quite a departure for me.
Having gained some insight into the causes of illness, which I believe can generally be placed into 4 broad categories:
1) nutritional deficiencies, 2) accumulation of toxins in the body, 3) cellular level disturbances due to electromagnetic radiation, and 4) emotional imbalances, the first of these concerns I set out to address was to resolve any nutritional deficiencies I might have. I had taken conventional nutritional supplements in the past, but thankfully I had begun seeing a naturopathic doctor who explained why taking conventional supplements is not a good idea and who recommended natural whole food supplements. I began with taking a whole food multivitamin along with trace minerals. Within 3 months of taking these two supplements my allergies were completely resolved. I threw out what was left of the medication I was taking, and I haven’t taken any medication, prescription or non-prescription, since - not even so much as an aspirin, and this has been several years now. Now obviously I’m not making any medical claims here. But I, along with friends and family who I have introduced to whole food supplements, have experienced really great results. And being aware that the mainstream media who receives billions of dollars in advertising revenue from the pharmaceutical industry is not likely to take up this effort, it has become my mission to share this information as widely as possible. I believe sharing this information is not just a benefit to individuals, but will also ultimately assist in our nation’s efforts to get a handle on ever increasing health care costs.
Please share this information with everyone you care about.
Wishing you good health and good fortune,
Patrick Delaney
Founder – African-American Wellness Initiative
Publisher – BlackHealthWeb.com
P.S., for anyone who wants to know, the multivitamin and trace mineral supplements I mentioned are formulated and produced by Universal Formulas. They’re called Quintessence and Tracite, and can be found at NutrientsOfNature.com.
I have since added vitamin D3 to my regimen. I have found the health benefits of maintaining my blood serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the 50-80 ng/mL range year-round (a range by the way, which is achieved naturally under the condition of adequate year-round sun exposure) to be wonderfully beneficial.
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents. Use at your own risk.
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BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
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F.A.S.T.
Every 40 seconds, a stroke occurs in the United States, and Ad Council research shows that 28% of Americans wouldn’t recognize the signs. The American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association (ASA) have joined with the Ad Council to launch their first national multimedia public service campaign to raise awareness about F.A.S.T., an acronym for recognizing and responding to the sudden warning signs of stroke.
To help spread the word about the warning signs and critical response steps for a stroke, the AHA, ASA, and the Ad Council have created TV and radio PSAs and the attached F.A.S.T. infographic. They have also compiled powerful survivor stories from actor Kevin Sorbo, former NBA player Juaquin Hawkins and more (see below).
F.A.S.T. is:
Face Drooping - Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
Arm Weakness - Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech Difficulty - Is speech slurred? Is he or she unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
Time to call 911 - If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get him or her to the hospital immediately.
When it comes to stroke, time is critical. F.A.S.T. is an acronym that can help people to spot a stroke quickly, so that they can get medical help as soon as possible. The quicker you get to a hospital, the quicker you can potentially get critical treatment that may reduce disability and death from stroke. If we all learn the warning signs and act F.A.S.T., we can help reduce death and disability from stroke.
For more information on the campaign visit: www.strokeassociation.org
Kevin Sorbo
Actor Kevin Sorbo is best known for his television portrayal of Hercules, a muscle-bound hero who battles the forces of evil. But almost no one knew he was also waging a secret battle – on and off the set – after an aneurysm and a series of strokes left him partially blind and with nearly debilitating dizziness, nausea and weakness when he was only 38 years old.
Sorbo's health took a bizarre and unexpected turn in 1997, when out of the blue he began experiencing pain, aching, tingling and cold sensations in his left arm. One day, he had a searing pain down his left shoulder, soon followed by blurry vision and dizziness. By the time he got out of bed the next morning, his speech was slurred, and he could barely walk.
After being treated by a neurologist, it was determined Sorbo had had an aneurysm and three strokes. However, the precise cause of the strokes remains unknown. Weeks after being released from the hospital, Sorbo experienced continuing vision problems and overwhelming fatigue. Sorbo's hours on the set of Hercules, the most-watched television show at the time, were limited, and Sorbo's production studio carefully concealed his condition by bringing on guest stars and rewriting scripts to work around Sorbo's limitations.
Today, Sorbo has regained his health, although he still experiences residual arm pain from the circulation loss and nerve damage, the occasional migraine and a 10-percent blind spot with his vision. Still, he has resumed his active lifestyle, received critical acclaim for his recent film Soul Surfer, has several movies in post-production and is working on a television pilot. Sorbo now serves as an advocate for the issue and will serve as spokesperson for World Stroke Day on October 29th, 2013.
Lisa Satchfield
Lisa is a stroke survivor from Irvine, California. It was early morning on June 2, 2007 when Lisa’s then 10-year-old daughter found her on the floor, unable to talk or move. Fortunately, a friend of the family called, learned about the emergency and immediately called 9-1-1. Lisa was then rushed to the hospital. What she didn’t know was that she had a stroke during the night and by the time she reached the hospital it was too late to administer treatment that could have reduced the effects of her stroke.
Lisa recalled that she started feeling symptoms, including numbness and recurring headaches, a few days before she was taken to the hospital, but had no idea she was having a stroke. “I called my doctor to ask about my symptoms and he said they were not a problem. I also did not notice any change in my face so I didn’t do anything except take medicine for my headache,” said Lisa, who worked as Senior Accounting Manager for a local hospital in Newport Beach.
The stroke impaired one side of her brain, paralyzing half of her body and affecting her ability to walk, talk, write and read. Lisa spent two weeks in the hospital and one month in rehabilitation. Today, Lisa still has left side weakness and has yet to regain use of her left arm, but has now dedicated herself to raising stroke awareness and inspiring other stroke survivors to never give up. Despite the effects of her stroke, Lisa continues to advocate for health and wellness. Just a year-and-a-half after suffering the stroke that left her paralyzed on one side and vision-impaired, she completed a half marathon at the Surf City USA Marathon in Huntington Beach.
Katherine Wolf
Katherine is a stroke survivor and Georgia native, now living in Culver City, California. On April 21, 2008, Katherine called to her husband across her Malibu apartment “Come in here. I don’t feel right” and he came to find her suffering from strange symptoms. She was then rushed to UCLA Medical Center where she was delivered a terrible prognosis. Katherine suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke caused by the rupture of an AVM (arterial veinous malformation). Only 13 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic and of those, only about 2 percent are from AVMs; Katherine’s case was rare. She had just turned 26, worked as a model, worked out almost every day and delivered a healthy baby just six months earlier with no epidural. She had never smoked, was not overweight and had no family history of any neurological issues. Katherine had no idea that an AVM had been growing in her brain since birth. Her doctors said her condition was the worst they had ever seen and she would probably not survive surgery and at best, she would likely remain in a coma or vegetative state.
Despite the harsh prognosis, Katherine survived a difficult 16-hour surgery and began her road to recovery. She spent almost 4 months in acute rehabilitation, before going to an in-patient treatment center for continued therapy, where she was for over a year. Seven intracranial nerves were damaged in surgery and over half of her cerebellum was removed. She has many dramatic deficits today including partial facial paralysis, deafness in her right ear, impaired speech and balance, lack of coordination in her right hand and severe double vision, but she continues to be a powerful example of a stroke survivor. After losing her ability to eat or drink for over 11 months, she passed a swallowing test on March 25, 2009 and after being confined to a wheelchair for a year and a half, she was able to walk with a cane on October 21, 2009. Katherine continues to chronicle her life post-stroke and serves as an inspiration to others dealing with difficult disabilities today. For more information on Katherine, visit her blog, Hope Heals, at http://www.hope-heals.com/my-story#content.
Aqualyn Laury
When I was 18-years-old, during my first month of college, I suffered a stroke while walking across campus but didn’t know it until 3 days later. Net: Stroke can happen to anyone anywhere at any time. Know the signs and know your history.
It was about 7:57 AM on Friday, September 28 when I left my friends at the breakfast table in the cafeteria and made my standard trek across ‘the oval’ towards the computer lab for my 8 AM class. About halfway along, I felt a pop – or did I hear it – or did I feel it? Something popped, that I knew for sure but I couldn’t identify its source. Was it my ankle or my wrist or my knee – I didn’t feel anything that would have indicated a release of tension or otherwise. I was perplexed by this, and even more confused by the changes in my vision that suddenly experienced. As I crossed the grassy oval area, I noticed that grass seemed to gleam a more vibrant green than any I’d ever seen before. And the entire area – the trees, the leaves – everything had a vivid crispness to it. It seemed like I could even see the energy, like force fields around the tree trunks. But I didn’t stop walking, I just continued my walk in awe.
When I arrived at the computer lab, I found all of my classmates outside awaiting entry. So I asked the first person whom I saw what was happening, “What’s going on?” She looked at me, quite puzzled and asked me to repeat the question. So I did, and she proceeded to get a few other classmates to come help her understand what I was saying. This was quickly becoming old to me, so probably with a touch of attitude this time, I asked a third time – being careful to speak slowly and really listen to myself this time, “Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah?” Oh my God, I thought. I can’t talk! So rather than worry myself with that little piece of information – because surely I was imagining this and I was simply exhausted as a 3-week-old freshman – I decided to just be quiet and attend my classes. From the outside, no one knew anything was possibly wrong with me – I was the only one who knew and I knew how to hide it.
I couldn’t seem to take notes in computer class, but that didn’t stop me from returning to my dorm room after class and studying for my philosophy exam. Now, logically, if I couldn’t take notes in computer class, I don’t know how I thought that I would complete a philosophy test…but I did with lots of focus and determination. I found that I couldn’t spell words that I couldn’t pronounce phonetically…like ‘the’…and I also realized that my numb hand (the entire right side of my body was numb) was writing words that I wasn’t thinking. So when I tried to write something about Socrates and Plato, I went back to proofread and found, “The red balloon flew west.” Eventually, I finished the exam and decided to go shopping for black patent leather pumps because we were scheduled to have a tea with our brother school next door – and I just loved tea. To my dismay, no one could understand what I was asking for and I left the mall in disgust without the pumps. I managed to convince my boyfriend and my roommate to let me sleep rather than report my illness to the dorm mother.
However, my condition was no better the next morning. By day two, things were a bit worse and that afternoon, I was unable to convince anyone to help keep my secret. The dorm mother came and dragged me to the infirmary against my will. They called my mother and sent us to the nearest hospital. The hospital asked me to walk a straight line, touch my nose with either hand, and sent me home; asking me to return on Monday when the neurologist was in. Luckily, a family member had a contact at another hospital and I secured an appointment for first thing Monday morning!
On October 1st, I checked in for my neurology appointment and within minutes, the doctor advised that I would be checked in for more testing. That’s when it was confirmed that I’d had a stroke. Another day of testing revealed a tumor in my heart that struck my brain causing the stroke. They had to intervene immediately to prevent a more massive stroke so they performed heart surgery on October 4th. During this surgery, they found that the tumor had destroyed my mitral valve and they had to quickly source an artificial valve while I lay there with an open heart. This took another 3 or so hours as I understood later.
After a few humorous experiences in the hospital, I began to do speech, physical and occupational therapy. After about a month, I returned home to recover and returned school in January for second semester having regained my speech, physical abilities, and an entirely new appreciation for life.
Juaquin “Hawk” Hawkins
At the age of 29, Juaquin “Hawk” Hawkins was living a life that others only dream of: playing pro basketball with the NBA’s Houston Rockets. That life was especially sweet for the 6-foot-7, 205-pound Hawkins, who beat the long odds and became the second-oldest rookie in the league. Within five years, though, Hawkins’ life would change in the most unexpected way. This professional athlete—34 years old and in top physical condition, with no health issue more serious than a sprained ankle—had a stroke.
Because Hawkins was so young and fit, he and his teammates did not recognize the warning signs. “My right arm went numb first, then my face, then my entire side,” he recalls. Unaware of the dangers of delayed treatment, the stricken player’s teammates helped him board for a two-hour flight to the next city on the schedule. After the flight, Hawkins was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with dehydration; it wasn’t until he went to a second hospital that he was correctly diagnosed and began receiving appropriate treatment.
“I never thought in a million years that I was at risk of having a stroke,” says Hawkins today. “I had been a professional athlete for 12 years and had just played a professional basketball game with my team the night before. I never knew I had risk factors.”
The stroke left Hawkins with impaired speech and motor function. Some doctors suggested that he would never play basketball again.
Just as Hawk and his teammates didn’t recognize the warning signs and didn’t call 9-1-1 during his stroke emergency, according to the American Stroke Association, only 2/3 of Americans know at least one of the seven warning signs of stroke and only 4 out of 10 can recall two or more signs. When you recognize a stroke and act fast by calling 9-1-1, you have a greater chance of improving the outcome, preserving independence and having a full recovery.
Just as Hawk overcame the odds against being an “old” rookie and of surviving a stroke, Hawkins fought his way back and played ball again 14 months after his diagnosis. Today, he serves as an American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Ambassador in the Power to End Stroke campaign helping to educate people, especially youth, about stroke.
Julia Blumenthal, Media Specialist
Home Front Communications
O: 202.216.8943
C: 610.999.2131
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Hormone Deficiency Likely a Missing Link in Explaining Higher Rates of Cancer Among African-Americans
- This article, which contains potentially life-saving information, is a comprehensive discussion of the importance of the hormone commonly referred to as "vitamin D" in the maintenance of good health. The article discusses the link between vitamin D insufficiency and numerous chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more. This article offers a perspective on one of the factors that may cause African-Americans to be more prone to these illnesses, and provides information on what you can do to protect and enhance your health. -
A brief word about calcium before we move on to the important topic of vitamin D:
Calcium is one of the most important elements in the diet because it is a structural component of bones, teeth, and soft tissues and is essential in many of the body's metabolic processes. It accounts for 1 to 2 percent of adult body weight, 99 percent of which is stored in bones and teeth. On the cellular level, calcium is used to regulate the permeability and electrical properties of biological membranes (such as cell walls), which in turn control muscle and nerve functions, glandular secretions, and blood vessel dilation and contraction. Calcium is also essential for brain function and proper blood clotting. When calcium levels fall too low, nerve and muscle impairments can result. Skeletal muscles can spasm and the heart can beat abnormally—it can even cease functioning!
Among the many other benefits of calcium is its ability to help regulate body weight. The link between calcium deficiency and weight gain has to do with your body's response to a calcium deficit. When you're low on calcium, your body thinks you're starving and enters emergency mode, releasing parathyroid hormone from four glands in your neck. This hormone stimulates your bones to release calcium into your bloodstream. Your kidneys also deliver a dose of a hormone called calcitriol, a form of vitamin D, to increase your ability to absorb calcium. The trouble is that parathyroid hormone and calcitriol also stimulate the production of fat and inhibit its breakdown. As a result, your body stores fat and holds on to it stubbornly, even if you're on a low-calorie diet.
Another benefit is heart protection. Research shows if you're low on calcium, you're more likely to have high blood pressure. The reason for this is the calcitriol released from the kidney in response to a calcium shortage acts on the smooth muscle walls of your arteries, constricting them and elevating your blood pressure.
Now to the important matter of vitamin D:
It is vitamin D that stimulates the intestinal absorption of dietary calcium, including calcium obtained through supplementation. Without vitamin D, only 10 to 15% of dietary calcium is absorbed.
While the role of vitamin D in calcium absorption is widely known, recent research has made some exciting discoveries regarding the link between vitamin D deficiency and numerous diseases. In fact, current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, macular degeneration, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.
Vitamin D modulates the neuromuscular and immune functions and reduces inflammation. Additionally, and of great importance, the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) modulates the growth of cells. In fact, the prostate, breast, colon, and many other tissues in the body have a vitamin D receptor and convert circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D into active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (more on these 2 forms of vitamin D later). Claims that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of such a wide variety of diseases seem incredible until one realizes vitamin D is not a vitamin. Vitamin D is a hormone. A March 2008 article for the Alternative Medicine Review by Drs. John J. Cannell and Bruce W. Hollis states: "Vitamin D's final metabolic product is a potent, pleiotropic, repair and maintenance seco-steroid hormone that targets more than 2000 human genes in a wide variety of tissues, meaning it has as many mechanisms of action as genes it targets". Vitamin D's influence on key biological functions vital to one's health and well-being mandates that it no longer be ignored by the health care industry, or by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.
There are 2 types of vitamin D; vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is manufactured by plants or fungus. Certain foods such as juices, milk, and cereals are fortified with vitamin D2. Vitamin D3, on the other hand, is formed when the body synthesizes sunlight on the skin's surface. Solar ultraviolet B radiation penetrates the skin and converts 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to pre-vitamin D3, which is rapidly converted to vitamin D3. The body has a built-in mechanism for maintaining the optimal amount of vitamin D3 obtained from sunlight. Any excess pre-vitamin D3 or vitamin D3 is destroyed by sunlight. As a result, excessive exposure to sunlight does not cause vitamin D intoxication. Vitamin D, whether it's D2 from dietary sources or D3 from the synthesis of sunlight, is then absorbed into the blood-stream and transported to the liver, where it is hydroxylated and becomes what's called 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This is the major circulating form of vitamin D, and is what should be checked to determine your vitamin D status. 25-hydroxyvitamin D is then carried to the kidney where it is modified to its active form which is called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. It is this form of vitamin D that tells your intestine to absorb calcium from your diet more efficiently.
Vitamin D can be obtained from four sources: sunshine, food, nutritional supplements, and tanning beds (please note, if you choose to increase your vitamin D production through the use of a tanning bed, use a bed with an electronic rather than a magnetic ballast as magnetic ballasts emit potentially harmful electromagnetic radiation). Few foods contain adequate amounts of vitamin D to satisfy our needs for this important hormone. In fact, 90% of vitamin D intake comes from sunshine. Only 10% comes from food sources.
In order for your skin to produce vitamin D3, the sun's UVB rays must be unobstructed and must make direct contact with the skin. Skin covered in clothing does not allow penetration of UVB rays. Even in the sunniest areas, vitamin D deficiency is common when most of the skin is covered. In studies in Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, and Lebanon, where people cover most of their skin for cultural and religious reasons, 30-50% of children and adults had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter), which is a severely deficient state. UVB rays do not penetrate transparent materials such as glass. So being inside of an enclosed building or automobile with the sun shining in does not enable your skin to produce vitamin D3. The angle of the sun is also a very important determinant in the potency of UVB rays. UVB radiation is most potent when the sun is at its highest point. People who work indoors during this time of day are more likely to be vitamin D deficient. In fact, studies have shown people who work outdoors routinely have significantly higher levels of vitamin D than those who work indoors. People who are overweight are also more prone to vitamin D deficiency because body fat absorbs and sequesters vitamin D, making it unavailable to the body. And while being overweight makes you more prone to vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D deficiency in turn may lead to more weight gain because the absence of vitamin D creates interference with a hormone called leptin, which signals to the brain that you are full and should stop eating. Also, as we age our skin has less 7-dehydrocholesterol, and therefore is less capable of producing vitamin D3. Air pollution, cloud cover, and the use of sunscreen are also important factors in determining the amount of vitamin D3 you receive from UVB radiation.
The problem of vitamin D deficiency in African-Americans and other dark-skinned people:
The fact that most of our vitamin D intake comes from direct skin contact with the sun's UVB rays brings us to a point of particular concern for African-Americans. Due to our skin pigmentation, our skin does not produce nearly the amount of vitamin D we require. In fact, on average, African-Americans require a sun exposure level that is six times that which is required on average by Caucasian Americans to produce the same amount of vitamin D. African-Americans and other dark-skinned people are born with a built-in sun screen in the form of the skin pigment melanin that blocks most of the sun's beneficial UVB rays. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are wide-spread throughout the African-American community. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 97 percent of African-Americans have vitamin D levels that are too low for optimal health.
In addition to the inhibitive effect melanin has on the production of vitamin D3, geography plays a big role as well. The farther one lives from the equator, the less potent UVB rays are due to the angle of the sun. This generally reduces the amount of vitamin D3 produced in those living at higher latitudes. In fact, above about 35 degrees north latitude (roughly north of Atlanta), little or no vitamin D3 can be produced from the sun from November to February (incidentally, this is a major reason the "cold and flu season" in America coincides with the winter months). As a result, supplemental doses of vitamin D generally need to be increased during the winter. People living at higher latitudes are at increased risk for a number of diseases including Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as colon, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, breast, and other cancers, and are more likely to die from these cancers as compared with people living at lower latitudes. Living at higher latitudes also increases the risk of type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's disease. Living below 35 degrees latitude for the first ten years of life decreases the risk of multiple sclerosis by approximately 50%.
Health disparities:
Disparities in the incidence of vitamin D deficiency between African-Americans and Whites are substantial. The CDC reported the results of a study of women ages 15-49 throughout the United States that showed 42% of African-American women were vitamin D deficient compared to 4% of White women. Recent research shows the definition of vitamin D deficiency used for this study is outdated, and that a much higher level of vitamin D is necessary for optimal health than is currently generally recommended. As mentioned previously, it is estimated the rate of vitamin D insufficiency in African-Americans is as high as 97%.
Equally alarming are the disparities between Blacks and Whites in America in the rates of various diseases in which vitamin D deficiency has been implicated: Based on the most recent data available from the National Cancer Institute as of this writing (2003-2007), the incidence of prostate cancer in African-American men is 56% higher than in White men. The incidence of pancreatic cancer is 32% higher in Blacks than in Whites. And the incidence of colorectal cancer is 25% higher in Black Americans. A July 19, 2007 article by Dr. Michael F. Holick, M.D., Ph.D. published in the New England Journal of Medicine cited the following: "both prospective and retrospective epidemiologic studies indicate that levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D below 20 ng per milliliter are associated with a 30 to 50% increased risk of incidence of colon, prostate and breast cancer along with higher mortality from these cancers". According to the CDC's 2009 National Vital Statistics Report, Blacks are 31% more likely to die from heart disease than are Whites. The American Heart Association reported in 2006 the death rate from high blood pressure was 197% higher for Blacks than for Whites. 2007-2009 national survey data for people aged 20 years or older diagnosed with diabetes show Blacks are 77% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as are Whites. The active form of vitamin D is known to synthesize a peptide capable of destroying M. tuberculosis. African-Americans are more prone to contracting tuberculosis than Whites, and tend to have a more aggressive form of the disease.
The solution:
The need to keep abreast of our vitamin D status and to optimize our vitamin D level is clear. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself from vitamin D deficiency:
The current U.S. RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin D was recently changed from 400 IU (international units) to 600 IU for those from 1 to 70 years of age, and 800 IU for those over 70. As more scientific evidence emerges, many scientific and medical experts on vitamin D have concluded the currently recommended daily allowance is woefully inadequate. The RDA of 400 IU was adequate for the purpose for which it was developed decades ago, to reduce rickets. However, neither the old recommended daily intake level nor the recently revised recommended intake levels are sufficient to provide the much more important protection from the variety of illnesses recently associated with vitamin D deficiency.
Natural blood serum levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin vitamin D, those found in humans living in a sun-rich environment who receive plentiful amounts of direct skin exposure to the sun, are between 40-70 ng/mL. A number of studies confirm there are numerous health benefits to be derived from maintaining vitamin D levels within this range. Keep in mind the body has a built-in mechanism for maintaining the optimal amount of vitamin D3 obtained from sunlight, and that sunlight destroys any excess vitamin D3. The vitamin D levels in people who live in sun-rich environments and receive plentiful UVB exposure naturally normalize in this range. However, a study found of a group who at the end of summer had naturally achieved, on average, a level of 50 ng/mL through direct skin exposure to sunlight, 50% of them had dropped to less than 30 ng/mL by the end of winter. Clearly the levels obtained during the summer were not able to be maintained without an increased level of vitamin D intake during the winter.
According to the March 2008 article written for the Alternative Medicine Review by Drs. Cannell and Hollis, one should seek to maintain their 25- hydroxyvitamin D level in the 40-70 ng/mL range year-round. This level should be sought in all people – infants, children, pregnant women, lactating women, healthy young adults, and the elderly. However, in addition to the factors that determine the amount of vitamin D you receive naturally, there are a number of factors that impact your body's ability to synthesize and metabolize vitamin D. Therefore daily intake needs are highly individual, and the only way to determine your current vitamin D intake need is to have your current level tested, and then increase your daily intake until it is sufficient to maintain a level of 40-70 ng/mL. Generally a higher level of supplementation is going to be required during the winter.
There are blood tests to determine your level of both forms of vitamin D; 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The correct test your doctor needs to order is for 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which is the marker that is most strongly associated with overall health. My recommendation if you're in the U.S. is to use LabCorp. They use a standard testing methodology, and the test result requires no numerical adjustment. Simply have your doctor write a request for the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test on a sheet from his or her prescription pad, and take the request to your nearest location. LabCorp will draw a blood sample, and will send the result to your doctor's office. Initially, you'll probably want to be tested every three months, including one test at the end of summer and one at the end of winter.
For those requiring supplementation, the preferred type of vitamin D is D3. Vitamin D2 is approximately 30% as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Therefore up to three times as much vitamin D2 may be required to maintain sufficient levels.
According to Drs. Cannell and Hollis, treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy people with 2,000 – 7,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day should be sufficient for most people to maintain year-round levels between 40-70 ng/mL. For African-Americans and other dark-skinned people, the dosage level required is likely to be toward the higher end of this range or even a bit beyond. As a frame of reference, the blood serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of the African-American publisher of this website, who supplements with 7,500 IU of vitamin D3 per day during the eight months of the year that allow for hour-and-a-half long bike rides a few times a week, and 10,000 IU of D3 per day during the indoor cycling season, ranges from about 50 ng/mL at the end of winter to 70 ng/mL at the end of summer. While vitamin D supplementation is not to be taken as a replacement to standard treatment, according to Drs. Cannell and Hollis, in those with serious illness associated with vitamin D deficiency, doses of vitamin D3 taken should be sufficient to maintain year-round levels of 55-70 ng/mL. If you are currently being treated with any medications, you should consult with a qualified health care provider before taking vitamin D supplements. Keep in mind the links between vitamin D deficiency and numerous diseases are recent discoveries. Your physician may not yet be aware of the most recent science on this topic, and may not be aware of the higher intake levels needed to provide important protection from the variety of illnesses recently associated with vitamin D deficiency.
While the body has a built-in mechanism that ensures you don't acquire vitamin D intoxication from overexposure to the sun, it is possible to accumulate a toxic amount of vitamin D through supplementation. This can result in hypercalcemia, a condition in which the calcium level in your blood is above normal. Your body stores calcium mainly in your bones, but calcium also resides in certain cells, particularly in your muscles and in your blood. Your body rids itself of any excess calcium through your urine, keeping a normal level of calcium in your blood. In chronic toxicity, first urine calcium, then blood serum calcium will begin to gradually increase when blood serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels exceed 150 ng/mL. Most patients with vitamin D toxicity fully recover by simply suspending their vitamin D supplementation. It should be noted that vitamin D toxicity is exceedingly rare and few practitioners ever see it. Drs. Cannell and Hollis report: "credible evidence of vitamin D toxicity in those chronically consuming 10,000 IU of supplemental cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) daily is absent in the literature. In fact, the literature contains few cases of cholecalciferol toxicity from supplemental use; virtually all of the reported cases of hypercalcemia are from faulty industrial production, labeling errors, dosing errors, and patients treated medically with pharmacological doses of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2)".
Ensure both adequate vitamin D levels and calcium intake:
As mentioned previously, vitamin D and calcium work synergistically. While vitamin D is one of the most prevalent "vitamin" deficiencies in America, calcium is the mineral most likely to be deficient in the average American diet. The following table shows the adequate intakes for calcium as reported by the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements:
| Age |
Male |
Female |
Pregnant |
Lactating |
| 0-6 Months |
210mg |
210mg |
|
|
| 7-12 Months |
270mg |
270mg |
|
|
| 1-3 Years |
500mg |
500mg |
|
|
| 4-8 Years |
800mg |
800mg |
|
|
| 9-13 Years |
1,300mg |
1,300mg |
|
|
| 14-18 Years |
1,300mg |
1,300mg |
1,300mg |
1,300mg |
| 19-50 Years |
1,000mg |
1,000mg |
1,000mg |
1,000mg |
| 50+ Years |
1,200mg |
1,200mg |
|
|
mg=milligrams
If you're not getting enough of this vitally important mineral from dietary sources, be sure to supplement your dietary intake.
Click here for the full report on this issue as well as other important health information from BlackHealthWeb.com.
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The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
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(BPRW) New Registry Allows Individuals to Participate in Research and Prevention to Find a Cure for Alzheimer’s
- African Americans Twice as Likely to Be Diagnosed with the Disease -
(BLACK PR WIRE) – PHOENIX (November 5, 2012) – With 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today, African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease. As awareness continues to grow around Alzheimer’s, the new Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry created and led by Banner Alzheimer’s Institute allows concerned individuals to enroll and help further research in an effort to treat and prevent the disease.
A new survey shows nearly half of U.S. adults have a personal connection to Alzheimer's disease. According to a national survey for the Banner Alzheimer's Institute, the results also found more than seven in 10 adults, or 218 million Americans, worry about memory loss or the disease for themselves or a loved one.
"Most Americans now realize how devastating this disease is for individuals, families and the country," said Eric Reiman, MD, executive director of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI). "We need to marshal their awareness and concerns to push forward on the research that holds the greatest promise for stopping Alzheimer's."
As November marks National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, the survey illustrates the disease's increasing impact as the nation ages and the prevalence of Alzheimer's continues to rise, being the only condition among the top 10 causes of death that has no cure or treatment. With millions of boomers on the cusp of hitting the age of 65, the Alzheimer's Association projects the number of people living with the disease could exceed 7.7 million by 2030.
The survey, a nationally representative polling of nearly 1,500 adults, was conducted by Edge Research for the nonprofit BAI. As a leader in Alzheimer's research, treatment and care, BAI is fighting the disease through strong, collaborative efforts across private, public and philanthropic lines.
Many adults also want to keep abreast of the latest scientific news on Alzheimer's, and the survey shows that they are interested in learning about opportunities to participate in prevention studies. One of the easiest ways to do both is through the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry, a national initiative created and led by BAI in partnership with academic and research institutions across the country.
"The Registry is a way that people can immediately start to make a difference," explained Jessica Langbaum, PhD, who is a principal scientist at BAI and associate director with the Registry. "They can quickly and easily join this online community and help to accelerate our momentum against a disease that steals life before ending it."
Learn how you can help prevent suffering for your loved ones or even yourself by joining the registry. Visit www.endALZnow.org/Registry.
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s research, treatment and care, has created the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry for individuals that want to help prevent loved ones or themselves from developing Alzheimer’s. Many Americans want to be able to help themselves and their loved ones, including keeping informed on the latest Alzheimer’s research and preventative measures, even participating in medical research. By joining the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry, individuals can ensure that we are one step closer to finding a cure for the disease.
The Registry is a shared resource and draws on the support of its other partners, the Geoffrey Beene Gives Back Alzheimer’s Initiative and the Alzheimer’s Research Forum, and the guidance of leading U.S. researchers and advocates, including Drs. Paul Aisen, Marilyn Albert, Jeffrey Cummings, Jennifer Manly, Ronald Petersen, ReisaSperling and Michael Weiner.
Edge Research conducted the online survey between June 29 and July 11, 2012, with a population representative distribution sample of 1,024 U.S. adults ages 18-75. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.1%.
Contact Information
Susan Karesky
480-543-2300
Susan.Karesky@bannerhealth.com
Kate Enos
202-745-5071
kenos@gymr.com
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Black Stroke Survivors Face Greater Risk From High Blood
Pressure
Study Highlights:
Blacks are more likely than whites to have hypertension a year after
stroke caused by a brain bleed.
That increases their risk of having another stroke.
High blood pressure is the most important modifiable risk factor
associated with bleeding stroke.
DALLAS, Aug. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black people who survived
strokes caused by bleeding in the brain were more likely than whites to
have high blood pressure a year later -- increasing their risk of
another stroke, according to a study in the American Heart Association
journal Stroke.
The study examined racial and ethnic differences in these strokes,
called intracranial hemorrhage or ICH. They account for only 10 percent
of all strokes but have a death rate of about 40 percent in the first
month, much higher than other types of stroke. High blood pressure is
the most important modifiable risk factor associated with bleeding
stroke.
"If you have already had a stroke, blood pressure treatment can reduce
your chance of having another stroke by between 25 and 50 percent,"
said Darin B. Zahuranec, M.D., M.S., lead author of the study and
assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan
Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.
However, more than half of patients in the study still had high blood
pressure a year after the stroke, despite taking one or more
anti-hypertensive medications. There were no significant racial
differences 30 days after ICH. But a year later, 63 percent of blacks
had hypertension, compared with 38 percent of whites, despite taking
more blood pressure medications.
The study was conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center and
included 162 patients (average age 59, 77 percent black, 53 percent
male) in Washington, D.C.
The study was too small to identify which factors may explain the
racial differences. However, Zahuranec said two social factors were the
only independent predictors of lower blood pressure at follow-up:
patients who were married rather than single, and those that lived in a
facility rather than a private residence had lower blood pressure.
"Blood pressure is not just about taking medications," Zahuranec said.
"Patients can have a very large impact on blood pressure control by
making changes to diet and exercise habits, and with weight loss. We
need to do more for our patients to help them get their blood pressure
under control."
Zahuranec said he hopes this study will help to underscore that
environmental and social factors may be very important to blood
pressure control in stroke survivors. He added that additional studies
should also be done to further investigate underlying reasons for
racial differences in blood pressure.
Co-authors are Jeffrey J. Wing, M.P.H.; Dorothy F. Edwards, Ph.D.; Ravi
S. Menon, M.D.; Stephen J. Fernandez, M.P.H.; Richard E. Burgess, M.D.,
Ph.D.; Ian A. Sobotka, B.S.; Laura German, B.S.; Anna J. Trouth, M.D.;
Nawar M. Shara, Ph.D.; M. Chris Gibbons, M.D., M.P.H.; Bernadette
Boden-Albala, M.P.H., Dr. P.H.; and Chelsea S. Kidwell, M.D.
Author disclosures are on the manuscript. The National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke and National Institute on Minority
Health and Health Disparities funded this research.
Visit powertoendstroke.org for more about African Americans and
stroke.For the latest heart and stroke news, follow @Heart News on
Twitter. For stroke science updates, follow the Stroke journal at
@StrokeAHA_ASA.
Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart
Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors
and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position.
The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their
accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily
from individuals; foundations and corporations (including
pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make
donations and fund specific association programs and events. The
association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from
influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and
device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding
Contact Info:
For media inquiries: (214) 706-1396
Maggie Francis: (214) 706-1382; maggie.francis@heart.org
Karen Astle: (214) 706-1392; karen.astle@heart.org
Julie Del Barto (broadcast): (214) 706-1330; julie.delbarto@heart.org
For public inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
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The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
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