Guest guest Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 > DOES YOUR HEART GOOD > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > March 11, 2003 > > ************************************************************** > > Dear Reader, > > Last week I told you about the difficulty your body has in > absorbing calcium ( " Skinny Dipping " 3/4/03) - an important > factor when you're trying to lose weight, because an > increased calcium intake can help take off the pounds. > > This week calcium is on the agenda again with a new study > that has important information about a vitamin that can help > regulate calcium levels in heart muscle cells. It's a > win/win situation: good for weight-loss, and good for the > heart. > > ----------------------------- > Calcium rules and regs > ----------------------------- > > Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) occurs when the expansion and > contraction of heart muscle cells is impaired, reducing the > heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body. Because > previous research on animals has demonstrated the > possibility that low levels of vitamin D may play a role in > heart failure, Researchers at the Department of Nutrition > Science, University of Bonn, Germany, designed their study > to examine the effect of vitamin D on human hearts. > > Over a period of five months, fasting blood samples were > collected from 54 CHF patients. Their samples were compared > to similar samples taken from a group of 34 healthy subjects > that did not have CHF. > > An analysis of the samples revealed that the group of 54 CHF > patients had vitamin D levels significantly lower than the > healthy group. In fact some in the CHF group had D levels > that were only half of the average level found in the other > group. Furthermore, those with the lowest vitamin D levels > tended to have the most severe symptoms of CHF. > > Because impaired calcium metabolism is known to contribute > to the dysfunction of heart muscles, the Bonn researchers > concluded that their study helps confirm that vitamin D may > have an important effect in regulating the calcium levels > within the muscle cells of the heart. > > ----------------------------- > How much - and from where? > ----------------------------- > > This Bonn research is the most recent in a series of studies > that illustrate the importance of vitamin D in heart health. > In an e-Alert I sent you last year ( " D's Day " 4/30/02), I > told you about a University of California, San Francisco, > study that showed how vitamin D may cut the risk of heart > disease in older women by as much as one-third, primarily > due to the ability of vitamin D to prevent the buildup of > calcium deposits in the arteries. > > Mainstream authorities, including the American Heart > Association, continue to insist that you don't need to > supplement with vitamin D. But studies like these confirm > the benefits that nutritionally oriented physicians have > known about for years. > > In the February 2002 issue of Nutrition and Healing > newsletter, Dr. Jonathan Wright makes clear the profound > importance of vitamin D: " Although the final proof isn't in > (and probably won't be in our lifetimes), it's very likely > that if you're over 40 and supplement your diet with a > generous amount of vitamin D, you can lower your risk of > prostate, breast, and bowel cancer along with your risk > of 'essential' hypertension, osteoporosis, and tuberculosis. > Young adults can lower their risk of multiple sclerosis as > well. " > > Dr. Wright recommends a daily vitamin D intake between 1600 > and 2000 IUs - and as much as 4000 IUs for those of us over > 40. According to Dr. Wright, it's impossible for most people > to get enough vitamin D from the sun alone - and he > discourages the use of dairy products because of the many > other health concerns they raise. Instead, he suggests other > food sources like salmon and sardines - or even good old- > fashioned cod liver oil, which provides over 1300 IUs of > vitamin D per tablespoon. > > If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Wright's > recommendations on vitamin D from his February 2002 > newsletter, click here for free access > http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/misc/nah_0202.shtml > > One of the true groundbreakers in the research and > development of effective alternative therapies, Dr. Wright > has been practicing natural and nutritional medicine since > 1973 - often vilified by the medical mainstream, but honored > by his peers as the first recipient of the Linus Pauling > Award for Lifetime Achievement in Natural Medicine. You can > find out more about Dr. Wright and his monthly newsletter, > Nutrition & Healing, by clicking here. > http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/NAH/WNAHD334 > > ************************************************************** > > ...and another thing > > HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., sent me an insightful > response to the two ephedra e-Alerts from last week ( " Ban > The Torpedoes " 3/3/03, and " Choose Your Poison " 3/6/03). > > Dr. Spreen writes: > > " I have another comment about Ephedra. It's mighty funny > that this herbal agent gets all the bad press, especially > when its milligram content of active ingredient is very low. > What's even funnier is the fact that nobody has mentioned a > common, over-the-counter (OTC) drug that's a pure compound > of the same drug class. Pseudoephedrine is just what the > name suggests- 'pseudo', meaning a synthetic form of > ephedrine, in this case chemically identified as > pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, and defined in Dorland's > Medical Dictionary as 'An adrenergic agent.' It can be > bought in any quantity, from any drugstore, as the popular > brand name 'Sudafed'. > > " Funnier still (if you think any of this is funny) is the > fact that each OTC tablet contains 30 milligrams of the > drug, and the label allows up to 240 milligrams daily 'as a > decongestant,' though it's a stimulant, pure and simple, and > not only truckers but many others have known about its use > along that line for years. > > " To get 240 milligrams of ephedrine from the herb you'd have > to be one aggressive son-of-a-gun and be taking it like > candy. It would be (and it IS) much easier to get the same > effect from far fewer tablets of the commonly available drug. > > " Why isn't anyone suggesting a heart warning on Sudafed > labels? This wouldn't have anything to do with big money > pharmaceutical interests nudging out the competition now, > would it? " > > Last week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy > Thompson joined the mainstream chorus calling for stricter > controls of the public's access to ephedra, saying, " I don't > know why anyone would take these products. Why take the > risk? " > > I wonder if Secretary Thompson's home medicine cabinet > contains a box of Sudafed or Tylenol Sinus or any number of > other very popular OTC products that contain > pseudoephedrine? And, if so, why would he take the risk? > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************** > Sources: > " Vitamin D May Cut Women's Heart Disease Death Risk " Reuters > Health, 4/24/02 > " Vitamin D Treats Congestive Heart Failure " Dr. Joseph > Mercola, 3/5/03, mercola.com > " Low Vitamin D Status: A Contributing Factor in the > Pathogenesis of Congestive Heart Failure? " Journal of the > American College of Cardiology, 2003 Jan 1;41(1):105-12 > > Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. > The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without > written permission. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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