Having your first grandchild challenges you to look into the future and imagine your body and energy level in five or 10 years. Being with a young grandchild can recharge your sense of joi de vivre and regenerate your desire to challenge yourself. Watching my two-year old granddaughter conquer stairs and jungle gyms inspired me to create physical and mental challenges for myself. Sore knees and a stiff back after lifting and carrying her up stairs also added a sobering incentive.
For my first year as a grandmother, I hired a personal trainer and joined a gym, adding regular weight training workouts to my walks and yoga routine. Then summer came and I couldn’t stand the thought of an indoor gym. I returned to walking, hiking, gardening, easy biking and enjoying the weather. Then autumn arrived and I didn’t want to go back to the gym, but I knew that resistance training is essential to maintaining and building muscle mass and revving up my aging metabolism, so I created the following fitness regimen.
This is a home-based program that requires just a little bit of not-too-pricey equipment and involves enough variety to challenge different muscles in different ways with each session. Variety keeps your mind engaged and keeps your body from becoming so acclimated to an activity that you burn fewer calories and expend less energy — not how you want to spend valuable time!
This workout strategy is not for beginners, but for those of you who are pretty seasoned exercisers looking for some creativity. Variety can make the difference between a program that has me relishing my daily workout and one that sends me tip-toeing off to Facebook instead. This is a four-day rotation that includes aerobics, strength training and stretching/relaxation.
It’s no secret that vitamin D is a “hot topic” vitamin lately. Of the top questions we’re receiving here on the Nutrition Expert line, one stands out among the others: How much vitamin D should I take?
Answering this question can be a struggle — one that I know quite well, from both sides of the fence.
I have always paid close attention to my nutrient intake and have done my part when it comes to eating right. Additionally, I have a dog that I take for long walks and I try to go for a nice jog 3-4 times a week. I thought for sure that between my time in the sun and my diet, I was getting adequate levels of vitamin D. So when my blood work came back informing me of a vitamin D deficiency, I was shocked.
Despite my dietary efforts and my time in the sun (mind you, it was September when I was tested), my vitamin D levels tested at 26.0 ng/mL — six points below the healthy range of 32.0-100 ng/mL! Enclosed with this bad news was a prescription for 50,000 IU of vitamin D which I was supposed to take once a week for 12-weeks.
This prescription-only amount is much higher than is generally recommended which only further confirms the frustration that many are currently experiencing. With contradicting advice from various health experts, government-run organizations and USDA charts like the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), Adequate Intake (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), consumers seem to be growing more and more confused regarding many nutrient guidelines.
Between emerging science and outdated charts, many of the numbers we rely on are no longer accurate — and the vitamin D recommendations are at the top of that list.
While vitamin D has long been known as calcium’s trusty partner in bone maintenance, research is finding that low vitamin D levels may be associated with heart disease, certain types of cancer development, immune function, behavioral or mood changes and much more. And developing at staggeringly parallel rates are the numbers of women, men and children that are testing low for this important nutrient. This has led experts to re-evaluate much of what they thought to be true about vitamin D.
At the heart of these re-evaluations are some pretty valid questions from consumers: Is the sun no longer enough? Do I need to supplement and if so how much should I take? Were health officials wrong about the levels of safety? Should I be giving vitamin D supplements to my children and grandchildren?
Although the sun’s UV rays still have the ability to stimulate vitamin D production, we are, unfortunately, becoming a sedentary society with very little sunshine time. Additionally, there have been significant environmental changes in the last 3 decades and the added pollution has influenced how many of these rays can reach us. People who live in heavily polluted areas are at even greater risk for becoming deficient. And often times these areas come complete with high-rise buildings that block the precious D-producing sunshine even further.
Not to mention, we have drastically increased our use of sunscreens, which have reduced our vitamin D production. While it is important to protect your skin if you’re going to be on a sandy beach for several hours, the need for SPF 30 in your body lotion, face cream and make up might be unnecessary if you’re just walking the dog or taking a 10 minute stroll.
But since these factors influence the majority of people, supplementation is often times advised. How much you ask? Well the long-awaited answer is: There is no hard and fast, go-to answer…yet. It varies from person to person and until more clinical trials are complete and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has completed its work, we won’t know.
Since vitamin D is a vitamin that the human body can synthesize, the amounts that should be consumed in the diet or take supplementally vary from person to person depending on their age, current blood level, environment and outdoor activity level. Other factors that can influence vitamin D levels are skin color (those with darker skin don’t synthesize it as efficiently), use of sun block which can block (which, as previously mentioned, can block the UV rays that stimulate production), dangerously low cholesterol levels, and diet.
So you see, it can really depend on many factors, making it difficult to suggest with certainty a “general” dosage of vitamin D. We know this can be frustrating. As if the fields of health and nutrition weren’t confusing enough, now we have this vitamin D puzzle to solve.
The best thing to do is to have your physician run a vitamin D test as a part of your routine blood work. Most physicians are now doing this as standard protocol but follow up to make sure, even for children. There are no definite symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency, so a blood test is the best way to go.
Once the results come in, a more definitive regimen can be established. And while most physicians will prescribe the pharmaceutical vitamin D, many welcome the idea of supplemental vitamin D3.
My doctor approved this for me in lieu of the prescription. I have been taking 6,000 IU a day (1,000 IU from my Multi Nutrient Formula and 5,000 IU from a D3 capsule) for almost 12 weeks and am due to be tested again soon. Providing that my test indicates an adequate vitamin D level, I can lower my dose to 2,000 IU a day (1,000 IU from my Multi Nutrient Formula and 1,000 IU from a D3 capsule). I’ll certainly keep you posted.
Over the last few weeks, it’s become increasingly obvious to me that the U.S. government may in fact be more concerned with protecting Big Pharma’s financial health than the health of its citizens. In its latest act of hypocrisy and censorship, the FDA has teamed up with the FTC to issue a stern warning to one of the nation’s most highly respected natural health advocates, Dr. Andrew Weil.
The crime? In a letter jointly issued by the FDA and the FTC, Dr. Weil, a Harvard trained medical doctor, is accused of misleading visitors to his website with statements like this:
“Astragalus … is … used traditionally to ward off colds and flu, and has demonstrated both antiviral and immune-boosting effects in scientific investigation.”
Every single word of the above statement is true, and is backed by scientific research that has been accepted by experts worldwide. Yet the government’s letter threatens Dr. Weil with “criminal prosecution.” I’m not sure why the government would take this approach, but can only assume that influence from Big Pharma is playing a role — there is tremendous pressure to get a return on their vaccine investment.
For Americans, the solution offered by the government can’t just be to wash your hands more frequently and wait in line for a vaccine, if you are one of the lucky ones to even find a place where it is available. Day in and day out, and especially during global health crises, the flow of information should be open. All options should be on the table, and the government should allow its citizens to educate themselves and make their own decisions.
In a slightly comedic twist, soon after the government clamped down on Dr. Weil, it came to light that the FDA has openly allowed the largest cereal company in the nation to label boxes of one of its sugary cereals with this outrageous claim: “Now helps support your child’s IMMUNITY.” One look at the ingredients list for this cereal should be enough to give anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of how nutrition impacts health an idea of how much of a joke this claim really is.
Does the FDA actually think that you, the American consumer, will believe this? That a multibillion-dollar food conglomerate will protect you and your family with a bowl of sugary cereal, while a world renowned medical doctor misleads you about the clinically proven effects of an herb used safely for centuries?
I certainly won’t be fooled and I am sure you won’t either. One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, the FDA will learn just how savvy we really are. We are trained from the time we are small children to distinguish the difference between good and bad using our own judgment and intuition. Now that we are adults, hopefully the government will learn just how good we’ve gotten at it.
In good health,
Joshua Corn
President and Editor-in-Chief Stop Aging Now
Walk down the aisles of almost any grocery store, and you’ll find them. From $50 bottles of juice promising to cure you of all that ails you to unassuming little bags of trail mix — goji berries are everywhere! A staple of Chinese medicine since ancient times, these little red “longevity berries” have made a comeback in a big way. People are gaga for goji! They’ve been featured on Oprah, and a number of celebrities have reportedly been using them for their anti-aging benefits. Even Anheuser-Busch is trying to cash in on the goji craze with a goji energy drink called 180 Red.
The delicate goji berry (Lycium barbarum), also referred to as wolfberry, is a member of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Goji berries have a history of use throughout Asia spanning over 6,000 years as an ingredient in healing tonics, teas and soups. Herbalists have long know that goji berries have the power to strengthen immunity, improve circulation, increase stamina, protect the liver, improve eyesight and enhance sexual function and fertility.
Goji Is a True Superfood
It’s been said that the goji berry is among the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet, and analysis of its nutritional contents reveals that this may in fact be true. Gojis contain concentrated amounts of a long list of valuable nutrients, including:
* Polyphenols (antioxidant compounds like those found in green tea, wine and chocolate)
* Polysaccharides (beneficial long-chain sugars)
* Carotenoids (such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene)
* Vitamins C, B1, B2 and niacin
* More than 30 essential minerals
* 18 amino acids
This list may explain why goji berries have one of the highest ORAC scores among foods, ranking among other superfruits like açai, blueberry and pomegranate. But is the goji berry anything more than just another pricey, antioxidant-rich fruit? Is it truly the anti-aging miracle some would have us believe it is?
The short answer is yes! But science is just beginning to uncover the secrets behind this fruit’s ancient reputation as a tool for enhancing health and promoting longevity. It may all come down to a concept, which comes up often in discussions about nutrition, known as synergism. This basically means that the sum effect of all of the individual part working together is greater than the effects of the individual parts could ever be independently. Many vitamins and minerals work together in complex interactions within the human body. In the case of goji berries, it seems that some of the unique compounds they contain may work to increase the activity of an important anti-aging antioxidant enzyme known as superoxide dismutase (SOD) throughout the body.
Goji Boosts SOD Levels
SOD is an extraordinarily powerful antioxidant that is naturally produced in the body. It is responsible for neutralizing superoxide molecules, which are some of the most destructive types of free radicals. By scavenging superoxide and preventing it from damaging healthy cells, SOD decreases inflammation and stops the cellular breakdown that contributes to age-related degeneration of tissues. The body’s ability to produce SOD peaks as early as age 10, and then levels begin to decline by about 15% per decade.
Though SOD is present in certain foods, experts have recognized that is extremely difficult to boost SOD levels with diet alone, even with supplementation. Research has shown that the only way to boost levels may be to employ a clever strategy. There seem to be a few select substances that work to enhance the body’s ability to manufacture SOD, and you guessed it – goji is one of them! By providing your body with plenty of the nutrients it needs to manufacture SOD and using SOD-boosters like goji, you may be able to fortify your SOD antioxidant defenses. (Life Extension Magazine. Jan 2007.)
The clinically documented benefits associated with goji berry don’t stop with SOD. Goji extract has been shown to reduce blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. (Yakugaku Zasshi. 2005 Dec;125(12):981-8.) Goji has also been shown to have positive effects on the liver. Specifically, it has been proven beneficial for hepatitis B, because of a compound it contains called physalin.
You may have heard the alarming news — new research indicates that some 70% of young Americans have dangerously low levels of the “sunshine vitamin” in their bodies. This news may surprise many, but it’s not without precedent. Recent studies have suggested that 40-60% of the U.S. population is affected by the vitamin D deficiency epidemic.
What are the dangers of insufficient vitamin D? Diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer, to name just a few of the chronic diseases that kids who lack vitamin D are prone to later in life. Low vitamin D levels have also been implicated in depression and learning difficulties, as well as weight gain and stunted growth in girls during puberty.
Researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of a nationally representative sample of more than 6,000 young people between the ages of 1 and 21. Their findings, published online Monday in the journal, Pediatrics, indicate that nearly 8 million children, teens and young adults have vitamin D levels so low that they are considered vitamin D deficient, while another 50+ million have higher levels which are still low enough to be considered insufficient. Most likely to be low on D are girls, teens, those who are overweight and those with darker skin. Older people are also very much at risk — vitamin D deficiency is nearing epidemic proportion among people over 50.
“At first, we couldn’t believe the numbers. I think it’s very worrisome,” said study author, Michal L. Melamed of the Albert Einstein College in New York. The researchers and other experts in the field think a combination of factors are to blame, but singled out lack of sun exposure as a primary cause. Kids today spend more time indoors watching TV, playing video games and using computers than they do playing outside. Even when they spend time outdoors, they’re often slathered with sunscreens, which negate the sun’s vitamin D benefits while blocking harmful UV rays.
The researchers also found an association between low vitamin D levels and increased risk for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low calcium levels and low levels of HDL (”good”) cholesterol. This new evidence shows that inadequate vitamin D may be putting a generation already affected by the childhood obesity epidemic, at even greater risk for heart disease and diabetes, two of the biggest health threats facing Americans today.
So what can you do to safely increase vitamin D levels? Here are some recommendations:
Take a vitamin D3 supplement. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily starting at birth. Liquid vitamin D (ours provides 100 IU of vitamin D per drop) is a good option for infants, younger children and those who cannot swallow pills. Alternatively, vitamin D capsules can be opened and mixed into food. According to Peggy L. Manuel, MD, FAAP, 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily may be appropriate for children over the age of one. Higher doses may be beneficial for those 12 and older. Keep your doctor in the know about any supplements you or your child may be taking. (Click here to read Dr. Manuel’s more detailed recommendations for kids.)
Go outside! Encourage kids to spend playtime outdoors. They’ll benefit from both extra physical activity and the sun exposure you may not be getting enough of. It’s important to be aware, however, that sunlight alone will not provide sufficient vitamin D, especially in winter and in the Northern U.S. Unprotected sun exposure is not endorsed by most dermatologists, and it’s important to avoid overexposure to the sun, and sunburns, in particular.
Include vitamin D-rich foods in your diet. Foods naturally rich in vitamin D include fish, eggs and milk. Foods fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, soy milk and cereals, are also available. However, the form of vitamin D used to fortify foods is generally the less effective D2 form of the vitamin.
Stop Aging Now has long advocated higher vitamin D intakes than those that are currently recommended as part of the USRDA, and we hope that these new findings will finally get vitamin D the attention it deserves!
We are pleased to welcome Peggy L. Manuel, MD, FAAP to the Stop Aging Now Team of Experts. Dr. Manuel is a health promotion activist and pediatrician who practices integrative medicine. Her approach to healing is based on the etymological interpretation of the word doctor, which is “to teach.” She loves educating patients and colleagues about nutritional prevention. Her aim is to prevent as much disease as possible, and her current areas of special focus are weight and cholesterol control, preventing vitamin D deficiency, and the importance of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K2 and probiotics.
Dr. Manuel has been practicing integrative medicine in San Diego for over 20 years. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Manuel graduated from UCSD School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.
As an active member of the Stop Aging Now community for some time now, Dr. Manuel has often lent us her insight into matters concerning vitamin D research and disease-prevention. As a member of our Team of Experts, Dr. Manuel will continue to help us keep tabs on current research, specifically in the area of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation. We also look forward to sharing with our readers her expertise in matters concerning the health of children and teenagers. Check out her article, Weight Control for Kids and Teens: Top 10 Tips.
What is your opinion of BromaCleanse, which is advertised as a colon cleanser & fat burner said to dramatically help you lose weight. Have you heard of this product & if so do you think it works?
We have heard of that formula, however, its hard to say if it “works.” Many colon cleanse products may have the ability to clean the walls of the intestinal track but further promises, such as weight loss and detoxification, are questionable. Often times if any weight loss occurs it is in response to decreased caloric intake — not the formula itself. And proper detoxification requires more effort than popping a daily pill.
BromaCleanse touts itself as a gentle cleanse and detoxification that can revitalize your colon and your body while flattening your tummy and helping you to shed pounds. The ingredients don’t directly contradict this concept, but they certainly don’t support it either.
In fact, the ingredients contained in many of these ”detox” formulas, including BromaCleanse, have not been scientifically proven to influence weight loss at all. Acai berry weight loss claims tend to be the biggest on the market right now. While acai berry has been proven to have tons powerful antioxidant properties, there is no scientific evidence to support its fat burning claims. And, unfortunately, many companies are trying to profit on the trend.
Furthermore, BromaCleanse contains two probiotic strains, however they do not list which ones — which is troubling since certain probiotic bacteria are significantly more effective than others. Aside from that, the formula is essentially fruit extracts which lack the fiber needed to cleanse the colon wall. Also, being in a capsule form, many of the enzymes necessary to effectively cleanse and detoxify cells are destroyed. Lastly, there are no dietary changes recommended for the cleansing process associated with the BromaCleanse which just strikes me as a little odd. Generally, to cleanse and detoxify your body, dietary habits need to be altered for a period of time.
You should also be careful when ordering from a company you don’t know very well as they often times have fine print agreements that can be frustrating to the consumer. Bromaclense, for example, locks you into a subscription agreement upon placing a request for a “free” trial. So after 12 days, if you haven’t called to cancel your subscription, you get billed $79.95! You can read more about that on their site. But always read the fine print and be aware of what you’re signing up for. It’s often times better to order from a company you know and trust.
The good news is, there are other cleanses you can do that are less complicated, more natural, just as effective and less costly. Many people have great success with simple do-it-yourself plans. One of my favorites is the raw fruit and vegetable cleanse accompanied by some psyllium husk. For 5-7 days you simply eat raw fruits for breakfast and fruits and vegetables throughout the day. When this is done in conjunction with psyllium husk capsules and plenty of water, the walls of the intestinal track are swept clean and the body is given an opportunity to cleanse itself.
Best of all, this is done without robbing the body of any valuable nutrients. In fact, you’ll probably increase your vitamin and mineral intake! You can also add freshly juiced fruits and vegetables along with plenty of water to ensure that your fluid needs are met (which are higher when taking psyllium husk capsules). Some people opt to consume an all-juice diet on days 3 and 4, and then return to the raw fruits and veggies for days 5, 6 and 7. Then, just make sure you ease back into your normal diet slowly as not to shock your system.
If this type of a cleanse is something you’re interested in, get more details before giving it a go. You’ll need a daily plan and more detailed instructions depending on which specific cleanse you try. There are tons of books on the market that give helpful advice and be sure to speak with your physician before doing any cleanse to ensure that you are a good candidate for completing a cleanse.
Do you have a question for one of our Nutrition Experts? Visit the Nutrition Experts area of our site and get helpful advice!
Once again, drug interactions are in the spotlight. And for a good reason! A number of people are discovering that many medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, can interact with each other and result in unwanted side effects.
For example, many woman aren’t aware of the interactions that can occur between certain substances and oral contraceptives. Both St. John’s wort (an herb commonly used to treat depression and mood swings), and antibiotics can interfere with the efficacy of birth control pills, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy.
Other people are unaware of the fact that warfarin (also known under the brand name Coumadin) should never be taken with aspirin. While they act upon different mechanisms- warfarin being a vitamin K antagonist and aspirin being in the anti-platelet class of drugs along with drugs like Plavix- both cause thinning of the blood. When taken together, these drugs can lead to excess bleeding.
And in the spotlight most recently is acetaminophen. This pain and fever reducer is most commonly taken in the form of over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol and experts are now finding that too much of it can be very dangerous. What many people don’t know is that it is also in widely used prescription pain relievers such as Percocet and Vicodin. This causes people to unknowingly combine medications that contain acetaminophen in a 24 hour period- taxing the liver and possibly causing liver damage.
Lois Parker, senior pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital, was interviewed by both CNN and the Boston Herald and reported that dangerous drug combinations has been a concern of hers for quite some time. She stated that, in addition to many pharmaceuticals being too readily available, “there isn’t as much awareness as there needs to be.” Furthermore, the problems and consequences associated with drug interactions aren’t always apparent, causing people to continuously pop pills.
Many people build up a dangerous tolerance to painkillers and, consequently, end up taking significantly more than is safe. This, coupled with the way these and certain other drugs are metabolized, can mean devastating long term effects. Since some drugs use the same pathways for metabolism in the liver, combining them can result in decreased absorption, decreased efficacy, or worse, they can become severely toxic.
While the FDA continues its efforts to inform the public of certain interactions, there is still little public knowledge about certain harmful combinations. In fact, a 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that 1 in 25 older adults (ages 57 - 84) were taking drug combinations that were potentially dangerous. Additionally, more than half of these potentially hazardous mixtures involved seemingly harmless over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or aspirin.
So why aren’t consumers more aware of the potential side effects and dangers associated with these combinations? Is it a lack of industry knowledge? Drug company intervention? Or simply abuse on the consumer’s end? Its possibly a combination of all three. What are your thoughts?
Quercetin is quickly becoming the new “in” antioxidant and we can see why!
This plant-derived flavonoid is found in a number of fruits and vegetables such as onions, capers, apples, leafy greens and red grapes. Many researchers agree that the consumption of quercetin rich foods is associated with reduced risk for a number of chronic diseases. Additionally, it has been known to protect blood vessels, fight allergies, and decrease one’s risk for metabolic syndrome. And adding to that impressive list, a new study indicates that quercetin may have the ability to influence exercise stamina like researchers have never seen before.
The study, conducted at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, examined participants who were split into two groups. Half of the individuals took 500 mg of quercetin twice a day and the other half took a placebo. After just seven days, the group taking the quercetin supplement had a 13.2% increase in endurance in addition to a 3.9% increase in VO2max (a measure of the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently and one of the most useful tests for physical fitness).
All participants were healthy individuals but none of them were trained, leaving researchers to conclude that quercetin can positively influence one’s ability to shape up — and fast! Research leader, Dr. Mark Davis, enthusiastically noted that his team believes that “this could be a major breakthrough in nutrition.” He goes on to say that, “While there’s no magic pill to make people get up and move, or to take the place of regular exercise, quercetin may be important in relieving the fatigue that keeps [people] sedentary and in providing some of the benefits of exercise.”
More clinical trials need to be conducted before health officials can determine the mechanisms by which quercetin is able to increase endurance, however, pre-clinical data suggests that it may increase the mitochondria activity in both the brain and muscle cells, which is one of the most important biological mechanisms for increasing endurance, Davis said.
This study sheds new light on natural supplements for exercise enhancement and offers some exciting news for those who are currently taking, or interested in taking quercetin supplements. The findings are appealing to a broad spectrum of individuals in the health field and people are eager to give this new technique a “go.” Whether you’re an athlete, or just somebody looking to gain the upper hand in exercise endurance, this antioxidant compound might do just the trick.
We were thrilled to see plenty of excellent coverage of the red yeast rice story in the mainstream media last week! This ABC News report stood out in particular.
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