Nutrition Frenzy

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The study, which followed 63 overweight or obese women, found that those who took a calcium-plus-vitamin-D supplement in addition to a lower-calorie diet lost no more body fat over 15 weeks than those given a placebo.

When the researchers looked at only those women with a very low calcium intake before the study, the supplement did seem to have a benefit.

Among the women — who had been getting less than 600 milligrams of calcium per day — the calcium/vitamin D supplement spurred greater reductions in weight and body fat.

While the reason for the benefit is unclear, there was evidence that the supplement helped curb women’s appetite for fatty food, the researchers report in the British Journal of Nutrition.

During a buffet-style test meal, the study found, women who’d been taking the supplement ate less fat than they had at a test meal done at the study’s start. The same was not true of women in the placebo group, however.

For the study, the researchers had 63 overweight middle-aged women go on a calorie-restricted diet. All had been getting inadequate calcium in their diets — less than 800 mg, compared with the recommended 1,000 mg for women ages 19 to 50.

Half of the women were randomly assigned to take a calcium/vitamin D supplement twice a day, which provided 1,200 mg of calcium daily. The other half took placebo pills.

Only women with the lowest calcium intake prior to the study — less than 600 mg — seemed to get added fat-loss benefits from the supplement. Supplement users lost 13 pounds, on average, versus 3 pounds in the placebo group.

While the results from the test meals suggest that extra calcium may help calcium-deficient women curb their appetites while dieting, more research is needed to confirm that, according to Tremblay’s team.

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Vitamin D may protect people — especially those with asthma and other chronic lung conditions — from colds and other respiratory tract infections, according to the largest study to date to look at the link.

Unlike other vitamins, a deficiency of vitamin D (which is known as the sunshine vitamin because sun exposure triggers production in the body) is quite common in the United States — particularly in winter.

At least 50 percent of people in the new study, which included nearly 19,000 people 12 and older, had levels that suggested less-than-optimal protection against respiratory tract infections, according to the report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“People think that if they have a good, balanced diet that they will get enough vitamin D, and that’s actually not true,” said Dr. Michal Melamed, an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “Unless you eat a lot of fish and drink a lot of milk, you can’t get enough vitamin D from diet.”

In the study, Dr. Adit Ginde of the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston found that people who had low blood levels of vitamin D were more likely to report having had a recent cold than those with higher amounts. What’s more, the risk of a recent cold or other respiratory infection seemed to rise as vitamin D levels dropped.

Overall, 24 percent of people with the lowest levels (under 10 ng/ml) had had a recent cold, compared with 20 percent of those with slightly higher levels (10 to 29 ng/ml) and 17 percent of those with the highest levels (30 ng/ml or more). Health.com: Top 7 natural cold remedies

The link was even stronger in people with asthma, who had about six-fold greater risk of colds with low vitamin D, and in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who had a two- to three-fold greater risk.

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Spendy supplements
The study’s lead author, Dr. Ulfat Shaikh, a pediatrician at the University of California-Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, says taking daily multivitamins in the dose recommended on the label probably is harmless. However, they often aren’t needed for healthy children with a varied diet, she said.

Shaikh said kids in the study “who had the ideal profile — higher dietary fiber intake, higher milk intake, lower total fat and cholesterol intake, lower computer use, greater physical activity, lower obesity, kids that had insurance coverage, had good health care access, whose parents said that they were in good health — these kinds of kids were the highest users.”

Still, there’s mounting evidence about important potential benefits from a vitamin that can be hard to get enough of from food, particularly for kids who don’t drink much milk. That’s vitamin D.

The study is based on data from 10,828 kids whose parents took part in a national health survey that included interviews about diet and supplement use. Overall, 34 percent of the children had recently taken vitamin/mineral supplements and almost half of users took them daily.

Vitamin/mineral use was highest among 2- to 4-year-olds — 43 percent, and lowest in 12- to 17-year-olds — 27 percent.

Among children in excellent health, 37 percent used the supplements, versus 28 percent of those in fair or poor health. The breakdown was similar when comparing frequent milk drinkers to those who generally avoided dairy products.

Magnesium

Magnesium supplementation may be indicated when a specific health problem or condition causes an excessive loss of magnesium or limits magnesium absorption.

You may need supplements:

Individuals with poorly-controlled diabetes may benefit from magnesium supplements because of increased magnesium loss in urine associated with hyperglycemia

Individuals with chronic malabsorptive problems such as Crohn’s disease, gluten sensitive enteropathy, regional enteritis, and intestinal surgery may lose magnesium through diarrhea and fat malabsorption

Individuals with chronically low blood levels of potassium and calcium may have an underlying problem with magnesium deficiency. Magnesium supplements may help correct the potassium and calcium deficiencies

What’s the best way to get more Magnesium? Eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day will help provide recommended intakes of magnesium and maintain normal storage levels of this mineral. Increasing dietary intake of magnesium can often restore mildly depleted magnesium levels. However, increasing dietary intake of magnesium may not be enough to restore very low magnesium levels to normal.

More good news about Magnesium: scientific evidence from DASH clinical trials is strong enough that the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure states that diets that provide plenty of magnesium are positive lifestyle modifications for individuals with hypertension.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you feel you need Magnesium supplements.

Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets

Recently, a friend told me that Apple Cider Vinegar (in either liquid or tablet form) would help reduce my blood sugar, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. I was reluctant, because I had never heard of that before. For a few weeks I was looking for Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets and finally found some in a far off drugstore.

To back the claim, I did some research and found this:

Here’s a rundown of some more recent ones.

Diabetes. The effect of vinegar on blood glucose levels is perhaps the best-researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar’s possible health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For instance, one 2007 study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%.

High cholesterol. A 2006 study showed evidence that vinegar could lower cholesterol. However, the study was done in rats, so it’s too early to know how it might work in people.

Blood pressure and heart health. Another study in rats found that vinegar could lower high blood pressure. A large epidemiological study also found that people who ate oil and vinegar dressing on salads five to six times a week had lower rates of heart disease than people who didn’t. However, it’s far from clear that the vinegar was the reason.

Cancer. A few laboratory studies have found that vinegar may be able to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Epidemiological studies of people have been confusing. One found that eating vinegar was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal cancer. Another associated it with an increased risk of bladder cancer.

Weight Loss. For thousands of years, vinegar has been used for weight loss. White vinegar (and perhaps other types) might help people feel full. A 2005 study of 12 people found that those who ate a piece of bread along with small amounts of white vinegar felt fuller and more satisfied than those who just ate the bread.

While the results of these studies are promising, they are all preliminary. Many were done on animals or on cells in a lab. The human studies have been small. Before we will truly know whether vinegar has any health benefits, much larger studies are needed.

Vegetables

While surfing the internet, more impressionable kids and teenagers are finding animal slaughter videos on YouTube (R), courtesy of organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Thus, causing kids and teenagers to avoid eating meat from that point forward.

Some parents and Doctors worry that growing kids are not meeting their protein, vitamins B12 and D, iron, calcium and other important nutrients that most people get from meat, eggs and dairy.

Also, vegetarian diets are not necessarily slimming. Some vegetarian kids cut out meat but fill up on doughnuts, french fries, soda or potato chips, experts said.

Multivitamin and supplements must be taken, and extra care to keep sugary, high-fat and cholesterol and high carb snacks, foods and drinks away from kids and teenagers who choose Vegetarianism. It is all too easy to fall into the trap that ‘as long as I don’t eat meat, i’ll be healthy and save the lives of animals’.

Most people are semi-vegetarian, which is what I consider myself. What it should be called is the normal American diet: 8 oz meat or protein a day, with the rest filled with fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, dairy products and low-carb, low-cholesterol breads and grains (I eat Dreamfieds Pasta–diabetic friendly).

If your child or teenager comes to you expressing interest in becoming a Vegetarian, applaud their desire to eat and live a more healthy lifestyle and educate yourselves about proper nutrition. It is possible to meet the FDA’s dietary guildelines for kids and teenagers.

Check out Living Without Meat for more information about Vegetarianism. Tell Sally that Brick sent you.

vitamins and mineral supplements

For a few years now, I’ve been taking Vitamin D as a prescription, ‘doctor approved’. The health supplement market is booming! Never before have people been taking vitamins, minerals and herbs to enhance their health to try to make up for their diet. Or, maybe people are just wanting to get the most for their health. Either way, we are spending millions and millions for our optimal health. According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, There are a few dietary supplements that show some benefits: calcium supplements and vitamin D (to reduce the risk of osteoporosis), omega 3 supplements (to reduce the risk of heart disease) and folic acid supplements (to prevent major birth defects).

Be careful, as the article suggests, on what quality you are buying. Consumer reports found that nearly half of the brands failed to contain the labeled amount of the nutrient. They also didn’t dissolve as well as the name-brand types. So if you are going to invest in a supplement, based on this study, a name-brand kind might be the way to go. One thing people don’t really need to be concerned about is taking too much or too high of a dose.

Even though pharmaceutical companies and science has so-called ‘debunked some supplements, some are worth taking, even my dr. has said they’re not harming me. Echinacea doesn’t cure my colds, but it sure lessons the symptoms for me. Someone told me that Cinnamon and Apple Cider Vinegar tablets will reduce glucose levels, so I’ve started takng Cinnamon tablets (ACV tablets are hard to find). Every little bit helps, and it’s not hurting me.

What supplements are you taking?

Struggling to stick to your shape-up plans? Consider working on your soundtrack, too.

Add new artists, rediscover old faves, and do whatever else you need to do to keep your workout music fresh and fun. Research proves that a good soundtrack takes the grind out of exercise.

A Near and Dear Distraction
Music does more than serve as a distraction. Studies show it actually gives you a better cardio workout by helping you go longer and stronger without noticing the extra effort. Listening to good tunes could also have you reaching for heavier dumbbells sooner. That’s what researchers found when they put a group of adults on a 4-week strength-training program. Those who trained with tunes were pumping out significantly more reps by the end of the program, compared with those who hadn’t gotten down. (Thank you, James Brown!)

The Surgery-Free Tummy Tuck

Help your body incinerate that stubborn spare tire by drinking this metabolism booster before your workout.

We’re not talking Red Bull here. We’re talking green tea. In a recent small study, extracts from green tea helped men burn 17 percent more fat during a 30-minute cardio workout.

Burn, Baby, Burn
It’s not clear how green tea boosts metabolism. Researchers suspect that something in the healthy brew makes fat more available as fuel, so you oxidize more of it when you exercise. Proven bonus: Green tea remains an excellent source of heart-healthy antioxidants called catechins.

Wouldn’t it be great to have balance-beam-worthy body control? This nutrient could help: vitamin D.

Vitamin D may not turn you into Shawn Johnson, but as you age, it may give you a leg up when it comes to keeping your balance, your grip strength, and your foot speed.

Dangers of D-ficiency
A lack of vitamin D is actually fairly common in the United States; up to 40 percent of people may not be getting enough. And shortfalls increase with age. Not good, because a study recently revealed that people 65 and older who are low on D do poorly on tests of handgrip strength, walking speed, balance, and the ability to stand up from a seated position. More research is needed, but scientists feel there is already enough evidence of vitamin D’s positive effect on muscle strength to warrant being on D alert.

Where to Get Yours
You can get your D from the sun and from food (including fortified foods), but most people need a supplement to get enough, especially as winter sun rays get weaker. Check with your doctor if you’re wondering whether a D supplement is a good move for you.

Vitamin D
Benefits
Vitamin D is increasingly being viewed as important. It’s well known for working with calcium to strengthen your bones, but it may also help prevent osteoarthritis, reduce your risk of certain cancers, fight inflammation, and help regulate blood pressure.

RealAge Recommendation
There’s mounting evidence to support a bump in the daily dose of D. While the government recommendations are 400 international units (IU) per day if you’re under 70 years of age and 600 IU if you’re over 70, several members of the RealAge Scientific Advisory Board now recommend taking 1,000 IU if you’re under 60 years of age and 1,200 IU if you’re over 60. The daily upper intake level for D is 2,000 IU a day — so anything up to that is generally considered safe.

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