Category: Vitamins

Vitamin D – More than just the Sunshine Vitamin

Posted on by Winsome

Vitamin D and bones

The body can manufacture its own vitamin D upon exposure to ultraviolet light outdoors. This, however, is difficult in temperate climates like ours. While many people are familiar with the importance of vitamin D in terms of its role in calcium and phosphorus absorption –the maintenance of healthy bones – new research is indicating that the vitamin is related to a diverse range of bodily processes. Findings from a pair of newly published studies support the idea that vitamin D may both help and prevent falls and prevent diabetes.

Vitamin D and falls

A number of studies have investigated the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements in preventing falls among older adults. While some research has shown beneficial results, the outcomes have  not always been consistent. To better understand any relationship that may exist between D and falls, a group of scientists from Harvard and Tufts University analyzed pooled data from five previously published studies on the topic that included a total of 1,237 participants (mostly women) with an average age of 70.

The Results:

  • Taking a vitamin D supplement might help older adults cut their risk of falls by 22 percent.
  • A secondary analysis demonstrated a somewhat lower but still significant drop in risk of 13 percent.

Lowering the risk of falls is a great achievement since an estimated one in three adults 65 or older suffers a fall each year. These falls can lead to fatal injuries and can set off a cascade of events leading to reductions in mobility and independence.

Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, one of the study’s authors and the director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University, notes that researchers are keying in on the idea that vitamin D may promote better muscle cell function and growth. Stronger muscles in turn are better able to support the body.

Vitamin D and better blood sugar levels

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently published the results of a study that examined a link between blood levels of vitamin D and insulin sensitivity. Insulin is the hormone responsible for getting sugar moved from the bloodstream to the body’s tissues where it is used as fuel. Insulin sensitivity profoundly affects metabolism and weight gain.

People with high levels of vitamin D in the blood were more sensitive to insulin’s effects The pancreas had no problem producing enough insulin to get the job done quickly. (This person would have a more efficient metabolism –making it easier to lose weight and/or maintain a healthier weight.)

People with low levels of vitamin D were less sensitive, or more insulin resistant. They needed more insulin to move sugar out of the blood –a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. There was also some evidence that the insulin did its job more slowly and the pancreas was inhibited from secreting insulin. (People who are less sensitive to insulin usually have a slower metabolism – making it easier to gain weight.)

How much vitamin D is enough?

The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for adults over the age of 24 is 200 IU; 51 –71 years is 400 IU and for adults 71 years or older –600 IU. These numbers assume some production of vitamin D via sun exposure. However, Dr. Dawson-Hughes feels that older adults may be better served by an intake of 800 –1000 IU per day.

Sources of vitamin D

[unordered_list style=”tick”]

  • Fortified milk
  • Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring)
  • Egg yolk
  • Chicken liver
  • Tuna
  • Yogurt
  • Liver
  • Fortified soy and rice milk beverages
  • Margarine
  • Shrimp

[/unordered_list]
[box type="tick" style="rounded" border="full" icon="none"]

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

  • Spread vitamin D rich foods (milk, fatty fish, and fortified soy milk beverages), egg yolk, etc. throughout the day.
  • Try to get some exposure to the sun whenever possible.
  • Ensure that your multi-vitamin has at least 200 IU of vitamin D.
  • Enjoy moderate amounts of monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, avocadoes) –helps to absorb vitamin D.
  • Do not omit foods. Drink your milk or eat yogurt –good sources of vitamin D.
  • Remember that completing your meals and a balanced diet –hallmarks of the Healthy Options program –is not just about following your weight loss program. It is about your health and well-being.

[/box]

Eating to Boost Immunity

Posted on by Winsome
Immune Function

 The immune system is the body’s defence against infection.  The system is needed not only to fight off viruses or bacterial infections, but also to destroy cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

 Strengthen your immune system with a well-balanced and varied diet of fresh foods.  Getting enough protein is absolutely essential.  Vitamins and minerals also play key roles in boosting immunity.

 The Roles of Nutrients

 The following is a look at some of the nutrients that impact immunity:

  •  Protein:  Re-generates healthy new cells – One of the primary functions of protein is growth and maintenance of muscle or lean body tissues.  Protein is the building block needed for generating healthy new cells.  Protein also plays a key role in the manufacturing of antibodies to fight infection.  Protein-rich foods include lean meats, chicken, fish, soya bean/products, eggs, cheese, and dried beans lentils, and peas.

 

  •  Vitamin E:  Protect your skin – the body’s first line of defense against bacteria – with an intake of essential fats such as Vitamin E, found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

 

  • Vitamin A:  Keep mucus membranes in your respiratory passages healthy – protect you against infectious organisms you may breathe in.  Ensure that you have enough Vitamin A, found in foods such as liver, spinach, sweet potato, cantaloupe, carrots, and other deep-orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.

 

  • Acidophilus:  Stomach acid and ‘good bacteria’ in the intestines kill disease-causing bacteria that may be ingested with your food.  Special cultures found in some yogurts (acidophilus) can enhance their killer instincts.

 

  • Vitamin C:  Include Vitamin C rich foods such as citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, red peppers, and green vegetables, in your daily diet.  They improve antibody and T-cell function.  T-Cells are the bloodstream’s immune-specific cells.  They destroy invaders that have managed to get past the primary defences.  These cells require nutrients such as Vitamin C and the mineral Zinc in order to work effectively.  Ensure that you include foods such as oysters, shrimp, red meat, whole grains, and seeds, rich in the trace mineral Zinc needed for all immune functions.

 

  • B-Vitamins:  Be sure to get enough ‘stress-busting’ B-Vitamins, found in whole grains, rice, meat, yeast extract, vegetables, fruits, and milk.

 

  • Anti-oxidants:  Protect your body against cancer-causing and cholesterol-boosting ‘free radicals’, by having a good supply of the antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E, and the mineral selenium (found in meat and fish).

 

  • Iron:  Iron’s role in immune function covers every aspect of how the system works.  Iron is a vital component of a number of substances lethal to bacteria that are found in saliva and tears.  Iron is also needed to produce antibodies and to maintain the white blood cell (immune-cell) count.  Iron promotes the activity of “natural killer” immune cells, which are responsible for destroying cancer cells.  Iron-rich foods include liver, red meat, dried beans, lentils and peas, whole grains (bread, pasta, cereal), darkly coloured fruits and vegetables such as raisins, figs, spinach and turnip or beet greens (cooked), baked potatoes with the skin, and eggs.

 

  • Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3 & Omega 6):  Essential Fatty Acids help to build the immune system & work together with co-factor vitamins – B-6, A, C, & E, and minerals – magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium to regulate the activity of the white blood cells – T-cells and B-cells of the immune system.

 

SUPER-FOOD ALLIES

 

Garlic – May enhance the ability of T-cells to kill invading bacteria.  T-cells are the first line of cellular defence against disease.

Cod liver oil – Provides fatty acids and vitamin A to enhance overall immunity.

Yogurt (especially with acidophilus cultures) – May suppress carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) in the colon.

Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables – May help increase enzyme activity that triggers detoxifying molecules.

Juices – The good, the bad, and the Junk!

Posted on by Winsome
Nutritious Juices - Healthy Options' take on juices, from the most nutritious to the junk!
Nutritious Juices – Healthy Options’ take on juices, from the most nutritious to the junk!

The best that there is!

It would be hard to design a better food than fruit.  No fat, cholesterol, or sodium.  Lots of fibre, taste, and (usually) vitamins.  And it may help reduce the risk of cancer.

Except for the fibre, fruit juice, has the same advantages.  In fact, Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating counts each petite ½ cup (125 ml) of fruit (or vegetable) juice as one of the five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables we should eat every day.  To ensure adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables, remember to eat a maximum of 3 fruit and 6 vegetable servings daily.

What most people don’t realize is that some juices are far more nutritious than others.  We rate the most common juices according to how much a day’s worth of vitamins and minerals each cup (250 ml) supplies. For most juices, we averaged the numbers for bottled, chilled, canned, and frozen concentrate.  Here are our findings:

Orange – is by far the best.  A glass of OJ has over a day’s vitamin C and a quarter of a day’s Folacin/Folic Acid, the B-vitamin that reduces the risk of birth defects and that may help protect against heart disease.  It also has more than ten per cent of a day’s potassium (which may help prevent high blood pressure), magnesium, and thiamin, plus at least five per cent of copper and vitamin B-6.  Some orange juices – Minute Maid, Oasis, and Tropicana’s new Calcium & Vitamin C Supplement, for example – now contain added calcium.

  • Grapefruit –  has almost as much vitamin C, B-6, copper, and potassium as OJ, but less thiamin and hardly any Folacin.
  • Prune – has between ten and 25 per cent of a day’s iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and riboflavin, and slightly less copper and niacin.
  • Pineapple – has half a day’s vitamin C and at least 10% of a day’s potassium, thiamin, copper, magnesium, vitamin B-6, and Folacin.
  • Grape – scrapes the bottom of nutrient barrel.
  • Apple – is even lower than grape.
  • Cranberry Cocktail – can be grouped with apple and grape but may be worth drinking.  In a study of older women, those who drank ten ounces (312 ml) every day had half the risk of urinary tract infections of those who given a cranberry free beverage.

 Three Rules to help you find the best juices:

  1. Shoot for the most nutritious juices.  The top four: orange, grapefruit, prune, and pineapple.  Just looking at the name on the bottle or carton isn’t enough.  Oasis Health Break Wild Blueberry Cocktail, Fresh’n Tasty Orange-Peach Juice, and Dole Tropical Fruit Juice all have apple, grape, or pear as their main juice.
  2. Check the ingredient list.  Look for no added sweeteners like sugar, glucose, fructose, honey, molasses, or corn and other syrups.  Avoid artificial sweeteners like NutraSweet (aspartame) and Acesulfame K (acesulfame potassium).  A search for added sweeteners is critical for “nectars,” “drinks,” “spritzers,” “cocktails,” and “punches.”  Del Monte’s Prune Nectar, for example, is 100% juice.  McCain’s Grape Nectar is only 50 juice and Fairlee’s Mango Nectar is 35%.  Go figure!  Or take Minute Maid Premium frozen concentrates.  Despite pictures of fruit all over their labels, only the orange, grapefruit, and lemon juices are 100% juice.  The rest (like Watermelon Punch) contain a measly 10% to 15% juice.
  3. Fortification is fine, as long as it is not fortified junk.  A juice like McCain Tropical 5, a mixture of pineapple, orange, passion fruit, lemon juice and mango puree, is simply a good juice made better by the addition of some extra vitamin C to bring the content up to 100 per cent of the recommended daily intake.  A glass of Sunny Delight, on the other hand, is just a “vitamin C and thiamin pill, with a tablespoon of juice, some sugar and orange-coloured water.”