Friday, June 18, 2010

Vitamin K Slashes Risks of Cancer of Lymphatic System | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News

Vitamin K Slashes Risks of Cancer of Lymphatic System | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, and the disease actually is comprised of 29 different forms of lymphoma. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) is a fat soluble vitamin found mainly in green leafy vegetables, with smaller amounts found in other vegetables, vegetable oils, and some fruits. In that Vitamin K compounds have been found to affect proteins involved in coagulation, inhibit inflammatory cytokines, and contribute to cellular processes that inhibit the pathways that promote lymph cancer, James Cerhan, from Mayo Clinic (Minnesota, USA), and colleagues studied 603 men and women who were newly diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, surveying their dietary habits and ascertaining daily Vitamin K intake levels, comparing the data to 1,007 healthy control subjects with no cancer. The team found that the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma was approximately 45% lower in people with a vitamin K intake of at least 108 micrograms a day, as compared with people with an intake of less than 39 micrograms per day. The researchers conclude that: “Higher intake of vitamin K from the diet was inversely associated with risk of [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma] overall and for the major subtypes … suggest[ing] that the coagulation pathway or other biologic effects of vitamin K may play a role in lymphomagenesis.”

Here is the actual article

Supplements beat sun for vitamin D boost: Study

Supplements beat sun for vitamin D boost: Study:

"Adequate vitamin D levels are best achieved by supplements because of the side-effects of UV exposure, says the results of a new computer simulation model from the US."


Supplements beat sun for vitamin D boost:

Study By Stephen Daniells, 18-Jun-2010

Related topics: Research, Vitamins & premixes

Adequate vitamin D levels are best achieved by supplements because of the side-effects of UV exposure, says the results of a new computer simulation model from the US.

We can produce vitamin D in our skin on exposure to sunlight, but the merits of getting the supplement via sunlight or supplements is a source of ongoing debate.

In the US, where over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, experts are pushing supplements, claiming recommendations for sun exposure are "highly irresponsible".

Computer science

Scientists from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research in Tromsø used a computer model to determine optimal sun exposure times to produce blood levels of vitamin D3 equivalent to 400 or 1000 IU of vitamin D.

The researcher chose two geographical sites – Miami, FL, and Boston, MA – for their simulation and selected four months – January, April, July, and October.

Data showed that in summer in Boston, people would need between three and eight minutes of sunlight exposure to about 25 per cent of their body surface to synthesise 400 IU of vitamin D. In winter, the simulation indicated that it would be difficult to produce any vitamin D in Boston. No such problems were calculated in Miami, however, with between three and six minutes needed to produce 400 IU at all times of the year.

“There are many limitations to these models, and clearly the estimates are only rough approximations,” said the researchers. “Although it may be tempting to recommend intentional sun exposure for a few minutes several times a week, cutaneous vitamin D synthesis is an intricate process and depends on numerous variables.

“Even in a simplified model such as the one used here, it can be seen to vary considerably by geography, season, and skin type. Furthermore, even if a more accurate and practical model were developed, titrating one’s own exposure to sunlight is difficult, if not impossible.

“Because of these practical difficulties combined with the detrimental side effects of UV exposure, we endorse the IARC assessment that even if it is ultimately demonstrated that increasing vitamin D levels impacts cancer and chronic disease, oral supplements of vitamin D would probably represent the safest way to increase vitamin D status,” concluded the researchers.

D details

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.

An ever growing body of science supports the benefits of maintaining healthy vitamin D levels. In adults, it is said vitamin D deficiency may precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 diabetes.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
June 2010, Volume 62, Issue 6, Pages 929.e1-929.e9
“Estimated equivalency of vitamin D production from natural sun exposure versus oral vitamin D supplementation across seasons at two US latitudes”
Authors: V. Terushkin, A. Bender, E.L. Psaty, O. Engelsen, S.Q. Wang, A.C. Halpern

Isotonix Vitamin D with K2

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Best places to shop for everything - Yahoo! Finance

Best places to shop for everything - Yahoo! Finance

Best places to shop for everything
According to Consumer Reports


On Tuesday June 15, 2010, 3:00 am EDT

Illustration of a couple with a shopping cart filled with bags and boxes from different stores
Illustration by John Pirman

Last year shoppers spent $405 billion at Walmart, the world’s largest retailer. But according to a new study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, they might be better off if they switch stores.

For all the talk about Walmart’s low prices, 30,666 subscribers we surveyed said the prices at 10 other retailers, including JCPenney, Sears, Dillard’s, and Meijer, were at least as good. And bigger wasn’t necessarily better when it came to the overall shopping experience. Almost three-quarters of respondents who shopped at Walmart found at least one problem to complain about, and half had two or more complaints about the store or its staff.

Walmart and Kmart scored notably lower than the other chains, but Costco stood tall. In addition to citing the warehouse club’s rock-bottom prices, survey respondents praised its bang for the buck: It was the only store judged much better than average for value. In our surveys over the years, Costco has earned high marks as a source of a surprisingly large selection of goods, including mattresses, electronics, small appliances, groceries, and books. In recent years, the chain’s Kirkland Signature products have often performed well in our tests.

"Costco surprises consumers with great products and brands at exceptional prices," says Will Ander, senior partner in McMillanDoolittle, a retail-consulting firm in Chicago. "They don’t promise to have everything, but they do offer a true treasure hunt where everyone seems to find that exceptional item at an unbelievable price. Most customers will give you great satisfaction marks if you exceed their expectations, and Costco is light-years ahead of the other discount competitors in that respect."

Among our other findings:

* Four chains earned outstanding scores for merchandise quality: Costco (watches and jewelry, personal-care items, hardware, home décor, kitchenware, electronic entertainment such as music and DVDs, and sporting goods and toys), Dillard’s (men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing; personal-care items; home décor; and kitchenware), Macy’s (home décor and personal-care items), and Sears (hardware).

* Target’s "cheap chic" goods didn’t wow everyone. Despite its high-profile partnerships with fashionistas Cynthia Vincent, Eugenia Kim, and Zac Posen, survey respondents judged the quality of Target’s women’s clothing and watches and jewelry below average, and the store’s kitchenware, home décor, and men’s and children’s apparel average.

* When it came to service, Dillard’s stood out from the pack. According to Jack Abelson, president of Jack Abelson & Associates, a retail-consulting firm in Leawood, Kan., service is deteriorating industry-wide because of retailers’ fixation on low prices. "The trouble today," Abelson says, "is that the staff is not trained to be anything but glorified cashiers and security guards." Shoppers at Kmart, Walmart, and Sam’s Club (Walmart’s warehouse club spin-off) were more likely than others to complain about the staff.

* In addition to a lack of sales help, the most prevalent problems were that desired items were out of stock and that checkouts were jammed. In fact, 29 percent of shoppers we surveyed complained about long lines. The problems were much worse than average at Kmart, Walmart, and Meijer, a Midwestern chain of superstores.


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