High-dose vitamin D may not be better than low-dose vitamin D in treating multiple sclerosis

Low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), but the first randomized, controlled trial using high-dose vitamin D in MS did not find any added benefit over and above ongoing low-dose vitamin D supplementation, according to a new study.

Vitamin E supplement may increase prostate cancer risk, national U.S. study finds

Men who take a daily vitamin E supplement — a regimen once thought to reduce cancer risk — face an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to results of a large national study. The finding comes from a report summarizing the latest results of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT).

Use of vitamin E associated with increased risk of prostate cancer

In a trial that included about 35,000 men, those who were randomized to receive daily supplementation with vitamin E had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study.

Certain dietary supplements associated with increased risk of death in older women, study suggests

Consuming dietary supplements, including multivitamins, folic acid, iron and copper, among others, appears to be associated with an increased risk of death in older women, according to a new report.

Vitamin D may help reduce heart risk in African-Americans

New research indicates that supplementation with the “sunshine vitamin” may be particularly beneficial for overweight African-American adults, a population at increased risk for both CVD and vitamin D deficiency.

Prescription stomach acid drugs lead to magnesium deficiency

(NaturalNews) Popular prescription proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs like AstraZeneca Plc’s Nexium and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd’s Prevacid will now contain new labels warning patients that long-term use may cause magnesium deficiency. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the more than 21 million patients who take prescription PPIs for conditions like ulcers and acid reflux disease many need to cease use if magnesium supplementation does not correct the problem. According to health officials, using prescription PPIs for as little as three months can lead to magnesium deficiency. Since most users take the drug for at least six months, the overall risk is high among users. At least 25 percent of patients who tried to take magnesium supplements as a remedy, however, were unsuccessful, resulting in them having to cease the medication altogether. PPIs are among the most widely prescribed drugs for common ailments like indigestion and heartburn. A 2010 study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that PPIs are highly over-prescribed, even though they are fraught with negative side effects like an increased risk of bone fractures and life-threatening infections (http://www.naturalnews.com/028878_proton_pump_inhibitors_health_risks.html). Interestingly, prior to the FDA’s recent announcement about PPIs and magnesium deficiency, the agency actually approved the drugs’ use in young children with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Even though the drugs can cause an increase in heartburn, indigestion, and reflux symptoms following the discontinuation of their use, the FDA claims the drugs are safe for children as young as one year old (http://www.naturalnews.com/023016_child_stomach_GERD.html). Other prescription PPIs implicated in causing magnesium deficiency include Takeda’s Dexilant, AstraZeneca’s Prilosec and Vimova, Santarus Inc’s Zegerid, Pfizer Inc’s Protonix, Johnson and Johnson and Eisai Co Ltd’s Aciphex, as well as generic varieties of many of these PPIs. as young as one year old. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/02/us-ulcer-drugs-idUSTRE7216AL20110302

Popular cancer drugs increase risk of death, study finds

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has revealed that the popular cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) raises patients’ risk of death by up to 350 percent when combined with chemotherapy. Designed to stop the production of new blood vessels in the body, and thus the spread of cancer cells, Avastin is also responsible for causing blood clots in legs and lungs when used as directed. Vishal Ranpura and doctors from Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York analyzed a series of 16 previously published randomized controlled trials involving more than 10,000 patients with tumors to see how Avastin was related to fatal adverse events (FAE). Depending on the combination of treatments, Avastin was linked with a significantly higher risk of FAEs, especially when combined with other conventional cancer treatments. “Compared with chemotherapy alone, the addition of bevacizumab was associated with a 1.5 times increased risk of FAEs,” states the study. “Bevacizumab was associated with a 3.5 times increased risk of FAEs in patients receiving taxanes or platinum agents (two specific forms of chemotherapy).” Previous studies have identified other types of serious harm caused by Avastin, including one study published in the journal The Lancet Oncology that found that the drug literally punctures a hole in the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can lead to death (http://www.naturalnews.com/026549_cancer_drug_patients.html). And in 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that Avastin can cause a rare form of brain bleeding that leads to serious headaches, seizures, blindness, and severe neurological disorders (http://www.naturalnews.com/020558_Avastin_Genentech.html). Even without Avastin, chemotherapy itself kills thousands of people every year, while providing little if any benefit in actually eliminating cancer. Various studies have found that chemotherapy destroys brain tissue and cognitive function, as well as the entirety of a person’s immune system. And chemotherapy does not even work to eliminate cancer in most cases, as the cancer it supposedly eliminated typically returns within a few years and becomes even more deadly (http://www.naturalnews.com/chemotherapy.html). Sources for this story include: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110202/hl_afp/healthuscancerresearchpharmacompanyroche

Vitamin D absorption is diminished in patients with Crohn’s disease, researchers find

Researchers have for the first time shown that reduced vitamin D absorption in patients with quiescent Crohn’s disease may be the cause for their increased risk for vitamin D deficiency. The findings also showed that the only way to determine absorption efficiency is to perform a vitamin D bioavailability test.

Study: BPA destroys sperm

(NaturalNews) Results from a five-year trial on the effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) in human males has revealed that the popular plastics chemical destroys sperm. One of the few BPA studies involving humans, the trial sheds more light on the obvious harm BPA causes on male reproduction, and the need to immediately remove the chemical from from all products. “This study counters the argument that only highly exposed populations are affected,” explained Dr. De-Kun Li, author of the study and reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. “You can be exposed from the workplace. You can be exposed from consumer products. It doesn’t really matter. Ultimately it will reflect in your urine.” Numerous other studies have found that BPA causes significant bodily harm. Back in August, a study in the journal Biology of Reproduction found that BPA causes genetic defects (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39888170/ns/health-mens_health/). The chemical is also known to mimic estrogen in the body and alter proper hormonal balance, which leads to serious illness (http://www.naturalnews.com/029898_BPA_exposure.html). In the recent study, data collected from Chinese workers exposed to BPA exhibited a clear connection between even very low levels of BPA and sperm destruction. BPA exposure resulted in a 300 percent increased risk of low sperm concentration and low sperm vitality compared to those not exposed. Exposure also resulted in a 400 percent increased risk of reduced sperm count and twice the likelihood of decreased sperm motility. “Our study shows that BPA could lead to pathological changes to human organs — semen quality, in this case,” explained Li to LiveScience. “In addition, this new finding of the detrimental effect of BPA exposure on semen quality raises the bar of BPA toxicity.” To learn more about the dangers associated with BPA exposure, visit: http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html. Sources for this story include: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39888170/ns/health-mens_health/

What can country of birth tell us about childhood asthma?

Researchers have pooled data from five epidemiological studies to investigate the prevalence of asthma in children in two Boston neighborhoods. Among children born in the United States, low socioeconomic status and exposure to mice and cockroaches were both associated with increased risk of asthma. Neither association was present in children born outside of the US.

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