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.

Genetic predisposition to certain skin cancers may be associated with vitamin D deficiency

Patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, which predisposes them to develop non-melanoma skin cancers, appear to be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency if they take steps to protect themselves from sunlight, according to a new study.

Age related hearing loss halted with folate nutrient

(NaturalNews) Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United States, and more than 36 million Americans have lost some of their hearing. Mostly, hearing loss is blamed on getting older. But evidence is accumulating that the real culprit could be a lack of B vitamins — especially folate. For example, in 2007 scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied 728 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 and found that by taking folic acid supplements, age-related hearing loss in the low frequency range was significantly delayed. Then, at last year’s American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego, a Boston-based research team discussed evidence showing that when men over the age of 60 had a high folate intake from foods and/or vitamins, they decreased their risk of losing their hearing by 20%. Now a new study, dubbed the Blue Mountains Hearing Study and headed by scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia, has revealed yet another important link between folate and hearing. The researchers found that when people have low levels of the B vitamin in their blood, they have a significantly increased risk of hearing loss. The research was recently published in The Journal of Nutrition . The study, which involved researchers from several Australian universities, looked at 2,956 people age 50 and up. Blood levels of vitamin B-12, folate and homocysteine were measured and then compared to the amount of hearing loss in the research subjects. The results? People with low levels of folate (below 11 nanomoles per liter) had a 34% increased risk of hearing loss. What’s more, elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine (over 20 micromoles per liter) were linked to a 64% increase in the risk of hearing loss. Excess levels of homocysteine have previously been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and memory problems. Too much homocysteine is also believed to disrupt normal blood flow to the inner ear — which could possibly explain the homocysteine and hearing loss connection. And a body of earlier research has concluded adequate B vitamin levels are associated with normal homocysteine levels in the blood. NaturalNews has previously reported on other ways folate is important to maintaining and protecting health. For example, studies show it may protect from breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027588_folate_brst_cancer.html) and help prevent memory loss, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/012163.html). For more information: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/jn.110.122010v1http://www.nutrientreference.com/folate.html

Calcium supplements linked to increased risk of heart attack, study finds

Calcium supplements, commonly taken by older people for osteoporosis, are associated with an increased risk of a heart attack, a new study finds.

Baby making industry creating children with malformations, parents not told of risks

(NaturalNews) If you get your information about assisted reproduction technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) from the mainstream media, you may think these are simply wonderful ways to help infertile couples have healthy babies. In fact, women like Nadya “Octomom” Suleman and Kate Gosselin of reality TV fame have become stars of sort after producing broods of kids using ART. What is rarely reported is the dark side of ART — high tech baby making procedures result in a significantly increased risk of congenital malformations as well a greater chance for several diseases down the road. Dr. Geraldine Viot, a clinical geneticist at the Maternity Port Royal hospital in Paris, France, recently addressed the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics to discuss some of these risks. She also pointed out that, at least in France, most doctors working in ART clinics only tell couples about such risks if they are asked specific questions. The multi-billion dollar medical reproductive technology industry has resulted in the births of millions of kids around the world being conceived through non-natural procedures. In the largest study of its kind so far, Dr. Viot and her colleagues conducted a survey of all ART births — 15,162 in all — from 33 clinics in France to document the prevalence of malformations. 500% increased risk of tumors “We found a major congenital malformation in 4.24 percent of the children compared with the 2 to 3 percent that we had expected from previous published studies. This higher rate was due in part to an excess of heart diseases and malformations of the uro-genital system. This was much more common in boys,” Dr. Viot said in a press statement. “Among the minor malformations, we found a five times higher rate of angioma, benign tumors made up of small blood vessels on or near the surface of the skin.” Moreover, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome — which is marked by a larger-than-normal baby, abnormally large tongue, hypoglycemia, increased risk for cancer and other problems — was six times higher among youngsters conceived with ART. And retinoblastoma, cancer of the eye, was 4.5 higher for ART children when compared to youngsters conceived the natural way. Dr. Viot added that the malformations don’t appear to have anything to do with the age of the parents. Instead, the causes of the abnormalities are probably multiple and related specifically to the assisted reproductive technologies. She is calling for researchers to investigate how embryo culture media, timing of embryo transfer, the effects of ovarian stimulation, the use of ICSI and the freezing of gametes and embryos could be causing these disorders. “We estimate that in France some 200,000 children have been born after ART and therefore a malformation rate of this magnitude is a public health issue. It is important that all doctors and also politicians are informed about this,” Dr. Viot emphasized. “At a time when infertility is increasing and more and more couples need to use ART to conceive, it is vitally important that we find out as much as we can about what is causing malformations in these children, not only so that we can try to counteract the problem but also in order for health services to be able to plan for their future needs.” As NaturalNews has previously reported, other researchers have found that children conceived with artificial baby-making techniques have an increased incidence of metabolic problems, such as high blood pressure, abnormally elevated fasting glucose levels and excess body fat (http://www.naturalnews.com/026863_IVF_sperm_glucose.html). In addition, a study recently published in the journal Human Reproduction concluded that women who became pregnant with a single fetus after treatment with IVF or ICSI had a four-fold increased risk of their babies being born dead when compared to women who conceived naturally (http://www.naturalnews.com/028448_infertiliy_stillbirths.html). For more information: https://www.eshg.org/13.0.html

Common gene variants appear to increase risk of vitamin D deficiency

Scientists have identified four common gene variants that are associated with blood levels of vitamin D and with an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Retinoid use not associated with fracture risk, study finds

Individuals treated for acne, psoriasis or another skin condition with vitamin A analogues (retinoids) do not appear to be at increased risk of fracture, according to a new report.

Diabetes drugs warning: they cause heart problems

(NaturalNews) Widely used diabetes drugs appear to increase patients’ risk of potentially fatal heart problems, according to a study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London and published in the British Medical Journal . Researchers examined patient and prescription records to examine rates of heart failure, heart attack and death from any cause among 900,000 patients taking all different kinds of diabetes drugs. Patients were followed for an average of seven years each. Diabetes drugs fall into three classes: sulphonyureas, glitazones and biguanides. The sulphonyureas include chlorpropamide, glibenclamide (marketed as Daonil and Euglucon), gliclazide (marketed as Diamicron), glimepiride (marketed as Amaryl), glipizide (marketed as Glibenese and Minodiab) and tolbutamide. The glitazones, also called thiazolidinediones, include rosiglitazone (marketed as Avandia) and pioglitazone (marketed as Actos). Metformin is the only anti-diabetes biguanide on the market. The researchers compared all other drugs to metformin, which is an older, well-proven diabetes drug that is often used as a first line of treatment. They found that patients taking sulphonyureas were between 24 and 60 percent more likely to die of any cause than patients taking metformin, and also significantly more likely to suffer heart failure or heart attack. Patients on rosiglitazone had an increased risk of heart failure over metformin. Pioglitazone appeared to offer the same risk of heart failure as metformin, and both glitazones had the same risk of heart attack or death as the older drug. Because the elevated blood sugar levels characteristic of diabetes tend to damage blood vessels, all diabetics are at an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Combined with the fact that chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease can take a long time to develop even when caused or exacerbated by drugs, this means that heart-related side effects to diabetes drugs can be very hard to detect. Often, they only emerge after products have been on the market for years. Sources for this story include: www.guardian.co.uk.

« Previous Page — Next Page »