Light treatment clears psoriasis as it boosts vitamin D levels

(NaturalNews) According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about 7.5 million Americans suffer from the chronic, autoimmune skin disease called psoriasis that causes irritated, flaky and thick patches of red skin; some forms of psoriasis are also associated with joint pain. Most medical treatment for the often painful and quality-of-life robbing disease center around controlling symptoms with medications like cortisone. But now research just published in the August issue of the Archives of Dermatology indicates there’s a non-drug way to clear and maybe cure the disease naturally — exposure to vitamin D boosting UV-B light. Comprising the “tanning rays” from the sun that are blocked by sunscreen and long feared for supposedly causing wrinkles and “age spots”, UV-B light, it turns out, actually promotes health by increasing levels of vitamin D. Now a team of scientists from St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, have found that treatment with narrow-band UV-B rays greatly increases serum levels of vitamin D in the wintertime. And they’ve shown how adequate exposure to UV-B light therapy can clear psoriasis. In fact, the new finding is powerful evidence that a lack of the “sunshine” vitamin is involved in the development and worsening of this skin condition. The researchers studied 30 consecutive patients with psoriasis who were treated with narrow-band UV-B light three times per week between October 2008 and February 2009. The research subjects’ psoriasis cleared and their serum vitamin D levels (which were measured before the study, after four weeks of treatment and after the treatment was finished) were compared with those of 30 control patients who also had psoriasis but did not have any UV-B therapy. The researchers also assessed the severity of the patients’ psoriasis symptoms and their skin disease-related quality of life before and after treatment. The results showed that levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which is considered the most accurate measurement of vitamin D levels in the body, had increased significantly among individuals receiving UV-B therapy — rising from about 23 nanograms per milliliter to 59 nanograms per milliliter at the end of treatment. However, there was no change in the control group. “At the end of the study, all patients in the treatment group were vitamin D sufficient, but 75 percent of the control group had vitamin D insufficiency,” the authors wrote in their paper. What’s more, the control group’s skin condition didn’t improve at all. And in the group treated with UV-B light exposure, their psoriasis severity scores decreased dramatically — from 7.1 at the beginning of the study to only 0.5 after light therapy. For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/Vitamin_D.html www.psoriasis.org

Stomach bacteria need vitamin to establish infection, research finds

Scientists have determined that Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and some forms of stomach cancer, requires the vitamin B6 to establish and maintain chronic infection, according to new research. This finding, along with the identification of the enzyme the microbe requires to utilize the vitamin, could lead to the development of an entirely new class of antibiotics.

Up to 95 percent of infants are vitamin D deficient but only 1 percent get vitamin D supplements

(NaturalNews) Two studies published in the journal Pediatrics highlight that although vitamin D deficiency is widespread among infants in the United States, most pediatricians remain unaware of the problem. The first study, conducted by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that only 5 to 13 percent of breast-fed infants were receiving at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day, the amount currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Human breast milk is actually relatively low in vitamin D, probably because during our evolutionary history most babies got plenty of exposure to sunlight. Although formula-fed infants were not included in the study, researchers noted that an infant would need to drink 32 ounces of fortified formula per day to get 400 IU of vitamin D, an amount that is probably unrealistic for young children. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to UV-B radiation from sunlight. The nutrient is essential for the development and maintenance of bones and the immune system, and deficiency can increase the risk of soft or brittle bones, infection, cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Yet the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants get no direct sunlight at all for the first six months of life, and that they wear protective clothing and sunscreen beyond that age – effectively ruling out the healthiest, most reliable source of this essential nutrient. Making matters worse, according to the CDC study, only 1 to 13 percent of children under the age of one take a vitamin D supplement. A second study in the same issue found a lower (but still high) rate of vitamin D deficiency, with 58 percent of newborns and 36 percent of mothers testing deficient. A full 30 percent of mothers who took prenatal vitamins were still deficient in vitamin D. Although increased sun exposure improved mothers’ vitamin D levels, it did not raise those of their infants. This further suggests that breast milk is a poor source of vitamin D and that infants need to be exposed to sunlight directly in order to synthesize the vitamin for themselves. Sources for this story include: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-03-22-vitamind22_ST_N.htm.

Lack of sunlight exposure causes mothers to give birth to babies with multiple sclerosis

(NaturalNews) A recent study out of Australia has found that natural sunlight plays a very important role in the development of unborn children. According to the research, mothers who get little sunlight during the first 90 days of their pregnancies bear children with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis later on in their lives. Once again, the connection between vitamin D and good health is clearly evident in a scientific study. Published in the British Medical Journal , the study revealed that when a pregnant woman fails to get enough sunlight during her pregnancy, the development of her child’s central nervous system and immune system becomes compromised. Consequently, her child will be more susceptible to developing MS as an adult. Researchers were able to verify the connection between low vitamin D levels and MS by evaluating a series of birth records from between 1920 and 1950. The records revealed that many MS patients born during this time period were born in the months of November and December in the Southern Hemisphere, which would have placed the early days of their development during the winter months when their mothers’ sunlight exposure was likely at a minimum. On the flip side, experts observed that very few of the MS patients were born between May and June, when their first trimesters would have landed during the warm summer months when sunlight exposure is maximized. “The risk of multiple sclerosis was around 30 percent higher for those born in the early summer months of November and December compared to the months of May and June,” explained researches in a statement about the study. Experts derived similar conclusions in studies conducted in the Northern Hemisphere as well. Most MS patients seem to have been in their first trimesters of development during the winter. In fact, cases of MS become increasingly more prevalent the further you travel away from the equator, indicating that sunlight exposure is directly linked to MS susceptibility. If natural sunlight is unavailable, mothers can always supplement with natural vitamin D3 in order to maintain their own health and to help ensure that their babies experience healthy development. Vitamin D3 supplementation is inexpensive and it is a great, simple way to maximize health and well-being. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63S65A20100429

High-risk prostate cancer associated with significantly lower bone mineral content loss

Men with prostate cancer lose significantly less bone mineral content (BMC) as they age than men who are free of the disease. The findings are important because loss of BMC can play a key role in the development of fragile bones, fractures and osteoporosis.

Beware of Umami – "Taste No. 5" – it’s just another name for MSG

(NaturalNews) The controversial food additive MSG may soon be making its way into consumers’ diets in a new form, marketed as the so-called fifth taste, or umami. Western scientists long believed that the tongue contained only four types of taste receptors — sweet, salty, sour and bitter — with the sense of smell supplying the remainder of a food’s taste. In 2000, however, researchers at the University of Miami discovered that the tongue also has receptors for the chemical glutamate, and that those receptors fire only in the presence of one of the other four tastes. In the presence of glutamate, foods gain a more pleasant flavor. The chemical occurs naturally in meats as well as in many fermented foods such as cheese, soy sauce and black bean paste. Other foods high in glutamate include Worcestershire Sauce and human breast milk. Western scientists dubbed the fifth taste “umami,” after the Japanese word for “savory.” The term had already been used as far back as 1908, when a Tokyo chemist identified the sensation and linked it to glutamate. This led to the development of a synthetic form of glutamate that could be added directly to food: monosodium glutamate (MSG). Because of health concerns associated with high levels of MSG consumption, many consumers choose to avoid foods with added (rather than naturally occurring) glutamate. Many have learned to look for some of the labels food manufacturers use to conceal added glutamate, including autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, protein isolate and soy extracts. Now a food writer has developed a new way to add glutamate to foods, with a new flavoring product dubbed “Taste No. 5.” Made from ingredients including pulped anchovy and porcini mushrooms, tubes of the product will soon be on sale across the United Kingdom. “I wanted to get away from the notion that umami is something of interest to scientists that no one else can really understand,” Taste No. 5 inventor Laura Santtini said. Sources for this story include: www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1249571/Umami-Tubes-Taste-No-5-set-revolutionise-cooking-fifth-taste.html.

Natural health news gets nuttier: research shows eating nuts lowers cholesterol

(NaturalNews) NaturalNews has covered how eating pistachios lowers the risk of lung cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027732_pistachios_cancer.html) and how a diet rich in nuts may help prevent age-related blindness (http://www.naturalnews.com/026369_risk_olive_oil_nuts.html). Walnuts appear to have breast cancer-fighting properties, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/026115_walnuts_health_cancer.html). And now there’s even more reason to be nuts about nuts — scientists have found new evidence that nuts are heart healthy because they dramatically improve blood cholesterol levels, without drugs. “Dietary interventions to lower blood cholesterol concentrations and to modify blood lipoprotein levels are the cornerstone of prevention and treatment plans for coronary heart disease,” Joan Sabate, M.D., of Loma Linda University and colleagues stated in their report, which was just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine . “Recently, consumption of nuts has been the focus of intense research because of their potential to reduce coronary heart disease risk and to lower blood lipid (fat and cholesterol) levels based on their unique nutritional attributes.” The Loma Linda University researchers investigated data from 25 international nut consumption trials involving 583 women and men with high cholesterol or normal cholesterol levels. Each study compared a control group of research subjects to a group assigned to specifically eat nuts regularly. None of the study participants took cholesterol lowering drugs such as Big Pharma’s widely prescribed statins. On average, the people in the trials who ate about 67 grams (approximately 2.4 ounces) of nuts each day had an overall reduction in total cholesterol levels of 5.1 percent. Even more important, there was a 7.4 percent drop in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is known as the “bad” cholesterol, and a significant 8.3 percent change in the ratio of LDL cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol that protects from heart disease. The news got even better when the scientists looked at the effect of nut consumption on high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream. These blood fats, when excessive, are known to contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease; triglycerides may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, too. The Archives of Internal Medicine report showed that eating nuts didn’t change healthy levels of triglycerides in the body. However, in people with high levels, a diet rich in nuts caused triglyceride levels to take a 10.2 percent nosedive. Bottom line: the researchers concluded the results of their study support the inclusion of nuts as a natural dietary therapy aimed at improving blood cholesterol levels. “Nuts are a whole food that have been consumed by humans throughout history. Increasing the consumption of nuts as part of an otherwise prudent diet can be expected to favorably affect blood lipid levels (at least in the short term) and have the potential to lower coronary heart disease risk,” the researchers stated. For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20458092 http://www.naturalnews.com/nuts.html

Link between vitamin D and basal cell carcinoma probed: Study sheds light on development of most common form of skin cancer

A new has shown a link between Vitamin D levels and basal cell carcinoma, a finding that could lead researchers to better understand the development of the most common form of skin cancer. In a small study, researchers found elevated levels of Vitamin D enzymes and proteins in cancerous tissue taken from 10 patients compared to normal skin tissue taken from them.

Alcohol Sharply Reduces Risk of Heart Disease in Men

(NaturalNews) A Spanish study on alcohol consumption revealed that men who consume large amounts of alcohol cut their risk of heart disease by more than a third. At the same time, excessive alcohol consumption, which is responsible for 1.8 million deaths a year, will increase one’s risk of developing many other diseases. The study analyzed 41,500 people, both men and women, between the ages of 29 and 69. Participants were followed for ten years and were asked to keep documentation about their drinking habits. What researchers found was that men who consumed alcohol daily reduced their risk of developing heart disease by 35 percent. Women did not experience the same results. More extreme levels of alcohol consumption among men, between three and eleven (or more) shots of hard liquor a day, suggested a 50 percent decrease in heart disease. It is believed that women do not experience the same effects from alcohol as men do because of differences in female hormonal activity and the methods by which females process alcohol. While partially unclear as to how it works logistically, scientists understand that consumption of alcohol tends to raise high-density lipoproteins, also known as “good” cholesterol, which prevents bad cholesterol from accumulating in the arteries. Intake of alcohol is linked to the development of another type of heart disease called cardiomyopathy, which is a weakening of the heart’s ability to adequately function. Such a condition can result in death if not dealt with properly. Experts reiterated the fact that while alcohol consumption may reduce one type of heart disease, it can cause many other problems including liver, brain, and pancreatic illnesses. The Stroke Association noted that high alcohol consumption increases one’s risk of having a stroke by 300 percent. While adding to existing literature on the subject of the alleged benefits of alcohol, experts from across the board warned people not to take the study as a license to binge drink. The risks far outweigh the benefits and, unless a person is very careful in monitoring his or her intake, he or she may easily go over what is considered moderate alcohol limits. Better ways to prevent heart disease include limiting intake of unhealthy fats and excess processed foods. Some nutrient-dense foods that are known to assist in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels include blueberries, grass-fed meats, wild salmon, garlic, avocados, coconut oil, dark green vegetables, apples and raw almonds. Sources for this story include: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8367141.stm, https://health.google.com/health/ref/Cardiomyopathy, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20