Supporters of the Vitamin D Council Low vitamin D in children linked to eczema severity
January 25, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Atopic dermatitis or eczema is an allergic, inflammatory, chronic, non-contagious and very itchy skin disorder. The skin of a patient with eczema reacts abnormally to irritants, foods, dust, mites, pollen and other allergens to become red, flaky and very itchy. The skin also becomes vulnerable to bacterial infections.

In the last several decades, eczema has become dramatically more common, especially among children. It now affects almost 20% of all children and up to 3% of adults in industrialized countries; its prevalence in the United States alone has nearly tripled in the past thirty years.

I have written about it before:

• Dear Dr Cannell: Sun exposure, vitamin D, and eczema. Posted on November 17, 2012 by John Cannell, MD
• Vitamin D and sun exposure: Eczema update. Posted on September 22, 2012 by John Cannell, MD
• Dear Dr. Cannell: Allergies. Posted on May 29, 2012 by John Cannell, MD

Dr Aysegul Akan and colleagues in Ankara, Turkey, have conducted an interesting study of 74 children with eczema whose initial average vitamin D levels was around 11 ng/ml. They conducted a cross-sectional study, looking at several factors at only one time period.

Akan A, Azkur D, Ginis T, Toyran M, Kaya A, Vezir E, Ozcan C, Ginis Z, Kocabas CN.  Vitamin D Level in Children Is Correlated with Severity of Atopic Dermatitis but Only in Patients with Allergic Sensitizations. Pediatr Dermatol. 2013 Jan 7.

The authors conducted skin tests on the kids to check for allergic sensitization. They also grouped the children as to the severity of their eczema as mild, moderate or severe. Continue reading → (no membership required) Does vitamin D affect my medication or does my medication affect my vitamin D?
January 24, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
More and more, the question arises: does vitamin D affect my medication or does my medication affect my vitamin D? Researchers recently conducted a thorough review of the world’s literature on drug-vitamin D interactions. Continue reading → (membership required) Vitamin D improves recovery time after injury
January 27, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
After injury, rats treated with large vitamin D doses had increased cellular turnover resulting in faster recovery compared to the placebo group. Continue reading → (no membership required) Is lack of sun exposure linked to cognitive decline?
January 28, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
Researchers out of the University of Alabama Birmingham recently report that lack of sun exposure may lead to cognitive decline over time. Continue reading →  (membership required)
Complications in heart surgery: Does D matter?
January 22, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers in Germany recently studied 4418 patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Find out what vitamin D levels resulted in the best outcomes and fewest complications. Continue reading →  (membership required)
Are you at risk for D deficiency during pregnancy?
January 23, 2013 -- Kate Saley
Recent research reports that having given birth two or more times, giving birth to more than one child at a time (e.g. twins), and non-tanned skin are significant risk factors for vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. Continue reading → (no membership required) Vitamin D blood test: Past and present debates, difficulties, and developments
January 26, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Recently Drs William Fraser and Anna Milan of the University of East Anglia in England wrote about the different methods used to measure vitamin D. Continue reading → (membership required)
Vitamin D level predicts mortality following surgery
January 23, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Research presented at the Society of Critical Care Medicine meeting reports that vitamin D deficiency before coronary artery bypass graft surgery predicts risk of mortality after 3 months. Continue reading → Vitamin D as possible breast cancer treatment
January 24, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
A study published this last week in the Journal of Cell Biology reports that researchers have uncovered a molecular pathway that contributes to triple-negative breast cancer, a deadly and treatment resistant form of cancer that often occurs in young women. Continue reading → Low vitamin D linked to sepsis, mortality
January 25, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Research reported at the Society of Critical Care Medicine meeting found that people who are vitamin D deficient have an increased risk of developing sepsis – a severe blood infection – and an increased risk of death if they develop sepsis. Continue reading → UK cancer group supports increased vitamin D through sensible sun exposure
January 28, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
The Vitamin D Society wishes to make Canadians aware of a new innovative Vitamin D and Skin Cancer Prevention program developed by Cancer Research UK. Continue reading → Dr Carol Wagner: Vitamin D safety during pregnancy
January 29, 2013
Don't miss the third Grassroots Health webinar!

Today at 10am PST Dr Carol Wagner will be discussing the question: "I already take vitamin D in my prenatal...Do I need more? How safe is it for pregnancy?"

Register here for today's webinar! Have a vitamin D question? You can submit your questions for Dr Wagner when you register.

Sun exposure: Is just a little bit enough?
January 16, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Some experts opine that brief sun exposure will supply all the vitamin D that one needs. However, there has never been a study of how much vitamin D such exposure generates.

Recently, researchers in Korea decided to find out. Dr. Sang-Hoon Lee and colleagues from the Ajou University School of Medicine in South Korea studied the effect of brief sun exposure on vitamin D levels in 20 young women for four weeks.

Lee SH, Park SJ, Kim KM, Lee DJ, Kim WJ, Park RW, Joo NS. Effect of sunlight exposure on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d concentration in women with vitamin D deficiency: using ambulatory lux meter and sunlight exposure questionnaire. Korean J Fam Med. 2012 Nov;33(6):381-9.

The study was conducted between October and November at latitude 37 degrees north, about the latitude of Washington DC. Initial mean 25(OH)D levels were 11 ng/ml and no woman had levels greater than 20 ng/ml to begin the study. The women were told to get 20 minutes of midday sun exposure on their hands, forearms and face every weekday for four weeks. Facial sunblock and sunglasses were permitted.

Guess how much 25(OH)D levels increased after a month of daily sun exposure? Vitamin D levels did not increase at all; in fact, they were a little lower than when the study began!

Why? I think four reasons may explain the finding. Continue reading → (no membership required) Vitamin D status of exclusively breastfed infants
January 20, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers at the University of Auckland recently found that vitamin D deficiency is quite common in exclusively breastfed infants in New Zealand. Continue reading → (membership required) Vitamin D: Most popular vitamin of 2012
January 19, 2013 -- Dr William Grant
There were 3,600 papers published about vitamin D in 2012. Dr Grant summarizes the top 16 vitamin D papers of this past year. Continue reading → (no membership required) Does vitamin D prevent formation of blood clots?
January 17, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark obtained vitamin D levels on more than 18,000 patients to find out if there is a link between D deficiency and blood clots. Continue reading → (membership required)
Vitamin D deficiency prevalent in autoimmune skin disorder
January 15, 2013 -- Kate Saley
Researchers in Egypt report a link between vitamin D deficiency and vitiligo, an autoimmune skin disease characterized by loss of pigmentation (brown color) from areas of the skin. Continue reading → (membership required) Calcium, magnesium levels linked to lung cancer risk?
January 18, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine recently studied calcium and magnesium intakes and incidence of lung cancer in 71,000 Chinese women. Continue reading → (no membership required)
Treatment of D deficiency: Oral supplement or vitamin D3 injection?
January 16, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Researchers recently conducted a randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness and practicality of oral vitamin D supplements compared to intramuscular vitamin D supplement injections in the treatment of vitamin D deficiency. Continue reading → Dr Michael Holick: What does the sun do for me?
January 22, 2013
Are you ready for the second Grassroots Health webinar?

Today at 10am PST Dr Michael Holick will be discussing the question: "What does the sun do for me?"

Register here for today's webinar! Have a vitamin D question? You can submit your questions for Dr Holick when you register.

Supporters of the Vitamin D Council New randomized controlled trial says, vitamin D prevents and delays multiple sclerosis
January 10, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
Good news for those at high risk for developing multiple sclerosis! A new study out of Iran reports that vitamin D supplementation can prevent or delay the onset of multiple sclerosis.

Often what is called “clinically isolated syndrome” (CIS) is the first neurological manifestation of multiple sclerosis. A patient will have a neurological symptom for the first time and their doctor will call this CIS. They will then order a brain MRI to check if the patient with CIS also has brain-lesions. If they do, the patient is at high risk of developing MS. In fact, in 90% of MS cases, CIS is the first clinical sign.

So what’s CIS? One of the most common types of CIS is optic neuritis. People with optic neuritis experience vision loss, as the optic nerve from the retina becomes inflamed.  Twenty-percent of patients with MS have optic neuritis, and vice-versa, 50% of patients with optic neuritis develop MS within 15 years.

When a patient experiences CIS and other tests determine the patient has a high risk for MS, the patient and doctor want to take immediate action to prevent or delay the onset of MS and disease progression.

In this study, researchers out of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences led by Dr Hajar Derakhshandi wanted to know, if a patient presenting with optic neuritis starts taking vitamin D, will they lower their risk or delay the onset of MS? Continue reading → (no membership required) Effect of supplementation on vitamin D status: Thin and obese women
January 12, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers recently conducted a randomized controlled trial examining the differences in serum vitamin D among thin and obese women. Continue reading → (membership required) Is low vitamin D linked to military suicide?
January 10, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health teamed up with military specialists from the Uniformed Services University of Health to produce a landmark study on suicide among active duty military service members. Continue reading → (membership required) Psoriasis: Topical vitamin D improves UV treatment
January 14, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Recently, researchers at Harvard discovered that topical application of an activated vitamin D drug increased the effectiveness of UV radiation for patients with psoriasis, a lifelong skin disease. Continue reading → (no membership required)
Senior health: Vitamin D and fall prevention
January 11, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently did a meta-analysis of falls and vitamin D dosing schedules. They looked at effectiveness of daily dosing versus monthly or quarter year dosing. Continue reading → (no membership required) Tanning, vitamin D status, and colds
January 13, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Recently, researchers of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands administered a two month course of sunbed exposure, only to find the effect on infection during that two months was minimal. Dr Cannell explains the details of the study. Continue reading → (membership required) Dear Dr Cannell: Flu season hits early
January 9, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Influenza kills about 350,000 people in the world, almost all in the winter. Older adults with chronic illnesses are at the highest risk. Continue reading → (no membership required) Alternative treatments for autism
January 7, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers recently published a review discussing complementary and alternative treatments for autism spectrum disorders. Continue reading → (membership required) Which is better to prevent cancer, sunlight or vitamin D?
January 5, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Scientists from the Netherlands asked a very important question, is prevention of cancer by sun exposure more than just the effect of vitamin D? Continue reading → (membership required) Do your supplements interact with your prescription medication?
January 6, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Have you ever wondered if any of your vitamins or supplements interacts with your prescription medications? Recently, researchers in China teamed up with experts in Illinois to review the entire issue. Continue reading → (no membership required)
Low vitamin D linked to headache
January 10, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Non-migraine headache is associated with vitamin D deficiency, according to researchers in Norway. Continue reading → New Zealand researchers to lead MS, vitamin D trial
January 8, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Researchers in New Zealand are taking part in a large clinical trial investigating whether vitamin D can help prevent multiple sclerosis (MS). Continue reading → Vitamin D may not ease knee osteoarthritis
January 11, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
According to a recent US study, taking vitamin D doesn’t keep knee pain from getting worse or slow the loss of cartilage for people with osteoarthritis. Continue reading → Free vitamin D webinar series starts today!
January 15, 2013
Grassroots Health is hosting a free webinar series featuring leading vitamin D scientists answering YOUR questions! Topics include:

"I already take vitamin D in my prenatal... do I need more? How safe is it for pregnancy?"
"What does the sun do for me?"
"How could vitamin D prevent type 1 diabetes?"

Webinars will be held Tuesdays, 10-10:30am PST. Submit your questions online!

This newsletter is in part made possible by the support of our sponsors

Vitamin D helps control lupus, says new randomized controlled trial
December 29, 2012 -- Kate Saley
A new randomized controlled trial out of Egypt reports that vitamin D can reduce the incidence of flare-ups in patients with SLE.

Dr Anna Abou-Raya, MD, PhD, and colleagues of the University of Alexandria in Egypt recently published results from a randomized controlled trial in which 267 SLE patients were randomized to receive 2,000 IU/day (n=178) vitamin D3 or a placebo (n=89) for 1 year. They also included a group of healthy control participants (n=175), to compare baseline characteristics between healthy patients and SLE patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. SLE occurs most often in women between the ages of 10 and 50. The disease often causes joint pain and swelling, with some experiencing arthritis, hair loss, mouth sores, sensitivity to sunlight, chronic fatigue, and chest pain. The course of the disease can be erratic, with periods of illness (flares) alternating with remissions. Continue reading → (no membership required) The latest on vitamin D and mortality
January 3, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers in Denmark recently published a study examining the association between vitamin D status and specific causes of death. Continue reading → (membership required) Vitamin D: Any help for dry skin?
December 25, 2012 -- John Cannell, MD
Dr Meghan Russell of Johnson and Johnson wanted to know if vitamin D applied topically could help with dry skin. Interesting results, though questions remain. Continue reading → (no membership required) Autism prevalence linked to UVB radiation?
January 4, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Dr Cannell and Dr. Grant analyzed UVB radiation in the US and found that areas with the highest surface UVB have about half as much autism as do areas with the lowest surface UVB. Continue reading → (membership required)
Vitamin D status: Survivors of childhood cancer
December 29, 2012 -- John Cannell, MD
Childhood cancer takes the lives of more children in the U.S. than any other disease. Recently, researchers in New York measured vitamin D levels in 484 children who had survived cancer. Continue reading → (membership required) A look back at 2012: a few key randomized controlled trials
December 31, 2012 -- Brant Cebulla
This past year, there were quite a few randomized controlled trials using vitamin D. We cover many of them here. Continue reading → (no membership required) Factors in MS: A wider perspective
December 28, 2012 -- Brant Cebulla
Recently, researchers examined several environmental factors implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS). Brant Cebulla discusses these factors that may contribute to the incidence and progression of the autoimmune disease. Continue reading → (membership required) Effects of school lighting on physical development and performance
December 25, 2012 -- John Cannell, MD
A researcher in Canada conducted a fascinating experiment on children, using both visible and UV wavelengths of light, to see if there were any changes in physical development or school performance. Continue reading → (membership required) A video presentation: Vitamin D reduces burden of respiratory infections
December 22, 2012 --  Brant Cebulla
A new randomized controlled published in the British Medical Journal finds that vitamin D reduces burden of respiratory infections and reduces the need for antibiotics, among other things. The Vitamin D Council breaks down these findings in a nice and easy video presentation. Continue reading → (no membership required) A dentist with multiple sclerosis
December 27, 2012 -- John Cannell, MD
A recent publication discusses an interesting case of a dentist who treated herself with vitamin D following a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Read her story. Continue reading → (membership required) Vitamin D during pregnancy and infant risk of eczema
December 24, 2012 -- Kate Saley
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics suggests that lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy may increase the risk of their offspring getting eczema, at least in the first year of their life. Continue reading → (membership required)
Research reveals link between vitamin D and military suicide
January 7, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
Research published this past week is the first to report that low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk for suicide in US military personnel. Continue reading → Vitamin D tied to breast cancer outcome
December 14, 2012 -- Vitamin D Council News
Vitamin D may be the reason why some women have better outcomes in the treatment of breast cancer, new research says. Continue reading → Vitamin D deficiency common in obese children
December 28, 2012 -- Vitamin D Council News
Recent research published in the journal Pediatrics reports vitamin D deficiency is extremely prevalent in overweight and obese children. Continue reading → Daily vitamin D helps reduce falls in elderly
January 4, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council News
A recent meta-analysis reports that daily vitamin D supplementation helps reduce falls among seniors living in long term care facilities. Continue reading → --

First of all, Thank You for making my website a place of interest to you.

I actually spend maybe a half hour a week on this website, plus I  read every day the latest happenings in the health field.  After working fifty years in the health field and having a healthy curiosity about how the world and our body works,  I have accumulated  some information that works for me.  I believe this information has the potential to help you also. The information  I tell you is not likely be told to you by your health providers.  (I believe that is the wrong name to call them. They are not health providers;  they treat disease)!  For those who are very informed I send my congratulations.  I wish I knew your name.

My objective is to minimize the causes (or prevention) of disease.  The so called "diseases of civilization" are frequently the result of our diets and our life style. Lets face it,  our ancestors lived in a wild environment. They ate what was available. So, when available they ate wild meat, roots and berries and fruit of various kinds.  They did not eat grains except on a very rare basis.  Probably grains only when nothing else was available or as supplement to their diet.  There was no sugar!  Their diet was not something that came out of a box or a fast food outlet, or fed in a feeding pen.

I believe our ancestors lived a more nutritionally healthy life style. What killed them was the environment or the hazards of living in a era where lack of treatment  for very simple infections/illness would kill them.  Presently, we have learned that we can take care of the simple illnesses and the more complicated diseases  through medical treatment after the disease has manifested itself.  However, as a general rule prevention of disease or illness is not taught by providers, or it is taught incorrectly.

As a example, did you know that a tooth ache can kill you? The complication to be feared is a tooth ache of the upper jaw that is left untreated.  It can abscess to the brain.  In recent history, I have actually heard  a case of this happening .  It also happened all the time in era's gone by before dental care and antibiotics.  What information I am going to share with you now is (in my opinion) what you should be doing to have a healthy longer life.  One with greatly reduced stress and more enjoyable because of  that.
 
Your cost for this information from me is zero.   For you to have this healthy style the actual cost most likely will be less than 30 or 40 dollars a month.  It actually requires a little time in the kitchen preparing  special food.   Time in the kitchen could be best spent as a family project which would be educational, as well as a healthy en devour for your family. The total cost would be for your family and not a individual cost.

VITAMIN D

I will say it again, take 1,000 iu of vitamin D3 per 25 lbs of body weight.  So, that would be 4,000 iu for 100 lb person and 8,000 iu for a 200 lb person. Purchase D3 from one supplier (Brand) of vitamin D and do not shop a different supplier once you decide on one source.  The quality can vary and the dose in the pills varies depending on what kind of quality the manufacture decides to make the D3 with.   You should Avoid D2 as it is a prescription  drug and they tend to dose you once a week or month. There are down sides to this kind of dosing and D2 is inferior in many ways. Once a day dose is the best way.  You should have  your vitamin D level( blood test) checked at least once a year.  You need to ask your MD to order this for you.   Remember and record that number as I believe it is more important than any of your cholesterol numbers.    I consider 70 to 100 ng/ml  an optimum level for the lab result .

I must also say some of the recent information out there suggests that the best source of vitamin D is sunlight.  Sunlight that occurs when your shadow is shorter than your height. Forget about getting sunlight if you are in NY state or similar as a year around source. We only get that kind of sun from May to September.  So you are forced to take a supplement or get a sun lamp. If you go the sun lamp route get a low pressure one.  Use the sun lamp 15 to 20 minutes a day if you are white and five times as long if your skin is very black. Do not cause reddening of the skin and resulting inflammation.  As you tan you will require more time to get the same benefits. Just the way it works,  so avoid tanning as it will increase the time you need to be in the sun or use a sunlamp.

There are studies out that support the hypothesis that sunlight reduces the incidence of MS attacks. Sunlight works better than the equivalent amount of vitamin D in a supplement. What is there about sunlight independent of vitamin D to cause this decrease in MS attack rate?  No one knows. As a aside note, my wife loves the sun and light. She says she feels better. The first thing she does in the morning when arising from sleep is to open the shades and let the sun shine in. I can not argue that. Our ancestors where born and lived in the sun all day long and without clothes.

MAGNESIUM

Our average diet is absolutely terrible. Magnesium is not there in adequate amounts. Go to the doctor and he will test for magnesium and probably tell you it is with in normal limits. He or she maybe correct but there is a excellent chance they are wrong. The test is not a good one. The magnesium in the blood stream is represented by only one percent of total body magnesium. So, it is a poor reflection of what is actually going on with magnesium in the body.

Point two:  If you take vitamin D your magnesium level is lower than what it was before you started taking vitamin D. Vitamin D uses magnesium to make the hormone it is turned into.  This is not a good place to be. Low magnesium has many bad effects and I will list only a few. Low magnesium is associated with irregular heart rate ( including atrial fibrillation), sudden cardiac arrest and restless leg.
A caveat or two.  If you have poor kidneys do not take magnesium. Magnesium is very well tolerated in people with healthy kidneys, but it will accumulate in those who are kidney deficient. Bladder infections have nothing to do with kidney malfunction so it is tolerated well in those subject to bladder infections. IF YOU ARE BEING TREATED FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION,  DO NOT TAKE MAGNESIUM. IT HAS BEEN NOTED TO STOP THE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, SOMETIMES,  AND IF YOU ARE NOT PROPERLY ANTI COAGULATED, IT MAY CAUSE A CLOT TO COME LOSE.
Do you have bladder infections? Stick with me and I will tell you something that will greatly reduce that problem and perhaps eliminate it.

FEEL BETTER BRAIN-GUT

What!

As fetuses In the womb, we started out with just a couple of cells and they divided. One particular group of cells is called the the ectoderm. This is a very early group of cells that divide and give rise to quite a few different organs. What is of interest here to me, is that this one group of cells are the same ones that caused the brain and guts to form. , They maintain a connection by way of the vagus nerve. They talk to each other via this route. Interestingly,  the word vagus means to wander and the vagus nerve does indeed wander. It goes all the way from the brain to the gut. It is a two way street. Now what I am going to say is backed up by all kinds of research. I will not attempt to document this research here, but you can.  It is at your fingertips....just use your search engine.

There are good bacteria and bad bacteria. Some are helpful guys and the others ( bad guys) try to make you sick. Our American diet supports the bad guys. Sugars and carbohydrates feed the bad guys.  They feed on sugar and carbs.  They cause swelling of the gut and are opportunistic to make you sicker if some kind of opening occurs such as in appendicitis or diverticulitis. They also tend to make you feel poor with anxiety and stress. Maybe even depression. As a aside, do you recall people saying, "I got a feeling in my gut it was wrong". Is the gut talking to the brain?

It is also a fact that 80 to 85% percent of your immune function is located in the gut. Poor immune function and you are subject to a increase in every disease which is associated with swelling, and that is all diseases. All diseases result in inflammation in the body.  Your ability to fight a disease  is decreased with poor immune function.   Having a poor immune function contributes to more illnesses.

I just report the facts here. I have heard many times you start messing and talking with people about religion, politics, and sex you are asking for problems. A person's diet is right in there too.  Research also tells us that sugar and carbs are addicting,  Just like cigarettes, cocaine, and alcohol. I am just the messenger here. So give me a break, and I will give you the good news.

The good guys ( healthy germs/bacteria, how can that be possible) make you healthier.  These healthy germs reduce swelling, anxiety, stress and bring your immune function up to full potential. They also talk to your brain with chemical messengers!  You have eaten these good bacterias in your diets many times, but did not recognize them. I am taking about yogurt, cheeses of all kinds, and  sauer brauten ( fermented meat) and sauer kraut ( fermented cabbage). Our grand parents fermented a lot of food, as it was a way of preserving food because refrigeration was non existent.  So they where doing all these good things for themselves out of necessity to survive. They did not realize it was so good for them.  One more thing....  sauer kraut bought in a store is not fermented.  It is made from vinegar and cabbage.

K2
A vitamin in fermented foods. You can buy it as a supplement and it will be helpful, but it will not do what the previous paragraph states. The K2 is in fermented foods and it will be produced in your gut ( sort of a gut factory for K2) when you eat sufficient amounts of fermented foods. What is sufficient? Two to three ounces of sauer kraut will have ten TRILLION colonies. Yogurt, if not pasteurized, can contain 70 BILLION colonies. How about a probiotic pill?

With one exception that I know of, pro biotic pills contain one to one half billion colonies. You need a high count because stomach acid and bile tend to kill the bacteria and of them few survive the transition to the small intestine from the stomach.
So;  lets say you eat your very good fermented food and then for lunch you have a soda and bread and some sort of pasta...All this sugar and carbs break down in to SUGAR. You just killed off a whole bunch of those good bacteria. The point is if you want this good bacteria to help you you must have it every day to refresh the source.

But why worry about k2. What does it do. It tells calcium where to go. Preferentially, you want calcium in the bones and not in the coronary arteries. Did you know that the leading indicator of a heart attack is calcium in the coronary arteries.  Impotency is caused too, as blood flow is interrupted.  Need a pill to aid with impotency and you are very likely a good candidate for a heart attack. Small blood vessels plug easier than larger ones. The good news is that a study recently out shows that 50% of the calcium in the arteries is removed in six months by k2 and therefore blood flow improved  A caveat. K2 WILL REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BLOOD THINNERS. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE BEING TREATED FOR BLOOD THINNERS WITHOUT A DOCTORS SUPERVISION.  For people not on anti coagulants there will be no effect on your ability to coagulate.

BLADDER INFECTIONS

A bladder infection is caused by e coli bacteria from the gut getting into the bladder with resulting extreme pain and bleeding. If your gut bacteria is predominantly the good guys, who do not cause infection, it will be very difficult to get a infection of the bladder. The causative agent is not there...or minimal.

TURMERICr
A yellow spice and is frequently seen all curries and rice in Indian restaurants. Mustard too. Testing shows that a cup of turmeric is not toxic, so it is very safe. Put it in your food when cooking and/or take a pill a day. It is almost tasteless in food, but will give your food a nice yellow color.

The benefits are many. It is a non steroidal anti inflammatory. Sort of like Advil, but without the side effects of non steroidal over the counter pain killers. For pain it may be necessary to take as much as 2.5 gms of it. Something to think about if you do not tolerate Advil, Aleve, Mobic and Celbrix, these kind of medications. Your favorite vitamin store has it but can get pricey. I make my own capsules with a capsule machine.

A additional advantage. It has been shown that turmeric shuts down cancer cells. It causes them to die, or apoptosis as they say. I think of it as a preventive of cancer. Done it for years and years and so far so good. I will be 73 next month.

STATINS
I don't like them. For every benefit there is a down side and side effects run up to fifteen percent for those taking them. Statins are based on a theory that is unproven and is very profitable for the drug companies. Did you know that over two thirds of the people who are on the FDA board to approved drugs are connected to drug companies. You might check out web site:   www.Mercola.com.  He has a blog that goes into the research on statins. You can decide for yourself.

FLU SHOTS
I don't like them. Again, I think about the relationship of government with the drug companies above. Many times they do not work because they guess which virus will be the one to come in the coming season, and it is a wrong guess. There is one side effect that is truly scary. It is called Gillian-Barré and causes a kind of paralysis. Rare but it happens.  There is a law if you suffer side effects of the flu vaccine you can not sue. Who are they protecting here?  It is a fact that 60 % of all flu infections are prevented by optimized vitamin D.  Does fermented foods reduce that more?  Don't know about that, but if your immune system fights off infection ( it does) and you improve your immune function with fermented foods,  it seems to me that would be the case.

B12
A lack of B12 can cause symptoms of back pain, numbness of feet and hands and a condition resembling Alzheimer disease. Treatment with one mg of B12 a day will make all these things go away, if that is the causative problem. Who is at risk? Anyone over the age of fifty because as you age, the acid content of your stomach reduces and you can not absorb the proper amount of B12 from meat unless the acid content is normal. Anyone who takes a anti acid product or is treated for acid reflux is at great risk. If there is minimal acid there the B12 will be very poorly absorbed . One caveat. Normals on the test for B12 are not the most enlightening. A test that says normal for young person is fine, but you need a higher than normal test if you are older.  There is no overdose of B12. So no worries there. I take 2.5 mg every other day....

YOUR JOB
So it is up to you. Does  your medical provider  tell you this stuff.?  They are not taught it, this information is frequently new information and they don't as a rule read up on prevention. They treat disease! This is not to say there are not very good Doctors, Nurse practitioners and Physician Assistants out there who know this stuff. If they do,  it is because they have as much curiosity about this prevention as I do, or they have read my blog. They are not taught this information and if they were (extremely unlikely) it is dated information.

One last caveat. If you have a illness it is up to you to ask questions and understand what is going on with you. Read everything you can on the subject and ask your Medical person his opinion on the fine points of the disease and treatment. Finally, do not go to a medical person you do not like or trust. Liking him or her is part of the treatment. After all you are paying him.

If any one wants to comment on this information, I would like to hear from you.  I appreciate any and all feedback received.
Keep Yourselves Healthy!

BB --