Beauty Health for Life

New information now reveals a clear picture of how this amazing nutrient works at the cellular level while prompting the expression of more than 3000 individual genes to protect us against many lethal forms of cancer and heart disease as well. You can dramatically reduce your risk of illness and extend your healthy lifespan by making sure your blood is saturated at an optimal level with Vitamin D.

Research has determined that virtually every cell in the human body has evolved with a Vitamin D receptor (VDR) which needs to be filled with circulating Vitamin D from our blood. Insufficient levels of the nutrient means that cellular receptors will be left open to be hijacked by a rogue virus. This can pave the way for infection by the influenza virus or eventually lead to a greatly increased risk of cancer.

According to a study published in Genome Research, Vitamin D regulates genes which provide protection against many forms of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D specifically binds with these genes to provide a protective shield which dramatically reduces our risk of disease. Vitamin D also acts as a master blueprint for cellular replication, guiding the DNA strands with instructions to accurately divide during mitosis and provides critical guidance to prevent cellular proliferation, a hallmark of cancer metastasis.

The results of a study presented to the American College of Cardiology show that correcting deficient Vitamin D blood levels can reduce the risks associated with coronary artery disease. Study participants were given Vitamin D supplements to raise their blood level well beyond the current minimum erence point and were followed for a period of a year to assess their risk for cardiovascular disease. While this study didn`t provide an explanation for the 47% risk reduction, other research has shown that Vitamin D can lower systemic inflammation throughout the body which promotes healthy arteries and lowers blood pressure.

As much as 85% of the adult population is Vitamin D deficient, needlessly placing themselves at considerable risk for a variety of diseases ranging from flu and the common cold to heart disease and cancer. Sun exposure and multi vitamins are inconsistent sources of Vitamin D as we lose the ability to convert the nutrient to its active form on our skin as we age.

The only way to accurately determine if you need to supplement is by having your blood tested. Be sure to request a 25(OH)D blood test which yields the most accurate results. Optimal levels are between 50 and 70 ng/mL. If you test below this level you`ll need to supplement with an oil-based gelcap form of Vitamin D. Most people find that 1000 IU is needed to raise the blood level by 10 ng/mL.

Deficient levels of Vitamin D are responsible for millions of needless deaths and much suffering each year. Extensive research has shown exactly how this mega nutrient works on the cellular level to provide lowered risk from many lethal conditions including cancer and heart disease. Those interested in lowering disease risk will want to have a simple blood test and supplement accordingly to reap a multitude of health benefits.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America, affecting nearly one million people and taking the lives of 150,000 each year. Researchers publishing in the American Heart Association journalStroke have found that increased consumption of white fleshy vegetables and fruits such as apples and pears leads to a dramatic decline in both incidence and death from a stroke.

This study is the first to differentiate between different colors in fruits and vegetables and the risk for developing a specific disease or illness. Beneficial phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids found in the white flesh and skin of apples and pears can dramatically lower your risk of suffering the devastating physical damage caused by a stroke.

Nutrition scientists have long known that the brightly colored skin and flesh of fruits and vegetables confer the health benefits normally associated with eating these foods. To further examine this link, researchers examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable color group consumption and contrasted with 10-year stroke incidence in a cohort of 20,069 adults, with an average age of 41. Participants were disease free at the outset of the study and were asked to complete a 178-item food frequency questionnaire detailing foods consumed over the past year.

Fruit and vegetable consumption was broken into four distinct groups, based on pigment color: Green, including dark leafy vegetables, orange/yellow, mostly citrus fruits, red/purple, mostly red vegetables and white, of which 55 percent were apples and pears. Follow up proceeded for a period of ten years during which time 233 strokes were confirmed. Green, orange/yellow and red/purple varieties of fruits and vegetables were found to have no correlation to stroke incidence.

White fleshed fruits and vegetables demonstrated a 52% lower incidence of stroke over the ten-year period when those consuming the highest amounts were compared to the group with the lowest intake. The researchers found that each 25 gram per day increase in white fruits and vegetable consumption was associated with a 9 percent lower risk of stroke (the average apple is 120 grams).

The lead study author from Wageningen University in the Netherlands concluded“To prevent stroke, it may be useful to consume considerable amounts of white fruits and vegetables… For example, eating one apple a day is an easy way to increase white fruits and vegetable intake.” Apples and pears are high in a nutrient known as quercetin and fiber that may convey part of the stroke risk reduction. It`s critical to eat a diet packed with fruits and vegetables of all colors to take advantage of the unique disease-fighting characteristics to be uncovered for a multitude of different carotenoids and flavonoids in future research studies.