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The role of vitamins and minerals in the treatment of diabetes

The role of vitamins and minerals in the treatment of diabetesType 2 diabetes is spreading like a bushfire and is the major cause of vision loss, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, and leg amputations. Many people have insulin resistance, the early stage of type diabetes that is associated with fatigue, untimely hunger, and increasing weight. The diet plays a major role and according to a new review article that is published in Human Nutrition and Metabolism, various B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin E, and zinc influence insulin resistance and diabetes treatment. Previous research has also shown that chromium and magnesium play a role in insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation.

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Overview of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids

 

Overview of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids

Vitamins, minerals, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and Q10 are nutrients that we need in certain quantities in order to support vital body functions.
Nutritional supplements containing vitamins and minerals must be labeled in accordance with the reference values.

This overview serves as general information about the different vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids and how they work.

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THE VITAMIN AND MINERAL GUIDE

the Vitamin and Mineral Guide

Vitamin D’s effect on sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

Vitamin D’s effect on sclerosis and other autoimmune diseasesSclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, certain gastrointestinal infections, and a host of other diseases are so-called autoimmune diseases that occur as a result of the immune defense overreacting and attacking the body’s own tissues. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have now mapped out exactly how vitamin D regulates the immune system. In fact, vitamin D may have a positive effect on autoimmune diseases such as sclerosis. But at our latitude, this provides that we get enough vitamin D from the sun in the summertime and take vitamin D supplements in the winter period. Besides, it is a problem that being overweight both increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency and sclerosis, while lack of magnesium makes it difficult for the body to activate vitamin D.

Read more about vitamin D’s effect on sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

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Fish oil supplements during pregnancy give larger babies and provide other health benefits

Fish oil supplements during pregnancy give larger babies and provide other health benefitsOmega-3 fatty acids are essential, as they are needed to make cell membranes and support a host of biochemical functions. During pregnancy, there is a particular need for the two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA to support the growth and brain development of the child. Fish oil is a good source of these two fatty acids, and supplementing with them in the third trimester can prolong the pregnancy and increase birth weight, according to a Scandinavian study published in Journal of Nutrition. The study supports earlier studies of pregnant women, where it has been shown that fish oil lowers the risk of preterm delivery and complications such as development of disorders and death.

Read more about fish oil supplements in pregnancy and how they increase birth weight and provide other health benefits

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Super bacteria spread and the problem requires a strong immune defense

Super bacteria spread and the problem requires a strong immune defenseScientists have discovered traces of antibiotic-resistant super bacteria (NDM-1) in the soil of Svalbard. This archipelago is located in the arctic ocean between the North Pole and Norway, several thousand kilometers from India where the bacteria was originally discovered. This is described in a study that is published in the science journal, Environment International. Bacteria with the resistance gene NDM-1 have now spread to a number of other countries and many people have lost their lives to them. Humans are also challenged by other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the British health authorities consider this to be a larger threat to humans than climate change. But what causes these bacteria to develop resistance? And what vitamins and minerals are particularly important for bolstering the immune system? After all, our immune defense is our only way of protecting ourselves if antibiotics fail to work.

Read more about how super bacteria spread and why that requires a strong immune defense

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Unhealthy diet habits cause the majority of deaths

- and people are misguided

Unhealthy diet habits cause the majority of deathsUnhealthy eating habits account for one in five deaths globally and are now considered the single most life-threatening risk factor. In most countries, people could reap a lot of health benefits and live longer by eating healthier diets, but it would be wrong to hold each individual responsible because there is an urgent need for international collaboration that involves politicians, agriculture, the food industry, and the health sector, according to a new study (The Global Burden of Disease) that is published in The Lancet. An earlier and larger Czech study published in the science journal Nutrients calls for a paradigm shift with regard to diet recommendations, claiming that the scaremongering about saturated fat and cholesterol should never have been introduced.

Read more about unhealthy diets, why they are a major cause of death, and why people are misguided

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Vitamin B12 inhibits an enzyme that is involved in Parkinson’s disease

Vitamin B12 inhibits an enzyme that is involved in Parkinson’s diseaseParkinson’s disease, also known as shaking palsy, is one of the most common chronic disorders among older people. There is no effective cure at this point, and the only way to address the disease is to suppress the symptoms but that does not treat the underlying cause. Even though most cases of Parkinson’s disease are sporadic, it turns out that the hereditary variants of the disease are linked to mutations in a particular gene. A team of scientists from University of the Basque Country in Spain has discovered that vitamin B12 blocks the enzyme that is involved in these mutations. An earlier study has also shown that in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s patients who have low levels of vitamin B12 the disease develops faster than in patients with higher levels of the nutrient.
The scientists therefore recommend supplementing with vitamin B12 to prevent or at least delay the disease. Earlier studies also show that vitamin B3 and Q10 may have a positive effect. So the reason that Parkinson’s disease is especially likely to affect old people is that they are at increased risk of lacking these essential nutrients.

Read more about how vitamin B12 blocks an enzyme that is involved in Parkinson’s disease

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Remember vitamin B1 for energy, mood, and digestion

Remember vitamin B1 for energy, mood, and digestionVitamin B1 is particularly important for carbohydrate metabolism, mental balance, and the production of gastric juice, which is essential for your digestion. Deficiencies and poor utilization of the nutrient typically occur as a result of unhealthy diets, lack of magnesium, overconsumption of sugar, alcohol, and other stimulants, and regular use of birth control pills and diuretics. The reason why alcoholics can binge drink is chronic vitamin B1 deficiency and life-threatening brain inflammation, both of which are problems that require immediate attention, according to a new review article in StatPearls. It is also believed that large quantities of vitamin B1 may prevent mosquito bites, but is this really true?

Read more about vitamin B1 for energy, mood, and digestion

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Increased focus on mitochondrial disorders

- with links to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological disorders

Increased focus on mitochondrial disordersThe mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells that churn out energy in a process that involves oxygen, Q10, selenium, and other nutrients. Around 100 years ago, the German Nobel Prize winner, Professor Otto Warburg, demonstrated that even if cancer can be caused by a number of secondary factors, there is only one primary cause: alterations in the mitochondrial oxygen turnover. In his recent book, Tripping over the Truth, molecular biologist Travis Christoffersen describes how contemporary scientists confirm Warburg’s theories and says that we need to look at prevention and cancer treatment from an entirely different angle. Other studies show that Parkinson’s disease, migraine, senility, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders may be rooted in defects of the mitochondria that have many other functions besides delivering energy. It is therefore vital to take care of the mitochondria throughout life. You can read more about the ketogenic diet that optimizes mitochondrial energy turnover in different mitochondrial diseases.

Read more about the increasing focus on mitochondrial disorders with links to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological diseases.

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Intestinal disorders may be caused by too little vitamin D

Intestinal disorders may be caused by too little vitamin DIrritable bowel is the most common intestinal disorder and affects around 15 percent of the population. The symptoms are typically unstable digestion, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, and intestinal cramps. Several studies have shown that lack of vitamin D may cause the symptoms, and that taking a vitamin D supplement helps. This is because vitamin D is highly important for the intestinal immune defense and for controlling inflammation.

Read more about intestinal disorders and why they may be caused by a lack of vitamin D

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The relation between peripheral circulatory disorders and lack of omega-3 fatty acids

The relation between peripheral circulatory disorders and lack of omega-3 fatty acidsPeripheral circulatory disorders are primarily caused by clogged blood vessels in the extremities. Symptoms typically include walking-induced leg pain, cold hands and feet, or impotence caused by a poor blood supply. According to a new study that is published in the science journal Lipids, people with peripheral circulatory disorders have lower levels of omega-3 in their blood compared with people who do not suffer from these diseases. Omega-3 is believed to have several mechanisms that protect against atherosclerosis. It is also important to make sure to consume omega-3 in the right balance with omega-6.

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Overweight people have difficulty with utilizing vitamin D – and that may lead to complications

Overweight people have difficulty with utilizing vitamin D – and that may lead to complicationsVitamin D is important for our bones, cardiovascular system, immune defense, and for preventing cancer. Still, vitamin D supplements are less effective if you are overweight and that may lead to a variety of problems, according to a new study that is published in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. In other words, being overweight means that you have an increased need for vitamin D. Other studies even show that overweight individuals have an increased need for magnesium, which activates vitamin D in the liver and kidneys with help from different enzymes.

Read more about overweight people and their difficulty with utilizing vitamin D and why this may lead to a number of complications

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Vitamin B3 variant boosts blood cell production during cancer therapy

 Vitamin B3 variant boosts blood cell production during cancer therapySwiss scientists have observed that if you take a type of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside it increases the production of blood cells by improving their stem cells. This may help solve serious problems associated with anemia as a result of stem cell-based therapies that are used to treat leukemia and aggressive lymphomas.

Read more about the vitamin B3 variant that boosts blood cell formation during cancer therapy

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Chronic fatigue tied Alan to his bed but Q10 capsules saved him:

Chronic fatigue tied Alan to his bed but Q10 capsules saved him "After about one week of taking the Q10 supplement I could feel a huge difference," says 23-year old Alan Piccini, who has been suffering from extreme fatigue and muscle aches ever since he was a child.

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Cholesterol-lowering without side effects:

Cholesterol-lowering without side effects:“Taking capsules with co-enzyme Q10 has freed me of the severe side effects of my cholesterol lowering medicine,” Mrs Franken explains.
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