Alzheimer’s Disease how to fight Naturally

A new study reports on the benefit of high dose Vitamin E in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. Compared to placebo, patients taking Vitamin E had slower functional decline and needed less caregiver assistance.

Read more about this research below: A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported on the benefits of vitamin E supplementation in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers sought to determine if vitamin E, memantine (an ACE inhibitor), or both would slow progression of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial involved 613 patients with mild to moderate AD. Participants were randomized to receive 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin E, 20 milligrams of memantine, a combination of both, or a placebo daily. Average follow-up was 2.3 years. Patients were analyzed on their capability to perform daily living activities, memory and language, cognitive function, behavioral and psychological issues, and the time needing caregiver assistance. The data was measured and collected at the beginning of the study and every six months during the trial. Over the years of follow-up, scores declined by 3.15 units less in the Vitamin E group compared with the placebo group. In the memantine group, the scores declined 1.98 units less than the decline in the placebo group. Compared to the placebo group, those taking Vitamin E had an average delay in clinical progression of 19% per year, or approximately 6.2 months over the follow-up period. Patients receiving the vitamin also needed less caregiver assistance in comparison with the placebo group. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality or safety issues reported between the placebo and Vitamin E groups. This study showed that high dose Vitamin E appears to slow functional decline and caregiver burden in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. Maurice W. Dysken, MD et al. Effect of Vitamin E and Memantine on Functional Decline in Alzheimer Disease: The TEAM-AD VA Cooperative Randomized Trial JAMA. 2014;311(1):33-44. Source: USANA Health Sciences Essentials of Health

Extend the Healthspan

Multivitamins are not miracles… but they are important. This week’s (December 16, 2013) headlines stated that adults should stop taking multivitamin/mineral supplements (MVM) as they have no apparent health benefit and may potentially be harmful. We at the Linus Pauling Institute believe that these conclusions are wrong and ignore the totality of the evidence from decades of nutrition research.

Vitamins and minerals are needed by the body to maintain normal cell function, metabolism, and growth. If we don’t get enough of these essential nutrients, normal functioning of the body is impaired and health declines. Current evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) shows that the large majority of the US population falls short of getting the recommended levels of many vitamins and minerals from their diet. For example, more than 90% of US adults do not meet the recommendations for vitamins D and E; 50-60% do not meet the recommendations for vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium; and more than 40% do not consume enough vitamin C. To be clear, these recommended levels of vitamins and minerals are the minimum amounts that nutrition research has found necessary to maintain good health. But there is some good news: there is support that people consuming a daily MVM containing the recommended amounts of most vitamins and minerals can fill these nutritional gaps safely, conveniently and at very low cost – less than a nickel a day. Heart illlustration filled with vegetabls, logo of DOH Conference. In addition to supporting normal body function, vitamins and minerals also may play a role in chronic disease prevention. For example, the largest and longest clinical trial of MVMs conducted to date, the Physicians’ Health Study II (PHS II), found a significant reduction in total cancer incidence in male physicians 50 years and older, excluding prostate cancer. Although the declines were not large, if every adult in the US took an MVM it could possibly prevent up to 130,000 cases of cancer each year. The PHS II also found a significant reduction in the incidence of cataracts. These findings of PHS II are consistent with those of several other clinical trials and are even more impressive given the fact that conventional clinical trial designs are biased against showing health benefits of essential nutrients. Therefore, taking a daily MVM supplement will not only help fill the known nutritional gaps in the average American diet, thereby assuring normal biological function and metabolism and supporting good health, but may also have the added benefit of reducing cancer and cataract risk (a bonus!) – which no existing pharmaceutical drug can do! To say the ‘case is closed’ and label MVM supplements as useless, harmful, or wasteful is non-scientific and does not serve public health.

Do you need to fish for Good Health

Health Basics

• Provides advanced and guaranteed levels of EPA and DHA, two long-chain omega-3 fatty acids important for memory and learning*
• Supports sound cardiovascular, immune, health and joint health*
• Critical for promoting healthy pregnancies and healthy babies*
• Plays a role in many important cellular processes critical to the body's survival*

BiOmega Difference

Each capsule delivers 100 IU of vitamin D

Formulated with lemon oil to eliminate the fishy aftertaste associated with most fish oil supplements

USANA DifferenceEffective

Safe

Science-based

Pharmaceutical Quality

BiOmega
You know that fish oil is really good for you because it contains important omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to brain development , cellular function, and immune, joint, and cardiovascular health. But storing fish and cooking it properly is a hassle. And when you have a busy lifestyle, eating fish out every night can get pretty pricey, pretty quick. BiOmega is a fish oil supplement that’s easy to take every day, especially when you don’t feel like you’re getting enough fish in your diet. What makes BiOmega exceptional is that it has all the benefits of fish oil in a convenient gel capsule, and it is essentially free of harmful contaminants like mercury because of its double distillation process. It also contains concentrated doses of DHA, a beneficial fat that supports memory and learning, and is greatly recommended for pregnant women.* And BiOmega contains an additional dose of vitamin D, a nutrient found deficient in the average diet. BiOmega is also formulated with lemon oil to kill the fishy aftertaste found in other fish oil supplements. Because of its exclusive advantages, when you buy BiOmega, you know you’re getting quite the catch!

Top US Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame

The #1 Children's Vitamin Brand in the US contains ingredients that most parents would never intentionally expose their children to, so why aren't more opting for healthier alternatives?
Kids vitamins are supposed to be healthy, right? Well then, what's going on with Flintstones Vitamins, which proudly claims to be "Pediatricians' #1 Choice"?  Produced by the global pharmaceutical corporation Bayer, this wildly success brand features a shocking list of unhealthy ingredients, including:

• Aspartame
• Cupric Oxide
• Coal tar artificial coloring agents (FD&C Blue #2, Red #40, Yellow #6)
• Zinc Oxide
• Sorbitol
• Ferrous Fumarate
• Hydrogenated Oil (Soybean)
• GMO Corn starch

Full story click here

Best Multivitamins

Most multivitamins you buy at your local store are not carefully formulated to give you the optimal nutrition you need. Their manufacturers use low-quality ingredients that are not potent or bioavailable enough to be beneficial. They may meet the government’s recommended daily intake guidelines (or not), but they don’t use the nutrient forms that are most easily absorbed by your body.
For these reasons, the vast majority of multivitamins available today are simply not good enough to spend your hard-earned money on. You want the benefits of the best vitamin and mineral supplement you can find, but you’re not sure how to find the best multivitamins to take. We always recommend doing your own research instead of trying to wade through the marketing noise of most vitamin companies, and this Multivitamin Guide is a good start.
We’ve done exhaustive scientific analysis of over 100 vitamin brands, including popular supplements such as Centrum, One-A-Day, GNC, Shaklee, Nutrilite/Amway, Equate, Nature Made, NOW Foods, Melaleuca, and Puritan’s Pride. We’ve also included many brands that are not so recognizable, including Xtend-Life, Douglas Labs and USANA.
Each of the reviewed vitamins was evaluated against four criteria, including synergistic effect, composition, bioavailability, and potency. Each supplement received a score ranging from 0 to 10 to help you easily compare the effectiveness of the different brands and determine the best multivitamin to take.

How effective are the vitamins you currently take?

The table below provides a summary of the Effectiveness Scores of some of the more popular vitamin supplement brands available on the market. For the best vitamins, look for a score of 8.0 or above, which is considered excellent.
Most widely available supplements scored low in our review, while eight relatively unknown brands were the best scoring products Effectiveness scores of the most popular multivitamin brands

Company	Product	Effectiveness	Rank
Xtend-Life	Total Balance	9.6	1
Douglas Laboratories	Ultra Preventive X	9.4	2
USANA Health Sciences	Essentials	9.3	3
Shaklee	Vitalizer Gold	8.9	4
Source Naturals	Life Force Multiple	8.7	5
FreeLife	Reverse!	8.6	6
Nutrilite (Amway, Quixtar)	Double X	8.3	7
Life Extension Foundation	Life Extension Mix	8.2	8
Vitamin Research Products	Extended Plus	7.9	9
Karuna	Maxxum 4	7.9	10
Solgar	Omnium	7.8	11
Ultimate Nutrition	Super Complete	7.7	12
SportPharma	Multiguard	7.6	13
Dr. Julian Whitaker's	Forward Multi-Nutrient	7.6	14
Metagenics	Multigenics Intensive Care	7.2	15
Mountain Naturals of Vermont	Superior Care	7.1	16
amni	Added Protection III	7.0	17
Purity Products	Perfect Multi Focus Formula	7.0	18
GNC	GNC Mega Men Sport	6.9	19
Doctor's Nutrition	Mega Vites	6.8	20
DaVinci Laboratories	Spectra	6.8	21
Nutrition Dynamics	Optimum Health Essentials	6.8	22
TwinLab	Daily One Caps with Iron	6.7	23
FoodScience of Vermont	Superior Care	6.6	24
Puritan's Pride	High Potency Ultra Vita Time Release	6.5	25
Colgan Institute	Formula MCS	6.4	26
Rainbow Light	Advanced Nutritional System	6.4	27
NOW Foods	Multiple Vitamins - Liquid Gels	6.4	28
EAS	Multi-Blend	6.3	29
Mannatech	PhytoMatrix	6.2	30
Nature's Way	Alive! Whole Food Energizer	6.1	31
Jean Carper's	Stop Aging Now!	6.0	32
Natural Factors	MultiStart	5.9	33
Advanced Physician's Products	Maximum MultiVitamin/Mineral without Iron	5.8	34
EcoNugenics	Longevity Rhythms Gold	5.8	35
Solaray	Iron-Free Spectro Multi-Vita-Min	5.8	36
Nature's Blend	Vitaminix Ultimate	5.6	37
Pharmanex (Nu Skin)	LifePak Prime	5.4	38
Melaleuca	Vitality Pak	5.3	39
Herbalife	Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex	5.3	40
QCI Nutritionals	Ultra Vitality #1	5.2	41
KAL	Multiple Energy	5.2	42
Essentials by Megafood	Essentials for Life	5.2	43
Optimox	Androvite	5.1	44
Swanson Ultra	Whole Food Multi without Iron	5.0	45
Jarrow	Multi E-Z Powder	5.0	46
Great Earth	TNT - Total Nutrition Tablet	5.0	47
Nikken	Kenzen Mega Daily 4	4.9	48
Garry Null's	Supreme Health Formula	4.8	49
Thorne Research	Al's Formula	4.8	50
Atkins	Basic #3	4.7	51
Vitamin World	Daily 3 With Antioxidant Factors	4.7	52
PhytoPharmica	Clinical Nutrients	4.7	53
Centrum	Silver	4.6	54
4Life	BioVitamins Type III	4.5	55
Bronson Laboratories	Performance Edge	4.5	56
One A Day	Essential	4.5	57
Country Life	Maxine	4.4	58
Nature Made	Multi Complete	4.3	59
Quest	Maximum Once A Day	4.2	60
Nature's Bounty	Green Source Vegetarian Formula	4.1	61
Matol	Matolife	4.1	62
Greens+	Multi+	3.9	63
Michael's Naturopathic Programs	Pedia Vites	3.8	64
Natrol	My Favorite Multiple Original	3.8	65
Nu-life	Ultimate One	3.7	66
Jamieson	Super Vita-Vim	3.7	67
Walgreens	Ultra Choice Premium	3.5	68
Swiss Natural Sources	Super Adult Chewable	3.4	69
Ripple Creek	Mega-100 (Slow Release)	3.3	70
Thompson	Human Nature Green Multi	3.0	71
Safeway Select	Super Multivitamin	2.9	72
Perfect Choice	Multivitamin Specially Formulated	2.9	73
Watkins	Superfood Multiple	2.8	74
Vitamin Power	Power Source 100	2.8	75
Pilgrim's	Silver Stars Multi	2.7	76
Absolute Nutrition	Dieters' Multi's	2.7	77
Nature's Sunshine	Super Supplemental Vitamins and Minerals	2.7	78
Freeda Vitamins	Ultra Freeda Iron-Free	2.7	79
ZonePerfect	Multi Vitamin & Mineral	2.6	80
Sisu	Only One	2.5	81
Schiff	Single Day	2.4	82
Nature's Plus	Uitra One	2.0	83
Kirkland Signature (Costco)	Daily Multi	1.9	84
Sunkist	Multi-Men's	1.7	85
Lifestyles	Lifecycles	1.6	86
Western Family	Multra Forte	1.3	87
Avon	VitAdvance Complete Multivitamin	1.2	88
Flora	MultiCaps	1.2	89
Reliv	Classic	1.1	90
Sundown	Complete Ultra	0.9	91
YourLife	Super Multi with Herbs	0.9	92
Rite Aid	Whole Source	0.8	93
21st Century	One Daily Maximum	0.7	94
Spring Valley	Maximum One Dally	0.6	95
Life Brand	Optimum	0.6	96
Good Neighbor Pharmacy	Balanced Care Complete Multi	0.6	97
Kroger	Advanced Formula Complete	0.6	98
Equate	One Daily	0.6	99
Action Labs	Essential Nutrients	0.5	100
Geritol	Complete	0.4	101

Low folate and vitamin B12 levels may increase risk of age-related macular degeneration

At a Glance

New research indicates a potential association between low blood levels of folate and vitamin B12 and an increased risk of macular degeneration. 

Read more about this research below. 
  Previous research has revealed a potential relationship between serum homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but overall results have been inconsistent.

In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers sought to determine whether serum homocysteine and intakes and serum levels of vitamin B12 and folate were related to AMD incidence. 

The study included adults aged 55 and older that had their blood drawn between 1997-1999 to determine serum levels of folate, B12, and homocysteine. Retinal photographs of 1,760 participants were taken in 2002-2004 and 2007-2009 to assess AMD.  Dietary and supplemental intakes of folate and B12 were assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire.

Researchers adjusted for potential confounding factors such as age, gender, smoking, white blood cell count and fish consumption. Subjects who were deficient in serum B12 had a 58% increased risk of early AMD and were more than 2.5 times more likely to develop AMD overall. Folate deficiency was associated with a 75% increase in early AMD and an 89% increase in the risk of AMD by the 10 year follow-up. High homocysteine levels were also related to a significant increase in the incidence of AMD. Participants that reported taking vitamin B12 supplements had a 47% decreased risk of developing any AMD.

In this group of participants, elevated serum homocysteine and folate and B12 deficiencies were related to increased risk of AMD suggesting a potential role for folate and vitamin B12 in reducing the risk of macular degeneration.