Blogging with Lee

Low Vitamin D Levels Again Linked to Higher Death Risk

If you missed my report last week from my weekly Research Update email (sign up to get those emails here), you missed another revelation in the research on the importance of vitamin D. New research is saying that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of dying from all causes by 150%, according to a study involving over 700 elderly women.

Don't Go Without EpiCor This Season

Are you ready for this year’s unique health challenges? Have you been watching the debate over vaccinations? Are you one of the thousands who have already suffered, even though we have yet to even enter the actual “flu season”? Here at Swanson, where we enjoy somewhat better health than the general public, we’re certainly seeing the impact. If you work outside of the home or have children in school, I’m sure you’ve encountered this as well.

I’m feeling good about my chances of staying healthy this season because I’ve got a secret weapon in my arsenal. It’s called EpiCor®, a high-metabolite immunogen supplement we introduced almost three years ago. I encourage all of our employees to take it, and I personally wouldn’t go without.

EpiCor is an absolutely unique dietary supplement with an amazing story. As Dr. Stuart Reeves explains in the iHealthTube video below, it was developed after a livestock feed company noticed that employees working with the raw material rarely used their allowed sick time and enjoyed remarkably good health compared to the general population. Further analysis of the company’s health care expenditures showed that while costs were skyrocketing for business across the country, their charges had actually gone down.

That’s when Dr. Reeves and his colleague Dr. Larry Robinson got involved. They examined the nutritional yeast product the feed company was making, developed a similar substance suitable for human consumption, and set to work testing their new discovery.

Today, EpiCor is one of the most successful immune-supporting supplements on the market for one reason—it works. The observations made at the feed production facility were not anomalies, they were a direct indication that specially modified yeast can dramatically impact our defenses in a remarkably positive way.

As I said, I personally would not be without my EpiCor this season and I strongly urge everyone I know to take it. We have a new children’s version coming soon so everyone in the family can take it at the appropriate dosage—look for it soon in your Swanson catalog or on swansonvitamins.com.

I haven’t written about this year’s big health scare because I don’t want to add to the hype. For me, this season is no different than any other. I’ll be taking my EpiCor just like I did last year. I hope you will, too. Watch the health video, then click through to learn more about EpiCor from Dr. Reeves and Dr. Robinson. I know you won’t be disappointed.

Vitamin D: A Physician's Perspective

Health authorities have been calling for increased intake of vitamin D over the last couple of years. Judging by the brisk sales of our vitamin D supplements, people are taking heed. But how much do you really know about this important nutrient? In this brief iHealthTube interview, family physician Dr. Owen Thompson explains why it's so important to get enough vitamin D in your daily diet.

Health Care Reform, Personal Responsibility & Preventive Care

Our friends at TotalHealth Magazine and iHealthTube.com recently completed a series of interviews with Dr. Michael Roizen at Cleveland Clinic, a world-renowned medical center that has been highlighted in the recent health care reform debates as a model for future health systems.

Dr. Roizen is an internist and anesthesiologist who now serves as Chief Wellness Officer and Chairman of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He is also one of the cofounders of RealAge.com and author of the New York Times bestseller RealAge: Are You as Young as You Can Be? Along with his co-author and fellow RealAge colleague Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Roizen has become one of the most recognized doctors in America working to develop new ways of addressing our health care challenges.

In this video interview with TotalHealth Editor Lyle Hurd, Dr. Roizen explains how shifting the focus of health care from chronic care to preventive care can save billions of dollars, reduce the incidence of disease and improve quality of life for all Americans. His model calls for personal responsibility on the part of every individual to take an active roll in maintaining wellness as well as institutional responsibility for supporting the lifestyle recommendations and providing the preventive care measures that help individuals lead healthy, active lives.

This is just one of ten fascinating videos with Dr. Roizen available now on iHealthTube.com. Watch them all and share them with your friends and family. You'll be surprised at how these brief conversations can change the way you think about your health and health care as we know it.

Are You Getting Your Vitamin K2?

Lately I've been spending a lot of time on iHealthTube.com, a website that we have sponsored since its inception. In just a short time, the folks at iHealthTube have built a vast library of video interviews with top experts in health and wellness from around the world. I've even had the pleasure of appearing in some of videos on iHealthTube myself, along with friends and colleagues from academia and the supplement industry. It's easy to spend a couple of hours on this site and not even notice how much time has passed.

Last night I was watching the iHealthTube videos with Dr. Leon Schurgers from the University of Maastricht. Dr. Schurgers is one of the primary researchers who discovered the importance of Vitamin K2 for cardiovascular and bone health. Since his groundbreaking work was published a few years ago, millions now recognize the importance of this previously overlooked nutrient.

The iHealthTube team caught up with Dr. Schurgers last May in Portland, OR, where he was speaking about Vitamin K2 at a conference held by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. They managed to put together 18 videos ranging in length from two to five minutes, each detailing a different aspect of Vitamin K2's role in human wellness. Truly fascinating stuff.

I believe the discoveries Dr. Schurgers and his colleagues have made constitute some of the most important findings in human nutrition to emerge in the last decade. If you're not familiar with Vitamin K2, do yourself a favor and watch these videos. It's a rare occasion that we get to learn this kind of information direct from the experts who are making the important discoveries and I'm glad iHealthTube is there to bring us these opportunities. Check out the video below, then click through to iHealthTube to learn more.

The Dangers of Not Getting Enough Vitamin K2

Omega-3 EFAs May Improve Blood Pressure in Kidney Disease Patients

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which increases the risk of heart disease two- to 50-fold, experienced improvements in both blood pressure and heart rate following supplementation with four grams of omega-3 fatty acids, according to findings published in the Journal of Hypertension.

Celiac Patients are Short on Antioxidant Capacity

Sufferers of celiac disease have significantly reduced antioxidant capacity, says a new study, and could need natural antioxidants and appropriate dietary supplements.

According to findings published in Clinical Biochemistry, the major reduction in their antioxidant levels is due to a reduction in levels of glutathione, an important component of the body’s primary antioxidant defense system.

Age-Related Diseases Could be Accelerated by Vitamin Deficiency

A new analysis says that current recommendations for vitamin K are not being met, placing people at increased risk of age-related diseases like cancer and heart disease.

The analysis of data from hundreds of published articles dating back to the 1970s, conducted by Joyce McCann, PhD and Bruce Ames, PhD from Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, also suggests that current recommendations for vitamin K intake need to be increased to ensure optimal health.

Why is Natural Thyroid in Short Supply?

As I wrote a few weeks ago, America is experiencing a shortage of natural prescription thyroid preparations. Being a user of natural thyroid myself, I'm personally very concerned about this issue and just can't seem to let it go.

I've been working with my staff to help solve this issue and make viable alternatives available, but that's proving to be quite a challenge. I've even enlisted the help of my friend and personal physician Dr. Stephen Langer, one of the country's leading experts on natural thyroid care. He recently flew to Fargo from his home in California to help us solve this problem.

As Dr. Langer explains in this recently recorded iHealthTube.com video, nobody is quite sure exactly why we're experiencing this shortage. Many people are speculating that the government is putting undue pressure on the producers of natural thyroid preparations, thereby causing the shortage and forcing patients to switch to synthetic drugs. It's just speculation, but it could very well be true. Regardless, people (including me) are starting to panic.

As I said, I'm working with my staff, as well as with friends and colleagues like Dr. Langer, to solve this puzzle and get this much-needed medicine back on the market. Meanwhile, I'm relying on supplements like our Swanson Condition-Specific Thyroid Essentials to help support my thyroid health. It can't replace my prescription thyroid medication, but it certainly does make a difference. I already use it regularly in conjunction with my prescription, but at times like this supplementation becomes even more important.

If you or someone you love is concerned about thyroid care, I urge you to try adding Thyroid Essentials to your regimen. And if you haven't read Dr. Langer's book Solved: The Riddle of Illness, be sure to order your copy today. It's simply the best easy-to-understand book available about natural thyroid care.

Natural Thyroid Shortage Threatens Patients

Originally posted September 11, 2009

For years I've suffered from low thyroid function, a condition that causes fatigue, mood problems, weight concerns and many other unpleasant symptoms. Luckily, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Stephen Langer, author of Solved: The Riddle of Illness, now a classic text on thyroid health. Many years ago Dr. Langer put me on Armour Thyroid, a natural thyroid medication made from desiccated porcine thyroid gland. Finally, I felt like a person again.

Everything was great until this summer, when I began to hear rumors of a shortage of Armour Thyroid. The rumors turned out to be true and now, not only is Armour Thyroid almost impossible to get, but other natural thyroid alternatives like Naturthroid and Westhroid are in short supply as well.

What's behind the shortage? It's a complex issue, to be sure, but most of us in the patient community have come to believe the situation is due to overt governmental interference designed to protect the interests of Big Pharma.

The most widely prescribed thyroid medication in the U.S. is Synthroid, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. Of course, Abbott and makers of other synthetic thyroid medicines want to protect their market. But the fact is, these drugs simply don't work for many patients.

The important difference between natural thyroid and the synthetics is that natural thyroid preparations contain both T3 and T4 (along with all the other naturally occurring hormones), while the synthetics only provide a laboratory created version of T4. Those who don't respond well to synthetics overwhelmingly find relief with natural thyroid medicines that provide the full spectrum of thyroid hormones.

Luckily, my friend and Swanson Advisory Board member Jack Slama, a local pharmacist here, has been stockpiling various forms of natural Thyroid USP ever since he received word of the shortage. He now has supplies available in three potencies - 1/4 grain, 1/2 grain and 2 grain - and he'll ship anywhere in America as long as supplies last.

If you or someone you love uses natural thyroid like Armour, Naturthroid or Westhroid, call Jack today to reserve your supply (800.323.3873).

To learn more about the shortage, visit http://thyroid.about.com. To join the community of concerned patients working to save natural thyroid alternatives, visit www.savenaturalthyroid.com.