VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTS REDUCE THE RISK OF ALS

Vitamin E, one of the most powerful antioxidants known, plays a critical role in the body by protecting LDL and cell membranes from oxidation damage. Vitamin E also helps maintain healthy DNA in the interior of cells. Vitamin E works with other antioxidants to provide optimal health to cells and organs. Several laboratory and clinical studies have shown the importance of vitamin E in supporting good cardiovascular health and a strong immune system in the elderly.

My dear father-in-law passed away this past year with a degenerative disease very similar to ALS. Even though we tried many things including a trip to Mayo Clinic, we were too late. A good quality supplement with proper antioxidants is crucial in fighting degenerative diseases.

Here's more proof of the value of Vitamin E:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease causes degeneration and death of nerve cells. Harvard researchers found that people who used vitamin E supplements for over ten years experienced less than half the risk of dying of ALS than those who did not use vitamin E supplements. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is more commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease". ALS is a progressive disease that causes degeneration of some of the largest of all nerve cells, called motor neurons. The disease causes the motor neurons to degenerate and eventually die. New research has found an association between the use of vitamin E supplements and a lower incidence of this degenerative disease. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health followed 957,740 participants in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II for ten years. A follow-up of 170,000 subjects in 1992 showed that people who used vitamin E supplements for over ten years experienced less than half the risk of dying of ALS than those who did not report using vitamin E supplements. Although vitamin E was the only nutrient examined that was associated with a lower risk of ALS, it is not possible to rule out interactions with other nutrients or factors, since people who use vitamin E also tend to use other supplements and may share other healthy lifestyle habits.

Ann Neurol 2005 Jan;57(1):104-10

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MULTIVITAMIN USE LOWERS PREECLAMPSIA RISK

High blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia) can result in serious complications for the mother and child. Results from a new study show that regular use of a multivitamin supplement in the months before and during pregnancy may reduce the risk of preeclampsia by as much as 71%. Lean women who used multivitamins before and during their pregnancies reduced the risk of preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy characterized by elevated blood pressure, swelling of the extremities and protein in the urine. If untreated, the condition can progress to eclampsia, which can lead to seizures, coma, and the death of the mother or child.

The study involved 1,835 pregnant women enrolled in the Pregnancy Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention Study. All women were at less than 16 weeks' gestation and were asked whether they regularly used multivitamins or prenatal vitamins in the past six months. Women that reported using a multivitamin or prenatal during the previous six months had a 45 percent lower risk of preeclampsia than non-users. The reduction in risk was more significant among lean women. When lean women were analyzed separately, those who used multivitamins had a 71 percent lower risk of preeclampsia than nonusers.

These results suggest that regular use of a multivitamin supplement in the months before and during pregnancy may help to prevent preeclampsia, particularly among lean women.

Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Jun 13; [Epub ahead of print]


Author, educator and biochemist, Lyle MacWilliam, has proven USANA supplements are the best dietary supplement when compared to over 500 products on the market in the United States and Canada. You can order his book, Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements, through the Amazon link in the sidebar. If you would like more information about the USANA products, please send me an e-mail. I'll be happy to send you more information and to answer any questions you may have.

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VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENT MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF CERTAIN CANCERS

Researchers suggest that improving vitamin D status could reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Since it is difficult to get adequate vitamin D from foods alone, scientists suggest that a vitamin supplement may help raise vitamin D intakes to protective levels.

A recent published report concluded that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature cancer deaths annually.

The research team reviewed 63 studies on the relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide between 1966 and 2004. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer, especially in cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and ovary.

Vitamin D is found in milk, as well as in some fortified orange juice, yogurt and cheeses, usually at around 100 international units (I.U.) a serving. Researchers suggested that people might want to consider a vitamin supplement to raise their overall intake to 1,000 I.U.s per day.

Taking more vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern areas, which receive less vitamin D from sunshine.

American Journal of Public Health, Vol 96, No. 2 252-261 February (2006)

USANA's HealthPak 100's provide a daily dose of 550 IU's of Vitamin D, as well as antioxidants, chelated minerals, calcium, and much, much more. Click here for more information, or send me an e-mail - I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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Multivitamin Use Before Pregnancy Reduces Risk of Preterm Births

Preterm birth is associated with many health risks, as well as a lower rate of infant survival during the first year of life. Women who take a multivitamin before conception have only half the risk of preterm delivery than those who wait until after becoming pregnant to start taking nutritional supplements.

A study published in the November 2004 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that the use of multivitamin supplements by women prior to becoming pregnant was associated with fewer preterm deliveries. Preterm birth is defined as birth at less than 37 weeks of gestation and is associated with a lower rate of infant survival during the first year of life.

Researchers utilized data from the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Study which recruited 2,010 women during their 24th to 29th week of pregnancy. They compared the incidence of preterm delivery among women who took multivitamins prior to conception, before conception and during pregnancy, during pregnancy only, or not at all.

Women who took a multivitamin supplement before conception had half the risk of early and late preterm delivery than those who took no vitamins. Women used multivitamins during pregnancy only had approximately the same amount of preterm births than women who took none at all.

This study, as well as many previous studies, reinforces the concern that waiting until pregnancy is diagnosed may be too late for nutritional intervention to benefit many pregnancy outcomes.

Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Nov 1;160(9):886-92.

USANA supplements have been proven to be the best dietary supplement when compared to over 500 products on the market in the United States and Canada. If you would like more information about the USANA products, please send me an e-mail. I'll be happy to send you more information and to answer any questions you may have.

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DIETARY ANTIOXIDANTS LINKED TO LOWER MACULAR DEGENERATION RISK

What is an Antioxidant? Every day environmental pollutants bombard us with free radicals that cause damage to the cells in our bodies. Antioxidants help our bodies fight these free radicals. Here's an article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that antioxidants help lower the risk of macular degeneration. More proof we need to supplement with a good, high quality antioxidant!

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"High dietary intakes of the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc may reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) the most common cause of permanent blindness in the developed world. AMD is a retinal degenerative disease that causes progressive loss of central vision, and the most common cause of vision loss in individuals over the age of 55 in the developed world. Although it rarely causes total blindness, AMD destroys the central vision necessary for performing many of the daily tasks we take for granted such as: recognizing faces, colors, watching television, reading, driving, performing finely detailed work, and safely navigating stairs. The risk of developing macular degeneration increases with age. A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that individuals whose diets contain high amounts of the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc have a significantly lower risk of developing AMD than people whose diets contain lower levels of the nutrients. This study included 4,176 men and women at risk of AMD who were participants in the Rotterdam Study, which enrolled 7,983 men and women aged 55 or older. Nutrient intake was assessed via food frequency questionnaires completed by all subjects. Participants underwent eye examinations upon enrollment, and three times during the eight year follow-up. 560 subjects were diagnosed with new macular degeneration during the follow-up period. Participants with an above-median intake of all four nutrients including beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc, had a 35 percent reduced risk of AMD compared to those whose intake of any of the nutrients was below average. This study suggests that the risk of developing AMD can be modified by diet; in particular, by the dietary antioxidants beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. " JAMA 2005;294:3101-3107.

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Take steps now to protect your vision later! USANA's Essentials contain a full range of antioxidants for comprehensive, "full-body protection" from oxidative stress. If you are looking for more information about a quality antioxidant, please contact me. I can be reached at KarenVanSprange@usana.com.

HIGHER ANTIOXIDANT INTAKES REDUCE RISK OF LUNG CANCER IN MALE SMOKERS

Don't avoid antioxidant supplements if you are a smoker or former smoker. Research in the 1990's seemed to indicate that high dosages of beta-carotene supplements may increase lung cancer risk in smokers. However, a new analysis of dietary records from one of these studies came to a different conclusion. Male smokers with the highest overall antioxidant intake, including beta-carotene, actually had a reduced risk of lung cancer. In observational studies, a high intake of individual antioxidants was related to increased lung cancer risk in male smokers. However, data from many experiments suggest that there are interactions among antioxidant nutrients; therefore, consideration of multiple antioxidants simultaneously may be important in terms of assessing risk.

Yale University researchers evaluated dietary records of participants in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC). A group of over 27,000 Finnish male smokers aged 50-69 had food records analyzed along with intakes of carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin C. After evaluating the overall intake of antioxidants in this group, the conclusion differs somewhat from the original study. According to this new analysis, the men with higher overall intakes of antioxidants had lower relative risks of lung cancer, regardless of their assigned study group (beta-carotene or placebo). While researchers of the ATBC study concluded that high-dose beta-carotene supplementation may increase lung cancer risk in male smokers, these findings support the hypothesis that a combination of dietary antioxidants reduces lung cancer risk in men who smoke.

Am J Epidemiol 2004 Jul 1;160(1):68-76



USANA Essentials contain your daily supply of Chelated Minerals and Mega Antioxidants. For further information regarding the Essentials or any other item from our product lines, simply click on the title of this post, or you can reach me via e-mail at KarenVanSprange@usana.com.

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