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October 10th, 2018 at 5:19 pm
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I never jumped upon the vitamin D testing and supplementation trolley. It is because I know too much about health to believe the claims made for ONE particular element as a panacea for most ills. Not that vitamin D isn't important...it is. All nutrients are... BUT that type of philosophy generally falls under the “science” of MLM companies, not real research. Dr. Michael Holick, a Boston University endocrinologist, created a billion dollar vitamin D sales and testing empire when he drafted national vitamin D guidelines and the embrace of his message by mainstream doctors and wellness gurus alike, have helped push supplement sales to $936 million in 2017. That's a ninefold increase over the previous decade. Lab tests for vitamin D deficiency have spiked, too: Doctors ordered more than 10 million tests for Medicare patients in 2016, up 547 percent since 2007, at a cost of $365 million.
But few of the Americans swept up in the craze are likely aware that the industry has sent a lot of money Dr. Holick's way. A Kaiser Health News investigation for The New York Times found that he has used his prominent position in the medical community to promote practices that financially benefit corporations that have given him hundreds of thousands of dollars — including drug makers, the indoor tanning industry and one of the country's largest commercial labs.
In an interview, Dr. Holick acknowledged he has worked as a consultant to Quest Diagnostics, which performs vitamin D tests, since 1979. Dr. Holick, 72, said that industry funding “doesn't influence me in terms of talking about the health benefits of vitamin D.”
There is no question that the hormone is important. Without enough of it, bones can become thin, brittle and mishapen, causing a condition called rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. The issue is how much vitamin D is healthy, and what level constitutes deficiency.
Dr. Holick's crucial role in shaping that debate occurred in 2011. Late the previous year, the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (then known as the Institute of Medicine), a group of independent scientific experts, issued a comprehensive, 1,132-page report on vitamin D deficiency. It concluded that the vast majority of Americans get plenty of the hormone naturally, and advised doctors to test only patients at high risk of certain disorders, such as osteoporosis.
A few months later, in June 2011, Dr. Holick oversaw the publication of a report that took a starkly different view. The paper, in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, was on behalf of the Endocrine Society, the field's foremost professional group, whose guidelines are widely used by hospitals, physicians and commercial labs nationwide, including Quest. The society adopted Dr. Holick's position that “vitamin D deficiency is very common in all age groups” and advocated a huge expansion of vitamin D testing, targeting more than half the United States population, including those who are black, Hispanic or obese — groups that tend to have lower vitamin D levels than others.
The recommendations were a financial windfall for the vitamin D industry. By advocating such widespread testing, the Endocrine Society directed more business to Quest and other commercial labs. Vitamin D tests are now the fifth-most-common lab test covered by Medicare.
The guidelines benefited the vitamin D industry in another important way. Unlike the National Academy, which concluded that patients have sufficient vitamin D when their blood levels are at or above 20 nanograms per milliliter, the Endocrine Society said vitamin D levels need to be much higher — at least 30 nanograms per milliliter. Many commercial labs, including Quest and LabCorp, adopted the higher standard.
Yet there's no evidence that people with the higher level are any healthier than those with the lower level, said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a senior scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute and co-author of the National Academy report. Using the Endocrine Society's higher standard creates the appearance of an epidemic, he said, because it labels 80 percent of Americans as having inadequate vitamin D. “We see people being tested all the time and being treated based on a lot of wishful thinking, that you can take a supplement to be healthier,” Dr. Rosen said.
Patients with low vitamin D levels are often prescribed supplements and instructed to get checked again in a few months, said Dr. Alex Krist, a family physician and vice chairman of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an expert panel that issues health advice. Many physicians then repeat the test once a year. For labs, “it's in their financial interest” to label patients with low vitamin D levels, Dr. Krist said.
In a 2010 book, “The Vitamin D Solution,” Dr. Holick gave readers tips to encourage them to get their blood tested. For readers worried about potential out-of-pocket costs for vitamin D tests — they range from $40 to $225 — he listed the precise reimbursement codes that doctors should use when requesting insurance coverage. “If they use the wrong coding when submitting the claim to the insurance company, they won't get reimbursed and you will wind up having to pay for the test,” Dr. Holick wrote.
Dr. Holick acknowledged financial ties with Quest and other companies in the financial disclosure statement published with the Endocrine Society guidelines. In an interview, he said that working for Quest for four decades — he is currently paid $1,000 a month — hasn't affected his medical advice. “I don't get any additional money if they sell one test or one billion,” he said.
A Quest spokeswoman, Wendy Bost, said the company seeks the advice of a number of expert consultants. “We feel strongly that being able to work with the top experts in the field, whether it's vitamin D or another area, translates to better quality and better information, both for our patients and physicians,” Ms. Bost said.
Today, seven years after the dueling academic findings, the leaders of the National Academy report are struggling to be heard above the clamor for more sunshine pills. “There isn't a ‘pandemic,'” said A. Catharine Ross, a nutritional sciences professor at Penn State and chairwoman of the committee that wrote the report, in an interview. “There isn't a widespread problem.”
Ties to drug manufacturers and tanning salons
In “The Vitamin D Solution,” Dr. Holick describes his promotion of vitamin D as a lonely crusade. “Drug companies can sell fear,” he writes, “but they can't sell sunlight, so there's no promotion of the sun's health benefits.”
Yet Dr. Holick also has extensive financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He received nearly $163,000 from 2013 to 2017 from pharmaceutical companies for consulting and other services, according to Medicare's Open Payments database, which tracks payments from drug and device manufacturers. The companies paying him included Sanofi-Aventis, which markets vitamin D supplements; Shire, which makes drugs for hormonal disorders that are given with vitamin D; Amgen, which makes an osteoporosis treatment; and Roche Diagnostics and Quidel Corporation, which both make vitamin D tests.
The database includes only payments made since 2013, but Dr. Holick's record of being compensated by drug companies started before that. In his 2010 book, he describes visiting South Africa to give “talks for a pharmaceutical company,” whose president and chief executive were in the audience.
Dr. Holick's ties to the tanning industry also have drawn scrutiny. Although Dr. Holick said he doesn't advocate tanning, he has described tanning beds as a “recommended source” of vitamin D “when used in moderation.” Dr. Holick has acknowledged accepting research money from the UV Foundation — a nonprofit arm of the now-defunct Indoor Tanning Association — which gave $150,000 to Boston University from 2004 to 2006, earmarked for Dr. Holick's research. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified tanning beds as carcinogenic in 2009.
A “miracle pill” loses its credibility
Enthusiasm for vitamin D among medical experts has dimmed in recent years, as rigorous clinical trials have failed to confirm the benefits suggested by early, preliminary studies. A string of trials has found no evidence that vitamin D reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease or in falls by elderly people. Although the amount of vitamin D in a typical daily supplement is generally considered safe, it is possible to take too much. Some researchers say vitamin D may never have been the miracle pill that it appeared to be. Sick people who stay indoors tend to have low vitamin D levels; their poor health is likely the cause of their low vitamin D levels, not the other way around, said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Only really rigorous studies, which randomly assign some patients to take vitamin D and others to take placebos, can provide definitive answers about vitamin D and health. Dr. Manson is leading one such study, involving 26,000 adults, expected to be published in November.
A number of insurers and health experts have begun to view widespread vitamin D testing as unnecessary and expensive. In 2014, the United States Preventive Services Task Force said there wasn't enough evidence to recommend for or against routine vitamin D screening. In April, the task force explicitly recommended that older adults outside of nursing homes avoid taking vitamin D supplements to prevent falls.
In 2015, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield of Rochester, N.Y. published an analysis highlighting the overuse of vitamin D tests. In 2014, the insurer spent $33 million on 641,000 vitamin D tests. “That's an astronomical amount of money,” said Dr. Richard Lockwood, Excellus' vice president and chief medical officer for utilization management. More than 40 percent of Excellus patients tested had no medical reason to be screened.
In spite of Excellus' efforts to rein in the tests, vitamin D usage has remained high, Dr. Lockwood said. “It's very hard to change habits,” he said, adding, “The medical community is not much different than the rest of the world, and we get into fads.”
Most of this information was obtained from Kaiser Health News , and the New York Times. Join me next week for a discussion of: This country is anti VAX and has the lowest rate of infant mortality and the highest life expectancy. Sign UP! so you don't miss it! Don't forget to visit our STORE, where we offer hundreds of professional products at great prices and FREE shipping on all orders!
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September 12th, 2018 at 6:28 pm
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Image:NungesserGMBH
I knew that Canola oil was an unhealthy choice quite a few years ago. The reason I knew this was because I would get a strange feeling in my throat any time I ingested it, this was rare because I rarely, (then), and never, (now) eat processed foods. Canola oil has recently taken over as the food processing industry's oil of choice. Whether it's in mayonnaise, crackers, baked goods, or salad dressings, canola oil is usually the first, second or third ingredient on the list. Unfortunately, the health dangers of canola oil are far worse than we've been led to believe.
So if there aren't any actual health reasons to use it, why would it be so widely used throughout the food industry? As with most reasons certain ingredients are used over others – COST. Canola oil is extremely inexpensive to grow and harvest. It is also very easy to grow, due to its genetic modifications and the fact that insects won't go near it- that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
Canola oil was first created in the early 1970s as a natural oil. But in 1995, Monsanto created a genetically modified version of canola oil. By 2009, over 90 percent of the Canadian canola oil crop was genetically engineered (1).
What is Canola Oil?
Canola oil comes from a descendant of the rapeseed plant, a member of the Brassicagenus, along with some of our favourite vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Rapeseed oil was put on the market for human consumption in the 1950s, but not many people wanted to consume it due to its strong flavour and off-putting colour.
Scientists at the time began to discover that erucic acid, one of the major fatty acid components of the oil (over 50%), was damaging to heart tissue. Meanwhile, olive oil started being marketed as the next big thing in health. So what did marketers do for rapeseed oil? They genetically“modified” it! After some selective breeding and careful marketing, rapeseed oil was now low in erucic acid, high in oleic acid (just like heart-healthy olive oil), high in omega-3 fats and also neutral tasting. The name rapeseed was replaced with canola (the term can from canada, and ola for oil) (2).
While canola oil has been marketed as a healthy oil, low in saturated fats and a source of omega-3 fatty acids, it is far from that. Canola oil is not only genetically modified, but it is highly processed and refined, all of which contribute to major health problems in the body. Canola oil is not the healthy oil you believe it to be…you have been misled. Here are some facts:
Some Dangers of Canola Oil
1. Canola Oil is Hydrogenated If they're not “cold-pressed” or “extra-virgin,” the oil is considered refined. This process includes caustic refining, bleaching, and degumming – all which involve high temperatures or chemicals that are damaging to the human body. Last but not least comes the deodorization process. Because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, it becomes easily rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans-fatty acids (3).
If you're consuming any vegetable oils that are oxidized from heat and light in processing, you are also exposing your body tissues to oxidized or rancid products. This contributes to chronic inflammation and degenerative diseases.
2. It's a A Genetically Modified Product
Almost all canola oil is produced from genetically modified crops. More than 90% of all canola oil is produced from genetically engineered crops. While genetic modification was successful at lowering the erucic acid content, it also increased the amount of oleic acid.
Health concerns linked to high oleic acid intake include:
– Retarded growth (banned in infant formulas)
– Abnormalities in blood platelets
– Damage from free radicals
– Increased risk of developing certain cancer types
Genetically engineered foods also pose some very serious health concerns like allergic reactions, immuno-suppression, toxicity, and loss of nutrition through the foods we eat.
3. Increased Risk of Developing Cancer
Canola oil is extremely unstable under heat, light and pressure, which causes oxidation and releases free radicals inside the body. When canola oil is heated (aka. when we cook with it), it produces high levels of butadiene, benzene, acrolein, formaldehyde and other nasty compounds. These chemical compounds, combined with increased free radicals create the perfect environment for cancer growth.
Researchers have found that cancer cells feed on the oleic acid in canola oil. The acid causes the cancer cells to become stronger and maintain malignancy Additional research has also shown that oleic acid promotes tumour progressions .With the amount of free radicals released in canola oil after cooking, it's no wonder this oil is a trigger for cancer growth. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that play a major role in cancerous cell mutation. They can be deactivated to some extent by taking an antioxidant like this: FREE shipping!
4. Contributes To Heart Disease
While genetic modification has lowered erucic acid levels in canola oil, it is still a major source of the acid. Erucic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid that has been linked with heart damage, specifically Keshan disease (a thickening and scarring of connective tissue within the heart). Studies have shown that in areas where people are prone to Keshan, erucic acid levels are higher, and selenium levels are lower. Canola oil is also capable of promoting high levels of inflammation in the body, as well as arterial calcification. Any oil that is partially hydrogenated has the capability to do so. As you might have guessed, systemic inflammation and calcification are major risk factors for coronary heart disease .
5. Interferes with Healthy Brain Function
A new study out of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and published in the journal Scientific Reports has linked canola oil with a decrease in memory and learning indicative of Alzheimer's disease – the most common form of dementia). The study found that the brains of canola-oil treated mice had higher amounts of amyloid plaques as well as diminished contact between brain neurons.
Canola oil, being an inflammatory food, contributes to poor brain function. Chronic inflammation, as you know, is detrimental to all tissues in the body. It attacks healthy cells, blood vessels and tissues instead of protecting them. It can shut down energy production in brain cells and slow down the firing of neurons, contributing to ADHD, anxiety, brain fog, depression, memory loss and Alzheimer's.
6. Hypertension and Strokes
As a major contributor to inflammation in the body, canola oil takes a toll on our cardiovascular system – particularly blood pressure. Studies have found that canola oil shortens the life span of stroke-prone and hypertensive animal subjects.
One study explored the relationship between rats fed canola oil and rats fed non-canola oil diets. The catch? All rats were bred to have high blood pressure and proneness to stroke. Rats who were fed canola oil died sooner, and rats fed the non-canola oil-based diets lived longer. Another study published in Toxicology Letters looked at the effects of canola and soybean oil on blood coagulation time and erythrocytes (type of red blood cell) in stroke-prone hypertensive rats. The study found that there was a “canola oil-induced shortening of blood coagulation time and increased fragility in [red blood cell membranes],” which may trigger strokes in animal subjects who are stroke-prone.
7. Compromises Detoxification Organs
Being a genetically modified food product, canola oil takes a toll on our liver and kidneys.
A 2011 review of 19 different studies that involved mammals being fed genetically modified soy and corn for a period of 90 days, found that GMO foods can disrupt kidney and liver function. The review, published in Environmental Sciences Europe, stated that in the trials mentioned, kidney function was reduced by 43.5%, while liver function was reduced by 30.8%.
Vegetable oils also lack oxidative stability, so they quickly turn rancid if left untreated. Food manufacturers found their way around this problem by adding synthetic antioxidants like TBHQ, BHA and BHT. When consumed in large doses, these preservatives can cause liver tumours, as well as liver enlargement. (While the preservatives in canola oil are not enough to cause adverse effects, the accumulation of such products is enough. We can easily surpass acceptable preservative limits if our diet subsists of lots of processed foots. The amounts build up over time, and as a result, our health suffers.
If you want your detox organs to work properly, avoid canola oil, processed foods with added vegetable oils, and other GMO products.
8. May Hamper Normal Growth in Children
Erucic acid in canola oil was the main reason canola oil was banned from use in infant formula. The erucic acid in canola oil is harmful to infants, due to an inability to properly break it down. While the FDA previously made canola oil illegal for use in baby formula, that isn't the case anymore. As of a few years ago, canola oil made it to the generally recognized as safe list meaning that infant formula companies can use all the canola oil they want in their formula.
Best Oils
So which oils can you use? It depends on what you're using it for!
1. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is best when it is cold-pressed and virgin. Try your best to avoid refined coconut oil. Coconut oil has a high heat threshold, meaning it doesn't turn into trans-fatty acids when heated. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids, too, which support a healthy nervous system, and also encourage fat loss.
2. Olive Oil
I do personally cook with olive oil but I cook foods at lower temperatures (due to its delicate nature), which is healthier anyway. Look for an organic extra-virgin or cold-pressed olive oil that's available in dark-coloured glass. Some fake olive oils are mixed with cheaper, GMO vegetable oils, so always make sure it is GMO-free and organic.
3. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil has a high smoke point like coconut oil, so it can safely be cooked with at high temperatures. Alternatively, you can also use this oil in its raw form on salads and the like.
4. Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is another great option to cook with. It has a high smoking point, and isn't hybridized like canola and other vegetable oils. Sesame oil works great for stir-frying, Asian and Indian cooking and makes a great salad dressing with coconut sugar, non GMOsoy sauce and some ginger! On Friday, check your emails for tips on natural ways to remove pests and insects from your home. Sign UP! Right here so you do not miss a thing! And don't forget to visit our store where you can purchase hundreds of amazing professional products at great prices and with FREE shipping. See you Friday, and Thank you.
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Taryn DeCicco, ND, LAc, LDN
Naturopath
Acupuncturist
Clinical Nutritionist
Dietitian
Professional Vitamins and Supplements
Chinese Herbs
Natural Skin Products
Arlington Heights, IL
www.apple-a-day-clinic.com
We specialize in Acne, Skin, and Digestive disorders! Please contact us for a free consultation! I do work long distance. Thank you from the bottom of our cart! We truly appreciate your product purchases, visits, and referrals! They enable us to give people the help they need and continue our valuable work.
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