Supplementation

B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment

By Frank M. Painter|April 17, 2012|Health Promotion, Supplementation, Wellness Care|

B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment

SOURCE: PLoS One. 2010 (Sep 8); 5 (9): e12244

Smith AD, Smith SM, de Jager CA, Whitbread P, Johnston C, Agacinski G, Oulhaj A, Bradley KM, Jacoby R, Refsum H

Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. david.smith@pharm.ox.ac.uk

The Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing (OPTIMA) published the results of a key aspect of their study in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE in 2010. In this arm of the study, they investigated the effect of B-vitamin supplementation on various parameters of brain aging and associated cognitive function. The study group consisted of 168 individuals over the age of 70 with mild cognitive impairment.

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Vitamin B Complex

The treatment group was given daily supplementation of the following B vitamins: folic acid (800 mcg), vitamin B12 (500 mcg) and vitamin B6 (20 mg). The main outcome measured was change in rate of whole brain atrophy on MRI investigation after 24 months of supplementation compared to the placebo group.

Study results showed that the group taking the B-vitamin cocktail experienced a 30-percent slower rate of brain atrophy, on average, and in some cases patients experienced reductions as high as 53 percent. Greater rates of atrophy were associated with lower cognitive test scores.

The authors also observed that, in the control group, the the degree of atrophy was directly related to elevated homocysteine levels.

(more…)

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Regular Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation Lowers Colon Cancer Risk More Than Eighty Percent

By Frank M. Painter|March 28, 2012|Cancer, Prevention, Supplementation|

Regular Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation Lowers Colon Cancer Risk More Than Eighty Percent

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Natural News

Researchers, just publishing in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (CJPP), have found that a diet enhanced with vitamin and mineral supplementation can lower the risk of developing precancerous colon cancer lesions by up to 84%. Colon cancer is the second most common form of the disease affecting men and women in the US, with nearly 150,000 new diagnoses each year.

The Full Text article describes how animals that were fed a high-fat, low fiber diet, while also being exposed to a carcinogen, developed pre-cancerous lesions of the colon along a pathway similar to that found in humans.

The group of animals that underwent a similar treatment and diet, but were also provided a daily vitamin and mineral supplement, demonstrated an 84% reduction in the formation of pre-cancerous lesions which did not develop into tumors.

(more…)

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Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Children With Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

By Frank M. Painter|February 21, 2012|ADHD, Attention Deficit, Chiropractic Care, Food Sensitivity, Supplementation|

Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Children With Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Alternative Medicine Review 2011 (Dec); 16 (4): 323–37

Janice Pellow, M.Tech (Hom),
Elizabeth M. Solomon, HD, ND, DO, BA,
Candice N. Barnard, M.Tech (Hom), B.Phys.Ed

University of Johannesburg, Department of Homeopathy,
Johannesburg, South Africa.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed childhood disorder characterized by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. ADHD affects up to 1 in 20 children in the United States. The underlying etiologies of ADHD may be heterogeneous and diverse, and many possible risk factors in the development of ADHD have been identified. Conventional treatment usually consists of behavioral accommodations and medication, with stimulant medication most commonly being prescribed. Parents concerned about the side effects and long-term use of conventional medications are increasingly seeking alternatives to pharmacologic treatment. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) offers parents various treatment options for this condition, including dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, herbal medicine, and homeopathy. CAM appears to be most effective when prescribed holistically and according to each individual’s characteristic symptoms. Possible etiologies and risk factors for the condition also need to be considered when developing a treatment plan. This article serves to highlight the latest research regarding the most commonly used CAM for children with ADHD.

Table 1. Risk Factors for ADHD (more…)

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General Factors Involved in Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

By Frank M. Painter|November 13, 2011|Diagnosis, Education, Nutrition, Supplementation|

General Factors Involved in Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

The Chiro.Org Blog

We would all like to thank Dr. Richard C. Schafer, DC, PhD, FICC for his lifetime commitment to the profession. In the future we will continue to add materials from RC’s copyrighted books for your use.

This is the Appendix from RC’s best-selling book:

“Symptomatology and Differential Diagnosis”

These materials are provided as a service to our profession. There is no charge for individuals to copy and file these materials. However, they cannot be sold or used in any group or commercial venture without written permission from ACAPress.

General Factors Involved in Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Several general factors are involved in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For example, abnormal loss and utilization or subnormal absorption, intake, storage, or transport, singularly or in combination, may readily lead to symptoms of nutritional deficiency.

See Table A.1.

You may also find value reviewing the:

Nutrient–Drug Depletion Charts

Agents Contributing to Vitamin, Mineral, and Other Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Drugs and nutrients often have adverse interactions. Drugs usually interfere with normal cellular nutrition by:
(1) depressing the central appetite center,
(2) decreasing normal blood levels (eg, excessive excretion),
(3) interfering with the nutrient’s storage or metabolism,
(4) developing a chemical antagonism (eg, inactivate),
(5) increasing the action of ingested antivitamins or antiminerals, or
(6) destroying intestinal bacteria necessary to synthesize the nutrient.

See Tables A.2, A.3, and A.4.
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Why You Should Not Stop Taking Your Vitamins

By Frank M. Painter|October 31, 2011|Nutrition, Research, Supplementation|

Why You Should Not Stop Taking Your Vitamins

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: The Huffington Post ~ 10-20-2011

By Mark Hyman, M.D.

Do vitamins kill people?

How many people have died from taking vitamins?

Should you stop taking your vitamins?

It depends. To be exact, it depends on the quality of the science, and the very nature of scientific research. It is very hard to know things exactly through science. The waste bin of science is full of fallen heroes like Premarin, Vioxx and Avandia (which alone was responsible for 47,000 excess cardiac deaths since it was introduced in 1999).

That brings us to the latest apparent casualty, vitamins. The recent media hype around vitamins is a classic case of drawing the wrong conclusions from good science.

Remember how doctors thought that hormone replacement therapy was the best thing since sliced bread and recommended it to every single post-menopausal woman? These recommendations were predicated on studies that found a correlation between using hormones and reduced risk of heart attacks. But correlation does not prove cause and effect. It wasn’t until we had controlled experiments like the Women’s Health Initiative that we learned Premarin (hormone replacement therapy) was killing women, not saving them.

A new study “proving” that vitamins kill people is hitting front pages and news broadcasts across the country. This study does not prove anything.

This latest study from the Archives of Internal Medicine of 38,772 women found that “several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements may be associated with increased total mortality”. The greatest risk was from taking iron after menopause (which no doctor would ever recommend in a non-menstruating human without anemia). (more…)

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Essential Fatty Acids Eases Premenstrual Syndrome

By Frank M. Painter|February 17, 2011|Nutrition, Premenstrual Syndrome, Supplementation, Women's Health|

Essential Fatty Acids Eases Premenstrual Syndrome

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: NHI OnDemand

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal Reproductive Health evaluated the effectiveness and safety of a supplement containing essential fatty acids and vitamins for the treatment of PMS and to assess effectiveness on prolactin and total cholesterol levels.

The researchers recruited 120 women with PMS and were divided into 3 groups that received either 1 or 2 grams of the supplement or placebo for six months using the Prospective Record of the Impact and Severity of Menstruation (PRISM) calendar. The actual dosage per one-gram serving included 210 mg of gamma linolenic acid, 175 mg of oleic acid, 345 mg of linoleic acid, 250 mg of other polyunsaturated acids, and 20 mg of vitamin E.

The results were the group treated with 2 grams of supplement experienced the most significant reduction in the PRISM score the next significant reduction was in the group taking 1 gram of supplement. The placebo group experienced the least reduction in PRISM score. There were no statistically significant differences in prolactin or total cholesterol levels after six months of treatment. (more…)

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