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Of late there has been an avalanche of new research about vitamin D. Today we'll have a little roundup of the most recent studies about the break-out vitamin of the year.

The following new findings, all of which have surfaced in journals and news reports in the last week or thereabouts, give a fairly representative idea of how wide-ranging and positive the expanding knowledge of vitamin D has become. The items that are highlighted today are just a cross-section, and only the most recent, but it is very apparent from this small sample how important vitamin D supplementation is to our future well-being and health.

Vitamin D, Body Fat and Height
Canadian researchers have unexpectedly uncovered links between vitamin D insufficiency and populations that have increased body fat and decreased height. "Our study indicates that vitamin D insufficiency is extremely common in young women living in a sun-rich area of the United States," wrote the authors of the study, which was first reported in the most recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. "[The study] also supports the hypotheses that either vitamin D insufficiency is a risk factor for increased body fat or increased body fat is a risk factor for vitamin D insufficiency." The study's subjects were all young women, so researchers were not able to generalize their findings across more diverse population, but still: "The positive association between height and vitamin D status is unexplained and intriguing, and warrants further investigation."

Medscape: Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked to Increased Body Fat

Vitamin D and Fertility
Australian scientists have found that vitamin D plays a key part in male infertility. In a study which was released late last month, researchers found that nearly a third of infertile men were vitamin D deficient. "Vitamin D and folate deficiency are known to be associated with infertility in women, but the outcomes of the screening among men in our study group came as a complete surprise," said Dr. Anne Clark, medical director of the Fertility First clinic in Sydney. The study has a recent corollary for females -- a European study earlier this year found that healthy vitamin D levels strongly related to women's ability to conceive.

News.com.au: Lack of sunlight linked to male infertility

Vitamin D and Radiology
Radiology experts from the NYC Department of Health believe vitamin D is one of the body's main protections against low levels of radiation. Thus far, no drug has been found fight the long-term effects of radiation, where cancer is a huge concern. Such a drug would be invaluable in the event of a nuclear episode, such as the fallout which was seen in Chernobyl in northern Ukraine. It seems that certain dietary supplements, principally vitamin D, may have the answer. Studies are forthcoming, and you can check out more of the preliminaries here at Science Daily:

Could Vitamin D Save Us From Radiation?

Vitamin D and Thyroid Problems
A study from the University of Califonia, Los Angeles, shows that low vitamin D levels are link to increasing complications and problems for the thyroid. The lack of vitamin D causes the thyroid to be more susceptible to injuries that produce hyperthyroidism, a complication unforeseen by researchers.

Wellness Resources: Vitamin D and Hyperthyroid

Vitamin D and Colorectal Adenomas
It has been found that high vitamin D intake is related to a decrease in colorectal adenomas and recurrent adenomas according to a meta-analysis published in the recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Individuals with the highest levels of vitamin D levels were found to have a 30% decreased risk for colorectal adenomas, and several studies have gone on to suggest that vitamin D along with calicum supplements can decrease the actually incidence of colorectal cancer. More research is intended for this topic, including randomized trials that will help to confirm vitamin D's role with this form of cancer.

Cancer Consultants: Vitamin D Prevents Colorectal Adenomas

Vitamin B3 has been found to prevent memory loss in test subjects with Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from UC Irvine. It appears that Nicotinamide (a form of B3) acts to significantly lower levels of the protein that leads to the development of tangles, one of the two brain lesions of Alzheimer's. The vitamin also strengthened microtubules, the connections of brain cells that information travels along, and helps to keep the neurons alive. "Microtubules are like highways inside cells. What we're doing with nicotinamide is making a wider, more stable highway," said Kim Green, UCI scientist and lead author of the study. "In Alzheimer's disease, this highway breaks down. We are preventing that from happening."

All of the test results thus far have been published in the the most recent Journal of Neuroscience, and studies are pushing forward, moving the experiments from animal populations to large-scale interventions for sufferers of the disease. Nicotinamide is an over-the-counter supplement, part of the B3 family. It is a HDAC (Histone deacetylase) inhibitor; HDACs have recently been shown to protect the central nervous system in other research involving Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

It appears that the vitamin may have positive implications beyond these disorders as well: In addition to combating the effects of the above mentioned diseases, nicotinamide has been shown to slightly enhance cognitive abilities in unaffiliated test subjects. "This suggests that not only is it good for Alzheimer's disease, but if normal people take it, some aspects of their memory might improve," said Frank LaFerla, UCI neurobiology and behavior professor.

More Info:
DSIB: Nicotinamide
Journal of Neuroscience: Nicotinamide Restores Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease
Eureka Alert: Vitamin B3 reduces Alzheimer's symptoms, lesions

B vitamins may reduce breast cancer and other cancer risks in women over the age of 65 according to new research presented in the most recent Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). The study, conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, found that daily supplements of B vitamins could be a significant preventive measure for older populations who have increased nutritional requirements. Folate, vitamin B6 and B12 are all thought to be important elements in decreasing cancer risks because they are essential for regulating gene expression and maintaining DNA integrity, crucial functions for healthy cells. While this finding is certainly good news in and of itself, some of the study's more neutral results may actually be the bigger story in the short term.

Recently there have been concerns that folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 might actually have harmful effects, and even potentially be behind a rise in cancer risk amongst certain populations. This prospect could have been especially troubling for US policy which promotes background fortification of foods with folic acid (folate). The most predominant example of this fortification is the addition of folic acid to bread, which began in 1998 to reduce risk of neural tube defects in infants.

The results of this most recent research upends those concerns thankfully: In younger populations, folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 were found to have no effect on cancer risk -- neither positive or negative. Similar findings have recently been reported by researchers in Norway which also showed no increased risk of any kind.

For more info:
DSIB: Folic Acid
DSIB: Folate
JAMA: Effect of combined folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 on cancer risk in women: a randomized trial
NutraUSA: B vitamins may protect over-65s from cancer

New research from the University of Texas has found that the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E may significantly reduce lung cancer risk, especially for those taking the highest levels of the supplement. The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center reports that the alpha-tocopheral supplementation decreased lung cancer risks by over 50% in their recent study.

Vitamin E has eight different forms, the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols, and the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocotrienols. The current research suggests that the alpha-tocopherol alone reduced cancer risk, while the other tocopherols that were tested showed no effect by themselves. These are very important distinctions to be clear about, especially in light of the studies earlier this year which reported the opposite findings about vitamin E and lung cancer risks (the VITAL study). Summaries of these earlier findings did not detail the individual forms of vitamin E, while the new research findings from the Anderson Cancer Center does just that.

Alpha-tocopherol is currently the primary source in European dietary regimines, while gamma-tocopherol is the most prevelant in the American diet. It only stands to reason then that the wide-ranging survey conducted earlier this year in Washington for the VITAL study would not show the benefits which are believed to be specific to the alpha form of vitamin E. Consistent and independent reductions in lung cancer risk have been shown in the current studies at the University of Texas, an ongoing project whose most recent results were published in the most recent International Journal of Cancer. These new results are from the first study to compare the different forms of tocopherols and the associated risks for lung cancer, and so are a substantial contribution to knowledge in the field.

Making sure you are getting the right kind of vitamin E in this case is essential then, especially if you are currently or have in the past used tobacco products. It is a simple matter to check that you get the proper form of vitamin E, as every supplement you will consider will be clearly identified, front and back, as well as on the "Supplement Facts" label. One merely needs to look for Alpha Tocopherol (or Tocopheryl).

For more info about vitamin E and lung cancer risk, here are a few links for your consideration:

DSIB: Vitamin E

Orthomolecular.org: Vitamin E Prevents Lung Cancer

Nutria Ingredients: Vitamin E may slash lung cancer risk

This is the third installment of our series highlighting the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health ninth annual report on the significant advances in dietary supplement research. Today we will look at new items about research with selenium and folic acid.

Selenium and HIV
Selenium deficiency is associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but the effects of selenium supplementation on this disease are as of yet not known. Last year Miami researchers began a controlled trial to shed some light on this promising lead.

After nine months of treatment with selenium supplementation, significant results were discovered. It appears that an increase in selenium levels are associated with decreasing HIV-1 viral loads, as well as increased CD4 counts, a measure of immunity. The supplementation cause no untoward or adverse events in test group. The overall results suggest that carefully controlled selenium supplementation suppresses the advance of HIV in those populations afflicted with HIV-1. Though more research into the subject is certainly needed, it appears that selenium supplementation may be a safe and inexpensive adjunct therapy for HIV.

DSIB: Selenium

Archives of Internal Medicine: Suppression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Viral Load With Selenium Supplementation

Folic Acid and Hearing
Folic acid, a B vitamin needed for cell replication and growth, is best known for its preventative properties against birth defects. It is now believed that it may play an essential role in preventing hearing loss in aging populations as well.

High blood homocysteine, which are generally associated with heart disease, has been linked to age-related hearing loss as well. Folic acid supplements have been found to reduce blood homocysteine levels, but their exact effects regarding hearing loss have been unclear until recently. Last year however, researchers in the Netherlands set out to determine if folic acid supplementation could slow atherosclerotic progression (age-related hearing loss). It appears that it may manage to slow the decline of hearing for low frequencies of sound, but the supplementation was not found to have a benefit for high frequencies. It is a promising beginning, and hopefully this positive finding is just the first in series of studies that are exploring the relationship between hearing loss and folic acid.

DSIB: Folic Acid

Annals of Internal Medicine: Effects of Folic Acid Supplementation on Hearing in Older Adults

Folic Acid and Blood Arsenic
More that 100,000,000 people are exposed to water sources contaminated with arsenic, increasing risks for illnesses and disease, including cancer. Fortunately, in the face of this rather disturbing figure, there is good news along with the unpleasant: Folic acid supplementation reduces blood arsenic levels.

Research in troubled areas of Bangladesh, where arsenic issues have been documented in the past, has found marked support for folic acid supplementation. Folic acid managed to detoxify and lower total blood arsenic levels significantly, and it is believed that this finding will make an important contribution in the future, helping to combat arsenic-induced illness and suffering.

DSIB: Folic Acid

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Folic acid supplementation lowers blood arsenic

For more of this series, check out part 1 and part 2.

Vitamin E is has a well earned reputation as an aid for heart health. With its ability to reduce the risk of heart attacks and blood clots, it is rightly elevated to the status of an essential in the diet of millions of Americans. But like many other incredibly useful supplements, the benefits of vitamin E are dependent on proper dosage.

As long as scientists have known of the benefits of vitamin E, they have known as well that an excess of vitamin E causes bleeding by interfering with vitamin K, an essential vitamin for blood clotting. Researchers have yet to map out exactly how the two vitamins interact, but they are coming closer day by day.

In this month's Nutrition Review, Oregon State University researcher Maret Traber takes a look at the possible explanations behind the interactions of the two vitamins. A principle text she used in her exploration of the question is the Harvard based Women's Health Study, in which 40,000 healthy women over 45 years old took part over the course of 10 years. The women were assigned to either a placebo group or to a group which received vitamin E supplements of 600 international units (IU) a day. Vitamin E's protective effect was strongest for women 65 and older, while across the entire population of the study, the vitamin E group had an astonishing 24% fewer deaths from heart disease. Amongst the older populations of the study, this number rose to a 49% reduction in deaths from heart disease!

“That’s a significant benefit,” Traber said. Indeed. Still, caution must be the byword in all medical situations: “In some people high doses of vitamin E increase the tendency to bleed. Women enrolled in the study had an increase in nose bleeds.”

With this in mind, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the Institute of Medicine set the limit off the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E at 1500 IU, still well above the modest amount that proved so beneficial in the Women's Health Study.

As to how or why the two individual vitamins interact, the jury is still out. Traber's reviews suggest that perhaps a shared metabolic pathway in the liver is the cause of the vitamin E and vitamin K interaction. As vitamin E increases in the liver, vitamin K declines. To fully understand this connection, more research is needed. In the meantime, it seems very prudent to take your vitamin E, and to take it within the recommended dosage guidelines.

DSIB: Vitamin E

DSIB: Vitamin K

Nutrition Reviews Abstract: Vitamin E and K interactions – a 50-year-old problem

This is the second installment of our series highlighting the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health ninth annual report on the significant advances in dietary supplement research. Today we will sum up a new items about research with garlic, green tea, and vitamin A.

Garlic and Heart Disease

It has long been known that garlic may reduced one's risks for heart disease by increasing reactive oxygen species, helping high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, platelet aggregation, and blood coagulation. How garlic does this however, has not been fully understood. When crushed, the allicin properties of garlic decompose into organic polysulfides. It has now been found that the polysulfides can then be metabolized, increasing the hydrogen sulfide in blood vessels. Hydrogen sulfide induces smooth muscle cell relaxation, as well as decreasing hypertension.

Only a handful of plants other than garlic contain these sulfur compounds, and garlic is the only one of these with a dietary use. With this new knowledge of what the active process is, researchers now believe that garlic supplements may be tailored based on their ability to produce hydrogen sulfide in relevant blood cells and tissues. This should bring about more efficient and reliable supplements, along with a firm, demonstrable case for including garlic in your long-term diet.

DSIB: Garlic

National Academy of Sciences: Hydrogen sulfide mediates the vasoactivity of garlic

Green Tea and Breast Cancer

Worldwide, green tea consumption is second only to water. Widely renown for its medicinal properties, green tea is a great source of polyphenols, especially the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The polyphenols have antioxidant properties which are believed to be responsible for the majority of the health benefits found in green tea.

Green tea and lower incidences of breast cancer have been shown in many studies, as well as the relationship between the tea and the risk of recurring breast cancer.

It has now been identified for the first time that FOXO3a, a gene activated by EGCG, has a role in the inhibition of an invasive phenotype in breast cancer cells. This new research showed that EGCG works to repress of pathways available to the cancer activating cells, thus diminishing their ability to transform into cancerous tumors. These findings offer new molecular evidence for the understanding of the anticarcinogenic effect of green tea.

DSIB: Green Tea

Cancer Research: Activation of FOXO3a by the Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Induces Estrogen Receptor {alpha} Expression Reversing Invasive Phenotype of Breast Cancer Cells

Vitamin A Guidelines

In 2002 the International Vitamin A Consultative Group (IVACG) recommened that dosage for new mothers in vitamin A deficent areas be increased from previous World Health Organization (WHO) outlines which were set forth in 1997. A study conducted with young mother and infants in rural Gambia was undertaken to test the effectiveness and necessity of these new recommendations.

There was some concern that the increase in dosage might be dangerous, that vitamin A in such quantities might have negative interactions on immunization vaccines and generate oxidative stress.

These concerns did not bare out in the study, there were no adverse events from either set of procedures, but it was found that there were not any observable outcome differences between the IVACG recommendations and the previous WHO scheduling doses. While the results did not show an increased risk with the higher doses, the study supported reverting to the previous WHO recommendations, as there were no noticiable benefits to the higher doses at present.

DSIB: Vitamin A

Lancet: Effectiveness of an early supplementation scheme of high-dose vitamin a versus standard who protocol in gambian mothers and infants : a randomised controlled trial

For more of this series, check out part 1 and part 3.

The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health have just released their ninth annual report on the significant advances in dietary supplement research, a summation of 25 selected breakthroughs in the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) field. Over a series of posts here we'll sum up the principle findings for you, and link to some additional resources for each study. Hope you enjoy the first of our series!

It has long been accepted that due to fluctuating estrogen levels, menopausal and postmenopausal women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis. As various undesirable side effects from estrogen-replacement therapies have reared their heads over the years, alternative options have become increasingly popular. Genistein is an isoflavone and phytoestrogen found in soybeans which has been shown to aid in reducing bone loss levels in postmenopausal women. The benefits of genistein appear to be considerably age-based, as it has actually been correlated to negative results in younger populations, especially pregnant women. Despite this, when genistein was taken as a supplement in older women, it was found to help new bone formation and density, while decreasing bone loss. Additionally, genistein testing has shown favorable results for blood-sugar control and heart health.

DSIB: Genistein

Annals of Internal Medicine: Effects of the Phytoestrogen Genistein on Bone Metabolism in Osteopenic Postmenopausal Wome

Fenugreek seeds have been used since ancient times for both medical concerns and as a spice for cooking. It has been used for treating people suffering from diabetes, open wounds, abscesses, bronchitis, and digestive and kidney problems. Only recently though has the seed been scientifically evaluated for its anti-diabetic effects.

Alkaloids and proteins high in lysine are thought to be behind the seed's beneficial properties, and fiber content is thought to help lower blood sugar. Experimental testing on dogs and smaller mammals have shown that the fiber works to limit blood glucose levels and and enhance antioxidant levels. Fenugreek has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels without lowering "good" cholesterol (HDL).

Serum insulin and insulin secretion were unaffected by fiber supplementation, and research results indicated that the dietary fiber of fenugreek caused overall anti-diabetic effects and enhancement of peripheral insulin activity. Currently, nearly 8% of the US population is afflicted with some stage of diabetes.

DSIB: Fenugreek

British Journal of Nutrition: Soluble dietary fibre fraction of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seed improves glucose homeostasis in animal models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes by delaying carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and enhancing insulin action

Several species of the Salacia genus have long been used in Indian medicine. Uses have ranged from treating obesity and gonorrhea to alleviating asthma and rheumatism patients. Salacia oblonga in particular has gained popularity of late due to its potential for treating diabetics.

Recent research which tested the effects of Salacia oblonga has found that the root extract of the plant works to control glucose and insulin responses after high carbohydrate meals for individuals with type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest that Salacia may be very beneficial for managing glucose after meals, especially when the patient has been without food for a significant amount of time before the meal.

The American Journal of Clinicial Nutrition: Extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes

For more of the series, check out part 2 and part 3.

As fall and wintry weather descends upon us, researchers from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina have a simple solution to deal with the oncoming flu season: Onions!

Onions are rich in quercetin, a compound that boosts the immune system and may protect against influenza. Quercetin belongs to a class of water-soluble plant pigments called flavonoids, and in tests on animals it appears that the substance negates susceptibility to flu, countering the effects of physical stress that greatly increase the odds of becoming ill.

This recent research is an extension of programs that found last year that the flavonoid in quercetin could reduce the occurrence of illnesses for those who exercise extensively. It now appears that this may be applicable to all forms of physical stress. It is also thought that the compound could reduce blood tension in individuals with hypertension.

"Quercetin was used because of its documented widespread health benefits, which include antiviral activity, abundance in the diet and reported lack of side effects when used as a dietary supplement or food additive," said lead researcher Mark Davis.

So, if you're running about a lot, in an organized fashion or not, quercetin may be your best friend this fall. Further research is going ahead to see how quercetin may be optimized for health care. For the time being, adding onions to your diet is a grand idea. (And if onions aren't your thing, quercetin can be found in smaller amounts in apples, green tea, black tea, leafy green vegetables and beans.)

For more on this study have a look at the links below:

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology:
Quercetin reduces susceptibility to influenza infection following stressful exercise

NutraUSA: Apples and Onions