Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Cholesterol is one of the most confusing topics in today’s medical world. Many times, those who ask me for help have questions regarding their cholesterol. They often start by telling me their total cholesterol number. But, unknown to them and many others, that is just one …
Jerry Hickey is a pharmacist and radio personality and fills the esteemed role of Scientific Director and President of Invite Health. He has spent his professional life analyzing nutritional information and medical studies with the aim of creating the highest quality and most natural nutraceuticals …
A new study has reported that a daily dose of vitamin D3 improves heart function in people with chronic heart failure. The University of Leeds performed a five year study, funded by the Medical Research Council, to determine the link between Vitamin D3 and heart function. Dr. Klaus Witte, from the School of Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist, reported, “This is a significant breakthrough for patients. It is the first evidence that shows this vitamin can improve heart function of people with heart muscle weakness – known as heart failure. These findings could make a significant difference to the care of heart failure patients.”
Vitamin D, known as the “Sunshine Vitamin”, is naturally synthesized through a chemical reaction between the sun’s UV rays and the cholesterol on the skin. It has been estimated that approximately 70% of North Americans have Vitamin D deficiencies. A deficiency of this vitamin can occur due to a lack of sunlight or low consumption of foods high in Vitamin D (like fatty fish).
Vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) is a vitamin that is produced when sunlight is absorbed into the skin. It has been shown to be up to 10x more potent in the human body than Vitamin D2 and can have more prolonged effects. It is a fat-soluble vitamin. Excess quantities are stored in the body’s soft tissue, such as muscles, fat, and blood vessels.
Read more about Vitamin D3 by clicking here!
More than 160 participants from Leeds who were already being treated for their heart failure, using beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors and pacemakers were used in the study. Participants either took Vitamin D3 or a placebo tablet for one year. Researchers report that those patients who took Vitamin D3 experienced an “improvement in heart function, which was not seen in those who took the placebo.” In the 80 patients who took Vitamin D3, the heart’s pumping function improved from 26% to 34%. There was no reported change in cardiac function for the remaining individuals who were given a placebo.
The study concludes that for some heart disease patients, taking vitamin D3 regularly may lessen the need for them to be fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a device that detects irregular heart rhythms and can shock the heart back to a normal rhythm.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404152900.html
The Importance of Understanding Endothelial Dysfunction By Dr. Alan Pressman, DC, CNS, DAC, BN Endothelial dysfunction is a fancy word for a condition where the inner linings of blood vessels are not functioning correctly. This is because of three issues – reduced vasodilation (the opening …
By Nicole Crane, BS, NTP So many people, 72 million Americans, struggle to have normal blood pressure. High blood pressure is clinically known as hypertension, and it is a major conspirator in cardiac dysfunction. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 ng/dl, and many clinicians consider 115/75 …
By Nicole Crane, BS, NTP
In the United States alone, 72 million adults, nearly one third of all people over the tender age of 20, 
have high blood pressure, according to the National Heart and Lung Association. Worldwide, the number of people expected to have elevated blood pressure has been estimated to climb to 1.56 billion by 2025. When blood pressure remains uncontrolled, it can have serious consequences like damage to the heart, arteries and other organs. This can increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or other heart diseases like congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in arteries causing hardening of the arteries) peripheral artery disease and other heart and vascular problems.
Over time, high blood pressure can also do damage to the kidneys, allow for fluid to accumulate in the lungs and affect the healthy flow of blood to the brain and around the body. i Having normal, healthy blood pressure is an important aspect of overall wellness.
Healthy blood pressure is considered normal when it is 120/80 ml/mg. The top number is a systolic reading and measures the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body. The bottom number, the diastolic reading, measures pressure as the heart relaxes and refills with blood. Once those readings reach over 140/90, it is considered to be high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. There are many factors that get the blame when someone had high blood pressure, like inactivity, being overweight, excess sodium intake, a diet high in processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use. Stress, age, ethnicity and metabolic problems like diabetes can also affect blood pressure.