A combination of vitamins E and C has been shown to substantially slow the progression of atherosclerosis. In a recent three-year trial reported at the 21st Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Dr. Jukka Salonen reported that men who received 200 mgs per day (272 IU) of D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (vitamin E) along with 500 mgs per day of sustain-released vitamin C showed substantial reduction in the rate of plaque buildup in the carotid arteries. 

The effect is most powerful if vitamins E and C are used together.  It has been hypothesized that vitamin E prevents oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) while vitamin C prevents vitamin E from becoming oxidized.  Vitamin C is necessary to help rejuvenate vitamin E and they work synergistically.  These nutrients are both very safe and can provide low-cost preventive therapy against vascular disease. 
 

According to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at Harvard School of Public Health found that women who exercised the most were 30% less likely to require gall-bladder surgery compared to women who were minimally active. Two to three hours of exercise per week appeared to reduce the risk for such surgery by 20%. besides being beneficial  in weight control, physical activity has been found to promote a more rapid transit time in the GI tract, which may help prevent gallstones from forming.  Exercise can also reduce triglyceride levels, which play a role in gallstone formation.

Over the years, most conventional oncologists have not been supportive about the use of antioxidant vitamins during cancer treatment, based on the belief that these antioxidants may keep the free radicals generated during radiation or chemotherapy from having the desired effect on cancer cells.  However, the latest evidence indicates that their concern is not valid. 

According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Dr. Kedar Prasad has found that high-dose antioxidants may, in fact, both improve the effects of radiation or chemotherapy and reduce the toxicity that standard cancer treatments frequently have on normal cells. 

Both animal and human studies now indicate that antioxidants may reduce the adverse effects of conventional cancer therapy. These supplements are most effective as adjuncts to cancer therapy if they are combined with lifestyle and dietary changes, including a low-fat, high-fiber diet, reduction in caffeine intake, limited intake of alcohol, abstinence from cigarette smoking, daily exercise and stress reduction. These lifestyle modifications also reduce the risk of developing secondary cancers which are common among survivors of standard cancer treatments. 
 

Breast-fed babies have IQ’s which are three to five points higher than bottle-fed babies, according to researchers at The University of Kentucky. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. James Anderson speculates that breast milk provides nutrients that are required for development of the immature brain.  Breast milk contains long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) andarachidonic acid (AA) which support neurologic development. The brain is composed of 60% fat content, and DHA and AA are the major lipid components. DHA, incidentally, once found only in breast milk, is now available in supplements, but is not yet a component of baby formula.

Although you might be taking calcium to help strengthen your bones, the latest evidence indicates that increasing the daily intake of calcium may reduce the risk of stroke in women. 

According to researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, an increased calcium intake is associated with a decreased risk of stroke.  After a 14-year study, researchers found that women who took 400 mgs or more of calcium per day were at lower risk of suffering a stroke. 

The study’s authors speculate that calcium  may reduce the risk of stroke by reducing cholesterol levels and blocking the formation of dangerous blood clots. 
 

Following a strict vegetarian diet can improve blood-sugar control in people with adult-onset diabetes.  After following a strict low-fat vegetarian diet for 12 weeks, researchers found that Type II diabetics were able to improve their blood-sugar response in contrast with those subjects who followed a more conventional low-fat regimen. Fasting blood-sugar levels decreased 28% in those on the strict low-fat vegetarian diet, compared to 12% in those adhering to the traditional low-fat diet.  Furthermore, subjects in the vegetarian group lost an average of nearly 16 pounds compared to an average of only 8 pounds lost by the other test patients during the 12-week interval. Lastly, one of the six patients in the vegetarian group was able to completely discontinue his use of medication and three were able to reduce their medication dosages.

Vitamin E is already known as one of the most potent antioxidants in helping to reduce free-radical damage. Mounting evidence now indicates that this vitamin is also effective in preventing heart disease. A recent study completed at Harvard University indicated that the nation's health-care expenditures could be reduced by over $7 billion if the population took supplemental vitamin E every day. 

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and should be used with a water-soluble vitamin such as vitamin C to optimize its benefits. There is an ongoing study now looking at the advantages of taking vitamin E combined with vitamin C for heart disease. I believe the results of this research will show the combination to be even more beneficial than taking vitamin E alone. But in whatever form you take it, vitamin E represents an economical and effective therapy to reduce your free-radical burden. 

Researchers at Tel Aviv University recently reported that two milligrams of controlled-release melatonin given two hours before bedtime was very effective in helping people withdraw from benzodiazepine medications and improve the quality of their sleep. 

Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan are commonly used for their tranquilizing effect, but are sometimes overly sedating and can also contribute to dizziness, a disturbed sleep pattern, weakness, and confusion.  At the end of six weeks, three-quarters of the patients studied who were using melatonin had successfully discontinued the use of these medications and reported good sleep quality. 

Melatonin is a natural hormone released by the pineal gland that helps control the sleep-wake cycle. Unfortunately, as we age the natural production of melatonin decreases.  If you decide to try melatonin, we recommend that you start with a low dose, generally 0.5-1.5 milligrams before bedtime. 

According to researchers at The University of Wisconsin Medical School, drinking purple grape juice may reduce your risk of developing vascular disease.  Subjects who drank purple grape 
juice for two weeks were found to have more elasticity of their blood vessels and were able to reduce the level of oxidized LDL ("bad") cholesterol.  It appears that purple grape juice has a beneficial affect on three of the major risk factors for developing atherosclerotic plaque and narrowing of the blood vessels, including the stickiness of the blood, flexibility of the arteries, and the speed with which LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized.  Each person in this study drank an average of one-and-a-half teaspoons per kilogram of body weight per day for 14 days. 

Women who take vitamins E and C during their second term of  pregnancy may be at lower risk for developing pre-eclampsia. Researchers at East Tennessee State University found that the incidence of pre-eclampsia could be reduced in pregnant mothers by 76% if they took 400 IU of vitamin E and 1000 mgs of vitamin C on a daily basis.  Pre-eclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure, excessive swelling and protein in the urine.  This is a serious condition that can result in premature delivery of the newborn baby. Several other studies have also found that low levels of vitamin E and other antioxidants have been associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia. 
 

Adults who take at least 1000 mgs of vitamin C per day showed a significant decrease in the severity of the common cold.  The beneficial effect was even more pronounced in children who showed a 26% reduction in cold symptoms when they took at least 2000 mgs of vitamin C per day.  Dr. Harri Hemila of the Finnish Department of Public Health released a comprehensive report which analyzed the results of 23 studies on vitamin C and the common cold.  He estimates that it would take 10 grams (10,000 mgs) per day to reduce cold severity by 50% in adults and about 4 grams (4000 mgs) per day for children. The beneficial effects of vitamin C in fighting the common cold, he believes, are highly dose dependent. 

A medical report published in Stroke found that young women who took a multivitamin on a regular basis were at a lower risk for stroke. This study evaluated 167 women between the ages of 15 and 44 who had already experienced a stroke.  It was found that those who took a multivitamin on a regular basis were significantly less likely to have high levels of homocysteine, which is a strong risk factor for developing a stroke.  The researchers noted that folic acid, B6 and B12 are known to reduce levels of homocysteine. They also concluded that not taking multivitamins can result in a risk of stroke that is comparable to smoking a pack per day.