VITAMIN E INTAKE CRITICAL DURING THE FIRST 1000 DAYS

Amid conflicting reports about the need for vitamin E and how much is enough, a new analysis published today suggests that adequate levels of this essential micronutrient are especially critical for the very young, the elderly, and women who are or may become pregnant

A lifelong proper intake of vitamin E is also important, researchers said, but often complicated by the fact that this nutrient is one of the most difficult to obtain through diet alone. It has been estimated that only a tiny fraction of Americans consume enough dietary vitamin E to meet the estimated average requirement.

Meanwhile, some critics have raised unnecessary alarms about excessive vitamin E intake while in fact the diet of most people is insufficient, said Maret Traber, a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University, principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute and national expert on vitamin E

"Many people believe that vitamin E deficiency never happens," Traber said. "That isn't true. It happens with an alarming frequency both in the United States and around the world. But some of the results of inadequate intake are less obvious, such as its impact on things like nervous system and brain development, or general resistance to infection."

Some of the best dietary sources of vitamin E -- nuts, seeds, spinach, wheat germ and sunflower oil -- don't generally make the highlight list of an average American diet. One study found that people who are highly motivated to eat a proper diet consume almost enough vitamin E, but broader surveys show that 90 percent of men and 96 percent of women don't consume the amount currently recommended, 15 milligrams per day for adults.

In a review of multiple studies, published in Advances in Nutrition, Traber outlined some of the recent findings about vitamin E. Among the most important are the significance of vitamin E during fetal development and in the first years of life; the correlation between adequate intake and dementia later in life; and the difficulty of evaluating vitamin E adequacy through measurement of blood levels alone.

Findings include:

Inadequate vitamin E is associated with increased infection, anemia, stunting of growth and poor outcomes during pregnancy for both the infant and mother.

Overt deficiency, especially in children, can cause neurological disorders, muscle deterioration, and even cardiomyopathy.

Studies with experimental animals indicate that vitamin E is critically important to the early development of the nervous system in embryos, in part because it protects the function of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, which is important for brain health. The most sensitive organs include the head, eye and brain.

One study showed that higher vitamin E concentrations at birth were associated with improved cognitive function in two-year-old children.

Findings about diseases that are increasing in the developed world, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes, suggest that obesity does not necessarily reflect adequate micronutrient intake.

Measures of circulating vitamin E levels in the blood often rise with age as lipid levels also increase, but do not prove an adequate delivery of vitamin E to tissues and organs.

Vitamin E supplements do not seem to prevent Alzheimer's disease occurrence, but have shown benefit in slowing its progression.

A report in elderly humans showed that a lifelong dietary pattern that resulted in higher levels of vitamins B,C, D and E were associated with a larger brain size and higher cognitive function.

Vitamin E protects critical fatty acids such as DHA throughout life, and one study showed that people in the top quartile of DHA concentrations had a 47 percent reduction in the risk of developing all-cause dementia.

"It's important all of your life, but the most compelling evidence about vitamin E is about a 1000-day window that begins at conception," Traber said. "Vitamin E is critical to neurologic and brain development that can only happen during that period. It's not something you can make up for later."

Traber said she recommends a supplement for all people with at least the estimated average requirement of vitamin E, but that it's particularly important for all children through about age two; for women who are pregnant, nursing or may become pregnant; and for the elderly.

Neuropathy And Vitamin D

Today's post from neuropathydr.com (see link below) follows up on recent articles about the importance of getting enough (but not too much!) vitamin D in our daily diets. It's especially important for people susceptible to or living with neuropathy, as shortage of vitamin D can affect the regeneration of damaged nerves. This short article is worth a read but always consult with your doctor before embarking on a course of Vitamin D - it can be toxic at very high levels so getting the dosage right is important.

Vitamin D and Neuropathy?
Posted by john on September 12, 2013
 
Vitamin D is necessary for the body to manufacture some key neurotropic factors.

Yes, and this essential vitamin has a role in many other disorders too. Vitamin D is a key nutrient, responsible for many essential functions in human body.

What’s the Connection?

Perhaps the most significant functions are maintenance of bone mass and a powerful immune system. The more recent research suggests many additional roles for this key nutrient. We now know that when Vitamin D levels are low, widespread aches and pains plus more illnesses like flus and colds are common.

Yes, and maybe even neuropathy, both directly and indirectly.

Regarding infections, some researchers suggest we should be heading out vitamin D tablets as opposed to flu shots as they probably would be so much more effective, with minimal side effects.

But that’s another story for another time.

The neuropathy Vitamin D connection probably is because Vitamin D is necessary for the body to manufacture some key neurotropic factors.

Neurotropins as they are often called are substances produced by the body to help nerves repair, and whenever possible regenerate.

There are a number different things that can influence your own neurotropin production, including key nutrition components and therapies like low-frequency nerve stimulation.

In fact, the research is so significant here I am “bullish” on neurostimulator kits being tried for most neuropathy and pain patients.

This is why our homecare kits have become a very popular choice and work well the vast majority of the time. If you are new to Beating Neuropathy can find these at http://neuropathydr.com/homecare

So how much vitamin D is enough?

Well, United States says around 600 international units per day is fine, but European countries recommend levels much higher, on the order of a few thousand international units per day for most healthy adults.

So who is correct? I would definitely side with Europeans on this because research supports that most people do not get nearly enough vitamin D either from their diet, or sunlight exposure.

Personally, I recommend a minimum of 2500 units of supplemental Vitamin D per day combined with The NeuropathyDR Diet.

There are unfortunately no good plant sources of active vitamin D. (cholecaliferol).

The best dietary sources of vitamin D come from fish and fish oils.

But the most important advice I will leave you with today is to have your baseline levels of vitamin D checked, you and your healthcare providers must then determine the most optimum dosage for YOU!

Retest after the first 90 days to make sure your body is absorbing this key neuropathy nutrient properly.

You also need to be very careful because vitamin D can be toxic in very large amounts.

To learn more, check back with us frequently as we will update you periodically as the research indicates.

http://neuropathydr.com/vitamin-d-and-neuropathy/

Intra Muscular Vitamin D Injections Reduce Neuropathy Symptoms

Today's post from vitamindcouncil.org (see link below) makes some remarkable claims about the benefits of a single, high-dosage injection of vitamin D for neuropathy patients. The results were seen after some weeks and had no effect on the disability of a patient but definitely on the severity of their symptoms. Personally, I find it an encouraging research but it definitely needs some significant follow-up to confirm its conclusions. The injections were intra-muscular and therefore administered by a doctor or medical professional, which may be a good thing, to dissuade people from rushing to the supplement store to swallow 600,000 IU of vitamin D in pill form in one go! Vitamin D supplementation has been a buzz therapy among the neuropathy communities for some time now but most doctors will agree that vitamin D supplementation is only really necessary if there is proven vitamin D deficiency. The word has it that it is certainly beneficial for nerve health but you need to do more of your own research and consult with a trusted medical professional before embarking on a self-help course of vitamin D. Most articles place an emphasis on diabetes-related neuropathy patients but as we all know by now, that's only because the vast majority of neuropathy sufferers come from the diabetic community. Most information regarding neuropathy applies to the condition irrespective of its cause. More articles can be found by using the search button to the right of this blog.

Research finds vitamin D to be a safe and effective treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy
Posted on April 11, 2016 by Amber Tovey

A new study published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care discovered that treatment with a single intramuscular dose of 600,000 IU of vitamin D in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy caused significant reductions in symptoms.

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve disorder that can occur if a person has diabetes. High blood sugar can injure nerves throughout the body, but diabetic neuropathy most commonly affects nerves in the legs and feet. It often causes pain and numbness in the extremities, but may also cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart.

Approximately 21% of the population is affected by painful diabetic neuropathy. Treatments for diabetic neuropathy are limited. The therapeutic effectiveness for all medications is at best near 50% pain relief. In addition, most of the medications are accompanied by unwanted side effects. This has left the medical community searching for new treatments.

A previous study suggested vitamin D supplementation may help treat diabetic neuropathy. The researchers found that weekly vitamin D supplementation of 50,000 IU for 8 weeks reduced symptoms but not disability. In an effort to confirm the treatment effect of vitamin D on diabetic neuropathy, researchers recently conducted a prospective open-labeled trial in Pakistan.

A total of 143 patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes were included in the study. All patients received a single intramuscular dose of 600,000 IU of vitamin D3.

Pain was assessed using three different questionnaires: The Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4), total McGill pain and Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SFMPQ). The researchers wanted to compare pain severity before and after the administration of the vitamin D injection. Here is what they found:
Average vitamin D levels increased from 31.7 ng/ml at baseline to 46.2 ng/ml at week 20.
Total McGill pain score, DN4 and SFMPQ significantly decreased after vitamin D administration (p is less than 0.001).

The researchers concluded,

“The administration of 600 000 IU of vitamin D results in a modest but significant increase in 25(OH)D levels measured at 20 weeks. This improvement in 25(OH)D levels was associated with an improvement in several independent measures of PDN, which became significant approximately 10 weeks after administration of vitamin D.”

The researchers noted that the average vitamin D levels of the patients at baseline was much higher than previous studies, indicating that a proportion had likely received vitamin D supplementation from their primary physician previously. This shows vitamin D supplementation has become a more widely accepted practice for diabetic patients.

Future studies should follow a randomized controlled trial design and use a daily dosage regimen.

Citation

Tovey, A.; Cannell, JJ. Research finds vitamin D to be a safe and effective treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy. The Vitamin D Council Blog ; Newsletter, 2016.

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/blog/research-finds-vitamin-d-to-be-a-safe-and-effective-treatment-for-painful-diabetic-neuropathy/

MODIFIED VITAMIN D SHOW PROMISE AS TREATMENT FOR PANCREATIC CANCER

A synthetic derivative of vitamin D was found by Salk Institute researchers to collapse the barrier of cells shielding pancreatic tumors, making this seemingly impenetrable cancer much more susceptible to therapeutic drugs.

The discovery has led to human trials for pancreatic cancer, even in advance of its publication today in the journal Cell. By attacking a wound repair mechanism called fibrosis, the findings may also have implications for other tough-to-treat tumors, such as lung, kidney and liver cancer.

"While the success of this drug in humans with pancreatic cancer is still unclear, the findings in animal studies were strong, raising hope that ongoing clinical trials will give people with this terrible disease hope for a truly new type of therapy," says Ronald Evans, director of Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory and senior author of the new paper.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, a fact highlighted in recent years by the deaths of well-known figures such as Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze. About 46,000 people are diagnosed in the United States each year and about 40,000 people die from the disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

"For pancreatic cancer, the five-year survival rate is the lowest of all cancers," says Evans, holder of Salk's March of Dimes Chair and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Part of the problem is that the science of pancreatic cancer and its renowned resistance to therapy has not been understood and that's why the work that we're doing is so important."

Evans and his colleagues knew that the ability of the pancreatic tumor to communicate with nearby cells -- called the tumor microenvironment -- is key to its growth. Tumor cells send out signals that make the microenvironment inflamed and dense; this "living shield" around a tumor not only helps the cancer grow, but blocks the access of immune cells and chemotherapeutic drugs, making the cancer particularly hard to treat.

Evans -- in collaboration with researchers around the country involved in an interdisciplinary initiative supported by Stand Up to Cancer -- wanted to figure out how to restore this inflamed microenvironment to its normal or "quiescent" state and weaken the wall around the tumor.

"There was evidence that the activation of the microenvironment was theoretically reversible, but nobody knew exactly what was responsible for the activation, making it hard to turn off," says Salk postdoctoral research fellow Mara Sherman, first author of the new paper.

Sherman, Evans and their collaborators focused their attention on one component of this wall: pancreatic stellate cells, which usually respond to small injuries by briefly switching to an activated state, spurring new cell growth. In the case of cancer, however, the stellate cells near a tumor -- in response to signals from the tumor -- are constantly turned on. This chronic activation of the stellate cells provides the tumor cells with extra growth factors and therefore helps them proliferate, but also forms a wall-like barrier around the tumor that protects it from chemotherapeutics and other cancer-fighting drugs.

In 2013, Evans' group discovered that stellate cells in the liver could be inactivated by a chemically modified form of vitamin D. They wondered whether the same could hold true in the pancreas, despite the fact the vitamin D receptor was not thought to be present in pancreatic tissue.

But indeed, when the group of researchers examined the differences between activated and inactivated stellate cells in the pancreas, they found that activated stellate cells near a tumor had high levels of the vitamin D receptor. And when the researchers then added modified vitamin D to activated stellate cells the cells quickly reverted back to a healthy, inactivated state, stopping production of signals that spur growth and inflammation.

"This was a big surprise because vitamin D has been tried multiple times as a therapy for pancreatic cancer and never worked," says Evans.

It turns out that activated stellate cells rapidly break down normal vitamin D, preventing the vitamin from binding to the receptor, Evans explains. But systematic analysis of vitamin D analogues allowed the team to discover a modified form of vitamin D that is more stable, resilient and effective in vitro.

To see whether this new vitamin D-like compound could halt the growth of a tumor, Evans and the team next studied its effectiveness in mice. The researchers found that combining the drug with existing chemotherapeutics gave a 50 percent increase in lifespan compared to chemotherapy alone.

"It's really remarkable considering that vitamin D itself is not attacking the cancer cells," says Michael Downes, a senior staff scientist at Salk and co-corresponding author of the new work. "It's changing the environment to a more favorable setting needed for the chemotherapy drugs to work."

Studies have shown that people deficient in vitamin D are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. Based on the new results, Evans thinks that healthy levels of vitamin D may help keep vitamin D receptor signaling in stellate cells normal and squash a cancer's growth -- at least until a tumor itself forces the stellate cells to "turn on."

"Recently, other research groups have explored the idea of destroying the microenvironment altogether to weaken a tumor," says Downes. "Our approach is very different. Instead of destroying, we simply want to reprogram the tumor microenvironment to a healthy state. This has the dual effects of delivering more drugs to the tumor as well as replenishing the tissue with normal stellate cells."

Evans group has already teamed up with clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania to launch a clinical trial testing the effectiveness of using their vitamin D-like drug in cancer patients before pancreatic surgery. "Previous trials with vitamin D failed because they didn't understand the need for a special form of vitamin D and that for pancreatic cancer it must be used in combination with chemotoxic drugs," Evans says. "So, by re-thinking the problem, have been able to open up a new route to the treatment of pancreatic cancer and, looking forward, hopefully other diseases as well."

Vitamin B12 And Neuropathy

Today's post from neuropathybristolcounty.com (see link below) talks about vitamin B12 deficiency being extremely common and sometimes leading to peripheral neuropathy. Your doctor should be able to test you quite easily for B12 deficiency and you can then arrange to take supplements. It's probably best not to start supplementing without discussing with the doctor first. It's very often to do with an inability to absorb the vitamin and can manifest itself as tiredness and lack of energy and if you're unlucky, the well-known symptoms of neuropathy. Checking out the alphabetical list to the right of this blog will give you more information on the subject.

Vitamin B12, Health, and Your Neuropathy
Posted by neuropathybristolcounty on December 9, 2013
 
B12 deficiency may cause, or contribute to, the development of peripheral neuropathy.

Vitamin B12 is a key nutrient which, when missing, contributes to, and may actually create a number of different diseases.

Not the least of which is causing, or contributing to, the development of peripheral neuropathy.

The reason for this is that vitamin B12 is absolutely essential for the normal function of every cell in the brain and nervous system.

Damage to the nervous system caused by B12 deficiency can actually be permanent and irreversible.

Like so many of the other nutrients we’ve spoken about already, vitamin B12 is also essential for energy production and cellular repair.

B12 is manufactured by bacteria and then ingested by animals. In animals, as well as humans, it undergoes conversion to one or more active forms.

In the autoimmune disease pernicious anemia, a lack of intrinsic factor needed for normal absorption of B12 in the small bowel leads the development of vitamin B12 deficiency—and, possibly, also the diseases that that can cause.

Deficiency of vitamin B12 is also one of the more common deficiencies we see in private practice. When we check with laboratory studies, many adults have inadequate levels.

Signs and symptoms of low B12 levels are very common, and are often passed on as simple fatigue or aging. These symptoms include low energy, fatigue, depression, and memory changes. B12 deficiency in the outpatient setting is probably second only to vitamin D.

Low B12 levels can be due to a combination of diet and a number of different factors. Normal aging is one of these factors; B12 deficiency is much more common in adults over 50.

Some other factors include chronic use of medications that affect the lining of the GI tract, bowel diseases, and, actually, many prescription medications.

One of the most common reasons for vitamin B12 deficiency in diabetics is the prescription drug metformin.

Like all the key nutrients, it is most important to clearly identify, then attempt to correct a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Eliminating correctable underlying causes such as poor dietary habits and unnecessary drug use are two of the most common ones that I see in my practice—and are two of the easiest fixes.

High dosages of oral supplementation under supervision and/or injection of vitamin B12 may be necessary to correct low levels and frank deficiencies.

Since the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency can be permanent, is very important that you and your doctors take this nutrient and its deficiency very seriously.

This is especially true if you suffer from neuropathy or any neurologic disorder.

So don’t be afraid to ask questions.

I still recommend all adults should routinely have vitamin B12, vitamin D, and folic acid levels checked at every annual physical examination, and more often once supplementation has begun.|

http://neuropathybristolcounty.com/blog/2013/12/09/

Vitamin A For Neuropathy Vid

Today's post from beating neuropathy.tv (see link below) is another short but useful video clip from Dr John Hayes Jr. Today he talks about the importance of vitamin A when linked to the nervous system. He also very clearly warns about the dangers of taking too much vitamin A. Always worth a watch over a cup of coffee, he presents information in a clear and interesting manner and there is always something new to learn.


 
http://beatingneuropathy.tv/