Vitamin C: Protection from Radiation Poisoning

NaturalNews.com released an article on February 17, 2012 proving vitamin C provides protection against radiation poisoning. Dr. Atsue Yanagisawa, M.D., Ph. D., conducted a study on Fukushima workers who consumed high dosages of vitamin C prior to handling radioactive debris. The results demonstrated they were protected against DNA damage, as well as cancer.

Orthomolecular Medicine News Service reported that Dr. Yanagisawa evaluated 16 men (ages 32-59) that worked 5-6 weeks in a high radiation area of Fukushima. Some of the men received over 25,000 milligrams of vitamin C therapy, while others received no pre-treatment at all. Blood samples indicated that those who were treated with the vitamin C showed no increased risk for cancer, or any damage in their DNA. Those who didnt receive the vitamin C pre-treatment showed a dramtic increase in cancer risk. However, those that showed the increase underwent a post-treatment therapy program with the same vitamin C dosage for two months, and saw their DNA levels return to normal.

"This important clinical demonstration confirms research done nearly 20 years ago showing that pretreatment with vitamin C, by oral intake or injection, increased sperm head survival after the injection of radioactive Iodine-131 in mice," says the OMNS report.

The study proves that vitamin C is one of the most powerful nutrients protecting against cell damage.


Source:
http://www.naturalnews.com/034993_vitamin_C_radiation_poisoning_cancer.html

Vitamin A and C vs. Glaucoma

Background:

The self test CET probe which measures the
ocular pressure- a precursor for glaucoma.

To evaluate the role of antioxidant drugs, such as vitamin A, C, and E, in the tonometric increase that foloow the closed eyelid test (CET). The CET measures stiffness of the eye due to built up pressure, a precursor for glaucoma.

Method:

Thirty subjects around the age of 55, 13 of which being males, had their ocular pressure measured after 1 hour from the CET. The first measurement were under normal conditions, while the second measurement was taken after the antioxidants were administered. Approximately 50,000 IU of vitamin A, 600 milligrams of vitamin E, and 1000milligrams of vitamin C was administered to the participants for the second CET measurement.

Results:

The pressure after the first CET test was higher than the measurements for the second CET test for all three antioxidants. This test prove that vitamins A, C, and E help reduce the pressure that leads to guacoma. However, vitamin A showed a statistically significant difference in value compared to the other vitamins, reducing the pressure even more.

Conclusion:

I feel that this is a reliable case study that vitamins A, C and E help reduce ocular pressure. The significant value for vitamin A is probably due in part to the role of the retinal hormone in the eye for vision. Vitamin A plays a more direct role to the eye than the other vitamins due, so that probably the reason for the difference in values.

Source:
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23104665

Vitamin C: Muscle Growth

It amazing how people tend to indulge in the exspensive and over-rated muscle supplement industry. Each year, thousand of dollars are poured in to fuel this industry, unaware of the muscle benefits that can be gained from consuming something as simple as an orange.

Why should you take vitamin C to build muscle?
Simple, vitamin C sppeds up the time it takes for your muscles to recover from weight training activity. During weight bearing activity, muscle tissue is naturally broken down, only to naturally build up again in forming new stronger tissue. Vitamin C speeds up this process so your able to perform the specific muscle building activity sooner than normal.

How does vitamin C recover your muscles faster?
The answer lies in your bodys ability to produce cortisol, a catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle tissue. In times of stress, cortisol is released into the blood stream and directed towards the specific muscles being stressed. However, vitamin c reduces cortisol production.by disrupting the presense of free radicals in the body. Upon completion of your workout is the best time to consume some form of vitamin C.

A German research study provided evidence to the vitamins ability to reuce cortisol production. A total of 120 participants had to perform a public speaking task combined with multiple math problems to produce stress. Approximately half of the sample population was given 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C before the stressor was applied. The elevated stress hormone cortisol, as well as blood pressure were higher in those that were not given vitamin C before the speech.

Source:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200304/vitamin-c-stress-buster

Vitamin A: Muscle Development

Since vitamin A plays an important role in several tissue functions, including muscular, consuming proper amounts can indirectly build muscle mass. Supporting your muslce cell metabolism, vitamin A allows cells to digest fatty acids as a fuel agent. In addition, this vitamin could also effect the rate of muscular turnover, which effects the bodys ability to grow muscle tissue. A 2010 study in the Journal of Nutrition indicated that vitamin A contributes in the regulation of muscle protein breakdown in rats. Thus, vitamin A deficiency resulted in muscle protein breakdown. Although animal studies can not be completly apllied to humans, the study suggests that lacking diets in vitamin A could effect the ability to grow new muscle tissue, thus preventing overall muscular growth.

One form of vitamin A, retinoic acid, has been linked to the regulation of new muscle growth. Physiologically, muscle tissue contains progenitor cells, known as satellite cells. When these satellite cells mature, the upbring new functional muscle cells. In 2009, a Canadain study found that vitamin A produces new satellite cells, which indicates that vitamin A plays a role in new muscle tissue growth. Overall however, there has been no indication whether these new satellite cells fully mature in muscle cells. In addition, vitamin A is involved in the production of Glycogen, which is the body's storage for energy in high intensity exercise.







Source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/502207-does-vitamin-a-increase-muscle-growth/

Vitamin Acne

Vitamin A not only supplies the proper functioning of vision, but also regualtes the development of epithelial cells in the skin. Vitamin A derivatives have been used in drugs, such as Accutane, to treat acne during the marturation of the skin. Topical treatments use derivatives of vitamin A,such as Retin A and vitamin A acid, to treat abnormal acne processes. It works by strengthening the skin and its tissues, while limiting the production of sebum or the oily secretion of the sebaceous glands composed of fat and epithelial debris. According to Dr. George Obikoya, sebum is the main factor for growing acne becuase the oily fat gets stuck in the hair follicles, irritating the skin to form acne. While other acne treatments exist, vitamin A based acne treatments combined with healthy hygiene is known as the best acne sloution.

I actually found this to be quite interesting, since how often do you look for vitamin A derivatives in your acne cream? Like every teenager, I have come into contact with my fair share of acne and have experimented with multiple different acne treatments. I personally have never gone through the Accutane treatment, but i have seen my friends go through it and the side effects aloong with it. Although i wouldnt recomend this treatment solution, i can vouche for its credibility from watching my close friends go through it. As for me,  Ill just stick with the vitamin A based creams to get ride of my acne.



Sources:
http://www.dailyperricone.com/2009/11/vitamin-a-for-acne/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75245-vitamins-cure-acne/

Vitamin C Lowers Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk

C-reactive protein levels after intravenous vitamin C
treatments are compared to CRP levels before
treatments.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found evidence supporting vitamin C lowering your risk of heart disease. Vitamin C supplements can lower concentrations of the C-reactive Protein, a.k.a. CRP, which is a prime biomarker of inflammation shown to be a predictor of heart disease and diabetes. According to Gladys Block,  UC Berkeley public health nutritionist and lead author of the study on vitamins C and E on CRP levels, the study shows a daily dose of vitamin C lowered the CRP levels after two months compared to those that took a placebo. The test subjects included healthy, non smoking individuals that showed high levels of CRP.

Researchers stated that the amount of CRP reduction for those with high levels of CRP were 0.25 milligrams per liter. The study also showed that for those participants that started out with a CRP level greater than 2 milligrams per liter had 34% lowered CRP levels than those who took the placebo. Participants that had a CRP level of 1 milligram per liter or less showed no significant decrease.UC Berkeley researchers also found a link between high CRP levels and obesity.While 25% of participants considered of healthy weight had high levels of CRP, 50% of overweight and 75% of obese people had high CRP levels. This is not surprising given the current data of cardiovascular disease on obese individuals. However, nearly half of the people that participated in this study had lower CRP levels after two months of daily vitamin C supplements.

Source:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2008/11/12_vitaminc.shtml

New Study: Vitamin A to Help Cure Cancer

A new study has found that vitamin A could help treat several forms of cancer, due to its ability to control the malignant cells. The new discovery has been referred to as the "new dawn" in cancer treatment after finding a link between malignant cell formation and vitamin a deficiencies. Researchers believe that vitamin A can be used as an anti-cancer treatment, and advise people to get ample amount of it in their diet. The study has been published in the journal "Nucleic Acids."

My thoughts:
Since the discovery of this study is still relevantly knew, September 2012, its going to be interesting to see how this development plays out.I feel if scientists are able to manipulate vitamin A into a medication that directly aplies to the malignant cells in cancer patients, then this very well could be the cure to cancer. Its going to take time in order to tell, however. Nonetheless, this is a huge break through in the medical world. Millions of dollars has been directly funded to find the cure for cancer, and this may very well be the beginning.



Source: 

http://www.thehindu.com/health/medicine-and-research/article3877427.ece?homepage=true

Beta-Carotene Linked to Lung Cancer in Smokers

Background:
The study was to determine whether vitamins, minerals, or the combination of both could reduce incidence and mortality from lung cancer in healthy individuals and smokers.

Method:
The study were randomised controlled clinic trials comparing different vitamin and mineral supplements to healthy people, including placebo supplements to healthy people. The aim was to prevent lung cancer. Two researchers independently selected trials to be included in the review of this study, assessed with the quality of each trial. The study included males and females, and participants considerted at high risk, such as smokers. Six studies analysed vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium supplements, and six studied combinations of two or more. All researchers were classified as being of low risk to bias.

Results:
For people not at high risk of lung cancer and compared to the placebo, none of the individual supplements alone or combination of produced s statistically significance difference in lung cancer incidence or mortality except in one case of 7627 females. This case found that women were at higher risk of lung cancer when taking vitamin C, but not for total cvancer incidence. The effect was not seen in males. However, for people considered at high risk of lung cancer, beta-carotene showed a small but statistically significant higher risk of lung cancer incidence and mortality.

Commentary:
Its hard for me to agree with the results of this case know what vitamin C does for your immune system. A possible explanation could be that these people were already considered at a high level of risk for lung cancer as smokers, so the vitamin C alone could not be directly related to lung cancer. Also, the previous study on healthy individuals taking vitamin C showed not effect on risk level. However, perhaps vitamin C intake while smoking speeds up the process of lung cancer.

Study Source:
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2012). National Institute of Health. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/230

 

Vitamin A and C

The main function in the body for vitamin a and c are found in our vision and immune system, respectively.

Vitamin A is essesntial for the retina as the metabolite retinal, which regulates scoptic and color vision. In the eye, 11-cis-retinal is attached to rhodopsin and iodospin, commonly know in anatomy as the rods and cones. As light passes through the eye, the cis-retinal is isomerized to the all-trans form. Within this form the all-trans is dissociated from the opsin, which produces a signal along the optic nerve to the brain. Once the signal is sent, the all-trans-retinal is produced back to the 11-cis-retinal form to repeat the cycle. Vitamin A is also important for healthy bones, as long as we consume the correct amount of the correct metabolite. As previously stated, vitamin is found as the metabolite retinal to promote vision. However, too much of this form of vitamin A can trigger an increase in osteoclasts which break down bone mass. In addition, retinal may interfere with the task of vitamin D in preserving bone. On the other hand beta-carotene, another metabolite form of vitamin A, is considered to be safe with no negative impact on bone development. Good sources for vitamin A include animal liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, dried apricots, cantaloupe, and squash.

 

 Vitamin C is used in assisting your immune system in order to prevent diseases and viruses. Physiologically, vitamin C is used as an electron donor for enzymes. The reaction allows hydroxyl groups to bind to amino acids, such as proline and lysine, in the collagen molecule, or the process of hydroxalation. The collagen molecule is then able to keep its triple helix structure which is vital for the production and over seeing of scar tissue, blood vessels and cartilage. In addition, vitamin c also plays an important role in the production of new bones. According to Baylor University researchers, vitamin c suppresses osteoclasts and stimulates osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are key for new bone development, thus making vitamin C a helpful factor in new bone formation. Sources for vitamin C are oranges, lemons, lime, mango, spinach, raspberries, garlic, pineapples, lettuce, pears, and even sunlight!


Sources:
http://students.depaul.edu/~svonk/linkone.html

http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/vitamin_a.asp

Introduction

 

 

 

 

My name is Brian Sampson, and I am an HSU student-athlete here at Humboldt State University. I have a wide range of interests, but my main interests include sports, cooking, and suspense/thriller reading. I enjoy playing all sports, even though i am completly horrible at some of them. My favorite sport to play is football, because i love the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful. Cooking is my way of being creative, plus I enjoy being able to make something with my hands. On top of cooking being a good skill to learn for life, it's fun for me to learn anout different food combinations to see what goes well with what. I like to experiment with different ingredients, and when I go home its a great way for me to spend time with my mom every day. I also enjoy gettting caught up in Stephen King books, my favorite being Under the Dome. Reading is a great way for me to relax, and since we travel so much accros the west coast its a good pass time.

I am very blessed to say that i come a wonderful family that couldnt have raised me any better. My family is Catholic, so for the first 18 years of my life i went to mass every Sunday and grew up in private schools. My elementary school, grades K-8, consisted of about 300 students and my high school had about 650. I wouldnt say that i enjoyed such a small school atmoshphere, mainly because everybody knew everybody which including the high school gossip that goes with it. However, it did have its advanatges in that respect as well, and i met alot of life friends that i still keep in touch with today.

 As for my schooling here at HSU, I am a Kinesiology major so most of the classes I have completed are Kines classes. I chose my nutrient, vitamin a and c, because I thought it would be an interesting challenge for me. I know that when you get sick you should being consuming alot of vitamin c, but I wasnt sure why physiologically. Vitamin A is just another vitamin that I knew nothing about, so I thought  this would be a good topic for me to research.