Nearly A Third of Americans Aren't Getting Enough of This Vitamin?

Hi and welcome to this week’s look at what’s making headlines in natural health on iHealthTube.com…

Do you get enough vitamin C?  It turns out… about 35 percent of the US adult population needs more.  That’s an estimate of people with metabolic syndrome in this country.

New research is showing that a higher intake of vitamin C can stop a vicious cycle related to the condition.  A diet high in fat leads to low-grade inflammation in the body, which later, leads to metabolic syndrome.  That condition leads to impaired gut function, and vitamin C depletion, which then leads to poor movement of vitamin E in the body.  

But research out of Oregon is showing that vitamin C helps protect vitamin E, which in turn, boosts antioxidant protection in the body.  Also, people with metabolic syndrome typically need more vitamin C… they have lower plasma concentrations due to the body’s anti-inflammatory responses.

And a recent study in Mississippi is highlighting another indication that sugar-sweetened beverages can cause harm.

The study looked at over 3 thousand African-American men with normal kidney function who were enrolled in an previous heart study.  The study tracked beverage intake over a four year period, then followed up the participants four more years starting 5 years later.  The results found that those who consumed the most soda, sweetened fruit drinks and water was linked to a 61 percent increased likelihood to develop chronic kidney disease.  Yes, water was included… but participants may have reported a wide variety of water, including flavored and sweetened water.  

Unfortunately, researchers did not collect information about specific brands or types of bottled water in the study.

Finally… research is finding hope for a rare form of cancer from a plant.

Uveal melanoma is a cancer of the eye… it affects about 2000 adults every year and in half of the cases, the disease metastasizes to the liver.  But research is indicating a compound extracted from the Christmas berry primrose may stop the cancer’s growth.  The compound was discovered 30 years ago from the plant’s leaves… it works by blocking a type of protein that sits on the cell’s membrane.  But some of these proteins are mutated in that kind of cancer… turning on a pathway that leads to cancer growth.

Researchers found that this compound blocked the growth of the cancer cells and that higher doses killed the cells… giving hope that this compound may help lead to effective treatments for the cancer in the future.

That’s a look at what’s making headlines in natural health this week.  Make sure to go to iHealthTube.com and sign up for our free email newsletter so you stay connected to the latest in natural health!