The Forgotten Vitamin
Over 80 years ago, a vitamin was discovered that proved very important to our health. However, that vitamin has been forgotten my most of the health community, hidden within piles of dusty paperwork - until now.
It’s hard to say why vitamin K has been so overlook for so long, especially when some experts say that as many as 99% of the population is deficient in vitamin K.
How was Vitamin K discovered?
In 1929, Danish scientist Henrik Dam investigated the role of cholesterol by feeding chickens a cholesterol-depleted diet. After several weeks, the animals developed hemorrhages and started bleeding. These defects could not be restored by adding purified cholesterol…
Dental Hygiene Linked To Heart Disease
Would you think that heart disease could be related to dental hygiene? Probably not, but it is.
There is a well-established connection between oral infections, inflammation, and heart disease, so the results of a large study showing a connection between tooth brushing and heart attack risk aren’t really surprising. What they are, however, is attention-grabbing, which can only help to raise awareness among patients of the connection between infection and overall health.
Published in May in the journal BMJ, results from the Scottish Health Survey showed that among more than 11,000 participants, those who admitted to brushing their teeth less than twice a day had a 70% higher risk of cardiovascular events even after adjusting for other CVD risk factors including obesity, smoking, social class, and family history. People who reported poor oral hygiene also had higher levels of bloodstream inflammatory markers including fibrinogen and C-reactive protein.
Poor oral hygiene is the major cause of periodontal disease, a chronic infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth. Thus, gum infections seem to add to the inflammatory burden on individuals, increasing cardiovascular risk, the researchers say.
Vitamin B6 May Improve Arthritis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 46 million Americans are reported to have long-term health problems associated with arthritis. This number is growing and expected to increase to 67 million by 2030.
There are chemical compounds called pro-inflammatory compounds in our bodies. Over time these inflammatory compounds can build up in our bodies causing aching joints.
A group of Taiwanese scientists performed a study with 35 participants testing how B6 affected the pro-inflammatory compounds in the body. After 12 weeks of supplementation, significant decreases were observed in the inflammatory compounds.