TriVita Article: Colorectal Cancer – It’s Common and Very Curable In Its Early Stages

Should you be screened?
By Dr. Samuel N. Grief

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Leading healthcare professionals realize the importance of educating the public about this deadly disease and that is why March has been designated National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Understandably, the colon and rectum are neither glamorous nor easy topics to discuss with your healthcare provider. Nonetheless, it is extremely important that you or your provider bring this topic up during one of your next medical visits to ensure you will be properly
assessed and screened for any colorectal disease.

Why should I be screened for colorectal cancer?
Most colorectal cancers arise from pre-existing polyps. These polyps occur in approximately 30% of adults age 50 years and older and occur more commonly as we age. The goal of colorectal cancer screening is to identify early cancers and polyps in order to limit the spread of disease and save lives.

How often should I be screened?
Routine screening should occur on the following basis and by one or more of the following methods:

• Annual testing of your stool for hidden blood [also known as fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years
• Colonoscopy every ten years

FOBT is the easiest to perform and can be done in the privacy of your own home. Application of a stool specimen to special testing cards on three consecutive days is the most common way of performing this test.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy is done at your doctor’s office and requires brief preparation with a stool cleanser or laxative. The instrument, a sigmoidoscope, is a short, flexible tube that uses a fiber optic light to see up to about 60 cm (about 2 feet) inside your rectum and colon. This procedure will not detect any disease within the colon above this distance. Most medical societies recommend combining flexible sigmoidoscopy with FOBT every five years to enhance screening.

Colonoscopy is the best test for identifying colon polyps. Medical authorities recognize this procedure as inherently the most risky, too.
While perforation of the colon may occur, it is quite rare. Also, most physicians performing this procedure place their patients under conscious sedation, meaning you will be awake but not truly alert. This may place you at increased risk for lung and heart complications if you have underlying lung and heart disease.

What can I do to prevent colorectal cancer?
There are several things that may lessen your risk for developing disease of the colon and rectum:

• Keep the weight off – many scientific studies confirm the association between obesity and risk for colorectal cancer.
• Lower your fat intake – less fat in one’s diet may decrease the risk for developing colon polyps, the precursor to cancer.
• Eat less red meat – there is some controversy here, but red meat has very little fiber and slows up the bowel function, allowing toxins to fester within your bowels. Additionally, one scientific study confirmed an association between red meat consumption and increased colon cancer in women.
• Increase your dietary fiber – fiber is great for your overall health and improves bowel function. However, it has not been scientifically-proven to lower your risk for colorectal cancer.
• Vitamin and mineral supplements – Vitamin D and calcium have been scientifically shown to help reduce the development of colon polyps. Calcium seems to be the strong partner here, but Vitamin D assists calcium absorption within the intestines. That’s why I recommend a calcium supplement for bone health and general well-being, especially as we age.
• Other medicines, such as aspirin or its cousins, are potentially useful to lower the risk for colorectal disease, but their side effects of bleeding and kidney and liver problems make them unsuitable for most people. Lastly, cholesterol-lowering medicines known as statins have also been found in several studies to have a link to lower risk for colorectal disease.

Call a Wellness Consultant at 1-800-991-7116 to make sure you are taking a quality Vitamin D supplement. TriVita offers two excellent choices: VitaCal-Mag D and Bone Builder.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal March 2009 pg 14.

TriVita Article:Skin Disorders and What They Mean

Attractive skin is really a reflection of inner health. Good health comes only from healthy habits. This is a natural law.by Dr Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

 

Friends and enemies
Collagen and healthy fats are best-friends to healthy skin. They give skin its firmness and elasticity. Collagen is made from nutrients such as Vitamin C and glucosamine. Healthy fats in your skin come from healthy fats in your diet, including supplemental essential fatty acids. Fats in your skin are protected by antioxidants such as Vitamin E and those found in green tea.

Free radicals are your skin’s enemies. These naturally occurring inflammatory substances overwhelm and harm your skin. As a result, your skin may become looser, weaker, less elastic and drier. Remember, when collagen and fat loss is making your skin look bad it is also aging your entire body.

Your skin becomes the battlefield between free radical damage and nutrients supporting healthy skin. Trauma, toxins, deficiency and stress create free radicals. Antioxidants from your diet and dietary supplements neutralize free radicals. When nutrient reserves fail, skin disorders begin. The most common skin disorders include eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea dermatitis.

Eczema
Eczema is inflammation of the skin. The term eczema has come to be associated with a specific type of dermatitis, called atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, non-contagious condition.

Symptoms: Itchy, inflamed skin.

Causes: Although eczema can develop at any age, it is most common in infants and children. It is estimated that 65% of people with eczema develop symptoms in the first year of life, and 90% develop symptoms before age five. The condition often improves in adulthood, but 50% of those affected as children are affected throughout life. Eczema is closely associated with asthma and hay fever. All together, they are called atopy. Atopy tends to run in families.

Responds to: Eczema responds well to essential fatty acid supplements, which help keep histamine levels low and nourish the fat pads under the skin. It also responds well to anti-stress herbs called adaptogens and Vitamin B-12, which help protect the collagen links from free radical destruction. Vitamin D and aloe vera have been used to balance the immune system response to anxiety and stress – known triggers for eczema.

Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious skin condition.

Symptoms: Psoriasis is characterized by scaling and inflammation. The inflamed skin is most commonly found on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. It may cause pain and discomfort by cracking.

Causes: Currently, it is estimated that 5.5 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis. Psoriasis may be a disorder of the immune system. A type of white blood cell that normally protects the body against infection and disease triggers inflammation and causes skin to shed too rapidly. Psoriasis flare-ups may be triggered by a variety of factors, including infection, toxins, climate, certain medications and stress.

Up to 11% of people with psoriasis develop a condition called psoriatic arthritis when the inflamed areas of the skin are accompanied by joint inflammation.

Responds to: Psoriasis responds well to nourishment with essential fatty acids such as those found in OmegaPrime. Stress protection with adaptogens and Vitamin B-12 is also helpful in many people. Vitamin D has also been used for people with psoriasis to balance the immune system response to stress.

Seborrhea dermatitis
Seborrhea dermatitis is a chronic skin condition.

Symptoms: Scaly, itchy rash. Most commonly affected areas are along the hairline, in and behind the ears, on the eyebrows, around the nose and on the chest. Dandruff is a type of seborrhea dermatitis.

Causes: Common skin yeast organisms, called Malassezia, may play a role in seborrhea dermatitis. It seems to run in families and is associated with disorders of the immune system and the nervous system. Seborrhea dermatitis is strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Responds to: Seborrhea dermatitis responds to supplementation with essential fatty acids as do many other skin conditions. The EFAs in OmegaPrime help reduce inflammation, nourish the fat pads under the skin and soothe the immune system. Seborrhea, like most other skin conditions, is triggered by stress. Protection against stress with adaptogens and Vitamin B-12 is often helpful.

Conclusion
The best expression of a balanced, healthy life is often reflected in your skin. Health only comes from healthy habits practiced daily over time. These habits are reflected in the philosophy of the 10 Essentials of Health and Wellness. Learn and live the 10 Essentials for enduring health. Take antioxidant nutrients, anti-stress nutrients, immune balancing nutrients and essential fatty acids and you are on your way to radiant health – inside and out!

Take Control of Your Health Reduce stress and take stress-control nutrients: Vitamin B-12 Adaptogens Reduce inflammation and balance immunity: OmegaPrime Vitamin D

Source: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report March 21 2009

Why Vitamin D Stands For “illness-fighter”

By Dr. Tammy Pon

Practically every day another benefit of Vitamin D is revealed. Vitamin D is created when our skin is exposed to sunshine. It is also present in our diet, mainly in cold-water fish and dark green vegetables.

A recent newspaper headline read, “Vitamin D Linked to Parkinson’s disease.” At first glance, it may not be clear if Vitamin D is a culprit or an “illness-fighter.” Well, in fact, just as Vitamin D helps build bones, Vitamin D plays a role in building our brains – it is an “illness-fighter.”

Vitamin D and Parkinson’s
Previous studies have shown that the part of the brain affected most by Parkinson’s, the substantia nigra, has high levels of the Vitamin D receptor, which suggests Vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells.

If we look at other Vitamin D research, low levels of Vitamin D have been found to be associated with:

• Many neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
• Autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis
• Metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Vitamin D is formed when sunlight strikes the skin and interacts with cholesterol. Its main to the bones.

Vitamin D – a messenger
Information is carried by a number of messengers inside your body, including proteins and fats. Vitamin D can also act like a messenger, telling the cells how much work to do.

Think of this like building a house. Proteins give specific instructions in the same way a carpenter may decide how best to connect walls and windows and doors. Fats may serve as the building materials for the entire house. Vitamin D serves as the general contractor to determine how much building should be done at any specific time.

We certainly need proteins and protein complexes of Vitamin B-12 to create the structures making up our brain. We also need the fats found in such products as OmegaPrime® to serve as raw materials and general information on brain repair. We need Vitamin D to tell us how much brain to build when we are young and how much repair work to do as we age.

Why winter is the time for more Vitamin D
We get Vitamin D from sunlight, foods and supplements. Because we are exposed to less sunshine in the winter than in the summer, we need to be more vigilant about supplementing with Vitamin D and exposing our skin to sunshine whenever practical. Most doctors who recommend Vitamin D explain that winter cold and flu outbreaks are directly related to Vitamin D deficiency.

If you take supplements to ensure you’re getting enough Vitamin D, make sure they’re the type that your body can really use. It’s best to take supplements formulated for maximum absorption, such as TriVita’s VitaCal-Mag D™ or TriVita Bone Builder. This way, you can help ensure that you’re getting the full benefits of Vitamin D to meet the serious challenges of daily life.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2009 pg 25.

TriVita Article: Is The Sun Our Enemy?

Summary of Article Is The Sun Our Enemy?
by Dr Brazos Minshew

Humans have existed on earth for many thousands of years. Until recently, we spent our days in the sun. Now, physicians and scientists say that sun exposure is “bad” for us. Is that true? When did the sun become our enemy? How much is enough and what is the best way to maintain balance when it comes to sun exposure?

Sunlight: crucial for life, health and happiness!

• Life – It is crucial for life because all life on earth as we know it depends (to a greater or lesser extent) on photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the way plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through chlorophyll and sunlight.
• Health – It is crucial for health because sunlight creates Vitamin D as it interacts with our skin.
• Happiness – It is crucial for happiness because sunlight activates hormones in the brain that create a sense of euphoria.

Humans are diurnal: we are awake in the daytime and asleep at night. We are designed to live in sunlight. Our skin interacts with sunlight to create Vitamin D, an essential part of our metabolism.

Overexposure to the sun creates oxidative stress similar to radiation burns from a nuclear bomb. And why not? The sun itself is a huge nuclear furnace. This radiation burn will start a chain reaction in the melanocyte and other cells. This may lead to cancer in a year or two or in a decade or two. Oxidative stress from sunburn is insidious and relentless.

Where’s the balance?
The skyrocketing incidence of diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers definitely says that we are not getting enough Vitamin D. The increase in insomnia and seasonal depression tells us that we are not getting enough early morning sun.

We need more sunlight.

Now, how do we make it safe?

Safe sun exposure
First, recognize the need for sun and the need for caution. Plan your sun exposure so that you maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks. For instance, get your sunlight early in the day. Early morning sunlight does not have the high ultraviolet rays that midday sun does. So, take a 20-minute walk in the early part of the day with your skin exposed to sunlight. This will give you the benefits without the risks of overexposure.

Never expose your skin to midday sun for long periods of time. Wear clothing that covers most of your skin and wear a hat that provides shade for your face and ears.

Nutrients for healthy skin
Antioxidants, such as green tea and those found in berries, prevent DNA damage from radiation. All these are excellent strategies for dealing with the stress of too much sun.

So, is the sun our enemy? It can be if we are not careful! For most of us, however, sunlight may be the difference between vitality and poor health; even between life and death! Get your sunlight, but be careful: too much of a good thing can always turn out bad.

Source: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report April 14, 2008

TriVita on Vitamin D Deficiency

Summary of Source: TriVita Article Vitamin D Deficiency (Hypovitaminosis D)

Vitamin D deficiency describes low levels of Vitamin D in the blood. This condition can lead to a condition known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. They are two forms of skeletal diseases that weaken bones. It is important to contact your healthcare provider if you think you have Vitamin D deficiency.

© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc. Causes Vitamin D deficiency can be caused by:  Inadequate intake of Vitamin D in the diet Limited exposure to sunlight Kidney disease The inability to absorb Vitamin D from the digestive tract Risk Factors A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. The following factors may increase your chance of developing Vitamin D deficiency: Lactose intolerance Strict vegetarianism Infants fed only breast milk without Vitamin D supplementation Syndromes that cause fat malabsorption, like celiac sprue or Crohn’s disease Kidney disease Prevention To help reduce the chances of getting Vitamin D deficiency, the following groups of people should talk with their doctor about whether they need a daily Vitamin D supplement: Infants who are exclusively breastfed People aged 50 and older People living in northern latitudes (eg, New England, Alaska) People working in occupations that prevent sun exposure People with darker skin (eg, African Americans) People with fat malabsorption (eg, pancreatic enzyme deficiency, Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, liver disease, surgical removal of part or all of the stomach or intestines).

More Women Die From Osteoporosis Than Breast Cancer

TriVita Bone Builder helps reverse bone loss and promotes the rebuilding process

Your body is constantly changing. Your family history, the foods you eat, where you live, and how active you are play a part in the adjustments you experience in your body over your lifetime. Without healthy nourishment and activity the changes that you’ll experience over time will naturally lead you to damage and disability.

One in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her or his lifetime.

Understand the natural life occurrences we all experience and you’ll be in a better position to manage and adjust to these changes to maintain long-term health and wellness. Bone remodeling is a natural process that breaks down and rebuilds bone While you’re growing, the nutrients you take in from food contribute to your body’s growth – including your bone growth. By the time you reach your adult size, around age 20, the growth process in your bones (called modeling) ends and a new process called “bone remodeling” begins.

This is a normal process that breaks down and rebuilds bone. You see, your bones don’t just help you move around, they’re also used as storehouses for important minerals. Calcium and phosphorous are minerals that make up the structure of your bones, and are also held in reserve to use for other important functions.These two minerals are involved in nearly every system of the body – and when they’re needed, they’re taken from your bones and moved to other areas. Every time these essential minerals are with-drawn and there isn’t a mineral deposit made to help your body rebuild bones, your bones weaken. This creates an imbalance in the remodeling process – your bones are breaking down faster than they’re being built. If you don’t add additional calcium and phosphorous through supplements, your bones will grow increasingly weak, will eventually become brittle (osteoporosis), and break. TriVita’s Bone Builder formula supports the rebuilding process TriVita™ Bone Builder is physician-formulated to help rebalance the remodeling process to help your bones rebuild at a faster rate. A clinical trial shows that TriVita™ Bone Builder’s proprietary formula contains the exact balance of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and Vitamin D, to help rebuild bones. After nine months of taking TriVita™ Bone Builder, subjects showed significantly greater bone mass density at the hip and neck when compared with subjects who did not take Bone Builder. We use a highly absorbable form of calcium in Bone Builder and have formulated it using the latest science available today. Along with a good diet, weight-bearing exercise, and not smoking, many health care practitioners recommend taking a quality calcium formula to maintain strong bones and protect against osteoporosis. We recommend asking your health care practitioner to schedule regular bone scans to track your bone health after age 50. Source: VitaJournal May 2008 pg 19