With October nearing its end and the turkey holiday approaching, it’s almost time for the next Top Holistic Health Reads. You know how passionate I am about reaching out to my readers to empower them with valid, scientific, integrative techniques to achieve optimal health. This is why I couldn’t wait much longer to highlight a few pearls in my sea of articles that further demonstrate the impact that our lifestyle choices have on our health.
In fact, just today this very topic appeared as a headline in Reuter’s health. The results of a survey of 2,500 British females age 60-79 indicated the power of movement and lifestyle choices on heart disease and disability:
Older women who exercise regularly and don’t smoke may have a substantially lower risk of late-life disability than their peers with less-healthy habits, say UK researchers. They found that among women in their 60s and 70s, behaviors like smoking, drinking and exercise could account for up to 17 percent of a woman’s risk for disabling conditions like heart disease, arthritis and difficulty walking.
It’s not rocket science. Wellness is all about having a strong foundation by making sure the B-A-S-I-C-S of health are in place. It’s not just about proper diet, rest, movement, and sleep, but also about nurturing relationship sand healthy beliefs. Support with nutritional supplements is also imperative to fill any deficiencies that may be blocking our body from completing its task for protecting and caring for us. The best results come from individualizing nutrient protocols based on one’s specific needs, conditions, and goals.
That being said, check out these findings on how certain nutrients can not only prevent disease risk, but also lower our rising health care costs (and boy do we need help with that!). The following was reported by John Weeks Integrator Blog (emphasis mine).
Council for Responsible Nutrition Report on the Cost Saving of Dietary Supplements
The Council Responsible Nutrition, a major Beltway player in the wars over dietary supplements, has released a new report entitled Smart Prevention—Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements. The report is subtitled “An Economic Case for Promoting Increased Intake of Key Dietary Supplements as a Means to Combat Unsustainable Cost Growth in the United States.” The organization contracted with Frost & Sullivan for the report.
They focused on 4 conditions:
1) coronary heart disease (CHD) and the potential health care cost savings when using omega-3 fatty acids, three B vitamins (folic acid, B6, and B12), phytosterols, and psyllium dietary fiber;
2) diabetes-attributed CHD and the potential health care cost savings when using chromium picolinate;
3) age-related eye disease (ARED), specifically age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, and the potential health care cost savings when using lutein and zeaxanthin; and
4) osteoporosis and the potential health care cost savings when using the combination of calcium and vitamin D or when using magnesium.
Some estimates: $6.8 billion annual savings from increased use of magnesium in women over 55 with osteoporosis; $12-billion annually from Calcium and Vitamin D if routinely given to the same population; and $4.3 billion annually from affirmative use of Omega 3s.
These are each reported in this summary. The full report is available here.
Calcium Supplements Do NOT Increase Heart Disease Risk, Study Concludes
Furthermore, it looks like the scare of supplements is also being debunked. Individualizing for nutritional needs is the key to achieving optimal results.
BALTIMORE — Two new studies contribute further to the debate over the cardiovascular risk associated with supplementary or dietary calcium, each decidedly coming down on the side of no significant risk — to men or women.
“[Based on these findings], clinicians should continue to evaluate calcium intake, encourage adequate dietary intake, and if necessary, use supplements to reach but not exceed recommended intakes,” Douglas C. Bauer, MD, from the University of California, San Francisco, the lead author of the first study, told Medscape Medical News.
Results of both studies were reported at the recent American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2013 Annual Meeting.
Multivitamins Could Protect from Invasive Breast Cancer
The month of October is what I like to term, “Breast Health Month”. I’ve highlighted in the past powerful wellness tools to decrease the risk of cancer. Two recent studies from the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trials and the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observational study reported positive results on the use of multivitamins in women with invasive breast cancer. The study used pooled data from 161,608 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 during 1993-1998.
Of the 7,728 participants diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (cancer that spreads outside the milk glands or ducts into the breast tissue), 38% were using supplements. However, those who were taking supplements were less likely to die from the breast cancer. PR Newswire reported:
About 38 percent of the 7,728 women who developed invasive breast cancer during the WHI were using the supplements. The vast majority were taking the supplements before their breast-cancer diagnosis. A comparison of mortality rates revealed that women with invasive breast cancer who took multivitamin/mineral supplements were 30 percent less likely to die from their cancers than women with invasive breast cancer who hadn’t taken the supplements.
I continue on with more breast health tips at my Saratoga.com blog.
Resources:
Bond, A. Health habits tied to heart disease, arthritis risk. Reuters.com.October 18, 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/18/us-habits-tied-to-heart-disease-arthriti-idUSBRE99H0R220131018
Weeks, J. Council for Responsible Nutrition report estimates billions saved via appropriate use of dietary supplements. October 2013 John Weeks Integrator Roundup. http://www.integrativepractitioner.com/article.aspx?id=19866
Frost & Sullivan. Smart Prevention – Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements. Council for Responsible Nutrition Full Download. September 2013. http://www.crnusa.org/CRNfoundation/HCCS/chapters/CRNFrostSullivan-fullreport0913.pdf
Melville, N. New Data Dispute Calcium Cardiovascular Risk in Both Sexes. Medscape Medical News from the: American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2013 Annual Meeting. Medscape.com.October 8, 2013.
PR Newswire. Multivitamins with Minerals May Protect Older Women With Invasive Breast Cancer. ACBJ. October 9, 2013. http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2013/10/09/DC94738
