Rejuvalife Vitality Institute
Beverly Hills CA

Vitamin D and your Immune System

We all know that we need Vitamin D and that we can get it from the sun, as well as from fatty dish, fish liver oils and eggs, as well as in Vitamin D supplement form. Even so, nearly half the world’s population has low levels of vitamin D. What you might now know is why we need vitamin D. What, exactly, does vitamin D do?

Danish researchers have discovered that we need vitamin D to activate our immune system’s killer cells. These killer cells, known as T cells, become inactive if they don’t have enough vitamin D. If they are inactive, they can’t fight incoming germs and bacteria. Scientists have told us that vitamin D is important for calcium absorption. They have also made a connection between the levels of vitamin D and diseases like MS and cancer. But this is the first time a connection between vitamin D and immune function has been made.

“What we didn’t realize is how crucial vitamin D is for actually activating the immune system — which we know now,” Geisler wrote in the study in the journal, Nature Immunology. Geisler and his research team said the findings offered much needed information about the immune system and would be of particular use when developing new vaccines. “This is important not only in fighting disease but also in dealing with anti-immune reactions of the body and the rejection of transplanted organs,” they wrote. Geisler said there were no definitive studies on the optimal daily vitamin D dose but experts recommend 25 to 50 micrograms.

If you have concerns about supplementation and aren’t sure about your Vitamin D levels, our practice has a simple blood test to check for your Vitamin D levels as well as other important biomarkers. Call us and we’ll tell you about it.

News & Research on Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's Disease Currently Has No Cure

I posted several entries about Alzheimer’s Disease in the last few months, and discussed risk factors and prevention.  You can read those posts here,  here, here and here, but in a nutshell, I talked about how your genetic risk for developing diseases like Alzheimer’s is based partially on genetics – about 70% – and the rest on “the soup” those genes are swimming in. “Cleaning up your soup”, i.e. maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle with good nutrition, adequate exercise and mental stimulation, are the keys to reducing your risk, and there are diagnostic tests available to gauge your propensity for developing Alzheimer’s or other diseases.

The genetic part of that equation was bolstered by new research that discovered new genes directly related to Alzheimer’s Disease. This new information will eventually help unlock the secrets to treating that debilitating and heartbreaking disease.

From

The first new genes tied to Alzheimer’s disease in a decade have been identified by European scientists, adding insight into the biology of the most common cause of dementia and potentially leading to treatments.

The studies, published yesterday in the journal Nature Genetics, may one day help speed creation of therapies for a malady that progressively destroys brain cells and affects 30 million people worldwide, the investigators said during a Sept. 4 news conference. Doctors already know that as much as 80 percent of a person’s chance of having Alzheimer’s is inherited.

(More – Link)

A different study of Alzheimer’s recently discovered that even a mild cold or infection can have a drastic effect on sufferers of the disease:

From 

Common infections, like colds and upset stomachs, may make memory loss more rapid in people with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found. It may be that infections cause inflammation in the body, which speeds up the damage caused by Alzheimer’s. However, another explanation for the link is that people with worsening Alzheimer’s are more vulnerable to infections.

(More – Link)

And in a third study, Australian researchers discovered that those who eat a diet high in saturated fats are at a higher risk for developing the disease.

From Australian Broadcasting Company:

Australian researchers believe they have discovered why foods high in saturated fat increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers from Curtin University of Technology in Perth found that saturated dietary fat damages the lining of blood vessels in the brains of mice, allowing a protein called amyloid to enter the brain.

The study, to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition, is one of the first to demonstrate a scientific link between diet and Alzheimer’s disease. (More – Link)

For more information on how you can keep your “soup” clean, I’ve included my recent video on the subject.

Additional reading on Alzheimers:

One – Alzheimer’s Part 1 – Risk Factors

Two – Alzheimer’s Part 2 – Preventative Measures

Three – Cholesterol Levels Tied to Risk for Dementia

Four – Diagnostic Testing

Thanks for reading,

Andre Berger, M.D.