By James B. LaValle
You may remember my article from back in December discussing the good and bad effects of alcohol. In it I warned women to stick to the one-glass-a-day rule to reduce risks from alcohol. However, a recent study called the Million Women Study found that even one glass a day increased the risk of cancers in women. The study, which came out of the United Kingdom, found that in middle-aged women who drank anywhere from one to three drinks per day — the risk of breast, liver, rectum, and in smokers, mouth and throat cancers, increased for each drink consumed.1
By James B. LaValle
Looking back at 2008, I vote for vitamin D as the biggest nutrition news of the year. We all knew vitamin D was needed for optimal bone formation and maintenance, but I don’t think anyone really appreciated its full importance for our health. From cancer to heart disease prevention to protection against autoimmunity, vitamin D may very well be the most important nutrient to get enough of.
By Laura B. LaValle
Raise your champagne flute, and clink, Cheers! It is the time of year to celebrate, and most likely your holiday festivities will include alcohol. The holidays are the time for gaiety and celebration. So enjoy!
However, once the holidays are over and we are all settling back into our routine, it’s important to remember — when it comes to alcohol, moderation is the key. For men, consuming alcohol in moderation can aid in relaxation and seems to lower heart disease risk without raising other risks. As you read in Jim’s article though, women need to be much more careful and drink no more than 1 drink per day to avoid any health risks.
By Laura B. LaValle
What’s one of the first things you do when you think you’re coming down with a cold? If you’re like most people, you drink orange juice and pop several chewable vitamin C tablets with hopes that you can ward off sneezing, congestion, and sheer misery.
But now, you can think about vitamin C for more than just cold and flu prevention. Recent published research has shown vitamin C to be a multi-tasker when it comes to disease prevention — including type 2 diabetes.1
By James B. LaValle
Shout it from the mountaintops! The vast majority of Americans are not getting enough magnesium. In fact, I see at least one person with signs of obvious magnesium deficiency almost every day.
Studies have shown that 78 percent of Americans are not getting the Recommended Daily Allowance. As a result, a host of conditions and diseases associated with magnesium deficiency are on the rise, including hypertension, diabetes and migraines, just to name a few.
Magnesium is well studied and has well defined roles for at least three common medical conditions. For instance, magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker, and as such plays an important role in keeping blood vessels relaxed, thereby reducing peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure. In addition, magnesium stabilizes the heartbeat. Magnesium also affects circulating levels of norepinephrine and the synthesis of serotonin and nitric oxide, all chemicals that are known to play a role in heart disease.
