New discovers on the benefits of vitamins – and germs! – in this week’s Medical News Notes!
Vitamin D May Prevent Flu
Why, in temperate climates, do flu epidemics tend to occur mostly during winter months, even though crowds are just as likely to gather and pass around germs during the summer? The answer may be Vitamin D deficiency. According to a recent study by doctors at Greenwich Hospital and Yale University School of Medicine, Vitamin D appears to play a key role in protecting people from influenza and other virus-based respiratory illnesses. The study showed that when Vitamin D levels drop, resistance against viral infection drops as well. In winter, daylight hours decrease and people spend less time outdoors, leading to measurable drops of Vitamin D in the bloodstream. This can leave the body vulnerable to viral attack. So if you want to build a year-round resistance to the flu, the answer may be as simple as doing what your mother always advised: Go outside and get some fresh air!
Vitamin B6 May Fight Lung Cancer
And staying on the subject of vitamins, a study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reveals that adults with higher levels of Vitamin B6 in their blood are half as likely to develop lung cancer as those with low B6 levels. The low Vitamin B6/lung cancer link holds true regardless of smoking habits. You can get naturally occurring Vitamin B6 from meats, poultry, fish, grains, beans and such fruits and vegetables as avocadoes, broccoli and bananas. Yet another reason to maintain a healthy, balanced diet!
Pecans May Protect Brain, Nervous System
A new animal study done by researchers at the University of Massachusetts reveal that a handful of pecans daily may protect the nervous system from age-related degeneration. The “magic” ingredient in pecans appears to be – wait for it – Vitamin E! “These finding suggest regular consumption of pecans may provide significant nutritive and antioxidant benefits for your body,” wrote lead researcher Thomas B. Shea. Pecans contain the highest level of antioxidants of any tree nut and are listed among the top 15 antioxidant-rich foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So next time you order that double-scoop of pralines-and-cream ice cream, just tell yourself it’s really “brain food.”
Bacteria can be Good for You, Too
If you’re like most people, you associate bacteria with illness. But the truth is, most bacteria are either harmless or, in the case of digestion, vital to life-sustaining processes. (Your stomach and intestines contain anywhere from 500 to 1,000 bacterial species that help process the food you eat.) Exposure to different types of bacteria has been shown to boost the immune system, whereas being raised in too-clean environments can weaken it. (And using anti-bacterial soap can actually lead to the creation of “super-germs”!) And now, investigators at several leading research universities are finding that bacterial “spores” small pieces of larger bacterial cells can be used to improve immunity and fight infection. It may be a few years down the road, but some day the best way to fight germs may be … more germs!
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