COVID and Vitamin D

From eNewsletter 8/13/2025

DID YOU KNOW that while this should not come as a surprise to you, a study from PLoS One found that those with insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels were at much higher risk for COVID-19-related hospitalization?

The study followed over 150,000 subjects. Deficient vitamin D levels were considered 24 nmol/L or less, insufficient levels were 25-50 nmol/L, while normal was 50 nmol/L and above.

This is critical because many labs in the United States consider above 30 nmol/L to be within reference range. We have always said between 50-80 is optimal.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Creatine for the Brain

From eNewsletter 8/11/2025

DID YOU KNOW the claim that creatine supplements benefit the brain is misleading and unfounded? Here's why.

Researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute understood that creatine can benefit the brain when deficiency exists. However, they also understood that creatine as currently comported in supplement form does not cross the blood-brain barrier. The researchers had to use focused ultrasound to direct creatine through the blood-brain barrier.

If a substance does not cross the blood-brain barrier, it cannot affect the brain. Unless supplement manufacturers find a delivery system that can drag creatine through the blood-brain barrier, supplementing with it for brain health is worthless.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.

Surprising Benefit of Vitamin C

From eNewsletter 8/6/2025

DID YOU KNOW that researchers publishing in Frontiers in Nutrition examined the the association between vitamin C intake and cognitive function in older US adults? While vitamin C has many attributes, cognitive function had never been studied until now.

Participants with the highest vitamin C intake showed significantly better performance on the Auditory Fluency Test and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test compared to those with the lowest intake (500 mg versus 120 mg.).

For the first time, vitamin C exhibited cognitive benefits for older adults.

To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.