Mast Cells Behind Inflammation

From eNewsletter 11/4/2024

DID YOU KNOW that nearly one-third of US adults may have low iron levels that can contribute from fatigue to heart failure? Researchers in a JAMA Network Open study estimate that 7% of US adults also have anemia.

What makes these estimations conservative is that labs have different reference ranges for ferritin, a barometer of iron storage and a better marker for anemia. For example, labs have cutoff values for low levels at 15, 30, and 45. Here is our reference ranges for low levels: 35 or less for females; 50 or less for females after menopause; 50 or less for males. Many physicians don't even ask for ferritin in standard blood work, but we have always done so.

There are so many metabolic functions related to either too little or too much iron. One recent study found that in reproductive-age women, every unit increase in serum iron within optimal reference range was associated with a 43% lower risk of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

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Lifelong Gut Pain Gone

From eNewsletter 10/30/2024

DID YOU KNOW that two less heralded B-vitamins have been shown to improve cognitive function?

A groundbreaking study by researchers in Aging Cell and funded by the National Institutes of Health has demonstrated for the first time that nicotinamide riboside, a special form of niacin, can penetrate the brain and significantly increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels. Nicotinamide riboside is a precursor to NAD+, a molecule essential for cellular repair and DNA damage restoration. This increase correlated with changes in biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

According to results of a study from Nutrients, optimal choline intake not only improves cognitive function, but also postpones cognitive decline during the aging process. The findings highlight the neuroprotective benefit of choline for middle-aged and elderly population, especially among females.

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Functional Drinks | Double Sale

From eNewsletter 10/28/2024

DID YOU KNOW that B-vitamins are important for more reasons than you think?

Higher intakes of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 were generally associated with a lower risk of CVD in the general population, according to a large study from Nutrition Reviews.

Dietary and supplemental folate are effective in stroke primary prevention, as reported in a study from Frontiers in Nutrition.

Researchers in The Journal of Nutrition found higher concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites were associated with lower serum folate concentrations in children. Phthalate is a ubiquitous plasticizing chemical, showing how important getting enough folate is.

Another study from The Journal of Nutrition found that low vitamin B12 levels were linked to higher risk of male testosterone deficiency and infertility.

Showing how important it is to know your genetic predisposition to absorbing B-vitamins from food and supplements, a study from Nutrients purports that methylfolate, pyridoxal-5-phosphate (vit B6), and methylcobalamin (vit B12) supplementation tailored to genetic profiles effectively reduced homocysteine and LDL cholesterol levels in patients with specific MTHFR, MTR, and MTRR polymorphisms.

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