Tag Archives: research

Ingestion of only five grams of fish oil daily combined with a diet low in fat is in just 4-6 weeks able to reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells compared with the ingestion of a traditional Western diet, says new study.

Researchers from the University of California (UCLA) wanted to investigate whether a change in dietary fat and the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 in the diet alter biomarkers for cancer. Biomarkers are biological substances and constituents of our body that can say something about our health.

The study included a group of 55 men diagnosed with prostate cancer who were about to have removed their prostate gland and some surrounding tissue. It was a so-called phase II study which evaluates the biological effects of a substance and possible side effects. 48 men completed the study.

The ratio between omega 6 and omega 3
The men were divided into two groups for 4-6 weeks before their planned surgery. They were given either a standardized Western diet or a diet low in fat with a daily supplement of 5 g of fish oil. The reason that fish oil supplementation was combined with a low fat diet was that you in this way achieved an omega 6/3-ratio of 2:1, meaning two parts omega 6 for each part omega 3 For comparison, a typical Western diet have an omega 6/3-ratio of 15:1, (15 parts omega 6 for each part omega 3). There were 21 people who completed the trial in the Western diet group and 27 who completed the low fat / fish oil diet.

Quick results
In the group who ate a low-fat diet combined with fish oil the content of omega-3 fatty acids in cell membranes of the prostate was significantly higher than in the group who ate the Western diet. This was true both for the sick and the healthy prostate cells. Omega-6-content was also lower. The content of cholesterol in the blood were lower than in the group on Western diet, but particularly interesting it turned out that cancer cells had reduced their cell division – and mind you in just one month.

This study is especially important for those who have been previously treated for prostate cancer. With this knowledge they can reduce their risk of relapse.

Ref. Aronsom WJ, et al. Phase II Prospective Randomized Trial of a Low-Fat Diet with Fish Oil Supplementation in Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011, Oct. [Epub ahead of print]

Facts about prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. Most men with prostate cancer are over 65 years. Overweight and obesity provides an increased risk. The risk that the cancer returns after treatment is quite high. A high antioxidant intake may further reduce the risk for the development and return of this kind of cancer.

About omega 6:3
A dietary ingestion of omega 6 and 3-fatty acids approaching 2:1 is important to reduce disease-promoting inflammation in the body.

About Movember
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. Marketing coordinator Thomas Laursen-Arons, Pharma Nord Denmark whose image decorates this article is not suffering from any illness but has decided to grow a moustache this November to raise funds for men’s health, and especially when it comes to prostate cancer. You can read more on the website: movember.com

Vitamin D-sensitive diseases causes more than half of global deaths. Based on existing research, researcher WB Grant estimated that by doubling the blood levels of vitamin D, the total life span could be increased by an average of 2 years, making Vitamin D supplementation the most cost-effective method to reduce global mortality.

Research on vitamin D has virtually exploded over the past decade. Now vitamin D is no longer just about the regulation of calcium in the body, but about many different areas, with nearly every cell in the body having a vitamin D receptor.

Human and economic benefits
The types of disease that are susceptible to the body’s vitamin D levels are cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and diabetes. Additionally Alzheimer’s disease, falls, meningitis, Parkinson’s disease, maternal sepsis, maternal hypertension and multiple sclerosis account for a further 2-3 percent of global deaths. A doubling of blood vitamin D content of 54 to 110 nmol / l is estimated to reduce mortality by approx. 20%. Also society’s economic burden from these diseases is estimated to be reduced by approx. 10%!

The value 54 nmol / l which is used in this study is an average value calculated on the basis of a meta-analysis of vitamin D content in the blood of people worldwide.

The reduction in all-cause mortality rates range from 7.6% for African females to 17.3% for European females. Reductions for males average 0.6% lower than for females. The estimated increase in life expectancy is 2 years for all regions.

Researchers are generally cautious in their recommendations and usually complete their articles to recommend more research before they dare to recommend their findings put into practice. In this case, Dr. Grant believes that such reservations are unnecessary and will only delay the acceptance of such approach. The reason is that vitamin D is not medicine but a natural, inexpensive product necessary for optimal health.

There have been studies concluding that vitamin D only benefits the bones and that blood levels at 50 nmol / l is sufficient. These studies have however been severely criticized for being inadequate.

2-3 ordinary Bio-Vitamin D3 D-Pearls a day
Dr. Grant mentions several possible methods for raising blood levels of vitamin D. There is food fortification, but this has to be adapted to individual communities. You can also encourage people to get more sunlight on their skin, possibly from tanning beds, and finally vitamin D in the form of supplements can be made more accessible. (In practice, it only requires e.g. 2-3 capsules of 20 ug Bio-Vitamin D3 D-Pearls a day. Ed. Note).

Ref.
Grant WB. An estimate of the global reduction in mortality rates through doubling vitamin D levels. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011. E-pub. ahead of print.

About Bio-Vitamin D3 800IU D-Pearls
Pharma Nord produces Bio-Vitamin D3 D-Pearls which are 800IU (20mcg) vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) dissolved in cold pressed olive oil to improve absorption. Bio-Vitamin D3 800IU D-Pearls come in hygienic blister packs and are manufactured to strict Danish pharmaceutical standards.

Vitamin D in oil has better absorption

Supplements with vitamin D in oil are absorbed more easily by the body than those in powder or ethanol form, according to American researchers. The Bio-Vitamin D3 800IU  D-Pearls supplement from Pharma Nord uses oil for this exact reason.

More and more people are taking a daily supplement of vitamin D, a nutrient that is touted for its huge impact on human health. They may be doing themselves a favour by choosing a supplement with vitamin D in oil, as this appears to increase the absorption of the vitamin.

Better absorption in oil
According to American scientists who have reviewed four clinical studies of different vitamin D formulations, supplements that use oil as a transport vehicle have better bio-availability than products that use powder or ethanol. Their research is published ahead of print in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Tiny capsules of vitamin D
Bio-Vitamin D3 800IU from Pharma Nord contains 20 micrograms of biologically active D3-vitamin in cold-pressed olive oil in soft gelatine capsules.  RRP £6.95 for 120 caps.  Blister-packed for quality and bio-availability.

Source: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, April 2010.

Taking supplements of Ubiquinol, the active form of coenzyme Q10, significantly reduces plaque adhesion and bleeding gums, a Japanese study shows.

Japanese researchers from Nihon University School of Dentistry confirmed the effects of Ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10, in improving oral health in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Ubiquinol is commonly known as active Q10, since this form of the substance is the one used in the energy production of the cells (ATP).

Forty five volunteers with mild to middle degree of periodontal disease (37 men, 8 women, average age: 39.4 years old) were given ubiquinol (150 mg/day) or placebo for 2 months. Plaque adhesion, pocket depth, bleeding, gingival recession, foul breath and antioxidative activity in saliva were examined before and after one and two months of supplementation.

As a result, after two months of supplementation, statistically significant improvements in plaque adhesion and bleeding by probing were observed in the ubiquinol group. A tendency to increase saliva antioxidant activity was also observed in the ubiquinol group and the members of this group also had less foul breath.

Ref.  The results were presented at “The 63rd Meeting of the Vitamin Society of Japan” held in Hiroshima on June 4th and 5th, 2011.

What is peridontal disease?
Periodontal disease (pyorrhea alveolaris) is an inflammatory disease caused by periodontal bacteria living in plaque, and it is known that oxidative stress in saliva is increased by periodontal disease. The degree of periodontal disease is evaluated by measuring periodontal pocket depth, bleeding, gingival recession, foul breath, etc.

Q10 facts
Coenzyme Q10 is a vital component in th energy production of the cells. There are two forms of coenzyme Q10 – oxidized coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) and reduced (ubiquinol) coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is converted from one form to the other inside the body. The active form is available as BioActive Q10 Uniquinol.

Coenzyme Q10 is found in food, but the human body is also able to synthesize it.
Our endogenous coenzyme Q10 synthesis declines from our mid-twenties
A study showed that 65% of those who were unable to feel the effect of using ubiquinone observed an effect when they shifted to ubiquinol.

New research by Pharma Nord UK has revealed fantastic results from consumers about Omega 7 Pure Sea Buckthorn Oil capsules.

The survey, carried out between October 2010 and July 2011, asked customers a number of important questions such as how they discovered the product and why they took it.

This revealed a number of brilliant results confirming Omega 7 as one of the leading health products for women in the UK.

Of the Omega 7 customers included in the survey 99% would recommend it to others and 92% found it effective.

The main use was for intimate dryness, but the survey also revealed a large proportion of customers were taking the product for dry eyes and a variety of other conditions such as UTIs, colitis, and lichen sclerosis.

Pharma Nord UK’s PR and Marketing Executive, Dean Forbes said: “We were delighted by these results, which were gathered by our product manager Annalaura Dallavalle.

“They just go to show the huge variety of health benefits provided by Omega 7 and we were very pleased to get such good feedback from our customers.

“It is a testament to the product’s versatility that it is so effective for such a wide range of health concerns.

“It’s no surprise that Sea Buckthorn Oil has been recently hailed as a superfood by both the UK and US media.”

99% of users recommend Omega 7