What you will Find Inside

 Vitamin Workshop concepts in a Nutshell

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Vitamin Cautions Explained

Precautions exist for Folic Acid, Selenium, Calcium, Zinc, Beta Carotene, Vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, & E. Why there are so many DESIGN FLAWS in multi-vitamin formulas may be a mystery to some, but after discovering the new vitamin reality presented on this website, the mystery will disappear. 

Have you heard this before?

New large study research found an association between higher vitamin B6 (>35mg) and B12 (>20 mcg) intakes with 50% increased risk of hip fractures. article The reason is unknown, but theories are offered! ref 

FUN FACTS

Plants and trees take in CO2 from the atmosphere to help growth. As CO2 levels increase from the burning of fossil fuels, volcano eruptions, ocean water temperature changes, and melting permafrost, plants and trees have been busy growing faster and larger. In fact this fun fact has lead to the re-greening of many non plant areas of the planet. NASA over the last decade has been measuring this effect from satellites in space taking pictures. article

So far, this re-greening has impacted an area twice the size of the continental United States with new plant and tree coverage. This will significantly slow down any climate changes as this new green area growth will absorb quite a lot of future CO2 emissions. This gives Nations more time to make and implement non CO2 energy changes. article

The Sun is due to flip poles within a year. Have to wait and see what the effects will be from the increased release of electromagnetic energy coupled with this event. Were the Northern Lights showing up in lower altitudes recently a beginning? article

 

 

THAT MALE THING

WARNING: If you have prostate cancer or a family history of it, DO NOT take SELENIUM untess you know your body level is low, and then not over 50 mcg. Work with your medical team. Since many U.S. soils measure high selenium, produce grown would have ample amounts. While at certain levels selenium exhibits prostate cancer cell arrest, it is the factor of increasing diabetes risk that is troublesome. Medical supervision paramount for higher selenium use.  

Males and Females have much more in common than they have unique. But there are a few topics considered in Man's World that are usually only talked about for men. Prostate troubles number one.  That Testosterone and Estrogen are common in both males and females is quite startling news to some. City of Hope on Prostate.  

Why do American males and men in highly developed countries have much higher rates of prostate conditions than men in countries closer to nature with less modern conveniences? Is it diet, lifestyles, environmental, a combination of them all, or something entirely unique and unknowned.  ref  ref  ref    ref  This last reference questions diet connection with a caution >sponsored by the cattle and dairy industries. Here is one on overall diet ref And ones for overall stats related to calcium (Dairy). ref ref This ref is why whole grains and legumes containing IP6 have PC preventative properties. Here is some potential good news for green tea polyphenols on PC. ref

  • CAUTION: Most Bicycles are not really built for males. Sitting on a little seat for long periods probably puts too much stress and pressure on prostate gland area. article 

There are also large differences in racial percentages on prostate cancer (PC) rates that need to be researched. In the USA, Blacks have almost double the rate and more aggressive forms than the overall population. Lifestyle as well as genetics may play large roles. The change from native diets also could be a factor, but more studies are needed. Vitamin D levels may be one factor. ref  Both low and high present problems. How to protect prostate tissue and keep bones strong, yet not increase calcium levels in blood, especially in the ionic form.

Caution: While calcium and dairy have been studied and found to be difficult to determine direction of effects on prostate, the bottom line concept that is related to PC spreading is a relationship of prostate cancer cells and bone mechanics. ref PC cells adopt bone like properties and attach to and influence bone cells. This is why PC often spreads to bones. It is this aspect that calcium, dairy, or bone related vitamins D and K might influence. new ref

The fact that study results vary so much study to study with often opposite results makes it hard to find common threads. One study shows low fat dairy associated with more prostate cancers while another shows it is high fat dairy. There is always the possibility that a completely different set of factors is really the driving force, such as a chronic acid diet, or lack of vitamin E family anti-oxidant factors (ref), or inflammatory actions influenced by fatty acids, or insulin growth factors, or hormones, or simply a mutated family gene. Only about 9% of prostate cancers are considered hereitary. So far, two faulty genes have been linked to PC, but they only represent a tiny fraction of that 9%. All these factors might play roles and this makes it very difficult to verify proper protocols for prevention and treatment. Check out why another aspect of cow's milk may be suspect. ref  ref  Females need to check this out too. Summary of many dairy/calcium studies.

VITAL NEWS: Out of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine comes a new revelation. It appears that since calcium studies are controversial and do not show consistent results one way or the other for Prostate Cancers, it could very well be magnesium levels that play a more consistent influence plus the ratio of calcium to magnesium appears to offer insight. ref ref ref  ref

Of Interest: It appears that since the prostate exhibits a rapid growth during adolescence, this period of time may set the stage for later prostate cancer. The prostate continues to slowly grow from age 35 onward by about 1% per year. This reference looked at alcohol intake and found an association between higher alcohol intake regardless of age and the aggressive form of prostate cancer. Breast cancer and alcohol intake already have an established association.

INFERTILITY

While not just a male thing, there is one element that appears to only be of influence in males. The bone connected hormone, Osteocalcin, produced by vitamin D acting on bone building cells, works to increase testosterone and is a factor in male infertility. Osteocalcin has two forms in the body. One as it is produced by bone building cells, called undercarboxylated osteocalcin (uOC), and the other as the vitamin K2 converted form called gamma-carboxylated osteocalcin (cOC). The uOC form acts on the pancreas-bone-testis axis by attaching to Leydig cells of the testis for testosterone biosynthesis. The uOC also works on pancreatic beta cells and muscle cells to control glucose insulin regulation. Of critical importance here is the newly discovered facts that, in test tube study, uOC stops prostate cancer cell growth while cOC speeds up cancer cell growth. ref article

A NECESSARY BUT STILL UNKNOWN POINT 

Thus there is a critical balance point in supplementing amounts of vitamin D and vitamin K forms to maintain osteocalcin production and a proper ratio between the uOC and the cOC forms. Too much or not enough vitamin D or vitamin K2 could upset this balance and jeopardize one or more of these important functions. The cOC is the form that binds calcium and other minerals into crystals to form bone tissue. Doctors have for a long time been measuring the level of the cOC form to use as a marker for determining bone building activity. What this test really shows is the action level of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is found in foods such as fermented cheese, fermented soy called natto, and some meats. Dietary leafy greens supply vitamin K1. Some of this K1 does get converted to K2 in the body. Certain intestinal bacteria also can produce vitamin K2. But, generally, the American diet is low in supplying enough dietary vitamin K2 since fermented foods are disappearing, plus the vitamin K2 producing bacteria in the intestinal tract suffer from antibiotics plus the lack of fiber and resulting pH control. ref

QUESTION: The proper supplement amounts for vtiamin D and vitamin K to maintain the effective balance between uOC and cOC are not yet known or even been researched. Also possible body corrective mechanisms need to be discovered. Supplement companies offer many different amounts. Precautionary amounts and forms are offered in this new vitamin criteria until definitive levels are established. 

Possible processes working to create Prostate Problems.

  • BPH, Swelling from inflammation in prostate gland closes off urethra slowing down or stopping urine flow
  • Retained urine leads to conditions for bacterial infections that increase inflammatory state
  • Vascular calcification in vessels that feed prostate interfere with nutrient and hormone movement article  <One type of condtion
  • Higher levels of DHT found in prostate gland, increases swelling (even as testosterone levels fall overall)
  • Testosterone levels fall while estrogen increases

 To slow down or reverse these factors

Thursday
Feb242022

Vitamin E, Selenium, on Prostate Cancer

(This article has a duplicate called Selenium, Vitamin E on Prostate Cancer in Cancer on Vitamins section)

The new vitamin criteria recommends a rather low amount for selenium, 50 mcg. or less. This article reveals WHY this is critical.

THE SELECT STUDY

A rather large study testing Vitamin E and Selenium for anti-prostate cancer effects, called the SELECT study, proved to be a major disappointment. ref  So much so that it was stopped after the mid-point analysis. Researchers found that not only did the nutrients fail to show protection against prostate cancer, there was a slight elevation of cancer cases in the vitamin E only group and the selenium group exhibited a slightly elevated diabetes risk.  Another study with same results. Remember before these results there were some reports showing selenium was effective against some cancers. It probably still has value as long as levels are between certain amounts and/or in balance with other related nutrients. 

THE ANALYSIS, Selenium First 

Many scientists assumed the obvious after the results were announced. And that is that Vitamin E and Selenium do not work. But, another group commented on possible explanations for these results. They reported that supplemental selenium appears to offer benefits if your levels are low, but not if you are already in the high range and add more. ref There are now two possible explanations. One is that diabetes changes and upsets protein carrier levels for Selenium, pushing selenium levels up into unhealthy levels for the next explanation. The other is the increased selenium might could increase Glutathione Peroxidase production deactivating free radicals (ROS) which the body needs to turn on the switch for insulin and glucose uptake by cells. ref (selenium, Se, is an anti-oxidant) ref <caution on adjective selection to make it look like big differences but really quite small) ref <**(see summary below) ref  ref  (positive> + ref  ref

NOTE: From the "+ ref" above, copied here is an important message for selenium:  

"The difference between the beneficial effects and the harmful effects of selenium is very narrow," said Dr. Eliseo Guallar of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who has studied the mineral's health effects but was not involved in the new study. "A little bit can be very good, but once you go above a certain level there can be side effects."

The Take Away for Selenium

Increasing levels from dietary food is protective against diabetes risk in a positive upward linear line influence. BUT, supplemental Selenium could push one into a detrimental action area if natural intake levels are already at top end of recommended amounts. ref See Antioxidant load balance.  This is why the new vitamin criteria puts Selenium at such a seemingly low amount, plus it might be wise to occasionally skip consumption days or even weeks if one does not test blood levels. Natural food dietary selenium amounts in the U.S.A. typically fall between 90 to 135 mcg. ref ref

Sidebar: Conclusion from one study listed above, ref, on Selenium and diabetes: CONCLUSIONS—In a probability sample of the U.S. population, high serum selenium levels were positively associated with the prevalence of diabetes. Until findings from prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are available, selenium intake, including selenium supplementation, should not be recommended for primary or secondary diabetes prevention in populations with adequate selenium status such as the U.S. population.

"Selenium as selenomethionine had nearly twice the bioavailability of selenium as selenite." Best not to consume the inorganic forms of sodium selenite and sodium selenate and to limit amounts of other forms Even in pet foods> ref

VITAMIN E in the SELECT study

The SELECT used the SYNTHETIC form of vitamin E. Here is what the results said about the vitamin E side of the SELECT prostate study. The Vitamin E group exhibited a slightly increased prostate cancer rate. In order to fully understand these results, one has to know these few facts about vitamin E: 

  1. Vitamin E supplements contain only 1 of 4 tocopherols found in nature and none of the other related four E activity tocotrienol family members. (Alpha, Beta, Delta & Gamma tocotrienols)
  2. This one tocohperol form can only be called vitamin E or given vitamin E units, the d'alpha tocopherol, or the synthetic form listed as dl'alpha tocopheryl acetate.
  3. Many studies, including the SELECT study, use synthetic dl"alpha tocopheryl which has additional problems of interference in absorption by crowding absorption sites or maybe by crowding out docking sites for the other E family members,(natural E also has this action when isolated and given at higher amounts ).
  4. Prostate cells can be attacked by two types of free radicals, oxygen and nitrogen radicals.
  5. Alpha tocopherol works against the oxygen radical but not against the nitrogen.
  6. It is Gamma tocopherol that works against the nitrogen radical.
  7. Taking a high dose of supplemental vitamin E as Alpha tocopherol suppresses the blood levels of natural Gamma tocopherol arriving in food, plus also those of the other tocopherols and all four tocotrienols, and vitamin K.
  8. This reduction might compromise the prostate cell protection against nitrogen radicals.
  9. Research shows Gamma tocopherol and some of the tocotrienols have greater ability to protect prostate tissue than alpha tocopherol by itself.  
  10. The results of the SELECT study are not that unexpected when you know these facts. ref **
  11. The SELECT study, initiated largely due to observed facts that higher vitamin E levels equated to less cancers, simply did not consider that many earlier study findings were mainly from food sources which provided lower selenium amounts than tested plus included quantities of all the vitamin E family members as nature puts in foods.  
  12. Plus, Vitamin E increased prostate cancer risk only if selenium levels were low. ref
  13. There is another aspect that may be working between vitamin E and selenium which could increase advanced prostate cancer risk. ref More research is critically needed here.

SIDEBAR: The preceding points 4, 5 & 6 relate to anti-oxdiant activity. There is a delicate balance needed by the body between anti- and pro- oxidation actions for various metabolic and protective functions. Some studies on Vitamin E do not show a positive result. It could be that the amount of vitamin E used unbalanced the anti-oxidant load. The body has developed ways to harness the reactive nature of free radicals for positive functions which too much vitamin E could disrupt..

For complete nutritional protection, DO NOT SUPPLEMENT WITH high dose FRACTIONATED VITAMIN E as natural d'alpha tocopherol or synthetic dl'alpha tocopheryl etc. You should take some of the other family members too. The proper amounts still need to be determined. It could be 1:1 for gamma and alpha tocopherols, or 2:1. This needs research but is not getting any yet. Three studies using 50, 200, and 400 of alpha tocopherol found the most benefit at just 50 with a slight negative at 400, possibly from interference with the other family E members absorption or enhanced elimination. This could be related to the anti-oxidant activity generated by each amount.

STUDY CONCLUSIONS

** Here is the conclusion from this study: "Statistically significant protective associations for high levels of selenium and alpha-tocopherol were observed only when gamma-tocopherol concentrations were high."  Did you catch that the SELECT study began AFTER this study results were posted that showed gamma tocopherol was needed. DOES THIS MEAN THE SELECT STUDY SET OUT TO FAIL?

SIDEBAR: News about Statin use increasing Diabetes risk. Could this same above mentioned mechanism of too much anti-oxidant activity be at play with Statin use too.  ref  Obviously, statin patients may have heart conditions and be at a higher risk of diabetes even without considering selenium levels.

Summary from ref above: First, they indicate that an optimal degree of ROS production is requisite for normal activation of glucose transport during exercise. Second, they indicate that excessive administration of antioxidants can have deleterious effects on glucose utilization during exercise and possibly glycogen resynthesis during recovery from exercise. This could have negative consequences for skeletal muscle performance.

SELENIUM IN SOIL AND DIABETES

One last research needs to be mentioned to add clarity to these selenium results. The diabetes risk varied for different regions of China. After analyzing for an association, selenium levels showed a connection. In regions where there was a naturally high level of selenium in soil and thus a higher amount in foods grown there, the diabetes rates were higher. ref 

SELENIUM ON CANCER

From the SELECT study, the group that took both Selenium and vitamin E and the selenium only group both exhibited greater advanced prostate cancers. ref Although only the vitamin E group was significant for overall prostate cancer, both the selenium only and selenium and vitamin E groups had increases that were very small and not significant. At 200 mcg, selenium could upset the antioxidant balance when added with dietary amounts. ref Plus, it is also possible that selenium works synergistic to enhance the vitamin E results mentioned below.

But, these last two references should seal the deal. Selenium levels and cancer got off the a fast protective start looking only at levels ingested from food. But research studies using supplements told a different story. Most used 200 mcg. of selenium. Selenium and skin cancer. ref   Remember, selenium is a trace mineral only needed in a rather small range of amounts. There are adverse effects at both too low and too high. Supplements over 50 mcg should NOT be used, period. Especially since few people have blood levels of selenium tested. PLus, it might be precautionary to skip days at even the 50 mcg too.

 

OF INTEREST FOR FUTURE Analysis: Why prostate cancer often spreads to bone? Looking at PGE2 and Bone factors RANKL and OPG on stimulation of bone building or osteoblastogenesis versus bone tearing down for osteoclastogenesis actions on prostate cancer spreading to bones. ref

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