Juice Plus+® Health News

Increased Vegetable Intake Decreases Cancer Risk

According to research published in Nutrition and Cancer, those with a higher intake of vegetables reduce their risk of stomach cancer by 50% of more. Since we know that most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, we do recommend Juice Plus+® for added nutrient from those foods, but a diet where you consume more of those ripened, raw whole foods would be more ideal for your good health. Here's the story about how you can reduce your risk of cancer with more vegetables ---

50% Lower Risk Among Those With Highest Intake

Though it's the fourth most common cancer, stomach cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer -- primarily because it's so hard to detect. Fortunately, science is uncovering the power of produce to prevent this deadly disease in the first place. A recent study in the journal Nutrition and Cancer demonstrated that those with the highest vegetable intake have a 50% lower risk of developing stomach cancer. The chart below graphically demonstrates just how dramatically your risk drops as your veggie intake increases.

Tomatoes, broccoli sprouts, pumpkin, spinach, garlic and cabbage are among the vegetables with proven anti-cancer prowess. Your best bet is to eat more of the veggies you like -- aiming for two cups daily. Not only will they provide the antioxidants needed to defend against the kind of DNA damage that can lead to cancer, they're your best weapons against obesity, which can nearly double your risk of stomach cancer.

Bonus: In addition to upping your fruit and veggie intake, avoid processed meat -- regular consumption of which is linked to a 38% increased risk of stomach cancer. (Source: Dole.com)

Comments: We've discussed this before, how even the consumption of certain berries can reduce cancer risk.  You can't deny the importance of getting more vegetables (and fruits obviously!) in your diet. Just a few simple changes to MOST American diets and we can reduce the cost of health care, while increasing life expectancy, and the quality of life!  And, in this author's opinion, stimulate the economy beyond what anyone would ever expect!

If you don't eat enough vegetables and you won't, then at least add Juice Plus+®.

The Health & Wellness Institute
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

Vitamins And Sunshine - Do We Need More?

More research continues to be published regarding the benefits of Vitamin D, or at least what appears to be a link between a Vitamin D deficiency and cancer, particluarly colon cancer.  I'm willing to bet that this is the first in what will be a line of dominoes that will fall when it comes to our ailing health problems and deficiencies in vitamins and nutrients from a poor diet. We can no longer ignore the fact the health problems we experience in the US or any part of the world stem from a poor diet. We do advise those who don't get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet to add Juice Plus+® so that at least some added nutrients from those foods can be included each day. With regard to the news about Vitamin D, or what is commonly called 'the sunshine vitamin' because exposure to the sun increases the body's production of vitamin D, there is more evidence that indicates a higher deficiency than was ever known previously.  Here's more from WebMD.com --

Soaking in more sunlight and drinking more dairy may help you ward off colon cancer.

Researchers in Europe have found that people with abundant levels of vitamin D -- the so-called sunshine vitamin -- have a much lower risk of colon cancer. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggest vitamin D may have the power to help prevent colon cancer and possibly even improve survival in those who have the disease.

The body makes vitamin D after the skin absorbs some of the sun's rays. You can also get vitamin D by consuming certain foods and beverages, such as milk and cereal, which have been fortified with the vitamin, but few foods naturally contain it. (My comment: More reason that whole food nutrition is the answer! At least with Juice Plus+ you can get some nutrients from good foods!)

For the current study, researchers looked at the link between blood levels of vitamin D as well as dietary vitamin D and calcium, and who was at risk for colorectal cancer. They based their findings on information from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Study (EPIC), a study of more than 520,000 people from 10 Western European countries. The study participants gave blood samples and completed detailed diet and lifestyle questionnaires between 1992 and 1998.

During the follow-up period, 1,248 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Researchers compared their lifestyle and diet backgrounds to the same number of healthy patients. They discovered that those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had a nearly 40% decrease in colorectal cancer risk than those with the lowest levels. 

However, the best way to boost your vitamin D level may be a matter of debate. As vitamin D's potential health benefits become more widely advertised, more people may advocate supplementation. (read more...)

Bottom Line: This is only the tip of the iceberg as far as the relationship between any illness, disease, or cancer. The rest of the iceberg is in the fact that we are missing the hundreds of nutrients that are in a variety of fruits and vegetables if we're not consuming enough of them each day (again, the biggest reason we recommend Juice Plus+®, to get added nutrients). One vitamin is not going to be a cure-all or a prevent-all. A few vitamins aren't either. Whole food fruits and vegetables that are vine-ripened, and eaten raw - cooking kills live nutrients that benefit the body (don't you think LIVE nutrients would best benefit a LIVE being?) - is the way to best prevent sickness and disease. Not just prevention, but how about improving the overall quality of life?! Shouldn't that be the goal? Not just to save someone who is dying from a preventable disease by making sure that there are plenty of drugs, procedures, and treatments available. No. The goal should be to get everyone off of the spiralling downward health path that is typical of a large majority of poeple and move toward a healthy diet that should be more common to all people.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Distributor

Nutrition Not Calories Are More Important

You could keep your calorie intake at a "normal" level by eating a fast food hamburger and fries, and even adding a medium Coke or juice drink.  That's about all you could consume for the day, plus a snack or two, if you wanted to stay within a 2,000 calorie diet.  With this kind of diet, I would say you need 20 Capsules of Juice Plus+® Fruit AND Vegetable (each) to help make any difference in what you're missing in good nutrition (and that's still going to leave you deficient!).  There are news reports out about how children are consuming less calories if there is caloric information on the menu. That good news, in some ways, in that kids will be consuming less calories and therefore be more likely to avoid becoming obese.  Here's one reference to the report from Businessweek.com --

When nutritional information is available on fast-food restaurant menus, parents are more apt to pick lower-calorie foods for their kids, new research finds. Often spurred on by legislation, many U.S. restaurant chains are now posting nutrition information about their menu items. But whether this information would translate to healthier eating was unclear.

The new study, conducted with McDonald's menus, suggests that it does.

"When parents are provided with calorie information they chose about 100 calories less [per meal] for their 3- to 6-year-old child compared to parents who didn't have that information," said lead researcher Dr. Pooja Tandon, a graduate fellow in the department of general pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"One hundred calories over time is actually a significant amount in terms of weight gain, given the rates of fast food consumption and childhood obesity in our country," she added. The report is published in the Jan. 25 online issue of Pediatrics.

For the study, Tandon's team surveyed 99 parents of 3-to 6-year-olds about the foods they selected for their children at fast food restaurants. The parents were given pictures of McDonald's menu choices and asked which items they would pick for themselves and their children. Half of the menus had calorie information for each item and half did not.

Choices included sandwiches, salads, dressings, side items, beverages, desserts and children's meals.

The team found that parents given menus with calorie information picked items with an average of 102 less calories for their children than did the parents whose menus didn't have the calorie data. (source)

But...and there's always a but..what about the quality of the food that is being consumed? We recommend Juice Plus+ because most people don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. I hate to say this, but if you're not eating any fruits and vegetables, and you're diet consists of only "fast foods", then Juice Plus+ may not make any difference in your health (unless maybe, and this is a big maybe, you consumed the quantity mentioned above!). 

The point is that we can't just focus on calorie intake, we've got to be more concerned with WHAT it is that we're choosing for our children and ourselves.  Let them eat as many fruits and vegetables as they want all day, everyday, then make sure they get one healthy portion of protein each day and I can almost guarantee you're kids will NOT be overweight, and will be VERY healthy! Show me one child whom eats too many fruits and vegetables each day who is overweight? You won't find one.  (This does leave out the healthy fats and complex carbs that are important each day, but I'm not sure that it's possible to avoid those - everyone has bread in some form everyday...the healthy fats may be another story).

So watch what you're eating more than you watch and count your calories. Get to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables (1/2 cup is a serving) every day, and after you've been doing that consistently for a few weeks, then you can start to take the next step and be more concerned with calorie counting. I'm willing to bet (A LOT!) that if you get to that 9 servings/day level consistently - for a few weeks - you will feel great and even drop weight if you need to. And until you do get to that # of servings / day, as I always suggest, add Juice Plus+® as it has nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, which will help support your effort to be healthier.

The Health & Wellness Institute
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor

This product is not a treatment or cure for any health condition, nor is the information here to be used to diagnose to treat or provide advice for any health condition. The reference for 20 Juice Plus+ capsules isn't a recommendation, but is only a hypothetical example to make a point. Please consult your physician for any changes to your diet.

Health Care Reform - The Effort Continues in Washington

Health care reform, it's feeling like old news at this point, but the debate and the effort to push through some sort of change or law is still going on. This seems more about one party winning than it does about helping balance the industry as a whole and helping more Americans take charge of their own health. Should we just expect to live unhealthy and not eat a healthy diet (Juice Plus+ helps that cause), and smoke, and eat too much, and drink too much, then when the body starts to break down expect to have all the doctor visits, unlimited diagnostic tests to determine exactly what's not working, then medications and/or sugery that might be the proper course of care (80% of the time not)... all paid for (a large percentage) by tax money that comes from all of us?  Enough people are still concerned about the subject, one reason that many believe Scott Brown was elected in Massachusettes.

Imagine a society where the tax rates are 90% or more, and all the money is spread out amongst everyone for health care, loans, transportation, etc. So, there are some people who work hard, put in long hours, try to make a good living, but are only penalized with high taxes so that those who don't work hard, who are lazy, and don't make the effort can be entitled to the same things (or luxuries)?  This is where those who work hard and those who feel that they are at a disadvantage (for whatever reason) differ in their opinion and the where the debate starts.

First and foremost, you can choose to live healthy - eating a healthy diet filled with plenty of fruits and vegetables (adding Juice Plus+ too if you don't get enough of those), avoiding fast foods and fatty foods, and avoiding sugar drinks, juice drinks, soft drinks, and getting regular exercise. It doesn't cost any money to take a walk - that's exercise. Eating healthy is a choice. That's where health CARE begins - caring for your own health. Having access to doctors, hospitals, treatment plans that include medications and/or surgeries, does not guarantee you will be healthy or guarantee you will avoid being unhealthy. In fact, you have a better chance of dying just being in a hospital, according to sources. Take a look at odds of dying from some of the most common things.

Per lifetime odds:

Complications of medical and surgical care 1 in 1,313.
Hospital infections 1 in 38
Heart Disease 1 in 5
Cancer 1 in 7
Stroke 1 in 23
Intentional Self-harm (suicide) 1 in 121
Flu 1 in 63
Accidental poisoning 1 in 193
MRSA (resistant bacteria) 1 in 197
Dying from anthrax 1 in 500 million

If more people knew how miserable the final weeks, months in many cases, are for those who have these "cadillac" insurance coverage plans, there might be some second thoughts about demanding 'affordable' health care. That's where the largest percentage of health care money is spent - on the last 6-8 months of life. That is, keeping someone alive in a hospital all because they have the insurance that covers everything to "treat" (more like "keep alive") the patient...basically everything including a complete life-support machine. That's no way to live...or die.

Having a law that requires every individual have some form of "Health" insurance (I put that word in quotes almost always because it's not health insurance or health care, but SICK care - you use it when you're SICK not when you're healthy, and most often you don't need a doctor to get well, antibiotics for infections being one BIG exception)...but requiring insurance is just wrong.

Why not require individuals BE healthy? How? Well, we could start with a company policy that requires each individual use 30 minutes of their work day to exercise (or 45 minutes or an hour). All the details can be worked out with those who have the influence to make change - which should be us, the American people! But this is just one simple change that wouldn't cost much, and would most likely result in increased productivity, an improvement of health, less sick days, and so on.

How about diet? Can we make some sort of change we can count on in the form of required dietary habits? Hard to say exactly how that would work, except to say that assessing a person's health level after the fact is one way. But again, that isn't be proactive but is still a passive approach (you know, trying to correct a problem when it could have been avoided?).  So a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables - the most important items in a healthy diet (again, which is why we recommend Juice Plus+, because it contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables) - is the start of health care.

The change we need, is a change in personal responsibility - that is, more healthy habits that equates to a healthier lifestyle. I've said this before and will say it again, we all need to realize that our own health is 99% our own responsibility. What's the 1% for? For those who are born with or develop a condition that is most likely a result of a genetic 'miscue', who need special medicines or care to save their life and allow them to live a quality life. And that's what health care is all about - having a quality of life that is a result of having good health - all a result of the choices we make, for 99% of us.

So make your lifestyle one that is filled with healthy choices - a diet with at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (9 or more is best), add Juice Plus+ for nutrients from those foods if you need the extra "help"; drink water for 90% or more of your total beverage consumption (the other 10% for milk, soy, tea, coffee or other healthy fluids); getting some form of exercise everyday (6 days out of 7 is great) - walking for 30 minutes non-stop is a real good start; and just as importantly is avoiding the unhealthy stuff - the three biggest things to avoid: sugary beverages (soft drinks, juice drinks, alcohol), fast foods (those hamburger, pizza, taco places, along with most of the pre-made foods in the supermarket), and finally avoid tobacco products.

It's actually easier to choose those items that are healthy. I won't go into them here except to say that fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, healthy carbs like sweet potatoes or yams, and of course water.

Reform your health by making healthier choices, and you'll have 99% of the care you need!

Dr. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

Vitamins - Too Much And Too Many Not a Good Thing

The American way - if some is good, then more must be better. Among other things, the kitchen is where I first heard this. Using a spice or seasoning on a food or in a recipe, that makes it good, for some reason makes most people think more is better. The same can be applied to vitamins. Many foods are fortified, which means that vitamins have been added. Well, these are just the basic vitamins that we know about, not the full gamut of nutrients that are in whole food fruits and vegetables. (In fact, if the "life" of the nutrients wouldn't be destroyed in the process of making these foods, maybe using a product like Juice Plus+ would be a much better way to "fortify" what are otherwise most nutrient-lacking or nutrient-deficient foods available in the supermarkets. First, read a little about, and think twice about, buying foods just because they have added vitamins (fortified) --

These days, it's not difficult to consume 600% of your daily recommended value of B vitamins or 2,000% of the recommended amount of vitamin C -- all before lunchtime.

Many energy bars, juices and other products are crammed with sky-high levels of vitamins. Gulp down an Odwalla Blueberry B Monster smoothie and get 360% of the daily value of four types of B vitamins. Swallow a shot of Emergen-C and you could get more than 1,600% of the daily value of vitamin C.

That's not necessarily good. At some point, the upsides of added vitamins disappear -- and may even about-face into downsides.

When it comes to vitamin consumption, "some is good, but more is not necessarily better," says Joan Salge Blake, a clinical associate professor of nutrition at Boston University.

Vitamin C is a case in point. Adults need between 75 and 90 milligrams a day, but many fortified juice drinks and self-proclaimed immune-boosting products, sometimes called "functional foods," provide 10 times that amount in a single serving.

A little extra vitamin C may be helpful: Studies suggest that taking about twice the recommended amount could shorten the duration of colds. But consuming much more than that has little benefit, largely because vitamin C is water soluble, says Mary Ellen Camire, professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine in Orono.

"Your body excretes the excess, and you get very expensive urine," Camire says. Not to mention cramps, nausea and diarrhea -- the other potential side effects of taking several grams of vitamin C or more in a single day.

The B vitamins are another good example. Overconsumption risks depend on the B vitamin in question: Consuming 500 milligrams a day or more of B6 (adults need 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams) can cause reversible nerve damage, whereas several hundred times the recommended amount of B12 (which is 2.4 micrograms) is harmless.

But it's not clear why you would want more than the daily value anyway. Contrary to claims made by some supplement promoters, vitamin B6 hasn't been found to alleviate the symptoms of depression or premenstrual syndrome, and vitamin B12 hasn't been found to prevent heart disease, improve mental acuity or boost exercise performance. (read more...)

Bottom line: Your best source of nutrition is not going to come from foods that have been processed, in which case many if not most of the nutritional value is destroyed (heat kills the 'vitality' of the nutrients), where vitamins are then added back in to either make up for what wasn't there to begin with or to put what needs to be there anyway (although still lacking the other hundreds of important nutrients).  No, the best source of nutrients - vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, basically all of the un-named and unknown nutrients (at least to the general public) - is going to come from fruits and vegetables. If you don't get enough of those, you know we recommend Juice Plus+ as a source of nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Add some regular servings of healthy seafood and some other protein sources like beans, and you'll have almost all of your important nutrients covered.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributore

Seven Qualities For Good Health

The seven are: don't use tobacco, stay slim, keep your cholesterol normal, blood pressure normal, sugar intake low, get regular exercise, and oh yeah...eat the minimum recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day.  While all of these things are good, there is always someone or something that is coming up with a 'supplement' of sorts to make it a bit easier to more closely adhere to those seven. Like recomending Juice Plus+ for the nutrients from fruits and vegetables; or an at-home piece of exercise equipment; or a gum to substitute for cigarettes for nicotine addiction; and so on.  Cholesterol and blood pressure and sugar intake may all be related in some way and exercise may relieve the first two and keeping sugar intake (specifically fructose, sugar from fruits and vegetables are ok) to a bare minimum will also avoid negative effects on the body's lipids and blood pressure. Juice Plus+ covers an array of phytonutrients, especially when you add the Berry Blend which contains nutrients from 9 different grapes and berries.  Here's a review of the list of health "secrets" and some data from research as reported in the Washington Post --

Here are the seven secrets to a long life: Stay away from cigarettes. Keep a slender physique. Get some exercise. Eat a healthy diet and keep your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar in check.

Research shows that most 50-year-olds who do that can live another 40 years free of stroke and heart disease, two of the most common killers, says Dr. Clyde Yancy, president of the American Heart Association. The heart association published the advice online Wednesday in the journal Circulation.

The group also is introducing an online quiz to help people gauge how close they are to the ideal. If you fall a bit short, it offers tips for improving.

"These seven factors - if you can keep them ideal or control them - end up being the fountain of youth for your heart," said Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist who was lead author of the statement. "You live longer, you live healthier longer, you have much better quality of life in older age, require less medication, less medical care."

Specifically, those with ideal cardiovascular health can answer yes to the following seven questions:

• Never smoked or quit more than one year ago.
• Body mass index less than 25.
• Get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week.
• Meet at least four of these dietary recommendations: 4 1/2 cups of fruit and vegetables a day; two or more 3.5-ounce servings a week of fish; drink no more than 36 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages a week; three or more 1-ounce servings of fiber-rich whole grains a day; less than 1,500 milligrams a day of salt.
• Total cholesterol of less than 200.
•  Blood pressure below 120/80.
•  Fasting blood glucose less than 100. (source)

Bottom Line: Diet is the obvious most important aspect to good health, seeing that 4 of the seven are directly related to diet. The 4 1/2 cup of fruits and vegetables per day amounts to 9 servings. That's about 6 more than most people get. Juice Plus+ isn't an answer to health problems, but it is nutrients from a variety of those foods and can help. What we really need as a nation whose majority are overweight and unhealthy is a campaign giving incentive for meeting those 7 criteria. How do we account for that. Well, tests and/or measurements can be done for the cholesterol, blood pressure, sugar, BMI, weight, and presence of tobacco (done for most life insurance policies). A log of time spent at the gym could be done using a card (that just about every gym requires one anyway). Of course, that would mean we have to promote wellness instead of promoting "health" care, which is needed after one avoids living a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the incentive to live healthy is needed. But will it make money for the politicians? No. So don't look such plan anytime soon.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

Nutrients That Could 'Treat' Alzheimer's?

We know that Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, but this in no way assumes that because MIT scientists have seen promise using nutrients as a way to treat Alzheimer's, that Juice Plus+ could also be a use for that purpose*.

Nutrients from various fruits, vegetables, and berries could help treat Alzheimer's according to a discovery made by scientists at MIT (Massachusettes Institute of Technology). While Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, is it possible that it too could help at least prevent Alzheimer's? Time and studies may tell. Here's more from the help that nutrients may provide in not just prevention, but treatment (the next best thing to a 'cure', a word which can't be used without extremely strict guidelines!) --

The earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are marked by a major loss of the brain connections needed to process information and to retain memory. While there are drug therapies used to help delay progression of AD, those medications are loaded with side effects and, if they work at all, the effects only last for the short term. Eventually the disease continues to rob those with Alzheimer's of their memory, thinking ability and quality of life. But scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have recently discovered that a combination of naturally occurring nutrients (Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from fruits and vegetables...?) could do what Big Pharma drugs can't. In research just published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia, the nutrient mix stimulated the growth of new brain connections, technically known as synapses -- and the supplements were shown to have potential to improve memory in Alzheimer's patients.

Richard Wurtman, the Cecil H.Green Distinguished Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, did the basic research that led to the new experimental treatment and was part of the research team that conducted the clinical trial. Wurtman believes loss of synapses is the root cause of Alzheimer's disease. In previous animal studies, Wurtman has found that specific nutrients boost the number of dendritic spines (small outcroppings of neural membranes) and, when those spines contact other neurons, the formation of new synapses takes place. "If you can increase the number of synapses by enhancing their production, you might to some extent avoid that loss of cognitive ability (in Alzheimer's)," he said in a statement to the media.

To test this idea, the research team conducted a clinical trial involving 225 Alzheimer's disease patients. The scientists used a cocktail of three nutrients (uridine, choline and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA) found in breast milk and certain foods plus other ingredients (B vitamins, phosopholipids and antioxidants). Uridine (a nutrient in beets and molasses), choline (found in egg yolks and wheat germ) and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (one of the two long-chain omega-3s in fish such as salmon) are known to be precursors to the fatty molecules that make up brain cell membranes which form synapses. (source...)

Bottom Line: You can't go wrong eating a diet that is rich in colorful, variety of ripened, raw fruits and vegetables. There are other foods that are important as well to be sure you're getting your Omega 3s, Vitamin D, Calcium, and proteins. But for nutrients that are most important for prevention, fruits and vegetables come first.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

*Only substances that have been designated a 'drug' by the FDA are intended for the purpose of treatment of medical conditions. Juice PLus+ is not a drug and is therefore not intended for the treatment of any healthy condition.

Vitamin D, Calcium - Reducing Fracture Risks

A combination of Vitamin D and Calcium has been studied, showing promising results for those seniors who took a daily dose of the two. While there are only a few vitamins or supplements that we recommend outside of the whole food nutritional supplement Juice Plus+, there are some important nutrititional needs that can't be gotten from fruits and vegetables - like Omega 3s. There is also so much new evidence that has been, and is being, published about the deficiency in Vitamin D that is so widespread. Here's is the study that shows how fractures were reduced in those who took the calcium and vitamin D combination --

A meta-analysis by researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital suggests that taking calcium and vitamins D in tandem can reduce the risk of fractures in both men and women, irrespective of their ages and medical history.
 
The study, which was published on Jan 12, 2010 on the online on the website of the British Medical Journal, showed that the risk reduction could be up to 26 percent. For the current study, B Abrahamsen and colleagues meta-analyzed data pooled from seven, major vitamin D fracture trials in the U.S. and Europe, which revealed the association.  Trials included in the analysis were those conducted by Dr. John Robbins at UC-Davis and published in 2006.  Dr. Robbins is coauthor of the current study, according to a press release by the University.
 
Enrolled in the study were 68,517 men and women with an average age of 70 years. Among those who were taking 10 ug or 20 ug of vitamin D alone, no reduced or increased risk of facture was observed.
 
Taking vitamin D with calcium was associated with an eight percent reduced, overall risk of fracture and 16 percent reduced risk of hip fracture. Those who took 10 ug of vitamin D daily along with calcium supplements were found to have a 26 percent reduced risk of facture, according to the abstract of the study report.
 
The authors of the study received fees for their research/lectures from major drug makers like Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble, Merck, Roche, Shire ProStrakan and Servier among others, according to the medical journal.  An early study led by Rebecca D. Jackson, M.D of Ohio State University and colleagues found that taking calcium supplements and vitamin D supplements increased hip bone density by 6 percent. They also found taking both 1000 mg of elemental calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily reduced hip fracture by 12 percent, clinical spine facture by 26 percent and total fractures by 4 percent. One downside is that taking both calcium and vitamin D were found associated with higher risk of kidney stones or renal calculi. (read more...)

Note: While studies that focus on one particular Vitamin or mineral may show specific effects on the body or systems of those participating, it is important to note that these types of ailments or conditions might just be relieved or even prevented through a healthy diet and lifestyle. While Juice Plus+ offers nutrients from fruits and vegetables, it is important to get enough Omegas by eating plenty of fish, or if you don't then taking a fish oil supplement. The same could be said about Calcium. You won't get enough of that in fruits and vegetables (and therefore not Juice Plus+ either).  Basically, a diet that consists of a balance of the right foods is the point here in order to cover the gamut of nutritional needs that you should be getting daily.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Associated With Lower Obesity Rates

It is a fact that those who eat more fruits and vegetables are more likely to be a 'normal' weight than those who are deficient in what's recommended daily. Eating more fruits and vegetables is not only good for the prevention of sickness and disease, but will also increase the likelihood of being at a healthy weight. Since most people won't, don't, or for some reason can't eat the recommended amount each day, we recommend adding Juice Plus+ in order to at least get added nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, since Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from 7 different fruits and 8 different vegetables. Here's more on how we may just be seeing a "leveling off" of the obesity rates in the US --

The prevalence of adults in the U.S. who are obese is still high, with about one-third of adults obese in 2007-2008, although new data suggest that the rate of increase for obesity in the U.S. in recent decades may be slowing, according to a study appearing in the January 20 issue of JAMA.
The study is being published early online because of its public health importance.

"The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES; a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population] provides the opportunity to track trends in the prevalence of obesity in the United States by collecting data on height and weight measurements. Data from 1988-1994 showed that the prevalence of obesity in adults had increased by approximately 8 percentage points in the United States since 1976-1980, after being relatively stable over the period 1960-1980. Analyses of data from 1999-2000 showed further increases in obesity for both men and women and in all age groups," the authors write.

Katherine M. Flegal, Ph.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Md., and colleagues examined the latest NHANES data from 2007-2008 regarding trends in obesity and compared the results with data for 1999 through 2006. The study included an analysis of height and weight measurements from 5,555 adult men and women age 20 years or older. Overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 to 29.9. Obesity was defined as a BMI of 30.0 or higher. read more...

Final Note: Obesity is still a major problem in the US and starting to become a problem in many countries around the world. Is the answer eating more fruits and vegetables? Maybe. But more so, avoiding the unhealthy foods and drinks (fast foods and soft drinks, specifically) is the first step that must be taken.  Adding Juice Plus+ is a good way to move in the direction of better health, but a change in overall diet is certainly going to have to take place as well.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Get more information on Juice Plus+®

Vitamins, Minerals, Juice Plus+® - Role in Prevention

Good nutrition and its positive effects on the health of the body seems to need more studies to confirm exactly how and what those specific benefits are. Logic couldn't tell us already that fruits and vegetables and the nutrients contained within them are going to provide most (all?) the support to our health that we need. Let's spend more tax dollars researching what seems to be obvious. We also recommend Juice Plus+ because it contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, and although there seems to be plenty of common sense as to why Juice Plus+ is beneficial, there is also research done to be sure there are benefits and that it's not some snake-oil-pushing scam. Nonetheless, here are some findings on the benefits of having plenty of the right vitamins in your diet and how certain conditions can be prevented:

Findings published in Cancer Causes and Control also showed that carotenoids, niacin, thiamine, and vitamin D may reduce the risk of bladder cancer in older people.

“The effects of vitamin E, carotenoids, vitamin D, thiamin, and niacin in relation to the risk of developing bladder cancer may warrant further investigation,” report the researchers, led by Maree Brinkman from The Cancer Council Victoria in Australia.

“Future studies should focus on optimal doses and combinations of these micronutrients particularly for high risk groups such as heavy smokers and older individuals,” they state.

Bladder cancer is diagnosed in about 336,000 people every year worldwide, and it is three times more likely to affect men than women, according to the European School of Oncology.

Study details

Brinkman and her co-workers analysed dietary data from 322 people with bladder cancer and 239 healthy controls. A 121-item food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate dietary intakes.

Results showed that, in general, people with the highest average intakes of vitamin E (at least 193.4 milligrams per day) were 34 per cent less likely to develop bladder cancer. The highest average intakes of phosphorous (1,557 milligrams) were associated with a 51 per cent reduction in bladder cancer risk.

“Although we observed an approximate 50 per cent reduction in the odds of bladder cancer associated with higher dietary intake of phosphorus, it was not statistically significant,” wrote the researchers. “Given this ubiquitous micronutrient is an important physiological component of DNA, RNA, ATP, and cell membranes, it may be worthy of further consideration.”

When the researchers focused their analysis on smokers, they found that the highest intakes of vitamin E, carotenoids (18 milligrams), and niacin (46.5 milligrams), were associated with a 42, 38, and 34 per cent reduction in bladder cancer risk in heavy smokers.  In older individuals, the highest average intakes of carotenoids, vitamin D (641 International Units), thiamin (3.35 milligrams), niacin, and vitamin E were all associated with a reduced bladder cancer risk.  (read more...)

Final Comment: There is not enough emphasis on a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The number of companies and jobs that may suffer from a campaign that encouraged more people to avoid unhealthy foods - fast foods, soft drinks, fatty foods, salty foods - and instead eat more fruits and vegetables, could create a strain on the economy. Regardless, that is the diet that needs to be emphasized, and our tax dollars would be better spent pushing that agenda rather than trying to get everyone access to a doctor and hospital in order that they (we) can go on living an unhealthy lifestyle. Another topic for another day.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
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