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Contrary to Popular Belief, Vitamin D Supplements Don’t Improve Bone Health

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vitamin d supplements

If you’ve been spending money on vitamin D supplements, you may be able to save some cash. Recent scientific findings show that, contrary to popular belief, these supplements don’t do anything to improve bone health.

Doctors Mark Bolland and Andrew Grey from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, along with Dr. Alison Avenell from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, took a look at a set of randomized controlled trials. In each trial, there were adults taking vitamin D to improve bone health. The doctors evaluated the findings of each of these to determine if vitamin D supplements prevent bone loss, fractures, and falls.

So, how does vitamin D impact your overall bone health?

Vitamin D Supplements Don’t Do Much… For Bone Health

The review took a look at 81 trials including more than 53,000 participants. What they found was that vitamin D supplements have no significant impact on the risk of fractures, broken bones, or falls. This was true no matter what dose they took.

“Since the last major review of [the] evidence in 2014, more than 30 randomized, controlled trials on vitamin D and bone health have been published, nearly doubling the evidence available,” said Dr. Bolland.

It was concluded that there is little justification that vitamin D supplements will help maintain or improve musculoskeletal health. Because of these findings, the researchers involved hope doctors will consider altering their guidelines. Although vitamin D supplements won’t harm your health, they are largely unnecessary for maintaining bone health.

How to Get Vitamin D Naturally

You probably don’t need to take vitamin D at all. The researchers pointed out that natural vitamin D, through sunlight or vitamin D-rich food, can help your body absorb calcium. This is what will help you build and maintain bone strength. However, supplements do not have the same effect.

It is recommended that you get 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at least twice a week. This will improve your overall health more than any supplement on the market.

People in need of additional vitamin D can also get it through vitamin D-rich foods. These foods include cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon, tuna, sardines, orange juice, milk, yogurt, margarine, eggs, beef liver, and Swiss cheese. Eating just three ounces of salmon can provide you with 112% of the daily recommended vitamin D.

Who Needs Vitamin D Supplements?

This doesn’t go to say everyone should flush their supplements down the toilet. However, before you go wasting money on more vitamin D pills, you should chat with your doctor.

Older individuals are more likely to need more vitamin D than others. There are also a number of medical conditions that may require vitamin D supplements. For instance, people with inflammatory bowel disease or individuals who’ve had a gastric bypass surgery may need supplements because their bodies cannot absorb vitamin D from food. Individuals living in areas of the world where it is difficult to get sun exposure may also need supplements.

All in all, until another study proves anything different, vitamin D supplements are largely a waste of time and money.

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80,000 People Died Last Winter, It’s Time to Get Your Flu Shot

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2018 flu shot

Last year’s flu season was one of the worst seen in the United States in 40 years – resulting in as many as 80,000 deaths. With that in mind, many doctors are urging patients to get their flu shot now before the sickness begins spreading.

The 2017-2018 Flu Season Was Deadly

According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 80,000 flu-related deaths during the 2017-2018 flu season, 180 of which were pediatric deaths. Additionally, there were about 900,000 people hospitalized for the flu, resulting in the highest rate of hospitalization in modern history. Although these numbers are just preliminary, it was undoubtedly one of the deadliest flu seasons the U.S. has ever seen.

“Last year was just a horrible season. It was just a tremendous amount of disease. – Daniel Jernigan, head of the CDC’s influenza division”

Last Year’s Flu Shot

Part of the reason the 2017-2018 flu season was so terrible was the strain going around. The influenza A strain H3N2 spread quickly and vaccines were only 25% effective against it. The vaccine still saved lives though. It was 40% effective in preventing the flu from all three major strains last season. In age groups known to be at a higher risk, its effectiveness was even better.

Throughout the 2012-2013 flu season, 56,000 people died. The vaccine, which was relatively ineffective against H3N2, could have prevented more than 10,000 of those deaths.

Although Americans were urged to get a flu shot last year, the average number of people who got the vaccine remained largely unchanged. Eighty percent of the children who died last year were not vaccinated.

Doctors are reporting some cases of influenza already popping up in school-age children this year. Although the flu season doesn’t normally get into full swing until after November, now is the time to get vaccinated.

How Effective is the 2018 Flu Shot?

If you’re asking yourself how effective this year’s shot will be, you’re not alone. Plenty of people are wondering if it will be worth the time.

However, there’s no way to tell how effective the vaccine will be until the flu season is in full swing. This year’s flu shot does look promising though. The Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, and the CDC review data each year to determine which strains to include in that year’s flu shot. Officials chose what strains to include in March to have vaccines ready for fall.

One of the reasons last year’s flu season was so deadly is that the virus continued to mutate. “We guessed right about the common strains that dominated last year’s flu season,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated. “It’s now believed that part of the reason that the vaccine was not as protective is that the flu strain used to manufacture the vaccine mutated very subtly during the development process.”

Currently, flu patterns in the Southern hemisphere depict the 2018 flu shot should be effective.

“One of the challenges in fighting flu is that the viruses can change their genetic make-up rapidly — not only between flu seasons, but also during the course of a single season,” Gottlieb said. “As a result, the seasonal influenza vaccine needs to be evaluated annually to see whether its composition needs to be adjusted.”

CDC officials are planning to release more information later this year about how much illness the vaccine prevented during the 2017-2018 flu season. However, the agency’s message is fairly clear. Make sure to get your flu shot this year.

FDA and CDC officials recommend the flu shot for children 6 months and older. They also recommend it for pregnant women, senior citizens, and very young children.

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Three Daily Servings of Dairy May Help Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

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Many people have recently adapted to diets low in dairy. However, if you’ve been taking this approach to dieting, you may want to rethink your nutrition. A recent study found a link between the consumption of whole-fat dairy and cardio health. More specifically, researchers are suggesting at least three daily servings of dairy may help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Previous Health Recommendations

Previously both the United States Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association recommended that adults not exceed three servings of low-fat dairy each day. Both agencies believed the high levels of saturated fat found in dairy may raise bad cholesterol in your body.

The new research may challenge those guidelines because now researchers have evidence that fatty acids found in whole-fat dairy may help protect against heart disease and stroke.

The Latest Dairy Study

The latest study took a look at the dietary habits of 136,384 people across 21 countries and five continents over nine years. What they found was that the consumption of whole-fat dairy has a correlation with an overall lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Mahshid Dehghan, and his colleagues collected self-reported data via food questionnaires. Individuals surveyed were between the ages of 35 and 70 and consumed milk, yogurt, and cheese regularly. For the study, a portion of dairy was considered to be a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt, a 15-gram slice of cheese, or a 5-gram teaspoon of butter.

The team of researchers divided the study participants into four groups. The groups consisted of those who consumed no dairy, individuals who only consumed one serving of dairy each day, those who ate two servings of dairy a day, and people who consumed more than two daily servings.

What they found was that people with a higher dairy intake had lower mortality rates overall. They were also found less likely to die of cardiovascular disease or develop major heart disease. Individuals who consumed more dairy were also found to be less likely to have a stroke.

Full Fat vs. Low Fat Dairy

Furthermore, individuals who consumed full-fat dairy only had an even lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular health issues. This suggests that some saturated fats found in full-fat dairy products could be beneficial for cardiovascular health.

Should the Recommended Daily Servings of Dairy Change?

Previous studies with similar findings have suggested the guidelines need to be revised, especially to benefit individuals in lower-income countries.

“Our findings support that consumption of dairy products might be beneficial for mortality and cardiovascular disease, especially in low-income and middle-income countries where dairy consumption is much lower than in North America or Europe,” said Dr. Dehghan.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we need to change the guideline across the board or load up on cheese right now. Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, at the University of Hong Kong, and Anna M. Rangan, at the University of Sydney in Australia, don’t think we should be so quick with the eraser.

“The results from the study seem to suggest that dairy intake, especially whole-fat dairy, might be beneficial for preventing deaths and major cardiovascular diseases,” they wrote. “However, as the authors themselves concluded, the results only suggest the ‘consumption of dairy products should not be discouraged and perhaps even be encouraged in low-income and middle-income countries.'”

Overall, this study simply suggests we not discourage eating or drinking dairy products. By no means, it is a doctor’s approval or recommendation that whole-fat dairy is healthier than low-fat products. Keep in mind, this is just a study that provides evidence that may be worthy of consideration.

Readers, how many servings of dairy do you eat a day? 

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Do Germs Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?

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germs cause alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s disease costs the American economy $277 billion per year and is projected to increase to cost the U.S. $1 trillion annually by 2050. That is one-fifth of the government’s entire current budget. However, only $1.4 billion is being put into research and finding a cure. Furthermore, many studies shy away from mounting evidence that germs cause Alzheimer’s disease.

$1 Million on the Line For Research


Dr. Leslie Norins has offered $1 million to any research willing to verify if Alzheimer’s is caused by a germ. Moreover, he wants someone to step forward and identify the specific microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, etc.) that lead to developing Alzheimer’s later in life.

Discovering a germ that leads to Alzheimer’s would impact the way doctors treat infection early in life. It would also prove Alzheimer’s is contagious (and preventable).

Do Germs Cause Alzheimer’s?

Norins is not calling for more research out of the blue. There has been mounting evidence Alzheimer’s may be caused by germs.

Dr. Rudolph “Rudy” Emile Tanzi, an Alzheimer’s research, found there to be a possible link between certain germs and Alzheimer’s.Tanzi and his team of researchers were working on mapping out the microbiome of the brain. During this process, they discovered a potential link between the herpes virus and Alzheimer’s disease. Here is what he had to say about his findings.

‘The two biggest threats to healthy aging have had to do with dealing with infection,’ he said.  ‘Think about it. When we increased the lifespan from 35 to 50, it was by covering the sewers. When we increased the lifespan from 50 to 75, it was with the use of antibiotics. Now we are looking for viruses in all of the major life-threatening diseases of our time—Alzheimer’s, cancer, Parkinson’s—and guess what? Infection is now cropping up in all of them.’

Additional Studies Find Evidence Linking Germs and Alzheimer’s

There has also been evidence that neurosurgeons are more prone to Alzheimer’s disease as well. In fact, they seem to contract the disease at a rate of seven-times higher than any other disorder. Other studies have shown spouses of individuals with dementia are six times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s themselves. Both suggesting Alzheimer’s – or what causes it – may be contagious.

Some studies have blatantly suggested viral infections can influence the progression of the brain disorder. If these prove to be correct, it suggests one day vaccines and antibiotics may help prevent dementia.

Still, More Research Needed

Norins, who is offering up $1 million for research, is looking for more. The germ theory, as he calls it, has been popping up in Alzheimer’s research for decades. In fact, Oskar Fischer, an early 20th-century researcher, noted a connection between dementia and tuberculosis. The more Norins looked into the literature, he noticed a pattern.

“It appeared that many of the reported characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease were compatible with an infectious process,” Norins told NPR. “I thought for sure this must have already been investigated because millions and millions of dollars have been spent on Alzheimer’s research.”

In 2017, Norins launched Alzheimer’s Germ Quest, Inc. The corporation will distribute the prize and, hopefully, help increase interest in the germ theory. Of course, even if germs cause Alzheimer’s, there are other possibilities for contracting the disease as well, including genetics. Altogether, more research is needed to find the cause of Alzheimer’s.

Readers, what do you think about the Alzheimer’s germ theory? 

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Should You Go For Riders In Life Insurance?

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The benefits of buying a life insurance policy are not unknown. The life insurance policy offers protection to your family when you are not there. There are also many life insurance policies that you can buy for investment purposes along with life cover.

A life insurance is a necessity for those who have dependent like old parents, children and also have some liabilities like EMI’s to be paid. There are many life insurance policies available for purchase so you need to make sure to buy what you need.

What Exactly Is A Rider?

Riders are basically a benefit that you can add on to the online Life insurance policy. This gives you some additional perks.

The coverage that you get from the life insurance plan will also be increased when you purchase a rider. The rider helps to give you lots of flexibility so that you can design your life insurance policy as you need. The plan thus can be customized based on what your individual requirements are.. Buying a rider with your policy means that you will need to pay some extra premium amount to the insurance company for the additional coverage.

Customize The Online Life Insurance Plan Based On Your Requirements

With the number of online Life insurance policies and options available you are bound to get confused. On the brighter side with so many options available you are also able to customize the insurance plan. This needs to be done based on how your lifestyle is. The best way to customize your life insurance policy is to buy riders along with the basic life insurance policy.

Like suppose you buy a pure online Life insurance term insurance plan. Here the insurance plan will give you a basic life cover and will give your family a lump sum amount in the case of your death within the policy tenure. This means that you can be assured that at least the financial aspects of your family are taken care of. The sum assured amount that you finally will receive will be able to cover up for their requirements since it is a huge amount. However someone who is buying the term insurance plan could also buy some riders along with it so that the plan has some added features and this makes the plan more wholesome.

The Riders That You Can Choose With Online Life Insurance Along With Your Basic Insurance Policy

Different insurance companies will offer different types of riders in insurance riders along with your basic insurance plan. Before you decide on one you should be aware of what the different kinds of riders are:

 

The waiver of premium rider

The WOP or the waiver of premium rider is used to help you in the case of any emergency. Waiver of premium rider worth it.The rider will waive off the future premiums if in case the policyholder faces some disability and is unable to pay the premium amount. It is also beneficial if the policyholder is unable to work and is diagnosed with some illness that makes him handicapped.

 

Critical illness rider

A critical illness rider life insurance is necessary because of the high medical costs today. Any critical illness will increase your hospital bills and will also end up hampering your career. You will get disabled and not be able to get an income. The critical illness plan thus will be used in case of such an eventuality. The rider will offer an income replacement and the amount that you will receive will help you to meet your expenses. The rider cost is not a huge amount and is a small addition to your premium amount that you are paying towards the life insurance policy. But the benefit of this rider is that it will cover you in the case of any critical illness.

 

The online Life insurance company may not cover all the diseases under the rider so make sure that you read the terms and conditions and know about which diseases are covered. When you buy this rider when you are buying the insurance plan it will help you to save yourself financially in the case of any diseases that is life threatening. This could be cancer, a heart attack, a kidney disorder or even a coma.

Accidental death rider

The accidental death rider is offered with most of the term insurance policies but it is an add-on to the base policy. The statistics along the accidental deaths are huge and if you are the sole earning member of the family then this rider is beneficial for you. In case of death because of an accident your family gets the rider sum amount as well as the sum assured in case of death benefit. The policies linked to the rider sum assured could be different for different companies. Know the best term insurance plans with accident rider.

The rider cost also will vary from one company to the other and so will the sum assured amount.

Permanent or partial disability due to an accident

The online Life insurance term plan may not be able to cover in the case of an accident. This is because in the case of an accident one could be disabled completely. In the case when the policyholder is unable to get back to his normal life then the insurance company will pay the policyholder the lump sum amount or would waive off the premium. The policyholder is also paid the sum assured associate with the rider.

Why Should You Buy A Rider With The Online Life Insurance Policy?

The rider what is a rider on a whole life insurance policy is like you would be buying a new policy. However when you add the rider to the life insurance policy it is also very economical. The rider also lets you get maximum coverage along with the basic insurance plan. You need to however select the rider based on what your requirements are. It is thus ideal that you buy a basic life insurance plan and then add riders to it based on you individual needs.

The riders are highly beneficial and thus make sure that you understand which ones you can benefit form.

Riders Are The Best Thing About A Life Insurance Policy

Life is totally unpredictable and you never know what could happen to you in the next minute. Thus you need to be planned to take care of any crisis that may happen. When you buy an insurance policy it lets you meet the financial needs of your family when you are not there. There are many basic insurance policies and when you choose a rider then it adds to the benefits that the policy has to provide. To get these benefits you will have to pay some extra amount towards the premium. The advantage however is that you get better protection and can enhance the basic life insurance plan.

Additional Riders With Your Life Insurance Policy

You could also consider these other insurance rider example options along with your life insurance policy.

Guaranteed insurance rider

This lets you buy an add-on coverage on to the base life insurance policy. You can buy this without having to undergo any medical examination. The rider is beneficial to those who are going through a change in their life. This could include marriage or child birth. You are going to age and the additional coverage lets you be insured against chronic illness rider life insurance.

Spouse insurance rider

The rider lets you cover your spouse as well for an additional premium amount.

Family income benefit rider

In the case the policyholder dies, then the family income benefit rider gets clubbed with the basic insurance policy and this lets you family get a steady cash flow. However make sure that you check that for how many years the insurance company will be paying your family.

Accelerated death benefit rider

In the case when the policyholder has an illness that is terminal in nature, then some amount of the total coverage that the life insurance provides can be used towards the treatment of the person. However this amount will get deducted from the financial payout amount.

Do These Riders Offer Any Kind Of Extra Benefits Or Should You Not Opt For Them Because It Is An Unnecessary Cost

Not all the insurance riders are good for the consumers. Should I take rider with term insurance? You should particularly take care when you are buying the accidental death and dismemberment policy rider when the payout is equal to the life insurance amount. This is because the benefit to the policyholder is based on how the policyholder will die. This is because you will need to know how you will die. The better option is to buy an additional coverage rather than restricting the death benefit amount to a certain kind of death.

Also many deaths are not necessarily because of accidents and thus the benefit of this rider is low.

The long term care insurance rider lets the policyholder add the long term insurance to the life insurance policy that he purchases. These policies are designed to help to pay towards the costs of health care such as medical equipment etc. But these policies are complex.

Conclusion- Do Not Buy A Rider Blindly- Are Life Insurance Riders Worth It

Make sure that you understand the how do riders affect insurance and terms and conditions of the rider before you buy them. It does not make sense to buy a rider just because the insurance agent has asked you to buy the rider. You need to know what the benefits of the rider are and then purchase the one that you think is beneficial for you. Should I take term insurance?

Scientists: Baby Poop May Hold Beneficial Probiotics to Prevent and Treat Disease

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Baby poop
When you think about a dirty diaper you don’t generally think, “yum.” However, scientists have found evidence that a cocktail containing baby poop may hold beneficial probiotics to help prevent and fight disease.

Gut Health and Probiotics

If you cringed reading that sentence, you’re not alone, but it is true. Baby poop may be a source of microbes that promote healthy digestion. Recent studies have shown that there are certain types of bacteria present in baby feces that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in mice and a simulated human gut.

SCFA are a subset of fatty acids that are associated with maintaining gut health and protecting against disease. “Short-chain fatty acids are a key component of good gut health,” lead study author Hariom Yadav, said in a statement. “People with diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disorders and cancers frequently have fewer short-chain fatty acids. Increasing them may be helpful in maintaining or even restoring a normal gut environment, and hopefully, improving health.”

Digestive health disorders like this lead to more than $141 billion in direct and indirect costs each year. So, finding a natural and cost-effective way to treat people is important.  Scientists found that a probiotic containing baby poop microbes may be able to boost SCFA production in a compromised digestive system.

Studying Gut Bacteria and Digestive Health

In previous studies, scientists have verified that fecal microbiota transplants (poop transplants) can help treat gut disorders. This treatment involves infusing bacteria from a healthy donor’s poop into an individual affected by a disease in their digestive system. A transplant of this type helps balance the microbial diversity within a gut infected with Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a bad gut bacteria that can lead to the development of serious digestive disorders.

All previous studies wanted to see how probiotics and transplants may impact guts already impacted by disease. The newest study, however, wanted to take a look at how a probiotic may impact the production of SCFA in a healthy gut.

How Baby Poop Might Make a Difference

Researchers chose to investigate the impact with baby poop because their guts are generally free from any age-related diseases. Also, “their poop is readily available,” Yadav noted.

The study, which was relatively small, took a look at 10 bacterial strains in samples from 34 babies. The researchers identified these strains as good candidates for creating a 10-bacterial probiotic cocktail that would stimulate SCFA production.

To determine whether or not this cocktail would, in fact, help SCFA production, they tested different doses of the probiotic blend in mice. They also tested it in human feces to mimic the human digestive system.

Their findings showed that a single dose was enough to maintain a healthy microbial balance and the blend helped increase SCFA production in both mice and humans.

“This work provides evidence that these human-origin probiotics could be exploited as [treatments] for human diseases associated with gut microbiome imbalance and decreased SCFA production in the gut,” Yadav stated. “Our data should be useful for future studies aimed at investigating the influence of probiotics on human microbiome, metabolism and associated diseases.”

Because this study was done on such a small scale, much more research is needed before people will be able to buy baby poop probiotic health products in stores. However, researchers are optimistic that they’ve found something that may help millions of people with digestive health issues.

Readers, would you ingest a baby poop probiotic smoothie? 

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