Vitamin C and Vitamin E taken together very protective against Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have found that Vitamin C and Vitamin E protect the aging brain - but only if taken together and at a sufficient strength. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland examined data on 4,740 people at or over the age of 65. The researchers found that taking a daily supplement of Vitamin C at 500mg a day or greater along with Vitamin E at 400 IU a day or greater, when taken in combination, decreased the likelihood of developing signs of Alzheimer's disease by 78% in the general public. Those not taking the combination or taking lower dosages did not have protection. The study is published in the journal Archives of Neurology a journal of the American Medical Association.

Yesterday we reported that taking a combination of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and ibuprofen prevented the onset of Alzheimer's disease in patients who inherited a gene from their parents that puts them at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Adding Red Yeast Rice to conventional therapy dramatically cuts the risk of dying or suffering a heart attack in diabetics with coronary heart disease

In coronary heart disease (also known as coronary artery disease) fatty deposits build up on the lining of blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen. The narrowing decreases the supply of blood to the heart resulting in chest pain known as angina. Coronary heart disease increases the risk of heart attack and even stroke and it is a precursor to heart failure. Events related to coronary heart disease are the leading cause of death in the US.

In this study 591 diabetics with coronary heart disease were supplemented with either Red Yeast Rice or inactive placebo in addition to conventional therapy in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The participants were followed for an average of 4 years. In patients taking Red Yeast Rice the incidence of dying from a coronary heart disease related event dropped by 44.1%. The total number of coronary heart disease related events dropped by 50.8%. The incidence of non-fatal heart attack dropped by 63.8%. The incidence of stroke and cancer dropped by 20.2% and death due to all causes dropped by 44.1%. The risk of undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary interventions (using a catheter in the heart such as in angioplasty) decreased by over 20%. The study was performed at the Cardiovascular Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, and is published in the December 2005 issue of the Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases