Vitamin K Status and Bone Loss in Young Girls

Vitamin K has been shown to have a role in maintaining healthy bone density. In this study245 healthy girls ages 3 to 16 years were observed for 4 years to assess levels of vitamin K and bone health. Better vitamin K blood status was related to lower bone resorption and turnover. Better vitamin K blood status was associated with decreased bone turnover in healthy girls consuming a typical US diet. The study ism published in the October 2004 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.

Dietary sources of vitamin K for young girls include broccoli, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, soy, wheat, tomatoes, cheese, egg yolk, and asparagus.

Smoking Depletes Biotin in Women

Women who smoke degrade biotin faster than women who don't. The study is published in the October 2004 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.

Biotin is needed for the health of the hair and skin. Biotin is also needed for the utilization of energy and for the metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrate Women with low levels of biotin can experience hair loss, acne near the hair line, seborrheac dermatitis, and brittle nails. Biotin is also needed for the health and development of the fetus of a pregnant woman.

NAC Protects the Heart from High Blood Pressure Damage

If your blood pressure is elevated enough it can cause inflammation, and structural changes in the heart along with dysfunction. High blood pressure and left ventricular dysfunction were induced in rats. An inflammatory chemical released in rats (and also in humans) - TNF- , caused damage to heart tissue resulting in negative-structural changes, decreased cardiac antioxidant levels, particularly in the all-important Glutathione level in the heart itself. The left ventricle was undergoing damage causing structural remodeling that caused malfunction. NAC was given as a therapeutic treatment to a portion of the rats. NAC replenished the cardiac Glutathione level and reduced the damage and changes to the left ventricle and reversed the ventricular dysfunction. NAC decreased TNF- levels to normal and stopped the cardiac inflammation, normalized antioxidant levels in the heart, and stopped the deposition of scar tissue in the heart. The study is published in the September 27th edition of Circulation, a Journal of the American Heart Association.