Monthly Archives: January 2013

Unclotting Vitamin K

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January 30, 2013 by Cassy

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We’re looking at some new multivitamin products at work, and since my last post on Vitamin D, I was wondering what other vitamins I’m missing from my daily diet.  So everyone’s heard of Vitamin A, B, C, D, and E but what’s up with Vitamin K and why did we skip Vitamin F, G, H, and I?  The answer:  a German scientist who discovered this vitamin named it K because of its primary property in blood clotting (or “Koagulation” in German).

Where to Get Vitamin K

Naturally occurring Vitamin K (phylloquinone) comes from foods like green, leafy vegetables and green tea.  Some of my favorite products that are high in Vitamin K are:

  1. Broccoli
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale
  4. Romaine Lettuce
  5. Parsley
  6. Brussel Sprouts (New for me! I just discovered this while at a restaurant last Friday.  I never thought I could like this vegetable.)
  7. Collard Greens (so good!)
  8. Cucumber
  9. Tomato
  10. Blueberry

The other form (menaquinones) comes from bacteria in the gut (yes, healthy bacteria lives in our intestines).  Bacteria in the gut produce a range of vitamin K2 forms, each with side chains composed of a variable number of chemical compounds.  Menaquinones can also be found in food that contains bacteria like cheese and natto, or in animals that also produce the vitamin via their gut bacteria.

Benefits

Essentially, Vitamin K plays a key role in regulating blood coagulation and bleeding. In addition to the anticoagulant properties, Vitamin K has shown heart-health benefits. Researchers have observed an inverse association between menoquinones and risk of cardiovascular diseases.

It also helps support strong bones. Vitamin K assists calcium retention, which helps prevent osteoporosis.  In postmenopausal women, menoquinones help maintain bone strength in the neck and hip.

Vitamin K has also shown to protect against prostate and liver cancer. A 2008 German study found a dietary intake of menaquinones lead to a 35-percent reduction in prostate cancer risk in more than 11,000 men.

Overall, one study on vitamin K published in October the 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found it may help prevent age-related conditions such as bone fragility, arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease and, possibly, cancer.



Category: Nutrition

| Tags: Coagulation, Health, Nutrition, Vitamin K

Gluten-Free Products

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January 28, 2013 by Cassy

Last week, I started hearing a lot of buzz about gluten-free this and gluten-free that.  So I just wanted to write a post about what is “gluten-free”.  From a marketing standpoint, gluten-free is used to target a specific segment (those with celiac disease).  Without going into a lot of details, celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, and maybe oats, etc.  There are a lot of substitutes and gluten-free grains out there (see here for a list).

That being said, were you also under the assumption that gluten-free products only make sense if these products are INGESTED?  As in:  they have to be consumed through your digestive tract in order for it to be an issue!  Why, then, do I see so many cosmetics and personal care products being branded as “gluten-free”?  Does that really matter?  Unless I’m eating my makeup and lotions (okay, so maybe some lipsticks/lipbalms make their way to your stomach…the amount should be insignificant anyway), how is normal absorption through the skin suppose to give you celiac disease symptoms?  Are people just too cautious?  Maybe I’m just not getting it because I’m not a sufferer.  But I’m here to help, so here are three skin products that are gluten-free:

  1. AminoGenesis Simply One 10 in 1 Skin Perfecting Treatment (although I’m not sure if their Vitamin E and Glucosamine come from plants/algae source, at least they’re GF!)

  2. KaplanMD Clinical Skin Therapy

  3. Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula & Blood Orange Facial CleanserImage



Category: Skin Care

| Tags: celiac disease, gluten-free, skin care, vegan

Vitamin D Deficiency

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January 8, 2013 by Cassy

So I got my lab test back from my annual checkup with my doctor, and I thought everything turned out okay…except it wasn’t.  My Vitamin D level was below the specified range (30-100), so naturally I Googled everything there is to know about Vitamin D.

How to Get More Vitamin D

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  1. Go outside between the hours of 10am-2pm.  This is the cheapest (it’s FREE) and easiest way of taking in extra Vitamin D.  If you’re working indoors with no exposed windows (like me), take a break outside or walk during your lunch hour.  Asians are deathly afraid of the sun, but like plants we need sunlight to keep us healthy.  However, you need to take things in moderation and only stay out in the sun long enough to have your skin turn the lightest shade of pink. This may only be a few minutes for those who have very pale skin.  You can get 30% of your Vitamin D from just being outside.  Additionally, Vitamin D can help prevent cancer (see this article).  It is very difficult to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone, as very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and those that do will not contain enough to optimize your levels.
  2. Take Vitamin D supplements.  The Food and Nutrition Board recommends the daily intake of 600 IU for children and adults up to 70 years old, and 800 IU if you’re older.  There are different forms of Vitamin D you can take:
    • Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the type of vitamin D the body naturally produces in the skin in response to sun exposure.  Cholecalciferol is 87% more potent in raising and maintaining vitamin D concentrations and produces 2- to 3-fold greater storage than does D2.  However, Vitamin D3 supplements are not vegetarian and are not likely to be derived from American products. If an individual has ethical concerns over D3, D2 can be an effective replacement.
    • Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) comes from fungi and plants grown through UV lights.  Good vegan substitution for your Vitamin D supplement needs.  Some studies showed that ergocalciferol is comparable to cholecalciferol.
  • Eat foods high in Vitamin D.  Vitamin D is oil soluble, which means you need fat to dissolve it.  You also still need to take 600 IU of Vitamin D.
    • Cod Liver Oil – not vegan (duh), but it’s a popular food product that is high in Vitamin A and D.  It also has 1000 IU per 100g serving.
    • Fortified Cereal – vegan, but not always gluten-free.  Check the labels to make sure it doesn’t contain any processed sugar and hydrogenated oil.  Cereals can provide over 3000 IU per 100g serving (2 cups).
    • Fish like herring, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and your basic sushi meal.  Raw fish is better than cooked fish, and canned fish in oil is better than canned fish in water.  This is a great way for pescaterian to get their Vitamin D, but not so much for vegans/vegetarians.  IUs depend on the type of fish, but herring has the most at over 1500 IU per 100g serving.
    • Other seafood like oysters and caviar.  These provide 1/3 to 1/2 of your daily IU recommendation, with raw oysters at 320 IU per 100g (269 at 6 oysters), and caviar at 230 IU per 100g.
    • Fortified tofu and soymilk.  Vegan and gluten-free.  Fortified Tofu can provide up to 157 IU per 100g serving (44 IU per ounce). Fortified Soy Milk can provide up to 49IU per 100g serving (119 IU per cup). Amounts of vitamin D vary widely between products, so be sure to check nutrition facts for vitamin D content.
    • Salami, Ham, Sausages can be taken in moderation since they are high in sodium and cholesterol.  They provide a little Vitamin D, averaging about 9% of your 600 IU per 100g serving.
    • Eggs, Cheese, Butter and Milk are good source of protein and calcium, but Vitamin D levels tend to be less than 100 IU per 100g serving.
    • Mushrooms, especially white button mushrooms provide 27 IU per 100g serving.

    • So the bottom line is that people are not taking enough Vitamin to protect their health.  While people can make vitamin D from the sun, getting too much sun increases the risk of skin cancer, so it’s not always the best way to get vitamin D.  By comparison, Vitamin D supplements of 800 to 1,000 IU per day are fairly inexpensive and safe and provide a reasonable approach to avoiding Vitamin D deficiency.



    Category: Nutrition

    | Tags: Cholecalciferol, Food, Health, Vitamin D, vitamin d2 ergocalciferol, vitamin d3 cholecalciferol

    Wow, You Can Really Bottle ANYTHING Into a Perfume

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    January 2, 2013 by Cassy

    Somewhat old news, but Pizza Hut launched a pizza perfume early last month for a marketing campaign.  They released 110 bottles to commemorate the 100,000 Facebook fans on their Canadian page.  The perfume is said to smell like “freshly baked, hand-tossed dough”.  I wonder if it actually smells like acne-covered teenagers/couch-potatoes in their PJs watching TGIF on TV.  Wait…that was just me…

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    Category: Cosmetics

    | Tags: Canada, Facebook, Marketing, perfume, Pizza, Pizza Hut