Vitamin D Archives - Dan Hammer Health LTD

Eliminating Heart Disease Naturally Thru Nitric Oxide Therapy

Archive for Vitamin D

Optimize Vitamin D Levels With Magnesium and K2

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/01/2021

I’ve written several articles on the importance of vitamin D. But I’ve never written about how to optimize vitamin D levels.

Given the recent studies showing how normal vitamin D levels help to reduce your risk for the CoVid19 virus, I thought it would be helpful to discuss how to optimize vitamin D levels.

(If you would prefer to view this information in a video format, then please click on my YouTube video below:)

The main body of work in this area comes from research by GrassrootsHealth. Here are several statements that they have made regarding this issue:

“combined intake of both supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2 has a greater effect on vitamin D levels than either individually.”

“those taking both supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2 have a higher vitamin D level for any given vitamin D intake amount than those taking either supplemental magnesium or vitamin K2 or neither.”

“. . . 244% more supplemental vitamin D was needed for 50% of the population to achieve 40 ng/ml (100nmol/L) for those not taking supplemental magnesium or vitamin K2 compared to those who usually took both supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2.”

So what does all this mean if you want to optimize vitamin D levels in your body? Read More →

3 Key Vitamins for the Immune System

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/31/2020

There are 3 key vitamins for the immune system that everyone should know about. And be supplementing with. They are:

Vitamin D

Vitamin C

Vitamin B

I’ve listed them in what I believe are their importance. Not to your general health. But to improve the function of your immune system. In today’s blog post I’ll provide you with additional information on why these 3 key vitamins for the immune system are so important.

Let’s start with Vitamin D.

According to the National Institutes of Health from their article titled “Vitamin D and the Immune System” they state the following:

“Vitamin D can modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as an increased susceptibility to infection.”

In my article “Understanding Your Immune System” I cover both the Innate and Adaptive components of the immune system. Here’s a link to this article.

https://www.danhammerhealth.com/understanding-your-immune-system/

In looking over the information from the National Institutes of Health, the critical role that vitamin D plays is in the communication process of the immune system.

When to turn it on and off. As well as which of the immune cells of the Innate and Adaptive systems would best serve the direct needs of your body.

Thus helping to make sure that your immune system doesn’t overreact. As well as making sure that it properly recognizes pathogens so that your body can respond.

A good example of this is how proper levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream help to prevent respiratory infections. This makes proper vitamin D levels extremely important during cold and flu seasons.

And with the CoVid19 pandemic there is new research showing how normal vitamin D levels help to prevent catching this disease. Read More →

Supplements for Prostate Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

07/08/2020

I’ve written a couple of articles on supplements for prostate health.

So why another one?

This one comes directly from the National Cancer Institute and provides a very objective and balanced approach to this issue about using supplements for prostate health.

Prostate cancer is the most common internal cancer affecting men. Here in the United States approximately 12% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

An even greater number of men are affected by prostate concerns like an enlarged prostate.

In the introduction for this large PDF (86 pages), the National Cancer Institute notes that the use of vitamins and other supplements are widely used by men for both prevention and prostate health. Almost 60% of men that have a family history of prostate cancer use some form of supplementation to reduce their risk.

Here is a list of what they cover:

Calcium
Green Tea
Lycopene
Modified Citrus Pectin
Pomegranate
Selenium
Soy
Vitamin D
Vitamin E

In this article I’m going to give you the primary conclusion the National Cancer Institute has for each of these ingredients. Then I’ll provide some of my thoughts at the end. Read More →

Vitamin D and Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/15/2020

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about CoVid19 and Vitamin D Deficiency. Today I want to focus on vitamin D and heart health.

Additional studies are showing how optimizing your vitamin D intake can help to prevent both heart disease and stroke. And it seems to do this by:

Improving endothelial function
Reducing arterial stiffening

Vitamin D does this by increasing your endothelium’s ability to create nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels to improved blood flow.

Additionally, vitamin D helps to decrease the destructive chemical compound called peroxynitrite, which can cause inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

Researchers at the Nanomedical Research Laboratory at Ohio University conducted a study that examined this relationship between nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. For simplicity, please remember the following:

Nitric oxide is good
Peroxynitrite is bad

In their study, the researcher introduced a human hormone called angiotensin-II. This hormone causes endothelial dysfunction. The result was a decrease in nitric oxide and an increase in peroxynitrite.

When vitamin D3 was introduced, this was significantly reversed. There was a 10 fold increase in nitric oxide and a 10 fold decrease in peroxynitrite.

This study suggests that by maintaining normal levels of vitamin D in your blood stream, you can help to maintain normal endothelial function. This helps your body to properly produce nitric oxide for improved blood flow.

And, normal levels of vitamin D help to prevent the destructive peroxynitrite, which can cause vascular inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

So the question becomes:

How much vitamin D to you need to take to see a benefit? Read More →

CoVid19 and Vitamin D Deficiency

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/08/2020

There is emerging research that is beginning to link CoVid19 and Vitamin D deficiency. The purpose of this article to to examine this emerging research. And to clarify the level of vitamin D in the blood stream that might present a risk, as well as a benefit.

First, some background on vitamin D.

In nature there are two forms of vitamin D. Vitamin D2 is found in plants and is called ergocalciferol. This form is hard for the human body to convert into an active compound. Because of this vitamin D3 is a better source.

Vitamin D3 is found in animals and is called cholecalciferol.

By themselves both forms are inactive. Our bodies have to convert them to an active compound. This is usually done by the liver and then the kidneys.

Your liver converts vitamin D3 to 25-hydroxycholecalcifoerol, which is then convert by your kidneys into 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. This final conversion is what is measured in your blood serum. A simple blood test can determine is you fall into one of the following three categories for 25-dihydroxycholecalcifoerl:

Normal – would be 30 ng/ml or higher
Insufficient – would be 21 – 29 ng/ml
Deficiency – would be 20 ng/ml or less

A 2011 study of the US population found that 41.6% of adults are vitamin D deficient. But when viewed based on ethnicity the following was discovered:

69.2% of Hispanics were vitamin D deficient
82.1% of African-Americans were vitamin D deficient

This might be a significant factor in CoVid19 and vitamin D deficiency being a greater issue in the Black population groups. As well as Hispanics having a high risk when compared to the general population.

Now before we look at some of the emerging scientific articles, let’s briefly summarize why vitamin D might be so important in the CoVid19 health crisis. Read More →

Key Supplements For Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

02/08/2019

One of the primary focuses for the month of February is cardiovascular health. Today I want to share with you key supplements for heart health.

Now you can do a Google search using the term supplements for heart health and you’ll find numerous articles.

For example WebMD recommends 6 different supplements.

And Better Nutrition recommends 9 different supplements.

And while the 6 from WebMD are good and the 9 supplements for heart health from Better Nutrition are good, there are 3 that are key.

Two of these 3 always make everyone’s list. One is seldom listed but equally important.

I’ve written about each of these in the past. For for this blog post I thought I’d pulled them all together for a quick review. If you would like more knowledge about each, I’ve linked them to my specific article about that supplement.

Here are my recommendations regarding supplements for heart health. I’ve listed them based on importance.

Supplements for Heart Health – CoQ10

CoQ10 is critical to the energy supply of the heart.

Within every cell are mitochondria. Mitochondria are the batteries or power generators. They convert the stored energy of the nutrients you consume into an energy form that your cells can use to perform their function.

CoQ10 is a critical component in the process of converting stored energy in your food into energy compounds your cells can use to do the work they are designed to do.

Without CoQ10 your cellular energy systems will fail and your cells will not function properly.

And here is why I place this supplement as they most important for hearth health.

As the pharmaceutical industry has observed, the use of statins (which interfere with CoQ10 production in the liver) leads to an increase in congestive heart failure.

This means anyone taking a statin drug needs to take a CoQ10 supplement.

Additionally, CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant to help protect your cells and cell membranes from harmful free radicals. This protects your cells from oxidative stress that causes inflammation, which then contributes to cellular dysfunction and most diseases.

Supplments for Heart Health – Omega 3s

Inflammation is the root cause of most cardiovascular health concerns.

Omega 3 oils like Coconut Oil, Avocados, Grass-fed Butter, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Fish rich in Omega-3s actually help to turn off inflammation.

Due to food choices, most Americans eat a diet that has a 20:1 ration of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, which creates an environments for chronic inflammation. This chronic inflammation then increases a person’s risk for all types of diseases.

Especially heart disease.

This increased risk was pointed out in research conducted at Harvard University were they showed that omega-3 fatty acid deficiency ranked as the sixth highest killer of Americans. Actually claiming approximately 96,000 people per year.

If you want to reverse this deficiency, then you need to consume a diet rich in omega-3 and significantly reduce your intake of omega-6 oils.

Supplements for Heart Health – Vitamin D3

As the body of scientific research continues to grow, the number of health benefits from vitamin D3 also grows. Here is a brief summary of some of these vitamin D3 benefits as it applies to your cardiovascular system:

Helps to Maintain Calcium Balance in the Bloodstream – Vitally important to cardiovascular health is the proper maintenance of your blood calcium levels. This helps to prevent calcification of the vascular wall, which leads to arteriosclerosis. Additionally, your endothelial cells, which line all of your cardiovascular system, need calcium to be able to convert the amino acid L-arginine into nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.

Helps in Blood Pressure Regulation – Recent studies have shown that vitamin D3 may decrease the risk for high blood pressure. This would make sense since proper blood calcium levels are needed to initiate the production of nitric oxide from L-arginine. Since nitric oxide is the body’s most powerful vasodilator, it is used to relax the vascular wall to help control blood pressure.

Additionally, vitamin D3 inhibits the enzyme renin, which is released by the kidneys. This enzyme acts to increase blood pressure. By inhibiting this enzyme, vitamin D3 helps to maintain normal blood pressures.

High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks so this supplement is a good choice to help maintain a normal blood pressure.

That is my list of the key supplements for heart health. Certainly others can be added but these three are my recommendations.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan

Immune System Power Foods

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/22/2016

If you Google the term Immune System Power Foods you’ll find hundreds of articles and suggestions on which foods to eat to boost your immune system. As well as which foods compromise your immune system. As the picture to the right clearly show you have a daily choice, which affects your health and the health of your children.

And, as I write today’s blog post two items are in full play:

Children Have Returned To School

The Flu Season Is Almost On Us

My wife is a teacher and already students and teachers are sick. And it’s only going to get worse. Unless you take steps to incorporate immune system power foods into your daily diet.

Noticed I said “Daily Diet!”

If you want to boost your immune system, then you need to make a conscious effort to eat foods everyday that are going to optimize your immune system.

To help you in this process I’ve compiled the following table of immune system power foods recommended by 5 key authorities in this area. Once you’ve looked over this list, then I’ll give you my suggested 7 immune system power foods.

Vitamin D3 Benefits Over Vitamin D2!

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/15/2016

Recent research continues to show the importance of Vitamin D but few understand the difference between vitamin D3 benefits over vitamin D2.

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and diseases

Yes, there are two forms of vitamin D. Vitamin D2 is manufactured by plants or fungus. It is typically used to fortified foods like milk, cereals, and juices. This form of vitamin D is called Ergocalciferol.

Vitamin D3 is called Cholecalciferol. It is synthesized by humans and animals from sunlight. When taken in supplement form it has a longer shelf life and is better for the human body.

In a published study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vitamin D3 was shown to be 87% more effective in raising vitamin D levels in the blood over vitamin D2. According to the lead researcher Dr. Robert Heaney (Creigton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska),

“Given its greater potency, D3 should be the preferred treatment option when correcting vitamin D deficiency.”

Vitamin D and Diabetes

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/07/2016

Over the last seven years there has been a huge amount of research that has shown a direct link between vitamin D and diabetes. Unfortunately, most diabetics know little about this connection. The purpose of today’s post is to help educate you with current information. Information that will help you use this relationship between vitamin D and diabetes to reverse the diabetic epidemic facing Americans today.

It’s now estimated that 100 million American adults have diabetes or are in a pre-diabetic state. In the book, The Vitamin D Solution, Dr. Michael F. Holick discussed a Finland study. During the 1960s children received 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day during their first year of life. These children were followed for 31 years. For this population group they reduced their risk of developing Type I diabetes by 88%.