Three powerful truths came to the fore in 2008 that should make it far easier to stay disease-free into advanced age.

The first of these was the understanding that Vitamin D is critical to optimum health and operation of the immune system. It has systemic benefit to nearly all the body’s tissues, and that deficiency of this hormone is nearly universal in most of the world population in the winter months and epidemic in the senior population year-round. Hundreds of studies have now confirmed that the 400 IU recommendation by the FDA is too low by a factor of 5 to 10, and that sweeping improvements in health result from taking supplements of vitamin D3 of 2000 to 5000 IU daily. (I started taking 5000IU/day at the end of summer and haven’t had a single sick day since).

If we worked the fields or hunted the savannas as our ancestors did we would make about 10,000 IU a day. But we spend much (we engineers) of our lives indoors; our seniors in rest homes almost never expose their skin to the sun, because they get too cold or too hot quickly and keep themselves bundled up, or in the shade, when outdoors. The primary improvements in health come from vastly improved immune function, eliminating many of the infective risks seniors encounter, and improved bone strength and freedom from fractures.

The second stunning revelation was that vitamin K2 (in its MK_4 nd MK_7 forms), in doses much larger than normally encountered in diet, drastically reduce and even eliminate calcium infusion into soft tissue. The primary benefit will be reversal of arterial plaque and joint disease. The only place calcium should be deposited is in bones and teeth. When it starts showing up in organ and connective tissue, we stiffen up like rigor mortis set in before we died. Vitamin D and Vitamin K work together to lower inflammation, prevent soft tissue calcification and make bones stronger. Japanese doctors are giving patient large doses of K2 instead of Fosamex(T) and similar drugs. In fact, Calcium is only used correctly in the body if adequate levels of both vitamin D and vitamin K are present.

The third revelation is a mountain of evidence that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the primary cause of the obesity epidemic in the USA, as well as the primary cause of leptin and insulin resistance leading to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Even modest increase in fructose input, beyond a few servings of real fruit, causes increased triglyceride levels, raises cholesterol and inflammation levels. This ties it to most of the diseases of aging. Fructose is processed to fat by the liver, and as it increases triglycerides and C-reactive protein, it prevents leptin from signaling that we are full and have eaten enough. Leptin resistance leaves us feeling hungry all the time and leads to greater fat stores, higher blood sugar and insulin levels. It leads to the whole upward spiral of obesity and inflammation, and primes us for the degenerative diseases of aging (cancer, atherosclerosis, organ failure).

So there you have a basis for further research on our site (use the Google site search feature at the top of all our pages to find related articles) or on the internet and educate yourself to the strategies for using this new-found wisdom. Don’t just take our word for it – take charge of your health for life.

Good Living – Frank