Bone Health Archives - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

For centuries people have been drinking tea, both socially and medicinally. Formal research is somewhat limited in this area, but the traditional uses and case studies have encouraged this trend of tea drinking to be passed down throughout the years. In my opinion, the health benefits that can be acquired from tea are more than just from the herb that is used. Medicinal properties can extend from the time spent consuming tea with a friend, or even the act of preparing a cup of tea. In my opinion, the act of making a medicinal tea for one’s ailments could have a great placebo effect in itself, not to mention the health benefits that you would get from the tea.

Much of the research regarding tea consumption and health benefits looks at green or black tea. However, some of the findings below relate to tea consumption as a practice and not necessarily a specific type of tea.

Bone Health

Research has shown that among daily tea consumers, bone density was 2.8% thicker than those individuals who did not drink tea on a daily basis. In addition, the tea drinkers experienced far less bone loss than compared to the non-tea drinkers (1% versus 4% respectively).

Brain Health

Not only has tea been shown to impact cognition, but mood as well. Researcher found that individuals who consumed tea on a regular basis (i.e. daily), were less likely to be depressed. In regards to cognition and risk of dementia, individuals who consumed tea daily were at a decreased risk of cognitive decline or impairment. In addition, regular tea consumers have been shown to have a faster reaction time than those who did not consume tea regularly.

Cancer Prevention

Some research has shown that daily consumption of tea can decrease the risk of and protect against various forms of cancer, including colon, esophageal, and lung cancer.

Heart Health

The antioxidant capacity of tea makes it quite beneficial for heart health. Specifically, research has shown that those individuals who drank tea on a regular basis had lower blood pressure than those who did not. The more tea that individuals drank, the less likely they were to have high blood pressure. This effect was noted in green tea or oolong consumption. In addition, regular consumption of green or black tea has been shown to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease.

Other

In addition to the health benefits mentioned above, daily tea consumption has been shown to potentially protect against bacterial infections, dental cavities, and kidney stones. Tea may also present a positive benefit on decreasing body weight and body fat overall. In addition, tea consumption was suggested to decrease the risk of developing type II diabetes when consumed at 3-4 cups per day.

As some of you may know, I do offer organic, custom teas to my patients as a therapeutic tool to promote healing. If you are interested in having a custom made tea suited to your individual needs, consider booking an appointment with me to help you address your health goals.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

References:

http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/58/1/1.abstract

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/1243.short

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=217219

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjpr/article/view/14660

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098299710000737

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-005-0148-2#page-1

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/1/224.short

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=485133

Much media and research is spent exploring and shedding light on vitamin D. Recently I have engaged in several discussions about vitamin D, and have had requests to bring more information to light about it and its role in our health.

Sources and absorption of vitamin D

To begin with, it is important to explore how vitamin D is received, used, and processed by the body. There are not many food sources of vitamin D aside from fortified foods (meaning certain foods have vitamin d added to them in their processing and manufacturing). Additional food sources include oily fish, such as salmon or sardines, and cod liver oil. These foods are not adequate sources of vitamin D, but absorption of vitamin D from them can be enhanced through the presence of bile or fat in the intestinal tract. The ultimate source of vitamin D is from sunlight. The type of ray that is required to make vitamin D is UVB rays. This type of ray causes us to be more prone to burns, and so, it is important to have not just UVB light but UVA rays as well. Some individuals choose to obtain vitamin D from tanning beds. Though tanning beds do provide an equivalent vitamin D source, it is important to consider the risks and inquire as to whether or not the tanning bed has UVA combined with UVB rays. The World Health Organization does advice against the use of tanning beds, so please keep this in mind. For more information on the health benefits of sun exposure, refer to this previous blog: https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca/health-benefits-of-sun-exposure/.

Once the vitamin d is absorbed, it goes to the liver, and then the kidney, where it is converted into an active form. If an individual’s liver or kidney are not functioning up to par, this can alter our ability to make use of vitamin D. This active form is more commonly known as D3.

Conditions aided from vitamin D

Vitamin d is used in the body to influence cell growth, cell differentiation, insulin secretion, and calcium absorption (vitamin K helps with directing this calcium to your bones though). What this translates to is that vitamin d can be beneficial for decreasing tumor growth and tumor metastasis. In addition, vitamin D may be useful for the following conditions:

Autoimmune disease
Back pain
Burns
Cancer
Colds and flus
Congestive heart failure
Diabetes
Depression
Fatigue
Hearing loss
Infections
Muscle pain
Osteomalacia
Osteoporosis
Paget’s disease
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Rickets
Seasonal affective disorder

Though these conditions may benefit from vitamin D, it is best to consult with your health care provider before self – prescribing due to the potential for interaction with any supplements or medication that you may be taking.

Dose of vitamin D

The dose of vitamin D recommended really depends on each individual circumstance. For example, if someone is on certain medication or has a particular medical condition, they may require more vitamin D than another person. In order to attain the most vitamin D from the sun as possible, research has shown that exposure of 5% of your skin (i.e. hands, face and possibly your lower arm) for 15minutes, 3 times a week for 12 weeks to the sun, is equivalent to oral administration of 400iu/day of vitamin D. The greater the skins exposure to the sun the greater the amount of vitamin D that is absorbed. Ultimately, the best dose of vitamin D for you is best discussed with your health care provider.

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Health Benefits of Tea Consumption

Vitamin D