Can Tea Raise Arthritis Risk In Women?
A very preliminary study suggests women who drink any amount of tea daily – men were not tested – incur a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). But coffee was not found to be linked to any higher risk of RA, whether the coffee was filtered or unfiltered, caffeinated or without caffeine.
Researchers stressed that the tea-RA effect is not necessarily one of cause-and-effect and were unaware of any specific ingredient in the tea that could affect the onset of RA, which is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s own immune system attacks the body’s joints and tissue.
Further study is needed because a different study in the journal, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, confirming prior research on tea’s health benefits, found a 36 percent reduced risk of heart disease in those consuming 6 cups of tea a day and a 20 percent reduced risk of heart disease in those consuming less than two cups or more than four cups of coffee daily. Those with rheumatic diseases should consult their Naturopathic or Integrative Physician.
The RA-tea study was presented June 18 in Rome at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism. It has not been published and is not yet available in its full-text version.
Unraveling Vitiligo’s Mysteries
A study has found slight variations from normal in 10 genes associated with the body’s immune system in people with vitiligo, confirming this mysterious disease’s autoimmune nature and pointing to a better understanding that may one day lead to more personalized treatment for vitiligo patients.
Vitiligo is a complex disorder in which patches of the skin’s melanin, or pigment, disappear, leaving white areas on the skin and even hair. Autoimmune disorders are those involving the body’s immune system attacking healthy cells in the body. The findings suggest vitiligo involves multiple pathways, meaning the exact triggers are complicated, involving both genetics and environmental factors together. This implies cures may be complicated and may involve treatments geared to the individual.
Published in the June 6, 2010 issue of Nature Genetics, details of this study are accessible with a journal subscription at: http://bit.ly/ahBGup.
How to Get the Most From Vitamin D
Your body may make better use of supplemental Vitamin D if you take it with your largest meal of the day, boosting its uptake over a 2-3 month period by as much as 56 percent, according to a study at the Cleveland Clinic, detailed in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
TIP TO REMEMBER – Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. Fat soluble vitamins should always be taken with the highest fat meal of the day.
Vitamin D is loosely linked with a decreased risk of autoimmune disorders.
Mixing & Applying Insecticides & Autoimmune Disorder
M
ixing and applying insecticides just six times a year may be a factor in acquiring autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and especially, rheumatoid arthritis. One 2009 study suggested the risk for those personally handling insecticides on farms may be twice as high compared to those who do not use, or come into contact with, these sprays.
Is it skin exposure? Inhalation?
This research was preliminary and further studies are needed.
To support healthy environmental detoxification, learn more about Nano Silver Ultra & Nano Zeo-Tox: http://www.advantig.net/products/healthy-detox-kit.