In an article published online on July 29, 2014 in Molecular Psychiatry, Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, and her colleagues report a benefit for positive lifestyle practices in combating the negative effects of stress on telomeres: protective caps at the ends of chromosomes whose rate of shortening is viewed as a marker of aging.

By following 239 healthy postmenopausal women, researchers at UC San Francisco uncovered a significantly increased decline in white blood cell telomere length in association with every major life stressor that occurred over the previous year. However, those who reported greater levels of positive health factors at four time points, including a consuming a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity and experiencing quality sleep, appeared to be protected from stress’s adverse effects.

“The study participants who exercised, slept well and ate well had less telomere shortening than the ones who didn’t maintain healthy lifestyles, even when they had similar levels of stress,” reported lead author Eli Puterman, PhD, who is an assistant professor at the university’s department of psychiatry. “It’s very important that we promote healthy living, especially under circumstances of typical experiences of life stressors like death, caregiving and job loss.”

“This is the first study that supports the idea, at least observationally, that stressful events can accelerate immune cell aging in adults, even in the short period of one year,” he announced. “Exciting, though, is that these results further suggest that keeping active, and eating and sleeping well during periods of high stress are particularly important to attenuate the accelerated aging of our immune cells.”

• Tired for no reason?
  Having trouble getting up in the morning?
  Feeling run down and stressed?
  Dragging yourself through each day?
  Craving salty or sweet snacks?
  Struggling to keep up with life’s daily demands?
  Unable to bounce back from stress or illness?
  Not having fun anymore?
  Simply too tired to enjoy life?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue occurs when adrenal gland function becomes less than optimal—usually as a result of stress. It is not the same as Addison’s disease. An estimated 80% of people experience adrenal fatigue and the physical symptoms of stress at some point in their lives, yet it is frequently overlooked and misunderstood by the medical community.

 In 1998, Dr. James L. Wilson coined the term ‘adrenal fatigue’ to identify a specific kind of chronic tiredness that many people experience. It can affect anyone who undergoes frequent, persistent or severe mental, emotional or physical stress. Adrenal function can also be an important factor in health issues ranging from allergies to obesity.

What is adrenal fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a syndrome, that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level. Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. As the name suggests, its paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles or a growth on the end of your finger. You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings. People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use coffee, colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

Adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc with your life. In the more serious cases, the activity of the adrenal glands is so diminished that you may have difficulty getting out of bed for more than a few hours per day. With each increment of reduction in adrenal function, every organ and system in your body is more profoundly affected. Changes occur in your carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, heart and cardiovascular system, and even sex drive. Many other alterations take place at the biochemical and cellular levels in response to and to compensate for the decrease in adrenal hormones that occurs with adrenal fatigue. Your body does its best to make up for under-functioning adrenal glands, but it does so at a price.

What causes adrenal fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is produced when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. The adrenal glands mobilize your body’s responses to every kind of stress (whether it’s physical, emotional, or psychological) through hormones that regulate energy production and storage, immune function, heart rate, muscle tone, and other processes that enable you to cope with the stress. Whether you have an emotional crisis such as the death of a loved one, a physical crisis such as major surgery, or any type of severe repeated or constant stress in your life, your adrenals have to respond to the stress and maintain homeostasis. If their response is inadequate, you are likely to experience some degree of adrenal fatigue.

During adrenal fatigue your adrenal glands function, but not well enough to maintain optimal homeostasis because their output of regulatory hormones has been diminished – usually by over-stimulation. Over-stimulation of your adrenals can be caused either by a very intense single stress, or by chronic or repeated stresses that have a cumulative effect.

Who is susceptible to adrenal fatigue?

Anyone can experience adrenal fatigue at some time in his or her life. An illness, a life crisis, or a continuing difficult situation can drain the adrenal resources of even the healthiest person. However, there are factors that can make you more susceptible to adrenal fatigue. These include certain lifestyles (poor diet, substance abuse, too little sleep and rest, or too many pressures), chronic illness or repeated infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia, prolonged situations that you feel trapped or helpless in (bad relationships, stressful jobs, poverty, imprisonment), or maternal adrenal fatigue during gestation.

How can I tell if my adrenals are fatigued?

You may be experiencing adrenal fatigue if you regularly notice one or more of the following:

 

• You feel tired for no reason.
• You have trouble getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
• You are feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
• You have difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness.
• You crave salty and sweet snacks.
• You feel more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day.

 

Are there health conditions related to adrenal fatigue?

The processes that take place in any chronic disease, from arthritis to cancer, place demands on your adrenal glands. Therefore, it is likely that if you are suffering from a chronic disease and morning fatigue is one of your symptoms, your adrenals may be fatigued to some degree. Also, any time a medical treatment includes the use of corticosteroids, diminished adrenal function is probably present.  All corticosteroids are designed to imitate the actions of the adrenal hormone, cortisol, and so the need for them arises primarily when the adrenals are not providing the required amounts of cortisol.

Can people experiencing adrenal fatigue feel their best again?

Yes, with proper care most people experiencing adrenal fatigue can expect to feel good again. For detailed information about how you can help support your adrenal glands, promote healthy adrenal function and maintain your health during stressful times

• One-third of people who drink four or more caffeinated products a day are at increased for sleep apnea.
• When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop for a split second—including your heart and lungs.
• The average red blood cells lives for 120 days
• Due to our current obesity rates (among other things), the current generation of children will be the first ever to live shorter lives than their parents.
• One-third of all cancers are preventable.
• There are six facial expressions that are used worldwide—happiness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust and sadness.
• Your brain is made up of 80 percent water.
• One in 20 people have an extra rib—and it’s usually a man.
• Worth the risk? Researchers have modified the HIV virus and used it to reprogram the white blood cells of cancer patients to attack and kill the cancer.
• Skip the Nutella®! Gram for gram, it is less nutritious than chocolate frosting
• Skip the dryer. Using a paper towel reduced bacteria by 45-60 percent, while hand dryers increase bacteria on your hands by up to 255 percent, due to blowing out bacteria that already exists in the warm moist atmosphere. 

The British Medical Journal published the results of a meta-analysis on June 17, 2014 which indicate having a higher level of vitamin D is associated not only with a lower risk of dying from any cause over follow-up, but also with a reduction in the risk of dying from cancer among those with a history of the disease.

Despite levels of 25(OH)D strongly varying with country, sex, and season, the association between 25(OH)D level and all-cause and cause-specific mortality was remarkably consistent

Researchers analyzed data from seven cohorts belonging to the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States plus participants in the third US National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects were restricted to nonsmokers with enrollment serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] data available. Among 6,695 deaths that occurred over up to 15.8 years of follow-up, 2,624 were due to cardiovascular diseases and 2,227 to cancer.

 For men and women whose serum vitamin D levels were among the lowest one-fifth of subjects, there was a 57% higher risk of dying from any cause in comparison with those whose levels were among the top fifth.

Among those with the lowest vitamin levels who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease, the risk of cardiovascular mortality was 41% greater than subjects whose levels were highest, and for those with a history of the disease, the risk was 65% higher.

 

When the risk of dying from cancer was examined, a different picture emerged. While subjects with no history of cancer whose vitamin D levels were lowest had the same risk of dying as those whose levels were highest, for those with a history of the disease, the risk was 70% greater for those in the lowest vitamin D category, indicating that the vitamin may play a role in improving prognosis.

 

Vitamins and minerals are nothing new to us. We know about vitamin C for colds, B vitamins for energy, vitamin A for eyesight and vitamin D for, well, just about everything.

But what about a lesser-known vitamin? The one that is, in reality, two distinct forms of the same vitamin, yet function so differently in the body? The one that supports both bone and heart health through its interaction with calcium? We are talking about vitamin K.

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is produced by bacteria in the intestines. There are two natural forms of vitamin K: K1 and K2.

Vitamin K1 is synthesized from plants and is also known as phylloquinone, phytomenadione or phytonadione. (Note the phyllo- and phyto- prefixes, which frequently denote something that is plant-based.) It is found primarily in green leafy vegetables. Animals can convert K1 to K2.

Vitamin K2 is the form most commonly found in animals. Just as vitamin K itself has two natural subtypes, K2 also has several subtypes known as menaquinones.

The best food sources of vitamin K2 are natto (fermented soybeans), goose and chicken liver, soft cheese (i.e. brie) and egg yolk.

Conditions Supported by Vitamin K

Blood sugar

Bone health

Heart health

Joint health

 

What Does the Research Say?

Blood Sugar

While vitamin K is often studied for both bone and heart health, there is research showing that it may be useful in reducing the risk for type 2 diabetes. Researchers followed 1,069 elderly subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease for an average 5.5 years. The investigators assessed the subjects annually for biochemical and body markers to assess the development of type 2 diabetes. The subjects completed yearly food frequency questionnaires to determine vitamin K1 intake.

The researchers showed that the subjects who developed type 2 diabetes during the study had lower vitamin K1 intake at the beginning of the study. In fact, the investigators found that risk of incident diabetes was 17 percent lower for each additional intake of 100 mcg vitamin K1 per day.

Furthermore, the subjects who increased their dietary intake of vitamin K1 during the follow-up period had a 51 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes, as compared with subjects who decreased or did not change the amount of vitamin K1 intake.

The researchers stated, “We conclude that dietary [vitamin K1] intake is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.”

 

Bone Health

One of the most studied areas of vitamin K lies in bone health. According to a study published in September 2013, Vitamin K helps decrease bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Researchers divided 244 healthy postmenopausal women into two groups. One group received a placebo and the other received 180 mcg of Vitamin K a day for three years. They also tested several bone health markers at the start of the study and again at years one, two and three years.

At the end of the study, researchers found that those women taking the vitamin K enjoyed improved vitamin K status and a decrease in the age-related decline of bone mineral density. They also had improved bone strength. They concluded, “Vitamin K supplements may help postmenopausal women to prevent bone loss.”

Similarly, a study published in May 2014 reviewed eight randomized, placebo-controlled trials that looked at the role of vitamin K2 plays in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Researchers found that Vitamin K increased lumbar spine bone mineral density and reduced the incidence of fractures. They concluded,

“This review of the literature revealed positive evidence for the effects of  K2 monotherapy on fracture incidence in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.”

 

Heart Health

Vitamin K2 in particular has been shown to be beneficial for supporting healthy blood pressure levels. Studies have revealed that increased intake of this important nutrient will keep calcium from building up in your arteries, helping to keep them flexible and unobstructed.

Other research indicates that 45 mcg of K2 taken daily reduces calcification of the arteries. For example, one specific study found that serum vitamin K is associated with coronary artery calcium progression in individuals taking blood-pressure-lowering medications.

Joint Health

With so much attention on vitamin K and bone health, it’s not surprising to see that a study published in March 2013 reported that subclinical vitamin K deficiency is associated with increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.

Researchers evaluated 1,180 subjects with an average age of 62 years and average body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2. The subjects underwent knee x-rays and MRIs at the beginning of the study and again after 30 months. The investigators also measured plasma vitamin K1 levels at the beginning of the study.

The researchers found that subclinical vitamin K1 deficiency was associated with a 56 percent increased risk of knee osteoarthritis and 139 percent increased risk of cartilage lesions, compared to the subjects with sufficient vitamin K. The subjects with subclinical vitamin K1 deficiency were also 33 percent more likely to develop osteoarthritis in one or both knees compared to neither knee.

How to Use Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a critical nutrient for a wide range of health issues. Depending on your particular concern, the dosages and form to use can vary.

Note: People taking vitamin K with the blood thinner Coumadin (warfarin) should be very cautious, because it interferes with the drug’s mechanism of action. If you are currently taking Coumadin, consult with your physician before taking vitamin K.