RedScrubs
The Resource for Medical Professionals

Recent research has shown that the biological sphere of influence of vitamin D is much broader than originally thought as shown by the massive tissue distribution of the vitamin D receptor or VDR. Researchers have now shown that the prohormone vitamin D is active as a pluripotent hormone in 5 physiological arenas where activity of the VDR has clearly been defined. These physiological areas are the adaptive immune system, the innate immune system, insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta cells, multifactorial heart functioning and blood pressure regulation and brain and fetal development. This expands the role of vitamin D from bone homeostasis into many other physiological areas.

Fasting is not a new invention. It is advocated in the Bible. However, recently there has been a resurgence of interest in fasting as a means of increased weight loss and prevention of chronic disease. There has even been some mention that the calorie restriction in alternate day fasting (ADF) prolongs the life span. Since 2007, several studies have emerged.

The science and art of feeding patients through their blood vessels has become a life saving part of critical care medicine. Many patients cannot eat but must be fed to get better, so total parenteral nutrition (TPN) emerged to meet that need and continues to be a refined science of feeding those who cannot use their alimentary tract.

Caffeine is frequently used to increase energy and alertness, decrease fatigue and improve muscle coordination. With intermittent use, caffeine may act as a pain reliever for headaches or as an adjuvant for the actions of other analgesics. Caffeine additives make pain relievers 40% more effective in treating headaches. It also helps the body absorb headache medications more quickly bringing fast relief. By adding caffeine to the drug and thus taking less overall analgesic, the risk for potential side-effects and addiction may be reduced.

So, researchers have finally done it. They have created a pill you can take instead of doing dreaded exercise.
Well, not so fast; don’t sell your treadmill yet. The newly developed exercise pill speeds the transformation of sugar-burning fast-twitch fibers to fat-burning slow-twitch ones — the same change that occurs in distance runners and cyclists through training – only WITH exercise. So, unless you’re already getting off the couch to exercise, the pill is useless! To boot, the pill has no effect on the muscles of people who already exercise.
So, unless you are a couch potato with your heart set on an Olympic medal , this pill is a waste of money.

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids and include eicopentanoic acid (EPA), doxosahesaneoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). The body has to convert ALA to EPA and DHA in a very inefficient manner. Only about 4% is converted that is eaten. So, EPA and DHA are the most important omega-3s studied and used in treatment. ALA does have its own individual benefits aside from conversion to EPA and DHA.

A study was recently released on the antioxidant capability of the omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids belong to a class called the polyunsaturated fats (PUFA). PUFAs normally oxidize fairly quickly and act as free radicals (the opposite of an antioxidant) directly dependent on their degree of saturation.

The problem of pediatric obesity is a world-wide one. In Britain, statistics show that one in 10 children aged four and five are obese and a further 13% are classified as overweight. The percentage of 10 – 11 year olds classified as obese jumped to 17.5 percent, while a further 14.2 percent were classified as overweight.