You know that vitamin D is important to your health: it can help you build strong bones, improve your immune system, and even help you chase away depression and mood disorders.
Now there’s just another reason why you should (safely!) soak up the sunshine or drink up that glass of milk: new studies have shown that vitamin D could help improve the odds of surviving colon cancer.
The study – presented at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology – showed that patients with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood lived longer and improved their odds of disease-free survival than those who did not have sufficient vitamin D levels. The study involved 1,043 patients, and carefully tracked their dietary and lifestyle behaviors to determine who was most vulnerable in terms of lower vitamin D intake.
The study found that elderly and black patients, those who had blood draws during the spring and winter months, patients with low physical activity, and/or higher body mass were more likely to have lower levels of vitamin D. The study found that patients who had higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to live an average of 8 months longer, as well as increase their overall disease-free survival.
So why the connection between vitamin D and better odds of colon cancer survival?
It’s thought that since vitamin D is an anti-inflammatory agent – and it’s vital to bone health – it could help suppress tumor growth and metastasis. The study also suggested that vitamin D could help promote diseased cell death, which could decrease the odds that you’ll get cancer.
Now that you have this vital information, it’s important to ensure that your body gets as much vitamin D as possible. Here are a few suggestions from Dr. Nhi Le at the Fountain of Youth Medical Spa in Victoria, Texas:
- Each as much green veggies as possible, as they’re rich in vitamin D;
- Drink at least three glasses of milk per day – if you’re lactose-intolerant, take a vitamin D supplement; and
- Spend at least an hour out in the sun to increase your body’s absorption of vitamin D. Be sure to wear sunscreen to keep your skin protected!
For more information on vitamin D and your healthy body, schedule a consultation with anti-aging expert Dr. Le at the Fountain of Youth Medical Spa in Victoria, Texas today.
When it comes to looking and feeling youthful, creams, lotions, and other topical treatments can certainly help you maintain a younger appearance. However, real anti-aging work needs to be done at the cellular level, as the aging process is ultimately determined by your body’s cell division processes.
If you’ve ever heard the expression, “you are what you eat,” then you know how critical it is to fill your diet with loads of healthy foods, like fruit, veggies, lean meats and legumes. But while your intentions for healthy eating might be there, that doesn’t always mean you follow through with them. After all, life can sometimes get in the way of your pursuit of a healthy diet – and oftentimes you’re not sure if so-called “healthy foods” are really giving you all the nutrition you need.
We don’t just live our lives by the clock on the wall; as it turns out, our bodies also have a unique clock that let’s us know when it’s time to wake up, and when it’s time to hit the pillow. That internal alarm clock is known as melatonin – and researchers believe it may even be essential in turning back the clock on the aging process.
Here at the Fountain of Youth Medical Spa in Victoria, TX, we think of ourselves as an oasis of anti-aging facials, treatments, and other youthful secrets. Our clients continually rave about our diverse range of youth-enhancing treatments, all of which have been designed to give age-defying results.
At the Fountain of Youth Medical Spa in Victoria, TX, there’s one request we see more than any other: “Make me look younger.” While our fantastic treatments and services are designed to make you look young and beautiful on the outside, what happens when you want to feel younger?
Alpha Lipoic Acid: Derived from octanoic acid, this compound is often regarded as a powerful nutrients, with beneficial effects including weight loss (it increases the metabolism), slashing the risk of cardiovascular disease, preventing organ dysfunction, reducing inflammation and even preventing age-related cognitive dysfunction.
As we age, many people try different things to prolong themselves from getting old. Rogaine, face lifts, Botox and such are good temporary fixes, but they do not get to the heart of why we age. We age because our hormone levels start to decline.