Vitamin D gets converted into a steroid hormone that regulates over 1,000 different physiological processes, and controls around 5 percent of the human genome

Vitamin D regulates a gene responsible for the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin. Serotonin is crucial during fetal brain development. When vitamin D is lacking, so is serotonin, which can produce neurological defects

Vitamin D insufficiency may heighten maternal autoimmune responses by hindering tryptophan from being metabolized (by a second pathway) into kynurenine, which forms autoimmune-fighting T regulatory cellsVitamin D gets converted into a steroid hormone that regulates over 1,000 different physiological processes, and controls around 5 percent of the human genome

This information is taken from a recent article on Mercola.com. See Mercola.com for full article.

Your Diet and Alzheimer’s Risk               July 2014

Your diet has major implications for your Alzheimer’s risk. Diets high in carbohydrates, and diets low in healthful fats, lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Research from the Mayo Clinic shows that diets rich in carbohydrates are associated with an 89 percent increased risk for dementia. Meanwhile, high-fat diets are associated with a 44 percent reduced risk.

Alzheimer’s is directly related to chronically elevated blood sugar levels.

Women given cholesterol-lowering statin medication have a 44 percent increased risk for becoming a type 2 diabetic. Diabetes, in turn, doubles your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 

Even if you’re already having “senior moments,” you can regenerate cells in your brain’s memory center. This occurs through a process called neurogenesis. Proper lifestyle choices are imperative for this recovery.

           This information is taken from a recent article at Mercola.com.

    New Analysis concludes Organic Foods are                     Healthier    August 2014

• Two years ago, meta-analysis by Stanford University found that organic foods are less contaminated with agricultural chemicals

• A new analysis confirms that while conventional and organic vegetables oftentimes offer similar levels of many nutrients, organic foods have fewer pesticide residues

• Organic produce also have on average 48 percent lower levels of cadmium, a toxic metal and a known carcinogen

• One key nutritional difference between conventional and organics is their antioxidant content. Organic fruits and vegetables can contain anywhere from 18-69 percent more antioxidants than conventionally-grown varieties.

•     This information is a summary from a recent article at Mercola.com.

Glyphosate—the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup—has been reclassified as a Class 2 A “probable carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization.   Glyphosate has also been found to boost antibiotic resistance.

In response to growing public concern about the toxicity of glyphosate, US regulators may start testing for glyphosate residues on food in the near future.

The Organic Consumers Association, in cooperation with the Feed the World Project, has launched the world’s first glyphosate testing for the general public.