Enhance Your Health
Health Tip of the Week: Vitamin D, Dangers of High Fat Sugar Diet, Junk Food App
More good news concerning Vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is manufactured in our body with by exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D helps to strengthen bones and teeth. Over the last decade or so, Vitamin D has been shown to have many immune system enhancing components, making the vitamin extremely important for helping the body to stay healthy from viruses and other germs.
As far as Covid-19 virus is concerned, studies around the word have shown a correlation to severe cases of coronavirus cases and low Vitamin D levels. In addition, Vitamin D has anti-cancer properties and can help lower your risk of acquiring certain cancers.
New research on Vitamin D is now showing promise for opioid addiction. Low levels of Vitamin D in lab animals have shown the animals crave and become addicted to opioids. The cravings are curbed when Vitamin D levels are restored to normal. The study suggests that the use of the inexpensive supplement, Vitamin D could be used in the fight against opioid addiction.
New information on eating a high fat, high sugar diet has shown that there is a large link connecting high fat and sugar intake to immune system impairment and gut infection and inflammatory diseases like irritable bowel syndrome.
The stomach and digestive tract produce healthy bacteria that boosts immune system function. A diet high in saturated fat (junky fried foods, processed foods) and high sugar intake destroys Paneth cells in the gut. Paneth cells are immune system cells that fight inflammation. Messing with the healthy gut bacteria and Paneth cells can lead to a host of digestive problems and lower immune system function, making you more susceptible to viruses.
How about an app that can help you eat healthier? The new Food Trainer app ( FoodT) trains people to tap on images of healthy food and stop when junk food appears.
A new study conducted at Exeter and Helsinki Universities found that by using the app once a day for a month led to a reduction in junk food consumption. Longer use of the app led to further reduction in eating unhealthy foods. The study found using this brain training app created an association with unhealthy foods and the stopping of eating them.