Heart Health Fuhrman Ornish

Hi jc,

Fuhrman says that the evidence that cruciferous are goitrogenic for humans, is weak data. If they are, the 3 years of smoothies I've had would have given me all the worst possible affects conceiveable. All I seem to have gotten is a dynamite immune system.

A smoothie increased the benefits of cruciferous, since the blender blades break the plant cell walls. Then the phytochemicals combine and form the compounds that fight cancer, and strengthen the immune system. This happens more than could happen from chewing the veggies. That's the theory, anyway. I think it's true.

Best regards, EngineerGuy

Fuhrman may be right but many see problems... with flax seed in particular.Lets compare notes in another 5 years and see if any of us have hypothyroidism.My avg body temp has dropped to 96.3 in the morning....that is often considered a sign of a low thyroid but it could also be from massive wt loss.

My blood tests don't indicate hypothyroidism but many say blood tests are not accurate in detecting a low thyrodid,and that morning body temp is the best way.I don't know.

Hi jc,

Re: My avg body temp has dropped to 96.3 in the morning....that is often considered a sign of a low thyroid but it could also be from massive wt loss.


Hmmm... Read some of Lisa Walford "The Longevity Diet". Are you lean enough to be at the start of the calorie restriction regime? That might be 10% below your "baseline" weight, such as a couple years after high school. This is similar to what you mention as the massive weight loss. In that case, your low body temperature translates directly into longer life.


How are your thyroid hormone blood readings? (I"m not an expert on that stuff, but I'd be interested to learn.)


Oh, by the way, and for anyone interested reading. I've posted a bit on the McDougall website, in the Lounge, advocating blood testing for vitamin D levels. Recall that McDougall does not recommend any vitamin D supplementation, but only sunlight.


Best regards, EnineerGuy

I don't know but I don't think sunlight is always enough.I live in the South...TN... and I spend hours outside every day....playing golf , running,classes at the YMCA,yard work,etc....

I was surprized to find I was slightly low in vit D when I was tested in Aug of 2009.It may be that the definition of low is incorrect and maybe a level of 20 is OK.

And who knows if vit D supplementation is linked to improved health....maybe it takes the actual sun and artifical vitamins don't improve health....i don't know....I'm just asking questions.

For the time being I'm going to keep taking 2000 units of D3....my follow up test in april 2010 showed my vit D level was 65 so the supplementation worked.

Hi jc,

Your posts are always great, and have provided some of my favorite info.

Re: Are vitamin D supplements beneficial, or only sun?

Here's a double blind randomized controlled study, where 1100IU of vitamin D supplements, plus calcium, reduced cancer incidence 50% over 4 years, for post menopausal women. WoW !!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17556697

(Free full text: http://www.ajcn.org/content/85/6/1586.abstract )

An amazing sentence in the abstract:



In multiple logistic regression models, both treatment and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were significant, independent predictors of cancer risk.


What this means, is that the blood (serum) level of vitamin D was an independent predictor of cancer risk, in ADDITION to whether the person was taking the 1100 IU of vitamin D supplement. This means that if many people all take 1100 IU of vitamin D, there is a great deal of variation in the resulting blood level. Saying the same thing in a more statistical manner, there is a weak correlation between supplement level, and blood level of vitamin D. (We know from other sources that there is a VERY weak correlation between sunlight exposure and blood vitamin D level.)


From this, we can conclude, with ALMOST certainty, two things. 1) Yes, to answer your question, vitamin D supplements improve health. 2) People should get a blood level test for vitamin D, and decide whether to supplement, and how much, based on the blood test.
(I say ALMOST certainty, since the study was not large, and was statistically significant, but we would like to see the study repeated.)
This study suggested that ideal blood vitamin D levels are 35 to 55. Dr. Fuhrman's experience is that most people need 1000 to 2000 IU supplement, to achieve these levels. A few people need no supplement, and a few people need much more.
Below 30, cancer incidence increased. Above 55, possibly cancer incidence increased. We would like to see more studies, to explore the upper limit of vitamin D safety. Another study showed heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc increased, below 30. (This study did not evaluate supplements, but evaluated blood levels.)

http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0002-9149/PIIS0002914910011318.pdf
Many studies show that supplements are valuable, for reducing hip fractures, etc. Case histories show that supplements improve or cure many people's issues.
Best regards, EngineerGuy

I wonder what all the recent fuss is about.These studies look solid to me.