In an effort to provide sweet options to the people who choose not to eat sugar, food manufacturers, as well as good-intentioned but misinformed nutrition “experts”, recommend swapping sugar with natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup. Don’t believe the claims that these sweeteners are wholesome, healthy substitutes for sugar.
Whether it comes from a beehive, a maple tree, or any other natural source, sugar is sugar. Sure, these foods are often less processed than table sugar, so you may feel better about using them. But their effect on your blood sugar, insulin, liver, and cholesterol are the same.
If you like a little sweetness in your tea or smoothies, try stevia, which is a much safer option than sugar or artificial sweeteners. Stevia is an herb with leaves that are ten to fifteen times sweeter than sugar. You can buy stevia plants at nurseries or grow them from seed and use their leaves as natural sweeteners.
Many people refer to it as the “natural” alternative sweetener. However unless you are crushing stevia leaves and using them to sweeten your favorite drink, we’re not talking about a totally natural sweetener.
You can also buy stevia extract which is extracted from stevia leaves that are dried with a water-extraction process. It is refined using ethanol, methanol, and crystallization. The extract then goes through ultra-filtration and nano-filtration to remove those alcohols. Be sure the brand you buy has no alcohol remaining in it.
Stevia extract is as much as two hundred to three hundred times sweeter than sugar, so you need only the tiniest amount. If you use too much, you may taste its bitter licorice-like aftertaste. Use it sparingly until you get the hang of it. For many uses, you might try vanilla or chocolate-flavored stevia as it tastes less bitter if you happen to use too much.
Stevia (the leaf) has been used in South America for centuries and in Japan for decades. So far, there is no evidence that stevia is anything but safe. Some early studies (done with the extract) suggested that it might cause genetic damage in the people who consumed it, but the studies turned out to be flawed because the data were mishandled.
Stevia does not impact blood sugar levels the way sugar does, and it does not acidify the system the way toxic sugar substitutes do. There is some evidence to suggest that it may stabilize blood sugar levels, enhance glucose tolerance, and reduce blood pressure—but more research is needed to figure that out for sure.
If you take blood pressure medication or medication for diabetes, use stevia with caution. There is some evidence that it may act synergistically with these medications and could cause hypotension (low blood pressure) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
You will find stevia to be the sweetener of choice in BrainMD Health food products because it has the least reported problems and the greatest reported health claims. Please note that stevia should be used in limited amounts, as it still keeps the taste buds hooked on the “sweet” taste of foods.
Vitamin D, which is technically a hormone rather than a vitamin, is a crucial nutrient. Unfortunately, many Americans – even those who eat a good diet – are deficient in vitamin D.¹
Though definitions of vitamin D deficiency can vary, experts agree that it has nearly reached epidemic status. Analysis of the ongoing national survey data from the US Centers for Disease Control indicates that a majority of Americans may not be getting sufficient vitamin D.
One way to get a natural vitamin D boost is from exposure to sunlight. But since we're wearing more sunscreen while outside and spending more time inside, our levels of vitamin D have fallen in recent decades. Why does that matter? Some research has linked vitamin D deficiency to serious, long-term health issues.²
Those who think of vitamin D only as the “sunshine vitamin” may fail to fully understand the significant ways vitamin D affects their brain, body and overall health.³
Let's take a closer look at how vitamin D works in key areas of the brain and body, as well as how to increase levels of this essential vitamin...naturally!
Here Are 9 Vital Functions of Vitamin D
Immunity
Vitamin D receptors are found all over the body, including the immune cells. Research has clearly shown that vitamin D deficiency is part of the seasonal nature of cold and flu outbreaks⁴ – less sunlight means less vitamin D, which can lead to lower immunity and more illness.
Bones
It’s well-documented that vitamin D is essential for the proper absorption of calcium, and it’s been shown to greatly reduce fracture risk in two ways. First, it helps with the formation of stronger bones; second, vitamin D helps improve balance and prevent falls by enhancing muscle contraction.⁵
Muscles
One of the byproducts of vitamin D’s breakdown, called 1,25(OH)2D, enters muscle cells and affects the nucleus. Once there, the vitamin D metabolite enhances the cell’s contraction ability. Since muscles work by contraction and relaxation, a muscle’s ability to contract is essential to its strength and response to outside forces. As such, vitamin D helps make muscles stronger in a very direct way.
Lungs
As many studies indicate, vitamin D plays a role in keeping our lungs healthy due to vitamin D possessing a range of anti-inflammatory properties – with greater concentrations of vitamin D resulting in greater lung health benefits.⁶
Heart
Research has demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels in the blood and high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension). In other words, the lower the vitamin D, the higher the blood pressure. The excess strain and resulting damage from high blood pressure can cause the coronary arteries serving the heart to slowly narrow and harden, greatly increasing the risk of a heart attack.
Kidneys
Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it helps to regulate kidney function and plays a very beneficial role in treating serious kidney issues.⁷
Mood
When it comes to being happy, the scientific evidence is clear. The lower your vitamin D levels, the more likely you are to feel blue rather than happy. Vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with higher incidences of low mood. Interestingly, in a 2014 study, the positive effect of vitamin D3 on mood was comparable to the effects of the anti-depressants.⁸
Weight Loss
When you don’t have enough vitamin D, you can feel hungry all the time, no matter how much you eat. That's because low levels of vitamin D can interfere with the effectiveness of leptin, the appetite hormone that tells you when you're full. When vitamin D is replenished and back to normal levels, leptin’s actions are restored, thus creating feelings of satiety and aiding in weight loss.
Cognitive Function
In the past few years, many studies have linked shortage of vitamin D with cognitive issues in older men and women. Research has demonstrated that vitamin D has a variety of neuroprotective roles, including helping to rid the brain of beta-amyloid, an abnormal protein that is believed to be a major cause of severe memory issues.⁹ Other studies have shown that seniors with very low levels of vitamin D are at an increased risk of serious, long-term memory issues.
Recommended Daily Vitamin D
In the US, the current recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 600 IU. However, most experts agree that this is well below the physiological needs of most individuals. Some experts have suggested that all adults should take at least 2000 IU of vitamin D daily, but for many people, this daily dose doesn’t raise their vitamin D levels into a healthy range.
What Can Help?
BrainMD offers two high-quality, ultra-pure vitamin D formulas:
Vitamin D3 5000
Vitamin D3 5000 delivers 5,000 IU of your body’s preferred form (cholecalciferol) in one high-potency capsule—supporting brain function, emotional well-being, immune strength, and bone health.*
Vitamin D3 + K2
This powerful combination of vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) and vitamin K2 (as MK-7) helps strengthen bones, promote cardiovascular health, fight oxidative stress, support the immune system, preserve cognitive function and more.*
Let the Sunshine (Vitamin) In!
These powerful vitamins work hard to promote strong bones, support cognitive functioning, and maintain a healthy circulatory system.*
Try Vitamin D3 5000 and Vitamin D3 + K2 today!*
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
References:
1. Cui, A., Xiao, P., Ma, Y., Fan, Z., Zhou, F., Zheng, J., & Zhang, L. (2022). Prevalence, trend, and predictor analyses of vitamin D deficiency in the US population, 2001–2018. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 965376. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.965376
2. Holick, M. F., & Chen, T. C. (2008). Vitamin D deficiency: A worldwide problem with health consequences. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(4), 1080S–1086S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.4.1080S
3. Aranow, C. (2011). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of Investigative Medicine, 59(6), 881–886. https://doi.org/10.231/JIM.0b013e31821b8755
4. Cannell, J. J., Vieth, R., Umhau, J. C., Holick, M. F., Grant, W. B., Madronich, S., Garland, C. F., & Giovannucci, E. (2006). Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiology and Infection, 134(6), 1129–1140. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268806007175
5. Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A., Dawson-Hughes, B., Willett, W. C., Staehelin, H. B., Bazemore, M. G., Zee, R. Y., & Wong, J. B. (2004). Effect of vitamin D on falls: A meta-analysis. JAMA, 291(16), 1999–2006. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.16.1999
6. Hughes, D. A., & Norton, R. (2009). Vitamin D and respiratory health. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 158(1), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2009.04001.x
7. Williams, S., Malatesta, K., & Norris, K. (2009). Vitamin D and chronic kidney disease. Ethnicity & Disease, 19(4 Suppl 5), S5–8–S5–11.
8. Spedding, S. (2014). Vitamin D and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing studies with and without biological flaws. Nutrients, 6(4), 1501–1518. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6041501
9. Banerjee, A., Khemka, V. K., Ganguly, A., Roy, D., Ganguly, U., & Chakrabarti, S. (2015). Vitamin D and Alzheimer’s disease: Neurocognition to therapeutics. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2015, 192747. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/192747
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