Healthy Sunlight

Vitamin D has made the headlines on a regular basis recently. And with good reason: The sunshine vitamin has been found to spotlight cardiovascular health.

Scientists at the Harvard Medical School worked with 1,739 participants in the Framingham Heart Study, a research project involving residents of a Massachusetts city west of Boston. People with the lowest amounts of vitamin D ran a 62% greater risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event than their peers. And another study out of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine linked low D levels with higher rates of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), or poor circulation in the legs caused by narrowed arteries.

Circulation 1/7/08; Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 4/08

Help Muscle Injuries with COQ10

Hey athletes and weekend-warriors: CoQ10, a supplement know for helping to power the heart, may also assist in protecting hard-working muscles against injuries. Researchers in Japan recruited 18 practitioners of kendo, a Japanese form of fencing, and gave them either 300 mg of CoQ10 or a lookalike placebo for 20 days, during the time the athletes engaged in more than five hours of training a day. All the volunteers showed increased amounts of creatine kinase and lipid peroxide, substances associated with muscle damage, but at significantly lower levels among the supplement takers. CoQ10 plays a key role in cellular energy production and also acts as an antioxidant.
British Journal of Nutrition 2/20/08

Eyeglasses a MUST!

For years, we’ve referred to them casually as “shades.” For sure, that nickname reflects the laid-back, cool vibe that goes along with sunglasses. And for many, they mean fashion, not health.

Think again. We talked with Stephen Cohen, a VSP doctor from Scottsdale, Arizona, to find out the facts.

“Sunglasses used to be more about looking stylish than about taking care of your vision, but not anymore,” says Dr. Cohen. “Today, there’s increasing evidence that ultraviolet rays in sunlight can significantly increase your risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.” Both conditions usually affect older people, and it’s no wonder since years and years of sun exposure leave their mark over time.

The doctor adds, “Because both conditions can threaten healthy vision, I recommend wearing sunglasses on sunny days year-round. Plus, you’ll experience better night vision when you wear sunglasses on sunny days.”

There are a few key things to look for when picking the right pair of shades for you. Says Dr. Cohen: “When buying sunglasses, make sure they carry a consumer-protection label stating they’re 99-100% UV-absorbent, or provide UV absorption up to 400 nanometers (nm).

“Once you’ve eliminated the threat from UV light, you can focus on other issues, such as reducing glare and choosing a tint that will allow you to control the degree of brightness reaching your eyes.”

Here’s a rundown of other things to consider when picking the perfect pair:

• Go big or wrap it: Bigger frames and lenses, and also wrap-around styles, give you more UV protection because they block peripheral rays.
• Go polar: Polarized lenses block out sunlight glare bouncing off windshields, pavement, and other smooth surfaces.
• Consider color: Gray lenses are best. Why? They don’t change colors. Green and brown lenses are good too.
• Rx effects: If you wear prescription glasses, why not add prescription sunglasses to your eyewear wardrobe?
• Shade your specs: You can make your regular glasses into sunglasses. Look for clip-on or magnetic tinted lenses that can attach to your specs.
• Automate: Ask your eye doctor about photochromic lenses. They automatically get darker outside, then return to normal inside.

Source: VSP