vitamin deficiency Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Beriberi Plague Millions in East Asia – Until One Man Discovered it was a Vitamin Deficiency

The AHA! Team — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 06:34:35 +0000

Arsenio Toledo via Natural News – Beriberi, or thiamine deficiency, used to be a disease that was endemic to many parts of the world, including Japan – until a Japanese naval physician discovered that the simple solution was a change in diet and an increase in the natural intake of vitamins. Beriberi used to be so prevalent all over East Asia that up to 40 percent of the Imperial Japanese Navy by the late 19th century was affected by it. Japanese naval physician Takaki Kanehiro became one of the first people in the world to discover that beriberi was linked to diet, specifically the Navy’s reliance on rice. Takaki proposed a change in diet to include more protein-rich foods, and this change successfully eliminated the disease within the Navy in just two years. Takaki’s work not only improved the health of Japanese sailors but also improved its military strength and advanced global understanding of nutritional diseases and epidemiology. Beriberi, or thiamine deficiency, used to be a disease that was endemic to many parts of the world, including Japan – until a Japanese naval physician discovered that the simple solution was a change in diet and an increase in the natural intake of vitamins. This is according to research from the 1962 book “The Vitamin Hunters” by Albert von Haller, which chronicles how many endemic diseases like beriberi, scurvy, pellagra and rickets were nearly wiped from existence following the knowledge that they were caused by vitamin deficiencies. The man responsible for helping solve the global problem of thiamine deficiency is Takaki Kanehiro, a Japanese naval medical officer who discovered the cure to beriberi around 10 years before Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in identifying that beriberi was caused by a nutritional deficiency, namely the lack of thiamine or vitamin B1. (Related: B vitamins are CRUCIAL to heart health, brain health and eye health.) Beriberi, characterized by symptoms such as paralysis, heart weakness and swelling of the liver, was widespread in Japan and all-over East Asia during the 19th century. In the Imperial Japanese Navy, the disease reached epidemic proportions, with up to 40 percent of sailors affected. The illness severely compromised the Navy’s operational capacity, as many recovered sailors were left unfit for service. Takaki, who joined the Navy as a medical officer in 1872, observed the devastating impact of beriberi firsthand. At the time, the disease was widely believed to be caused by an infectious agent, a theory influenced by the recent discoveries of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. Takaki initially sought to identify the presumed bacillus but found no evidence to support this hypothesis. A change in diet was all it took to rid the Imperial Japanese Navy of its beriberi epidemic Takaki’s breakthrough came when he hypothesized that beriberi was linked to the sailors’ diet, particularly their reliance on polished rice. He noted that officers, who consumed a more varied diet were less affected than regular rank-and-file sailors who primarily consumed rice. Takaki proposed that the disease was caused by a deficiency of nitrogenous elements like protein in the diet – a theory that contradicted prevailing medical beliefs. To test his hypothesis, Takaki conducted a controlled experiment in 1884 using two naval vessels. One ship maintained the traditional rice-based diet, while the other was provisioned with a protein-rich diet similar to that of British sailors. The results were striking: On the control ship, over two-thirds of the crew developed beriberi, while on the other ship, only four cases were reported and all among sailors who had secretly consumed more rice than proteins. Takaki’s findings led to a radical overhaul of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s dietary provisions. By 1885, the new diet had been adopted across the fleet, and after just two years the Navy had effectively eradicated the disease from its ranks. This achievement not only improved the health and morale of sailors but also strengthened Japan’s military capabilities, contributing to its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. Takaki’s work extended beyond his research on beriberi. He founded the Sei-I-Kwai Medical Training School in 1881 and pioneered an emphasis on patient-centered care in Japan. He also established the country’s first nursing school and created a charitable hospital to serve the poor, which still stands today as the Jikei University School of Medicine in Minato, Tokyo. In recognition of his contributions, Takaki was appointed Navy Surgeon General in 1885 and became the first person in Japan to receive a Doctor of Medical Science degree in 1888. He was elevated to the imperial peerage in 1905 and awarded Japan’s highest honors, including the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Order of the Rising Sun. Kanehiro Takaki’s pioneering work on beriberi marked a turning point in the understanding of nutritional diseases. By demonstrating the link between diet and health, he not only solved a critical problem for the Japanese Navy but also advanced the field of epidemiology. His legacy continues to influence medical education and healthcare in Japan, underscoring the importance of empirical research and patient-centered care. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Journals.SagePub.com Brighteon.com To read the original article, click here

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Vegan Diet Affects Bone Health, Shows Study

AHA Publisher — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 08:00:52 +0000

BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment via News-Medical – The vegan diet is on trend. How this type of diet affects health is the subject of scientific studies. In a new study from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the bone health of 36 vegans as well as 36 people following a mixed-food diet was determined with an ultrasound measurement of the heel bone. The result: on average, people following a vegan diet had lower ultrasound values compared to the other group. This indicates poorer bone health. In the study, the scientists also determined biomarkers in blood and urine. This aims to identify nutrients that might be related to diet and bone health. Out of 28 parameters of nutritional status and bone metabolism, it was possible to identify twelve biomarkers most strongly associated with bone health – for example, the amino acid lysine and vitamins A and B6. The results show that in most cases, the combination of these biomarkers was present in lower concentrations in vegans. This could be a possible explanation for the poorer bone health. A vegan diet is often considered health-conscious. However, our scientific findings indicate that a vegan diet does affect bone health.” Professor Dr. Andreas Hensel, BfR President Link to publication: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/685/htm Nutrition plays an important role in bone health. This was more closely investigated in the BfR’s cross-sectional “Risks and benefits of a vegan diet” study. 72 men and women participated in the study. The bone health of all participants was assessed at the heel bone using ultrasound measurements. Information on age, smoking status, education, body mass index, physical activity and alcohol consumption was also collected. By using a statistical model, the BfR was able to identify a pattern of twelve biomarkers that play an important role in bone health from 28 nutrition- and bone-relevant parameters from blood or urine. It was shown that in combination vitamins A and B6, the amino acids lysine and leucine, omega-3 fatty acids, selenoprotein P, iodine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, calcium, magnesium and α-Klotho protein were positively associated with bone health. Conversely, lower concentrations of the hormone FGF23 were observed at higher ultrasound levels in this pattern. Taking into account other scientific studies, the results indicate that vegans intake fewer nutrients that are relevant for the skeleton and are mainly found in food of animal origin. Further studies are needed for clarification. To read the original article click here.

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Zinc Deficiency May Be Considered as a Risk Factor for Infectious Diseases

AHA Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:00:43 +0000

Sechenov University via EurekAlert – Researchers from Sechenov University in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, Greece and Russia reviewed scientific articles on the role of zinc in the prevention and treatment of viral infections and pneumonia, with projections on those caused by SARS-CoV-2. The results were published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine. Zinc is necessary for normal metabolism and functioning of the reproductive, cardiovascular and nervous systems, but it is also important for the immune system, in particular for the proliferation and maturation of white blood cells (some of them are able to capture and digest microorganisms, and others – to produce antibodies). In addition, zinc is involved in the regulation of inflammation. Thus, normal levels of zinc support human resistance to inflammatory and infectious diseases. ‘According to the current estimates, the risk of zinc deficiency is observed in more than 1.5 billion people in the world. In Russia, deficiency of this element occurs in 20-40% of the population; in some regions it reaches 60%. Given the crucial role of zinc in regulation of immunity, one can propose that its insufficiency may be considered as a risk factor for infectious diseases,’ said the research leader, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics at Sechenov University, Professor Anatoly Skalny. The scientists reviewed the results of studies on the use of zinc-containing drugs for increasing immunity and preventing viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 outbreak this year. Previous studies showed that zinc and its binding substances can slow down the work of RNA polymerase (an enzyme that synthesises viral RNA molecules) of coronaviruses and suppress their spread in the body. One of the substances that stimulate the cellular zinc uptake, chloroquine, has already been tested on patients with SARS-CoV-2, but its strong side effects make it necessary to look for other compounds with a similar effect or use zinc separately. However, both options have not been sufficiently studied or tested yet. Observations of the development of other viruses, such as rhinoviruses (this family includes pathogens of acute respiratory diseases), show that an increase in the level of zinc in cells suppresses replication (reproduction) of the virus and stimulates production of interferon alpha, which has an antiviral activity. In addition, zinc deficiency is considered as one of the risk factors for the development of pneumonia: it increases the susceptibility to infectious agents and the disease duration. Several studies show the effectiveness of zinc-containing drugs in decreasing severity and duration of symptoms and reducing the prevalence of pneumonia. However, in general, data on the use of zinc as a therapy, rather than prevention, are contradictory. Another possible application of zinc is modulation of inflammation. Existing data show that zinc ions have an anti-inflammatory effect, reducing damage to lung tissue in pneumonia. Zinc also helps the body resist bacteria, and bacterial pneumonia frequently occurs in patients with secondary viral infections. ‘A recent study conducted by scientists from the USA confirmed our assumptions, demonstrating the effect of zinc intake on the risk of a severe course and the need for artificial ventilation in patients with COVID-19,’ said Alexey Tinkov, coauthor of the article, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics at Sechenov University. Therefore, according to current research, adequate zinc status can bring down the likelihood of infectious respiratory diseases, pneumonia and its complications. There are also indirect indications that zinc intake may be effective in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but there is still insufficient data for recommendations. To read the original article click here.

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