The nutrition news is coming in fast and furious. There was an excellent article¹ published on green tea in the June 2009 edition of the journal Gut. Researchers examined the association between green tea consumption and abnormal cellular growth of the stomach. They analyzed a total of six studies involving almost 220,000 individuals. It was found that women who consumed five or more cups a day of green tea had a statistically significant decrease in the risk of developing abnormal cellular growth of the stomach.

Another great study² published in the June 2009 edition of the Archives of Pharmacal Research indicated EGCG found in green tea can protect brain cells from the deadly effect of the beta-amyloid peptide. Beta-amyloid has been implicated in numerous studies as a primary reason brain cells degrade and die as we age. This can adversely affect our memory. It appears the EGCG boosts the brain cells' level of reduced glutathione (GSH), a very powerful antioxidant that is quite protective against free radical damage. There are now over 3,300 studies published at the National Library of Medicine that appear in the search results when you search "green tea".

The Journal of National Cancer Institute included a study³ in its June 26, 2009 issue in which researchers found that a high dietary intake of fat, especially from red meat and dairy products, was associated with an increased risk of developing abnormal cellular growth of the pancreas. It was observed that participants who consumed higher amounts of saturated fats increased their relative rate of developing abnormal cellular growth of the pancreas by 36% compared to those who consumed smaller amounts.

A study⁴ was just published in the July 2009 edition of the Journal of Nutrition examining the benefits of consuming nuts or peanut butter. The study involved more than 6,000 women with a history of elevated blood sugar who were followed between 1980 and 2002. After adjusting for other factors, it was found that women who ate at least five servings a week of nuts or peanut butter had a 44% lower risk of developing poor cardiovascular health. You should know that a serving of peanut butter amounts to only about one tablespoon. Researchers did warn, however, that peanut products can be full of added sugar or salt.

It is clear most people consume far too many saturated and polyunsaturated fats proven to increase the risk of poor cellular health. The only fats I recommend that are essential to good health are organic extra virgin olive oil, omega-3 EPA and DHA from fish oil and ALA rich flax seeds and oil. The fats in nuts also appear to be quite healthy; they are primarily monounsaturated. My favorites are almonds, pistachios and walnuts. Nuts are loaded with protein and fiber not to mention minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Pistachios are also rich in the amino acid arginine shown to promote healthy sexual and cardiovascular function. In regards to peanut butter, look for an organic brand with no added sugar and low sodium content. My favorite is sold at Vitacost.com, the brand is Arrowhead Mills. Vitacost.com also has Flora organic extra virgin olive oil, Flora is a very high quality brand.

The June 2009 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published a study⁵ regarding the benefits of folic acid. Researchers have noticed a sharp increase in the percentage of people worldwide who have developed allergies and associated conditions within the last couple of decades. About 8,000 people, ages 2 years and older, who participated in the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were evaluated. It was found that, in general, the higher a person's folate levels, the lower the levels of immunoglobulin E, the anti-body which appears to be responsible for allergic reactions. The researchers concluded that "additional prospective studies will be required to lend insight to the potential role of folic acid supplementation in the primary prevention, treatment or both of allergic diseases." This does not surprise me as most adults and children consume far below the optimal levels of folic acid and other essential B vitamins.

Last but not least, there was another impressive study⁶ published on vitamin D appearing in the journal Osteoporosis International. Researchers noted that populations around the world appear to be suffering from the effects of low levels of vitamin D. They observed that although the optimal level of vitamin D is still uncertain, vitamin D status is seriously inadequate in large proportions of the population throughout the world. Some of the risk factors for low vitamin D levels include older age, less sunlight exposure, dietary habits, absence of vitamin D fortification in common foods and other factors. They found that people, especially in cities, tend to live and work indoors and generally avoid exposure to the sun. Based on my research, I agree many people are severely deficient in vitamin D. Even if you receive adequate sun exposure outdoors and you are using a sun block, you most likely will have less than optimal levels.

The most recent research clearly indicates the RDA/DV of 400 IU per day is worthless and 2,000 – 4,000 IU per day in the D3 form is the optimal level and quite safe. I strongly recommend you consider a Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) Synergy multi-vitamin for optimal levels of vitamin D3 and many other essential nutrients. Synergy is light years ahead of other multi-vitamins when you compare supplement facts against the latest science. I urge you to read the label of your current multi-vitamin. Does it contain at least 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D in the D3 form? If not, you are short changing your health. Also does your multi-vitamin have effective levels of standardized green tea for high levels of EGCG? Synergy 3000 V11 has 2,000 IU D3 and 500 mg of standardized green tea per serving along with numerous other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and herbs. NSI Synergy is far and away the most popular multi-vitamins chosen by the almost 1 million active customers at Vitacost.com and the reviews are consistently 4.5 to 5 stars out of 5 star range. I would also recommend you review the newest versions of Synergy CardioLift® and Synergy NeuroPower®, they are very impressive. To review all of the NSI Synergy choices click here.

Although many of you know Vitacost as a great place to buy your vitamins and supplements, we have become much more than that. We offer literally thousands of food related products. Just do a search on peanuts and you'll come up with 172 items. We offer different brands of organic creamy roasted peanut butter and, as I've mentioned before, we also offer a new line of products called Best of All™ offering great tasting and healthy snacks, such as organic almonds, walnuts, pistachios, shredded coconuts, apricots and many others. Many of them are organic and all of them are great-tasting. If you're trying to cut on your saturated fat intake, look no further than the Best of All line of products to provide you with excellent sources of protein, minerals and healthy fats. To review all Best of All click here.

1. Inoue M, Sasazuki S, Wakai K, et al., Green tea consumption and gastric cancer in Japanese: A pooled analysis of six cohort studies, Gut, Published online June 7, 2009.

2. Kim C, Lee C, Park G and Jang J, Neuroprotective effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate against ß-amyloid-induced oxidative and nitrosative cell death via augmentation of antioxidant defense capacity, Archives of Pharmacal Research, Published online June 2009.

3. Thiébaut A, Jiao L, Silverman D, et al., Dietary Fatty Acids and Pancreatic Cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Published online June 26, 2009.

4. Li T, Brennan A, Wedick N, et al., Regular Consumption of Nuts Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women with Type 2 Diabetes, The Journal of Nutrition, July 2009, Pp 1,333-1,338.

5. Matsui E and Matsui W, Higher serum folate levels are associated with a lower risk of atopy and wheeze, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, June 2009, Pp 1,253-1,259.

6. Mithal A, Wahl D, Bonjour J, et al., Global vitamin D status and determinants of hypovitaminosis D, Osteoporosis International, Published online June 19, 2009.