Vitamin D insufficiency is a pandemic affecting nearly half of the people worldwide, while one billion people are classified as vitamin D deficient. Hypovitaminosis D, or vitamin D deficiency, is an independent predictor of total mortality in the general population, and, conversely, vitamin D supplementation has been shown to be protective against mortality. Vitamin D enhances absorption of dietary calcium and phosphorus by 30-40% and 80%, respectively, but its physiological functions extend well beyond mineral assimilation and balance. Vitamin D is known as a pleiotropic hormone, meaning it elicits diverse, multifaceted effects. In fact, local vitamin D production governs the expression of up to 200 genes. That vitamin D receptors are found in so many organ systems, including the muscles, intestines, pancreas, and nervous system, illustrates its expansive and far-reaching effects. In particular, vitamin D regulates the cell cycle, suppressing cell division and inducing terminal differentiation to generate specialized, organ-specific cell types. It likewise regulates the pathway of cell suicide, known as apoptosis, promoting programmed cell death in neoplastic cell lines to prevent cancer. Vitamin D exerts various endocrine effects, such as inhibiting renin and stimulating insulin secretion. It also possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects and enhances host defense against both invading pathogens and tumor development. The vitamin D receptor complex regulates 3% of the human genome, and about 10% of human genes are directly or indirectly responsive to vitamin D. The effects of vitamin D are far-reaching, as demonstrated by the fact that a multitude of human cells, including bone, blood vessel, brain, breast, colon, immune, muscle, prostate, and skin cells express the enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha-hydroxylase. Also known as cytochrome P450 27B1 (CYP27B1), this enzyme is responsible for catalyzing the hydroxylation of calcifediol to calcitriol, the bioavailable, metabolically active form of vitamin D that elicits effects at a cellular level. Regarding vitamin D production, researchers state, “… extrarenal intracrine and paracrine 1,25(OH)2D3 synthesis may critically affect the activities of many tissues and organs.”

A new umbrella review in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum pooled 16 meta-analyses, 113 randomized trials, and nearly 8,000 participants to answer a simple question: does collagen supplementation actually work? The results were notably favorable. Collagen improved skin elasticity and hydration with high certainty evidence, reduced osteoarthritis pain and stiffness, and modestly increased fat-free mass and muscle architecture. Not every finding held up. Benefits for oral health and cardiometabolic markers were mixed, and many of the underlying meta-analyses were rated low or critically low quality by the authors' own assessment. Still, the pattern matches what I saw in patient after patient over 20 years in clinical practice. Collagen was consistently one of the most reliable supplements for mobility, recovery, and skin health, even before the research fully caught up. That gap between clinical experience and research quality shows up constantly in nutrition science, and it is worth taking both seriously rather than dismissing one for the other.

Especially if you're carrying what's been called the "Alzheimer's gene." At least, that's the finding of a 15-year Swedish study just published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers tracked 2,157 adults and found that the people who ate the most unprocessed meat had dramatically lower rates of dementia… And the protective effect was strongest in exactly the group conventional medicine says can't do much about their genetic risk. This is mainstream peer-reviewed science. The Swedish National Study on Aging and Care followed 2,157 adults aged 60 and older for up to 15 years. They tracked diet, genotype, and cognitive trajectories. About 26% of the cohort carried at least one APOE ε4 allele (close to the general population rate). ε4 carriers who ate the most unprocessed meat had 55% lower dementia risk than those who ate the least (sHR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21-0.95). Their cognitive trajectories over 15 years were measurably better, particularly in episodic memory, the cognitive domain early Alzheimer's affects most. In non-carriers, meat intake didn't move the needle in either direction. The effect was specific to people carrying the "Alzheimer's gene." And for the most shocking result: At the lowest meat intake, ε4 carriers had about 2.5x the dementia risk of non-carriers. At the highest meat intake, that gap essentially disappeared. ε4 carriers eating unprocessed animal foods looked, cognitively, like people who never had the "risky" gene in the first place. This study isn't the first to find red meat associated with better cognitive outcomes, but it is the first to nail down that the effect is strongest in people carrying the highest-risk genotype. To put it simply, red meat protect your brain even thought you may have the "dementia gene." So you are not at the mercy of your genes but diet and lifestyle changes can modify them and prevent disease.

Here’s what studies show about Collagen & sleep: This study (PMID: 37874350) showed that taking collagen before bed... - Improved sleep quality - Reduced sleep fragmentation - Improved cognitive performance What’s actually happening? Glycine, an amino acid that accounts for approximately one-third of collagen, helps cool your body down and relax your nervous system. What people think Collagen does: - helps with hair, skin, & nails What Collagen actually does: - Deepens sleep - Improves gut health - Improves liver detox - Boosts glutathione - Lowers inflammation - Calms anxiety and nervous system - Improves arterial health - Glowing skin - Perfect nails - Longer hair - Prevents you from waking up to pee in the middle of the night You can try to take 5-10g of collagen before bed and see what happens!

Researchers at Loma Linda University Health report that eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in adults age 65 and older. Their findings suggest that regular egg consumption could play a role in supporting long-term brain health. The study found that people who ate at least one egg per day for five or more days each week had up to a 27% lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "Compared to never eating eggs, eating at least five eggs per week can decrease risk of Alzheimer's," said Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, a professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study's principal investigator. Even smaller amounts of egg consumption were associated with benefits. Eating eggs just 1 to 3 times per month was linked to a 17% reduction in risk, while those who ate eggs 2 to 4 times per week saw about a 20% lower risk, Sabaté said. The research, titled Egg intake and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort linked with Medicare data, was published in the Journal of Nutrition. Scientists conducted the study to better understand how diet, a factor people can change, might influence the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. Eggs contain several nutrients that are important for the brain, Sabaté said. They are a rich source of choline, which the body uses to produce compounds such as acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine that are essential for memory and communication between brain cells. Eggs also provide lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that build up in brain tissue and have been linked to better cognitive performance and lower levels of oxidative stress. In addition, eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids, and the yolk is especially high in phospholipids, making up nearly 30% of total egg lipids. These compounds play a key role in how neurotransmitter receptors function. Finally, eggs have not impact whatsoever on heart disease. In other words, eating eggs do not affect your risk of having more heart issues.