Children, ADHD, and Sensory Disorders


It is any parent’s greatest wish to see their children happy and healthy. There is nothing more joyful than seeing a carefree, innocent smile light up your child’s face. Read more

Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Disorders


Your gastrointestinal system is an incredible design. It contains endocrine (hormonal) and immune system cells. It cooperates with beneficial bacteria to break down food and protect against harmful pathogens. Read more

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Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin D

February 9, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Babies, Balanced living, Bone Health, Brain, Children, Healing, Medicine, Nutrition, Research, Supplements, Wellness 3 Comments

Would you trust a nutrient with 3000 cancer studies under its belt? In 2009, a very ambitious research team reviewed these studies. Here’s what they found: we could prevent 100,000 people worldwide from developing cancer every year, if we increased our vitamin D intake. They identified ten different ways that vitamin D fights cancer. What a productive little multitasker!

Everyone should know these things about vitamin D:

  1. About 70 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. “Deficiency” means a blood level less than 30 ng/mL, which is based on preventing bone disorders like rickets.
  2. Vitamin D deficiency has no typical symptoms. Like blood pressure, you need to have it measured.
  3. Many chronic illnesses are connected to vitamin D deficiency: heart disease, Alzheimer’s, depression, Type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic colds and flu, and several types of cancer.
  4. Your skin produces vitamin D from cholesterol if you are exposed to sunlight, but sunscreen will stop you from making vitamin D.
  5. The most recent preventive medicine studies suggest that a blood level of 50-80 ng/mL is associated with much lower risk of chronic illness.
  6. In the northern United States, it is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D from sunlight and foods alone.
  7. Children can easily take vitamin D supplements in liquid form.
  8. You need vitamin D to get calcium from food into your blood, and you need vitamin K2 to transfer calcium from your blood into your bones.
  9. You can request a vitamin D test at your annual physical.
  10. Vitamin D can also be measured in a 5-minute appointment, taking two drops of blood from your fingertip.

Our office carries the world’s premier vitamin D supplement with 3000 IU per serving of vitamin D. The formula also includes vitamin K2, vitamin A, and a blend of immune-supporting, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as turmeric, beta glucan, and grape seed extract. We also provide fingerprick testing for vitamin D.

What gets measured gets managed. How are you managing your family’s plan for creating wellness?


The Fires Within: Inflammation

January 25, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Digestive Health, Healing, Hormonal Balance, Immune System, Wellness Leave a comment  

Let’s talk about inflammation. In the short-term, inflammation is your body’s intelligent healing response to an injury. The pain and stiffness associated with inflammation after you stub your toe forces you to protect your foot from further injury while the tissues heal. When inflammation becomes systemic and chronic, it damages your body. In 2004, Time magazine published a special issue about inflammation. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, even brain conditions like depression and Alzheimer’s disease have all been linked to chronic inflammation.

Why is chronic inflammation bad? It damages your cells. Chemical signals created during the inflammatory process are called cytokines. When cytokines are elevated, they interfere with normal cellular communication. They can go even further and damage your cellular membranes, which starts you down the path to organ dysfunction and illness.

Would it surprise you to know that what we think of as a “healthy diet” is pro-inflammatory? Doctors, magazines, and websites typically recommend avoiding saturated fat and cholesterol, eating pro-inflammatory polyunsaturated seed oils, and eating grains. Grains, even “heart-healthy” whole grains, contain the pro-inflammatory sugar amylose. In fact, an excess of sugar drives inflammation, which plays a part in developing type 2 diabetes. Sugar is known to feed cancer cells, and it is the damage from high levels of sugar in blood that causes plaque to form in the arteries. So we should really get the message to focus on eating low-sugar, not low-fat!

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified family chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


Cheap or Free: The Show-Off Vitamin

December 21, 2011 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Bone Health, Children, Digestive Health, Healing, Immune System, Nutrition, Research, Supplements, Wellness 1

Would you trust a nutrient with 3000 cancer studies under its belt? In 2009, a very ambitious research team reviewed these studies. Here’s what they found: we could prevent 100,000 people from developing cancer every year, if we increased our vitamin D intake. They identified ten different ways that vitamin D fights cancer. What a productive little multitasker!

We need vitamin D to absorb calcium from our intestines. It regulates more than 200 unique human genes. When vitamin D isn’t preventing cancer, it’s helping our bodies build bones, prevent heart disease, and fight cold/flu bugs. Okay, now vitamin D is just being a show-off. We have two options for getting more D: cheap (less than $10/month) or free (sunlight).

If you like it cheap:  The U.S. RDA for vitamin D intake, 600 IU, is intended to build bone, not to prevent chronic illnesses. It is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D through fortified foods alone. For this reason, we may need to take at least 2000 IU per day of vitamin D3. It’s widely available in tablet or liquid form.

If you like it free: Sunlight produces vitamin D in unprotected skin at a phenomenally high rate. Get 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure each day in the summer. In Minnesota, we need 20 minutes or more in the winter months, and most of us need to supplement with vitamin D3 (see above).

The most recent research indicates that 40-60 ng/mL is the optimal level of vitamin D in your blood. The blood test for vitamin D may require only a fingerprick and 5 minutes of your time.

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified family chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.