Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 8:32AM If even the Government’s Chief Medical Advisor is broadcasting concerns then …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/24/vitamin-d-awareness-doctors?newsfeed=true
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 8:19AM The mechanism that links a tendency for, in some people, low levels of vitamin d to lead to the development of MS is now being unravelled.
See this …
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 1:25PM This article …
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920100100.htm
is quite interesting. It shows how a darker skin can make it far harder to get the benefit of the sun’s rays to produce vitamin D.
Reminds me of an interesting article I read which argued that the darker skin of original early humans living in east-central African may have been an evolutionary adaption to down regulate the production of vitamin D but, as early humans migrated north-east towards colder, more northern latitudes, they may have re-adapted to a lighter skin with less melanin so as to eke out more benefit from the smaller amount of daily sunlight!
Michael Smith
And now this from a recent BBC web article, implying that fair skinned people may need supplements not just because they are more likely to automatically use sun-screen whenever in the sun, but because there may be something about fair skin that does not initiate the production of Vitamin D so well when exposed to the sun!
The plot thickens …
Michael Smith
This is a massively important study because a) it was a well organised trial and b) it shows fairly conclusively that insufficient Vitamin D harms our ability to fight infections.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111012142034.htm
It does clarify why, decades ago, those who developed TB in cold northern climates and were rich enough, would go to Swiss sanatoriums and spend hours sitting outside in the sun each day!
Now we know they were building up their Vitamin D levels!
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 6:56AM Looks like the Vitamin D issue will become mainstream soon.
Worth pointing out to pregnant mums and - perhaps more importantly - to women who are trying to conceive, that starting supplementation with fish oil (but it must be a high quality and highly refined brand) and with Vitamin D is likely to really help your baby, not just as it grows in the womb, but possibly even later in its life.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14576626
Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 12:10PM This recent research (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110531115323.htm) illustrates again the dilemna as to whether - if we have a good diet - we need a broad spectrum multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.
In my practice, I only tend to suggest these to patients who are health compromised and / or who do get a poor diet (e.g. a young man living on his own, eating a lot of fast good).
And for those ‘normal’ people, who are broadly healthy and do eat a good (ish) diet, then I tend to focus on the all important single supplements such as fish oil and vitamin d3 (which I believe we should all be taking long term).
But this research (see the link above) raises the possibility that small deficiencies in certain key vitamins / minerals such as K and selenium may actually have subtle, gradual and important effects on our long term health and on how fast we actually age!
Will have to re-think my advice …
Michael Smith
A European recent update on recommended levels of Vit D3 for the population …
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110102058.htm
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 3:35PM Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 9:31AM Here is an example of a product that, used safely, would help boost Vitamin D3 production in people who have no access to natural sunlight …
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 6:50AM The IOM (in the US) has raised the old levels of minimum Vit D levels in this recent report to new levels that they believe will mean the average person will not get bone density problems.
The issue of the right level of Vit D to prevent other problems is still an evolving one, and there may well be more changes in the next five years or so.
http://www.wbur.org/npr/131668100/medical-panel-don-t-go-overboard-on-vitamin-d
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 10:25AM Interesting look at this link, and the effects of skin cancer from the sun versus protective benefits of the sun …
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110207165422.htm
Monday, January 24, 2011 at 10:36AM They may get a fair amount of sun in India, but environmental, social and cultural factors might still make it difficult to get enough Vitamin D from the sun. I found it interesting that pregnant women and new mothers who are deficient in Vitamin D may make the situation a bit worse if they only breastfeed their new-borns (because bottle feeding will get some added Vitamin D to the infant).
However it is still the case that the growth of the baby in the womb (i.e. before bottle feeding) is probably just as important as after birth and during the first year.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 11:01AM Monday, June 21, 2010 at 4:05PM Monday, June 21, 2010 at 4:03PM Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 4:39PM Here is another pointer to how latitude (similar to multiple sclerosis?) and climate may affect availability of sunlight to the skin, and thus levels of vitamin D ...
Friday, September 25, 2009 at 10:04PM The idea that most of us are not getting enough Vitamin D is starting to gain a lot of respectable currency. An amazing guy called Steve Gibson has spoken at length on this on a recent podcast of his, and has posted a lot of information on his website.
Though he may not be a doctor, he is a scientific type - not faddy at all, and a real engineer who is interested in facts, evidence and logical thinking.
Two facts are especially interesting; the RDA for Vitamin D is based on the amount required to stop you getting osteomalacia (phew!), and the only significant dietary source of it is cod liver oil!
Check out his page ... http://www.grc.com/health/Vitamin-D.htm
Michael Smith
Michael Smith
More evidence that Vitamin D supplementation may not just help in cancer prevention, but might also increase your chances of survival if you do get cancer ...