Treatment of Hypovitaminosis D in Infants and Toddlers
The optimal status for Vitamin D is unlikely to be met without the ingestion of Vit D supplements. This is in part because the minimum levels are being revised upwards and the suitable food sources are inadequate in nutrient density and are erratically consumed. In addition the change in sunbathing practices in the northern hemisphere has led to a widely recognised Vit D deficiency pandemic.
Children are especially vulnerable to the adverse consequences of Vit D deficiency during their growing years. Recognising the need for supplemental intervention a group of clinicians and scientists from Divisions of Adolescent Medicine and Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Biotics Research Corporation explored the effectiveness of differing forms of Vit D3 in the restoration of normal levels of Vit D status in children.
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Common Ills are Linked to Memory Loss
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease who have common bacterial infections suffer greater memory loss, claims a recent study published in Neurology. The effect is said to be linked to increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNFa) caused by systemic inflammation.
Previous research has suggested that acute systemic inflammation might exacerbate neurodegeneration, so the researchers, based at the University of Southampton, UK, measured the level of TNFa in the blood of 222 elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease and assessed their ability to perform cognitive tests over a 6 month period.
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French Study Contradicts FSA’s Opinion on Organic Food Benefits
A report just published by the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA), the equivalent to the UK’s Food Standards Agency has described organic foods as being better for you,contain less pesticides and nitrates, both of which have been linked to a range of health problems including diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
This up-to-date exhaustive and critical evaluation of the nutritional quality of organic food has found organic foods have higher levels of minerals and antioxidants, counter opposing the recent FSA report that questioned the benefits of growing and consuming organic foods.
Published in the peer reviewed journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development this review carries substantive scientific opinion. It defines a number of advantages provided by the organic food production methods.
Vit D Optimisation Requires Supplementation Says Harvard
The conservative Harvard Medical School in the USA normally promotes micronutrient intake being derived from food stuffs alone. The Health Publications Bulletin out in Sept 2009 says that from the perspective of Vitamin D food sources may be inadequate and that supplementary intake is required to meet physiological optimisation. (See Video)
Do Flu Vaccines Provide Real Protection?
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Each year the respective medical authorities in the western world recommend the influenza vaccine and who should receive it. Since 1999 the age groups have been expanded to include greater numbers of people. Whilst the UK has a more conservative approach to seasonal flu in terms of age, in the USA virtually the only groups not recommended to receive the vaccine are those aged between 19 and 40 without any ongoing health problem.
Vit D Gains New Respect as Vital Health Nutrient
Vit D Balances the Innate Immune Response
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A new study has concluded that one key part of the immune system, the ability of vitamin D to regulate anti-bactericidal proteins, is so important that it has been conserved through almost 60 million years of evolution and is shared only by primates, including humans – but no other known animal species. The genetic material – called an Alu short interspersed element – is part of what used to be thought of as “junk DNA” and makes up more than 90 percent of the human genome.
The Role of Vitamin C in the Treatment of the Common Cold
Dr Harri Hemila MD PhD co author of the Cochrane Review article replies [1]:
The Cochrane review was limited to placebo-controlled trials in which at least 0.2 g of vitamin C was used per day.[2] Most of these trials examined vitamin C administration as regular supplementation and provided strong evidence that vitamin C shortens the duration of colds and alleviates its symptoms.
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Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Herbs, Phytochemicals and Vitamins and Their Immunologic Effects
Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are used in more than 80% of the world’s population and are becoming an increasing component of the US health care system, with more than 70% of the population using CAM at least once and annual spending reaching as much as $34 billion. Since the inception of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there has been an enormous increase in the number of basic science and therapy-based clinical trials exploring CAM.
Antioxidants And Other Nutrients Do Not Interfere With Chemotherapy Or Radiation Therapy And Can Increase Kill And Increase Survival, Part 1.
PURPOSE: Some in the oncology community contend that patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy should not use food supplement antioxidants and other nutrients. Oncologists at an influential oncology institution contended that antioxidants interfere with radiation and some chemotherapies because those modalities kill by generating free radicals that are neutralized by antioxidants, and that folic acid interferes with methotrexate. This is despite the common use of amifostine and dexrazoxane, 2 prescription antioxidants, during chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
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Evidence-based decision making on micronutrients and chronic disease: long-term randomised controlled trials are not enough
Comment: Of course, everyone would agree that all persons should be encouraged to eat a good diet, but we are far from achieving this goal, especially among the poor. In most cases, a simple way to improve micronutrient status is to take an MVM. However, even if one eats an ideal diet and takes an MVM, some vitamins can remain below recommended concentrations in some subgroups. For example, the efficiency of absorption of vitamin B-12 decreases with age, and supplements containing more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance are needed to correct the deficiency. The ability of the skin to use ultraviolet light to synthesise vitamin D3 also decreases with age and is inefficient in dark-skinned people. Because dietary sources of vitamin D3 are not plentiful, supplements are recommended for those groups.
Ames BN, McCann JC, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Evidence-based decision making on micronutrients and chronic disease: long-term randomized controlled trials are not enough. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):522-3 View Letter
