Vitamin Information Center

Chandigarh Supply of Evion, a popular brand of Vitamin E capsules, has stopped since last month

After Vitamin C tablets went off the market shelves recently, now it is the turn of Vitamin E.

The supply of Evion, a popular brand of Vitamin E capsules manufactured by the Merck Group, has been hit since last month, say chemists. “The company has not given us a specific reason for the shortage but has stopped supply,” said Anil Jauhar, a distributor of the brand.

According to Amarjeet Singh, president of the Chandigarh Chemists’ Association, the shortage is a consequence of the drug coming under the purview of the Health Ministry’s recent drug-price control order.

“The price has been reduced from Rs 15 to around Rs 10 for a strip. As it happened in the case of Vitamin C capsules, companies are finding it unviable to manufacture the products at the current rates.”

Officerbearer of the Chemists’ Association, Vinay Kumar, said the situation is under control as the supply of only one brand has been affected. “Other brands of capsules companies like Cadila continue to be available,” he added.

“The situation will ease in a few months. Sometimes, companies stop supply for a while and then resume so that they can make a profit through the sheer volume of sales,” said another chemist. The pharmaceutical companies were not available for comment.

Adverse Selection
Definition
Adverse selection refers to a situation in which individuals
are able to purchase health insurance at a premium
that is below actuarially fair premiums. Adverse selection
occurs because of information asymmetries: consumers
are better informed about their health status than
health insurers are. The consequence of adverse selection
of unregulated health insurance markets is market
instability.

Low levels of vitamin D may put older people at a higher risk of depression, a study has found.

Researchers also estimated that 13 per cent of all people aged over 65 could be depressed.

The study, carried out by scientists in Amsterdam and published in Science Daily, found that a deficiency in vitamin D causes high blood levels of the parathyroid hormone, which has been linked to depression.

Of the 1,282 older people aged between 65 and 95 studied, 169 had a minor depressive illness and 26 were majorly depressed. Those with depression were found to have 14 per cent lesser vitamin D in their blood levels.

Over half of the women and 38.8 per cent of the men studied had insufficient vitamin D levels.

The authors of the study write: “Decreased vitamin intake may be secondary to depression, but depression may also be the consequence of poor vitamin D status.”

Decreased outdoor activity and different housing or clothing habits were all believed to decrease vitamin D.

However, a healthy dose of sun exposure can relieve minor feelings of depression.