Vitamin Information Center

(NaturalNews) Women who do not get enough vitamin D while pregnant place their children at increased risk for tooth enamel defects and early childhood tooth decay, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Manitoba, Canada, and presented at the General Session of the International Association for Dental Research in Toronto.

Researchers measured the vitamin D blood levels of 206 women in the second trimester of pregnancy. Only 10.5 percent had sufficient levels. Of 135 infants studied, 21.6 percent suffered from enamel defects, and 33.6 percent suffered from early childhood tooth decay.

While low maternal vitamin D levels were correlated with enamel defects, this correlation did not reach statistical significance. Insufficient maternal vitamin D was also correlated with higher levels of early childhood tooth decay, a relationship that was found to be statistically significant. The researchers also found that infants who had enamel defects were more likely to go on to have early childhood tooth decay than children with healthier enamel.

The study was funded by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Dentistry Canada Fund, the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation and the University of Manitoba. The researchers warned that because 90 percent of study participants were urban aboriginal women, caution should be used in generalizing the study’s results.

Vitamin D is naturally produced by the body upon exposure to sunlight. It is essential in helping the body absorb calcium, a critical component of healthy bones and teeth. Recent research has also suggested that the vitamin might play critical role in the health of the immune system, and may help prevent not only osteoporosis but also high blood pressure, cancer and certain autoimmune diseases.

The average light-skinned person can get enough vitamin D from 15 minutes of sun on the face and hands each day, while a darker-skinned person needs twice as much. This may not be sufficient for people living in extreme latitudes, however, especially during the winter.

Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com; www.reuters.com.

By Maureen Williams, ND

Healthnotes Newswire (September 11, 2008)—People with digestive diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, are especially susceptible to osteoporosis and bone fractures, due in part to nutrient deficiencies caused by malabsorption and medication side effects. A new study found that people with good vitamin D status early in the course of their disease had higher bone density and a greater likelihood of increasing bone density over time.

Healthy vitamin D levels predict healthy bones

The study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, included 101 people who had recently been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Vitamin D levels in the blood and bone mineral density were measured at the beginning of the study, and bone density measurements were repeated approximately two years later.

Only 22% of the people had optimal vitamin D levels at the beginning of the study. Higher vitamin D levels were associated with higher bone density in the spine, hip, and total body. People with better vitamin D status were more likely than others to have an increase in bone mineral density over the course of the study.

The link between IBD and bone density

IBD is a group of inflammatory conditions affecting the large and small intestines. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the most common types, both of which are believed to be autoimmune (when the immune system attacks the body’s cells) in nature. People with IBD usually experience chronic abdominal pain and diarrhea, often with bleeding and mucus.

In people with IBD, inflammation in the bowel wall and diarrhea compromise absorption and result in nutrient deficiencies. In addition, corticosteroid medicines that are used to treat IBD can interfere with calcium absorption and metabolism. Maintaining healthy bone density requires the integrated work of a number of nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D, so it is not surprising that people with IBD have high rates of low bone density (osteopenia and osteoporosis).

Improving vitamin D status

Vitamin D is made in the body through a series of chemical reactions that begins in sun-exposed skin. Modern lifestyles with limited outdoor time and widespread use of sunscreens have led to increasing rates of vitamin D deficiency in the general population, and these rates are even higher in the elderly and people with chronic disease.

“Poorer vitamin D correlates with lower baseline bone mineral density and better vitamin D status is correlated with a gain in total bone mineral density. Early optimization of vitamin D may play an important role in preventing IBD-related bone disease,” said the researchers from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in eggs and fish, as well as fortified dairy foods and some dairy substitutes, but the authors noted that their findings suggest that adding vitamin D supplements is warranted for most people with IBD.

Nidhi Sharma - AHN News Writer

London, England (AHN) - Low levels of Vitamin D may contribute to chronic pain among women and taking an extra daily dose of the sunshine vitamin may prove beneficial, studies suggest.

The same, however, does not hold true for men as they have different hormones, British researchers say in a study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.

The study by the Institute of Child Health in London is based on the blood analyses and pain scores of almost 7,000 men and women from across England, Scotland and Wales, all of whom were born during one week in March 1958 and were 45 years of age.

Smokers, non-drinkers, the overweight and the underweight all reported higher rates of chronic pain. The extent of chronic widespread pain did not vary among men according to vitamin D levels. However, this was not the case for women.

Women with adequate vitamin D levels had the lowest rates of this type of pain, at just over 8 percent. The recommended level of vitamin D is between 75 and 99 mmol/litre - a level deemed necessary for bone health. Women with levels of less than 25 mmol/litre had the highest rates, at 14.4 percent.

In women, the hormonally active form of vitamin D is also involved in the regulation of immune system responses. At the age of 45, few of the women would have entered menopause, a period during which bone mineral density falls with lack of estrogen production.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for healthy bones. It is produced in the body when exposed to sunlight and is also found in oily fish, egg yolks and margarine.

Amongst the thousands of foods available in the supermarket there are 5 foods that help the body defend itself against disease. Whether you eat them as snacks or incorporate them into meals, the nutrients provided in these 5 foods boost health and keep disease at bay.

1. Nuts. Almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, coconuts, chestnuts, macadamia nuts and hazelnuts are loaded with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which help fight obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Nuts are also a good source of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids as well as antioxidants.

According to Health Castle, researchers have found that regular consumption of nuts lowers the risk of heart disease in both men and women. In 2002, the Physician’s Health Study discovered that the risk of death by cardiac failure was significantly lowered in men who ate nuts at least 2 times a week.

2. Coconut Milk. Asian cultures have been using coconuts to stay healthy for generations. Coconut milk helps promote healthy bones and boosts the body’s immune system. The type of fat found in coconut milk is the same type of fat found in human milk which is why it is doesn’t cause why gain.

In studies conducted in the U.S. there has been very little research that claims coconut milk is effective in treating heart disease although many coconut enthusiasts swear it works.

Scientists would like us to have more knowledge on the health benefits of coconut milk but their efforts have been thwarted by the vegetable oil industry. Either way, whether you are eating fresh coconuts, drinking coconut milk or using coconut oil there are good health benefits to be had in coconut

3. Beef. Beef is full of vitamins. B vitamins, zinc and iron are the 3 most common and coincidentally are also the 3 vitamins most people don’t get enough of. The only problem with beef is that we have gone from eating grass-fed beef to grain-fed beef.

Grass-fed beef is leaner than grain-fed beef and has more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which is an anti-cancer fat, as well as omega-3 acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids lower your risk of heart disease and lowers cholesterol. CLAs contain more vitamin A and E which are known to help fight cancer, heart disease, immune diseases and diabetes.

4. Olive Oil. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, phenols and Vitamin E. All of which are good for you skin, hair, nails, heart and nerves. It is also known to help with inflammation.

The Polyphenols found in olive oil are antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer. Proof of the magic of olive oil can be found in those living in European parts of the world where consumption of olive oil is high. These are people with less statistics of cancer than Americans.

5. Cinnamon. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cinnamon helps steady blood sugar, blocks cancers cells and is an anti-inflammatory ingredient. Cinnamon also provides the body with manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Cinnamon causes blood to rise from the center of the body and brings it up to the skin. This helps with circulation and blood pressure. Circulation is imperative for keeping oxygen flowing throughout the body.

Recent studies have been conducted on diabetics and the results have shown that cinnamon enhances the effects of insulin. These studies have found that one dose of cinnamon twice a day helps lower blood sugar, cholesterol and fight gum disease.

There you have it, 5 foods to help you stay healthy. Eat well, sleep well and feel well.

By: KrSpies
Published: 04/05/08

The benefits of vitamin D have long been known. It’s central for healthy bones and preventing some cancers.

A recent study boosted D’s profile, saying people with a moderate vitamin D deficiency had a 60-percent increased risk of cardiovascular problems, and those with a severe deficiency a almost 100-percent risk.

Since we get vitamin D from the sun along with food, it seemed great news for those who like to catch some rays. But not so fast, says Judy Dowd, a physician’s assistant with Cotton-O’Neil Dermatology. She says one source says all you need is five to 10 minutes of sun exposure on the hands, arm and face, two to three times a week, to get enough sun exposure to get the vitamin D you need and metabolize it usefully.

That’s about a half hour total. Other health officials said up to two hours total a week is what’s needed. But you also get vitamin D from food. Dowd says it is milk, cereals, breads and other foods are fortified with it and it’s also in eggs and liver.

Dowd advocates minimal sun exposure, so that you get enough vitamin D without adding to the risk sun exposure poses. She says it can cause early signs of aging, like wrinkles. It can also impact the immune system and cause skin cancers.

Dowd says it’s projected there’ll be 1.3 million new cases of skin cancer in the next couple years. She says many health experts attribute this to the increased use of tanning beds. As for tanning beds and vitamin D, she says we get vitamin D from UVB rays, not UVA rays, and most tanning beds use only UVA rays.

The number of skin cancers continues to climb and successful treatment means catching it early. The Cotton-O’Neil Cancer Center will have free skin cancer screenings Saturday, April 26th. It’s free, but you do have to register for an appointment by calling HealthConnections at 785-354-5225.

ORONO — Vitamin D has long been recognized for its role in making healthy bones, but a growing body of evidence now suggests that it can also significantly reduce the risk of developing several types of cancers.

That’s the promising message that a group of University of Maine researchers found when they reviewed medical research, from 1970 to 2007, that examined the protective effects of the “sunshine vitamin” against cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, lung and ovary.

There are receptors for the most active form of vitamin D, a steroid hormone called calcitriol, in many tissues in the body that are not related to bone development, says Betty Ingraham, a UMaine doctoral student in nutrition and a co-author of the paper. In the body, the genes that respond to active vitamin D are critical to maintaining the health of cells and in regulating cell growth and differentiation.

The UMaine team, which includes doctoral student Beth Bragdon and Anja Nohe, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, cited one especially encouraging randomized clinical trial in Nebraska as an example of the mounting evidence that has emerged in recent years regarding the health benefits of vitamin D.

The Creighton University study involved 1,179 postmenopausal women divided into three groups. One group took 1,400-1,500 milligrams of supplementary calcium a day, another took the same amount of calcium plus 1,100 international units (IU) of vitamin D � nearly triple the currently recommended intake for that age group. The third group took placebo pills each day. After four years, those women in the combined calcium-vitamin D group showed a 60-percent lower risk of developing cancer when compared to the placebo group. The calcium-only group had a reduced cancer risk of 47 percent.

When the researchers threw out the data from the study’s first year, on the chance that some women might have begun the study with cancers that had yet to be diagnosed, the results were even more remarkable. For the last three years of the study, women in the calcium-vitamin D group showed a 77-percent reduced risk of cancer compared to the placebo group. Risk for the calcium-only group was essentially unchanged.

As encouraging as that study and others may be, however, maintaining desirable levels of vitamin D in the body remains a challenge, especially for people living in northern latitudes. The most important source of vitamin D is the skin, which makes the nutrient quickly and in large amounts when exposed to bright sunlight. Yet in states such as Maine, ultraviolet-B radiation from the sun is not intense enough in winter to promote synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. Consequently, blood levels of vitamin D drop from November on, reaching their lowest levels by March.

Susan Sullivan, a researcher in UMaine’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and doctoral student Monica Nelson recently studied 86 college-age women from the Bangor area and found that 38 percent had deficient levels of vitamin D  in winter. The young women were then put on vitamin D supplements of 800 IU a day, which, when added to the 140 IU they got from fortified foods such as milk, boosted their intake to nearly 1000 IU, or five times the currently recommended amount for that age group. By the end of the one-year study, only nine percent of the women remained deficient in vitamin D, and 80 percent had achieved optimal levels.

“But 80 percent is not good enough,” says Sullivan, who was not part of the review paper. “We want to optimize vitamin D levels in 97 percent of that population of women, which means they need supplements of more than 800 IU. Older people, who get less sun exposure, need even more.”

Sullivan’s earlier three-year study of 23 Bangor-area adolescent girls revealed that nearly half of them had insufficient levels of vitamin D in their blood by late winter. In September, when the nutrient is usually at its highest level after an abundance of summer sun, 17 percent remained deficient. Because puberty is a critical period in the development of bone mass, Sullivan says, a serious lack of vitamin D, the nutrient known to promote calcium absorption, could lead to health problems such as osteoporosis later in life.

In their review paper on vitamin D and cancer, the UMaine team says researchers are now studying physiological evidence and data from clinical trials in order to revise the recommendations on vitamin D intake for optimal health. Many nutrition experts, Sullivan among them, believe that the current dietary recommendations for vitamin D are too low.

Foods fortified with vitamin D are helpful, she says, but don’t provide nearly enough of the nutrient in a normal diet. In the spring, summer and early fall in Maine, getting five to 10 minutes of midday sun each day on bare arms and legs, followed by an application of sunscreen to avoid sunburn, can make a big difference in boosting vitamin D levels.

Sullivan also joins many other nutrition experts in suggesting that people should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 1,000 IU in the winter, but only after consulting a physician.

NattoPharma, Norway, and P.L. Thomas today note the publication of a new study demonstrating vitamin K’s role in promoting healthy bones in children. Published online at the British Journal of Nutrition link, the researchers followed 307 healthy children, with an average age of 11.2 years, over a two year period and measured skeletal bone mineral content. They found improved status of the K vitamins over the two year period resulted in better mineral content and improved bone mass of the whole body.

According to the lead author, Marieke Summeren, Ph.D., “As children grow the increase in bone mass may fail to keep up with the increase in height, or length of the bone, and as a consequence, this imbalance may result in fracture.” She continued, “But the main threat of a long-term shortage of K vitamins is that peak bone mass may be compromised, and as we age and begin to lose bone density, the risk of fracture in later life is increased.”

Study author Leon J. Schurgers,Ph.D.commented, “Numerous population studies and interventional trials have established the consumption of K vitamins to bone strength, structure and the reduction of the risk of fracture. This is due to the need to activate the vitamin K-dependent protein osteocalcin, which is essential for the body to utilize calcium in a healthy bone tissue. Unfortunately, most people, including children, are likely deficient in the K vitamins related to the need for bone health.”

This is among the first studies linking K vitamins to bone health in children. Vitamin K status was evaluated by measured by the amount of active osteocalcin to inactive osteocalcin. Without adequate vitamin K, the osteocalcin remains inactive, and thus not effective. Previous research has evaluated vitamin K status in children and found that they have inadequate K vitamins consumption to fully activate osteocalcin.

“There are two types of vitamin K from dietary sources. Vitamin K1 is found in leafy green vegetables, and Vitamin K2, also called menaquinones, are predominately found in fermented cheeses, curd, and the fermented soy called natto,” stated Schurgers. “Vitamin K1 is mostly used by the liver where it is involved in the synthesis of certain blood clotting factors. Vitamin K2 is also equally active outside the liver, in tissues including bone. Thus it is important to have good sources of both types of vitamin K!”

The recommended intakes of vitamin K today are based solely on coagulation. However, K vitamins are also necessary for the activation of osteocalcin, a protein necessary to transport calcium from the blood to form healthy bone matrix. Also, K vitamins are needed to activate matrix GLA protein (MGP), the most potent inhibitor of vascular calcification known. In essence, K vitamins are necessary to keep calcium in your bones and out of your arteries.

About Vitamin K2
The role of newly recognized vitamin K2 has for the past decade been linked to two of the most important health issues, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. This link specifically centers on calcium utilization- implying that there is concurrent arterial calcification and osteoporosis when metabolism of calcium is inadequate. K vitamins are essential to activate proteins involved in calcium metabolism.

Numerous population studies and interventional trials have established the consumption of vitamins K and K2 to bone strength, structure and the reduction of the risk of fracture. More recently, and specifically to vitamin K2, a significant role in cardiovascular health has been established.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition called the “Rotterdam Study” in 2004, followed over 4,800 people for a ten year period. The study found increased intake of specifically vitamin K2 from dietary sources significantly reduced the incidence of arterial calcification and the risk of CHD mortality by 50% as compared to low dietary vitamin K2 intake. In this study, vitamin K1 had no effect at all.

# # #

PLT offers a natural vitamin K2 under the trade name MenaQ7 in alliance NattoPharma, Norway, the owner of the brand MenaQ7.

About MenaQ7™
MenaQ7 provides Natural Vitamin K2 as an extract of natto, a fermented soy food from Japan. Natto is particularly rich in the highly bio-available form of vitamin K2 called menaquinone-7 (MK-7). MenaQ7 provides the only commercially available Natural Vitamin K2 with guaranteed actives and stability, clinical substantiation and international patents awarded and pending.

For more information on the health benefits of MenaQ7, please visit www.menaq7.com

About NattoPharma
NattoPharma, Norway, is a publically-traded company and the exclusive international supplier of MenaQ7 natural Vitamin K2. NattoPharma has entered into a multi-year research and development program to substantiate and discover the health benefits of natural vitamin K2 for applications in the exciting marketplace for functional food and health food supplements. www.nattopharma.com

About PL Thomas
PL Thomas, a New Jersey-based ingredient supplier, offers fifty years of innovation in securing reliable, high quality raw materials for the food/functional food and nutrition industries. PLT is a one-stop resource for application solutions, current industry information and technical service, and specializes in water-soluble gums and clinically-supported botanical extracts. www.plthomas.com

For more information, please contact Eric Anderson at eric@plthomas.com - 973-984-0900 x215.

Cod liver oil, a long-used source of vitamin D, may have the unexpected effect of lowering bone mass, a new study suggests.Norwegian researchers found that among more than 3,000 middle-aged women, those who took cod liver oil as children generally had lower bone mass than women who had not used the fish oil.

Because sunlight is needed to trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, people in Nordic countries are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency. Cod liver oil is a traditional source of supplemental vitamin D, and is still widely used in Norway, where few foods are fortified with the vitamin.

Many people also take cod liver oil as a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, or to ease arthritis symptoms.

Given the role of vitamin D in maintaining healthy bones, the new findings are “unexpected” and “paradoxical,” the researchers note in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

They speculate, however, that the high vitamin A content in cod liver oil could be to blame.

Vitamin A accumulates in body fat, and excessive levels may have a negative effect on bone metabolism and actually raise fracture risk, explained Dr Siri Forsmo, the lead researcher on the study and an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Too much vit A to blame
It’s possible that cod liver oil, on top of the traditionally vitamin A-rich Norwegian diet, provided some of these women with too much of the nutrient, Forsmo told Reuters Health.

Since 2002, Norway has required that cod liver oil producers cut the supplement’s vitamin A content by 75 percent - from 3,300 International Units per dose to 825 IU. Forsmo said she is unaware of any other countries that have made similar moves.

In the US, the recommended daily intake for vitamin A is 3,000 IU for men and 2,310 IU for women; for children, the recommendation is between 1,000 and 2,000 IU per day.

In contrast to the US and certain other countries, where milk and many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D, relatively few foods in Norway have added vitamin D, Forsmo noted. Butter, margarine and one type of low-fat milk are the exceptions.

So cod liver oil remains a major source of vitamin D there, Forsmo said, adding that she still takes it during the winter.

Importantly, the researcher noted, the current study looked at bone mass, and not whether women who used cod liver oil as children actually had a higher rate of bone fractures. That is a question for future studies. - (Amy Norton/Reuters Health)

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, February 15, 2008.