Vitamin Information Center

Nearly 200 people across the country have been sickened after taking the vitamin supplement Total Body Formula, United Press International reported Sunday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that users of the supplement suffered loss of hair and fingernails, as well as nausea, joint pain, and diarrhea among other symptoms.

The liquid supplement is one of more than 12 supplements that have been recalled in the past year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Some batches of Total Body Formula and Total Body Mega Formula contained excessive amounts of the minerals selenium and chromium.

Selenium, a trace mineral, is only needed in small amounts for good health, the FDA said, and too much of it can cause the symptoms listed above. Chromium, also a trace mineral, can cause anemia, kidney failure, and liver damage if too much is ingested.

The company now faces lawsuits from former customers who allege they were poisoned by the product and face long-term side effects.

In March, the FDA warned consumers in 15 states about the link between the dietary supplement and adverse side effects including “significant hair loss” after 23 individuals suffered “serious reactions” within seven to 10 days of ingesting the liquid supplements.

At that time the distributor of the supplements voluntarily recalled the products, which were distributed by Total Body Essential Nutrition of Atlanta.

The products have been distributed in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Taking Vitamin D supplements in early childhood may ward off the development of type 1 diabetes in later life, new research in the Archives of Disease in Childhood reveals.

Type 1 diabetes is a disorder that develops in early infancy or childood, in which the pancreas stops producing insulin.

When we eat, carbohydrates are turned into glucose or sugar and used by the body for energy. The pancreas produces a hormone known as insulin that manages the body’s blood sugar and moves it throughout the cells – but in Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, for reasons that cannot be explained.

When the pancreas stops producing insulin, glucose remains in the blood stream instead of being transported to the cells. This can have serious consequences for the body’s organs - it can even be fatal and can result in blindness, arm and leg amputation (caused by nerve damage), heart disease and kidney failure. Shockingly, about 1 in 7 of all deaths in the UK are caused by diabetes – that’s about 33,000 deaths every year, and many could be avoided by proper management of the condition, according to Diabetes UK. People with type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin into their blood stream to regulate glucose and check their blood sugar levels several times daily in order to function properly and stay alive.

It is estimated that new cases will have risen 40% between 2000 and 2010.

Now, the new study’s results show that children given additional vitamin D are around 30% less likely to develop type 1 Diabetes compared with those not given the supplement.

And the higher and the more regular the dose, the lower was the likelihood of developing the disease, the evidence suggested.

Levels of vitamin D, and sunlight, from which the body manufactures the vitamin, have been implicated in the risks of developing various autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

And there is a striking difference in the incidence of type 1 diabetes according to levels of sunlight exposure, with a child in Finland 400 times more likely to develop the disease than a child in Venezuela, say the authors.

As a dog-owner, have you ever thought twice about the actual nutritional value of the food and treats you are feeding your dog? If you are concerned about the health of your pet and loyal companion, you should be more aware of what the ingredients are in the dog food and products that you buy. Sadly, the labels of most commercial dog foods don’t tell the whole truth about what they contain and unfortunately some can contain what I like to call useless fillers. Yes, many people feed their dog not so healthy food and they don’t even realize it.
Continue Reading…

As a dog-owner, have you ever thought twice about the actual nutritional value of the food and treats you are feeding your dog? If you are concerned about the health of your pet and loyal companion, you should be more aware of what the ingredients are in the dog food and products that you buy. Sadly, the labels of most commercial dog foods don’t tell the whole truth about what they contain and unfortunately some can contain what I like to call useless fillers. Yes, many people feed their dog not so healthy food and they don’t even realize it. Continue Reading…