Oily fish: Mackerel is a good source of vitamin D

Vitamin D may offer protection against the most common form of diabetes.

New research shows that, in particular, men with the highest blood level of the vitamin were 72 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

There was a reduced effect among women.

Scientists in Finland monitored several thousand people, aged 40 to 74, for 22 years, during which time 412 developed the disease.

Results showed that those with higher levels of vitamin D had the lower risk of diabetes.

It is thought that low levels of vitamin D affect the body’s ability to produce insulin.

Diabetes type 2 is a growing health problem.

There are 1.9 million adults in the UK with diagnosed diabetes, and it is estimated there are another 589,000 unidentified sufferers.

Risk increases with age - less than one per cent of people under 34 have diagnosed diabetes compared with 10 per cent aged 75 and over.

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.

Apr 17 2008 by Gerry Holt, Western Mail

Vitamin A

Important for:

A healthy immune system;

Bone and tooth development;

Healthy skin and mucus linings (in the nose for example); and

Vision in dim light.

Sources:

Milk, cheese, eggs, oily fish, fortified margarine and liver.

How much do I need?

It is fat-soluble so you don’t need it every day – any of the vitamin your body doesn’t need immediately is stored for future use.

0.7mg a day for men

0.6mg a day for women

What happens if I take too much?

Too much Vitamin A over many years can make bones more likely to fracture when you’re older.

If you’re pregnant, having large amounts of Vitamin A can harm your unborn baby.

Vitamin C

Important for:

A healthy immune system and helping the body to absorb iron.

Sources:

Found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables including citrus fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and brussels sprouts.

How much do I need?

It is water-soluble, which means you need it in your diet every day because it can’t be stored in the body.

Adults need 40mg a day.

What happens if I take too much?

Can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence.

Vitamin E

Important for:

A healthy immune system; and,

Healthy circulation.

Sources:

Found in a wide variety of foods. The richest sources are plant oils such as soya, corn and olive oil. Other good sources include nuts and seeds, and wheatgerm (found in cereals and cereal products).

How much do I need?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means you don’t need it every day because any of the vitamin your body doesn’t need immediately is stored for future use.

4mg a day for men

3mg a day for women

What happens if I take too much

There isn’t enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin E supplements each day.

Beta-carotene

Important for:

Its similar function to Vitamin A; and,

Used to make retinol, needed for healthy vision.

Sources:

Found in fruit and vegetables that are red-orange in colour including carrots, red peppers, mango, melon and apricots.

How much do I need?

You should be able to get the amount you need from your daily diet.

What happens if I take too much?

Increases the risk of lung cancer developing in smokers and in people who have been heavily exposed to asbestos at work.

Source: Food Standards Agency

Thanks to sun avoidance and indoor lifestyles, Americans are vitamin D deficient. One of the worst things Americans have done to their health is avoid sun exposure. Most of us work inside then sit in our cars, and when we’re outside we slather ourselves with sun block and wear wide-brim hats and long sleeves. As a result, the majority of Americans have a serious vitamin D deficiency. It’s important to know whether your vitamin D levels are low, because a deficiency can increase the risk of our most common diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

In addition to its role in enabling calcium to be absorbed from the gut, new research is showing that vitamin D prevents heart disease, and stops the out-of-control cell growth that characterizes cancer. A number of population studies are suggesting that the less sunshine we get, the higher our risk is for cancers of the colon, prostate, breast, lung and, believe it or not, skin. Other research shows that vitamin D deficiency may be causing autoimmune diseases such as fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis (MS). Research published in the British Medical Journal (vol. 237, p.316) on multiple sclerosis suggests that children who are exposed to the sun an average of two to three hours a day in the summer are a third less likely to develop MS. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause muscle weakness, osteoporosis and chronic low back pain.

The Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin. When the sun’s ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the skin, a biochemical process begins in which an active form of vitamin D is created, enters the blood stream and then the cells. You can also get vitamin D from foods such as oily fish, dairy products and supplements, but sunshine is by far our most important source of this essential vitamin.

But haven’t we been warned away from sun exposure? Won’t it cause cancer and wrinkles? Well, yes and no. Our national hysteria about sun damage is grossly exaggerated. It’s one of those myths that has been repeated so much that most everyone assumes it to be true. The sunscreen industry has done a great job selling its wares by scaring us about sun exposure. However, if you dig down and do some research it’s a different story.

Yes, if you repeatedly get sunburned you somewhat increase your risk of non-melanoma skin cancer and wrinkles. The fairer the skin, the more easily it is sunburned and damaged. By far the biggest risk for skin cancer is simply having fair skin - with or without sunscreen. There’s really no substantial evidence that using sunscreen protects you from skin cancer. There is a weak association between melanoma and sunburn, but there is no evidence that using sunscreen prevents melanoma. There is some research indicating that exposure to the sun as a child reduces the risk of melanoma.

How Much Sun Do We Need?

According to Michael Holick, a vitamin D researcher and author of the book, The UV Advantage, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the summer (when the sun is most intense), a Caucasian with medium-fair skin living in Boston needs five to eight minutes of sunshine daily without sunblock. In winter you need more sun. People who live further north and/or have darker skin need more time and conversely, people who live closer to the equator and have fairer skin need less time.

There is considerable controversy about whether the process of skin tanning is beneficial and protective against the sun’s harmful rays, or whether tanning is actually a symptom of skin damage. Although repeated sunburns are correlated with later skin cancers, people who are brown from spending their lives working outside in the sun do not have higher rates of skin cancer: factors such as light skin, freckles, numerous moles, genetics and exposure to radiation and arsenic are greater risk factors.

The bottom line on healthy sunning is to avoid sunburn; in fact, you should be out of the sun long before your skin starts turning red. If you’re pale as a ghost, begin with just a few minutes a day and gradually work up. If you’re worried about facial wrinkles, wear a hat to shield your face, but allow at least your arms, legs and some of your chest to be exposed.

For those who have low vitamin D levels, live in colder, cloudier, northern climates or who just can’t get out in the sun enough, it’s wise to take a vitamin D supplement. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 400 IU is clearly too low. It was put in place before Americans became sun-phobic. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and as such can accumulate in the body and become toxic, so there has been justifiable concern about taking too much. Now that we have more research, it seems clear that we can safely take 2,000 IU daily in the D3 cholecalciferol form to maintain our vitamin D levels. If you are seriously deficient and your doctor wants to ratchet up your vitamin D levels quickly with large doses, be sure to test levels regularly. Some doctors will recommend 10,000 IU for a few months to get vitamin D levels back to normal.

What Is an Optimal Vitamin D Level?

Vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL indicate a deficiency, while levels below 30 ng/mL are considered “low.” At this time, the scientific consensus is that optimal vitamin D levels are 30 to 60 ng/mL. Vitamin D can become toxic at levels greater than 150 ng/mL, which is why it’s important to test if you’re taking high dose supplements.

Who Is at Risk for Deficiency?

* The Elderly: As we age we absorb less vitamin D from the sun’s UV rays. Living in a nursing home or becoming homebound can limit exposure to sunshine. Muscle weakness and osteoporosis associated with vitamin D deficiency make the elderly more susceptible to falling and to fracture risk. Research indicates that vitamin D supplementation may decrease the risk of fractures.

* People with Dark Skin: The darker the skin is, the higher melanin levels are. Melanin blocks the action of sunlight on vitamin D precursors in the skin, requiring much longer sunlight exposure to generate adequate circulating vitamin D compared to people with fair skin.

* People with Limited Sunlight Exposure: People living at northern latitudes or who have limited sunlight exposure because of their working environment or cultural dress rules may have low vitamin D levels.

* People with Musculoskeletal Pain: People with symptoms of hypothyroidism, non-specific musculoskeletal pain, chronic low back pain, or fibromyalgia are frequently found to have low vitamin D levels and show clinical improvement after supplementation.

* Overweight or Obese People: Vitamin D can be locked up in fat stores in people who are overweight or obese. In clinical studies, obesity is associated with lower levels of circulating 25-hydroxy vitamin D.

New, Simple Vitamin D Test You Can Do at Home

Until recently, testing vitamin D levels involved a visit to the doctor, then a visit to a lab to draw blood, and considerable expense often not covered by health insurance. Thankfully there’s now a reasonably priced and simple-to-use blood spot test available to consumers that can be done at home.

What Is a Blood Spot Test?

A blood spot test involves a nearly painless finger stick and putting a few drops of blood on a small piece of special blotting paper.

Is the Blood Spot Test for Vitamin D Accurate?

It is highly accurate and unlike others, gives you a measure of both vitamin D2 and D3 and easy-to-interpret results.

To read more about vitamin D, find more references, and order a blood spot test, please visit the Virginia Hopkins Test Kits website ((http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/…) .

References:

Berwick M, Armstrong BK et al, “Sun exposure and mortality from melanoma,” J Natl Cancer Inst 2005; 97:195–99.

Boscoe FP, Schymura MJ, “Solar ultraviolet-B exposure and cancer incidence and mortality in the United States, 1993-2002,” BMC Cancer 2006 Nov 10;6:264.

Dennis LK, Beane Freeman LE et al, “Sunscreen use and the risk for melanoma: a quantitative review,” Ann Intern Med
2003; 139: 966–78.

Ginanjar E, Sumariyono SS et al, “Vitamin d and autoimmune disease,” Acta Med Indones 2007 Oct-Dec;39(3):133-41.
Grant WB, “An estimate of premature cancer mortality in the U.S. due to inadequate doses of solar ultraviolet-B radiation,” Cancer 2002; 94:1867–75.

Holick MF, “Sunlight “D”ilemma: risk of skin cancer or bone disease and muscle weakness,” Lancet 2001; 357: 4–6.

Lin J, Manson JE et al, “Intakes of calcium and vitamin D and breast cancer risk in women,” Arch Intern Med 2007 May 28;167(10):1050-9.

Robien K, Cutler GJ et al, “Vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women’s Health Study,” Cancer Causes Control 2007 Sep;18(7):775-82.

Solomon CC, White E et al “Melanoma and lifetime UV radiation,” Cancer Causes Control 2004 Nov;15(9):893-902.

Thieden E, Philipsen PA et al, “Sunscreen use related to UV exposure, age, sex, and occupation based on personal dosimeter readings and sun-exposure behavior diaries,” Arch Dermatol 2005; 141:967–73.

About the author

Virginia Hopkins
Virginia Hopkins Health Watch
http://www.virginiahopkinshealthwatch.com

By Helen ChickeringNBC News Channel

Debate is raging over how much sun you should get. For years, we’ve been warned that sunscreen is a must, but now some health professionals are saying some exposure to the sun’s rays is necessary. An American Academy of Dermatology survey finds that ten percent of Americans in their 40s, 50s, 60s and even 70s hit the tanning bed.

Sunlight, even artificial is a prime source of Vitamin D, a nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium and one a growing body of research suggests may also help prevent diseases from cancer to diabetes. Unfortunately, up to half of the population is not getting enough, according to the Duke Diet Center’s Elisabetta Polilti.

“Vitamin D sources are not very common,” she explained.

Oily fish like salmon and fortified milk are among the few dietary sources of Vitamin D. That leaves supplements and sunshine, unless you wear sunscreen.

“The skin lotion is preventing vitamin D from being absorbed,” Politi said.

While it’s doubtful we’ll ever say ’so long’ to sunscreen, the Vitamin D dilemma does have the scientific and medical communities taking a closer look at the safe sun message.

Boston University’s Dr. Michael Holick calls it “sensible sun exposure.”

“Typically maybe five to ten minutes of arms and legs, two to three times a week, followed by good sun protection is a good recommendation,” he said.

It’s a recommendation that has gotten heat from major skin and cancer organizations who’ve noted the rise in skin cancer. All parties do agree people aren’t getting enough of the sunshine vitamin.

©2008 NBC News Channel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.

Medical and nutrition experts offers some ways to get more vitamin D in your life:

The National Institutes of Health recommends getting about 10 minutes of sun exposure on your arms, legs and hands two to three times a week without using sunscreen. Eat oily fish such as salmon or mackerel. Just 3.5 ounces of either provides 90 percent of the daily value for vitamin D.

Eat vitamin D-fortified foods such as milk, some cheeses, yogurts, juices and cereals. Check labels to see which ones contain vitamin D.

Take a vitamin D supplement. The government’s current recommendation for vitamin D is 200 IUs (international units) a day for people up to age 50, 400 IUs to age 70, and 600 IUs for people over 70. Although some scientists believe these dosages are too low, most caution not to exceed 1,000 IUs daily from supplements, because too much vitamin D can be toxic.

Take vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol form) instead of D-2. Vitamin D-3 is more potent and more easily absorbed by the body than D-2.

– R.J. IGNELZI

We can get the vitamins and minerals our body needs by eating a balanced, varied and colourful diet.

But there is one vitamin that we can make ourselves, simply by exposing our skin to sunlight.

Vitamin D is made in the skin after interaction with UVB rays and plays a vital role in the build up of bone density.

The importance of vitamin D extends further – it affects immune function, helping to avoid colds and flu and it protects against cancer and the development of diabetes.

A recent study by experts at Harvard Medical School has added to the evidence that a low vitamin D status is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Vitamin D may also help regulate blood pressure and be involved in reducing inflammation.

The amount of vitamin D made by our skin depends primarily on the amount of sunlight, which, in turn, depends on:

The latitude we live at – the south has the advantage over the north

The season – summer wins over winter

The time of day – mid-day comes out tops.

Vitamin D production also decreases as we age – it is slower in dark-skinned people and is lower in obese people as vitamin D is thought to be stored in fat, which makes it less readily available.

To ensure our vitamin D levels are kept topped up we need to get out more, whatever the weather as it doesn’t have to be bright sunshine.

By exercising at the same time we will doubly benefit our hearts.

It pays to create opportunities – walk to work, alight from the bus a couple of stops earlier, walk the kids to school, go for a lunchtime walk, get out at the weekend to garden, bike or hike.

Remember not to cover up too much, just leave some skin exposed so that you can actually restore those vitamin D levels.

As springtime sunrays strengthen, 10 to 15 minutes uncovered or with a low sunscreen factor before 11am and after 3pm could be enough to boost our vitamin D status without tanning or burning.

Sunlight is the cheapest way to top up your vitamin D but there are a few foods that contain vitamin D:

Oily fish such as sardines, fresh tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and kippers – eating two portions of oily fish a week will also provide you with heart-healthy omega 3 fats

Eggs and shiitake mushrooms

Cod liver oil

Fortified breakfast cereals.

For more information and advice about healthy living, contact Heart Research UK on 0113 297 6206 or email lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk

Remember the old wives tale that says fish is good for your brain and cod liver oil will help keep you healthy? Apparently, the old wives knew what they were talking about!

Most of us are trying to cut down our fat intake in our diet. However, recent research shows that not all fats are harmful. In fact, a lot of us have deficiencies in some very important fats called the essential fatty acids. These oils are essential to the development of the immune system, and brain functions. A shortage of these oils can lead to problems with concentration, hyperactivity, dyslexia, and coordination problems. Dramatic improvements in performance can result merely by correcting this deficiency, particluarly in children.
Continue Reading…

Ninety percent of the vitamin D in your body is a result of your skin’s exposure to ultraviolet light. This makes vitamin D one of the only vitamins you don’t really have to pay for. The other 10 percent can come from a supplement or certain foods, but really a 15-minute walk is more beneficial than either of these things.

Although this is the exact opposite of what skin cancer warnings tell us, limiting that exposure to 10 to 15 minutes will keep you safe and full of vitamin D. It is a soluble fat, which means it is stored and dissolved in body fat rather than water soluble, which is not stored. Vitamin D stays in your body for months and that means taking the 15-minute walk in the sunshine will provide you with the beneficial affects of vitamin D for months to come.
Continue Reading…

NEW RESEARCH

A study from Harvard Medical School shows an increased risk of heart disease for those with low levels of vitamin D, and this risk is particularly high for those who also have high blood pressure.

- The U.S. study, which began in 1996, used over 1,700 people with an average age of 59. Continue Reading…