Vitamin D

Functional Ingredients: The Reincarnation of Vitamin D

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:55:05 +0000

Our interest in vitamin D follows the sun -- or rather, the lack thereof. Though many factors affect vitamin D metabolism, in general moderate sun exposure, at least 20 to 30 minutes per day, can assure adequate vitamin D status for most people.

Boosting defences with vitamin D

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:51:50 +0000

Vitamin D is the name given to a group of fat-soluble steroids, the two major physiologically-relevant forms of which are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D is carried in the bloodstream to the liver, where it is enzymatically converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD).

Health Panel Weighs in on Benefits of Vitamin D

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:48:09 +0000

(NewsCore) - Vitamin D, much-touted in recent years for its myriad health benefits, may not be as good for us as many believe, according to a report released Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine. According to the IOM, evidence for many of the health claims related to vitamin D is “inconsistent and/or conflicting or did not demonstrate causality.”

Calcium with Vitamin D – Best Nutritional Supplements for Bone Health

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:43:20 +0000

The IOM committee made various studies but the evidence they found was not enough to prove that these nutritional supplements have an important role in other extraskeletal health effects. Therefore, the study’s authors determined the intake levels which are needed for the maintenance of bone health. Children with ages between one and three need 500 mg of calcium each day, while those between four and eight nee 800 mg of calcium a day. Teenagers need 1,300 mg of calcium a day. The quantity is larger as adolescents experience growth spurts and enhanced bone growth and need much more support. When it comes to adults up to the age of 70, the quantity of calcium falls back to 800 mg a day. The report showed women between 50 and 70 are an exception as they should receive 1000 mg calcium a day.

New vitamin D recommendations promote nutritional deficiency, protect cancer industry

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:24:42 +0000

(NaturalNews) Earlier this week, the Institute of Medicine finally got around to reluctantly admitting that people need more vitamin D. Raising the daily intake recommendation from 200 IUs to 600 IUs still leaves most people pitifully vitamin D deficient, and a flood of scientific research that has emerged over the last four years reveals that vitamin D deficiency causes cancer, osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders and depression.

Vitamin D Guidelines Edge Upwards, But Most Americans Getting Enough: Report

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:21:50 +0000

TUESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Despite calls by some experts that Americans take in much more vitamin D, a new report from the Institute of Medicine finds that most people are getting enough of the nutrient each day. The IOM did bump up the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D from the amount cited in their last report, released 13 years ago.

Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis With Severe Vitamin D Deficiency

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:16:25 +0000

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a relatively common disorder in late childhood and early adolescence, with an incidence in the United States of approximately 10 per 100,000. Although clinicians have theorized that contributing factors to the development of slipped capital femoral epiphysis include 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and other nutritional deficiencies, the roles of these factors have not been fully analyzed. This article presents a case of a morbidly obese 13-year-old African-American boy who presented with sudden worsening of chronic hip pain and was diagnosed with stable, bilateral, grade-III slipped capital femoral epiphysis and severe vitamin D deficiency. He was initially treated with bilateral single-screw percutaneous fixation, however, after continued pain and nonunion, a right valgus subtrochanteric osteotomy was performed in association with correction of his severe vitamin D deficiency. This procedure led to improvement of his hip function and successful resolution of the pain. Approximately 3 months after the second operation and vitamin supplementation, the patient had signs of union, and his weight bearing progressed without discomfort. Although the osteotomy provided substantial biomechanical advantage by changing the forces across the physis from shear to compressive, correction of the vitamin D deficiency was critical in providing metabolic capacity for bone healing. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone formation and development, but the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is not routinely measured during assessment and treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis patients. The early detection and proper treatment of vitamin D may assist in the treatment of patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Triple That Vitamin D Intake, Panel Prescribes

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:11:28 +0000

A long-awaited report from the Institute of Medicine to be released Tuesday triples the recommended amount of vitamin D most Americans should take every day to 600 international units from 200 IUs set in 1997. That's far lower than many doctors and major medical groups have been advocating—and it could dampen some of the enthusiasm that's been building for the sunshine vitamin in recent years.

Low vitamin D status associated with cognitive decline: Study

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:05:48 +0000

Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin D is associated with higher levels of cognitive impairment; however it remains unclear if the link is causal, according to a new study. The study, published in Neurology, suggests that a weekly intake of less than 35 micrograms of vitamin D is associated with a greater incidence of cognitive impairment. However the researchers noted that the association could be causal in either direction, stating it is possible that low vitamin D is a result of, rather than the cause of cognitive impairment.

Vitamin D, disease and therapeutic opportunities.

Gary Null — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:02:38 +0000

The discovery of the vitamin D endocrine system and a receptor for the hormonal form, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), has brought a new understanding of the relationship between vitamin D and metabolic bone diseases, and has also established the functions of vitamin D beyond the skeleton. This has ushered in many investigations into the possible roles of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disorders, infectious diseases, cancers and granuloma-forming diseases. This article presents an evaluation of the possible roles of vitamin D in these diseases. The potential of vitamin D-based therapies in treating diseases for which the evidence is most compelling is also discussed.

Source: Vitamin D, disease and therapeutic opportunities. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21119732)