Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The Role of Vitamin D in the Body Vitamin D, commonly called the ‘sunshine vitamin, is an essential nutrient that plays a major role in many of the body’s functions, including in the skin, hair and bones. Vitamin D has been shown to promote calcium …
Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Seoul National University suggests that individuals with a vitamin d deficiency may be at a much greater risk of developing diabetes. The …
A study performed by the University of Eastern Finland has found a link between higher serum Vitamin D levels and lower plasma cholesterol levels in primary school children.
Vitamin D, commonly called the ‘sunshine vitamin, is an essential nutrient that plays a major role in many of the body’s functions, including in the skin, hair and bones. Vitamin D has been shown to promote calcium absorption, support healthy cell growth and healthy immune function. Sources of vitamin D include the sun, some foods like fatty-fish and cheese (though small amounts), and supplementation.
Could a Vitamin Deficiency be to Blame for Your Hair Loss?
It has been estimated that approximately 70% of North Americans have Vitamin D deficiencies. This is due to a combination of factors: low levels of sunlight for most of the year, obesity, sun avoidance, and low consumption of foods high in Vitamin D such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines). Inadequate Vitamin D in the body often leads to conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia, which bring on symptoms like bone and muscle pain, enlarged joints, and easily fractured bones. Given the high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency, this could be the most essential of all the conditionally essential vitamins.
Essential for bone health, recent studies have also shown low levels of vitamin D to be linked with higher rates of respiratory tract infections, auto-immune diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
Part of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study, a lifestyle intervention study in the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland, a total of 512 children ages 6 to 8 years old participated in the baseline measurements from 2007 – 2009. The PANIC study produces scientifically valuable information on children’s lifestyles, health and well-being.
Children whose 25-hydroxyvvitamin D levels exceeded 80 nmol/l had lower plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels than children whos serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were below 50 nmol/l, which is often regarded as a threshold value for vitamin D sufficiency. 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the major circulating form of Vitamin D. These finding were reported in one of the leading journals of endocrinology, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Photo by Radu Florin on Unsplash According to data presented in Barcelona at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, higher levels of belly fat are associated with lower vitamin D levels in obese individuals. The study reports that vitamin D levels are lower in …
About 325,000 Americans over the age of 65 will break their hip this year. A minimum of 25% of those with hip fractures will need assistance walking after the fracture, 25% will end up in a nursing home and 25% or more will die within …
Researchers at the School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University in Japan studied 91 elderly subjects who were fragile and institutionalized in nursing homes for a three month period. One group received counseling on falls, and was given two individualized and one group exercise class each week, and had objects that were hazards for falling removed from their living space. The second group was given the same counseling and hazard removal but received a twice a week guided exercise regimen to specifically build strength and reduce fall risk. The third group was given 900 IU of Vitamin D3 each day with food. The last group received both the 900 IU of Vitamin D3 combined with the twice a week guided exercise regimen.
Vitamin D cut the incidence of falling by 43%. The twice a week exercise cut the incidence of falling by 53%. Adding the vitamin to the guided twice weekly exercise reduced the incidence of falling by 73%. The research is published online ahead of print in the International Journal of Gerontology.
Vitamin D has become one of the most highly recommended dietary supplements over the last few years by healthcare professionals. This vitamin is not technically an essential vitamin, since the body naturally synthesizes the “sunshine vitamin” through a chemical reaction between the sun’s UV rays and the cholesterol on your skin. Nevertheless, it has been estimated that approximately 70% of North Americans have Vitamin D deficiencies. This is due to a combination of factors: low levels of sunlight for most of the year, obesity, sun avoidance, and low consumption of foods high in Vitamin D such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines). Inadequate levels of this vitamin in the body often leads to conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia, which bring on symptoms like bone and muscle pain, enlarged joints, and easily fractured bones. Given the high prevalence of this deficiency, this could be the most essential of all the conditionally essential vitamins.
New Study: Low Vitamin D levels linked to rapid and severe mental decline in the elderly
Vitamin D3 supplementation can effectively reverse common vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D3 is the active form of vitamin D. It is sourced from sheep’s wool and easily absorbed by the body. Vitamin D3 1000IU may be taken in multiple servings to increase Vitamin D levels and correct deficiencies. Research suggests that an adequate supply of vitamin D can help maintain normal blood sugar levels and support blood pressure already within normal range, when taken as part of a well-balanced diet. Vitamin D may help promote a healthy immune response as well by activating T and B cells of the immune system. In fact without sufficient vitamin D levels, the immune system cannot function properly to resist infection.
Despite these results, there is no saying that vitamin D prevents falls altogether; falls will still inevitably happen amongst the elderly. When they do occur, it’s important to be prepared and for the elderly faller to be escorted to hospital as soon as possible. If you know an elderly person who’s fragile or taking frequent falls, as well as getting them some Vitamin D, it may be worth looking into a fall detection device for top safety.