Science Alert – Lupus patients show more severe symptoms of the disease if their vitamin D levels are low, an Australian-first study has found. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects more than five million people worldwide, was found to be worse in vitamin D deficient SLE patients than in those with normal levels, in the study led by Professor Eric Morand, head of the Monash Lupus Clinic and Southern Clinical School at Monash Medical Centre. Read article
Medpage Today – Only 15% of fibromyalgia patients in a small study had adequate levels of vitamin D, suggesting implications for treatment. Previous studies examining the relationship between vitamin D levels and nonspecific musculoskeletal pain have turned in conflicting results. Read article
The Guardian – A study that emerged from Denmark this week may not have seemed particularly striking in itself. It does, however, add to a growing body of evidence that the paucity of sunlight in the UK for most of the year not only makes us miserable, but could actually be doing us harm. The study showed vitamin D tablets could lower blood pressure just as well as prescription medicines. It was small, but the findings were significant. Almost everyone with high blood pressure in the study had vitamin D levels that were too low. So the tablets were replacing something that was missing. Read article
IANS – You could protect yourself better against viral infections, especially during autumn and winter, with vitamin D supplementation, says a new study. Since vitamin D levels decrease during the year’s last quarter when days are shorter and sunlight is relatively weak, this may explain why people are more prone to viral infection during these times. The study also suggests that vitamin D supplementation, especially in older populations, could strengthen people’s innate immunity against viral infections, the Journal of Leukocyte Biology reports. Read article
CRI English – U.S. toothpaste brand Crest stated on Wednesday that the fluoride toothpaste products it sells on the Chinese mainland meet the Chinese national standards, after netizens expressed concern regarding the ingredients in the products, China Network Television reports. A Chinese netizen posted a microblog on Sunday night, quoting a CEO who tested the ingredients of Crest fluoride toothpaste bought in Shanghai, stating that the product contained no fluoride but did contain industrial waste. Fluoride in toothpaste benefits the formation of dental enamel and bones. However, children are not recommended to use fluoride toothpaste as fluoride may affect their normal growth. Read article
Understanding the science of food seems like a natural human endeavour. However, with our knowledge of chemical compounds resulting in “manufactured” food-stuff, the question of how much good vs how much harm these additives and supplements cause is still to be adequately answered. See our news archive of 444 articles for a commentary and archival information about this topic from around the world. CLICK HERE
Daily Mail – A key ingredient in garlic is 100 times more powerful than two popular antibiotics at fighting a leading cause of food poisoning, scientists have found.
Tests discovered that the compound, diallyl sulphide, can easily breach a slimy protective biofilm employed by the bug to make it harder to destroy. Read article
NY Times – Obesity and the form of diabetes linked to it are taking an even worse toll on America’s youths than medical experts had realized. As obesity rates in children have climbed, so has the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, and a new study adds another worry: the disease progresses more rapidly in children than in adults and is harder to treat. Before the 1990s, this form of diabetes was hardly ever seen in children. It is still uncommon, but experts say any increase in such a serious disease is troubling. There were about 3,600 new cases a year from 2002 to 2005, the latest years for which data is available. Read article
PhysOrg – As many as 8 million people living in the valley are estimated to be at risk of dental and skeletal fluorosis as a result of their long-term exposure to high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the region’s groundwater. Fluoride is essential for healthy tooth enamel development, but consuming too much of it can damage enamel and bones, particularly in children between the ages of 3 months and 8 years. Mild to moderate fluorosis typically results in permanent discoloring and disfiguration of tooth enamel. Severe fluorosis can cause chronic pain and lead to tooth and bone loss. Most efforts to combat fluorosis in the region have focused primarily on treating drinking water to reduce its fluoride content. Read article
Editorial Note: Flouride occurs naturally in many places in India in DEEP water wells that are relied on for clean water. A similar situation occurs in parts of Africa, made worse by malnutrition in populations.
Related articles: Pakistan: Vicious circle of fluoride contamination, illness and poverty
The Telegraph – The once a day tablets, available from chemists, produced reductions in high blood pressure ‘as powerful’ as medicines, a Danish study has found. A group to 112 patients with high blood pressure were given the supplements for 20 weeks and showed significant improvements in their condition. The findings were presented at the European Society of Hypertension conference in London. Read article
MSNBC – Vitamin D does not protect men from getting prostate cancer, but it may lessen their chances of dying of it. In a new study, men with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood were 57 percent less likely than men with the lowest levels to succumb to prostate cancer. However, no link was found between vitamin D levels and having prostate cancer, the researchers said. Read article
Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Juraschek SP, Guallar E, Appel LJ, Miller ER 3rd.
Abstract::
BACKGROUND: In observational studies, increased vitamin C intake, vitamin C supplementation, and higher blood concentrations of vitamin C are associated with lower blood pressure (BP). However, evidence for blood pressure-lowering effects of vitamin C in clinical trials is inconsistent.Objective: The objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials that examined the effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP. Conclusion: In short-term trials, vitamin C supplementation reduced SBP and DBP. Long-term trials on the effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP and clinical events are needed. read abstract
Daily Mail – So you regularly spend hours — and what feels likes a week’s wages — getting your hair highlighted, you’re never without straighteners and you’ve even tried a Brazilian blow-dry to get the perfect sleek look. Yet your locks stubbornly remain more lacklustre than luscious. Have you ever considered your shampoo might be to blame?
Research suggests it could be — specifically brands that contain sulphates. These have been used for decades as foaming and cleansing agents. You’ll find them in toothpaste and shower gel as well as most shampoos. Read article
TIME – Fish has long been a staple of healthy eating, since it’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants that can help protect against heart disease and cancer. In fact, experts are so convinced of the benefits of the omega-3s in fish that health officials recently recommended Americans eat more of it — about 8 ounces, or two to three servings, of fish a week — in its latest revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. But what about fish oil capsules? Doctors have also believed that taking omega-3s as supplements can offer a similar protective benefit to the heart. But a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine throws the theory into doubt… Read article
Medscape — When it comes to risks for vitamin D deficiency, and the medical care and costs associated with that deficiency, where you live appears to play an important role. That is the principal finding from a study of more than 9000 veterans carried out in Tennessee. The study was published online April 4 in the Journal of Rural Health. Read article
ABC – It seems odd to consider that around a third of Australians may lack in Vitamin D, sourced from the sun, but the issue is now about how to address that deficiency. Watch video/Read Transcript
Related article: Study Contends that Health Benefits of Ultraviolet Radiation Outweigh the Risks
WUSA — Study results presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest that oral vitamin D may boost allergy control. They may also make symptoms go away faster. Two groups of people with existing seasonal allergies got inhaled cortisteroids, a common treatment for allergies. One group also recieved vitamin D supplements with the treatment, the other group took a dummy pill. The group who recieved the vitamin D supplements recovered more quickly. Read article
ScienceDaily — Previous research on animal and physiological models suggests that antioxidant supplements have beneficial effects that may prolong life. Some observational studies also suggest that antioxidant supplements may prolong life, whereas other observational studies demonstrate neutral or harmful effects. Our Cochrane review from 2008 demonstrated that antioxidant supplements seem to increase mortality. This review is now updated. Read article
Times Daily – Women older than 30 need to be singing “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” according to nurse practitioner Susan Bentley. Bentley spoke to a group of women from Helen Keller Hospital’s Healthy Valley Women group on the benefits of sunshine-provided vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is supplied naturally through exposure to sunlight and through a few foods including meats, fatty fish and some cheeses and eggs. Read article
Med Page Today – Low vitamin D levels, common among women in nursing homes, may raise their risk of dying within a few years, Austrian researchers found. Women with the worst deficiency, at 14 nmol/L serum vitamin D or less, were 49% more likely to die over a period of about two years than those with the highest levels — a significant difference, Stefan Pilz, MD, of the Medical University of Graz, Austria, and colleagues reported. Read article
News-Medical – Vitamin D may be associated with a lower risk of developing stress fractures in preadolescent and adolescent girls, especially among those very active in high-impact activities, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Stress fractures, a relatively common sports-related injury, occur when stresses on a bone exceed its capacity to withstand and heal from those forces. But while consumption of calcium and calcium-rich dairy products is routinely encouraged for optimal bone health, researchers note in their study background that the evidence for this recommendation has been challenged. Read article
ANI – In a [US-based] study, researchers have found that treatment with vitamin D reduced the size of uterine fibroids in laboratory rats predisposed to developing the benign tumours. Uterine fibroids are the most common non-cancerous tumours in women of childbearing age. Fibroids grow within and around the wall of the uterus. Thirty percent of women 25 to 44 years of age report fibroid-related symptoms, such as lower back pain, heavy vaginal bleeding or painful menstrual periods. Read article
Related article: Can Vitamin D Treat Pain?
Medscape — Women with dysmenorrhea who take a single high dose of vitamin D suffer much less menstrual pain and have no need of pain medications for any reason for up to 2 months, a new study has found. “To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the effect of a single high dose of vitamin D in primary dysmenorrhea,” wrote the study authors, led by Antonino Lasco, MD, from the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Italy. Read article
Understanding the science of food seems like a natural human endeavour. However, with our knowledge of chemical compounds resulting in “manufactured” food-stuff, the question of how much good vs how much harm these additives and supplements cause is still to be adequately answered. See our news archive of 428 articles for a commentary and archival information about this topic from around the world. CLICK HERE
Harvard Uni Gazette – Ganmaa Davaasambuu is a physician (Mongolia), a Ph.D. in environmental health (Japan), a fellow (Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study), and a working scientist (Harvard School of Public Health). On Monday (Dec. 4), she drew on all those roles during a lunchtime talk to most of her fellow fellows. Ganmaa’s topic was lunch-appropriate: the suspected role of cow’s milk, cheese, and other dairy products in hormone-dependent cancers. (Those include cancers of the testes, prostate, and breast.) Read article
