| XXX |
| What is Vitamin D? www.medicinenet.com/vitamin_d_deficiency/article.htm |
The recommendations for adults up to age 69 rose to 600 IU/day, and to 800 IU/day
for adults starting at age 70. Older adults need more vitamin D because as they age,
their skin does not produce vitamin D efficiently, they spend less time outdoors, and
they tend to not get enough vitamin D.
The committee did not consider the emerging research on any other conditions. Patsy
Brannon, PhD, RD, a Cornell University professor of nutritional sciences and a member
of the IOM committee, spoke about that at the American Dietetic Association's 2011
annual meeting in San Diego. "The committee of 14 scientists reviewed more than
1,000 publications and determined that the evidence was inconsistent and inconclusive
to include any other health benefits in the new recommendations," Brannon said. "The
committee is not dismissing the role of vitamin D in other areas, we need more clinical
trials, consistent evidence, and evidence that supports causality."
Best Sources of Vitamin D
The sun is an excellent source of vitamin D, but it is hard to quantify how much
vitamin D you get from time in the sun and the risk of skin cancer may outweigh the
benefits. Food first, says Baylor College of Medicine dietitian Keli Hawthorne.
"Supplements can fill in the gaps but it is always better to try to meet your nutritional
needs with foods that contain fiber, phytonutrients, and so much more," Hawthorne
says.
Unless you enjoy a diet that includes fatty fish or fish liver oils, it may be hard to get
enough vitamin D naturally without eating fortified foods or taking a supplement. "The
major dietary source of vitamin D comes from fortified diary, along with some yogurts
and cereals," Hawthorne says. Mushrooms, eggs, cheese, and beef liver contain small
amounts.
Reading Food Labels
Daily Values (DV) are on nutrition fact panels to help consumers compare nutrients in
products and to choose a healthy diet. The DV for vitamin D is currently set at 400 IU
for adults starting at age 70. Older adults need more vitamin D because as they age,
their skin does not produce vitamin D efficiently, they spend less time outdoors, and
they tend to not get enough vitamin D.
The committee did not consider the emerging research on any other conditions. Patsy
Brannon, PhD, RD, a Cornell University professor of nutritional sciences and a member
of the IOM committee, spoke about that at the American Dietetic Association's 2011
annual meeting in San Diego. "The committee of 14 scientists reviewed more than
1,000 publications and determined that the evidence was inconsistent and inconclusive
to include any other health benefits in the new recommendations," Brannon said. "The
committee is not dismissing the role of vitamin D in other areas, we need more clinical
trials, consistent evidence, and evidence that supports causality."
Best Sources of Vitamin D
The sun is an excellent source of vitamin D, but it is hard to quantify how much
vitamin D you get from time in the sun and the risk of skin cancer may outweigh the
benefits. Food first, says Baylor College of Medicine dietitian Keli Hawthorne.
"Supplements can fill in the gaps but it is always better to try to meet your nutritional
needs with foods that contain fiber, phytonutrients, and so much more," Hawthorne
says.
Unless you enjoy a diet that includes fatty fish or fish liver oils, it may be hard to get
enough vitamin D naturally without eating fortified foods or taking a supplement. "The
major dietary source of vitamin D comes from fortified diary, along with some yogurts
and cereals," Hawthorne says. Mushrooms, eggs, cheese, and beef liver contain small
amounts.
Reading Food Labels
Daily Values (DV) are on nutrition fact panels to help consumers compare nutrients in
products and to choose a healthy diet. The DV for vitamin D is currently set at 400 IU
can make from the sun. Despite the ability to get vitamin D from food and the sun, an
estimated 40%-75% of people are deficient.
Why? Vitamin D is not abundant in our food choices and the sun is not a reliable source
for everyone.
Many factors affect the skin's ability to produce vitamin D, including season, time of
day, latitude, air pollution, cloud cover, sunscreen, body parts exposed, color, and age.
Dermatologists recommend using sunscreen and getting vitamin D from food and
supplements rather than risk the harmful rays of the sun.
Role of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is naturally present in few foods. Since 1930, virtually all cow's milk in the
U.S. has been voluntarily fortified with 100 IU of vitamin D per cup. Food
manufacturers are fortifying other foods, such as yogurt, cereal, and orange juice, to
help consumers fill the nutrient gap in their diets.
Ideally, vitamin D is added to a food or beverage that contains calcium. Vitamin D is
needed for maximum absorption of calcium from the intestine, helping to build strong
bones and teeth.
Together with calcium, vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis in older adults.
Without enough vitamin D, bones can become brittle and prone to fracture. It is
estimated that more than 40 million adults in the U.S. have or are at risk of developing
osteoporosis.
"Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low bone mass and osteoporosis, which is
estimated to affect 10 million adults over the age of 50 in the U.S.," says Atlanta
estimated 40%-75% of people are deficient.
Why? Vitamin D is not abundant in our food choices and the sun is not a reliable source
for everyone.
Many factors affect the skin's ability to produce vitamin D, including season, time of
day, latitude, air pollution, cloud cover, sunscreen, body parts exposed, color, and age.
Dermatologists recommend using sunscreen and getting vitamin D from food and
supplements rather than risk the harmful rays of the sun.
Role of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is naturally present in few foods. Since 1930, virtually all cow's milk in the
U.S. has been voluntarily fortified with 100 IU of vitamin D per cup. Food
manufacturers are fortifying other foods, such as yogurt, cereal, and orange juice, to
help consumers fill the nutrient gap in their diets.
Ideally, vitamin D is added to a food or beverage that contains calcium. Vitamin D is
needed for maximum absorption of calcium from the intestine, helping to build strong
bones and teeth.
Together with calcium, vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis in older adults.
Without enough vitamin D, bones can become brittle and prone to fracture. It is
estimated that more than 40 million adults in the U.S. have or are at risk of developing
osteoporosis.
"Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low bone mass and osteoporosis, which is
estimated to affect 10 million adults over the age of 50 in the U.S.," says Atlanta
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that
promises great health benefits, yet most
adults fall short.
Vitamin D is a star nutrient these days, as
research links it to numerous health
benefits. Studies suggest vitamin D may
go beyond its well-established role in bone
health and reduce the risk of cancer, heart
disease, stroke, diabetes, autoimmune
diseases, and more.
What makes vitamin D unique is that it is
a vitamin and also a hormone your body
promises great health benefits, yet most
adults fall short.
Vitamin D is a star nutrient these days, as
research links it to numerous health
benefits. Studies suggest vitamin D may
go beyond its well-established role in bone
health and reduce the risk of cancer, heart
disease, stroke, diabetes, autoimmune
diseases, and more.
What makes vitamin D unique is that it is
a vitamin and also a hormone your body
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
| Quiz #468 Results |
| Answer to Quiz #468- March 8, 2015 |
|
| ********** |
| ********** |
| ********** |
|
| Ultraviolet Sunbathers |
|
Congratulations to Our Winners! Gary Elder Barbara H. Lang Owen Blevins Ellen Zyroff Ida Sanchez Angel Esparza Nelsen Spickard Tynan Peterson Roger Lipsett Liz Haigney Lynch Arthur Hartwell Tony Knapp Margaret Paxton Rebecca Bare Betty Chambers Margaret Lanoue Ellen Welker Cindy Costigan Edna Cardinal Joshua Kreitzer Grace Hertz and Mary Turner The Fabulous Fletchers! |
| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
-- Start Quantcast tag -->
| ********** |
| ********** |
| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
| ********** |
Ultraviolet Bath, Russia
Photograph by Joe McNally
This Month in Photo of the Day: Images from the National Geographic Archive
Make-believe summer lasts for a minute or two as kindergarten children in sunless
Lovozero bathe in ultraviolet light. Brief exposure to UC radiation provides the children
with vitamin D, normally supplied by sunlight. The "sunshine vitamin" strengthens
young bones.
photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography...
Photograph by Joe McNally
This Month in Photo of the Day: Images from the National Geographic Archive
Make-believe summer lasts for a minute or two as kindergarten children in sunless
Lovozero bathe in ultraviolet light. Brief exposure to UC radiation provides the children
with vitamin D, normally supplied by sunlight. The "sunshine vitamin" strengthens
young bones.
photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography...
| ********** |
| XXX |
How Ida Solved the Puzzle |
This is one of the weirdest quizzes and I almost called quits. I ran over all types of variations for photo therapy, light therapy, fluorescent, green, etc. The guy in the picture looked like Lenin, but I wasn't sure. In the end, I have not found a reliable source of the picture and its origins. The closest I can come up with is a NatGeo from 1977. (natgeofound.tumblr.com/post/48043261031/children) in Murmansk. For this specific pic, even someone on Reddit said that Lenin's pic was photoshopped later and it did not appear in the original. Anyway, every time I tried looking for light therapy in children, I was flooded with pics of blue light on newborns, a routine procedure done for jaundice at birth, so, after reading a wikipedia article on Light Therapy, I got finally hit with a Eureka moment and googled "light therapy in children -jaundice" and similar pictures started to appear. One of them with the same oriental rug, stated that it was in Russia in the communist era. Adding "russian" to the search led me to find the image on reddit, but not much info other than what others said. Nat Geo was the one providing little more info on it, still not much. Still trying to understand the 3rd question..... Ida Sanchez |
Children circle around an ultraviolet lamp to get a dose of vitamin D in Murmansk,
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, August 1977.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAN CONGER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
natgeofound.tumblr.com/post/48043261031/children
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, August 1977.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAN CONGER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
natgeofound.tumblr.com/post/48043261031/children
| ********** |
| Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D? www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d |
| WHAT IS VITAMIN D? The "sunshine" vitamin is a hot topic. You may have recently found out that you are deficient or know someone who is. It's shocking for most people when they have never had a problem before and believe nothing has changed to make it a problem now. The truth is that a lot has changed, and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is now a global public-health problem affecting an estimated 1 billion people worldwide. The most well-known consequences to not having enough vitamin D are rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. These are far from the only problems associated with a vitamin D deficiency. The consequences are numerous and include skeletal diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, infections, cognitive disorders, and/or mortality. The majority of our knowledge about vitamin D has been discovered over the past 15 years, and with the growing issue of deficiencies, more health connections with vitamin D levels are being made. Correcting vitamin D deficiency is not as simple as taking a pill or getting more sun. Read more... VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY There are currently two sets of guidelines for vitamin D intake. Typically, vitamin guidelines are established by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in the form of recommended dietary allowances (RDA) or adequate intakes (AI). The RDA is the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The Endocrine Society put together a task force to review the research and come up with a set of guidelines for "people who are at risk for deficiency." By the turn of the 20th century, 90% of the children living in New York, Boston, and Leyden in the Netherlands were afflicted with rickets, a bone-deforming disease. The first observation of this disease was in the mid-1600s by Whistler and Glissen, who reported that children living in industrialized cities in Great Britain had short stature and deformities of the skeleton, especially of the lower legs. It wasn't until 1889 that the discovery that "sunbathing" was important for preventing rickets came about. WHAT DOES VITAMIN D DO FOR YOUR HEALTH? Since then, many other health benefits of vitamin D have been discovered. These include the following: Skeletal disease: Anyone taking calcium knows that you need to take it with vitamin D. It's needed because vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains blood calcium levels to enable normal mineralization of bone and prevent abnormally low blood calcium levels that can then lead to tetany. Adequate vitamin D levels can prevent bones from becoming thin, brittle, or malformed. It is linked with the prevention of osteomalacia, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. Cancer: The link between the sun and cancer is typically not seen as a positive one because of the connection with skin cancer. UV-B radiation from the sun is said to be the most important environmental risk factor for nonmelanoma skin cancer. Because the sun is the primary source of vitamin D, researchers are looking to see what role it plays in skin cancer. Some believe that enough sun exposure to keep your vitamin D levels up while protecting your skin from damage is beneficial to skin cancer survival. There has also been research to show the protective effect that vitamin D has with the development of other cancers, including colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Read more... Cardiovascular disease: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke. The anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D may be the reason for this. Research is being done to determine exactly how this works and why. Infections: Do you tend to get more respiratory infections in the winter? Vitamin D deficiency could be the cause. Observational studies have shown an association between low vitamin D status and an increased risk of both upper and lower respiratory tract infections. The role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections, such as pneumonia, bacteremias, urinary tract infections, and surgical site infections is also being investigated. Depression: The association between lack of sunlight and depressive disorders was first noted 2,000 years ago. Vitamin D plays a role in regulating adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine production in the brain through vitamin D receptors in the adrenal cortex, as well as protecting against the depletion of serotonin and dopamine. This is the possible link with vitamin D's role in depression. The research is new in this area, and only the associations have been shown so far. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an 8%-14% increase in depression. Research is also finding a relationship with low vitamin D levels and increased risk of suicide. Read more... Multiple sclerosis: Evidence continues to accumulate supporting the role of vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). It begins with the vitamin D levels in pregnant women. Numerous studies have linked the occurrence of MS with birth month. There is a high prevalence of MS in high-latitude areas. The lack of sunlight exposure appears to be a significant predictor, and research is ongoing in this area. Tuberculosis: Individuals with tuberculosis (TB) have been shown to have lower vitamin D levels than healthy people. Supplementation has shown to improve symptoms in these individuals. Further studies are needed to determine the cause and appropriate intervention. Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes: Research has shown that those with blood vitamin D levels over 25 ng/mL had a 43% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those with levels under 14 ng/mL. Decreasing inflammation: Many of the health benefits associated with vitamin D may come from its role in decreasing inflammation. Research has shown a decrease in levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, with increased levels of vitamin D to just below 21 ng/mL. Reducing risk of allergies in children and adolescents: A nationwide study of over 6,000 individuals showed that allergic sensitization was more common in those with vitamin D levels under 15 ng/mL versus those with levels 30 ng/mL or more. Sleep apnea: There is some evidence that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea brought on by inflammatory rhinitis and/or tonsillar hypertrophy. More research needs to be done to confirm this. Decreasing dental cavities: A review of 24 controlled clinical trials encompassing 2,827 children found a 47% reduced risk of cavities with vitamin D supplementation. Possibly helping with erectile dysfunction (ED): It is not clear if increasing your serum vitamin D levels can help with ED. Many men diagnosed with ED are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) within a few years. Vitamin D deficiency is linked with CVD, so if you are deficient in vitamin D, some researchers believe that treating this could reduce your risk of ED. Read more... WHAT CAUSES VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY? Limited exposure to the sun You may look out your window and see the sun shining and think that you are safe from this deficiency, but that is not always the case. Even in sunny climates there is an increased prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. We have all heard about the dangers of skin cancer and the need for sunscreen to protect us from this disease. This knowledge and the preventive actions we take have significantly decreased our vitamin D levels. Sunscreen protects so well against UV-B rays that an SPF of 30 decreases vitamin D synthesis in the skin by more than 95%. On top of this, we tend to spend more time indoors. One study found that it took Caucasians exposure of more than 30% of their body every day in the summer to make the optimal amounts of vitamin D. Darker skin Melanin is what gives skin its color. Lighter skin has less melanin than darker skin. Melanin is able to absorb UV-B radiation from the sun and reduce the skin's capacity to produce vitamin D3 by 95%-99%. People with a naturally dark skin tone have natural sun protection and require at least three to five times longer exposures to make the same amount of vitamin D as a person with a white skin tone. African Americans have a population mean serum 25(OH)D level of 16 ng/mL, whereas white Americans have a level of 26 ng/mL. Read more... Weight Being overweight or obese may put you at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. A study done on 2,187 overweight and obese subjects found that those with a BMI above 40 had 18% lower serum vitamin D levels than those with a BMI under 40. Another study compared the vitamin D levels of 154 obese subjects to those of 148 nonobese subjects and found that the obese subjects' vitamin D levels were 23% lower. While diet and decreased sun exposure may have some impact on this, there appears to be an increased need that cannot be met without a supplement. One study tested the blood levels of vitamin D after sun exposure in both obese and nonobese subjects. Both saw an initial rise in vitamin D levels after similar exposures, but 24 hours later, there was 57% less vitamin D in the blood of the obese subjects. Both groups had a similar capacity of the skin to produce the vitamin. The difference was seen in the release of vitamin D from the skin into the circulation. It is believed that the fat under the skin holds onto the fat-soluble vitamin instead of releasing it, but more research needs to be done to confirm this. Malabsorption People with one of the fat malabsorption syndromes (for example, Crohn's disease, celiac disease) and people who have had bariatric surgery are often unable to absorb enough of the fat-soluble vitamin D. Age It has been shown that as we age our body has a decreased ability to synthesize vitamin D from exposure to the sun. There can be as much as 25% reduced production over the age of 70. While this can have an impact, it doesn't cause as much of a deficiency as the other risk factors. Medications and medical conditions A wide variety of medications, including antifungal medications, anticonvulsants, glucocorticoids, and medications to treat AIDS/HIV can enhance the breakdown of vitamin D and lead to low levels. There is also a loss of vitamin D for those with chronic kidney disease, primary hyperparathyroidism, chronic granuloma-forming disorders, and some lymphomas. Read more... Continue Reading about Vitimin D Definiciency and Treatment |
Click on thumbnail for slide show on
Vitamin D
Vitamin D
rheumatologist Eduardo Baetti, MD. Even
in Atlanta, where the sunshine is adequate
all year long, Baetti says many of his
patients -- especially elderly and
dark-skinned people -- have low levels of
vitamin D because the sun is not a reliable
source.
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
Bone health was the single focus of the
Institute of Medicine's recommendations
on how much vitamin D and calcium
people should get.
in Atlanta, where the sunshine is adequate
all year long, Baetti says many of his
patients -- especially elderly and
dark-skinned people -- have low levels of
vitamin D because the sun is not a reliable
source.
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
Bone health was the single focus of the
Institute of Medicine's recommendations
on how much vitamin D and calcium
people should get.
| Click on icon to take nutrition quiz. |
by the FDA, which is less than the
recommended 600 IU.
Hawthorne's advice: "Do the math: When one
serving says it meets 100% DV, you still
need an additional 200 IU to satisfy your
requirement."
Amount of vitamin D in sample food sources:
1 Tbsp cod liver oil: 1,360 IU
3 oz. salmon: 800 IU
8 oz. fortified milk:100 IU
8 oz. fortified orange juice: 100 IU
3 oz. irradiated mushrooms: 400 IU
How Much Is Too Much?
recommended 600 IU.
Hawthorne's advice: "Do the math: When one
serving says it meets 100% DV, you still
need an additional 200 IU to satisfy your
requirement."
Amount of vitamin D in sample food sources:
1 Tbsp cod liver oil: 1,360 IU
3 oz. salmon: 800 IU
8 oz. fortified milk:100 IU
8 oz. fortified orange juice: 100 IU
3 oz. irradiated mushrooms: 400 IU
How Much Is Too Much?
Click on thumbnail for Vitamin D
fact sheet.
fact sheet.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Fat-soluble itamins can build up in the body and are
not as easily excreted as water-soluble vitamins. The IOM committee set a level of
4,000 IU as the ‘tolerable upper limit' or the maximum amount that is safe to consume
daily.
Vitamin D researcher and Creighton University professor Robert Heaney, MD, agrees
with the new level but would like to see it even higher.
"I am delighted the upper limit for vitamin D has been doubled to 4,000 IUs per day,
although this is a conservative level, considering the body of scientific evidence
indicating it should be 10,000 IU," Heaney tells WebMD. "However, few people need
more than 4,000 IUs, which will meet the needs of most healthy people, give physicians
confidence to recommend supplementation, and allow research at higher vitamin D
levels."
In July 2011, the Endocrine Society Practice Guidelines published recommendations for
the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D recommending an upper limit of
10,000 IU/day.
"There is a potential to cause harm if you overdose on supplements above 4,000 IU/day
but there is no fear of overdosing from the sun because your skin acts like a regulatory
system, only allowing production of the amount of vitamin D you need," Brannon says.
Acceptable Vitamin D Blood Levels
Your health care provider can check your vitamin D blood level with a simple blood test.
Part of the confusion about whether or not you are getting enough vitamin D may be
the definition of the acceptable blood level of vitamin D, clinically measured as 25-
hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].
Using vitamin D blood levels is the best estimate of adequacy that accounts for dietary
intake and sunshine, yet experts differ on what that level should be.
"A 25(OH)D blood level of at least 20 nanograms/ml was used by the IOM committee
to set the recommendations for vitamin D because this level showed adequacy for a
wide variety of bone health indicators" says Brannon.
The Endocrine Society Practice Guidelines, as well as many laboratories and experts
(including Baetti), recommend a minimum vitamin D blood level of 30 nanograms/ml as
an acceptable level.
not as easily excreted as water-soluble vitamins. The IOM committee set a level of
4,000 IU as the ‘tolerable upper limit' or the maximum amount that is safe to consume
daily.
Vitamin D researcher and Creighton University professor Robert Heaney, MD, agrees
with the new level but would like to see it even higher.
"I am delighted the upper limit for vitamin D has been doubled to 4,000 IUs per day,
although this is a conservative level, considering the body of scientific evidence
indicating it should be 10,000 IU," Heaney tells WebMD. "However, few people need
more than 4,000 IUs, which will meet the needs of most healthy people, give physicians
confidence to recommend supplementation, and allow research at higher vitamin D
levels."
In July 2011, the Endocrine Society Practice Guidelines published recommendations for
the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D recommending an upper limit of
10,000 IU/day.
"There is a potential to cause harm if you overdose on supplements above 4,000 IU/day
but there is no fear of overdosing from the sun because your skin acts like a regulatory
system, only allowing production of the amount of vitamin D you need," Brannon says.
Acceptable Vitamin D Blood Levels
Your health care provider can check your vitamin D blood level with a simple blood test.
Part of the confusion about whether or not you are getting enough vitamin D may be
the definition of the acceptable blood level of vitamin D, clinically measured as 25-
hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].
Using vitamin D blood levels is the best estimate of adequacy that accounts for dietary
intake and sunshine, yet experts differ on what that level should be.
"A 25(OH)D blood level of at least 20 nanograms/ml was used by the IOM committee
to set the recommendations for vitamin D because this level showed adequacy for a
wide variety of bone health indicators" says Brannon.
The Endocrine Society Practice Guidelines, as well as many laboratories and experts
(including Baetti), recommend a minimum vitamin D blood level of 30 nanograms/ml as
an acceptable level.