Vitamin D Supplements

Why you need more Vitamin D...

"We have known for many years that we need vitamin D to facilitate calcium absorption and promote bone mineralization. But newer research has shown that we also need it for protection against a number of serious diseases. In recent years, scientists have discovered that it may help to prevent several cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, psoriasis, diabetes, psychosis, and respiratory infections including colds and flu.

...Don't be concerned that a vitamin d supplement of 2,000 IU will give you too much. With exposure to sunlight in the summer, the body can generate between 10,000 IU and 20,000 IU of vitamin D per hour with no ill effects. In addition, no adverse effects have been seen with supplemental vitamin D intakes up to 10,000 IU daily."   Read rest of article here

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/new-recommendation-why-yo_b_446580.html


What do you think?  How much vitamin D are you currently taking?  Be sure to have your blood levels checked first to find out how much you may need to take. 

Previously I posted 15 Tips on How to Stay Motivated  from our recent Twitter Product Giveaway.  The following are 15 more great tips from our Twitter followers on how to eat healthier.

1. jenniferkateab: Take liquid calcium & vitamin d every day, & keep treats bite-size only once per day. It’s easier not to get off track.

2. bettycd: You must change your shopping habits before you can keep a resolution to eat better, to eat healthier. Purchase good choices

3. letsgolakers086:  rather than eating 3 large meals, I plan on eating a lot more smaller meals throughout the day

4. cdmtx65:  I have one of my "Fat" Pictures hanging on the Fridge Door - just the Thought of seeing it keeps me Miles away from the fridge

5. erunuevo:  I am already planning out my veggie and herb garden so I have lots of healthy organic foods to eat!

6. nutmeg237:  Stick to your resolutions by keeping track of what you eat, or daily excersise....you will more likely keep it up

7. raven_1884:  I try not buy a lot of sweets anymore...just some fruits and veggies as snacks... really helps when you get tempted by fats

8. Doodle741: My tip is to start small - stop drinking soda and drink water & milk!

9. DinaJ:  My main issue is not drinking enough water every day. I’ve been doing much better the past week and keeping track

10. babydest: for all the people who know they don’t drink enough water...start drinking more water, something I need to do

11. tannawings: If you walk/work/workout outside make sure you drink water- you actually dehydrate quicker in cold weather!

12. DinaJ:  I make my own "100 calorie packs" I use snack sized sandwich bags and measure out 100 calorie servings of healthy snacks.

13. LaurenEgier: Keep your healthy resolutions with these brownies http://tinyurl.com/yhww5fk ! I made them and they are very tasty! Enjoy!

14. jillyrh: I fill up a 2 ltr bottle with water (9 glasses) and drink from that.. Then I’m sure I get my 8 glasses of water each day

15. purplelover04: eat hot peppers to help get your 8 glass of water in a day


So what's your tip on eating healthier or staying motivated?  Share with us!
 

source: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Product-Categories/Vitamins-premixes/Vitamin-D-levels-not-enough-for-winter-Study

Current recommended intake for vitamin D during winter months and need to be at increased by five, says a new study from California.

You may be surprised how much milk or cheese it actually takes to get 1000 mg of the calcium you need each day from diet alone.  It takes 3 ½ cups of milk or 3 yogurts to reach 1000 mg.  Here are some great ideas and tips for strong bones and teeth and to help prevent osteoporosis.

Ways to get more Calcium for bone health: (from eatsmart.org (Washington State Dairy Council)

These ideas will help you think about and plan ways to get enough calcium. Choose one or two changes that you can easily make for optimal bone health.


- Concerned about fat? Remember that lower-fat dairy products have all the calcium of regular dairy products.
- Select milk as a beverage when eating out.
- Stir-fry broccoli, kale or bok choy and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
- Use yogurt or tahini as a dip, garnish, spread or dressing.
- Stock up on canned salmon for use in sandwiches, salads and casseroles.
- Make soups with milk instead of water.
- Try tofu burgers or lasagna.
- Make your coffee choice a caffe latte.
- Add cheese or chickpeas to salads and sandwiches.
- Select milk desserts such as custards, puddings, yogurt and ice cream.
- Add skim milk powder to mashed potatoes, cooked cereals, casseroles, hamburger patties, omelettes, etc.
- Try some whole or refried beans in a wrap.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese on cooked broccoli.
- Try flavored milk if you don’t like plain.
- Snack on almonds once in a while.
- Try calcium-enriched milk or yogurt. Each portion has an extra 100 mg of calcium.
- Take a liquid calcium supplement with vitamin D such as Wellesse Calcium & Vitamin D Liquid.  Liquid supplements absorb better than pills and are easier to swallow.

Other tips to take for strong bones:
- Stop smoking
- Take a brisk walk every day. Walking is a good weight bearing exercise.
- Do muscle strengthening exercises.
- Eat five or more fruits and vegetables every day.  Good nutrition for healthy bones
- Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.
- Cut back on salty foods, caffeine and soda.
- Do balance training exercises to help prevent falls.  Exercise for healthy bones
- Get a bone density test.


What You Need to Know about Osteoarthritis

"Vitamin D is essential for the maintenance of normal bone and muscle function, and may be important for proper functioning of the cardiovascular and immune systems.  It is the 'sunshine vitamin' because most of the natural vitamin D in our body is made in the skin following exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.  Unfortunately, there is a pandemic of vitamin D insufficiency around the world, and those of us living in sunny Los Angeles are not immune from the problem."

Read rest or article here  

Eating Right

• Yogurt contain probiotics that help support the immune system
• Garlic contains allicin, a potent bacteria fighter
• Black Tea or Green Tea to help produce more interferon, a protein that battles cold and flu infections
• Mushrooms such as shiitake, maitake and reishi contain immune-boosting chemicals
• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D and selenium that benefit the immune system

• Wash hands often and well with soap and water for at least one minute or use a hand sanitizer gel if no sink is available, like at the grocery store.
• Don't share toothpaste tubes with anyone
• Use paper towels instead of cloth towels at home in the kitchen and bathrooms
• Spray or wipe disinfectant everywhere - phone, keyboard, desktop, door handles, weights, remote controls, etc.
• Use gloves if possible when pressing buttons on ATM machines and the like
• Keep a 5 feet away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing

• Omega-3 fatty acids, especially if you do not like fatty fish
• Vitamin D3 supplement - people who took 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily had 70% fewer colds and flu, according to a 3 year study published in Epidemiology and Infection.  This time of year its almost impossible to get enough vitamin D from the sun and food just doesn't have enough.
• Vitamin C
• Echinacea
• Zinc taken at the very start of a cold may help shorten the duration

• 20 or 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day will help increase blood flow, which speeds nutrient absorption and decreases stress hormones, which dampen immune response.
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.  Lake of sleep depresses the immune system making your more susceptible to bacteria that causes viruses
• Try Yoga or Tai chi for relaxation and exercise.
• Don't hide out - be social.  People who are socially active get fewer colds because they tend to be more positive and happier which also strengthen immunity. 

As a continuation on my series of blog posts on healthy digestion, I'd like to talk about Prebiotics and how they affect digestion.

Overview
If you’ve ever seen inulin, oligofructose or fructooligosaccharides on product packages, you are probably wondering what on earth these food ingredients are and why they are were added to your food or supplements. Inulin, oligofructose and fructooligosaccharides are all prebiotics – food ingredients that are not digested by the human body but boost the growth and/or activity of the friendly bacteria in our gut, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Most prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber.

Prebiotics are added to foods to enhance the nutrition profile of the food and improve certain characteristics of the food. Inulin can replace some of the sugar in food while adding sweetness, replace fat, improve mouth feel and texture of certain foods.

Inulin for Good Health
Inulin is a versatile non-digestible prebiotic fiber. In other words, it is an ingredient added to food or dietary supplements to boost your health. The form of inulin (inulin-type fructans) used in food and supplements is not digested or absorbed to any extent. Inulin-type fructans are metabolized by bacteria in the colon, increasing the growth of the healthy bacteria – bifidobacteria.

Unlike other types of carbohydrate, inulin does not raise triglycerides and has a minimal effect on blood sugar. And, a thorough look through the research by a team of scientists at the University of Parma in Italy found that inulin-type fructans can reduce serum triglycerides. Inulin can cause gas and bloating in people who are not accustomed to eating a high fiber diet or inulin. These effects should go away after becoming accustomed to inulin (most Americans eat far below the dietary recommendations for fiber – 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed).

Prebiotics and Nutrient Absorption
Some prebiotics may improve the absorption of some minerals by changing the environment in the colon and transferring water into the large bowel thereby increasing the volume of fluid minerals can dissolve in. In human studies, inulin and oligofructose have been found to increase the absorption of calcium.  Rat studies have found these prebiotic fibers increase the absorption of calcium, magnesium and zinc.

Why is this important? Results from the largest national nutrition examination survey (NHANES 2005-2006) show that as we age, we are less likely to take in enough calcium.  Just 58% of men aged 31-50 years of age are meeting their calcium needs. And, a mere 26% of men aged 51-70 and 14% of men over 71 years of age are taking in adequate amounts of calcium.  These numbers are even more dismal for women!  Thirty-three percent of women ages 31-50, 8% of women 51-70 and 7% of women over the age of 71 are taking in enough dietary calcium needed for bone health.

A liquid calcium supplement with 1000 mg of Calcium and 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 is a great way to get the calcium needed each day to help prevent and in managing osteoporosis.
 

New study just released on Vitamin D and heart health risks factors.

Researchers followed 27,686 people, aged 50 and older, with no history of cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into three groups based on their vitamin D levels: normal (more than 30 nanograms per milliliter), low (15 to 30 nanograms per milliliter), or very low (less than 15 nanograms per milliliter).

After one year of follow-up, those with very low levels of vitamin D were 77 percent more likely to die, 45 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 78 percent more likely to have a stroke, and twice as likely to develop heart failure compared to people with normal vitamin D levels, the researchers found.

"We concluded that among patients 50 years of age or older, even a moderate deficiency of vitamin D levels was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and death," study co-author Heidi May, an epidemiologist with the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, said in a news release from the center.

Source:  http://www.wxtx.com/Global/story.asp?S=11519986
 

This is a repeat of a previous post, but with the increasing importance of vitamin D, I thought it would be appropriate to post again.

When it comes to nutrition, the media often finds an ingredient, supplement or product that steals the spotlight for a period of time.  Sometimes the ingredient is lambased to the point where it becomes an outcast at warp speed, this happened with partially hydrogenated oils (man made trans fats).  Other times, the news is good.   And this is what has happened with vitamin D.  This vitamin has gone from the kid at the back of the class to center stage in a short period of time. 

Vitamin D
When it comes to bone health, many of us automatically think of calcium and milk/dairy.  However, calcium alone can't do its job without adequate vitamin D.  Think of vitamin D as the gatekeeper to bone tissue, it aids in the absorption of calcium.  Vitamin D may also decrease our risk for certain types of cancer.  Most notably, colon, prostate and breast cancer.  And, a deficiency in vitamin D can lead to osteopenia, osteoporosis, chronic pain, muscle weakness, fractures and autoimmune diseases.
 
Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin upon exposure to sunlight.  Past recommendations have indicated that just a little exposure - say 15 minutes a day, will give us all the sunlight we need to make vitamin D.  However, recent studies have shown that many of us fall short.  Even people living in climates sunny throughout the year like southern Arizona.  How can this be the case?  Individuals with darker skin and older individuals just don't produce vitamin D as well as fair-skinned, younger people do.  And, people who live in less than sunny climates simply aren't exposed to the sun's rays often enough.  Lastly, many people have had skin cancer (basal and squamous cell carcinoma is on the rise) and are avid sun block users and therefore don't manufacture adequate vitamin D.
 
Calcium
Now, on to calcium. Aside from its role in bone health, calcium also aids in:  muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, hormone secretion, heartbeat regulation, conducting nerve impulses and blot clotting.  And, all of these functions are considered more vital than keeping our bones strong.  So, when we fall short on our calcium intake our body leaches it from our bones. If this process occurs frequently, over time we end up with weak, porous bones, osteopenia and osteoporosis.
 
How to Get It
It's clear we need to take in adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D daily.  Calcium is more easily obtained from foods, especially dairy foods.  Greens like spinach are often noted for their calcium but, this calcium is bound to the oxalic acid present in these greens and therefore, not readily absorbed.  The same thing goes for calcium that is fortified into grain products - it is bound to phytic acid and not easily absorbed in the body.  Vitamin D is a bit harder to find in foods.  Salmon, mackerel, canned tuna, canned sardines, and milk are your best options.  If you don't drink 4 glasses of milk a day or a combination of other dairy and the fish mentioned above, try a liquid calcium and vitamin D supplement.

 

• Dietary sources such as milk and even multivitamins do not provide nearly enough vitamin D, many scientists now say.
   
• Vitamin D acts as as a sentinel to help regulate cell growth, says vitamin D expert and researcher, Michael Holick, PhD, MD.
   
• African Americans are especially at risk because it takes much longer for their skin to make vitamin D
   
• Those who live far from the equator are also at risk because there is not enough sunlight to produce adequate vitamin D during the winter months.
   
• Dr. Holick says "We all need to increase our vitamin D intake".
   
• Obese individuals may need even more vitamin D supplements because it is sequestered in the fat.  Also, the older you get the more you need as well.
   

• The best source of vitamin D is the sun
• However, during the winter months, those living north of the 35th latitude have a much harder time getting any from the sun
• Eating enough fatty fish or drinking fortified milk is not the best way
• Dr. Oz recommends taking a vitamin D supplement of at least 1000 IU along with a daily multivitamin
• Get your vitamin d blood level tested before and after to monitor results and adjust dosage as needed

Women with breast cancer should be given high doses of vitamin D because a majority of them are likely to have low levels of vitamin D, which could contribute to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

In a study of 166 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, nearly 70 percent had low levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to a study being presented Thursday, Oct. 8, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco. The analysis showed women with late-stage disease and non-Caucasian women had even lower levels.

"Vitamin D is essential to maintaining bone health, and women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to the nature of hormone therapy and chemotherapy. It's important for women and their doctors to work together to boost their vitamin D intake," said Luke Peppone, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, at Rochester's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program research base in Rochester.

Scientists funded by the NCI analyzed vitamin D levels in each woman, and the average level was 27 nanograms per milliliter; more than two-thirds of the women had vitamin deficiency. Weekly supplementation with high doses of vitamin D -- 50,000 international units or more -- improved the levels, according to Peppone's study.

The U.S. Institute of Medicine suggests that blood levels nearing 32 nanograms per milliliter are adequate.

This problem is not unexpected, Peppone said, because previous studies have shown that nearly half of all men and women are deficient in the nutrient, with vitamin D levels below 32 nanograms per milliliter. Vitamin D, obtained from milk, fortified cereals and exposure to sunlight, is well known to play an essential role in cell growth, in boosting the body's immune system and in strengthening bones.

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include muscle pain, weak bones/fractures, low energy and fatigue, lowered immunity, symptoms of depression and mood swings, and sleep irregularities, many of which are common for women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Source:  EurekAlert Press Release, University of Rochester Medical Center


A daily liquid vitamin D supplement of at least 1,000 IU per day is recommended to maintain healthy blood levels.  Everyone should have their blood levels tested to see where they are at and to find out how much vitamin D they should be taking.  To find out if you are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, take this quiz now 

There are important steps you can take now to have a healthier heart.

Many Americans are weight focused so they can fit into their slim jeans or look good at their high school reunion.  But, there’s another, dare I say more important, reason we should take a close look at our weight and overall health.  Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability in the U.S.  There are many things we can do to modify our risk factors. 

Some that you’ve probably heard before include:
• Maintain a normal weight
• Quit smoking
• Manage your blood cholesterol levels
• Manage your blood pressure within normal limits
• Get active – get out there and get some physical activity such as walking
• De-stress
• Curb your alcohol intake

Heart Healthy Nutrients
In addition to these ones, make sure you are meeting your vitamin D and magnesium needs – two micronutrients that many people are likely to be low in. Recent studies indicate that those with low vitamin D levels have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart failure and ischemic heart disease. Hopefully future studies will examine if vitamin D supplementation in those with low levels will help reduce one’s risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  Find out if you are at risk for vitamin D deficiency by taking this quiz - http://vitamind.wellesse.com/info.asp 

Magnesium is another nutrient to be mindful of.  Low levels have been associated with increased inflammation, which is a risk factor for hardening of the arteries.

So be sure to eat healthy, exercise and take your vitamin D liquid supplements each day.  Your heart will appreciate it!
 

A daily supplement of vitamin D at a dose of 700-1000 IU reduces the risk of falling among older people by 19% according to a study published on bmj.com today. But a dose of less than 700 IU per day has no effect.

IU is an international unit of measurement for vitamins and other biologically active substances.

Each year, one in three people aged 65 and older experience at least one fall, with around 6% resulting in a fracture. Fall prevention has therefore become a public health goal especially as the older segment of the population grows.

Several trials have shown that vitamin D improves strength and balance among older people, while others have found no significant effect on the risk of falling.

So an international team of researchers analysed the results of eight fall prevention trials to assess the effectiveness of vitamin D in preventing falls among older individuals (aged 65 or more). Differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias.

The pooled results showed that benefit from vitamin d supplements on fall prevention depended on treatment dose.

Supplemental vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 were investigated. 700-1000 IU supplemental vitamin D per day (vitamin D2 or vitamin D3) reduced falls by 19% and up to 26% with vitamin D3.

This effect was independent of age, type of dwelling or additional calcium supplementation. The effect was significant within two to five months of starting treatment and extended beyond 12 months.

Supplemental vitamin D did not reduce falls at a dose of less than 700 IU per day.

The use of active forms of vitamin D did not appear to be more effective than 700-1000 IU supplemental vitamin D. Active forms of vitamin D also cost more and are associated with a higher risk for hypercalcaemia (elevated calcium levels in the blood) than standard supplemental vitamin D.

To reduce the risk of falling, a daily intake of at least 700-1000 IU supplemental vitamin D is warranted in all individuals aged 65 and older, say the authors.

Higher doses may be even more effective and should be explored in future research to optimise the fall prevention benefit and bone health with vitamin D supplements, they conclude.