Showing posts with label health .vitamins. Show all posts

Friday 11 October 2013

Vitamin D pills' effect on healthy bones queried

Healthy adults do not need to take vitamin D supplements, suggests a study in The Lancet which found they had no beneficial effect on bone density, a sign of osteoporosis.

But experts say many other factors could be at play and people should not stop taking supplements.

University of Auckland researchers analysed 23 studies involving more than 4,000 healthy people.

The UK government recommends children and over-65s take a daily supplement.

The New Zealand research team conducted a meta-analysis of all randomised trials examining the effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral density in healthy adults up to July 2012.

The supplements were taken for an average of two years by the study participants.

“Start Quote

I'm not surprised they didn't find any evidence of the effects of vitamin D on bone density because there are so many other factors involved...”

Dr Laura TripkovicUniversity of Surrey

Bone mineral density is a measure of bone strength and measures the amount of bone mineral present at different sites in the body. It is often seen as an indicator for the risk of osteoporosis, which can lead to an increased risk of fracture.

The trials took place in a number of different countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Holland, Finland and Norway.

Although the results did not identify any benefits for people who took vitamin D, they did find a small but statistically significant increase in bone density at the neck of the femur near the hip joint.

According to the authors, this effect is unlikely to be clinically significant.

Free up resources

Prof Ian Reid, lead study author, from the University of Auckland, said the findings showed that healthy adults did not need to take vitamin D supplements.

"Our data suggest that the targeting of low-dose vitamin D supplements only to individuals who are likely to be deficient could free up substantial resources that could be better used elsewhere in healthcare."

Writing about the study in The Lancet, Clifford J Rosen from the Maine Medical Research Institute agrees that science's understanding of vitamin D supports the findings for healthy adults, but not for everyone.

"Supplementation to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults is not warranted. However, maintenance of vitamin D stores in the elderly combined with sufficient dietary calcium intake remains an effective approach for prevention of hip fractures."

The Department of Health currently recommends that a daily supplement of vitamin D of 10 micrograms (0.01mg) should be taken by pregnant and breastfeeding women and people over 65, while babies aged six months to five years should take vitamin drops containing 7 to 8.5 micrograms (0.007-0.0085mg) per day.

Additional factors

Dr Laura Tripkovic, research fellow in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Surrey, said the study was important but very specific.

"I'm not surprised they didn't find any evidence of the effects of vitamin D on bone density because there are so many other factors involved in osteoporosis, like genes, diet and environment.

"To pin it all on vitamin D... it's difficult to do that."

Dr Tripkovic said it was no good taking vitamin D supplements if people didn't also maintain a healthy, balanced diet containing calcium and take plenty of exercise.

She said most healthy people should be able to absorb enough vitamin D naturally, through sunshine and diet.

"But if people are worried about their vitamin D levels then a multi-vitamin tablet would do. If you have bone pain and muscle aches then you should go and see your GP and discuss it."

We get most of our vitamin D from sunlight on our skin, but it is also found in certain foods like oily fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.

However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful because calcium can build up and damage the kidneys.

Experts advise taking no more than 25 micrograms (0.025mg) a day.

The UK guidance is currently being reviewed.

Friday 28 October 2011

It is thought extensive use of sunscreen

The disease, caused by low levels of vitamin D generated in the body from sunshine and certain foods, had died out around 80 years ago but is now coming back.

Cases of rickets in children have occurred in northern England and Scotland where there are fewer months of the year with sufficient sunshine to obtain enough vitamin D but now doctors are seeing it on the South coast as well.

It is thought extensive use of sunscreen, children playing more time on computer games and TV rather than playing outside and a poor diet are to blame.

Professor Nicholas Clarke, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Southampton General Hospital and professor of paediatric orthopaedic surgery at the University of Southampton, said: "The return of rickets in northern parts of the UK came as a surprise despite the colder climate and lower levels of sunshine in the north, but what has developed in Southampton is quite astonishing."

Children from all backgrounds are being affected now and the disease is not limited to the poor as it was in Victorian times.

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Fair-skinned people may need extra vitamin D

Protection against sunburn should remain the priority, says Cancer Research UK

Fair-skinned people who are prone to sunburn may need to take supplements to ensure they get enough vitamin D, say experts.

It appears that those with pale skin, while not deficient, may still be lacking in the essential vitamin that the body makes from sunlight.

The Cancer Research UK-funded team say that even with a lot of sun exposure, those with fair skin may not be able to make enough vitamin D.

And too much sun causes skin cancer.

Clearly, for this reason, increasing sun exposure is not the way to achieve higher vitamin D levels in the fair-skinned population, say the researchers. But taking supplements could be.

Their work examined 1,200 people.

Of these, 730 were found to have "lower than optimal" vitamin D levels - and many of these were people with very pale, freckled skin.

Extra boost

“Start Quote

Fair-skinned individuals who burn easily are not able to make enough vitamin D from sunlight and so may need to take vitamin D supplements”

End Quote Prof Julia Newton-Bishop

Supplements are already recommended for groups at higher risk of deficiency. This includes people with dark skin, such as people of African-Caribbean and South Asian origin, and people who wear full-body coverings, as well as the elderly, young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women and people who avoid the sun.

Based on the latest findings, it appears that pale-skinned people should be added to this list.

Vitamin D is important for healthy bones and teeth.

A level less than 25nmol/L in the blood is a deficiency, but experts increasingly believe that lower than 60nmol/L are suboptimal and can also be damaging to health.

Most people get enough vitamin D with short exposures to the sun (10 to 15 minutes a day). A small amount also comes from the diet in foods like oily fish and dairy products.

But people with fair skin do not seem to be able to get enough, according to Prof Julia Newton-Bishop and her team at the University of Leeds.

Part of the reason might be that people who burn easily are more likely to cover up and avoid the sun.

But some fair-skinned individuals also appear to be less able to make and process vitamin D in the body, regardless of how long they sit in the sun for.

Prof Newton-Bishop said: "It's very difficult to give easy advice that everyone can follow. There's no one-size-fits-all.

"However, fair-skinned individuals who burn easily are not able to make enough vitamin D from sunlight and so may need to take vitamin D supplements."

Hazel Nunn, of Cancer Research UK, said: "It is about striking a balance between the benefits and harms of sun exposure.

"People with fair skin are at higher risk of developing skin cancer and should take care to avoid over-exposure to the sun's rays.

"If people are concerned about their vitamin D levels, they should see their doctor who may recommend a vitamin D test."

She said it was too soon to start recommending supplements, but said most people could safely take 10 micrograms a day of vitamin D without any side-effects.

Friday 19 August 2011

Vitamin D mum test 'could protect babies from rickets'

By Adam Brimelow Health Correspondent, BBC News

The weakened bones and bowed legs of a child with rickets

The NHS should consider checking pregnant women's vitamin D levels to protect babies from the "Victorian" bone disease rickets, an expert says.

A Journal of Medical Screening article suggests rickets was returning, with many women not getting enough vitamin D, which comes mainly from sunlight.

People with dark skin, and women who cover up for cultural or religious reasons, are at particular risk.

The Department of Health is reviewing the evidence on vitamin D screening.

The editorial was by Dr James Haddow, a US expert in pre-natal screening.

Breastfeeding mothers

His article described cases of seizures, heart failure and rickets in children whose mothers were vitamin D deficient.

Dr Haddow said it was time to look at screening pregnant women with a blood test, focusing initially on those most at risk.

"Any strategy aimed at avoiding symptomatic vitamin D deficiency in offspring would logically include assuring adequacy of maternal vitamin D during pregnancy.

"Attending to this aspect of maternal and child health has added significance for mothers who breastfeed."

A recent study in inner-city Birmingham found that almost one in two Asian women were vitamin D deficient.

“Start Quote

Screening in selected populations is currently the way forward”

End Quote Dr Jonathan Berg City Hospital, Birmingham

The level was one in three in the wider Asian community, one in four in the black population and one in eight among Caucasians.

One of the authors, Dr Jonathan Berg, director of pathology at City Hospital, Birmingham, says some local GPs are already screening pregnant women from the Asian community, although there is no formal protocol.

The trust also offers a vitamin D blood-test for those who are not in at-risk groups, for £20. Dr Berg says a lot of people were having the check.

"Screening in selected populations is currently the way forward, but clearly it is very difficult for the NHS to test everyone. We are seeing a big increase in demand from the 'worried well'."

Free supplements

A consultant paediatrician at Ealing's hospital, Dr Colin Michie, says the increased use of high-factor sun-cream means a lot of women who are not in at-risk groups are also vitamin D deficient.

He says the idea of screening is interesting, but he argues that providing free vitamin D supplements for all pregnant women would be cheaper and easier.

He believes this would lead to healthier babies and would save the NHS money.

A spokesman for the Department of Health in England said: "All pregnant women are advised to take vitamin D supplements.

"Our priority is to ensure health professionals provide consistent advice and implement the current recommendations."

The department has asked the scientific advisory committee to review the evidence on vitamin D requirements for different population groups.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Soy 'does not ease the menopause'

Soy sauce is made from soya beans

Soy appears to do nothing to relieve the symptoms of menopause, scientists say, despite the high hopes of many.

A controlled study involving nearly 250 US women going through "the change" found soy tablets did not abate hot flushes or bone density loss.

The tablets were no better than placebo over the two-year-long investigation, Archives of Internal Medicine reports.

But experts said other studies have shown soy can ease menopause symptoms.

The dose given in the latest trial was twice that normally ingested by people with soy-rich diets.

Soy products like tofu contain natural plant oestrogens and experts have suggested that these might help women going through the menopause whose own oestrogen levels are dwindling.

'Not a candidate'

Many women are already offered oestrogen in the form of hormone replacement therapy or HRT to help with menopausal symptoms.

“Start Quote

My advice would be that women should reconsider taking these products for menopausal symptoms”

End Quote Lead researcher Dr Silvina Levis

But following reports that prolonged use of HRT may carry a very small increased risk of other conditions, like breast cancer and stroke, some do not want to go on HRT and look for alternatives.

The researchers from the University of Miami say their work suggests soy is not a candidate, although they stress that they only looked at soy isoflavone tablets rather than other dietary sources of soy.

They recruited 248 menopausal women to take part in their study and randomly allocated them to one of two groups: soy or placebo.

The soy group received 200mg of soy isoflavone tablets daily for two years, while the women in the placebo group were given dummy pills.

During the follow-up, no significant differences were found between the two groups regarding changes in bone loss - a common side effect of the menopause.

Menopausal symptoms such as sleep disturbances affected both groups to similar degrees, although the soy group did appear to experience more hot flushes than the placebo group overall.

Lead researcher Dr Silvina Levis said: "My advice would be that women should reconsider taking these products for menopausal symptoms. We found soy isoflavone tablets did not provide any benefit.

"We did not look at soy foods but I suspect these too would probably not be helpful."

Dr Malcolm Whitehead, a menopause expert at King's College Hospital in London, said: "I'm not at all surprised by the findings. In my clinical experience, women say this doesn't work for them."

He said HRT could be a safe and effective treatment for most women.

A spokesperson from the charity Women's Health Concern said that other studies had shown soy could be helpful for treating symptoms of the menopause.

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Rickets cases reported in Cardiff by health workers

Coloured X-Ray of the legs of a child with rickets

Rickets can lead to bone deformities and stunted growth

Cases of the crippling children's bone disease rickets are being seen in Cardiff, BBC Wales has learned.

Caused by a lack of vitamin D, the disease can lead to deformities like bowed legs and stunted growth, but it largely disappeared last century.

Eye on Wales has learnt health professionals working in communities in south Cardiff are reporting incidents.

Public Health Wales does not hold statistics on the number of cases as rickets is not a notifiable disease

Dr Elspeth Webb, a reader in child health at Cardiff University, spends half her time working as a paediatrician within Splott and Tremorfa in the city.

She told the programme: "We're still seeing rickets in children in Cardiff in the 21st Century - which a lot of people might be very shocked and surprised by, thinking of it as a Victorian illness. But no, it's not.

"You get women living in certain communities that perhaps don't go out much because of religious, cultural traditions.

"They're covered up when they do. They don't get enough access to sunlight. So they get vitamin D deficient."

“Start Quote

You don't see rickets in rich, advantaged, educated, middle-class South Asian people”

End Quote Dr Elspeth Webb Cardiff University

"Every pregnancy, you use up your vitamin D stores and if you're not making enough to replenish them, you gradually get more and more depleted.

"By your third or fourth child, that child is born already without enough vitamin D."

"So they'll be presenting with rickets at around 18 months."

While her experience suggests that rickets is confined within certain communities in south Cardiff, Dr Webb says that poverty and poor access to services are also reasons why the disease is occurring.

"You don't see rickets in rich, advantaged, educated, middle-class South Asian people. So it's a mixture of religious, cultural practices with poverty."

'Quite startling'

As co-ordinator of the Butetown Communities First project, Nathan Evans has been involved in the response to rickets and believes progress can be made towards eradicating the disease.

"For me this is something from the past. This is something that is alive and kicking in the 21st Century? This was quite startling for me."

“Start Quote

Within Cardiff you've got quite dramatic contrasts between the northern area of Cardiff and the old docks area where life expectancy is considerably lower”

End Quote Prof Gareth Williams Cardiff University School of Social Sciences

"But then some of the remedies surrounding it are around that up-take of Vitamin D. So it's around diet, it's around lifestyle."

"The Local Health Board have this big drive around vitamin up-take. This has proved quite successful locally."

"As long as active promotion of where people can access vitamins, how they can maybe modify their behaviour in order to attract more sunlight into their lives then I believe this is something that can be reversed."

The cases of rickets serve to highlight the health inequalities - and differences in life expectancy - that exist within Wales' capital city.

Those differences have always existed, but Gareth Williams - a professor of sociology at Cardiff University - said the gap was widening, not shrinking.

"Within Cardiff you've got quite dramatic contrasts between the northern area of Cardiff and the old docks area where life expectancy is considerably lower. There's a 10-year life expectancy difference."

"Everyone's life expectancy is getting better. The life expectancy of people in poor communities has been getting better very slowly.

"Whereas the life expectancy of people in wealthier places is getting better quite quickly."

Earlier this month, First Minister Carwyn Jones committed the Welsh Government to passing a Public Health Bill to deliver improved life expectancy and reduce health inequality within the life of this assembly.

Saturday 23 July 2011

Animals with human DNA

Researchers can add human genes and tissues to mice

It was one of the great comedy sketch moments from Not the Nine O'Clock News. Mel Smith is a scientist on a talk-show, sitting next to a gorilla (Rowan Atkinson in a costume) and begins explaining how he has taught him to speak.

Smith: "When I caught Gerald in '68 he was completely wild."
Gerald/Atkinson: "Wild. I was absolutely livid."
Funny, yes, and truly far-fetched, but experiments on animals that lead to possible human characteristics are something the Academy of Medical Sciences has spent nearly two years considering.
It looked at the vast and growing area of research involving the insertion of human DNA or cells into animals.
This sort of research has been going on for decades. It can involve a single gene being inserted in a mouse genome, or the transplantation of human cells or tissue into animals, creating what are known as chimaeras.
The point is to study human development and disease - anything from cancer, stroke or dementia to Down's syndrome.
People know that experimentation on animals takes place, but probably very few know much about this area. The academy commissioned a consortium led by the polling organisation Ipsos Mori to look at public opinion.
Great Apes
The public consultation showed strong support as long as people felt it would produce genuine benefits for medicine and that these would be widely available.
Most of this area of research involves mice, but rats, fruit flies and zebra fish are also used.
One of the key areas of potential concern outlined in the report is research involving the brain: "The predominant question is whether populating an animal's brain with human-derived cells could result in the production of an animal with human cognitive capacity" - areas such as consciousness, awareness and sentience and human-like behavioural capabilities.
The academy thinks if human brain stem cells were transplanted into a mouse in the womb, it would still probably end up acting like a mouse. But it is less certain about the potential consequences for a similar experiment with a larger animal, for example a sheep or pig.
Professor Martin Bobrow, who chaired the working group which compiled the report, suggested what he called the "Great Ape test". He said there is a consensus that experiments should not be carried out on Great Apes (chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas). So if experiments to add human material gave a sheep or a pig the same level of cognitive ability as a gorilla, then it should probably not be allowed.
Science fiction
The academy is not suggesting that anyone wants to do this, but it says public discussion should occur now, long before scientists have the idea for unusual experiments.
So what else might make you feel uncomfortable? Animals with human physical features would be a step too far for many - bringing to mind HG Wells science fiction novel The Island of Dr Moreau.
And what about language? The report says: "Creating characteristics such as speech and behaviour in animals would be very complex." Considerable potential benefits would need to be justified before that was allowed.
After all, as one of the report authors said: "If you come home and your parrot says - 'who's a pretty boy?' - that's one thing. If you come home and your monkey says it, that's quite another."

Friday 17 December 2010

New guidance on vitamin D recommends midday sunshine

16 December 2010 Last updated at 18:29

New guidance on vitamin D recommends midday sunshine

By Jane Dreaper Health correspondent, BBC News

Short spells in the sun boost vitamin D levels

New health advice recommends short spells in the sun - without suncream and in the middle of the day.

Seven organisations have issued joint advice on vitamin D, which the body gets from natural sunlight.

The nutrient keeps bones strong, and protects against conditions like osteoporosis.

The guidance was drawn up because it is thought fears about skin cancer have made people too cautious about being in the sun.

Cancer Research UK and the National Osteoporosis Society are among the bodies which agree that "little and frequent" spells in summer sunshine several times a week can benefit your health.

The experts now say it is fine to go outside in strong sun in the middle of the day, as long as you cover up or apply sunscreen before your skin goes red.

'Too negative'

“Start Quote

A good diet and sensible sun exposure will be adequate for most people to minimise their cancer risk.”

End Quote Professor Peter Johnson Cancer Research UK

Professor Rona Mackie, from the British Association of Dermatologists, said: "Total sun protection with high factor suncream on all the time is not ideal, in terms of vitamin D levels.

"Even Australia has changed its policy on this. They're now producing charts showing parts of Australia where sun protection may not be required during some parts of the year.

"Some of the messages about sun exposure have been too negative. UK summer sunshine isn't desperately strong. We don't have many days in the year when it is very intense.

"What's changed is that we're now saying that exposure of 10 to 15 minutes to the UK summer sun, without suncream, several times a week is probably a safe balance between adequate vitamin D levels and any risk of skin cancer."

Official government advice already recommends vitamin D supplements for pregnant women and children aged under five.

But the experts who wrote the joint statement say mothers often are not made aware of this recommendation. They suggest women consult their GP.

Winter levels of vitamin D can be helped by a break in the tropical sun - or by eating oily fish, liver and fortified margarine.

'Complex area'

Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, Professor Peter Johnson, said: "A good diet and sensible sun exposure will be adequate for the great majority of the UK population to minimise their cancer risk.

"The area of vitamin D and cancer is complex.

"There's some evidence, which is strongest in bowel cancer, that low levels of vitamin D in the blood correlate with the risk of developing cancer.

"But that doesn't mean those low levels cause bowel cancer.

"We think overall that low levels of vitamin D are unlikely to be major contributors to the chances of developing cancer in the UK population."

The joint statement also highlighted questions about vitamin D that warrant further research.

These include finding out the optimal levels of vitamin D, and more detail about the role of dietary sources and supplements.

Friday 12 November 2010

Increase in rickets

12 November 2010 Last updated at 14:07

Increase in rickets in Southampton astonishes doctors

Coloured X-Ray of the legs of a child with rickets

More than 20% of children tested showed signs of the bone disease rickets, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust said.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Prof Nicholas Clarke checked more than 200 of the city's children for bone problems caused by a lack of vitamin D.

He was astonished by the results, which, he said, were "very reminiscent of 17th Century England".

Prof Clarke works for Southampton General Hospital.

He said vitamin D supplements should be more widely adopted to halt the rise in cases.

The crippling bone disease can lead to deformities like bowed legs as well stunted growth and general ill-health.

A lack of vitamin D can be caused by poor diets and insufficient exposure to sunlight, which helps the body synthesise the vitamin.

Prof Clarke said: "A lot of the children we have seen have got low vitamin D and require treatment.

'Middle class and leafy'

"In my 22 years at Southampton General Hospital, this is a completely new occurrence in the south that has evolved over the last 12 to 24 months and we are seeing cases across the board, from areas of deprivation up to the middle classes.

Prof Clarke said vitamin D supplements should be more widely adopted to halt the rise in cases

"There is a real need to get national attention focused on the dangers this presents."

He added that the "modern lifestyle, which involves a lack of exposure to sunlight, but also covering up in sunshine" had contributed to the problem.

"The return of rickets in northern parts of the UK came as a surprise, despite the colder climate and lower levels of sunshine in the north, but what has developed in Southampton is quite astonishing," said Prof Clarke.

"We are facing the daunting prospect of an area like Southampton, where it is high income, middle class and leafy in its surroundings, seeing increasing numbers of children with rickets, which would have been inconceivable only a year or so ago."

Friday 5 November 2010

Vitamin E linked to increased risk of some strokes

5 November 2010 Last updated at 01:38

Vitamin E linked to increased risk of some strokes

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has a bigger effect on stroke risk than taking vitamin E

Taking vitamin E could slightly increase the risk of a particular type of stroke, a study says.

The British Medical Journal study found that for every 1,250 people there is the chance of one extra haemorrhagic stroke - bleeding in the brain.

Researchers from France, Germany and the US studied nine previous trials and nearly 119,000 people.

But the level at which vitamin E becomes harmful is still unknown, experts say.

The study was carried out at Harvard Medical School, Boston, and INSERM in Paris.

Haemorrhagic strokes are the least common type and occur when a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain ruptures and causes brain damage.

Researchers found that vitamin E increased the risk of this kind of stroke by 22%.

The study also found that vitamin E could actually cut the risk of ischaemic strokes - the most common type of stroke - by 10%.

Ischaemic strokes account for 70% of all cases and happen when a blood clot prevents blood reaching the brain.

Experts found vitamin E could cut the risk, equivalent to one ischaemic stroke prevented per 476 people taking the vitamin.

Lifestyle check

However, they warned that keeping to a healthy lifestyle and maintaining low blood pressure and low cholesterol have a far bigger effect on cutting the risk of ischaemic stroke than taking vitamin E.

More than 111,000 people have a stroke every year and they are the third biggest cause of death in the UK.

“Start Quote

Indiscriminate widespread use of vitamin E should be cautioned against."”

End Quote Study authors

Those who survive are frequently left with disability.

While none of the trials suggested that taking vitamin E increased the risk for total stroke, the differences were notable for the two individual types of strokes.

The authors concluded: "Given the relatively small risk reduction of ischaemic stroke and the generally more severe outcome of haemorrhagic stroke, indiscriminate widespread use of vitamin E should be cautioned against."

Previous studies have suggested that taking vitamin E can protect the heart from coronary heart disease, but some have also found that the vitamin could increase the risk of death if taken in high doses.

Dr Peter Coleman, deputy director of research at The Stroke Association, said: "This is a very interesting study that shows that the risk of haemorrhagic stroke can be slightly increased by high levels of orally taken Vitamin E, although what is a high level has not clearly been ascertained.

"More research is required to discover the mechanism of action and the level at which Vitamin E can become harmful.

"We urge people to maintain a lifestyle of a balanced diet, regular exercise and monitoring their blood pressure to reduce their risk of a stroke but would be very interested in seeing further research into this study," he said.

Monday 20 September 2010

warning over vitamin D levels

19 September 2010 Last updated at 01:02

Scottish warning over vitamin D levels

Sunlight on the skin helps generate vitamin D

New leaflets are to be handed out urging people to make sure they get enough vitamin D.

Doctors are concerned people in Scotland are not getting enough of the vitamin from sunlight and are not topping up their levels with a healthy diet.

There is increasing evidence that a lack of vitamin D could be linked to cancer and multiple sclerosis.

Doctors are also concerned about a rise in the bone disease rickets.

Rickets is a rare condition which causes the softening and weakening of bones in children.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are particularly at risk of vitamin D deficiency, along with children under five, the elderly, the housebound and people with darker skin.

About 10 to 15 minutes a day of sunshine is considered safe.

Analysis

Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

Although the advice in these leaflets isn't new, the Scottish NHS is the only health service in Britain highlighting the dangers of vitamin D deficiency.

If you live in Scotland you'll be familiar enough with the Scottish weather to know why!

On the one hand we're always being warned about the dangers of too much sunshine, now we're being told we're not getting enough.

It's an easy balance to strike though - 10-15 minutes a day is safe and avoid the middle of the day when the sun's rays just burn you.

But in Scotland the sun is only strong enough to provide vitamin D between April and September.

If the body's reserves of vitamin D run out during the winter, they need to be topped up from oily fish, eggs, meat or a supplement.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "We know that in Scotland the winter sun is not strong enough to provide the minimum vitamin D needed for health - especially for those with darker skin.

"A significant proportion of the UK population has low vitamin D levels. This leaflet aims to ensure that those at risk are aware of the implications of vitamin D deficiency and know what they can do to prevent it."

She added: "Vitamin D is key to maintaining healthy bones. Young children have a high risk of deficiency and we are seeing an increase in reported cases of rickets in Scotland.

"These conditions are easily prevented by improving diet and taking a supplement if you are at risk.

"Recent research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may also contribute to a range of other medical conditions. The Scottish government are keen to continue to monitor this evidence."

The health secretary is due to speak at the Shine on Scotland conference on Tuesday, which will bring together academics from across the world to consider the possible links between vitamin D deficiency and various health problems.

The event is taking place after schoolboy Ryan McLaughlin took a petition to the Scottish Parliament which called on ministers to produce new guidelines on vitamin D supplements for children and pregnant women, along with an awareness campaign about the issue.

Ryan took up the cause after watching his mother Kirsten suffering from MS.

He said: "It's amazing that I only launched Shine on Scotland early last year and so much has happened since.

"The petition lodged at the Scottish Parliament got great support and I'm really grateful to the Scottish government for being prepared to look at this issue.

"I hope the summit is a great success and that something positive can be done for people with MS and to prevent future generations from developing it."

Thursday 9 September 2010

Vitamin B 'puts off Alzheimer's'

8 September 2010 Last updated at 22:05

Vitamin B 'puts off Alzheimer's'

Brain scan of a person with Alzheimer's

A new study suggests high doses of B vitamins may halve the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Brain shrinkage is one of the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to dementia.
Researchers say this could be the first step towards finding a way to delay the onset of Alzheimer's.
Experts said the findings were important but more research was needed.
The study, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, looked at 168 elderly people experiencing levels of mental decline known as mild cognitive impairment.
This condition, marked by mild memory lapses and language problems, is beyond what can be explained by normal ageing and can be a precursor to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Half of the volunteers were given a daily tablet containing levels of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12 well above the recommended daily amount. The other half were given a placebo.

After two years, the rate at which their brains had shrunk was measured.
The average brain shrinks at a rate of 0.5% a year after the age of 60. The brains of those with mild cognitive impairment shrink twice as fast. Alzheimer's patients have brain shrinkage of 2.5% a year.
The team, from the Oxford Project to investigate Memory and Ageing (Optima), found that on average, in those taking vitamin supplements, brain shrinkage slowed by 30%.
In some cases it slowed by more than 50%, making their brain atrophy no worse than that of people without cognitive impairment.
'Protecting' the brain
Certain B vitamins - folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 - control levels of a substance known as homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine are associated with faster brain shrinkage and Alzheimer's disease.

“Start Quote

These vitamins are doing something to the brain structure - they're protecting it, and that's very important because we need to protect the brain to prevent Alzheimer's”

End Quote Professor David Smith Oxford University

The study authors believe it was the B vitamins' effect on levels of homocysteine that helped slow the rate of brain shrinkage.

The study author, Professor David Smith, said the results were more significant than he had expected.
"It's a bigger effect than anyone could have predicted," he said, "and it's telling us something biological.
"These vitamins are doing something to the brain structure - they're protecting it, and that's very important because we need to protect the brain to prevent Alzheimer's."
He said more research was now needed to see whether high doses of B vitamins actually prevented the development of Alzheimer's in people with mild cognitive impairment.
The Alzheimer's Research Trust, which co-funded the study, also called for further investigation.
"These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age," said chief executive Rebecca Wood.
"The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's."
B vitamins are found naturally in many foods, including meat, fish, eggs and green vegetables.
Experts are advising against taking higher than recommended levels in the light of these findings.
Chris Kennard, chair of the Medical Research Council's Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, said: "We must be cautious when recommending supplements like vitamin B as there are separate health risks if taken in too high doses.
"Further research is required before we can recommend the supplement as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's."

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Friday 11 October 2013

Vitamin D pills' effect on healthy bones queried

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Friday 28 October 2011

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Fair-skinned people may need extra vitamin D

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Yahoo! UK and Ireland Vitamin D warning for fair-skinned 7 hrs ago

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Friday 19 August 2011

Vitamin D mum test 'could protect babies from rickets'

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Wednesday 10 August 2011

Soy 'does not ease the menopause'

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Wednesday 27 July 2011

Rickets cases reported in Cardiff by health workers

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Saturday 23 July 2011

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Friday 17 December 2010

New guidance on vitamin D recommends midday sunshine

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Friday 12 November 2010

Increase in rickets in Southampton astonishes doctors

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Yahoo! UK and Ireland Hospital issues rickets warning 2 hrs ago

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Friday 5 November 2010

Vitamin E linked to increased risk of some strokes

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Monday 20 September 2010

Scottish warning over vitamin D levels

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