General Health
New evidence shows that people with higher levels of vitamin D experience a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, have higher activity in the body’s immune system against infectious diseases like flu and also have better balanced moods and energy levels. Vitamin D also helps build healthy bones, hearts, nerves, skin and teeth, and it supports the health of the thyroid gland, maintaining healthy weight and a balanced metabolism.
Whilst moderate sunlight exposure is the best source of vitamin D, many people incorrectly think that a small amount of sunshine exposure daily is sufficient to meet their vitamin D needs. However, after your skin is exposed to sunlight, it takes about 48 hours to convert it into vitamin D. During that time, the sunlight-initiated precursors to vitamin D can be washed off with soap and water. So if you scrub your skin with soap in the shower, your body will not convert most of your skin’s sun exposure to vitamin D.
This leaves us in a quandary. Whilst vitamin D can be found in many foods, like oily fish, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, mushrooms and many other sources, it is in fairly low amounts and not that easily absorbed. This is where a good vitamin D supplement comes in!
Many nutritional experts agree that the current RDA of 5µg (200iu) is insufficient and should be more like 25µg. However, we do think this may be a little excessive, but regularly recommend 10µg on a daily basis for better health!
Pregnancy
A team at University College London Institute of Child Health say that there is a very “strong case” for a daily dose of vitamin D in pregnancy to go alongside the 400µg of Folic Acid currently recommended.
The Department of Health advises pregnant women to ensure they receive a certain level of vitamin D – 10µg per day. The researchers say this in effect endorses the use of supplements, because diet and the sun provide too little. Women should be informed about the importance of having adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy and whilst breast feeding.
It is worth noting here that pregnant women on low incomes are entitled to a range of nutrients – including vitamin D – as part of the Healthy Start Scheme.
Dr Elina Hypponen, co-author of the paper, said “The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in Britain is unacceptably high, especially during winter and spring”. The paper also said that the UK was the only one of 31 countries examined which did not recommend that women of reproductive age took a vitamin D supplement, and that it also failed to endorse a daily supplement for expectant mothers. “We believe that the routine provision of a daily supplement throughout pregnancy would significantly decrease the number of mothers who are clearly vitamin D deficient, reducing related serious risks to their babies.”
If pregnant, thinking of becoming so, or breast feeding we would recommend good all-round nutrition in the guise of our Pregnancy Formula!
“Vitamin D Supplementation in the UK might be beneficial for the whole population.”, Mr Patrick O’Brien, RCOG.
Sources:
Care2.com: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vitamin-d-lined-to-diabetes-cancer-depression-and-more.html
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8645104.stm
According to US researchers it may well depend on your choice of fruit and veg!
Apparently, the obvious choices are not necessarily the healthiest. Making simple swaps to the fruit and veg we eat can have a significant impact on the nutrients our bodies get.
This would seem to support the opinion that a balanced varied diet is essential for good health. ‘No one food can give you everything you need’ said Dr Emma Williams of the British Nutrition Foundation.
Plant foods are known to contain ‘phytonutrients’ as well as vitamins and minerals, which together can help protect the body against heart diseases as well as prevent cancers. But the most popular selection may not be the best.
Carrots are the most common source of Beta Carotene, oranges and orange juice the most common source of Beta-Cryptoxanthin, whilst spinach supplies Lutein & Zeaxanthin. However, there are richer food sources available if you know what you’re looking for!
Switch from carrots to sweet potato and nearly double your Beta Carotene intake, from oranges to papaya and get fifteen times more Beta-Cryptoxanthin, whilst kale has three times more Lutein & Zeaxanthin than spinach.
What this study doesn’t seem to take into account is seasonality and the condition of the fruit or veg. If an item has been sitting on a shelf for a few days, having spent 2 weeks getting to its destination who knows what sort of nutrient content it has?
That’s why we would always recommend using seasonal, locally grown fruit and veg and encourage a healthy varied diet.
This being said, we would also recommend using supplements to add that extra guarantee that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Not just for winter, but for all year round, as your body’s needs change.
So have a look round Bio Nutrition’s website and see what your body might need!
Stay Healthy
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8645104.stm
A US team of scientists have decided that children should be allowed to get dirty!
Normal bacteria living on the skin triggers a pathway that helps prevent inflammation when we get hurt. These bugs inhibit an over-active immune system that can cause cuts and grazes to swell.
The experts said that their findings provided an explanation for the ‘hygiene hypothesis’, which states that exposure to germs during early childhood primes the immune system against allergies.
Many people believe that our obsession with over-cleanliness is to blame for our recent boom in allergy development!
A spokeswoman for Allergy UK said ‘rates of allergy have tripled in the UK in the last decade. One in three people now has some kind of allergy!’
Head of the research Professor Richard Gallo said ‘The exciting implication of the work is that it provides a molecular basis to understand the hygiene hypothesis and has uncovered elements of the wound repairing response that were previously unknown.’
The lobby group Parents Outloud said the work offered scientific support for its campaign to stop children being mollycoddled and over-sanitised.
Now, we’re not saying don’t clean, as bacteria are one of the major causes of infection and food poisoning, but just don’t be obsessive about it! Don’t be scared by the TV adverts telling you if you don’t wipe everything up immediately you’ll be ill! Just take a reasonable grounded approach to life, kids get dirty, they enjoy it. I know mine do!
If you want to stay health and boost the immune system, use nutrients, either from food or supplements; they work because your body knows what to do with them!
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8373690.stm
Allergy UK: http://www.allergyuk.org
Parents Outloud: http://www.parentsoutloud.com
As you may have seen today, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that a TV advert for Actimel was misleading and could not be scientifically supported by evidence.
Now, I’ve seen these adverts on TV for a while, and whilst I’ve winced because Danone (who produce Actimel) are in my opinion making medical claims (which you’re not allowed to do, if it’s not a medicine!), I find it quite refreshing that at last someone is recognising the fantastic health benefits of these often forgotten bacteria.
They play important roles in the digestion of our food, to allow us to absorb the nutrients. They help fight infection and support the immune system and most importantly they help police the intestine from unwanted nasty bacteria and other unwanteds, such as yeast, which then can turn into thrush or candidiasis.
There has been much discussion about whether or not you can get the full benefits of these marvellous bacteria when taken in yoghurt form, but we know for sure that taking a capsule or tablet can deliver them directly to where they’re needed to give your body that great natural protection.
Bio Nutrition have two great probiotics that we would recommend to everyone. Acidophilus with Oatbran and Lactobacillus Acidophilus. Both being free from, dairy, lactose, sugar and gluten, making them suitable for many allergy sufferers!
So make sure you keep your natural defences in tiptop condition with Bio Nutrition.
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8286646.stm
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/8305918.stm
According to government figures, there have now been over 2,500 reported cases of Swine Flu in the UK! With the WHO now calling it a Pandemic and governments the world over stocking up on anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu, what are the natural alternatives.
Well, Swine Flu, just like Bird Flu and others are all strains of Influenza, each of differing severity and contagiousness, but nevertheless flu.
Tamiflu has been shown to reduce recovery time by between 1 and 1.5 days if started within 40 hours of the symptoms starting.
Recently there have been three studies using between 6 and 8 grams of vitamin C daily, showing that if taken within 24 hours of the symptoms beginning, this recovery time can be reduced by as many as three days! The anti-viral properties of vitamin C and many other antioxidant nutrients are comparable to many conventional drugs.
For any serious infection we would recommend taking vitamin C to ‘bowel tolerance’. Start with 2 grams (2000mg) every 3 to 4 hours. Some people find Ascorbic Acid (the most common Vit C source) too acidic, in which case I would recommend a combination including Sodium Ascorbate.
Other nutrients that have anti-viral activity and are a great addition to vitamin C include; Selenium (at least 50µg), Zinc (15mg), vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin D. From a herbal prospective one of the very best anti-viral and health giving products is Mushroom Complex and of course the old favourite Echinacea!
The trick with any infection is not getting it in the first place, so always keep your immune system strong. But if the Swine Flu pandemic really does break out then always keep a stock of vitamin c and other antioxidant near by!
Sources:
Direct Gov UK: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Swineflu/DG_177831
Natural Products: Natural Products Magazine – June ’09 issue
Centre for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
