Sunday, September 12, 2010

Nutritional Status and Orthopedic Disturbances

Vitamin D Synthesis http://www.globalrph.com/vitamin_d.htm

Yes, Vitamin D is a very important nutrient.  And we know that the years of non-fat/low-fat diets and staying out of the sun takes a toll on this vital nutrient, and perhaps has become the basis of an epidemic and increased dis-ease states.

While it always seems that the lineal model is favored by so many in healthcare, it can certainly lead to other problems.

I say this because I have not seen the following information in any other the vitamin D data I have reviewed over the past several years.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets.  However, when taking high doses of vitamin D people do need to be cautioned that this too may lead to a deficiency state.

The pro-calcium action of vitamin D can increase absorption and retention of calcium as compared to magnesium.

If you have a magnesium deficiency, as most people these days truly seem to have, high doses of vitamin D can contribute to soft tissue calcium deposits and reduced
  • Cortical bone activity
  • Muscular contraction
  • Recurring vertebral or other joint subluxation

 More to consider -

Vitamin D health warning for the children who shun the sun

Paranoia about sun exposure and indoor lifestyles are causing life-threatening health problems for children due to vitamin D deficiency, a new study claims.

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 5:32PM BST 10 Sep 2010
Casualty departments are dealing with dozens of emergency cases where infants are having seizures as a direct result of not getting enough vitamin D, which is essential for healthy teeth and bones.
In one case, a baby suffered brain damage after a fit.
The study said the extreme cases are part of an escalating problem of a deficiency of the vitamin, which the body makes when exposed to sunlight.
The report in the London Journal of Primary Care blames indoor lifestyles and the use of high sun protection factor creams for a health issue unheard of a decade ago.
The findings have prompted experts to call for vitamin D pills to be made more widely available on the NHS, especially for pregnant women.
The study reveals the introduction of schemes offering mothers supplements has been slow. Some areas of London have no vitamin packs available and people are ignorant about the benefits of vitamin D, which is also found in oily fish, liver and eggs.
Colin Michie, a co-author of the study, said vitamin D deficiency was no longer a “poor” problem and the middle classes are just as vulnerable.
The consultant paediatrician, who works at Ealing Hospital and BMI Clementine Churchill, said GPs should be more alert to symptoms such as muscle aches and pains.
He told the Evening Standard: “This is a totally avoidable condition which is now a public health issue. It's affecting middle-class children because they're overprotecting with sunscreen and not going out as much.
SPF is also increasingly in cosmetics used by young women.
“The more dramatic cases tend to be in people who wear traditional clothing and so are covered up.”
However, he added, GPs also see a growing number of low-level cases in other groups.
Warnings over the links between sunburn and skin cancer have prompted some people to shun the sun
The actress Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed recently that she was diagnosed with very poor vitamin D levels after years of keeping her skin covered.
A special investigation is being launched into the extent of emergency admissions for patients with vitamin D deficiency.
The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit will gather data from hospitals from next year.
Mr Michie analysed the cases of 17 babies and infants treated at Ealing Hospital for a severe lack of vitamin D between 2006 and 2008. He found many experienced a delay in walking, a problem last common in Victorian times.
Cancer Research UK is considering changing it guidelines concerning sun exposure because of the problem.
Instead of advising people to stay out the midday sun completely, it may suggest that a few minutes exposure could be healthy.

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