Tag Archives: vitamins

Carvings June 1, 2025

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In the news

Kiddie canaries in the coal mine

            For those of you who have come to believe that vitamin D is my favorite vitamin, you are correct. Month after month, there is more data showing that this micronutrient has more functions within the body than had been thought only a few years ago. One reason for my constant referral to vitamin D in my blogs is that deficiency is a serious problem. This is highlighted by a study from the University of Florida.

          The crux of the article is that fractures in children who are deficient in vitamin D take much longer to heal. But there is another very serious implication that is not addressed by the authors of the article: those whose bone health is poor and who are significantly deficient in vitamin D as children face the strong likelihood that they will develop osteoporosis at a relatively young age.

          For several reasons, osteoporosis will be Third Epidemic of this century; obesity and type two diabetes are the first and second, respectively. Although figures vary depending on the demographic group and research population studied, approximately one-half of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. But there is more to bone health, including adequate amounts of omega-3 fats, vitamins A, C and K, and exercise. In regard to the last, physical activity continues to decline among youngsters, and the recent surge in electric bikes, scooters and skateboards can only make things worse.

          The Florida study attributes the slow healing of bone fractures in children to low levels of vitamin D. I believe that the problem is far more complex. A thorough analysis of these children’s lifestyle would probably uncover other nutritional deficiencies, and a lack of exercise as well.

Lifestyle

“I’m doing everything right! Why do I have osteoporosis?”

          I have heard this lament several times during my nearly twenty-years’ speaking on matters of health and fitness, mostly to senior organizations. The complaints have usually come from slender women who state that they exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, take vitamins regularly and ensure an adequate calcium intake, often with the help of a supplement.

          My answer is not a comforting one for them. After assuring them that they are now following the proper course to maintain good bone health, I point out that building a strong skeleton depends on regular, moderately intense physical activity during the “bone-building window” from ages roughly 5 to 25, and that they were probably not aware of that during those years. A good diet, as noted above, also matters, but the prime determinant of bone health is moderately intense exercise throughout life, even past retirement age.

          Approximately 20 percent of women over the age of fifty have osteoporosis, compared to 4 percent of men. That figure for men is misleading and it is going to rise significantly in the coming decades. Generally speaking, boys are physically more active during the critical bone-building window, and a man’s occupation involves greater physical activity – until recently. Today a man’s thumb is more likely to be injured by repetitive stress from using a keyboard than from pounding a hammer; construction workers’ cordless power tools have replaced manual screwdrivers, handsaws and drills. Modern males make little use of their muscles and they will pay the price when they reach middle age.

          Although it’s possible to regain some bone mass at any age, it takes more effort than most persons are aware. Persons of every age (nonagenarians included) should engage in resistance exercise (barbells, dumbbells, machines, elastic bands) at least three times weekly. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is poor in bone-building nutrients. Those are the hard facts.

         

Carvings April 17, 2025

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Synergistic supplements

            I have long argued that a high dose of a single supplement – vitamin, mineral or other – is not a solution to any health problem. Most if not all nutrients interact with each other like the instruments in a symphony orchestra and taking a large amount of any nutrient causes imbalance which can be harmful. On the other hand, we must ensure that our diet includes optimal amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

            Omega-3 fatty acids are absolutely essential for virtually every cell in the body. They are vital for normal development and function of the heart, brain, eye and skeleton. Numerous studies link omega-3 deficiency with behavior disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder, and other neuropsychiatric problems.

            Vitamin D also has numerous roles, especially in maintaining a vigorous immune system. The deficiency of this vitamin in childhood results in rickets, a softening of the bones, often accompanied by serious brain damage. It is one of the many nutrients that are essential in preventing osteoporosis in older persons.

            Both of these nutrients are lacking in most Americans. An astonishing 95 percent of children and more than 65 percent of adults have an inadequate dietary intake of omega-3s. More than half of adolescents and adults have inadequate levels of vitamin D, especially in the northern latitudes. These two nutrients together act in the synthesis of serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates executive function and social behavior.

            Psychiatric disorders in our young population have reached levels that threaten to overwhelm our healthcare system. Children’s hospitals throughout the country find themselves unable to cope with what is clearly an epidemic. Nutrition alone will not stem the tide but it clearly is one factor that is within our ability to improve. Perhaps we should start with some strategy to get our kids to bolster their diet with these synergistic supplements. 

Lifestyle

            We are about to see an assault on highly processed foods, which now account for 60 to 90 (!) percent of the Standard American Diet (SAD – a perfect acronym) There is more to this picture than the addition of dozens of chemicals that make non-nutritious foods so attractive and addictive. In the course of altering the basic ingredients, the manufacture of these products results in the loss of important vitamins, minerals and fiber. Sometimes these are added back in, of course. That may not be enough, as reported in data from the UK’s National Health Service, showing a surge in hospital admissions due to vitamin deficiencies.

            All three leading causes of death, heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes, are unequivocally associated with (a) a high intake of highly processed foods and (b) the lack of whole foods, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Highly processed foods include our favorite processed meats: cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon and sausage. We might add a warning from a 2009 article in the British Journal of Psychiatry: Persons who ate whole foods had a 26% lower risk of depression; those who ate processed food had a 58% higher risk. (Akbaraly TN et al., Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age, Br J Psychiatry 2009 Nov;195(5):408-13)

Carvings March 1, 2025

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Measles redux

            Almost exactly one year ago (March 15th) I wrote about a measles outbreak in Florida. More than 90 percent of the victims had never received the measles vaccine. In the past few weeks we have seen an even larger outbreak involving nearly 150 children and adults – that number may have increased by the time this article has been posted – and one child has died. Again, 90 percent of the victims had not been vaccinated against measles, many of them belonging to a religious sect that eschews vaccines. What a terrible price to pay! The measles vaccine, part of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella triad, is effective in preventing the disease in 95 percent of recipients. Except for fever and sometimes a mild rash, the vaccine is almost entirely free of side effects, though there have been a few cases of severe complications.

            I’d like to repeat a comment that I have made before regarding those children who do have the aforementioned side effects. If a child experiences an illness from a severely weakened vaccine virus, he or she might well have been one of those unusually vulnerable children who died or suffered severe brain damage from the wild virus in the pre-vaccine era.

            Although measles has for decades been referred to as one of the “usual childhood diseases” it has other untoward effects. Besides causing mild inflammation of the brain in about one half of those who experience measles, thus impairing their school performance for months, nearly all victims will be found to have weakening of the immune system that lasts for two or three years. That means that they are more than ordinarily susceptible to other infections such as pneumonia.

            Measles is rampant in the developing world, where it is a major cause of blindness and death. It’s no coincidence that almost every outbreak in the United States has originated with someone who came from or recently traveled in another country.

Lifestyle

            It’s becoming evident that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is causing more damage to the nation’s health than just obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A few recent headlines make for interesting reading:

            Low vitamin D a contributor to mental disorders in children?

            Three vitamin deficiencies* linked to headaches.

            Vitamin B1 deficiency*: these are the symptoms.

            Dementia risk could increase with low levels of essential vitamin.

            Vitamin deficiencies* common among people with type 2 diabetes.

            16 signs you may have iron deficiency*

            This is only a small sample of the increasing number of reports in recent years that reveal the prevalence of vitamin “inadequacies” that lead to poor function without severe “deficiency” such as profound weakness and bleeding disorder of vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) or the debilitating (and permanent) brain and nerve damage of vitamin B12 deficiency known as pernicious anemia, or the tragic and irreversible mental deterioration that results from vitamin B1 deficiency. Pediatricians of a century ago dealt with rickets, the marked deficiency of vitamin D that produced not only weakened bones but brain damage and death. (* These are inadequacies, not deficiencies.)

            Nearly a quarter-century ago (!) the American Medical Association reversed its position and acknowledged that EVERYONE should take a multimineral/multivitamin every day. (Journal of the American Medical Association June 19, 2002, Vol. 287, No. 23, P. 3127) The national diet has only gotten worse since then.

            Eighty-two percent of Americans are obese or overweight; twelve percent have type 2 diabetes and twice that number have prediabetes; cancer and stroke are increasing dramatically in young adults.

            What will it take for all of us to take seriously Make America Healthy Again?

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The lesson: vitamin deficiencies are not common but vitamin inadequacies are. Even the American Medical Association, in a pair of landmark publications in 2002, (Journal of the American Medical Association June 19, 2002, Vol. 287, No. 23, P. 3127) urged that everyone should take a multivitamin/multimineral every day, a position completely opposite that of earlier recommendations and sadly still espoused by some physicians today.

Carvings November 1, 2024

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In the news

The resurgence of tuberculosis. Should we worry?

            During the 19th century tuberculosis (TB) was the leading cause of death throughout the world. Three of my own grandparents died of the disease and the fourth undoubtedly had it, as did many, if not most of the population of that era. 

            Although the bacterium responsible for TB can invade any part of the body, it usually affects the lungs, producing a chronic cough that allows it to spread continually to others, especially in crowded conditions. In healthy persons who become infected, only 5-10% will develop actual disease. Most infected persons recover naturally but the organism commonly finds sanctuary in the lungs, staying viable, and breaking free when the host’s immune system falters because of age, poor nutrition, HIV infection, chemotherapy or a variety of other factors.

Tuberculosis is a disease of the poor, as evidenced by the huge number of cases in Africa and Asia. Fewer than 20,000 cases occur annually in the United States and the majority of these victims were born outside of this country. Now that the COVID pandemic has subsided TB has regained its place as the leading infectious cause of death worldwide.

Why are so many health authorities concerned? A major source of anxiety is the fact that in developing countries the uncontrolled use of anti-tuberculosis drugs has led to strains that are resistant to nearly all currently available antibiotics. Millions of persons cross our borders each year as visitors, students, documented workers and those who arrive without permission, most of whom come from countries where tuberculosis is present in at least a quarter of the population.

Persons born in this country are at low risk of infection and even lower risk of illness. The classic hallmarks of the disease are persistent cough, fever, nightsweats, weight loss and bloody sputum. Disease can occur with milder symptoms, and all persons who work in the healthcare field, or with children or the elderly, should receive a tuberculosis skin test every year. 

Lifestyle

Cold season is here. Do supplements help you to avoid them or shorten them?

            It’s likely that you will endure one or two colds this winter. For those of you who are old enough to be on Medicare it should be a little consolation that your decades of encounters with a variety of cold viruses have left you with some degree of immunity, and if we take steps to maintain our immune system and overall health, we are far less likely to experience as many colds as our grand- and great-grandchildren.

            There are many supplements that have been touted over the years as cold preventatives or modifiers, including vitamin C, elderberry, zinc, garlic, echinacea, etc. That there are so many should be a clue that there is no magic bullet among them. Many studies have been poorly done but their “results” have found enthusiastic audiences notwithstanding. On the other hand, some quality studies have found value from certain supplements but none has been very significant. Shortening cold symptoms for half a day may be statistically accurate but practically useless. On the other hand real benefit has been found when persons are deficient in the supplement in question, e.g. zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D.

            The best cold preventative is a healthy diet, rich in antioxidants, plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and omega-3 fish oil.

            And a little red wine, of course.

Carvings October 1, 2024

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The flu season begins today

          Today marks the official start of the influenza season and this post is a reminder that it should be a top priority for everyone, especially those of us who are old enough to be on Medicare.

From a prior post: The influenza vaccines that have been developed over the last half-century are far from perfect, but to quote an old saw: “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” Some vaccines have low efficiency, perhaps about 25 percent, but some are much better and it will take a few months before we know how effective the latest version is. As I have noted numerous times over the past several decades, the flu vaccine might not keep you from getting that disease but the evidence has been consistent that it will keep you out of the hospital, and from dying. Remember that influenza weakens the immune system, which is why nearly all influenza-related deaths are not due to the virus itself but to secondary bacterial invaders, many of which are now resistant to almost all antibiotics. The problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to worsen and many of these are circulating in hospitals.

           Another benefit: a nine-year study involving more than four million adults showed that the influenza vaccine reduced the incidence of all forms of stroke by about 25 percent. Previous research indicated that there is a similar reduction in heart attacks in vaccinees. Conversely, there is a significantly greater risk of heart attack and stroke following natural influenza virus infection.

            As of this week there is almost no influenza activity in the U.S., but you should plan on getting the vaccine no later than the end of October. It remains effective for about six months, which will take you through the end of the flu season in the Spring.

Lifestyle

Vitamin C deficiency versus inadequacy

            If your car runs out of gas (deficiency) it stops. If you fill the tank with poor quality gas it will sputter and barely make it up a steep grade (inadequacy). A publication in the journal Nutrients revealed that the same concept applies to vitamin C.

            Scurvy is a debilitating and often fatal disease caused by an absolute deficiency of vitamin C and was the scourge of seafarers until a British naval physician convinced the admiralty to provision its ships with fruit, especially citrus (hence “limeys”, a term describing British sailors). The Nutrients article notes that persons with inadequate levels of vitamin C are 2.3 times more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease than those with normal levels.

            During the recent pandemic it was noted that severe, sometimes fatal infections were associated with “vitamin C deficiency”. (Note: even researchers misuse the term “deficiency” when they really mean “inadequacy”, as embarrassingly noted in the article.)

            Vitamin C is a critical nutrient that helps to control inflammation, which is a driver not only of heart disease, but also of cancer, stroke and osteoporosis, among other maladies. Further, it is necessary for the proper maintenance of connective tissue, the element that literally holds our cells and tissues together. When it fails the result is bleeding in the gums and other tissues, tooth loss, neurologic disorders, weakness and death – the hallmarks of scurvy.

            It’s well-known that organized medicine, with a few exceptions, claims that vitamin supplementation is foolish. Yet a report from the University of Colorado points to the occurrence of frank scurvy among children, most of whom have poor eating habits. Those researchers also observe that the nutrient value of today’s mega-farmed plant foods is considerably lower in vitamins, minerals and protein than those grown 75 years ago.

The lesson: vitamin deficiencies are not common but vitamin inadequacies are. Even the American Medical Association, in a pair of landmark publications in 2002, (Journal of the American Medical Association June 19, 2002, Vol. 287, No. 23, P. 3127) urged that everyone should take a multivitamin/multimineral every day, a position completely opposite that of earlier recommendations and sadly still espoused by some physicians today.