Nutrition - Page 8 of 18

Vitamin D Deficiency: How To Tell If You Have It

Up to 50 percent of the population of the world is deficient in vitamin D.

Weak muscles can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research finds.

Older people with weak muscles are twice as likely to have a vitamin D deficiency.

Skeletal muscles which are connected to bones, give us the ability to move, balance, and perform physical activities.

Keeping skeletal muscles healthy is important for successful ageing because better mobility and reduced weakness will improve quality of life.

The signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can vary, but some common ones include:

Fatigue and tiredness
Bone pain and muscle weakness
Depression
Impaired wound healing
Hair loss
Bone deformities
Frequent infections or illnesses
Slow wound healing
Soft or brittle bones

Many of these symptoms can also be caused by other factors and some people may not experience any symptoms at all.

Vitamin D and muscle strength

Adequate levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D appear to be as important as resistance training, such as weight exercises, in maintaining muscle function.

To determine the relation between poor muscle function and vitamin D, the study analysed data from 4,157 people who were 60 years and older.

They were given some physical performance tests, including the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and hand grip strength to measure participants muscle strength and physical function.

Their serum 25(OH)D concentration was also measured for vitamin D status.

Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum level below 30 nmol/L, the cut-off point which is used for bone disease.

They found that muscle weakness in people with vitamin D deficiency was double the rate than those with adequate levels of vitamin D.

Also, poor physical performance and low muscle strength was three times higher in participants with vitamin D deficiency.

Dr Maria O’Sullivan, the study’s co-author, said:

“Our results show that vitamin D deficiency increased the likelihood of poor muscle function in older adults and confirms the protective effect of physical activity.
Maintaining muscle function is incredibly important, and often overlooked, in promoting healthy ageing.
Addressing this through multimodal approaches that incorporate physical activity, reversing vitamin D deficiency and other modifiable diet and lifestyle components require further investigation.”

50% are vitamin D deficient

According to experts, up to 50 percent of the population of the world is deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to poor immune function, sleep quantity and quality, low mood, muscle fatigue, difficulties with learning and memory, gut problems, and headaches.

Another study reveals that people with low levels of vitamin D are likely to wake more during the night and to have less sleep overall.

Dr Eamon Laird, the study’s co-author, said:

“Vitamin D deficiency and physical activity are modifiable factors.
Some countries, for example Finland, have successful implemented a vitamin D food fortification policy which has all but eliminated deficiency in the population.
Such a policy could similarly be implemented in the UK and Ireland for older populations.”

The study was published in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging (Aspell et al., 2019).

A Common Mineral Deficiency Linked To Mental Health Issues (M)

One-quarter of the world’s population has this mineral deficiency that is linked to anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.

An iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency and it can impact mental health, research finds.

Low iron levels can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.

Many people with depression, for example, have a history of anaemia.

Higher rates of anxiety disorders, sleep disorders and psychotic disorders are linked to an iron deficiency.

It has been linked to mental health problems in both young and old.

An iron deficiency is frequently linked to symptoms of fatigue — which often combines with depression.

Dr Stephanie Weinberg Levin, the study’s first author, said:

“We don’t always go looking for nutrient deficiencies, but they can really take a large toll on well-being.
Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency and can have a big impact.
You can be iron-deficient without having anemia, but many mental health care providers aren’t aware that iron deficiency by itself has been linked to worse symptoms, or that supplementation has been linked to improved symptoms.
But there is evidence there.”

Mild iron deficiency

The researchers examined multiple studies on the connection between iron deficiency and mental health.

Many have found that iron supplementation appear to improve the symptoms of those with and without mental health diagnoses.

Supplementation can even help with relatively mild iron deficiency.

The usual benchmark for iron deficiency is 30 ng/mol.

However, one study found that supplementation for those with levels below 100 ng/mol was beneficial for negative mood and fatigue (Mikami et al., 2022).

Which type of supplement?

Iron deficiency should be treated by supplementation, since the typical diet cannot provide enough, the study’s authors write.

Most types of iron supplementation will work, however, the disadvantages of supplementation are that 70 percent of people experience side-effects.

These can include a metallic taste in the mouth, vomiting, nausea and constipation/diarrhoea.

So, the key is to find the type that has the lowest side-effects.

Ferrous sulfate is the cheapest, but other forms, such as ferrous iron protein succinylate and ferrous bisglycinate may have fewer gastrointestinal side-effects (but they are more expensive).

How much iron?

As for the amount, there is no clear guidance, but the study’s authors suggest:

“The maximum amount of oral iron that can be absorbed is approximately 25 mg/d of elemental iron.
A 325 mg ferrous sulfate tablet contains 65 mg of elemental iron, of which approximately 25 mg is absorbed and utilized.”

Supplements should be taken for 6 to 8 weeks and it may take 6 months for the body’s iron stores to be replenished.

Dr Levin concluded:

“Iron supplements are inexpensive and can really make a significant impact in someone’s mental health if they’re deficient.”

Note that a physician should be consulted: people with inflammatory bowel conditions, chronic kidney disease or the pregnant should not take iron supplements orally.

The study was published in the journal Current Psychiatry (Levin & Gattari, 2023).

A Throbbing Sign Of A Vitamin D Deficiency

Diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Throbbing pains in the back or knees could be signs of vitamin D deficiency.

The pain can feel like a penetrating ache sensed deep in the body.

Aching bones are linked to vitamin D deficiency because it is vital to bone health.

The substance is required to help regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in the body.

A 10 mcg supplement is typically enough during the winter months to supplement dietary intake.

Vitamin D deficiency can be detrimental to overall health as well.

Deficiency in this vitamin has also been linked to multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Other possible signs of vitamin D deficiency include depression, feeling sleepy and a lack of energy.

Some studies estimate that up to 70 percent of people could have a vitamin D deficiency.

Much of the body’s vitamin D is produced in response to sunlight on the skin.

That is why levels are typically lower in the body through the winter months in northern latitudes.

Getting outside for a 20-minute walk a few times a week can be enough for the body to produce the required amounts of vitamin D.

Some of the best dietary sources of vitamin D are eggs, oily fish and mushrooms.

One study of postmenopausal women found very high levels of vitamin D deficiency.

The study’s authors recommend that:

“A healthy lifestyle should include exposure to the sun for 15 minutes three to four times per week when the weather permits since 90% of vitamin D is synthesized upon the skin having contact with sunlight.”

Many health problems could be linked to vitamin D deficiency, said Dr Faustino Pérez-López, the study’s first author:

“We believe that many diseases can be aggravated by a chronic deficiency of vitamin D.
Healthcare professionals should be aware that this is a common problem which affects a large part of the population in Europe, even those who live in sunny places.”

Vitamin D supports the mineral density of bones and aids neuromuscular function as well as reducing the risk of fracture.

Other disease linked to vitamin D deficiency include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

The study was published in the journal Maturitas (Pérez-López et al., 2012).

The Vitamin That Prevents Type 2 Diabetes Developing

High dosage of this vitamin can help prevent diabetes developing, a new study has found.

High doses of vitamin D for prediabetic people can increase glucose metabolism, which in turn slows down the disease’s development.

The action of insulin in muscle tissue improved when vitamin D3 was given to newly diagnosed diabetes patients, the study found.

Researchers used a dosage of 5,000 IU per day over a 6-month period, which is about 5 to 10 times more than the recommended daily vitamin D intake.

There are different types of Vitamin D: the two major forms are vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.

According to a new CDC report, more than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes.

Prediabetes is linked to higher blood glucose levels than normal.

Prediabetes is a fast growing problem that, if not treated, can lead to type 2 diabetes in 5 years.

Type 2 diabetes can cause serious diseases including kidney failure, nerve damage, cardiovascular diseases and blindness.

People at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes can have low levels of vitamin D.

The effect of vitamin D in prediabetes or new diabetes patients was recently studied by Dr Claudia Gagnon and colleagues from Université Laval in Quebec.

They measured glucose metabolism and markers of insulin function before and after six months supplementation with vitamin D and found that insulin sensitivity was significantly improved.

High insulin sensitivity makes our cells use blood glucose more efficiently and so blood sugar will decrease in the body.

People who are not sensitive to insulin suffer from a condition called insulin resistance (IR), a factor that leads to type 2 diabetes.

Dr Gagnon says:

“The reason we saw improvements in glucose metabolism following vitamin D supplementation in those at high risk of diabetes, or with newly diagnosed diabetes, while other studies failed to demonstrate an effect in people with long-standing type 2 diabetes is unclear.
This could be due to the fact that improvements in metabolic function are harder to detect in those with longer-term disease or that a longer treatment time is needed to see the benefits.”

She adds:

“Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are a growing public health concern and although our results are promising, further studies are required to confirm our findings, to identify whether some people may benefit more from this intervention, and to evaluate the safety of high-dose vitamin D supplementation in the long term.
Until then I would suggest that current vitamin D supplementation recommendations be followed.”

The study was published in the European Journal of Endocrinology (Lemieux et al., 2019).

A Worrying Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Over half the people in the study had a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Depression and lethargy can be signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Other common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Over half the people in the study had a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Professor Heather Keller, the study co-author, said:

“The negative effects of a B12 deficiency are considerable.
This is of particular importance in the context of our aging population with more Canadians requiring long-term care.”

The study included 412 older people entering care homes.

Just over half had low vitamin B12 levels, with 14 percent being deficient.

Kaylen Pfisterer, the study’s first author, said:

“In spending time in long-term care homes, you often see depression and loneliness.
This is why we need to do everything in our power to enhance quality of life and quality of care in this setting.
Screening for B12 deficiency is a first step to targeting B12 treatment to those who may benefit most.”

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

The study was published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (Pfisterer et al., 2019).

The Healthy Diet Linked To Good Mental Health

Almost one-in-five suffer from mental illness, the study found.

A healthy diet is linked to good mental health, whatever your age and background, research finds.

People who avoid unhealthy foods — like fried and processed foods — have fewer symptoms of psychological distress.

Only around one-in-ten people in the US eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.

The recommended amount in the US is 1½ to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables.

In contrast, a poor diet is linked to poor mental health: sugar and processed grain are thought to be among the main culprits.

Dr Jim E. Banta, the study’s first author, said:

“This and other studies like it could have big implications for treatments in behavorial medicine.
Perhaps the time has come for us to take a closer look at the role of diet in mental health, because it could be that healthy diet choices contribute to mental health.
More research is needed before we can answer definitively, but the evidence seems to be pointing in that direction.”

The study included data from over 240,000 people in California, which was collected across ten years.

The results revealed that 13% of people experienced moderate psychological distress, with 4% in severe psychological distress.

The study’s authors conclude that their study is…

“…additional evidence that public policy and clinical practice should more explicitly aim to improve diet quality among those struggling with mental health.
[…]
dietary interventions for people with mental illness should especially target young adults, those with less than 12 years of education, and obese individuals.”

A previous study found that the more fruit and vegetables people eat, the better their state of mind.

Eating just one extra portion of fruit and vegetables per day is enough to measurably improve mental well-being.

Just one portion has the same positive effect as going for a walk on 8 extra days a month.

The study was published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Banta et al., 2019).

A Sign Of Omega-3 Deficiency In The Eyes

Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet can prevent this serious disorder.

Problems with vision can be a sign of omega-3 deficiency, research suggests.

Age-related macular degeneration disorder is an eye disease which is linked to omega-3 fatty acids deficiency.

Macular degeneration is a common medical condition, affecting a large group of the population at age 40 and older.

Deterioration of the macula, an area of the retina, can result in losing central vision but not complete blindness.

A review of nine studies on 90,000 people found that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a 38 percent reduction in the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats considered to be essential as our body cannot produce them and so they are obtained from the diet.

These type of fats are mostly found in oily fish (fatty fish) and have many health benefits, therefore they known as “good” fats.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are the main types of omega 3 fatty acids.

Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring, sardines, and fish oils, including cod liver oil, are high in EPA and DHA.

ALA is found in fats from plant foods such as nuts and seeds — walnuts and rapeseed are good sources of this nutrient.

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of sight loss which affects about 3 million people in the U.S. and more than 600,000 people in the UK.

Early signs of macular degeneration includes fuzzy, blurry and impaired vision, difficulty reading or seeing details like recognising faces or watching television.

A study found that having one or more servings of fish per week reduced the risk of age-related macular degeneration by 42 percent.

The authors said:

“This lower risk appeared to be due primarily to consumption of canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish.”

Dark-meat fish in this study included salmon, sardines, bluefish, mackerel, and swordfish.

Knowing how dietary essential omega-3 fatty acids work can be useful in treating and prevention of different disorders.

It appears that DHA is the key since it generates signaling molecules called docosanoids where there is a disruption within cells due to a disease or an injury.

Docosanoids can protect neurons by controlling specific genes in the brain and retina and asking the genes how to respond.

Moreover, DHA from the liver is concentrated in photoreceptors, a type of cell in the retina that responds to light.

Retinal degeneration including macular degeneration occurs when photoreceptors cannot get enough DHA.

When a gene that controls the DHA uptake is turned off then photoreceptors die and mutation of an amino acid in these cells leads to a disorder of the eyes that causes loss of vision known as retinitis pigmentosa.

Two studies were published in Arch Ophthalmol (Chong et al., 2008); (Christen et al., 2011); the other study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Asatryan et al., 2017).

A Facial Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

Facial pain can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research suggests.

The pain is sometimes felt just under the eye, in the cheekbone area, usually on only one side of the face.

The pain can also be felt across the forehead, occasionally coming down to the edge of the nose.

Twitches under the eye can also be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

The study of facial pain included 17 people.

All were given injections of a vitamin B12 supplement over a four week period.

The results showed that supplementation alleviated the condition.

Another sign of vitamin B12 deficiency is cold sores.

The researchers found that the vitamin also successfully treated this condition, said Dr Baruah:

“It may be possible that having cold sores means there is an active herpes simplex virus located in the gasserian ganglion, indicating that there may be some compromise of that particular side and these trigeminal nerves are found to be more susceptible to deficiencies to vitamins, such as B12.”

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

Dr Jitendra K. Baruah, the study’s first author, said:

“It was somewhat unexpected that vitamin B12 deficiency can cause isolated facial neuralgia.
Treatment for facial neuralgia is sometimes very difficult, and patients may often go into multimodalities treatment without much success.
Knowing that this condition is remediable with vitamin B12 therapy, it is important to identify these patients and treat them accordingly.”

The study was published in the journal Pain (Koopman et al., 2009).

Vitamin B12 Deficiency: The Troubling Mental Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem. Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

Depression can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, another study finds.

People with low levels of vitamin B12 are at a 50 percent higher risk of depression.

Around one-in-eight older adults in Ireland, where the study was carried out, have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Many more people are not deficient but, nevertheless have low levels of vitamin B12.

Other signs of a prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency include memory issues, confusion, irritability, depression and even psychosis, which is starting to believe things that are not true.

Physical rather than mental symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include headaches, fatigue, breathlessness and pale skin.

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem.

Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

For those who have problems with absorption, regular shots may be required.

Usually, symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency will clear up with treatment over time.

Dr Eamon Laird, the study’s first author, said that food fortification is one option:

“There is a growing momentum to introduce a mandatory food fortification policy of B-vitamins in Europe and the UK, especially since mandatory food fortification with folic acid in the US has showed positive results, with folate deficiency or low status rates of just 1.2% in those aged 60 years and older.”

The results come from an Irish study that followed almost 4,000 people across four years.

While a vitamin B12 deficiency was linked to depression, there was no connection with a folate deficiency.

Professor Rose Anne Kenny, study co-author, said:

“Given the rise in loneliness and depression in older adults after the onset of COVID-19 restrictions, this study highlights the importance of increasing B12 intake or supplementation to help mitigate against potential risk factors of depression in older adults. “

The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition (Laird et al., 2021).

The Vitamin That Reduces Cancer Risk By 40%

Taking this supplement can fight cancer and greatly reduce the risk of dying from the disease.

Daily supplementation of cholecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3, can reduce the risk of fatal cancer by nearly 40 percent.

The link between vitamin D and cancer has captivated experts’ mind for years.

People in areas that receive higher amounts of sunshine and so high amounts of vitamin D have lower rates of death from many types of cancer.

Animal studies show that vitamin D slows the progression of cancer cells, but clinical studies on humans couldn’t give a certain answer until now.

The Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) examined whether higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D levels in the blood) has any connection with reducing the risk of lethal cancers.

They found that daily intakes of 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 were associated with a 17 percent reduced risk in cancer.

But, an examination of participants with a normal BMI (body mass index) showed a risk reduction of 38 percent in these individuals.

This means that factors related to obesity such as excess body fat could lower the beneficial effect of vitamin D supplements.

Obesity has also been shown to damage the immune system, including destruction of natural killer cell function and long-term inflammation.

Dr Paulette Chandler, the study’s first author, said:

“These findings suggest that vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing advanced cancers.
Vitamin D is a supplement that’s readily available, cheap and has been used and studied for decades.
Our findings, especially the strong risk reduction seen in individuals with normal weight, provide new information about the relationship between vitamin D and advanced cancer.”

The five years VITAL research involved 25,871 adults who had no cancer at the start of the trial.

The study wanted to see the possible reduction in cancer death by a combination or individual effects of omega-3 and vitamin D supplementations.

Participants were put into four groups:

2,000 IU vitamin D plus 1 g fish oil per day,
vitamin D plus placebo,
omega-3 plus placebo,
and the fourth group received only placebos instead of vitamin D with fish oil.

The discovery that BMI influences the role of vitamin D has also been suggested in previous studies.

Moreover, inflammation due to obesity would reduced vitamin D effectiveness by changes in vitamin D receptor function or vitamin D response.

Cancer patients have been found to be low in vitamin D with research suggesting that the deficiency rate is 72 percent among these sufferers.

More evidence also confirms that the higher someone’s body fat the bigger the risk of developing cancers.

Dr Chandler said:

“Our findings, along with results from previous studies, support the ongoing evaluation of vitamin D supplementation for preventing metastatic cancer—a connection that is biologically plausible.
Additional studies focusing on cancer patients and investigating the role of BMI are warranted.”

The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open (Chandler et al., 2020).