Vitamin D & other health issues

[Guest guest]

Sept 10, 2010 -- Vitamin D is the new " it " vitamin. A number of studies link its

deficiency to a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes,

and certain cancers. Now, a new review article makes the case for vitamin D

supplementation in the treatment of asthma. The findings appear in the September

issue of the ls of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Researchers reviewed nearly 60 years' worth of literature on vitamin D status

and asthma. They found that vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased airway

reactivity, lower lung functions, and worse asthma control. Risk factors for

vitamin D deficiency include obesity, being African-American, and living in

Westernized countries, the researchers report. These are also populations known

to be at higher risk for developing asthma.

Vitamin D supplementation may improve asthma control by blocking the cascade of

inflammation-causing proteins in the lung, as well as increasing production of

the protein interleukin-10, which has anti-inflammatory effects, the study

authors suggest.

" Vitamin D is often called " the sunshine vitamin " because our bodies make it

when we are exposed to sunlight. Food sources include fish, eggs, and dairy

products. It is also added to multivitamins and milk.

" The biggest issue is whether or not vitamin deficiency can be related to a

worsening of asthma, and all the studies have been single-point in time studies,

and the concern is that depending on where you live, you can be vitamin

D-deficient in the winter, but not in the summer, " says B. Casale, MD, a

professor of medicine and the chair of allergy and immunology at Creighton

University in Omaha, Neb. " We know that asthma gets worse in winter, when

vitamin D is down, " he says.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=119587

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MONDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- " Children made ill by the 2009 pandemic

H1N1 swine flu virus suffered more seizures and other nervous system problems

than those with seasonal flu, a new report reveals. In the study, published in

the September issue of the journal ls of Neurology, researchers compared

neurological complications in 303 children (younger than 19 years) who were

hospitalized with H1N1 and 234 children hospitalized with seasonal flu. "

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=119875

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Sept. 14, 2010 -- " Researchers in Egypt say a non-invasive type of brain

stimulation involving magnets could be a useful treatment for patients partially

paralyzed by stroke. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is

mostly used for depression, with some studies finding it to be a beneficial

treatment and others showing little benefit. The technique involves the use of

electromagnets positioned strategically on the head to create a magnetic field

that sends tiny electric currents into the brain. "

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=119702

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FYI,

Lottie Duthu