In the midst of a time of ever looming threat of viral infection, it becomes more important than ever to support our immune system.

A healthy immune system can make the difference between your ability to fight off common cold more easily or becoming sick every 1-2 months, or experiencing long term consequences from more severe viral infections.

Post-viral syndromes are not a new phenomenon, with infections such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and other infections including Ross river fever, Bartonella (Lyme disease) and more recently, Covid-19 being known to potentially cause this.

Post-Viral syndrome can cause symptoms including:

• Chronic severe fatigue
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Brain fog and cognitive impairment
• Gut pain
• Joint aches and pains
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Lowered exercise tolerance
• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath

Not everyone will experience long term complications after a viral infection, and it is thought that the likelihood of developing these consequences is influenced by several things – some of which can be modified.

The immune system needs a strong foundation in order to be able to thoroughly fight off infections and reduce long term reactions.

While vaccinations can significantly reduce the likelihood of a severe reaction to infections, there are some concerns. Many have concerns of side effects from vaccinations, and while the rates of occurrence are low, it is still a cause of fear for many. It is also a concern but many that one can still get sick with Covid-19 even after vaccinations, but it is believed that they will not get as severely sick and may have 50% less chance of transmitting the virus due to a lowered viral load.

The same principles that influence a health immune system will apply when we consider our likelihood of having an adverse reaction to a vaccination, as well reduced vaccine effectiveness. While the majority of people will experience minimal acute symptoms from a vaccine and no long term symptoms, there are a small group of people who may experience more severe symptoms. It is still not completely understood why some people will react more than others, but there are many things we can do to give ourselves to least likelihood of a negative reaction.

There are many things which influence our immune system, which impact on our ability to fight off infections, have a positive response to vaccinations and to process toxins.

“The microbe is nothing. The terrain is everything” -Claude Bernard 1813-1878

The terrain theory was first proposed by Claude Bernard, and later built upon by Antoine Bechamp (1816-1908). It was rivalled by Louis Pasteur, although some belief that he stated on his death bed “I was wrong. The germ is nothing. The Terrain is everything”.

There are aspects of truth in all of these concepts. Indeed, before Pasteur introduced the germ theory it was believed that disease came from non-living things such as dirt, foul air and ‘vapors’. Harmful micro-organisms can and do cause disease, but the severity of this disease is influenced by the health and genetics of the person – the overall aspect of this being referred to as the terrain.

Key Foundations for a Healthy Immune System

Stress

Chronic stress can affect the gut microbiome which means you can’t detox chemicals as effectively, and also dampens the immune system.

Lymphatic system

Your lymphatic system works alongside the immune system to help protect you from harmful substances such as infections and toxins. A stagment lymphatic system means a more prolonged infection duration and an increased likelihood of side effects from vaccinations.

Our lymph is moved by muscular contractions – if you don’t move, neither will your lymph. Exercise, dry skin brushing and rebounding are ways to increase the lymph drainage. By allowing our lymph to drain effectively

Sleep

Our immune cells follow a daily rhythm, with some types of immune cells peaking in the night and others during the day. Getting sleep before midnight helps developed your naive T cells.

people who sleep less than 6 hours a night have been shown to have 11.5x less of an immune response to a vaccination.

In addition, those who have a nap after a vaccination had a better immune response.

Gut Health

Our microbiome is so important when it comes to improving immunity, as the multitude of beneficial microbes within our digestive system will impact how well we can fend off a virus, the severity of an inflammatory response, and will also influence vaccine response.

Taking pre and probiotics for 2 weeks before a vaccine helps to reduce the potential of adverse reactions, if you don’t have that amount of time then take it for as long as possible.

Check out my latest post about medications and your microbes.

Age

Generally, the older you are the weaker your immune system, but the concept of ‘immune age’ is something that doesn’t always correlate with your actual age. Your age will also determine how well you can fight off a bug, as well as how you respond to vaccinations.

Your immune age is determined by your genetics, as well as inflammation. Other things that affect this include your levels of sleep, exercise, diet and stress. A lower immune age means your innate and adaptive immune system becomes disrupted.

Weight

Research has shown that those people in the obese category are less responsive to vaccinations and have a worse effect from viral infections. This is partly due to the chronic low grade inflammation that obesity can cause which dampens the immune system.

Exposure to chemicals

PFAs are one of the worst offenders here. These are found in sources such as fire retardants, fast food containers, non stick cookware, some beauty products. Higher blood levels of PFAs are associated with a worse effect from viral infections and a poorer response to vaccinations.

Nutrition

Having enough of the good stuff, and not too much of the bad stuff. Simple right? Here’s a few things to consider: get enough nutrients which your immune system needs like zinc, vitamin c, vitamin d, iron, vitamin a, vitamin e, selenium…. these nutrients are required for adequate immunoglobulins which helps your body to clear out viruses and process spike proteins.

Stay away from foods which your immune system doesn’t like, such as refined process food and excess sugar. Try to avoid eating foods which you are intolerant to as these can upset your immune system too.

Hormones

Yep, might not be obvious but your hormones are important when it comes to a healthy immune system. Natural oestrogen and progesterone are involved in your immunity and controlling inflammation.

If you suspect your hormones need some support chat with your health care provider.

Ten tips for supporting a healthy immune system

1. Spend time in nature
2. Don’t smoke
3. Eat a wide range of plant foods that are high in fibre
4. ‘Eat a rainbow’ – a broad range of colours in your fruit and vegetables is a good way to know you’re getting a variety of nutrients
5. Get plenty of sleep
6. Try to manage stress by taking time off from listening to stressful news, incorporating stress management techniques into your day and creating healthy boundaries. If that doesn’t help, chat with a herbalist or naturopath about herbs that can help your stress response.
7. Exercise regularly and try to maintain a healthy weight
8. Include prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet such as fermented foods
9. Support your lymphatic system with practices such as dry skin brushing, exercise and drinking plenty of water
10. Avoid processed and very sugary foods

References

Abraham, K., Mielke, H., Fromme, H. et al. Internal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and biological markers in 101 healthy 1-year-old children: associations between levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and vaccine response. Arch Toxicol 94, 2131–2147 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-020-02715-4

Aric A. Prather, PhD, Martica Hall, PhD, Jacqueline M. Fury, BS, Diana C. Ross, MSN, RN, Matthew F. Muldoon, MD, MPH, Sheldon Cohen, PhD, Anna L. Marsland, PhD, RN. (2012). Sleep and Antibody Response to Hepatitis B Vaccination. Sleep. 35(8) 1063–1069. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.1990

Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Born, J. (2012). Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology, 463(1), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0

Calder, P. C., Carr, A. C., Gombart, A. F., & Eggersdorfer, M. (2020). Optimal Nutritional Status for a Well-Functioning Immune System Is an Important Factor to Protect against Viral Infections. Nutrients, 12(4), 1181. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041181

Classen, J. B., & Classen, D. C. (1999). Public should be told that vaccines may have long term adverse effects. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 318(7177), 193. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7177.193

Galmés, S., Serra, F., & Palou, A. (2020). Current State of Evidence: Influence of Nutritional and Nutrigenetic Factors on Immunity in the COVID-19 Pandemic Framework. Nutrients, 12(9), 2738. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092738

Hagan, T., Cortese, M., Rouphael, N., Boudreau, C., Linde, C., … Pulendran, B. (2019). Antibiotics-Driven Gut Microbiome Perturbation Alters Immunity to Vaccines in Humans. Cell, 178(6), 1313–1328.e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.010

Hashemi, S., Thijssen, M., Hosseini, S. Y., Tabarraei, A., Pourkarim, M. R., & Sarvari, J. (2021). Human gene polymorphisms and their possible impact on the clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Archives of virology, 166(8), 2089–2108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-021-05070-6

Herrero, L. (2021, July 8). Yes, you can still get COVID after being vaccinated, but you’re unlikely to get as sick. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/yes-you-can-still-get-covid-after-being-vaccinated-but-youre-unlikely-to-get-as-sick-163870.

Im, J. H., Je, Y. S., Baek, J., Chung, M. H., Kwon, H. Y., & Lee, J. S. (2020). Nutritional status of patients with COVID-19. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 100, 390–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.08.018

Shinde, T., Hansbro, P. M., Sohal, S. S., Dingle, P., Eri, R., & Stanley, R. (2020). Microbiota Modulating Nutritional Approaches to Countering the Effects of Viral Respiratory Infections Including SARS-CoV-2 through Promoting Metabolic and Immune Fitness with Probiotics and Plant Bioactives. Microorganisms, 8(6), 921. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060921

Torjesen I. Covid-19: Norway investigates 23 deaths in frail elderly patients after vaccination BMJ 2021; 372 (149) https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n149

The post The foundations for a healthy immune system appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

We’re all getting older, there’s no denying it.

And personally, I don’t think we should try to deny the aging process. But with aging comes the decline of health, and the increased risk for certain conditions. Choosing to take steps to slow down aging is not always about vanity – it can also be about improving your quality of life. The faster you age, the more your health will deteriorate, with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease becoming more likely.

The post Can Supplements Help You Age Well? appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

10/1/15

Vitamin D for healthy blood sugar levels in pregnancy

If you’re not getting enough Vitamin D while you’re pregnant, your blood sugar levels may suffer. This could mean that you’re more likely to get issues with blood glucose and insulin regulation, which can lead to conditions such as gestational diabetes (1).

The worse the vitamin D deficiency, the worse the blood sugar level control is. (2) Vitamin D deficiency usually occurs when your blood levels become lower than 50 nmol/L, but personally, I suggest keeping them around the 90-120 level for optimal health.

Over 3 in 5 pregnant women in Australia have insufficient Vitamin D, and during pregnancy you need about 4-5 times more Vitamin D, as it has such an important role to play in the health of yourself and the baby (3).

Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism, blood sugar levels (4), immune health and is also an important nutrient for keeping breast cancer risk low. Vitamin D is also well known for it’s involvement in bone health.

Pre-eclampsia, low birthweight, preterm birth, increased risk of post-partum depression and autoimmune disease are also associated with Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. (5)(6)

Why so many people are deficiency in Vitamin D despite living in the ‘Sunny Country’ is still not completely understood. Unfortunately Vitamin D testing has recently been removed from the Medicare rebate list (except in rare circumstances), so this is a test that will need to be paid out of pocket. Because of this, and also because of the high safety levels of vitamin D supplementation it’s likely that the best course of action during pregnancy is to supplement at a range of 1000-2000IU Vitamin D in addition to what is contained in pregnancy multi-vitamins, as well as getting smart sun exposure. (5)(7)

Tips on how to get vitamin D from the sun while still being safe:

• Vitamin D is best absorbed between 10am and 3pm.
• Get 7-10 minutes of sun exposure to arms and legs.
• Follow with SPF30+ sunscreen.
• Always protect the face.

Works Cited

The post Vitamin D helps blood sugar level stability during pregnancy appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Bone and Joint Health

Do you experience swollen and painful joints? Do your knees, hips and knuckles feel like they are on fire? Are you finding it harder to be active and agile? These complaints are common symptoms of arthritis.

The word arthritis, when translated from the Greek words, arthron and itis, simply means “joint inflammation”. There are many different types of arthritis, the most common being osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that is commonly seen in middle aged and older people; the constant pain and reduced mobility can make simple, everyday tasks more challenging and greatly impair quality of life.

The Impact of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressing disease that involves degradation of the soft cushioning around the joints. It can lead to significant pain and inflammation in the joint, as well as loss of movement. The condition commonly targets the hips and knees, however many smaller joints such as the fingers and spine can also be affected. Unfortunately, the damage may already be done by the time you notice the discomfort.

With the aid of quality nutrients and dietary advice the symptoms of arthritis can be reduced and managed more effectively, enabling you to do things that may have been previously limited.

Nutrients for Knees and Hips

The following nutrients are a fantastic way to provide therapeutic benefits to help alleviate pain, swelling and inflammation in your joints:

Glucosamine: Is a key building block for your joints.  It may stimulate the production of substances which lubricate and act as shock-absorbers for the joints. Glucosamine encourages the rebuilding of cartilage that has been damaged and can be used as long-term support to protect against joint degeneration.

Gelatin: Supports healthy joint structure and connective tissue repair. Gelatin may help reduce the pain of osteoarthritis and reduce requirements for pain relief medication.  Patients with osteoarthritis noticed an increase in mobility and strength in affected knees after gelatine supplementation.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): Is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables.  As well as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, MSM is an essential building block especially for joints and cartilage. Combining glucosamine and MSM has been shown to be superior compared to using either nutrient alone, resulting in greater reductions in the pain and swelling of osteoarthritis.

EPA/DHA: The omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA) from fish or krill oil can help to reduce the intensity of pain, inflammation and morning stiffness associated with arthritis.

The effect of Exercise on your Joints

Does the thought of squats or a jog make your knees ache?  Do you avoid exercise because you’re worried about damaging your joints?  You’re not alone in that thought – many people avoid exercise in the fear that it will damage their joints.  Recent research has shown that this is not the case(1), as exercise is actually quite beneficial(2), having been shown to improve joint health and reduce pain in several ways.

According to Dr Mercola:

“There are some factors to consider, particularly if your pain worsens with movement, as you do not want to strain a significantly unstable joint. Pain during movement is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of osteoarthritis, and typically this is the result of your bones starting to come into contact with each other as cartilage and synovial fluid is reduced.

If you find that you’re in pain for longer than one hour after your exercise session, you should slow down or choose another form of exercise. Assistive devices are also helpful to decrease the pressure on affected joints during your workout. You may also want to work with a physical therapist or qualified personal trainer who can develop a safe range of activities for you. Your program should include a range of activities, just as I recommend for any exerciser. Weight training, high-intensity cardio, stretching and core work can all be integrated into your routine.”(3)

Muscle strengthening vs. Surgery for knee pain

Did you know that exercises which strengthen your quadriceps and the muscle supporting the knee is AS EFFECTIVE as arthroscopy for several knee problems such as osteoarthritis?

Several studies have been conducted on people with conditions such as osteo-arthritis, torn meniscus or chronic pain in the front part of their knee (known as chronic patellofemoral syndrome, which is also frequently treated with arthroscopic surgery).  These studies compared arthroscopy and a program of physical therapy sessions along with at home exercises.  In the longest study (6 months) thirty percent of the people who were in the exercise group chose to have surgery instead, but had no greater improvements than those who persevered with the exercise and physical therapy program.  The similarity of symptom relief between the two groups was consistent among all the studies examined.(3)(4)

Looking After Your Joints

Adopting the following simple dietary and lifestyle tips, can help keep your joints healthy and happy for years to come:

–          Stay active. Exercising is essential to keep those joints mobile so try activities such as swimming, walking, running, cycling, yoga and daily stretching as these are great ways to keep your joints moving.

–          Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for supporting joint health.  Carrying extra weight can put pressure on your joints, especially hips and knees.

–          Enjoy at least eight glasses or two litres of pure water each day. Reduce caffeinated beverages to one to two per day and minimise alcohol intake.

–          Ensure you get plenty of sunlight.  Vitamin D deficiency is associated with cartilage loss in the knees.  This can be tested for and supplemented accordingly.  Other nutrients to ensure you get enough of are Vitamin K and Vitamin C.

–          Eating a diet that is full of anti-inflammatory foods can optimise your long-term health and vitality, as well as support your joints from top to toe.  Aim for a diet plentiful in fruits and vegetables, unrefined grains and protein-rich foods such as fish, poultry, nuts and seeds.  Also remember to limit red meats and sweets.

What NOT to do.

–          Drink too much caffeine -1 coffee can cause the body to leach about 40 mg of Calcium from bones in order to balance our plasma pH

–          Drink soft drinks – These alter our calcium and phosphorus balance.  The extra phosphorus binds with calcium making calcium less available to the body, so calcium is drawn from bones to balance this.

–          Eat too much sugar – Eating excessive amounts of sugar reduces our ability to absorb calcium and magnesium.

–          Eat too much salt – This increases calcium excretion. For each 6 g of salt, 24-40 mg of calcium is excreted into the urine.

–          Drink too much alcohol – Excessive about of alcohol is toxic to osteoblasts (a type of bone cell) and interferes with our ability to absorb calcium.

–          Eat too much or too little protein – Inadequate protein intake is associated with poor recovery from osteoporotic fractures, and too much protein increases calcium loss.  To work out how much protein you need contact your healthcare practitioner, or for a rough guide use this calculator.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a major influence on reduced bone density and joint problems.  If we’re too inflamed our bone metabolism is affected, which increased fracture risk.  Inflammation also contributes to joint degeneration and pain.

Several inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis etc., have been associated with poor joint and bone health.

There are several factors which can cause inflammation to be worse than it should be, such as diet imbalances, hormone problems, genetics, stress and more.  If you think inflammation is a problem for you, contact your health care practitioner for testing and treatment options.  There are several herbal and nutritional remedies which are safe and effective anti-inflammatories and don’t have the negative side effects of conventional anti-inflammatory medicines, such as gastro-intestinal damage.

Use It or Lose It

There is a great deal of truth in the old adage “use it or lose it”. Stay active and take positive dietary and lifestyle steps to keep you and your joints healthy and happy. Looking after the nutritional needs of your joints can help minimise their degeneration, as well as improve the pain, inflammation and impaired mobility of arthritis. If your joints have worn a little thin over the years, contact me today for an appointment.  You can optimise your joint health, reclaim your freedom and live the life you deserve to lead.

Works Cited

1. Long distance running and knee osteoarthritis. A prospective study. Chakravarty, E F, et al. 2, 2008, American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Vol. 35, pp. 133-8.

2. Harvard Medical School. The secret to joint pain relief — exercise. [Online] September 21, 2013. [Cited: September 25, 2013.] http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-secret-to-joint-pain-relief-exercise?e=mkester%40nci.com&j=28081960&l=16278673_HTML&mid=148797&u=323662523&jb=0.

3. Mercola, Joseph. Peak Fitness. [Online] Mercola.com, April 5, 2013. [Cited: June 3, 2013.] http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/04/05/unnecessary-knee-surgery.aspx#.

4. Surgery versus physical therapy for a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis. Katz, J N, et al. 18, 2013, The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 368, pp. 1675-84.

 [fb_button]

[fbcomments]

The post Bone and Joint Health appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Vitamin D really is the wonder nutrient at the moment. A quick search of PubMed shows there to be almost 60 000 studies on vitamin D alone, and over 7000 of these are on vitamin D and cancer. Most of us already know about how Vitamin D is important for our bone health, but did you know it’s also important for our immune system and to protect us against cancer, particularly breast cancer (among many other things)?

Let’s take a quick look at the properties of vitamin D.

• It supports the assimilation of calcium into our bones
• It’s important for our immune system – it ‘switches on’ our immune cells to help us fight infections, but also helps us deal with auto-immune conditions and ‘foreign invaders’
• It regulates inflammation levels
• It is involved in some hormone metabolism pathways
• It is involved in our blood sugar level control and metabolism

Looking at the effects of vitamin D, it makes sense how it can also play a role in reducing our risk from cancer. But by how much does it reduce our risk? Well, the answer seems to be : a lot.

Let’s take a look at some of the research:

A 2012 study performed in Pakistan analysed the Vitamin D levels of 180 women, 90 of which had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. In the group who had been recently diagnosed 95.8% of them were deficient in Vitamin D, compared to 77% of the women with no cancer diagnosis. This not only shows the huge prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency, but also highlights an important association between low Vitamin D levels and increased breast cancer risk [1].

It was originally thought that Vitamin D was only able to be fully metabolised in the kidneys, however studies from 2001 and on have shown that breast tissue also has the ability to metabolise Vitamin D, which may be why Vitamin D has such as affinity for breast cancer. [2]

Vitamin D may be so protective against breast cancer for many reasons.  A sub-type of Vitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D) has anti-inflammatory properties, helping to reduce the production of a chemical called prostaglandins (many people know this chemical to be a cause of period pain) which have been implicated in breast cancer. [2]

A population study published this year analysed a group of women, 593 with breast cancer and 580 who were cancer-free (controls). They found that 96.1% of the women with breast cancer had severe vitamin D deficiency, compared to 80% of the women without cancer. Similarly to the first study there was a significant Vitamin D deficiency across the whole population, but what was most interesting was the data showing the inverse association between Vitamin D and breast cancer – essentially the higher the levels of vitamin D they had, the lower their risk of breast cancer [3].

The benefits of sun exposure may be due to more than just Vitamin D, particularly for some other types of cancers.  A systemic review of studies analysed the link between vitamin D levels, sun exposure and risk for various types of cancer.  It found that higher blood levels of Vitamin D reduced the risk of breast cancer as well as colorectal cancer, but not as much for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and prostate cancer (however longer sunlight exposure was more beneficial for these cancers).    Long-term or ‘chronic’ sun exposure compared to short-term or ‘intermittent’ sun exposure reduced the risk of all the cancers analysed.  This may be due to a variety of factors such as the suns effect on our circadian rhythms and melatonin production [4].

Interestingly melatonin, a hormone controlled by our exposure to light and dark (among other things) which manages our sleep cycles is also a potent anti-oxidant that is protective against breast cancer.  Some research has shown that people with disrupted melatonin such as shift workers have a significantly increased risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer [5] [6]. Melatonin is helpful as it repairs our DNA from oxidative damage and inhibits tumour cell formation, but it also reduces the tumour developing affect of excessive oestrogen, encourages the immune system to recognise the cancer calls as being foreign (cell differentiation) and then destroy them (apoptosis) [7], [8], [9].  Vitamin D has also been shown to have these properties [2]. So not only do we need to have plenty of Vitamin D, but we should also get plenty of decent sleep!

How much Vitamin D do we actually need to prevent breast cancer?  Aim to get your blood levels of 25(OH)D around 100 ng/mL, but not higher than 150 ng/mL [2].  Even though this is much higher than what is considered to be normal or not deficient by pathology reports, people with these levels had the lowest risk of breast cancer [3].  Keep in mind that Vitamin D levels vary according to season, so in Summer our levels should be even higher again (about 120 ng/mL).  How supplements are administered varies a lot between health professionals, from big weekly/monthly doses of 50 000IU to frequent daily doses of 600IU.  It doesn’t seem to matter, as long as the cumulative amount of Vitamin D is high enough to get your levels up.

Vitamin D supplementation is generally very well tolerated.   Most reports suggest that the toxicity threshold is 10,000–40,000 IU of vitamin D per day [10] however this is based on the fact that these are the upper limits of what have been studied and no toxicity has been found with these, so as yet an actual toxicity limit has still not been found.

From these studies it seems clear that having good Vitamin D levels is without doubt an important way to reduce breast cancer risk, however studies analysing the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation in women with later-stage breast cancer show inconclusive results, but the studies in this area are limited [2]. So far, it seems that Vitamin D is better at preventing breast cancer than treating it.

While there were some flaws in some of the studies, such as an insufficient pairing of the study groups and not analysing all the forms of vitamin D, we can see from this research that there is definately a connection between low levels of vitamin d and an increased risk of breast cancer. I cannot stress this enough – Do not take it for granted that you spend time in the sun and therefore should have enough Vitamin D. Get your Vitamin D tested (you may have to pay for the test, but surely knowing the importance of vitamin D it is worth it?) and if your vitamin D is not over 100 ng/mL then you should consider supplementing – consult a health care practitioner trained in nutrition such as a nutritionist, dietician or naturopath for advice on which supplement is right for you.

Previous posts on Vitamin D:

Vitamin D and Allergies

Vitamin D Newsletter

Vitamin D and Asthma

The post Vitamin D reduces breast cancer risk appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Increased exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of both food allergies and eczema in children, according to a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The research team studied available data on Australian children and analysed how rates of food allergy, eczema and asthma varied throughout the country. In addition to demonstrating a link between latitude and allergies to peanut and egg, the results showed that on average children in the south of the country were twice as likely to develop eczema as those in the north.

Exposure to sunlight is important as it allows for vitamin D synthesis. This report builds upon existing evidence that suggests a link between sun exposure and the incidence of allergic disease.

Gray N. Low vitamin D status linked to food allergy and eczema in children: Study. Nutraingredients-usa.com, 7 Feb 2012.
Osborne NJ, Ukoumunne OC, Wake M, et al. Prevalence of eczema and food allergy is associated with latitude in Australia. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2012 Feb 1.

Thoughts:

Despite having what we have been told as enough time in the sun to get our vitamin D, there are still many adults and children who are deficient.  The latitude affects our ability to absorb vitamin D, along with many other factors We know that Vitamin D is important for moderating our immune system so if you or your children have an allergic condition than don’t just assume you’re getting enough vitamin D, get it checked.

Tips on how to get vitamin D from the sun while still being safe:

• Vitamin D is best absorbed between 10am and 3pm.
• Get 7-10 minutes of sun exposure to arms and legs.
• Follow with SPF30+ sunscreen.
• Always protect the face.

Past Vitamin D posts:

Vitamin D PDF

Vitamin D Newsletter

Vitamin D and Asthma

The post A place in the sun may help prevent allergies appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Deaths related to asthma attacks are far too common.  One of the main causes of these asthma attacks is respiratory tract infections.  Vitamin D has several effects in the body, one of which is on our immune system.  Researchers sought to discover where vitamin D might protect against asthma attacks in children.

1024 children were studied, and 35% were found to have a vitamin D deficiency.  The remaining 65% had sufficient vitamin D levels.

Over 4 years, 38% of the children that were deficient in vitamin D were admitted to hospital for an asthma attack compaired to 32% of the children with adequate vitamin D levels.  The researchers crunched the numbers and found that after adjusting for disease severity, weight and family income a vitamin D insuffiency was linked to a 50% increase in the risk of a severe asthma attack.

The protective effects were moft noticeable for children using the corticosteroid budesonide (Pulmacort, Symbicort).  The researchers suggest that Vitamin D enhances the effects of anti-inflammatory steroid hormones.

Brehm JM, Schuemann B, Fuhlbrigge AL, Hollis BW, Strunk RC, Zeiger RS, et al.  Serum Vitamin D levels and severe asthma exacerbations in the Childhood Asthma Management Program Study.  J Allergy Clin Immunol 2010 July; 126(1):52-58.

The post Vitamin D Prevents Asthma Attacks appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Australia is the sunny country (especially recently) so you would think that we would be getting enough Vitamin D. But it seems that more and more people are deficient in this important vitamin.

Vitamin D3 has many roles in the body. It is most famous for its importance in bone health. It helps to put calcium into bones so is important for the prevention of osteoporosis, and it makes muscles stronger which helps to reduce falls. Recently, the increase in vitamin D deficiency has correlated with the increased frequency of rickets in children, a condition which we thought had been eradicated in the 1950s.

Vitamin D3 plays an important role in our immune system. It is involved in our ability to fight infections as it “switches on” our immune cells. Auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, crohns disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are also often associated with a vitamin D deficiency and supplementation has shown benefit in these conditions.

There is also research that shows that obese people are more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency. A deficiency also makes it harder to lose weight, most likely due to its relationship with blood glucose control and inflammation.

The main source of Vitamin D is sunlight, however there are many factors that affect the amount of UVB absorbed by the skin, such as latitude, season, sunblock, certain skin creams, skin colour, age and clothing. Our diet provides us with some, and in Australia vitamin D is mostly found in fatty fish, eggs and fortified margarines. Relying on these as a sole source of vitamin D is unlikely to bring vitamin D levels up to a healthy range.

The best thing to do is test your vitamin D levels with a blood test, and supplement accordingly.

The post Vitamin D – You Probably Aren’t Getting Enough appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.