UChicago Medicine: Link Between Covid 19 and Vitamin D

 UChicago Medicine Study Finds Possible Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Contracting COVID-19 (by N B C Chicago )

Winter/Flu season is coming up (Northern hemisphere)!  Take heed...

pc:  Getty

 A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine found a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and contracting the coronavirus.

Researchers looked at 489 UChicago Medicine patients and found those who had a deficiency in vitamin D that went untreated were nearly twice as likely to contract COVID-19 when compared to patients with normal levels of vitamin D.

“Vitamin D is important to the function of the immune system and vitamin D supplements have previously been shown to lower the risk of viral respiratory tract infections,” said David Meltzer, MD, PhD, Chief of Hospital Medicine at UChicago Medicine and lead author of the study. “Our statistical analysis suggests this may be true for the COVID-19 infection.”

The patients that were involved in the study had their vitamin D levels measured within a year prior to getting a COVID-19 test.

According to the study, half of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, and even higher rates of deficiency are found in Black and LatinX Americans as well as areas like Chicago where sunlight is limited year-round.

“Understanding whether treating Vitamin D deficiency changes COVID-19 risk could be of great importance locally, nationally and globally,” Meltzer said.

According to researchers, shelter-in-place orders to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may also decrease sun exposure, and in turn, potentially increase the need for vitamin D supplementation which should not exceed 4000 IU per day.

UChicago Medicine Study

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Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention

 BY KAREN REED 

When it comes to health, we should take a hint from the Japanese. It seems like everything they do health-wise is working. Studies indicate that these Asians have the highest longevity rate among all the world’s population. They eat and live healthy depending mostly on what nature has to offer. After all, these are free.
One such free resource is sunshine and this will never run out. Research shows that the Japanese have lower rates of diseases, especially cancer because they have high levels of the “sunshine vitamin” in their systems. The same study has concluded that vitamin D can, indeed, protect us against cancer aside from its other benefits which include maintaining calcium levels in our bones and helping boost the proper functioning of the immune system, the nervous system, and the muscular system.
We have been taught since the grade years that sunlight is our main source of vitamin D, which we referred to earlier as the “sunshine vitamin.” Rich sources of vitamin D are fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and tuna. Dairy products are also good sources. In case the RDA isn’t met, we can always resort to supplements and these are readily available. Low levels of vitamin D in your body can put you at risk of contracting cancer.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a group of pro-hormones which are fat-soluble and are responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, phosphate, and magnesium. This means that this nutrient helps a person’s body utilize phosphorus and calcium to make stronger teeth and bones. Our skin’s exposure to sunlight can help generate vitamin D although we can also get it from the certain foods in our diets and through supplements. A deficiency in the nutrient can cause the weakening of bones which can lead to a condition known as rickets which occurs in children or osteomalacia in grown-ups. There are two kinds of vitamin D which are essential in the function of certain processes in the human body:

• Vitamin D2 also known as ergocalciferol is naturally made by plants.
• Vitamin D3 also known as cholecalciferol is naturally produced by your body when the skin gets exposed to UV rays in sunlight.

Both these forms of vitamin D get converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a person’s liver. This compound is then carried by the person’s blood to his kidneys where it’s further converted to calcitriol or 1.25 dihydroxy vitamin D. This is the form of vitamin D which is considered as active and that the body can use. Measuring the amount of calcitriol will give you the vitamin D level in your body. There are several sources of vitamin D:

• Most of us get through exposure to sunlight.
• Dietary sources of the vitamin are found in fatty fish, eggs, and fish oils.
• We can also get it from fortified foods like milk, breakfast cereals, and juices.
• Finally, a convenient way to acquire the RDA of vitamin D is through supplements.

Some of us may assume that taking excessive amounts of vitamin D can give us more benefits. This, of course, is a falsity because too much of the nutrient can have toxic effects on the body. Just imagine if you have too much vitamin D. This will definitely increase the calcium levels which will lead to a disorder called calcinosis where calcium salts will start accumulating in the body’s soft tissues like the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Such excess can also lead to hypercalcemia where there will be high levels of calcium in the blood. This is especially true if someone takes too much vitamin D supplements. High intakes of dietary foods containing vitamin D will not cause much of a problem but excessive intake of vitamin D supplements could be toxic. Even excessive exposures to sunlight will not cause vitamin D problems but we should also be wary that too much sun is not a recommendation because this can increase the risk of developing skin cancer.

A Short History Of Vitamin D

The concept of vitamin D started in the year 1919 by Sir Edward Mallory, who was working with animals during winter. He did notice that his animals were developing bone problems when they were kept indoors. It was his conclusion that there must be a vitamin deficiency that was causing the problem and that administering cod liver oil to the animals seem to be a solution. Sir Mallory referred to this still unidentified vitamin as factor X. As we have mentioned earlier, fatty fish oils are rich in vitamin D and, therefore, is a preventative agent.

The chemical composition of this factor X was then identified by Professor A. Windaus in the 1930s. Hence, we now have vitamin D. Bone problems have been plaguing people for ages and the cause has been traced to vitamin D deficiency. The most common disorder caused by the deficiency is rickets which occurs in children.
A closer study of the substance will inform us that vitamin D is technically not a vitamin but more of a steroid hormone. These are substances produced by the endocrine glands then transported through the circulatory system to different organs of the body where they will be used to regulate behavior and physiology. Vitamin D is a crucial part of a person’s endocrine system because it’s involved in several bodily functions such as:

• Controlling the differentiation and growth of cells.
• Synthesizing of important enzymes.
• Controlling a number of adrenal hormones.
• It also seems to have some important DNA functions. In fact, it may even play a significant role in DNA repair.
• Studies have shown that vitamin D also has an important effect on the sites of nuclear receptors and the receptor sites in cell membranes.

Vitamin D is composed of several chemicals which are fat-soluble and are called calciferols. Vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol gets produced when the ergosterol in a yeast extract is exposed to sunlight’s ultraviolet components. It’s not a substance that is found naturally in the blood of humans. Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, on the other hand, is produced when 7-dehydrocholesterol is exposed to the same ultraviolet components of sunlight. If the conversion should not take place, the 7-dehydrocholesterol is simply converted into cholesterol and later into some other steroid hormone. The main source of our vitamin D is through sunlight. Therefore:

• Those who work night shifts in factories may find themselves deficient of the vitamin.
• Those who have black skin or are heavily tanned may have difficulties producing vitamin D because of sunlight’s effect on their skin.
• Conversely, those with fair-colored skin can easily pick up UV light in their natural environments. Presently, however, you would find people with this type of skin avoiding sunlight which could make them deficient in vitamin D.

Dietary sources of vitamin D are fish liver oils and a little in dairy products. The Omega-3 fish oil supplements don’t really have that much of the nutrient. The much-taunted cod liver oil, unfortunately, is not a good source. Ditto with halibut liver oil. To acquire a beneficial dose of vitamin D from these fish liver oils, you will need to consume a considerable amount. If you do this, you will simultaneously get a bigger dose of vitamin A as well, another important nutrient which might disrupt the beneficial effects of vitamin D on the density of bones. It’s like a lose-lose situation.

People should be aware that taking or making enough vitamin D can help reduce the risk of contracting cancer by as much as 33%. Aside from this, an adequate supply of the vitamin can also help boost the body’s immune system and correct cancer cells. It can also fight inflammations, prevent diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis, and much more.
Cancer can be prevented if there are enough vitamin D levels present in the blood. Such levels can even be used several times in predicting breast cancer.  It has also been proven that people who are deficient in vitamin D have lesser chances of surviving cancer because the nutrient can correct cancer cells. This means that vitamin D can do almost everything in the cancer cells and this can include the following:

• Switch gene activities on and off in the cancer cell.
• Reduce cancer cell division to prevent it from spreading.
• Calm down the cancer cells so they would settle down instead of spreading.

Such actions make us think that vitamin D can restore a cancer cell to a normal and healthier state. Aside from its role in cancer, vitamin D also has an important role in the body’s metabolic processes, nuclear regulation in aging, slowing down and even reversing prostate cancer. Some studies have indicated that regular sunlight exposure can reduce the risk of cancers and that most of the cancer victims are usually deficient in vitamin D when diagnosed.

What Evidence Is There About Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention

Research conducted based on the distribution and determination of health and disease conditions, specifically cancer, indicated that the incidence, as well as the death rates for some cancers, were significantly lower with those who live in the southern latitudes where there are higher levels of exposure to sunlight than those living in northern latitudes. Because of the sunlight factor, experts hypothesized that there is an association between the variation in the levels of vitamin D and the disease. But this is still in the hypothesis stage. More studies are needed to determine if high levels of vitamin D can lower the incidence or even the death rates of cancer.

Many experiments have proven that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of cancer. Studies have shown evidence that vitamin D can slow down cancer development by enhancing cellular differentiation, reducing the growth of cancer cells, stimulating apoptosis or cell death, and reducing the formation of tumor blood vessels.
Some studies have also been conducted to find out if people who take higher dosages of vitamin D or have higher levels of the vitamin in their blood have a lower risk of developing certain types of cancers. Unfortunately, the results of these studies have revealed are inconsistent. For instance, when doing dietary studies on vitamin D, do we include the vitamin D we can get by exposure to sunlight or do we only consider the measure of vitamin D levels in the blood at one point in time? If these aren’t considered in the study, then the result is not truly reflective of  the individual’s status of vitamin D. Another case in point is that people who take larger dosages of vitamin D or have high levels of the vitamin in their blood will not necessarily mean they have no risk in developing cancer because they may have some other healthy behaviors. It may be one of these healthy behaviors that could influence cancer, instead of the intake of vitamin D.
There have been many tests conducted regarding vitamin D intake, most of which were done to assess the health of the bones or some other outcomes but not for cancer. Still, some of these tests yielded results related to cancer incidences and mortality. Because these tests were made without specifically taking cancer as its main purpose, additional tests will be needed to confirm the results.

Myths and Facts About Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention

It was just a matter of time that men would notice a pattern in relation to the incidences of cancer depending on what area in the planet you live in. Those in sunnier places, for instance, have lower cancer rates and less mortality from the dreaded disease. Conversely, those who live in regions where there is less sun had higher incidents. So it seems that vitamin D is the main issue here. What makes such difference will depend upon the levels of vitamin D in the body. Since this is the sunshine vitamin, it’s made in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight.
To explain the difference, research has been conducted to study the effects of vitamin D. These studies are still on-going and there are yet no conclusive results if vitamin D has a role in preventing the occurrence of cancer or if it has a role in the disease’s treatment. The research is promising as the studies continue. Take a look at these common myths and the actual facts about the relationship of vitamin D and cancer:
Myth:Vitamin D may prevent all types of cancers from occurring.
There’s yet sufficient evidence to prove this. A study conducted on healthy women who took calcium and vitamin D3 supplements didn’t lower their risk of developing cancer. Moreover, another study where scientists re-evaluated the results of a number of experiments on vitamin D showed that the nutrient doesn’t seem to reduce the chances for several types of cancer.
Fact: Vitamin D has some potential for preventing colorectal cancer.
Although the results of the studies conducted on the effects of vitamin D in preventing colorectal cancer are still inconsistent, there are some which showed that the presence of high vitamin D levels is associated with lower chances of acquiring the disease. There is a need for more clinical trials to prove this point which can include how the nutrient can supplement the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Myth:Women must take vitamin D in order to lower the risk of contracting breast cancer.
This vitamin can reduce the chances of getting breast cancer but will not prevent breast cancer completely. Women who have low levels of vitamin D in their systems may benefit by taking it compared to those who will not.
There are some findings, however, which have associated lower levels of vitamin D with a high risk of breast cancer:

• Women who are in the early stages of breast cancer and were found to have low levels of vitamin D have a higher likelihood of having the disease recur than those with adequate levels.
• Women who had high levels of vitamin D have a higher chance of not contracting breast cancer than those who are deficient.
• Even experiments on laboratory rats showed that deficiency in vitamin D helped with the growth of the cancer cells.

Fact: A lot of people are deficient in vitamin D and might need supplements.
There is truly a deficiency of vitamin D all over the world and one good way of solving this is through supplements. Studies have pegged the deficiency to about half of the populace. Vitamin D plays a very important role in many processes that go on in the human body and this includes the prevention of certain types of cancer.  If a deficiency occurs, supplements should take over.
Just to make sure you is on the right track, consult with the doctor if there is a need for the supplement. The effects of some other medications could be disrupted when adding the supplement. A blood test may also be required to find out how much vitamin D you have in your system. This test will determine the dosage of vitamin D the person will need.
Cancer is a dreadful disease and nobody would certainly want it. Vitamin D may have its benefits against the disease but you still need to inform your doctor if you plan to add it to your regimen. The findings on vitamin D may be promising in some forms of cancer, but people still need to find out other ways to reduce their risk of acquiring cancer. Cancer screening, which doctors may recommend, is good because it can raise your risk of cancer.

How Does One Acquire More Vitamin D?

One of the main functions of vitamin D is to help the body with calcium absorption since calcium is an essential element for superior bone health. Aside from this, the nutrient is also important in the proper functioning of various systems in the body. Vitamin D is produced when the inactive form of this nutrient gets activated in the skin upon exposure to sunlight. This is our main source. You may find small amounts of the vitamin in fortified milk or in other types of foods like eggs and fatty fish. The production of vitamin D in the body may be hindered because of our spending more time out of direct sunlight or putting on sunscreen to avoid sunburn.
A lot of research has been made on links of vitamin D and cancer. In women, a deficiency in the nutrient can produce higher risks of breast cancer. Some studies, although still ongoing, have shown that vitamin D may play a significant role in the control of normal growth of the breast cells and may also be capable of stopping these cells from growing.
There are two dependable ways you can boost his vitamin D levels – get more exposure to sunlight and taking vitamin D supplements. You can also resort to dietary foods but their vitamin D content is very minimal.
Sunlight exposure. You don’t really expose yourself to sunlight the whole day. A person can have his daily dose of natural vitamin D through sunlight exposure for about 15 minutes up to three times each day. That’s more than enough. Overdosing in vitamin D because of too much sunlight isn’t going to happen. Instead, such long exposures can increase the risk of skin cancer such as melanoma which is the worst type of skin cancer.
It’s recommended by most medical experts to make use of sun protection when UV radiations are high or even moderate. UV rays aren’t visible so there’s no telling if you are being exposed or not. Our planet protects us from the deadly effects of UV rays through the ozone layer. However, the thickness of this layer varies with the different seasons and weather changes. During times when the ozone is thin, some of the UV rays can enter the Earth. To serve as warning against UV radiation, there is the UV Index. This will tell a person the strength of the UV rays on a scale from 1 to 11+, based on his zip code area.
There are several other factors which may affect the amount of vitamin D you will be producing with sunlight. Consider these factors:

• Less vitamin D is produced by people with darker skin.
• The farther you are away from the equator, the less amount of vitamin D is produced.
• Fewer hours of daylight means that lesser vitamin D is produced.

Supplements. Don’t rush to the health store for these. It’s best to find out first about your serum level of vitamin D. You can ask your doctor for this routine blood test when he has his routine physical check-up.
It’s best to discuss with the doctor the benefits as well as the risks when taking vitamin D supplements. By this time, you should already know his vitamin D serum level. Adjust the supplement dose as needed. Too much of this supplement can cause the accumulation of excess calcium in the blood. Also if a person decides to add vitamin D to his regimen, choose vitamin D3 and not D2.
No matter age a person is, the recommended dose of vitamin D is the same. Typical multivitamin supplements contain less than the RDA of vitamin D. To help out, here’s a list of foods which contain a lot of vitamin D:

• catfish
• herring
• mackerel
• milk
• orange juice
• oysters
• salmon
• sardines
• soy milk
• steelhead trout
• yogurt

Other Health Benefits of Vitamin D  Aside from being labeled the “sunshine vitamin”, this nutrient is also now being called the “wonder vitamin” and for very good reasons. Having enough of this vitamin may offer protection against just about everything, from cancer and depression to heart diseases and even an early death. Here are more benefits of vitamin D you should know about:
It may prevent vision deterioration or damage. Vision begins to become a problem when people hit 50 and over. This is caused by an age-related disorder known as macular degeneration characterized by a blurriness that progresses slowly and begins near the center of a person’s eye. This impedes the eye’s ability to see things clearly. The chances of getting AMD will depend upon age, genes, and race. With these as the factors, you will have no control over it happening. But staying healthy can bring people some comfort against AMD. Studies have indicated that maintaining high levels of vitamin D can help maintain crystal clear eyesight even if genetic cards are stacked against the person.
It can help prevent muscle spasms. We have mentioned earlier that vitamin D has a role in the proper functioning of the body’s muscular system, how the nutrient keeps the system strong and healthy by helping in the absorption of calcium. Most of us have experienced muscle abnormalities like cramps, twitches, and spasms but we don’t know too much why they happen. These may be caused, as some studies have shown, by a deficiency in vitamin D.
It may slow down weight gain . Alas, this condition is one of Mother Nature’s dirty tricks where we may be accumulating too much weight without noticing it until it’s too late. But there’s always a window open to remedy this and vitamin D seems to be a solution.  Having the adequate amount of vitamin D can slow down the obesity problem.
It can help keep a person’s cholesterol in check. There’s a reduced risk of contracting heart diseases for people who have high levels of vitamin D in their systems. With postmenopausal women, they even have additional benefits when they have sufficient levels of vitamin D like having healthier cholesterol.
Helps prevent chronic headaches. It’s not a healthy idea to depend too much on painkillers when you suffer from chronic headaches. Try, instead, the vitamin D way of exposing yourself to sunlight. Studies have indicated that those with low levels of vitamin D are twice as much prone to have chronic headaches as compared to another group with high levels of the vitamin. There are no conclusive studies on the link between chronic headaches and vitamin D but a number of researchers believe that the anti-inflammatory characteristics of vitamin D may help in combating inflammations that can cause headaches and migraines.
https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/diet-nutrition/everything-you-need-to-know-about-vitamin-d-and-cancer-prevention/

The Eisenstein Group

Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention

Names of Japan

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Healthy Monday: Must Haves for a Healthy Heart

(reader discretion advised) Ask anyone what is the nation’s number one killer and most people will say heart attack. But how many know that congestive heart failure is the fastest growing cause of heart disease in North America? Why is this happening? And why are mitochondria of vital importance, particularly as we all grow older?

Congestive Heart Failure occurs for several reasons. A coronary attack might have destroyed cardiac muscle. Or hypertension over a period of years has weakened it. Or obesity and diabetes has resulted in hardening of coronary arteries, decreasing blood flow to the heart. So, in addition to aging, a series of events might injure the heart.

As the “Gifford-Jones Law” states, one problem leads to another and another.

It’s mitochondria that determine how long the heart will beat. And when the heart says enough is enough, death occurs.

Mitochondria are tiny power plants present in almost all living cells that constantly produce energy. These allow cardiac muscles to beat 100,000 times every 24 hours. Or 2.7 billion times by age 70, without stopping. I’m sure most readers have experienced “brownouts,” when electricity fails, and civilization as we know it, momentarily ends. It’s the power plant that keeps cities functioning. Can you imagine the chaos if toilets failed to flush for a few days.

People can have brownouts due to malfunctioning mitochondria. These cause days when we lack energy, feel exhausted, have muscle weakness, difficulty remembering things or become seriously ill. For instance, researchers have linked Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to ineffectual mitochondria.

Experts on congestive heart failure say much can be done to maintain healthy mitochondria and increase cardiac longevity. A workout of 30 to 60 minutes is ideal and the more intensive the better, but there appears to be little benefit beyond 60 minutes.

A limited consumption of food allows mitochondria more time to remove free radicals, the metabolic ash that’s left after energy has been consumed and which is linked to aging. Intermittent fasting is advised, which allows time for mitochondria to remove unwanted cellular debris such as old mitochondria. This might decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates also has a beneficial effect on mitochondria.

say, NO!

Researchers at Saudi Arabia’s King Saud University report that a healthy blood level of vitamin C protects and restores enzyme activity in aging mitochondria, which provide energy for the proper function of cardiac muscle. The report does not say how much vitamin C. But I’d suggest one scoop of Medi-C Plus, which contains 2,000 milligrams of powdered vitamin C, after breakfast and the evening meal.

A report in the publication LifeExtension says: “A deficiency of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deprives the heart of a critical factor of energy supply and can be a key contributor to an impaired pumping of the heart.” This is because mitochondria cannot make energy without an adequate supply of CoQ10.

Researchers add that a group of international cardiologists enrolled 420 people with moderate to severe heart failure in a double blind study. They were prescribed either a placebo or 100 mg. of CoQ10 three times a day for two years, in addition to standard drug therapy.

At the end of the study those taking CoQ10 had a 50 per cent reduction in the risk of heart failure and stroke. They also had a lower death rate from both cardiovascular and other causes. The study also revealed that the heart’s muscle had become more efficient, reducing the risk of auricular fibrillation, an irregular rhythm of the heart. Medi-C Plus and other brands of powdered vitamin C along with CoQ10 are available in health food stores.

Finally, a deep massage removes toxins, improves blood and oxygen circulation and growth of mitochondria.

It’s never too early to start being kind to your heart. Dr. Michael McDonald, an expert on heart failure at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the University of Toronto, says: “This diagnosis of failure usually means life-expectancy of from two to five years. Today, if you’re over the age of 65, it’s the most common reason for being admitted to hospital.”

via: The Eisenstein Group

Be Kind to Your Heart

Empowering Power Plants for Your Heart

Mitochondrion

Coenzyme Q10

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Healthy Monday: Sunshine Vitamin D is da bomb!

We take extra Vitamin D, especially during flu season.

Vitamin D deficiency – who is at risk?

What makes your bones and teeth stronger, wards off infections and diseases, and keeps you cheerful? It’s Vitamin D, quite rightly called the “Sunshine Vitamin.” This fat-soluble vitamin is known to ward off cancers, autoimmunity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that around 50 percent of the human population, all around the world is deficient in Vitamin D and the reasons could range from low exposure to sunlight to faulty lifestyle choices. Find out if you belong to any of these vitamin-deficient groups.

Infants: In babies, Vitamin D deficiency is seen in infants who are the only breast fed. Vitamin D requirements cannot be met by human milk alone especially if the mother is low on the vitamin herself. So she has to fortify her Vitamin D intake so that her child also gets enough through her breast milk. [1]

Senior citizens: Seniors over the age of 50 are at risk for Vitamin D deficiency because of their ageing skin. When the skin ages, it stops being as efficient as it used to be before and does a poor job of absorbing sunlight and producing Vitamin D. Older people also tend to spend a lot of time indoors, which increases their risk for deficiency. This is probably why seniors face bone fragility issues. [2]

People who stay indoors: This one’s a no-brainer, but limited sun exposure can make one Vitamin D deficient. If you are used to wearing long robes due to religious reasons, or if your job demands you to suit up completely or work in the shade, you could be vitamin deficient. Also, reaching for the sunscreen every time you step out may not be a smart thing to do. [3]

People with darker skin tones: Darker skin means more melanin in the epidermal layers. And this means reduced ability to produce Vitamin D from sunlight. This can be fixed by eating a Vitamin D-rich diet or having supplements to match up to the RDA levels. [2]

Obese or people who have undergone gastric bypass: Having a Body Mass Index of more than 30 is associated with low Vitamin D levels. More the amount of fat in the body, more the chances of the fat trapping the vitamin and restricting its release into the blood. In people who have undergone gastric surgery for weight loss, the upper small intestine where Vitamin D is absorbed is bypassed. [4]

People who have trouble absorbing fat: Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. So unless there is some fat in your gut, you won’t be able to absorb dietary Vitamin D. So, some people who fat absorption problems associated with liver diseases, cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease may end up being Vitamin D deficient. [5]

Link: Vitamin D Deficiency

References:
1. Wagner, C. L., & Greer, F. R. (2008). Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics, 122(5), 1142-1152.
2. Del Valle, H. B., Yaktine, A. L., Taylor, C. L., & Ross, A. C. (Eds.). (2011). Dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D. National Academies Press.
3. Webb, A. R., Kline, L., & Holick, M. F. (1988). Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin. The journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 67(2), 373-378.
4.  Nair, R., & Maseeh, A. (2012). Vitamin D: The” sunshine” vitamin. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 3(2), 118.
5.  Malone, M. (2008). Recommended nutritional supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 42(12), 1851-1858.

http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/vitamin-d-deficiency-who-is-at-risk-k0617/

Healthy Monday: Counting Macros for Health Goals

How Counting Macros Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals

BY TRACY MORRIS

Macronutrients, or “macros,” are the building blocks of nutrition. You probably know them better as carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Macros are the nutrients you need in large amounts, as they provide your body with the calories it needs to function. (Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals, and although they’re essential for good health, they don’t provide any calories and only trace amounts are needed.)

It can get a little confusing, because people often refer to foods as macros: saying bread and pasta are “carbs,” and talking about meat as “protein.” Those foods contain more of that specific macronutrient than the others. But macros are just the individual elements, and most foods are made up of a blend of all three—pasta actually contains a little protein, and meat definitely has fat!  Understanding macros can help you lay a solid foundation for a balanced diet.

Carbohydrate + Protein + Fat = Total Calories

Carbohydrates: Provides fuel, the energy for your body and brain. It’s found in all plant foods, like grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and also milk and yogurt.

PROTEIN: Helps to build and repair your muscles, organs, skin, blood, and different chemicals, like hormones, in your body. It’s found in large amounts in meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, tofu, and eggs, and in smaller amounts in nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

FAT:  Insulates and protects your bones and organs, acts as backup fuel for energy, and helps in brain development. Healthy, unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and mackerel. Unhealthy saturated fats are found in high-fat beef, pork, butter, full-fat dairy, and processed foods, like cookies and donuts.

How Much of Each Macro Do You Need?

The numbers aren’t set in stone, but you do need to consume a certain amount of each macro within a range. The flexibility allows you to pick a style of eating that suits your needs, food preferences, and health goals. The USDA recommends the following healthy ranges.

Carbohydrate:          45 to 65 percent

Protein:                     10 to 35 percent

Fat:                           20 to 35 percent

Not sure where your eating habits put you? The food logging feature in the Fitbit app can estimate your macronutrients when you log items from the food database! At the end of each day, you can view an estimate of daily totals as percentages, as well as in grams. Which makes aiming for a particular ratio of carbs to protein to fat to build a balanced diet a lot easier.

Balance Your Macros to Reach Your Health Goals

If you’ve ever cut back on carbs to try to lose weight, carbo loaded before a marathon, or upped your protein intake to put on muscle, you’ve been playing with your macros. Working within the recommended ranges above, there’s room to maneuver your macros for different outcomes. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, eating fewer carbs and more protein may help—you could try aiming for the lower end of the range for carbohydrate, with 45 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 30 percent healthy fats, for example. Or, if you’re an athlete and need to fuel up for an intense training schedule, you can shoot for a higher percentage of carbs, making the ratio look more like 55 percent carbs, 20 percent protein, and 25 percent healthy fats. Just remember, these numbers don’t reflect the space each food takes up on your plate, but rather the numbers you’ll see when you log your meals.

Again, because most foods contain a mix of carbs, protein, and fat, you can’t completely cut one macro from your diet. That would impossible, not to mention unhealthy—sorry, zero-carb followers!

Quality Trumps Quantity When It Comes to Macros

Bodybuilders in particular are known for counting their macros, relying on eating trends, like If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) or Flexible Dieting, which focus on manipulating macronutrients to achieve weight loss or gain muscle. But people following those diets often lose sight of what’s healthy and what’s not. Your macronutrient distribution could look the same, whether you’re eating pizza, burgers, and donuts, or minimally processed veggies stir-fries and grain bowls. Quality wins over quantity when it comes to your health, so don’t get so caught up when measuring your macros that you miss out on the foods your body really needs.

Even if you’re not signing up for a powerlifting competition or an endurance race, and you don’t want to micro-manage your macros, it’s still smart to see where your numbers fall. Getting colorful fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein on your plate is the most important thing, and balancing macronutrients is just one more way to think about sticking to a healthy eating plan. So try food logging for a few days to see how your macros measure up.  

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This article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

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Tracy Morris is Fitbit’s Nutritionist. With a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from South Africa, she’s also an Australian Accredited Practising Dietitian, and an international member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the US. Over the past 15 years, Tracy's lived in five different countries, inspiring people around the globe to be healthy. Currently, she happily lives in Northern California where she writes, practices Pilates, runs after her three kids, and sips pinot noir with her husband.

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