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For many years Vitamin D was the forgotten vitamin. After its addition to milk in the 1930's to aid in calcium absorption in the the small intestine and the prevention of rickets in children there was not much said about it. The belief was that it only played a role in calcium absorption and pretty much nothing else.
This began to change about 15 years ago when it was discovered that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients had quite low levels of Vitamin D. This began a number of studies to determine if the disease caused the low levels of Vitamin D or if low levels of Vitamin D caused the disease. While the overall cause of MS remains a mystery to this day, it has been found that Vitamin D supplementation can often slow and in some cases reverse the progression of MS in many sufferers. This relationship between Vitamin D and MS lead to some other questions. With Alberta having the highest rate of MS in the world, studies were begun on the overall levels of Vitamin D in Albertans (and western Canadians in general). A number of studies have shown that at least a one point during the year, more than a third of people have low levels of Vitamin D. How could this be? After all, Alberta is known for its large amounts of sunshine even in the winter. The reality is that while it is sunny in February, the temperature makes it unlikely that anyone is going to go out and a swimsuit and tan. Minus 20 is just a little to cold for the average Albertan (your naturophathic physician included)! Tanning booths are a poor option due to the substantial increase risk of skin cancer. So what is one to do? First, come see your naturopathic physician as he is best suited to discuss and evaluate your specific situation. It is unlikely that rickets is an issue for you, and unlikely you have MS. However, Vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in a number of health concerns. It is involved in preventing, osteoporosis, cancer, inflammation, fibromyalgia, type I diabetes, upper respiratory tract infections, overall immune function, and mood to name just a few. So what is your Vitamin D status? Find out! Book your appointment today! For years we have been looking for the cause of autism in our children. There were vaccinations which were proposed a number of years ago. There was antibiotic use for ear infections (which more often than not were due to dairy issues), and of course there was blame placed on parents (often mothers). Now there is another proposed culprit and there is at least a good correlation. So what is this smoking gun? Acetaminophen.
That is right, there appears to be a correlation between the use of acetaminophen and the incidence of asthma, autism, and ADHD. Dr. William Shaw of Great Plains Laboratory puts together a interesting argument for acetaminophen being the culprit. If this does turn out with further study to be one of the major culprits, then the theories around vaccinations will have come so close to having found the culprit years ago. In a society where pain is to be dealt with immediately (think teething), and fevers to be avoided, acetaminophen quietly crept into our lives. Our children's fevers went down, they slept and we slept. However, the evidence (at a minimum) suggests that this needs to be studied further. And most importantly, we need to stop medicating our children with acetaminophen. The most shocking finding in the paper is that while Cuba has a very high vaccination rate, it has a very low autism rate. In Cuba, acetaminophen is not used to treat childhood teething issues, fevers, and post vaccination uncomfortability. If you want to be proactive with the medical care of your children, do not hesitate to meet with us. We can help with less harmful ways to deal with fevers, teething and overall general preventative care for your child. Read the full article here: Increased Acetaminophen use Major Cause Autism, Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity, and Asthma There has been much debate about the usefulness of fish oil over the last couple of years. Some research shows benefit and other research does not. Unfortunately, when one looks closely at the studies often the very fish oil is to blame. To often poor quality fish oil is used and in amounts that are of no real benefit. I remember discussing with a pharmacist about the fish oil they were selling. Her face dropped when I suggested that my patients would have to take 20 capsules a day to get enough DHA and EPA.
In regards to the benefit of fish oil and mental function, there is an interesting research study done by Tuft's University. In the study they found that grouping people on the basis of EPA and DHA consumption those with the lowest intake (lowest 25 % of participants) had the greatest cognitive decline over a two year period. One of my biggest concerns is the quality of the oil as well. Almost all fish oil is tested for heavy metals, but not necessarily PCB's. Also, the cheaper the product the poorer the quality of the oil. If it is not converted back into a triglyceride when it is refined there is no real benefit in taking the product no matter what the DHA and EPA levels are. References: |
Naturopathic Blog
AuthorThis is Dr. Michael Schaplowsky,ND's blog written from the great metropolis of Edmonton to provide you with excellent naturopathic information - enjoy! Archives
May 2024
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