Vitamin D has been linked to many health conditions before. A recent study links insufficient levels of the vitamin with the disabling condition depression

In a recent study performed by researchers from the National Institute of Aging in the United States, insufficient levels of vitamin D may be the reason why many individuals over the age of 65 are experiencing symptoms of depression.

Senior individuals often have low levels of the important vitamin because they tend to stay indoors more often, as opposed to younger, more sprightly individuals with more active lifestyles. The study was published in a medical journal on endocrinology this year.

According to Luigi Ferrucci, the lead researcher, the emerging link between vitamin D deficiency and the occurrence of depression must be further investigated.  The study involved a follow-up testing of nearly one thousand male and female respondents within a six-year period.

The researchers used a specialized scale that measured the symptoms of depression called CES-D.  The researchers discovered that those with lower levels of vitamin D in their blood tended to have poorer score in the CES-D test.  Those with higher vitamin D percentages in their blood scored better in the same test.

Alarming, global trend

Depression is fast becoming one of the leading causes of disability around the world, not just in the United States.  It is estimated that today, there are 120 million people afflicted with the condition.  Ferrucci’s study is not the first to point at the possible link between the vitamin and depression.

In an earlier study carried out two years ago, Dutch researchers reported that insufficient levels of the vitamin in the body resulted in a higher percentage of the parathyroid hormone.

This hormone, which is used by the body to regulate calcium loss, has been directly linked to a higher incidence of depression in some one thousand two hundred respondents in yet another independent study.  This is the reason why a causal pathway must be mapped out to determine just how this vitamin affects the human brain.

In a fourth related study, researchers McCann and Arnes noted that vitamin D is important for the proper functioning and health of the human brain.  The widespread presence of vitamin D receptors throughout the human brain is evidence of the vital role of the nutrient in brain health.

According to yet another scientific review, vitamin D has been associated with affecting proteins in the human brain that are responsible for governing the learning process and remembering.  If an imbalance occurs in these areas, you can just imagine a chain reaction occurring throughout the brain.

Benefits of vitamin D

There are several ways that you can get vitamin D: natural exposure to sunlight, food (like dairy products, e.g. yogurt, milk, etc.) and through vitamin supplementation.  The body only needs about 10 – 15 minutes of exposure to natural sunlight to produce vitamin D on its own.

If this is not possible, people with low levels of vitamin D should explore vitamin supplementation; this applies most especially to senior individuals who may not be eating well or are unable to engage in a more active lifestyle.  Instead of using sunscreen when going out to get your healthy dose of sunshine, you can protect your skin naturally by taking natural antioxidants like fresh wheatgrass juice and citrus fruits.

The usual recommended dose for adults is between 400 to 800 IU (international units) of vitamin D everyday. Pregnant women should be given a higher dose (800 IU) to ensure optimum bone health and proper development of the fetus.

And there are more reasons to love vitamin D! Here are some of the most important benefits:

1. It is needed for proper absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorous.  It is needed for the proper maintenance and repair of the bones and skin.

2. It strengthens and helps maintain the immune function of the body. Conditions like flu and the common cold can be warded off more efficiently if the immune system is strengthened by vitamin D.

3. It is an important nutrient that prevents the occurrence of MS (multiple sclerosis).  According to researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University, MS is less frequent in tropical countries because there is more available sunshine in these places than in temperate regions.

4. Vitamin D has also been linked to the maintenance of normal body weight (according to research from the Medical College of Georgia).

5. Vitamin D is important for brain health in the later years (60 – 79 years of age).

6. In a recent study from the Harvard Medical School, vitamin D can also reduce asthma attacks in asthmatic individuals.

7. We are exposed continually to low levels of radiation.  The good news is vitamin D can also help protect us from such exposures.

According to US cancer researchers, people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a lower risk for many types of cancer than people with low or inadequate levels of the vitamin.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
healthvitaminsguide.com
medicalnewstoday.com

University of California researchers are hopeful that hops will build better bones.

Another year, another Super Bowl.  And with the Super Bowl comes a slew of commercials, as businesses cash in on what is the most watched sporting event of the year (average price for a 30 second ad:  $2.3 million).

This year’s Super Bowl brought the typical assortment of advertisers—candy companies, snack foods, web site domains, and soda pop peddlers.  And let us not forget the beer companies, which were out en masse.  Some were so bold as to pass their product off as a health drink (i.e. Michelob Light, which had seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong promoting their product).

But as foolish as the notion that beer being good for you sounds, there’s actually some truth to it.

It’s all about the hops!

According to a new study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, beers with high levels of malt barley and hops are a great way to improve bone health.  Bone health is something that everyone needs to be concerned about, but especially those who are advanced in year, as they are more prone to osteoporosis (women, especially).

Beer is beneficial to bone health thanks to hops being rich in dietary silicon.

All of us have varying amounts of silicon inside our bodies, mainly found on the connective tissues of our bones, tendons, arteries and lungs.  We get silicon from the foods we eat, primarily unrefined grains and cereal grains.  And as researchers from the University of California found, another rich source is beer.

Researchers from the University of California’s Department of Food Science and Technology did not specify which beer specifically contains the most hops (they tested 100 commercial beers for hops content), but they did say that pale-colored beers have more hops than dark-colored varieties.  The discrepancy in hops boils down to how much heat is used in the brewing process (e.g. the higher the heat, the darker the beer).

So there you have it, beer is beneficial to your body when consumed in moderation.  And I emphasize moderation.  We already know about the benefits moderate alcohol consumption has for heart health, but moderation applies to bone health as well.  Besides, the recommended amount of silicon in your diet is between two and five milligrams per day.  The silicon content in the beers tested varied considerably, with some being as high as 56 milligrams per liter, others as low as 6.4 milligrams per liter.

Sources:
foodnavigator.com
drlera.com