Tag Archive for 'vitamin D'

More vitamin D now recommended for children

Published on September 5, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending that infants, children and adolescents get double the amount of vitamin D that was previously advised. This new clinical report, called Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children and Adolescents, indicates that all children should get 400 international units (IU) of Vitamin D, the same as drinking four eight ounce glasses of fortified mile each day.

Frank Greer, MD, FAAP, who is chair of the AAP Committee on Nutrition and co-author of the report, “Supplementation is important because most children will not get enough vitamin D through diet alone” says “we are doubling the recommended amount of vitamin D children need each day because evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits.”

There are new indicators revealing that vitamin D, along with building strong bones, could prevent diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Children who don’t get enough vitamin D are vulnerable to getting rickets, which is a bone disease that can cause growth problems and fractures and lead to developing osteoporosis as they age.

So how does one get more vitamin D? Well, first we need to understand that our bodies don’t make their own vitamin D, so we have to get it from other sources such as diet or sunlight. The body creates vitamin D when sunlight reaches our skin. Unfortunately direct sun exposure raises the risk for skin cancer, so it is important to limit your exposure to no more than about 20 minutes.

A safer way to help your child the suggested amount of vitamin D is through the food they eat each day. Some vitamin D rich foods are tuna, salmon, eggs and fortified milk, but it is hard for kids to get enough vitamin D through diet alone. Your pediatrician can help you decide if a supplement, like an over-the counter vitamin D with 100 to 400 IUs, is what your individual child needs.

In the future, new guidelines may induce a surge of vitamin D-fortified foods in the grocery store. Until then, your pediatrician is probably your best source for information. It is not a good idea to give a supplement without a recommendation, because they may already be getting the amount of vitamin D that they need.

Here are some ways to get more vitamin D into your child’s daily diet:

  •  Cereal with fortified milk for breakfast or a snack
  •  Cream-based soups or use fortified milk instead of water in soup or hot cereal
  •  Fortified yogurt instead of ice cream as a treat – freeze in ice pop trays
  •  Serve pudding made with fortified milk for dessert
  •  Buy orange juice that is fortified with vitamin D
  •  Make smoothies with fortified milk, yogurt and fruit
  •  Get cereal bars and cereals that are fortified
  •  Make sandwiches with egg salad or cheese ( cut into fun shapes )

Numerous Americans mistakenly think they are lactose intolerant

Published on July 21, 2010 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Recently a committee from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that many people in the U.S. think they are lactose intolerant – not able to digest milk or dairy products – when they actually are not. Due to this, these people are avoiding all dairy products, which causes them to be deficient in calcium, vitamin D and other crucial nutrients necessary for well-being and bone health especially.

Some symptoms of lactose intolerance are stomach cramps, bloating, excessive gas and diarrhea. What’s confusing to many is that these symptoms are common to other types of conditions. Also, some people who are lactose intolerant may only need to eat smaller portions of dairy products to avoid these irritating symptoms. About one or two cups of milk each day is usually safe for most people in this category, particularly when eaten with other foods, as specified by the committee.

If you or a loved one think that you might be lactose intolerant, you may want to get your doctor to validate it with a blood, stool or breath test. If it turns out to be true, decrease your intake of dairy foods. Try to get the suggested amounts of vitamin D and calcium from other sources, like sardines, tofu, kale, salmon, fortified cereals and supplements.

Many American children lack vitamin D

Published on August 3, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

It has been discovered that millions of children in the U.S. have alarmingly low levels of vitamin D. According to two new studies that gave the first national assessment of the important nutrient in young Americans, this could potentially raise their risk for heart disease, bone problems, diabetes and other illnesses.

There is about 9 percent or 7.6 million adolescents and young adults, ranging in age from 1 to 21, who have such low vitamin D levels that they are considered deficient. Also, 61 percent – 50.8 million – have higher levels, but they are still too low, as stated by the analysis of federal data that was recently released.

Girls, adolescents and darker skin people are especially susceptible to low vitamin D levels. This was found after an analysis of a study on 6,000 children. One of the studies found that 59 percent of black teenage girls were deficient in vitamin D.

Some of the researchers believe the low levels are due to a combination of things. These include things such as children spending more time watching T.V. and playing video games instead of playing outside, using sunscreen and covering up whenever they go outside, and drinking soda and other drinks instead of milk and not consuming enough foods with vitamin D.