Vitamins

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• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
• Vitamins C and E
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

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Vitamins

NIH - Vitamins (Medical Encyclopedia) “Vitamins are grouped into two categories: • Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body's fatty tissue. • Water-soluble vitamins must be used by the body right away. Any left over water-soluble vitamins leave the body through the urine. Vitamin B12 is the only water-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the liver for many years. Function Return to top Each vitamin has specific functions. You can develop health problems (deficiency disease) if you do not get enough of a particular vitamin. Vitamin A helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. The more protein a person eats, the more vitamin B6 is needed to help the body use the protein. Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain function, among other things. Vitamin B12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism. It also helps form red blood cells and maintain the central nervous system. Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that promotes healthy teeth and gums. It helps the body absorb iron and maintain healthy tissue. It also promotes wound healing. Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin," since it is made by the body after being in the sun. Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine three times per week is enough to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D. This vitamin promotes the body's absorption of calcium, which is essential for the normal development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin E is an antioxidant also known as tocopherol. It plays a role in the formation of red blood cells and helps the body use vitamin K. Vitamin K is not listed among the essential vitamins, but without it blood would not stick together (coagulate). Some studies suggest that it helps promote strong bones in the elderly. Biotin is essential for the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates, and in the production of hormones and cholesterol. Niacin is a B vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin and nerves. It is also has cholesterol-lowering effects. Folate works with vitamin B12 to help form red blood cells. It is necessary for the production of DNA, which controls tissue growth and cell function. Any woman who is pregnant should be sure to get enough folate. Low levels of folate are linked to birth defects such as spina bifida. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid. Pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of food. It is also plays a role in the production of hormones and cholesterol. Riboflavin (B2) works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and the production of red blood cells. Thiamine (B1) helps the body cells change carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for heart function and healthy nerve cells. Food Sources Return to top FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS Vitamin A: • Eggs • Meat • Milk • Cheese • Cream • Liver • Kidney • Cod • Halibut fish oil Vitamin D: • Cheese • Butter • Margarine • Cream • Fortified milk • Fish • Oysters • Cereals Vitamin E: • Wheat germ • Corn • Nuts • Seeds • Olives • Spinach and other green leafy vegetables • Asparagus • Vegetable oils and products made from vegetable oils, such as margarine Vitamin K: • Cabbage • Cauliflower • Spinach • Soybeans • Cereals WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS Folate: • Green, leafy vegetables • Fortified foods Niacin (B3): • Dairy products • Poultry • Fish • Lean meats • Nuts • Eggs • Legumes • Enriched breads and cereals Pantothenic acid and biotin • Eggs • Fish • Dairy products • Whole-grain cereals • Legumes • Yeast • Broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family • White and sweet potatoes • Lean beef Thiamine (B1): • Fortified breads, cereals, and pasta • Whole grains • Lean meats • Fish • Dried beans • Peas • Soybeans • Dairy products • Fruits and vegetables Vitamin B12: • Meat • Eggs • Poultry • Shellfish • Milk and milk products Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) • Citrus fruits and juices • Strawberries • Tomatoes • Broccoli • Turnip and other greens • Sweet and white potatoes • Cantaloupe Most other fruits and vegetables contain some vitamin C; fish and milk contain small amounts. “

Highlighted Articles

Supplement Your Knowledge of Vitamin D (2008) “How much vitamin D do I need? The current recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 200 IU for people up to age 50, 400 IU for people aged 51 to 70, and 600 IU for people over age 70. That's not enough, Boston University vitamin D expert Michael Holick, MD, PhD, tells WebMD. Holick recommends a dose of 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D for both infants and adults -- unless they're getting plenty of safe sun exposure. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that breastfed infants receive 400 IU of vitamin D every day until they are weaned and drink at least 1 liter of vitamin D-fortified formula or whole milk each day. The AAP also recommends 400 IU/day of vitamin D for children and teens who drink less than a liter of vitamin D-fortified milk per day. The Vitamin D Council recommends that healthy adults take 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily -- more if they get little or no sun exposure.”

Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis. (J Cell Biochem. 2008) “Vitamin D is a principal regulator of calcium homeostasis. However, recent evidence has indicated that vitamin D can have numerous other physiological functions including inhibition of proliferation of a number of malignant cells including breast and prostate cancer cells and protection against certain immune mediated disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). The geographic incidence of MS indicates an increase in MS with a decrease in sunlight exposure. Since vitamin D is produced in the skin by solar or UV irradiation and high serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) have been reported to correlate with a reduced risk of MS, a protective role of vitamin D is suggested.”

Greater intake of vitamins B6 and B12 spares gray matter in healthy elderly: A voxel-based morphometry study. (Brain Res. 2008) “In the VBM analysis, we found that adults with greater vitamin B6 intake had greater gray matter volume along the medial wall, anterior cingulate cortex, medial parietal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus, whereas people with greater B12 intake had greater volume in the left and right superior parietal sulcus. These effects were driven by vitamin supplementation and were negated when only examining vitamin intake from diet. Folate had no effect on brain volume. Furthermore, there was no relationship between vitamins B6, B12, or folate intake on global brain volume measures, indicating that VBM methods are more sensitive for detecting localized differences in gray matter volume than global measures. These results are discussed in relation to a growing literature on vitamin intake on age-related neurocognitive deterioration.”

Inflammation in the vascular bed: Importance of vitamin C. (Pharmacol Ther. 2008) “For endothelial cells, ascorbate helps to prevent endothelial dysfunction, stimulates type IV collagen synthesis, and enhances cell proliferation. For vascular smooth muscle cells, ascorbate inhibits dedifferentiation, recruitment, and proliferation in areas of vascular damage. For macrophages, ascorbate decreases oxidant stress related to their activation, decreases uptake and degradation of oxidized LDL in some studies, and enhances several aspects of their function. Although further studies of ascorbate function in these cell types and in novel animal models are needed, available evidence generally supports a salutary role for this vitamin in ameliorating the earliest stages of atherosclerosis.”

Vitamin B12 deficiency in the aged: a population-based study (Age and Ageing 2007) "Conclusion: undiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency is remarkably common in the aged, but no specific risk group for screening can be identified. Thus, biochemical screening of unselected aged population is justified. General practitioners play a key role in diagnosing early vitamin B12 deficiency."

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Vitamins

Vitamin D

NEWS:

D Gets An A “Still, the study authors said clinical trials must confirm their results before vitamin D is recommended to prevent colds and flu. Foods that contain vitamin D include milk, salmon, sardines, shrimp and eggs. But "10 minutes in the sun would far surpass your intake of vitamin D" compared with diet choices, Ginde said. It's nearly impossible for people living north of Atlanta to get enough vitamin D through sunlight year-round because of Earth's tilt. In the winter, northern dwellers should take supplements, and in the summer, some scientists recommend 20 minutes of sun per day -- without sunscreen. “

Low Vitamin D Causes Problems For Acutely Ill Patients “"Recently, Vitamin D has been recognised for its many roles beyond the musculoskeletal system. It has been implicated in diabetes, in the immune system, in cancers, in heart disease and in metabolic syndrome." "Vitamin D appears to have roles in controlling sugar, calcium, heart function, gut integrity, immunity and defence against infection. Patients in ICU suffer from different degrees of inflammation, infection, heart dysfunction, diarrhoea and metabolic dysregulation – so vitamin D deficiency may play a role in each of these common ICU conditions." “

Mayo Clinic Study Suggests Those Who Have Chronic Pain May Need To Assess Vitamin D Status “This study found that patients who required narcotic pain medication, and who also had inadequate levels of vitamin D, were taking much higher doses of pain medication -- nearly twice as much -- as those who had adequate levels. Similarly, these patients self-reported worse physical functioning and worse overall health perception. In addition, a correlation was noted between increasing body mass index (a measure of obesity) and decreasing levels of vitamin D. Study results were published in a recent edition of Pain Medicine.”

Nonvertebral Fracture Prevention With Vitamin D May Be Dose-Dependent “Use of vitamin D is associated with reduced risk for nonvertebral and hip fractures in older adults independent of calcium supplementation. • The dose of vitamin D for fracture prevention should be higher than 400 U daily; this dose is effective in both community-dwelling and institutionalized older adults. “

One in seven US teens is vitamin D deficient “Of the specific findings, the authors were particularly concerned about the role of weight in deficiency. "Because vitamin D is stored in body fat, simply increasing the dosage of vitamin D may not be effective in overweight adolescents," notes senior author Dr. Linda M. Gerber, professor of public health in the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and professor of epidemiology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "As the prevalence of childhood obesity increases, vitamin D deficiency may increase as well. In this group, appropriate nutrition could solve both problems." Another concern is the increased risk of deficiency in girls, some of whom may become pregnant during adolescence. The authors note that a lack of vitamin D may increase maternal risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes and may be associated with reduced bone mineralization in the offspring.“

Understanding The Anticancer Effects Of Vitamin D3

Vitamin D for cancer prevention: global perspective. (Ann Epidemiol. 2009)

Vitamin D helps control MS genes “A UK and Canadian team found that vitamin D helps to control a gene known to increase MS risk, the PLoS Genetics journal reports. It suggests that vitamin D supplements taken during pregnancy and early in life could prevent the disease. … Exactly how the gene-environment interaction alters MS risk is yet to be determined; one explanation could be an effect on the thymus - a part of the immune system which produces T cells to attack invaders such as bacteria and viruses. It is thought that in people who carry the gene variant, a lack of vitamin D during early life might impair the ability of the thymus to delete rogue T cells, which then go on to attack the body, leading to a loss of myelin on the nerve fibres. Co-author, Professor George Ebers, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, at the University of Oxford, said it had been known for a long time that genes and the environment determine MS risk. "Here we show that the main environmental risk candidate - vitamin D - and the main gene region are directly linked and interact." “

Vitamin D 'is mental health aid' “They found that compared to those with the highest vitamin D levels, those with the lowest were more than twice as likely to have impaired understanding. Alzheimer's charities said the research was interesting, but more work was needed to understand vitamin D's role. … Dr Iain Lang from the Peninsula Medical School, who worked on the study, said: "For those of us who live in countries where there are dark winters without much sunlight, like the UK, getting enough vitamin D can be a real problem - particularly for older people, who absorb less vitamin D from sunlight. "One way to address this might be to provide older adults with vitamin D supplements. "This has been proposed in the past as a way of improving bone health in older people, but our results suggest it might also have other benefits. “

Vitamin D may reduce decline in mental agility “"When we adjusted for all these other health and lifestyle factors we still found that there was a link between vitamin D and the cognitive outcome." The researchers do not know exactly how vitamin D and mental agility may be connected but said possible suggestions include the vitamin's role in increasing certain hormonal activity or the protection of neurons in the brain. They also stressed their findings should not spur people to bask in the sun, which can increase the risk of skin cancer.”

Vitamin D Supplements Associated With Reduced Fracture Risk In Older Adults “Oral vitamin D supplements at a dose of at least 400 international units per day are associated with a reduced risk of bone fractures in older adults, according to results of a meta-analysis.”

Vitamin D useful in fighting a cold: Study “Vitamin D levels vary widely in the population. Fair-skinned people in sunny regions tend to have the most; dark-skinned people who don't get much sun exposure have the least. Study participants with the lowest vitamin D blood levels — under 10 nanograms per millilitre of blood — were about 40 per cent more likely to report recent colds or flu than those with vitamin D levels above 30 nanograms. That's not proof of cause and effect, but the study authors say it's a strong "association," or scientific connection. This association showed up all seasons of the year. It was strongest among study volunteers with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema. Asthma patients with the lowest vitamin D levels were five times more likely to have had a recent respiratory infection, while COPD patients had twice as many respiratory infections when they had a vitamin D deficiency.”

Vitamin D versus cancer

Vitamin D, a key milk nutrient, linked to better muscle power “Yet despite a potential upside of boosting vitamin D levels, Americans of all ages still fall short of their vitamin D needs. Even in this study with demonstrated muscle benefits, overall, the girls’ vitamin D levels were far less than ideal – a finding consistent with numerous studies indicating a resurgence in vitamin D deficiencies in adolescence. In fact, current deficiency levels prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to double the vitamin D recommendations for children and teens to 400 IU daily. The Academy estimates that up to half of adolescents have low vitamin D levels.”

Vitamin D, Curcumin May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found In Alzheimer's Disease “UCLA scientists and colleagues from UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute have found that a form of vitamin D, together with a chemical found in turmeric spice called curcumin, may help stimulate the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques considered the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The early research findings, which appear in the July issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, may lead to new approaches in preventing and treating Alzheimer's by utilizing the property of vitamin D3 — a form of vitamin D — both alone and together with natural or synthetic curcumin to boost the immune system in protecting the brain against amyloid beta. … The synthetic curcuminoid compounds were developed in the laboratory of John Cashman at the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, a nonprofit institute dedicated to research on diseases of the human brain.Researchers found that naturally occurring curcumin was not readily absorbed, that it tended to break down quickly before it could be utilized and that its potency level was low, making it less effective than the new synthetic curcuminoids. "We think some of the novel synthetic compounds will get around the shortcomings of curcumin and improve the therapeutic efficacy," Cashman said. The team discovered that curcuminoids enhanced the surface binding of amyloid beta to macrophages and that vitamin D strongly stimulated the uptake and absorption of amyloid beta in macrophages in a majority of patients. … Fiala noted that this is early laboratory research and that no dosage of vitamin D or curcumin can be recommended at this point. Larger vitamin D and curcumin studies with more patients are planned.”

Vitamin D, nervous system and aging. (Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009) “Clinical data suggest that vitamin D(3) insufficiency is associated with an increased risk of several CNS diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, seasonal affective disorder and schizophrenia. In line with this, recent animal and human studies suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with abnormal development and functioning of the CNS. Overall, imbalances in the calcipherol system appear to cause abnormal function, including premature aging, of the CNS.”

Vitamin Low in Arab Women: Study: Diet, Modest Attire Are To Blame

ARTICLES:

Vitamin D and Health

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Effect of vitamin D deficiency and replacement on endothelial function in asymptomatic subjects. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009)

Effect of vitamin D on blood pressure' a systematic review and meta-analysis. (J Hypertens. 2009)

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in young children in a highly sunny humid country: a global health problem. (Minerva Pediatr. 2009) “CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high in Qatari children and more common in Qatari girls. In the young population in Qatar, vitamin D deficiency appears to result from a combination of limitations in sunlight exposure and a low oral intake of vitamin D.”

Highest prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in institutionalized women compared with noninstitutionalized women: a case-control study. ( Womens Health (Lond Engl). 2009) “This study highlights a high prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in institutionalized, osteoporotic women. Compared with age-matched osteoporotic controls, the prevalence of severe vitamin D inadequacy was substantially more important in institutionalized women. We believe that a greater awareness of the importance of vitamin D inadequacy is needed in order to address this public health problem.”

Maternal vitamin D intake during pregnancy is inversely associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis in 5-year-old children. (Clin Exp Allergy. 2009) “CONCLUSION: Maternal vitamin D intake from foods during pregnancy may be negatively associated with risk of asthma and AR in childhood.”

Pigmentation and vitamin D metabolism in Caucasians: low vitamin D serum levels in fair skin types in the UK. (PLoS One. 2009) “Sun exposure has long been associated with an increased risk of melanoma and non melanoma skin cancers as well as photo-ageing[1]. However, recent studies have shown that higher levels of 25(OH)D, which are maintained by sun exposure, are associated with lower incidence of many common diseases; especially cancer. Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects on many cell types and whilst most research has in the past focused on the impact on bone health, it is now clear that vitamin D deficiency affects many other systems [2]. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cancer, inflammatory disorders, autoimmune and psychiatric diseases [3], [4], [5], [6]. More recent studies have also shown an association between low serum 25(OH)D levels and metabolic syndrome characterised by abdominal obesity, raised blood pressure and triglycerides with low HDL cholesterol [7]. Vitamin D serum levels are influenced mainly by sun exposure and to a lesser extent by diet[8]. Advice about avoiding sun exposure and the use of sunscreens for the primary prevention of skin cancer may lead to vitamin D deficiency in susceptible individuals. Hence public health campaigns for skin cancer prevention may need to be reviewed to be adapted to respective geographical areas in view of the variations in skin types and ambient ultraviolet exposure. … Conclusions/Significance Contrary to previous studies across different ethnic backgrounds, this study within Caucasian UK females shows that fair skin types have lower levels of 25(OH)D compared to darker skin types with potential detrimental health effects. Public health campaigns advocating sun avoidance in fair skinned individuals may need to be revised in view of their risk of vitamin D deficiency.”

Recognition and management of vitamin D deficiency. (Am Fam Physician. 2009) “To prevent vitamin D deficiency, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants and children receive at least 400 IU per day from diet and supplements. Evidence shows that vitamin D supplementation of at least 700 to 800 IU per day reduces fracture and fall rates in adults. In persons with vitamin D deficiency, treatment may include oral ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) at 50,000 IU per week for eight weeks. After vitamin D levels normalize, experts recommend maintenance dosages of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) at 800 to 1,000 IU per day from dietary and supplemental sources.”

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is independently associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the metabolic syndrome in men and women (Journal of Clinical Lipidology 2009)

Vitamin D and cardiovascular risk. (Int Urol Nephrol. 2009) “Further activities of vitamin D relate to defence of microbial infections, e.g. tuberculosis, prevention of cancer, contractility of muscle cells and counteraction of congestive heart failure. Given early reports in the 1960s on deleterious effects of vitamin D supplementation in rodents, that is ectopic media ossification of arterial vessels, a pro-atherogenic function had been anticipated for humans as well. However, cross-sectional studies reveal that vitamin D deficiency in humans is associated with elevated blood pressure and propagation of atherogenesis. These contradictory findings on the progression of atherosclerosis may be reconciled by dissecting the activation mechanism(s) of vitamin D in rodents versus humans. Notably, novel findings convincingly indicate that vitamin D exerts anti-inflammatory effects. In conclusion, vitamin D supplementation in adults may be regarded as simple means with few potential side effects to prevent atherogenesis or halt its progression and combat arterial hypertension. Adjustment of vitamin D dosing regimens is required in patients with chronic kidney disease …”

Vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk: a case–control study in Italy (Annals of Oncology 2009) “Conclusions: This study adds to the existing evidence that vitamin D intake in inversely associated with breast cancer risk.”

Vitamin D Supplementation and Reduced Risk of Preeclampsia in Nulliparous Women. (Epidemiology. 2009)

Vitamin D: Bone and Beyond, Rationale and Recommendations for Supplementation (The American Journal of Medicine 2009)

Vitamin D: What is an adequate vitamin D level and how much supplementation is necessary? (Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2009) “Ideally, the target range for 25-hydroxyvitamin D should be at least 75nmoll(-1), which may need more than 700-1000IU vitamin D in individuals with severe vitamin D deficiency or those overweight.”

INTERNET SITES:

NIH - Fact Sheet: Vitamin D

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia 25-hydroxy vitamin D

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Rickets

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Vitamin D

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Vitamin D benefit

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Vitamin D source

NIH - Vitamin D and Related Compounds (Systemic)

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