The Great Vitamin D-Bate

Since 2000, research on Vitamin D has skyrocketed. It is one of the most-intensely studied nutrients
of the 21st Century. - http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/vitamin-d#1

Move over Vitamin C. Vitamin D is the new Wonder Nutrient. The more that it's studied, the more amazing benefits are revealed. The problem is, the experts don't agree on how much is enough, how much is too much, and even how to test for vitamin D levels in the blood.

An article in the Clinical Laboratory News (July 2013), a publication of The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), discusses the disagreements among the experts as to benefits and optimal dosages. The reason the disagreements are mainly friendly is that the experts agree that there is not enough data  and the testing protocols are in flux. They also agree that the majority of Americans are sadly deficient in Vitamin D.

This is an interesting story that demonstrates that doctors who listen to their patients do the most good. Vitamin D has no direct action on the body, but it's necessary for the body to function normally.  Since the 1960's a series of laboratory and observational discoveries have revealed that it's vital to the inner workings of the endocrine system, involving the liver, kidneys, parathyroid gland and other organs.  A surprising number of studies revealed a link between low levels of Vitamin D and a wide variety of the diseases that plague us, including (but not limited to) heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, obesity, and diabetes. Other studies showed that people with high levels of vitamin D enjoyed better health, were thinner, and seemed immune to breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer in particular.

These findings found their way into the media. Soon, individuals were asking their doctors to test their blood levels and this once-rare test suddenly became one of the most-ordered tests in the US.  Doctors were amazed that  most of their patients were deficient. Now they order it routinely, and tell their patients to take supplements, drink more milk, and get outside in the sun (without sunblock) for awhile every day.

The AACC is going to feature The Vitamin D Debate at their annual meeting July 30, 2013, in Houston, Texas from 8:45-10:15 am.  If you are lab rat type and live in the Houston area, you might want to attend. But it's a sure bet that science reporters from all over the world will be there, too and the most interesting reports will be picked up from Science News to CNN.

BUT HOW MUCH DO I NEED???

In the meantime, here is a sampling of recommended dosages from the experts.  The lowest recommended dosage is: from infancy to age 70 take at least 600 IU's every day; age 70+, take 800 IU's.  The highest recommended dosage is: infancy to age 1, 2,000 IU's per day. Age 1-18, 4,000 per day; and adults, 10,000 per day.  The middle-of-the-road experts suggest 2,000-4,000 for adults, 600-1,000 for infants and children.

One thing everyone agrees on: Spend more time outside - get some sun, get some exercise - You''ll probably live longer!

A Great Week for Food News

There has been a lot of food in the news during the first week of June 2011.
Read on.

The Pyramid is Dead - Long Live The Plate!
The United States Department of Agriculture released its much- hyped replacement for the Food Guide Pyramid - it's called "MyPlate". Whoop-de-do. It seems that a critique of the pyramid scheme published in January 2011 in the journal, World Nutrition, finally devastated the confusing 20-year Food Guide Pyramid. Most nutrition experts welcome the new MyPlate as an improvement, but with reservations. Government food guides date back to the days of war and malnutrition, when many folks had to work hard to attain a balanced diet. Times have changed, but this is an example of an outdated government program that just is not needed anymore, yet it keeps lumbering along under its own momentum.




Organic Farming in -- Surprise! - India

Women in a self help group in India reclaiming waste land

Organic farming is on the rise in India. The use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides is heavily subsidized by the Indian government, but interest going organic is on the rise among farmers who have seen the quality of their farmlands decline since the beginning of the so-called Green Revolution. A very interesting article in the New York Times, 2 June 2011, describes this surprising trend. After all, India has more than 1 billion people to feed, and organic farming is generally considered less productive than conventional farming. But farmers in India are starting to challenge that notion - successfully, too.



Get Out the Salt Shaker - really, it's OK now

Comedienne Phyllis Diller, an avid cook, has always rejected the notion of the supposedly healthy low-sodium diet. She is 93 and still going strong. 

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that not only do low-sodium diets not lower high blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health, but that men who ate low-sodium diets were more apt to die from heart attack or stroke.  My super-healthy, salt-loving husband says he knew it all along.



Source of European E. Coli Contamination Identified

Genetic code of the new e. coli bacterium, dubbed EHEC O104

More people died from the exotic new e. coli in Europe this past week. The Germans, who have been blaming Spanish-grown organic cucumbers, have embarrassedly announced that the source is a bean sprout growing facility in Germany.  More than 1,700 people in Germany have been affected, including 520 with life-threatening complications where the bacteria attacks the kidneys. People from 90 countries have been sickened - all had traveled in Northern Germany recently. At least 18 people have died and more deaths are expected. The latest news was published in The Telegraph, Sunday 5 June 2011. 


Dear Readers -
The goal of Food in the News is to examine the role of food in society through current events. Tell me what you think - and if there are any stories you want to follow. Thanks - Deb Duchon - Editor, Publisher, Dishwasher, and Cook. 

Think "Organic" equals "Safe"? Think Again!

Organic cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and lettuce in Europe are killing people. Officials think they originated in Spain. the cause? Good ol' e coli, a bacterium that normally resides in the human gut. Just because a veggie is grown organically doesn't mean the people who pick it and package it wash their hands after going potty. Always -- always -- wash your vegetables before eating!
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/30/136790964/german-death-toll-rises-in-europes-e-coli-outbreak?ps=cprs

Message to Readers

Thanks for visiting Food in the News.

This blog is still in its infancy.

Right now, I'm giving more attention to The Culinary Historian, which is where the wild foods article is actually posted. Please visit The Culinary Historian. Scroll down to the article with the title "Ultimate Locavore"

Thanks!

Deb

wild edibles

read about wild edibles
wild edibles

New Chinese Tourist Attraction!

Vegetable Museum in China displays the relationship of farming to society. Photo shows one of the exhibits. By: Press TV

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90872/6956569.html

To Be (organic) or Not To Be (organic)

Don't scream for organic foods and then balk at the high prices, says Russ Parsons, Food Editor of the Los Angeles Times, in this analysis of the modern state of farming. Photo by Anne Cusack, LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook6-2010jan06,0,6888223.story