Introduction to Vitamin D
At this time of year, especially living in the UK, we are very aware of the long grey days and how this can lead to a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is known as “the sunshine vitamin” because all it takes is 15 minutes in the sun for a fair skinned person to create 10,000 to 20,000 iu of Vitamin D.
My reason for writing this series of blog articles on Vitamin D is that more and more scientific evidence is coming to light about the impact of a Vitamin D deficiency. More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to be deficient in vitamin D due to limited sunshine exposure. Researches have pointed out that raising levels of Vitamin D among the general population could prevent chronic diseases that claim nearly 1 million lives throughout the world each year.
So how do you know if you are short of Vitamin D?
You can have a blood test ideally in January (when your vitamin D levels will be at their lowest) and July (when they are likely to be at their highest) so you see if you are deficient. Apart from blood tests there are other signs:
- You have dark skin – Those of Afro-Caribbean descent you are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency as you need 10 times more sun exposure than fair skinned people to produce the same amount of vitamin D.
- You feel blue
- Your 50 or older – The older you get your skin doesn’t makes as much vitamin D in response to sun exposure and your kidneys are less efficient at converting vitamin D into the form used by your body.
- Your overweight or obese – vitamin D is fat-soluble, hormone like vitamin which means body facts act like a sink collecting it, so you are likely to need more vitamin D than someone who is their ideal weight.
- Your bones ache – especially when in combination with fatigue.
- Head sweating – years ago Doctors used to ask mothers about head sweating in newborns as it was a clear indicator of vitamin D deficiency.
- You have gut trouble – as mentioned previously vitamin D is fat soluble so if you have a gut condition e.g. Crohn’s, Celiac, gluten sensitivity, IBS that affects your ability to absorb fat you may have a lower absorption of fat-soluble vitamins including vitamin D.
Related Posts
Natrual Ways to Reduce Anxiety – Part 1
Anxiety is very comman and from time to time its perfectly natural. However when it becomes excessive then its time to do something about it. There are several types of anxiety
- General anxiety disorder
- Panic attacks or panic disorder
- Phobias
- Obsesive compulsive disorders
So massage is safe for pregnant women, but is it effective?
Last week we established that massage is safe for pregnant women. A scientific review of studies of pregnancy in massage fond that pregnant women who received massage had
- decreased depression
- decreased anxiety
- decreased leg and back pain
- reduced cortisol levels
- reduced excessive fetal activity
- lower rate of prematurity (a baby being born before its 37 weeks old)
- experienced less pain
- required less medication
- had shorter labours (on average 3 hours shorter)
So how does massage reduce pain? – Part 1
I said in a previous post that scientists are interested in finding out how massage works. So if we accept that massage reduces muscle pain, that leaves the question, "How does massage reduce muscle pain?". In 1965, Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall outlined a scientific theory about psychological influence on pain perception; the ‘gate control theory’. According to the gate control theory, pain signals are not free to reach the brain as soon as they are generated at the injured tissues or sites. They need to encounter certain ‘neurological gates’ at the spinal cord level and these gates determine whether the pain signals should reach the brain or not. In other words, pain is perceived when the gate gives way to the pain signals and it is less intense or not at all perceived when the gate closes for the signals to pass through. Cutaneous mechano-receptors are stimulated by touch (massage) and transmit information within large never fibres to the spinal cord. These impulses block the passage of painful stimuli entering the same spinal segment along small, slowly conducting neurons. This theory gives the explanation for why someone finds relief by rubbing or massaging an injured or a painful area. For example, the pain gate theory explains "how" a child feels better after mum or dad intuitively rub their knee when they have fallen over. In summary massage produces short term pain relief by being a particularly effective trigger for the pain gate process. References Melzack R, & Wall PD (1965). Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science (New York, N.Y.), 150 (3699), 971-9 Moayedi M, & Davis KD (2013). Theories of pain: from specificity to gate control. Journal of neurophysiology, 109 (1), 5-12 Jacobs M. (1960) Massage for the relief of pain: anatomical and physiological considerations. Physical Therapy Review, 40: 93-8 Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965 Nov 19;150(3699):971–979. Wells PE, Frampton V, Bowsher D. (1988) Pain: Management and Control in Physiotherapy. Heinemann Medical. Chapter 13. Watson J. (1982) Pain mechanisms: a review. 1. Characteristics of the peripheral receptors. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. 27:135-43
