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Vitamin D often low in seemingly healthy girls
Megan Rauscher, "Vitamin D often low in seemingly healthy girls",
Reuters UK, August 4, 2006, Link: http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...archived=False In a study of healthy adolescent girls, researchers found that insufficient vitamin D levels were a relatively common finding, with non-white girls more severely affected. According to the UK-based study team, "reduced sunshine exposure rather than diet explained the difference in vitamin D status of white and non-white girls" in the study, reported in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. "Vitamin D deficiency during childhood and adolescence," warn Dr. M. Zulf Mughal and colleagues, "might impair the acquisition of peak bone mass at the end of skeletal growth and maturation, thereby increasing the risk of osteoporotic fracture later in life." Mughal, from Saint Mary's Hospital for Women and Children in Manchester, and colleagues measured vitamin D levels in 14 white and 37 non-white 14-16-year-old girls attending an inner city multi-ethnic girls' school in the UK. Thirty-seven girls (73 percent) were vitamin D deficient, and nine (17 percent) were severely deficient. Average vitamin D levels were higher in white girls than in non-white girls. For the group as a whole, the vitamin D concentration correlated with the estimated duration of daily sunlight exposure and percentage of body surface area exposed, but not with estimated intake of vitamin D. "This is in keeping with the fact that the main source of vitamin D is that produced by the action of solar ultraviolet B radiation acting on 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin," the team explains. "Only small amounts are obtained from dietary sources." As they note, "Avoidance of exposure to sunshine for religious and cultural beliefs that encourage wearing of concealing clothing and restriction of outdoor activities has previously been reported as a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabian adolescents." In an editorial, Dr. N. J. Bishop, from the University of Sheffield, UK, expresses concern that "failure to supply an essential nutrient during a period of rapid growth and development is likely to result in problems across the population as a whole." He writes, "We need to take simple, practical measures to reduce the burden of early bone disease and other later problems." These include reminding women that breast milk lacks vitamin D and that totally breastfed infants should be supplemented (irrespective of skin color) until receiving a full mixed diet. It remains to be determined, Bishop adds, how to meet the needs of older children and adolescents from cultures that avoid sunlight. "Perhaps more exercise outdoors would help deal with this problem." SOURCE: Archives of Disease in Childhood, July 2006. |
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Vitamin D often low in seemingly healthy girls
Roman Bystrianyk wrote: Megan Rauscher, "Vitamin D often low in seemingly healthy girls", Reuters UK, August 4, 2006, Link: http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...archived=False In a study of healthy adolescent girls, researchers found that insufficient vitamin D levels were a relatively common finding, with non-white girls more severely affected. According to the UK-based study team, "reduced sunshine exposure rather than diet explained the difference in vitamin D status of white and non-white girls" in the study, reported in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. "Vitamin D deficiency during childhood and adolescence," warn Dr. M. Zulf Mughal and colleagues, "might impair the acquisition of peak bone mass at the end of skeletal growth and maturation, thereby increasing the risk of osteoporotic fracture later in life." Mughal, from Saint Mary's Hospital for Women and Children in Manchester, and colleagues measured vitamin D levels in 14 white and 37 non-white 14-16-year-old girls attending an inner city multi-ethnic girls' school in the UK. Thirty-seven girls (73 percent) were vitamin D deficient, and nine (17 percent) were severely deficient. Average vitamin D levels were higher in white girls than in non-white girls. For the group as a whole, the vitamin D concentration correlated with the estimated duration of daily sunlight exposure and percentage of body surface area exposed, but not with estimated intake of vitamin D. "This is in keeping with the fact that the main source of vitamin D is that produced by the action of solar ultraviolet B radiation acting on 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin," the team explains. "Only small amounts are obtained from dietary sources." As they note, "Avoidance of exposure to sunshine for religious and cultural beliefs that encourage wearing of concealing clothing and restriction of outdoor activities has previously been reported as a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabian adolescents." In an editorial, Dr. N. J. Bishop, from the University of Sheffield, UK, expresses concern that "failure to supply an essential nutrient during a period of rapid growth and development is likely to result in problems across the population as a whole." He writes, "We need to take simple, practical measures to reduce the burden of early bone disease and other later problems." These include reminding women that breast milk lacks vitamin D and that totally breastfed infants should be supplemented (irrespective of skin color) until receiving a full mixed diet. It remains to be determined, Bishop adds, how to meet the needs of older children and adolescents from cultures that avoid sunlight. "Perhaps more exercise outdoors would help deal with this problem." SOURCE: Archives of Disease in Childhood, July 2006. http://dietary-supplements.info.nih....s/vitamind.asp Vitamin D and osteoporosis: It is estimated that over 25 million adults in the United States have, or are at risk of developing, osteoporosis [32]. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by fragile bones, and it significantly increases the risk of bone fractures. Osteoporosis is most often associated with inadequate calcium intake. However, a deficiency of vitamin D also contributes to osteoporosis by reducing calcium absorption [33]. While rickets and osteomalacia are extreme examples of vitamin D deficiency, osteopororsis is an example of a long-term effect of vitamin D insufficiency [34]. Adequate storage levels of vitamin D help keep bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in older adults, in non-ambulatory individuals (those who have difficulty walking and exercising), in post-menopausal women, and in individuals on chronic steroid therapy [35]. Researchers know that normal bone is constantly being remodeled, a process that describes the breakdown and rebuilding of bone. During menopause, the balance between these two systems changes, resulting in more bone being broken down or resorbed than rebuilt. Hormone therapy (HT) with sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone may delay the onset of osteoporosis. However, some medical groups and professional societies such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The North American Menopause Society, and The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research recommend that postmenopausal women consider using other agents to slow or stop bone-resorption because of the potential adverse health effects of HT [36-38]. Vitamin D deficiency, which is often seen in post-menopausal women and older Americans [4], has been associated with greater incidence of hip fractures [39-41]. In a review of women with osteoporosis hospitalized for hip fractures, 50 percent were found to have signs of vitamin D deficiency [35]. Daily supplementation with 20 µg (800 IU) of vitamin D may reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures in elderly populations with low blood levels of vitamin D [42]. The Decalyos II study examined the effect of combined calcium and vitamin D supplementation in a group of elderly women who were able to walk indoors with a cane or walker. The women were studied for two years, and results suggested that such supplementation could reduce the risk of hip fractures in this population [43]. All women are encouraged to consult with a physician about their need for vitamin D supplementation as part of an overall plan to prevent and/or treat osteoporosis. ********* TC |
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