Category: Nutrition

Up to one-quarter of people may have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Anxiety and hallucinations can be signs of a serious vitamin B12 deficiency.

These are not the only psychological symptoms that have been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Depression and memory problems have also been linked to a deficiency in this vital vitamin.

Among older adults, up to one-quarter of people may have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

However, the level of deficiency among the general population is probably closer to one-in-ten.

Along with seniors, other people who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

The conclusions come from a study of 1,079 seniors in Germany.

The researchers found that 27 percent had a vitamin B12 deficiency.

It also found that more than half were deficient in vitamin D.

Dr. Barbara Thorand, study co-author, said:

“Our study also shows that regular intake of vitamin-containing supplements goes along with improved levels of the respective vitamins.

However, vitamin-containing supplements are not a universal remedy, and particularly older people should watch out for maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet.”

The study was published in the journal Nutrients (Conzade et al., 2017).

Consuming these products in early life and adulthood doubles the risk for bowel cancer before age 50.

In recent years the risk for developing bowel cancer — technically known as colorectal cancer — has considerably increased among people under 50.

The reason for this appears to be the high sugar intake in our diet consumed during teens and adulthood.

A study has found that women who drink sugar-sweetened beverages are at greater risk of colorectal cancer before they reach age 50.

Developing early-onset colorectal cancer was more common among those who consumed sugary drinks habitually at age 13–18 years and in adulthood.

Dr Yin Cao, the study’s senior author, said:

“Colorectal cancer in younger adults remains relatively rare, but the fact that the rates have been increasing over the past three decades—and we don’t understand why—is a major public health concern and a priority in cancer prevention.

Due to the increase in colorectal cancer at younger ages, the average age of colorectal cancer diagnosis has gone down from 72 years to 66 years.

These cancers are more advanced at diagnosis and have different characteristics compared with cancers from older populations.”

In this study, women who had two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages (8 ounces or 230ml) a day were twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer by age 50 than those who had less than one serving a week.

The data show that for each 8-ounce increase, there was a 16 percent increase in risk.

Teen’s growth and development is set between age 13 and 18 and diet can have a big impact during this critical period of time.

Each daily serving of sugary drinks at age 13 to 18 years was linked to a 32 percent higher risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer.

Sugary drinks have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes in both children and adults.

However, the impact of sugary drinks on increasing colorectal cancer rates in the younger population wasn’t clear.

Over the past two decades, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages has increased enormously in teenagers and those aged 20 to 34.

At the same time, colorectal cancer incidence in young adults has also risen.

Dr Cao said:

“In past work, we have shown that poor diet quality was associated with increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer precursors, but we have not previously examined specific nutrients or foods.”

Also, the study found that other drinks such as milk and coffee were linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer in young adults, suggesting these unsweetened drinks are a better option in the long run.

Dr Cao said:

“Given this data, we recommend that people avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and instead choose drinks like milk and coffee without sweeteners.”

The study was published in the journal GUT (Hur et al., 2021).

Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively common, especially in the elderly.

Problems with thinking and memory can be signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, studies find.

Low levels of vitamin B12, along with other vital nutrients, are linked to brain shrinkage.

Deficiencies in these critical micronutrients may also be important in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

New research has looked at nutrients in the ‘Mediterranean diet’, which is linked to better brain aging.

It found that people had better cognitive functioning when they had higher levels of important nutrients, including vitamin B12, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, folate and others.

The study included 116 seniors who were given tests of their IQ, memory and thinking skills.

Scans also assessed the efficiency of their brains.

Professor Aron Barbey, study co-author, said:

“Efficiency has to do with how information is communicated within the network.

We looked at ‘local efficiency’ – how well information is shared within a spatially confined set of brain regions – and also ‘global efficiency,’ which reflects how many steps are required to transfer information from any one region to any other region in the network.

If your network is more efficiently configured, then it should be easier, on average, to access relevant information and the task should take you less time.”

The results showed that people performed better in the tests if their blood was higher in levels of these nutrients:

• omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,
• carotenoids,
• lycopene,
• riboflavin,
• folate,
• vitamin B12
• and vitamin D.

Professor Barbey explained the results:

“Our study suggests that diet and nutrition moderate the association between network efficiency and cognitive performance.

This means that the strength of the association between functional brain network efficiency and cognitive performance is associated with the level of the nutrients.”

Other potential signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

The study was published in the journal Neuroimage (Zwilling et al., 2019).

Supplements or foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs can rectify a vitamin B12 deficiency.

A tingling or numbness in the hands, legs or feet can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The sensation frequently starts in the feet and moves to the hands.

The feelings may also be linked to problems with walking or even difficulty balancing.

Known to doctors as neuropathy, the problem can affect people of all ages, although it is particularly common in those over 50.

Around one-in-twelve people over 50 experiences the condition.

Other causes of neuropathy include autoimmune processes and genetics — however, the most common cause is diabetes.

Other common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include jaundice, feeling dizzy and lethargy.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

The good news is that vitamin B12 is easy to correct either with supplementation or a change in diet.

Foods high in vitamin B12 include dairy foods, beef, salmon, eggs and low-fat milk.

Dr John D. England, a neurologist at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, said:

“People with suspected nerve problems should talk to their doctors about screening tests, especially blood glucose, vitamin B12 level and serum protein levels, since these tests can often point to common causes of neuropathy.”

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Dr England said:

“There are many people with a neuropathy who have been walking around for years without having been diagnosed and treated.

Both neurologists and people with neuropathy need to know that the appropriate choice of tests is critical to accurate diagnosis.”

The guidelines were published in the American Academy of Neurology.

Those who lack this vitamin are 70 percent more likely to have muscle weakness and physical disability.

Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for muscle wasting (atrophy) and loss of muscle strength (dynapenia).

People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to see declines in muscle mass, strength, and function besides loss of bone density, a study reveals.

The research also shows that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of dynapenia in seniors with low serum 25(OH)D levels by 78 percent.

Muscle atrophy and dynapenia can lead to physical disability in later life, indeed individuals with such conditions have a higher incidence of falling, hospitalisation, and premature death.

Professor Tiago da Silva Alexandre, the study’s co-author, said:

“Vitamin D is known to participate in various functions of the organism.

Actually, it’s a hormone and its many roles include helping to repair muscles and releasing calcium for muscle contraction kinetics.

It was therefore expected to cause muscle alterations of some kind.

That’s exactly what our study proved.”

Muscle tissue and bone are connected biochemically and physically so endocrine disorders such as low blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) could result in bone loss and decreases in the size, strength and function of muscles.

Muscle weakness increased by 70 percent

In this study, more than 3000 adults with no history of dynapenia were followed over four years.

Serum 25(OH)D levels reflect the amount of vitamin D stored in the body, the concentration above 50 nmol/L is classified as sufficient, between 30 to 50 nmol/L as insufficient, and below 30 nmol/L as deficient.

The study found that participants with vitamin D deficiency were 70 percent more likely to dynapenia than those with sufficient levels.

Mr Maicon Luís Bicigo Delinocente, the study’s first author, said:

“This is itself an important finding as it shows that vitamin D deficiency heightens the risk of muscle weakness by 70%.

However, because we knew there are many worldwide cases of people with osteoporosis who take vitamin supplements, we needed to try to measure the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation.”

To obtain the correct data, those on vitamin D supplements and those with osteoporosis were excluded from the study.

Mr Delinocente added:

“we found that the risk of developing muscle weakness by the end of the four-year period was 78% higher for subjects with vitamin D deficiency at the start of the study than for subjects with normal vitamin D levels, and 77% higher for those with vitamin D insufficiency [30-50 nmol/L].”

Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, maintaining cognitive function, and supporting the immune system.

The main way of getting vitamin D is sunlight, but a large area of  the skin requires exposure to the sun for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Professor Alexandre said:

“The study analyzed data for people who live in the UK.

There are many more days of sunlight per year in Brazil, and yet we’re known to have a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, especially among older people.

Indeed, this is the case worldwide.

It’s necessary to explain to people that they risk losing muscle strength if they don’t get enough vitamin D.

They need to expose themselves to the sun, eat food rich in vitamin D or take a supplement, and do resistance training exercises to maintain muscle strength.”

The study was published in the journal Calcified Tissue International (Delinocente et al., 2022).

These are some common signs of a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Loss of energy and problems concentrating can both be signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, research suggests.

Lack of the crucial vitamin has also been linked to other depression symptoms, such as low mood.

In fact, people with a deficiency in vitamin B12 are at triple the risk of developing melancholic depression, one study has found.

Constipation, muscle weakness and a general feeling of being tired are some other common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.

It may be that one-quarter of people have a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is used by the body to make red blood cells and in supporting a healthy nervous system.

Fortunately, the deficiency is relatively easy to correct.

Foods that contain high amounts of vitamin B12 include beef, salmon, eggs, low-fat milk and dairy in general.

People at higher risk of suffering vitamin B12 deficiency include vegetarians, older people and those with digestive disorders.

Vitamin B12 has been trialled in the treatment of some mental health problems.

One study has found that B vitamins can help people with psychosis to improve their concentration.

People recovering from psychosis in the study performed better on concentration tests after taking B vitamins.

Dr Kelly Allott, the study’s first author, said:

“This indicates the B-vitamins could have a neuroprotective effect; although they are not improving a patient’s concentration skills, they may be protecting these skills from declining.

Psychosis is a diverse condition where everybody presents with different symptoms and a different biological profile.

What was particularly interesting was that the participants who had abnormally high homocysteine levels at baseline were most responsive to the B-vitamin supplements, in terms of improvement in attention.

The results of this study support a more personalised approach to vitamin supplementation in first episode psychosis, suggesting those with elevated homocysteine are likely to benefit most.”

The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry (Allott et al., 2019).

These symptoms of vitamin D intoxication are from a case report of nutritional supplement overdosing.

Doctors are warning of increased hospitalization due to overdosing on supplements among athletes and the general public.

Misusing nutritional supplements can cause toxicity — known as hypervitaminosis — that can strike people at any age.

One recent medical report records how a middle-aged man was admitted to hospital with hypervitaminosis D and severe hypercalcaemia (high calcium levels).

His symptoms were:

• Repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting,
• abdominal pain,
• diarrhoea,
• leg cramps,
• weight loss,
• dry mouth,
• excessive thirst,
• and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

The symptoms began 1 month after beginning a supplement regimen advised by a nutritional therapist.

The study’s authors wrote:

“Globally, there is a growing trend of hypervitaminosis D, a clinical condition characterized by elevated serum vitamin D3 levels.

It has been reported that hypervitaminosis D is more likely to occur in females, children, and surgical populations.”

The patient had been consuming large quantities of several nutrients every day containing:

• vitamin D 15 0000IU (recommended daily intake: 10μg or 400IU),
• vitamin K2 100μg (recommended daily intake: 100–300μg),
• omega-3s 4000mg (recommended daily intake: 200–500mg),
• magnesium malate 1000mg, magnesium citrate 1480mg,
• calcium orotate 1000mg,
• vitamin B3 50mg (recommended daily intake: 16mg),
• B9 1000μg (recommended daily intake: 400μg),
• choline + inositol 100mg,
• zinc picolinate 15mg,
• vitamin B2,
• vitamin B6,
• vitamin C,
• selenium,
• several amino acids,
• probiotics,
• sodium chloride,
• and glucosamine with chondroitin.

After experiencing sickness he stopped taking the supplements, but the symptoms still remained.

The doctors ran blood tests and found that the patient had very high levels of vitamin D, increased levels of calcium and magnesium, plus kidney injury.

The patient was kept 8 days in hospital, given intravenous fluid therapy, bisphosphonates (to reduce bone loss and calcium levels), and antiemetic drugs (to stop vomiting).

Two months later, at follow-up, his calcium levels were reduced but his vitamin D levels were still high.

The authors warn:

“Given its slow turnover (half-life of approximately 2 months), during which vitamin D toxicity develops, symptoms can last for several weeks.”

Patients might show different symptoms related to hypervitaminosis D such as

• apathy,
• confusion,
• sleepiness,
• depression,
• psychosis,
• coma,
• pancreatitis,
• peptic ulcers,
• abdominal pain,
• constipation,
• vomiting,
• anorexia,
• abnormal heart rhythm,
• high blood pressure,
• and kidney injury.

In some cases keratopathy (disease of the cornea), arthralgia (joint stiffness), and hearing loss have also been reported.

The authors concluded:

“This case report further highlights the potential toxicity of supplements that are largely considered safe until taken in unsafe amounts or in unsafe combinations.”

Generally, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet light B helps the body to breakdown 7-dehydrocholesterol into vitamin D3) and some foods such as oily fish and wild mushrooms.

The study was published in the BMJ Case Reports (Alkundi et al., 2022).

The symptom is not normally painful, but can be irritating.

Twitching around the eyes can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The twitch usually occurs in one eye or the other, or just below them.

The symptom is not normally painful, but can be irritating.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

B12 deficiency has also been linked to facial pain.

The pain can also be felt across the forehead, occasionally coming down to the edge of the nose.

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also lead to neuropathy.

This can cause a tingling or numbness in the hands, legs or feet.

The sensation frequently starts in the feet and moves to the hands.

The feelings may also be linked to problems with walking or even difficulty balancing.

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

Dr John D. England, a neurologist at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, said:

“People with suspected nerve problems should talk to their doctors about screening tests, especially blood glucose, vitamin B12 level and serum protein levels, since these tests can often point to common causes of neuropathy.”

Dr England continued:

“There are many people with a neuropathy who have been walking around for years without having been diagnosed and treated.

Both neurologists and people with neuropathy need to know that the appropriate choice of tests is critical to accurate diagnosis.”

The guidelines were published in the American Academy of Neurology.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

Tiredness and weak muscles can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research finds.

As a result, people with low levels of vitamin D are at double the risk of mobility issues with age, scientists have found.

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include poor sleep, symptoms of depression and headaches.

The vitamin is thought to play a role in regulating serotonin, a neurotransmitter important for mood.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

The conclusions about mobility issues come from a study including 2,099 people aged 70-79 whose vitamin D levels were measured.

Dr Denise Houston, the study’s first author, explained the results:

“We observed about a 30 percent increased risk of mobility limitations for those older adults who had low levels of vitamin D, and almost a two-fold higher risk of mobility disability.”

Vitamin D is vital for muscle function and low levels have been linked to diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Houston said:

“Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other health conditions.

However, clinical trials are needed to determine whether increasing vitamin D levels through diet or supplements has an effect on physical function.”

Vitamin D is critical to the functioning of the whole body.

From October to March many people in northern climes do not get enough vitamin D.

Vitamin D is found in oily fish, egg yolks, fortified cereals and some margarine spreads.

Most people need around 10 micrograms per day, which can also be obtained from supplements.

Vitamin D supports the mineral density of bones and aids neuromuscular function as well as reducing the risk of fracture.

The study was published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A (Houston et al., 2012).

Taking around 4,000 IU of vitamin D could help to ward off this symptom.

Frequently becoming sick from respiratory infections like colds and the flu can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research suggests.

Vitamin D is critical to supporting the immune system and fighting off infection.

Taking around 4,000 IU of vitamin D can help to ward off infections, some studies have found.

One recent study found that taking vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of infection by 40 percent.

Professor Adit Ginde, the study’s first author, said:

“After studying these patients for a year, we found a 40 percent reduction in acute respiratory illness among those who took higher doses of vitamin D.

Vitamin D can improve the immune system’s ability to fight infections because it bolsters the first line of defense of the immune system.”

The conclusions come from a clinical trial of 107 patients in nursing homes.

Half received high doses of vitamin D supplements (up to around 4,000 IU per day) and the other half lower doses (up to 1,000 IU per day).

They were followed for 12 months to observe the number of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) they suffered.

The results showed that higher doses of vitamin D reduced the risk of ARIs by almost half.

Professor Ginde said:

“This is a potentially life-saving discovery.

There is very little in a doctor’s arsenal to battle ARI, especially since most are viral infections where antibiotics don’t work.

But vitamin D seems able to potentially prevent these infections.”

Taking vitamin D supplements has few risks, although the study did find that the higher level was linked to more falls.

Professor Ginde said:

“If our results are confirmed by a larger trial, high dose vitamin D, ideally using daily dosing to minimize fall risk, has the potential for substantial public health benefit through ARI prevention for the large and growing population of long term care residents.”

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue and tiredness, back pain, depression, muscle pain and even hair loss.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Ginde et al., 2016).