VitaminBlog.com

Healthnotes Newswire (June 12, 2008)—As the summer solstice approaches, many of us notice how much long, sunny days can lift the mood. New research suggests there may be a physiological basis for this phenomenon. A recent study found that people with minor or major depression had lower vitamin D levels than people without depression.

The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, was conducted in the high-latitude country of the Netherlands (where sun exposure is limited) and included people age 65 and older. Vitamin D levels in 169 people with minor depression and 26 people with major depression were compared with those from 1,087 people without depression.

Vitamin D levels were 14% lower in the people with major and minor depression compared with nondepressed people. Levels of parathyroid hormone, the hormone that helps regulate calcium levels in the body, was 5% higher in people with minor depression and 33% higher in people with major depression. When vitamin D levels are low, parathyroid hormone levels tend to rise, and high levels of this hormone have been linked to depression in the past.

D is for daylight

Vitamin D, produced through a chemical reaction that begins in sun-exposed skin cells, plays a critical role in calcium metabolism by increasing the absorption of dietary calcium and decreasing the amount of calcium lost through urine. Long known to be necessary for healthy teeth and bones, recent evidence has pointed toward its importance in preventing depression and some cancers.

Older people tend to spend less time outside than younger people, and many don’t get adequate sunshine, making them more susceptible to vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency. In the current study, almost 39% of men and 57% of women had levels of vitamin D that are considered insufficient, which means they were low but not low enough to be called deficient. The rate of depression in older people, estimated to be about 13%, is higher than in younger people.

Easy does it

“The dilemma is that sun exposure without sunscreen, which is necessary for vitamin D production, increases the risk of skin cancer,” commented Dr. Julianne Forbes, a naturopathic doctor who practices in Maine.((Same comment as on other.)) “Be sensible—cover up or use sunscreen if you plan to be in the sun for an extended period, but don’t be afraid to head out for a short walk or get short bursts of sun exposure over the course of an ordinary day.”

People can take several steps to prevent depression:

• Stay active—There is a wealth of research demonstrating a link between inactivity and depression.

• Avoid too much alcohol, which is a natural depressant.

• Eat foods rich in folic acid and vitamin B12, especially if you’re an older adult. Deficiencies in both of these vitamins are more common in seniors and are linked with depression.

• Get a little sunshine when possible, and consider supplementing with 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, especially in the winter and if you live in a northern latitude.

(Arch Gen Psychiatry 2008;65:508–12)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 1, 2008)—Concerns over body image and fitting in might lead some teens to skip meals in an attempt to lose weight. A new study in Pediatrics suggests that this approach could backfire, though; teens who miss out on breakfast are actually more likely to be overweight.

The new study, as part of Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), gathered information from 2,216 adolescents about their eating and exercise habits, as well as dieting and weight-control behaviors to see what effect eating breakfast had on weight changes over a five-year period.

Although teens who ate breakfast regularly took in more calories in a day than their breakfast-skipping counterparts, they were less likely to be overweight. Eating breakfast more frequently was associated with lower body mass index (a measure related to body weight) in a dose-response fashion—meaning that the more often teens ate breakfast, the lower their body mass index. Breakfast-eating teens were also more likely to be physically active. “Breakfast habits may be important markers of an overall healthful lifestyle pattern in youth and … frequent breakfast consumption may impart important weight gain prevention effects,” the authors concluded.

It may seem counterintuitive that eating more can lead to weight loss. A possible explanation could lie in the body’s fat receptors. With extreme caloric restriction, the body makes more receptors on fat cells, causing them to gobble up any available fat when it’s eaten. People who eat more regularly and include healthy amounts of fat in the diet have less fat receptors on their cells; these people are likely to be thinner than “fad dieters.” Eating breakfast regularly can help keep fat receptors in check, leading to healthier weight. Breakfast eaters might also be thinner than teens who skip meals because the quality of their diet and their attitudes toward food might be better.

Results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that about 17% of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are overweight. Being overweight can lead to health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and the development of certain cancers. As more people are becoming overweight earlier in life, the incidence of these diseases is rising in the younger population.

According to the authors, “More emphasis should be placed on breakfast habits, especially among adolescents and young adults, when behavioral patterns are developing and stabilizing.”

(Pediatrics 2008;121:e638–45)

Healthnotes Newswire (March 6, 2008)—Concerns over the safety of hormone replacement therapy have menopausal women looking elsewhere for relief. Many doctors recommend staying physically active to relieve menopausal symptoms, and results of the ongoing Penn Study of Ovarian Aging support this advice.

The new study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, looked at 401 women, all of whom were premenopausal at the beginning of the trial, over a period of eight years. The women reported the average amount of time spent exercising each week and any symptoms related to menopause.

Menopausal symptoms tracked in the study included anxiety, sadness, mood swings, depression, stress, irritability, poor concentration/memory, trouble sleeping, headaches, hot flashes, body aches, urine leaks, vaginal dryness, or decreased interest in sex. Based on hormone levels and menstrual cycle length, the women were grouped by menopausal stage, ranging from premenopausal (still having regular periods) to postmenopausal (not having had a period for at least 12 months).

As a whole, women who exercised more (equivalent to walking at a moderate pace for about 40 to 90 minutes per day, five days per week) reported significantly less stress than women who exercised less than the equivalent of walking for 16 minutes per day. Among postmenopausal women, higher levels of physical activity also translated to lower levels of anxiety and depression; this effect wasn’t seen in women in other stages of menopause. Exercise didn’t seem to have an effect on hot flashes, urine leaks, vaginal dryness, or interest in sex in women at any menopausal stage.

Tori Hudson, a naturopathic doctor based in Portland, Oregon, who specializes in women’s health, recommends an exercise program that includes strength, cardio, and flexibility training to help ease menopause symptoms and to protect against heart disease and osteoporosis. Hudson suggests that women who have been inactive should begin slowly and progress gradually, and practice strength exercises under supervision of a qualified exercise consultant.

The researchers concluded that, among menopausal women, “high levels of physical activity are related to lower levels of stress.”

Tips for incorporating exercise into your life

• Make exercise a priority: Just as you make time to eat and brush your teeth every day, make exercise a routine part of life.

• Start small: Some exercise is better than none, so do what you can. Take a walk around the block after lunch, take the stairs when you have a choice, and park farther from your destination to add extra steps to your day.

• Buddy up: Taking a class, making dates to walk or work out with a friend will help motivate you to stick with it.

(Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008;40:50–8)