Recent research found that supplemental vitamin D doesn’t prevent fractures or have any effect on the diseases it has been claimed to help, and blood tests for vitamin D are useless. Half of all postmenopausal women will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Hip fractures are common in the… read more "Should You Take Vitamin D Supplements?"
Does Vitamin D Prevent Autoimmune Disease?
A new study published in The BMJ suggests vitamin D might prevent autoimmune disease, but there are reasons to be cautious. Up to 75% of American teens and adults are said to be deficient in vitamin D, but there is no agreement on what level constitutes deficiency. Claims for the health benefits… read more "Does Vitamin D Prevent Autoimmune Disease?"
When Doctors Refuse to Believe Evidence
Paul Offit’s new book covers the evidence for many surgeries, medications, and screening tests that have been proven ineffective and harmful yet are still being used by doctors who refuse to follow the science. Science-based medicine is all about testing medical ideas against reality. If there is abundant evidence from… read more "When Doctors Refuse to Believe Evidence"
Vitamin D and Diabetes: Another Case Where Supplementation Sounded Like a Good Idea But Wasn’t
A new study shows vitamin D supplements don’t prevent diabetes. But there are still unanswered questions. This cartoon shows vitamin D killing cancer. It doesn’t. It doesn’t prevent diabetes either. Low vitamin D levels appear to be a risk factor for diabetes. Observational studies have found a correlation between a… read more "Vitamin D and Diabetes: Another Case Where Supplementation Sounded Like a Good Idea But Wasn’t"
Vitamin D: To Screen or Not to Screen?
Vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin, has generated a lot of attention in recent years. It has been claimed to benefit a wide variety of diseases, everything from cancer to multiple sclerosis. It is widely used along with calcium for bone health. It is added to milk and prenatal vitamins… read more "Vitamin D: To Screen or Not to Screen?"
And Now for Something Completely Different
This will be a departure from my usual posts. Several announcements in the news and medical journals have caught my attention recently, and as I delved into the details, I thought I would share them with our SBM readers. Topics include AIDS cures, the continuing danger of polio, eating nuts for longevity,… read more "And Now for Something Completely Different"
New Recommendations for Calcium and Vitamin D Intake
A Walmart ad in my local newspaper trumpets “75% of all Americans don’t get enough Vitamin D” and offers to sell me Maximum Strength Vitamin D3, 5000 IU capsules to “promote bone, colon and breast health.” Meanwhile, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) tells me that “the majority of Americans and… read more "New Recommendations for Calcium and Vitamin D Intake"