Previous research has found a link between lower levels of vitamin D and higher body weight, causing some to speculate that vitamin D deficiency may be a factor in obesity. The problem with this sort of evidence is that while it can show a link between vitamin D deficiency and, say, obesity, we can’t tell […]
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Vitamin D appears to have given my mum a whole new lease of life
2 or 3 weeks back, I was having a conversation with my 79-year-old mother regarding her mobility. She is, ordinarily, a bit of a force of nature, with abundant energy and still fending entirely for herself (with the help of my father) in all aspects of her life. In recent years, though, she has found […]
Has scare-mongering around skin cancer contributed to the resurgence in rickets?
I spotted this article earlier this week in the UK national newspaper The Telegraph. It concerns warnings about vitamin D deficiency, and particularly how the less-than-brilliant summer we had in the UK can only add to our woes in this respect. The end result may well be an upsurge in the rates of rickets (poorly […]
My piece in The Times on vitamin D
Last Saturday the Times newspaper here in the UK carried a piece I’d written summarising some of the most salient issues regarding vitamin D deficiency and what we might do about it. Here it is… The shortened days at this time of year will for some people usher in a downturn in mood that may […]
Vitamin D found to promote fat loss and muscle gain in women
Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with a reduced risk of a variety of health issues including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several forms of cancer. This research may be of some interest, but its nature (so-called ‘epidemiological’ studies) can’t tell us whether or not vitamin D actually protects against these conditions. It […]
Review looks at the potential role of light therapy in children, pregnancy and eating disorders
It’s early October, and here in the UK there’s a distinct sense that the days are becoming ever-shorter and the nights are drawing in. This change in lighting condition can, for some, spell a distinct downturn in general levels or energy and wellbeing. Others can be prone to food cravings in the winter. Still others […]
The dark side of sunscreens
Here in London, UK, the weather today has been quite summery. And it’s this time of year where we generally begin to see a rash of articles in the press warning us about the perils of sunlight and the need to slather on our sunscreen. People generally use sunscreen to prevent burning. But public health […]
Taking vitamin D may assist fat loss and reduce risk of chronic disease
There is a ton of research which links higher levels of vitamin D (and/or increased sun exposure) with reduced risk of a range of conditions including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, several forms of cancer and heart disease. These studies are voluminous, and tend to be quite consistent, but they still can’t tell us for sure that […]
Can shining a light into the ears combat ‘winter blues’?
The shorter days and general lack of sunlight in the winter can leave some of us prone to low mood and lack of vitality or even full-blown depression in the form of ‘seasonal affective disorder’ (SAD). A reasonable and often-effective strategy for overcoming these issues is light therapy, delivered by devices which simulate sunlight. However, […]
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