Praktikos Institute

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has halved its recommended levels of sugar intake, thanks to a study carried out by Newcastle University academics.

Why take extra vitamin D? Let us count the ways — especially around this time of year. One study found that during the winter months, 28 percent of its participants were deficient in vitamin D (blood levels of < 20 ng/mL), while 33 percent had insufficient levels (blood levels of 20-29 ng/mL).

Vitamin D has emerged as “the vitamin of the decade”, with a long and growing list of maladies supposedly caused through its absence or prevented through its bountiful supply. But is there adequate evidence for the wonders claimed for vitamin D or are we getting a bit carried away? Before you answer that, here are some common misconceptions about vitamin D that you should know about.

A new CMAJ Open study has revealed that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is more successful among women who have sufficient levels of vitamin D. The researchers found that women with sufficient levels of vitamin D were more likely to have a successful clinical pregnancy compared to those with insufficient levels.

Probiotic supplement increases a person’s vitamin D level by more than 25 per cent, finds a study. This is the first time that a link between oral probiotic supplements and absorption of the bone strengthening nutrient is being established; the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 increased circulating levels of active forms of vitamin D.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is the first report of an oral probiotic supplement significantly increasing circulating vitamin D levels in the blood.

UC Irvine and Mayo Clinic researchers have found that vitamin D levels in the U.S. population peak in August and bottom out in February. The essential vitamin – necessary for healthy bones – is produced in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B rays from the sun.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is the first report of an oral probiotic supplement significantly increasing circulating vitamin D levels in the blood. The lead author on the study, Mitchell Jones, MD, PhD, received the Early Career Investigator Poster Presentation Prize from the New York Academy of Sciences and the Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science at last week’s Probiotics, Prebiotics, and the Host Microbiome: The Science of Translation conference in New York City.

The mammalian gut is home to hundreds of bacterial species that contribute to food digestion and, in some cases, inflammatory gut diseases. Probiotics, beneficial bacterial species, can enhance gut health by keeping the resident bacteria in check.