Vitamin Supplements
Consumers today are faced with a myriad of information concerning vitamin supplements. Should they take them, should they not? Are they helpful or are they harmful? Are consumers simply wasting their money, flushing it down the toilet so to speak? One day the experts say one thing and the next day there are new studies by other experts. This all creates quite a dilemma for those who are trying to do the best for their bodies. However, through the years there has been a steady stream of overwhelming evidence proving that vitamin supplements are helpful and beneficial for physical health, and moreover, may affect behavior.

Many in the medical community have advised their patients for years that taking multivitamins only gives them expensive urine, since severe vitamin deficiencies such as scurvy and pellagra are all but unheard of in industrialized countries (Gorman 2001). However, evidence amasses that they were wrong.…...

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Works Cited

Cal State Criminal Justice Expert's Nutrition Research Reveals Link Between Vitamin

Supplements and Reduced Violent Behavior." Ascribe Newswire. July 07, 2002. 10-16-2002).http://ask.elibrary.com/getdoc.asp?pubname=Ascribe_Newswire&puburl=0&querydocid=:bigchalk:U.S.;Lib&dtype=0~0&dinst=0&author=&title=Cal+State+Criminal+Justice+Expert%27s+Nutrition+Research+Reveals+Link+Between+Vitamin+Supplements+and+Reduced+Violent+Behavior++&date=07%2D07%2D2002&query=vitamin+supplements&maxdoc=30&idx=0.(accessed

Gorman, Christine. "The Great Multivitamin Debate: The effects of the pills, if any, are modest and may require taking them for decades. But that's good enough for me." Time. December 31, 2001. 10-16-2002).http://ask.elibrary.com/getdoc.asp?pubname=Time&puburl=http~C~~S~~S~pathfinder.com~S~time&querydocid=:bigchalk:U.S.;Lib&dtype=0~0&dinst=0&author=Christine+Gorman&title=The+Great+Multivitamin+Debate+The+effects+of+the+pills%2C+if+any%2C+are+modest+and+may+require+taking+them+for+decades%2E+But+that%27s+good+enough+for+me++&date=12%2D31%2D2001&query=vitamin+supplements&maxdoc=30&idx=15.(accessed

Natural Vitamin E Supplements Could Save Millions in U.S. Health Care Costs." PR

Leon Schurgrs and Cees Vermeer of the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands hinted at the superiority of MK7. This is the ability to activate specific vitamin K proteins to bring calcium to the bones rather than the arteries. The recommended daily dosage at this time is 105 mc. Patients taking anticoagulant medications, such as Coumadin, should first consult with their doctors before taking in Vitamin K supplements. They are contraindicated (Zucker).
Prevents Risks of Congestive Heart Failure

According to another experiment, Vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of congestive heart failure or CHF (Schleithoff, Zittermann & Tenderich, 2006). Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition, which is characterized by dyspnea and fatigue. Irregular heart function reduces its ability to supply enough blood flow and oxygen to the tissues and organs. Approximately 5 million Americans and 10 million Europeans have been living with CHF. No improvement in the management of…...

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Bibliography

Downey, M 2003, 'Advice for the really confused,' Better Nutrition, PRIMEDIA

Intertec. Available at  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_mOFKA/is_9_65/ai_106647187?tag=content;col1 

Dye, D. 2008, 'Stress factures reduced by calcium and vitamin D supplementation,' Life

Extension, LE Publications, Inc. Available at  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6839/is_2008_July/ai_n30936831?tag-=content;col1

It is also charged with ensuring that the body's blood cells and nerves are healthy. Over 30% of elderly people are at risk of developing deficiencies in vitamin B-12, due to the changes occurring in their digestive tract. Combined with the lack of other vitamins, lack of vitamin B-12 contributes to Alzheimer's disease. Early correction of this deficiency is important, and it will help the elderly people to continue with a normal life Giovannucci, 2005.
The correction of this deficiency can only be through prescribed vitamin supplements, as the cause of its deficiency was not because of an unbalanced diet.

Studies have reported that elderly people require more than the recommended dosage of vitamin E daily. This higher level will assist in boosting their immune system which is weakened as they age. By using prescribed vitamin dosages, the elderly people can increase their vitamin E daily intake thus improving their immune…...

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References

Beitz, R., Mensink, G.B.M., Hintzpeter, B., Fischer, B., & Erbersdobler, H.F. (2004). Do Users of Dietary Supplements Differ from Nonusers in Their Food Consumption? European Journal of Epidemiology, 19(4), 335-341.

Enstrom, J.E., & Pauling, L. (1982). Mortality among Health-Conscious Elderly Californians. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 79(19), 6023-6027.

Giovannucci, E. (2005). The Epidemiology of Vitamin D and Cancer Incidence and Mortality: A Review (United States). Cancer Causes & Control, 16(2), 83-95.

MacLennan, W.J., & Hamilton, J.C. (1977). Vitamin D Supplements and 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Concentrations in the Elderly. The British Medical Journal, 2(6091), 859-861.

Vitamin D and Asthmatic Children
USE OF VITAMIN D. AND ASTHMATIC CHILDEN

Literature eview & Synthesis

• Vitamin D has an acute influence on the occurrence of asthma in children. Trollvik et al. (2016) indicate that the fear of living with asthma is devastating for many kids. Yadav and Mittal (2016) indicate that vitamin D has a great significance in the management of persistent bronchial asthma in children. Tachimoto et al. (2016) conclude that involvement of standard treatment and low-dose of vitamin D lowers the occurrences and influences of asthma in children. Moreover, Somashekar et al. (2014) indicate that the deficiency of vitamin D is common in children with asthma just as its association with airway limitation. In all the literary pieces, the fear for asthma in children gives them memories that serve o indicate their state of well-being while living with asthma (Somashekar et al. 2014).

• There are no common disagreements…...

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References

Somashekar, A. R. Ashwini B. Prithvi, and M. N. Vanitha Gowda. (2014). Vitamin D Levels In Children with Bronchial Asthma. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. (10): PC04 -- PC07. Doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2014/10387.5055

Tachimoto, H. Mezawa, H. Segawa, T. Akiyama N., Ida H. & Urashima. M. (2016). Improved control of childhood asthma with low-dose, short-term vitamin D supplementation: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, vol. 71, no. 7: 1001 -- 1009. DOI: 10.1111/all.12856

Trollvik, Anne Reidun Nordbach, Charlotte Silen, &, Karin C. Ringsberg. (2016). Children's Experiences of Living with Asthma: Fear of Exacerbations and Being Ostracized. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, vol. 26, no. 4: 295 -- 303. DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2010.05.003 

Yadav M & Mittal K. (2016). Effect of vitamin D supplementation on moderate to severe bronchial asthma. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, vol. 81 (7): 650-4. Doi: 10.1007/s12098-013-1268-4. Epub 2013 Nov 6.

On the other hand, too much of a good thing can sometimes be even more harmful than too little. In that regard, it is very important to understand the role of vitamin D, both because of its role in maintaining our health, as well as because of the potential for harm associated with excessive supplementation.
Unlike other vitamins and minerals, vitamin D is not readily available through diet because its primary source is natural sunlight. The U.S. FDA recommends a daily dose of 200 IU, which according to medical authorities, is sufficient to protect against osteomalacia, a medical condition characterized by softening of the bones. However, because vitamin D requirements fluctuate depending on how much sunlight a person receives and are difficult to satisfy through diet alone, 200 IU is considered the RDA in the absence of regular exposure to natural sunlight.

Vitamin D is necessary for the proper absorption of…...

Supplements, Fatigue and Lethargy
DO THEY HELP?

Vitamin E (p 1- 1.5)

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant, which inhibits the production of reactive oxygen species or ROS when fat is oxidized (NIH, 2013). The body produces ROS when it converts food into energy. As an antioxidant, Vitamin E protects body cells from the ill effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules containing an unshared electron. They damage cells and contribute to the development of heart diseases and cancer. Unshared electrons are very active and quickly react with oxygen to form ROS. Health experts conjecture that limiting the production of free radicals may, alone or through other mechanisms, help prevent or delay the formation of these dreaded chronic diseases associated with the action of free radicals. Vitamin E may serve that function (NIH).

As an antioxidant, it also plays a role in the immune function of the body (NIH, 2013). In…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bain, J. (2001). Andropause: testosterone replacement therapy for aging men. Vol. 47,

Canadian Family Physician: Janvier. Retrieved on February 28, 2014 from  http://www.cfp.ca/content/47/1/91.long 

NIH (2013). Vitamin E Office of Dietary Supplements: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved on February 28, 2014 from  http://www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional 

Watson, S. (2014). The causes of women's fatigue. WebMD Magazine: WebMD LLC.

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble molecules known as secosteroids. Vitamin D itself is a fat-soluble vitamin that is not available in many foods. However, photochemically, it is produced when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger Vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D externally, though, is biologically inert in the human body, and "must undergo two hydroxylations in the body. The first occurs in the liver and converts Vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D The second occurs primarily in the kidney and forms the physiologically active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin d (VanDen Berg 1997, S76). Although called a vitamin, Vitamin D is not actually an essential dietary vitamin because it can be synthesized in more than adequate amounts from sunlight. Typically, an organic chemical, or group of chemicals, is known as a vitamin when it must be obtained through diet or other means, and cannot be synthesized through bodily processes.
Vitamin D has…...

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REFERENCES

Vitamin D (2012). Office of Dietary Supplements -- National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from:  http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ 

Balasubramanian and Ganesh. (2008). Vitamin D Deficiency in Exclusively Breast-Fed Infants. Indian Journal of Medical Research. 127 (2): 250-55.

Dryden, Jim. (2005). Sunlight Exposure May Help Prevent Periodontal Disease. Washington University St. Louis -- News and Information. Retrieved from:  http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/5881.aspx 

Feldman, D., et.al. (2012). Vitamin D, Volume 1. 2nd ed. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.

Supplements for Athletes
ipped Fuel © is a weight loss supplement used widely by individuals who are trying to improve their physical and athletic performance (Brown). These capsules are utilized as a method of rapidly burning fat, while quickly gaining muscle; they are popular among athletes because of this. The supplements work in a way that allows the burning of fat -- which is the most difficult part of body shaping -- to occur in a rapid fashion. Desired results are achieved in a limited amount of time, therefore adding to the appeal of this supplement to young athletes who are just beginning their journey through sports and are essentially attempting to make themselves stand out from the hundreds of other athletes. However, the components of these supplements have been of great concern due to their potential undesired effects (Brown). Despite the glorious results that the particular coach at hand has…...

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References:

Brown, E. (2011). What do ripped fuel capsules do? LIVESTRONG. Retrieved 22 April 2013 from   ipped-fuel-capsules-do/http://www.livestrong.com/article/401862-what-do-r 

OneResult. (2012). NCAA Legal and Illegal Supplements. ONERESULT: Look Like an Athlete. Retrieved 22 April 2013 from   -legal-and-illegal-supplementshttp://www.oneresult.com/articles/supplements/ncaa 

Vitamin C for Common Cold
What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble ingredient that is essential for the health of human beings. It is essential for normal growth and development and it has consumed regularly. Since Vitamin C dissolves in water, the excess amounts leave the human body through urine and this means the body needs a constant supply of this vitamin everyday. The body cannot store vitamin C in any form.

One of the primary role of vitamin C is to repair the body cells and tissues and to prevent free radicals and toxins from getting accumulated in the body. It repairs wounds and makes them heal faster. The free radicals are known to play a role in cancer and heart diseases and good amount of vitamin C everyday helps to prevent any damage.

Sources of vitamin C

Most fruits and vegetables contain some amounts of vitamin…...

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References

Frances Sienkiewicz Sizer, Leonard A. Piche, Eleanor Noss Whitney. Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. Kentucky: Cengage Learning. 2011.

Weber, Olaf; Eccles, Ronald. Common Cold. New York: Springer. 2007.

Vitamin D Supplementation
Vitamin supplementation has long been a popular way of ensuring that people receive the sufficient amount of vitamins. However as it pertains to Vitamin D, there is some amount of controversy as it pertains to Vitamin D supplementation (25-hydroxy) concentration and safety. The literature review will discuss the need for vitamin D supplementation and the findings of various studies and Vitamin D trials.

An article entitled "Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety" the daily allowance of vitamin D is 200 IU. The medical community has established that this amount will prevent the softening of the bones known as osteomalacia. However, there is also a consensus that more vitamin D is need to avoid other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism and osteoporosis.

In fact an article found in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics confirms that the proper amount of vitamin D can reduce the chances of the development of…...

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Works Cited

ALA-HOUHALA, M., T KOSKINEN, A TERHO, T KOIVULA, AND J. VISAKORPI. Maternal compared with infant vitamin D Supplementation. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1986, 61, 1159-1163

Alouf B., MD and Grigalonis M. Incidental Finding of Vitamin-D Deficient

Rickets in an Otherwise Healthy Infant -- A Reappraisal of Current Vitamin-D Supplementation Guidelines. Journal of the National Medical Association. VOL. 97, NO. 8, AUGUST 2005

Bjorkman, Mikko. Sorva A., Rejo Tilvis. Responses of parathyroid hormone to vitamin D supplementation: A systematic review of clinical trials. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 48 (2009) 160-166

Supplements
There are many reasons that supplements have become popular. One reason is that many people realize that their diets are not adequate and they feel like they can "supplement" for the fact that they are not eating right. Other reasons include the fact that certain supplements are promoted as helping with many different conditions. For example, Gingko Bibola is promoted as helping mental processes. There is a lot of hype about supplementation and this will likely led to the continued growth of the trend.

Most of the supplements that are available are fairly safe. For example, a multivitamin does not need to be regulated and be available only with a prescription. There are some supplements that can have more serious consequences however and it is reasonable to argue that consumers should be protected. A person's primary physician would represent the ideal person to guide a patient in this process.

UNIT 3 DISCUSSSION

All…...

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Works Cited

Dvauchelle, J. (2014, January 13). Pros & Cons of GMO Foods. Retrieved from Livestrong:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/213053-pros-cons-of-gmo-foods/ 

FAO. (2003). Weighing the GMO arguments. Retrieved from FAO:  http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo8.htm 

WebMD. (N.d.). Are Biotech Foods Safe to Eat? Retrieved from WebMD:  http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-safe-to-eat

Vol. 4. 145-56.
In this article, Drs. McCann and Ames of the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in Oakland, California, discuss their findings made in several important studies related to the suggestion that since "Vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States," it seems that the elderly and African-Americans are at a particularly high risk" of vitamin D deficiency (145).

o support this suggestion, McCann and Ames explore three specific topics -- first, the biological functions of vitamin D relevant to human cognition and behavior; second, the effects of vitamin D deficiency on human cognition and behavior, and third, the activity of vitamin D "relative to the pro-inflammatory cytokine theory of cognitive/behavioral dysfunction" (146).

McCann and Ames then conclude that "there is ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and function;" however, the direct effect of vitamin D deficiency on cognition/behavior in humans "appears…...

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Taylor, S.N., et al. (Autumn 2006). "Vitamin D Status as Related to Race and Feeding Type in Pre-Term Infants." Breastfeeding Medicine. Vol. 1 no. 3: 156-63. As a leading member of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, S.N. Taylor examines yet another aspect of vitamin D deficiency in the American population, specifically, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pre-term African-American babies which currently remains unknown, thus prompting Taylor to write this article.

His overall objective was to "evaluate the vitamin D status of pre-term infants through the first month after delivery" and then compare the evaluations "by race and feeding type," in this case through breastfeeding. Taylor's results showed that "black infants had a significantly lower level" of vitamin D as compared to white infants over a period of almost a month since delivery (157).

Taylor's conclusions are rather interesting, for he declares that the differences between black and white infants "were significant through the first 2 weeks after delivery" and that infants which received breast milk "did not have significantly worse" vitamin D deficiencies than those infants fed formula. Thus, Taylor argues that there does exist some type of correlation between race and feeding method when it comes to infants being deficient in vitamin D (163).

Vitamin D Supplementation increases Voluntary Physical Activity Levels in Nursing Home Patients
Over the course of a semester does vitamin D3 supplementation, and the resultant increase in muscle strength and bone density, lead to increased physical activity in nursing home residents in the absence of added encouragement?

The elderly often suffer from low serum levels of vitamin D, reduced muscle strength, and decreased bone density (reviewed in: Hamilton, 2010). Muscle biopsies have revealed that the muscle fibers most affected in the elderly are type II, the 'fast twitch' fibers. When a person begins to fall they instinctively attempt to prevent or break their fall and this reaction depends heavily on fast twitch muscle fibers. The elderly therefore suffer from an increased risk of falling down and bone fractures. Although conclusive evidence has yet to be found that low serum levels of vitamin D cause this condition, there is a large body of…...

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Bibliography:

Hamilton, B. (2010). Vitamin D and human skeletal muscle. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20, 182-190.

Williamson, J.D., Espeland, M., Kritchevsky, S.B., Newman, A.B., King, A.C., Pahor, M., et al. (2009). Changes in cognitive function in a randomized trial of physical activity: Results of the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders pilot study. Journal of Gerontology, 64A, 688-694.

Semba, R.D., Houston, D.K., Ferrucci, L., Cappola, A.R., Sun, K., Guralnik, J.M., et al. (2009). Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with greater all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling women. Nutrition Research, 29, 525-530.

European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (2010). QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Retrieved from http://groups.eortc.be/qol/downloads/modules/specimen_20qlq_c30.pdf

FDA must receive the text of the structure/function claims within 30 days of putting the product on the market. The labels must also include Product labels containing such claims must also include a disclaimer that reads, "This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
The bottom line: It is important to do research and be careful about the supplements one takes. Although they can be helpful in providing additional minerals and vitamins, they can be a detriment. The best of all worlds is to eat the right foods, so these supplements are not needed.

eferences

Food and Drug Administration (2003). Claims That Can Be Made for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements. Website retrieved July 4, 2006. http://arthritis.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=arthritis&zu=http%3A%2F%2F www.cfsan.fda.gov%2F%7Edms%2Fhclaims.html....

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References

Food and Drug Administration (2003). Claims That Can Be Made for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements. Website retrieved July 4, 2006. www.cfsan.fda.gov%2F%7Edms%2Fhclaims.html.http://arthritis.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=arthritis&zu=http%3A%2F%2F

For example, serum beta-carotene, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol levels rose in autumn months. Vitamin C serum concentrations were higher in the winter and spring.
Male participants revealed higher serum retinol concentrations than females, although male and female respondents already differed in terms of age. Younger respondents did have higher levels of beta carotene. Smoking had a stronger effect on lowering serum levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene than on retinol. In some cases, smoking tobacco had a strong effect on lowering serum levels of vitamins. In short, the current research suggests connections between lifestyle habits, age, and diet on blood concentrations of vitamins and can be used for health care workers to advise patients on their diet and lifestyle choices.

orks Cited

Faure, H., Preziosi, P., Roussel, a.M., Bertrais, S., Galan, P., Hercberg, S., Favier, a. "Factors influencing blood concentration of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, and beta-carotene in the French participants of the…...

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Works Cited

Faure, H., Preziosi, P., Roussel, a.M., Bertrais, S., Galan, P., Hercberg, S., Favier, a. "Factors influencing blood concentration of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, and beta-carotene in the French participants of the SU.VI.MAX trial." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006 Jun; 60(6):706-17. Retrieved Feb 17, 2007 from PubMed:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=16391586