Study: Pregnant women should get more vitamin D

(News Terupdate) - Pregnant women could -- and probably should -- consume 10 times more vitamin D than experts currently recommend, according to a new study.

Current guidelines for daily vitamin D intake during pregnancy range from 200 international units (IU) per day to 400 IU, the amount found in most prenatal vitamins. For decades, doctors have worried that too much vitamin D during pregnancy could cause birth defects, and under current guidelines anything over 2,000 IU per day is still considered potentially unsafe for anyone, not just pregnant women.

That much vitamin D is not only safe during pregnancy, the researchers say, but doubling it may actually reduce the risk of complications.

Pregnant women should not change their vitamin D intake without consulting their physicians, however. The study looked only at women in their second trimester and beyond, and it's not yet clear whether high doses of vitamin D are safe earlier in pregnancy, when organs are formed and the fetus is especially vulnerable to birth defects.

In the study, 500 women who were at least 12 weeks pregnant took either 400, 2,000, or 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. The women who took 4,000 IU were least likely to go into labor early, give birth prematurely, or develop infections.

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"Pregnant women need to take 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day," says Bruce Hollis, Ph.D., the director of pediatric nutritional sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, and one of the authors of the study. "We didn't see a single adverse effect. It was absolutely safe, and we saw a lot of improved outcomes. The risk of preterm labor was vastly decreased and so was the risk of other complications of pregnancy."

Hollis and his colleagues presented their research today at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, B.C.

Taking supplements is the only practical way to consume that much vitamin D. "You can't drink that much milk," Hollis says. "You take prenatal vitamins for other things, but the amount [of vitamin D] in a prenatal vitamin is useless."

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The findings are a sign that current vitamin D guidelines are far too low, says Elisa Ross, M.D., a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic Institute of Women's Health, in Ohio. "In the olden days, we thought vitamin D could be associated with certain birth defects and may cause more calcium to build up in the women's blood. If this study is confirmed -- which I am hoping it will be -- it will increase the amount of vitamin D we recommend 10-fold."

Rasa Kazlauskaite, M.D., an endocrinologist at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, Illinois, cautions that more research is needed before firm recommendations can be made. "This study answers the question, 'Is vitamin D safe and beneficial for the average pregnant women?' but how it affects individual pregnant women needs to be answered," she says.

For instance, Kazlauskaite says, vitamin D intake during pregnancy should perhaps be pegged to a woman's blood levels of vitamin D. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends that pregnant women take a prenatal vitamin containing at least 400 IU of the vitamin, also recommends that obstetricians measure the vitamin D in pregnant women's blood to ensure that the fetus is receiving enough to develop properly.

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Despite the medical community's long-standing fears, few women in the study were concerned about vitamin D--related birth defects, according to Hollis. "We got more resistance from physicians than from patients," he says. "One doctor wrote to the National Institutes of Health and said, 'Don't let this study go forward. You are going to injure fetuses.'" (The National Institutes of Health funded the research.)

"There are no risks," Hollis adds. The conventional wisdom about the dangers of too much vitamin D was "manufactured and based on flawed data," he says. "There was never any real harm, just misconceptions."

Known as the "sunshine vitamin" because the body produces it when exposed to sunlight, vitamin D has been the focus of intensive research in recent years. Studies in adults have linked vitamin D deficiency to a laundry list of serious health problems, including heart disease, certain cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and some autoimmune disorders.

Even though vitamin D is added to food products such as milk, a deficiency of the vitamin is widespread in adults, children, and infants. A decrease in everyday sun exposure and the growing obesity epidemic are both likely to blame for this, according to Kazlauskaite. "At least half of Americans are overweight or obese, and fat traps vitamin D," she explains. "As a result, we are more predisposed to vitamin D deficiency."

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Michael F. Holick, M.D., a professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine, has maintained for years that getting too little vitamin D is worse than getting too much. Although doctors have been taught that vitamin D is toxic in large amounts, he says, vitamin D intoxication is extremely rare and easy to treat.

The levels of vitamin D recommended in the new study are sensible, Holick says. Previous research suggests that pregnant women who get too little vitamin D are more likely to develop life-threatening high blood pressure (preeclampsia) and are also more likely to require a Cesarean section, he says.

"Giving 4,000 IU a day to pregnant women not only doesn't cause toxicity, but may improve birth outcomes," Holick says. "The risks of vitamin D during pregnancy are overblown and the benefits are understated."

Prompted by the recent flood of research on vitamin D deficiency, the Institute of Medicine, an independent organization that advises the U.S. government on health matters, is now considering whether to raise its guidelines for vitamin D intake, including those for pregnant women (200 IU per day) and the maximum safe daily dose (2,000 IU). The new guidelines are expected to be announced this summer.

Hollis predicts that the institute will take a conservative approach. But he hopes that at the very least, "the upper limit is raised from 2,000 IU to something much higher, so it is not an impediment to doing research."

Source : CNN

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Rapper Guru dies after battle with cancer

(News Terupdate) - According to his friend and producer Solar, it was the love of the fans that helped keep rapper Guru going.

"I would read him the e-mails that would come in and play him the voicemails," Solar told CNN. "I really do believe that was part of the reason why he was able to go on as long as he did."

The 43-year-old rapper succumbed to complications from cancer on Monday at Good Samaritan Hospital near New York City, Solar said. There had been an outpouring of support from fans in March when it was reported Guru had a stroke and had been hospitalized.

Solar, a long-time collaborator of the artist, said Guru chose not to go public with the diagnosis of myeloma that was made more than a year ago.

"Guru has been in and out of hospitals since last July," Solar said. "It was his wishes to keep it private. We really thought he would be able to beat it."

Born Keith Elam, the rapper was well-respected in the industry for his rhyme style. He rose to fame in the 1980s as one half of the duo Gang Starr, in which he shared the spotlight with his partner, DJ Premier.

He later broke out and found solo success with his series of "Jazzmatazz" albums, where he combined hip-hop and jazz. His collaborations with jazz greats, including Branford Marsalis and Roy Ayers, helped cement Guru's reputation in the music industry.

Solar released a letter he said Guru had written to fans with instructions that it be distributed at the time of his death.

"As the sole founder of Gang Starr, I am very proud of what Gang Starr has meant to the music world and fans," the letters said. "I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low."

Jackie O. Asare, president and chief executive officer of 4Sight Media Relations, which formerly handled publicity for Guru, released a statement praising the rapper for his artistry.

"We honor Guru for leaving us with music that reaches into higher places, for coloring outside the lines of hip-hop, and recognizing the musical masters who inspired him," she said. "Through Guru's eyes, there was no division between hip-hop and jazz, hip-hop and neosoul, hip-hop and history."

Solar said he is sure Guru would much rather be remembered for his music than the controversy that surrounded him in his last days.

Before his death, there were reports that the producer was keeping Guru's family from visiting and speculation that he was controlling the ill rapper.

In the letter Solar says Guru wrote for his fans, it says: "I do not wish my ex-DJ [DJ Premier] to have anything to do with my name likeness, events, tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ."

Solar said Guru was aware of the strife, which included at one point Guru's nephew, Justin Nicholas-Elam Ruff, posting on YouTube to complain about the family's lack of access to the rapper.

"I had no control over who could see Guru, but there were times he was in [the Critical Care Unit] and he was unable to see people," Solar said. "Any man at that point in their life has a right to decide who he wants around him and who he doesn't."

Solar said that as per the rapper's wishes, Guru will be cremated. There are plans to hold a tribute concert, which he said will bring everyone together, including fans, family and all those who worked with Guru.

The producer said a nonprofit organization, Each One Counts, was set up by Guru. Focused on disadvantaged youth, the nonprofit has been expanded to aid in cancer research.

The rapper would want his legacy to be the music, Solar said.

"We were making music that was experimental and cutting edge at a time when there was a lack of such music out there," Solar said. "He lived life, and he loved all music."

Source : CNN

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How crash diets harm your health

(News Terupdate) - Linda Bacon, Ph.D, dreads swimsuit season, but not because she has anything against the beach.

Instead, the California-based nutritionist fears what the season brings: scores of otherwise health-conscious citizens who subject themselves to deprivation diets (like the Master Cleanse) or intense exercise regimens, often in blazing hot weather, to look slimmer in revealing clothes.

Many unwittingly end up harming their health -- and possibly even their hearts.

"Early June and January are the two times of year people do crazy, desperate things to get thin fast," says Bacon, a nutrition professor at the City College of San Francisco, California, and the author of "Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight."

"They go on fasts, yo-yo diets, detox programs, and 'cleanses' without realizing that there are serious consequences to weight loss and nutrient restriction."

That crash dieting doesn't work and can be dangerous is a message that gets lost in the national clamor over rising rates of overweight and obesity.

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Crash diets may harm your heart

Cardiologist Isadore Rosenfeld, MD, a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, in New York City, and author of the forthcoming "Doctor of the Heart: A Life in Medicine," opposes crash diets (less than 1,200 calories a day) and detox plans like the Master Cleanse.

The Master Cleanse involves consuming a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper -- and nothing else -- for several days.

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He says these very low-calorie regimens are based on the false theory that the body needs help eliminating waste.

Research suggests rapid weight loss can slow your metabolism, leading to future weight gain, and deprive your body of essential nutrients. What's more, crash diets can weaken your immune system and increase your risk of dehydration, heart palpitations, and cardiac stress.

"A crash diet once won't hurt your heart," Dr. Rosenfeld says. "But crash dieting repeatedly increases the risk of heart attacks."

Bacon adds that long-term calorie-cutting can eventually lead to heart muscle loss. "Yo-yo dieting can also damage your blood vessels. All that shrinking and growing causes micro tears that create a setup for atherosclerosis and other types of heart disease," she says.

Chip Stinchfield, a 55-year-old shop owner in New Canaan, Connecticut, has experienced the cardiac effects of dieting firsthand. On the advice of friends, he went on a Master Cleanse for days and exercised vigorously. Another time he ate nothing but cottage cheese, beets, and peanut butter. Both were "quick, easy fixes" that helped him drop up to 10 pounds fast.

But both diets also gave him shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and "the feeling like I was going to have a heart attack."

Under pressure from his family, who thought his dieting might disable or kill him -- like many extreme dieters, Stinchfield kept his doctor in the dark about his radical habits -- he eventually went back to sensible eating.

Beware of fad diets

Experts have known for decades that extended crash diets can be dangerous -- especially when the diets become a fad.

In the late 1970s, an osteopath named Robert Linn published "The Last Chance Diet," a best seller that advocated a miraculous "liquid protein diet." Following the lead of their favorite celebrities, millions of people bought quarts of Dr. Linn's liquid formula and embraced the diet (or one of many copycat versions), averaging just 300 to 400 calories a day.

The diet seemed to work wonders -- some people reported losing as many as 10 pounds a week on the formula. But then the news of sudden deaths began to trickle in.

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An investigation led by the Food and Drug Administration turned up nearly 60 deaths among liquid dieters. Although some of the deaths occurred in people with underlying diseases such as atherosclerosis (and therefore could have been coincidental), government researchers who examined otherwise healthy dieters who died of ventricular arrhythmias found that the pattern of deaths suggested "the effects of protein-calorie malnutrition on the heart," including atrophy of the heart muscle.

Experts have since tried to pinpoint the dangers of crash diets (technically known as "very low calorie" diets). Shortages of potassium, magnesium, and copper have been suggested as possible causes of the arrhythmias seen in crash dieters, and studies have also found that the diets can cause a drop in blood pressure and sodium depletion.

The true extent of the risk posed by crash diets is unclear, however. Much of the research has been conducted in obese people -- a population that can actually benefit from these extreme diets -- and in most studies the health of the participants is carefully monitored.

Experts stress that very-low-calorie diets should only be followed with a doctor's supervision. But crash dieters are more likely to consult their friends than a doctor -- which can get them into trouble.

Brooke Robertson, 23, learned these lessons the hard way. Last spring the Auckland, New Zealand, mom reportedly suffered a minor heart attack after she lost 100 pounds on a diet of Red Bull and the occasional fistful of dry cereal.

Despite the international publicity, Bacon doesn't think desperate dieters will consider Robertson a cautionary tale. "There's absolutely no benefit to fasting or detoxing," she says. "Extreme diets are simply bad for you and they don't work. But every year people engage in magical thinking."

How to lose weight -- safely

If you're overweight, slimming down is critical for your overall health. Even moderate weight loss can lower your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.

But it's important to lose weight safely, which usually means slowly: Most experts recommend dropping just 1 to 2 pounds a week. And despite what some brand-name diets claim, the best way to do so is to exercise regularly and stick to a diet that limits saturated fat and sugars and emphasizes fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, and whole grains.

"The key to losing weight is a combination of diet and exercise," says Dr. Rosenfeld. "One alone will not do it."

Source : CNN

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