Michael Rosenthal

(10/2022) Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient best known for its role in bone development and maintenance. Other functions of Vitamin D include the reduction of inflammation and in modulating neuromuscular and immune function. It is found in two forms: D3, which is synthesized from sunlight and is naturally found in a few foods, particular in fatty fish. The other form is D2, found in dietary supplements and fortified foods, such as milk, cereal, and orange juice. The success in receiving the proper amount of Vitamin D from sunlight and foods such as from fatty fish, is dependent on life style and on intake from Vitamin D fortified foods such as milk, cereals, and orange juice. For those individuals who need to guarantee a source of Vitamin D, a supplement is available, and can be recommended by your physician. That is the case with me. I take a daily Vitamin D supplement with a meal, as recommended by my physician. It has no ill effects and is modest in price.

The amount of Vitamin D that is taken is something to be determined by your physician. The status is dependent upon the 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in the blood, something obviously determinable by laboratory blood analysis. The desirable amount of Vitamin D depends upon age and certain specific medical conditions. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in older adults and those individual who are seriously overweight and/or suffer from Hypertension.

Vitamin D is recommended as a result of research specifically for cancer, obesity, autoimmune diseases, cognitive health, and osteoporosis. Research is taking place to determine whether vitamin D is desirable or safe for adults with COVID-19. Not surprisingly, the advent of COVID-19 has made it necessary to reexamine the use of certain medications.

Vitamin D is generally safe in appropriate doses, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU per day for adults. The toxicity from a supplement, not found from diet or sun exposure, can result in nausea, vomiting, weakness, and could lead to pain and kidney problems. The main side effect from Vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in the blood which can lead to nausea, vomiting, weakness, and could also lead to bone pain and kidney problems. Vitamin D may interact with other medication, including corticosteroids, weight loss, cholesterol lowering, or seizure prevention medication. As a scientist, this fact supports my belief that one should seek out a board certified physician for consultancy when making such medication decisions.

In my college teaching career I served as health professions advisor for many years. One of the things I learned is that a physician should be cautious in making medication and treatment decisions. The ability to make sensitive decisions based on subtle aspects of medically knowing the patient is a very important quality. I looked for this quality in the students I recommended to medical school. I believe they need to be more than just students with good classroom grades!

Much of the information above is from the newsletter Environmental Nutrition, which I have previously recommended. I remain very impressed by the content of this newsletter, and I encourage the readers of my column to enter a subscription.

The same issue of Environmental Nutrition has an interesting article on Restaurant Breakfasts. I think it is generally human nature to eat a breakfast, especially if included in your overnight package, after staying overnight in a hotel without giving a great deal of consideration to the healthiness or lack of healthiness of what you order. I admit never to thinking about the healthiness of a breakfast that come with the room cost at a nice hotel, but here are some things to consider. Often they load your food with saturated fat and calories. There is good stuff to like oats and whole grain toast, which are good sources of heart-healthy fiber and B-vitamins. Bone-building high calcium foods and drinks include Greek yogurt parfaits and dairy-based smoothies. Look for fruit options.

Here are some "helpful hints" mentioned in the article. Limit meat intake, as meats tend to be high in sodium and saturated fat. Carbs and proteins provide an energizing start to your day. The carbs provide energy and the protein offers longer lasting benefit. Be sure to consider the amount of butter and syrup you add to the courses. Other hints mentioned in the article include limiting meats, be sure to include the carbs and proteins, and watch out for the bottles and things like butter on the table. Mother Nature doesn’t give you anything calorie free!

What is really fun in this issue is a list of some 39 specific meals at breakfast-serving restaurants with total calories, total fat, saturated fat, carbs, sodium, fiber, total sugar, added sugar and protein listed.

The highest calorie breakfast is Denny’s Grand Slamwich with Hash Browns at 1320 calories. McDonald’s Egg McMuffin is only 300 calories and a piece of Dunkin Donuts avocado toast is only 240 calories. I think this newsletter is worth a subscription just for this table. Also noted in the table are 8 items that Environmental Nutrition has picked as especially healthy. They are from Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, McDonald’s, Panera, and Perkins. So the same restaurants offer both healthy and unhealthy (and sometime outrageous!) breakfasts.

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So much talk goes back and forth on sweeteners, including a period some years ago in which it was suggested that they were dangerous, even causing cancer. I always suspected that the sugar industry was behind it, trying to steer people back to using sugar. Aside from conspiracy theories, the September 2022 issue of Environmental Nutrition does a review of non-nutritive sweeteners, and as I’ve said, I have faith in their reports. Here’s what they say.

• Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace-K is more than 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is used with other non-nutritive sweeteners, and is found in sugar-free sodas, yogurt, candy, baked goods, and chewing gum.
• Advantame is 20,000 times sweeter than sugar, but is newly approved and not yet commonly used.
• Aspartame (Equal or Nutrasweet) is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is widely used in low-calories and sugar-free foods and beverages,
• Luo Han Guo also known as Monk Fruit in the Raw, is made from crushed monk fruit and is 10 to 250 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used in China for nearly 1000 years!
• Neotame is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar and is less commonly used in low-calories foods and beverages compared to other sweeteners.
• Saccharin was discovered in 1878, is 200-700 times sweeter than sugar, and is the first artificial sweetener. (I remember my father using it when I was growing up!)
• Stevia is made from the leaves of the stevia plant, is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, and is used in a variety of foods and beverages, often in combination with other non-nutritive sweeteners,
• Sucralose, marketed as Splenda or Equal Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar, and is used in low-calorie foods and beverages and as a sugar replacement in baking and cooking.

I really think a subscription to Environmental Nutrition is money well spent!

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