Unit 4: Chapter 10 Questions

Chapter 10

Vitamins, Water & Minerals

I spend most of my time indoors, whether at home, at work or at school.  I realize that Vitamin D comes from direct contact with sunlight.  I don't get that much direct contact, and the time that I do get under the sun usually only involves my hands or face, because it's getting cold out.  So how can I know whether I'm getting enough Vitamin D or not?

I learned a few things in my research.

• Eat Fortified Foods. A lot of foods are fortified with Vitamin D.  This is good news for the house mouse.  Vitamin D deficiency doesn't look pretty (think hair loss).  One cup of almond milk contains 25% of the RDA.  
• Examine Hair.  I have very thick hair and I don't lose much of it at a time.  This is a good sign.  Hair loss is associated with vitamin D deficiency.
• Get Blood Tests. There are blood tests that check on the levels of vitamin D in the body. "The most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body is the 25 hydroxy vitamin D blood test." (https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/vitamin-d-deficiency)
• Carefully Choose Food Sources. Cod liver oil is one of the best sources of vitamin D.  It can provide a whopping 75% of the RDI.  Other sources include salmon, tuna and oysters.
• Supplement as Needed.  It's always best to get nutrition from food, but in some cases a supplement may be necessary.  It is important to regularly check blood levels of vitamin D though to avoid vitamin D toxicity.  Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means it is often stored in the body instead of excreted.  

If I'm not getting enough Vitamin D, what are the easiest, simplest changes I can make to fix this problem?

This might gross a lot of people out, but dosing with cod liver oil may a short term fix.  Consider that milk contains added Vitamin D.  If a person consumes two cups of milk per day (at 25% RDA each), and then supplements that with cod liver oil, it wouldn't be difficult to get the recommended amount.  

A less-gross method would be just to add more seafood to the diet or lying out in the sun for 15 minutes several times a week.

A lack of B vitamins is linked to dementia.  Does this mean people aren't getting enough Vitamin B throughout life and then developing dementia, or does it mean old people don't absorb B vitamins as well as young people and that is why they develop dementia?

People over the age of 60 can develop gastrointestinal issues that prevent the proper absorption of B vitamins, especially B12.  A study was done on patients suffering dementia by treating them with Vitamin B12.  The group broke into two distinct sections.  One section improved with treatment and the other (which had a distinct set of symptoms from the other group) got worse even though they had normal levels of B12.  This shows there is evidence that certain kinds of dementia may be reversible to some extent with B12 treatment.  

Resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15681626

A lack of vitamin A can lead to blindness.  If I wear glasses, does this mean I'm deficient?

Not necessarily. I didn't find a link to Vitamin A, but I did find an article suggesting that low levels of Vitamin D and lack of full-spectrum light exposure may have an impact on eye-health and may be linked to nearsightedness.  This is only speculation because the benefit may come from being outdoors away from screens and bookwork, rather than the exposure to light and Vitamin D.  A study showed that children who spent more time playing outdoors, rather than doing indoor activities, had better eyesight overall.  

Sources: 

• https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/11/07/nearsightedness.aspx
• https://nei.nih.gov/health/errors/myopia

I prefer the taste of distilled water.  Will I be mineral deficient if I choose not to drink mineral-rich sources of water?

This shouldn't be a problem.  While it is true that distillation removes mineral from water, if a person eats a variety of healthy foods, deficiency shouldn't be an issue.  This is because those other food sources provide the minerals to balance the water intake and this prevents the body from becoming "washed out," so to speak.  

The source states that in some "extreme cases" a person can become acidotic if an excess of distilled water is consumed without balancing it out by eating healthy food sources.  This is partly because distilled water is slightly acidic.  

Personally, I'd be more worried about pH balances than mineral deficiencies in this particular case because a pH imbalance can be deadly if not addressed.  

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317698.php