Vitamin D supplements are known to reduce the inflammation and swelling associated with sunburn, but a new study from Birmingham University suggests that it may also help with more serious burns.
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The Truth about Vitamin D and Eczema
Another great post from itchylittleworld.com – Natural remedies for eczema to soothe your itchy little world..
Have you ever wondered how important Vitamin D can be for eczema? This week, we take a look at a variety of studies that examine vitamin D and eczema. We’ll also discuss how much of it you may need in order to heal eczema properly and effectively.
Please keep in mind that although these tips and information have worked for several eczema sufferers, I am in no way a medical professional. If you’re experiencing severe eczema or have a topical infection, it is always best to seek medical advice immediately.
If you are not producing enough vitamin D, your immune system can weaken which can cause the skin barrier to break down and the chances for skin infection to increase. It is no wonder why many eczema sufferers’ skin gets worse in the winter. In addition to the dry air created by indoor heaters, it’s possible they’re not getting enough vitamin D.
ILW Recommends: Does your Child’s Eczema Get Worse in the Winter?
For a while now, a common treatment for severe eczema (especially during the winter months) has been to expose skin to ultraviolet light, which essentially stimulates the production of vitamin D in the skin.
However, recently the consumption of vitamin D has shown to be just as effective in treating and healing eczema. In fact, several studies have been conducted to determine the levels of vitamin D present in the skin of those with eczema, as well as the effects of vitamin D in treating eczema.
Studies with Vitamin D and Eczema
Randomized controlled trial using vitamins E and D supplementation in atopic dermatitis
In 2011, a study [1] was conducted to assess the effects of vitamins D and E supplementation in eczema patients. 45 eczema patients were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment where each were treated for 60 days. Separate vitamin D groups and vitamin E groups each saw an improvement in the intensity and amount of eczema around 35%. But together, when 1600 IU of vitamin D3 and 600 IU of vitamin E were given together, patients improved by 64%!!
The study revealed that there were notable effects and benefits in supplementing vitamin D for eczema patients and even more so when given together with vitamin E.
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) treated by 1600 IU of vitamin D
In December 2016 a systematic review [2] was conducted in order to compile results from various past studies on vitamin D and eczema.
They looked at four randomized controlled trials, including the one mentioned just above, and they were able to discover that serum vitamin D levels were generally lower in eczema patients, but especially so in children. And all studies they reviewed indicated that vitamin D helped to improve a patient’s eczema overall.
But How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?
Although many studies have shown that vitamin D can be beneficial in the treatment of eczema, another question might be: how much vitamin D does one need to heal safely and effectively?
Prior to supplementing vitamin D, it’s important to note that in summer conditions or hot weather, it’s possible to generate close to 20,000 units of vitamin D just from exposure to the sun. However, during the winter months, it’s difficult to generate anything close to that amount let alone the recommended dosage.
Vitamin D Dose Recommendations
Generally, 35 IUs of vitamin D per pound of body weight is the recommended average dose.
Check out the chart below for more information:
| Age | Dosage |
| Below 5 | 35 units per pound per day |
| Age 5 – 10 | 2500 units |
| Adults | 4000-8000 units |
| Pregnant Women | 5000-10000 units |
Although these are general recommendations, testing your blood for vitamin D really is the only reliable way to know how much vitamin D you or your little one needs.
ALWAYS speak with your physician before starting any sort of supplementation.
Where to find Vitamin D?
- Vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish and fish oils, as well as small amounts in beef liver, egg yolks and cheese. Not all oils are created equal, so be sure to read about fish oil for eczema to learn about the safest oils.
- Foods fortified with vitamin D like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals.
- Sun, sun, sun…oh and, SUN!
- As available, safe and inexpensive tablets such as these Viva Naturals High Potency Vitamin D3 Jennifer Roberge, our founder and editor, swears by liquid drops and loves this brand for her family. She adds the drops to her kid’s oatmeal and cereal or any breakfast food and it doesn’t change the taste.
Again, if you are vitamin D deficient or think you might have to supplement with higher doses, it’s always best to see your doctor before doing so.
What about probiotics? Learn more in Can Probiotics Help Eczema?
Looking for more answers to the eczema puzzle? Find out more in Jennifer’s post Natural Remedies for Eczema: What Worked For My Son.
What’s your eczema like in the winter? Do you supplement with vitamin D? We want to hear from you in the comments below!
Bio: Laura Dolgy is a contributor and content developer for It’s An Itchy Little World. She is in no way a medical professional. Her comments, suggestions, and reflections are not intended to replace any medical advice. Always seek the help of a medical professional before undertaking any diet or lifestyle changes. Please see It’s An Itchy Little World’s disclaimer for information about affiliate links and more.
Sources:
- Randomized controlled trial using vitamins E and D supplementation in atopic dermatitis.
- Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) treated by 1600 IU of vitamin D
The Truth about Vitamin D and Eczema appeared first on itchylittleworld.com. Come read more about natural remedies for eczema!
Vitamin B3 found in Marmite linked with preventing miscarriages
You may remember a few months ago the much hyped headline which stated that Marmite may be the key to preventing miscarriages and birth defects. Newspapers around the country jumped on the story branding it the new miracle cure. Results from a study by Australian scientists, have apparently shown that Vitamin B3 (found in Marmite) can cure deficiencies which cause miscarriages and birth defects. However, what are the facts, and is this #fakenews?
The researchers examined four families that each had a child with multiple birth defects, and carried out genetic sequencing.
“After discovering gene mutations that affected production of NAD, they looked at similar disease-causing mutations in mice and the effect that increasing vitamin B3 in the diet had on preventing malformations in developing embryos. The researchers studied the effect of vitamin B3 on developing mouse model embryos, with what they called ‘astounding’ results.”
Before the mother began to consume vitamin B3 regularly, the embryos were either lost through miscarriage, or the babies were born with quite severe birth defects. After the supplements were given, both miscarriages and birth defects were completely prevented, with all children born healthy.
This research however is not conclusive, as not all miscarriages and abnormalities occur because of the genetic mutation that reduces vitamin B3. To find out more about the NHS’s view on this story, read their article here.
Vitamin B against Memory Loss and for Healthy Body
According to a study carried out by British researchers on patients related to Alzheimer, taking high doses of Vitamin B in 2 years, the official results has just unveiled that vitamin B can prevent memory loss and even support healthy body. More specifically, the tablets used for researched people, “TrioBe Plus”, contain the high amount of Vitamin and are not available commercially. After the study, the revealed results have proven that Vitamin B can play an essential role in the prevention of memory loss and other brain problems.
Proper digestion
Vitamin B Complex is considered as a vital nutrition for proper digestive function, production of hydrochloric acid and supports in the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In addition, Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6 are also of great importance to digestion. Moreover, lack of vitamin B can result in the dysfunctional digestion and insufficient essential nutrients.
Nutritionists suggest taking Vitamin B as a Complex in daily life
The symptom of dysfunctional digestion
Healthy nervous system
Vitamin B Complex is also good for the proper functioning of the nervous system. As a result, the lack of any of the B complex vitamins will cause anxiety, stress, along with depression.
Depression can be started due to the lack of vitamin B
Vitamin B Complex contributes to the good nervous system
Energy production of the body
Vitamin B1 acts as a necessary part of helping convert the carbohydrates eaten into glucose. Vitamin B2, B3, B5, B6 and Biotin are also vital at the cellular level to effectively transfer glucose to energy. One more thing, the shortage of any of above vitamins may lead to the reduced energy production, lethargy, as well as fatigue.
Vitamin B which can be found in lots of fruits and food in the market helps reduce stress and enhance a healthy life
Healthy hair, skin and nails
The skin, hair and nail continuously develop, and the body requires Vitamin B Complex to assure the health of such above growing cells. Consequently, the inadequacy are able to be blamed for such problems as dry skin, dermatitis, wrinkles, rashes, acne, hair loss, along with weak nails.
Biotin can help support healthy hair, skin and nails
Wrinkles are a by-product of the aging process
Related links:
Vitamin B
VitaminB -12 – Cobalamin
VitaminB Complex Deficiency
Louis Brown lives in California, where he enjoys writing articles on a variety of subjects, especially lifestyle. By trade, he is a user interface designer.
Related Atopic Dermatitis Articles
All about Vitamin B Complex
At first, everybody thought that vitamin B complex is a single vitamin. But due to various studies, researchers were able to find out that each of these vitamins is chemically distinct. It is very important to take enough amounts of these vitamins and various diseases may arise if you lack in any of it.
To start with, here’s a list of the 8 B vitamins: Vitamin B1 or thiamine, Vitamin B2 or riboflavin, Vitamin B3 or niacin or niacinamide or vitamin PP, Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 pyridoxine hydrochloride or pyridoxamine, Vitamin B7 or biotin, Vitamin B9 or folic acid and last but not least, Vitamin B12 also known as Cobalamins. All of these vitamins are water-soluble and are often dispersed throughout the body.
B vitamins can help increase the body’s metabolic rate and enhance a person’s immune system. These vitamins can also help maintain the function of the nervous system. They can also leave people with healthy looking skin and better muscle tone.
Vitamin B complex can also help the cells to grow and divide, particularly the red blood cells. Thus, it can help prevent anemia. But aside from preventing anemia, B vitamins can also prevent pancreatic cancer from developing.
Now, if you lack in vitamin B, you have higher tendencies to develop diseases like microcytic anemia, heart failure, edema, high blood pressure, Korsakoff’s syndrome, acne and parathesia.
Deficiencies in these vitamins may also result into condition such as ariboflavinosis, pellagra, depression, beriberi, dermatitis, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, water retention and elevated levels of homocysteine peripheral neuropathy, memory loss and other cognitive deficits.
To make sure that you get enough vitamin B complex, you need to eat mushrooms, lettuce, potatoes, broccoli, turnips, asparagus, okra, chard, sunflower seeds, beans and peas. You may also include chicken, pork and beef, especially the heart, kidney and liver in your diet, because they are known to be abundant in vitamin B.
Don’t overload yourself with vitamin B though. Large intake of vitamin B complex can also result into different problems anaphylaxis, nausea, rashes, vomiting, glucose intolerance, ocular effects, headaches, etc. Fortunately, if your intake of vitamin B complex is excessive you will usually excrete these vitamins through urine.
But to make sure that you excrete excess vitamin B complex, you can try exercising or meditating. Both of these methods are able to help regulate the B vitamins in your system and make sure that they are well-distributed to your whole body. If you’d like to know more about simple guided meditation, you may visit www.meditate.com.au/blog or www.meditate.com.au.
The author is a health care specialist that deals studies on the subject of alternative medicine.
Related Atopic Dermatitis Articles
Let the sun shine into your life with the vital vitamin D
After I broke my shoulder in an accident three years ago, my GP suggested a DEXA scan to measure bone density for osteoporosis. I was not surprised, at the age of 70 and more than 20 years after suffering from ulcerative colitis (an auto-immune disease), to be found positive. Evidently, other common conditions tied to osteoporosis are diabetes, breast cancer and Crohn’s Disease, among others.
By chance, a few days after my scan, I read an article by Oliver Gillie, a renowned writer and scientist, about vitamin D deficiency and how it could prevent “modern” diseases such as Crohn’s and UC. I decided to find out more.
As far as I can understand, two of the hallmarks of thinning of the bones are lack of calcium and particularly of vitamin D. But apart from normal growth and strengthening bones and teeth, vitamin D is also essential for improving the health of your intestines. It reduces inflammation, protects the lining and prevents harmful bacteria from entering the blood stream. Vitamin D deficiency is routinely found in patients with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) as UC blocks its absorption.
Since the 1930s, and especially in the last 20 years, Crohn’s and UC have been increasingly recorded in developed countries. So far, 18 auto-immune diseases (including 11 identified in a study published in BMC Medicine, Oxford, in 2013) have been associated with low levels of this key vitamin. **
Public Health England has recently published data that pointed out that more than one in five people has below the accepted levels of vitamin D. According to Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, in her report of 2013, as many as 40% of young children are vitamin D deficient. She is “profoundly ashamed” to see the return of rickets in children, blamed on low levels of this vitamin. During World War II the government prescribed cod liver oil, one of the natural sources of vitamin D to all children. Since then, free supplies have gradually been restricted to a small percentage of pregnant and breast-feeding women and under-fives who are on state benefits. Mr Gillie believes that a great advance could be made by providing all pregnant women and babies with free vitamin D supplements.
I was interested to learn that vitamin D takes two to three months to get into general circulation of the body. So babies born in October/November have a higher level during the final months in the womb. As a March baby, after the English winter, I was more at risk.
So how do you get vitamin D into your body? Diet provides only 5-10% of our needs. The remainder comes from exposure to the sun – but advice from the cancer charities in particular has made us worried about sunbathing. Over the last few years reduced exposure to UVB rays (the part of sunlight that promotes vitamin D) together with a more indoor lifestyle has lowered people’s levels. The National Osteoporosis Society maintains that 15 to 20 minutes of sunlight per day on the face and arms during the summer months enables the body to store enough vitamin D to last the rest of the year. Recent guidelines suggest up to 20 minutes around midday, wearing little clothing and no sun screen, is the way to go. After all, it is sunburn itself that is dangerous.
If you can’t get out in the sun (or, typically, if the weather is too bad) vitamin D supplements can raise your levels and reduce symptoms of IBD. Mr Gillie has written about clinical trials that show that patients with Crohn’s Disease may do better or have fewer relapses when they take vitamin D supplements, so long as the condition is not too advanced. Another study at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, described in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Disease in 2013, demonstrated that the risk of surgery was reduced in Crohn’s patients who took a supplement that increased their blood level to normal.
I had always thought of vitamin D as just the sunshine vitamin that helped bones and teeth. Now I know that its impact and effectiveness is much, much more. Have you had your sunshine ration today?
** Other auto-immune diseases that can be affected by inadequate levels of vitamin D include food Allergies, Asthma, Autism, some types of Cancer, type 1 Diabetes, Lupus, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Schizophrenia.
The article by Sandy originally appeared in the IA Journal (The Ileostomy & Internal Pouch Support Group) Issue 225 Autumn 2014.
Vitamin D advice must weigh benefits, risks
In counseling patients, one must consider certain patient characteristics
Modern medicine – American Academy of Dermatology
Should you take Vitamin D to combat colds and flu?
Yesterday (16 February 2017) it was widely reported on TV, in newspapers and across the Internet that taking Vitamin D could significantly reduce the incidence of colds and flu amongst the general population. In fact, some newsrooms went as far as to report that Vitamin D should be added to foods such as cereals and bread. But is there any substance in the story?
It appears that the story is based on an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on 15 February 2017 entitled “Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data”. The main objective of the review was designed to assess the overall effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of acute respiratory tract infection. It was not a review to specifically ascertain whether or not Vitamin D should be added to everyday foods, although the analysis following the research suggests that daily or weekly vitamin D supplementation was useful in preventing respiratory tract infections. The researchers also concluded that these results add to the body of evidence that fortifying widely eaten foods, such as bread and cereals, with Vitamin D would improve public health.
You can read more about the story behind the headlines on the NHS Choices website here.
Do you take Vitamin D supplements either purchasing over-the-counter or prescribed by your GP? Do you think taking them has helped to keep you cold and flu-free? We’d love you to tell us in the comments box below.
Vitamin C Skin Care The Challenge
Vitamin C is often regarded as a wrinkle fighter or an anti-aging agent. The main objective of Vitamin C skin care, in scientific terms, is to increase the synthesis of collagen (a structural protein that is found in skin). The additional benefit of Vitamin C skin care is related to its capability of countering free radicals which cause damage to the skin.
Vitamin C skin care, however, faces a major challenge today. This is related to the oxidation tendency of Vitamin C skin care products. On coming in contact with any oxidising agent (e.g. air), the Vitamin C in the Vitamin C skin care products, gets oxidised; thus making the Vitamin C skin care product useless (in fact counter-effective). The oxidised Vitamin C imparts a yellowish-brown colour to the Vitamin C skin care product. This is something that you need to check before buying a Vitamin C skin care product. Even after you buy a Vitamin C skin care product, you need to store it properly and keep checking that its still good to use (i.e. it hasnt attained a yellowish-brown texture).
The manufacturers of Vitamin C skin care products have tried to deal with this (oxidation) problem in multiple ways (and research on Vitamin C skin care products is on the top of their list). One such method of retaining effectiveness of Vitamin C skin care products for a long term is to keep a high concentration (say 10%) of Vitamin C. However, this makes the Vitamin C skin care products even more expensive. The Vitamin C skin care products are already pretty inexpensive and making them even more expensive will throw the product manufacturers out of business. The other way is to use Vitamin C derivatives (like ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate). These are not only more stable but also inexpensive. Even though the derivatives based products are not as effective as the Vitamin C skin care products, their stability against oxidation is a very desirable feature that makes them very attractive. Moreover, these are known to be less irritating too.
Talking of effectiveness of Vitamin C skin care products, its important to mention that not everyone responds to Vitamin C treatments. So its not a magic potion in any way. If you dont see a noticeable difference in your skin, it might be because of your skin not responding to Vitamin C treatment (and the Vitamin C skin care products might not be at fault, at all).
As more research goes on, one can only keep our fingers crossed and wait for a complete solution to the challenges faced by Vitamin C skin care today.
Vitamin E Ecream Helps Prevent Eczema
A vitamin E ecream is a very powerful eczema natural treatment that can help anyone with eczema in preventing their condition from recurring. Although vitamin E ecream indirectly does this, what is important is that it does lead up to the prevention of eczema. During the process of preventing eczema, an ecream user will also enjoy the additional perk of having healthier and younger skin.
By now, it will have been clear to you that an ecream is a cream that contains adequate amounts of vitamin E to nourish the skin. Unlike a vitamin E supplement which has to be taken by mouth, an ecream can be conveniently inserted into your daily skin care routines. The vitamin E that it contains will then be absorbed through the skin just minutes after application and from there, the skin can benefit from vitamin E’s three main roles which are namely anti-aging, anti-oxidation, and sun protection.
The Ecream Keeps Your Skin At Its Best Condition:
A vitamin E ecream keeps your skin at its best condition by slowing down the skin’s natural aging process. The skin is one part of the body which easily ages because it is constantly exposed to many environmental factors. Skin aging is also very obvious as the skin tends to sag and become dry as one ages. Luckily for everyone, vitamin E is a natural when it comes to slowing down this skin aging process. It is important that you start using an ecream as early as possible though because vitamin E doesn’t have the ability to reverse skin aging. It only delays.
The Ecream Protects Your Skin From Damage:
The human skin is like a shock absorber. It takes in all the pollution, the damaging rays of the sun, and all the damaging things that our bodies get exposed to such as harsh chemicals, detergents, and the like. But as part of our bodies, it is only natural that all these damaging effects take its toll on the skin by causing it to be dry, to age more quickly, and to be unhealthy in general. However, an ecream can help protect the skin from these damaging environmental factors by improving skin health. Since it consists mainly of vitamin E and a combination of tocopherols and tocotrienols, it somehow helps the skin become more resistant to damage which can be referred to as oxidation in general.
An Ecream Provides Sun Protection:
The heat of the sun is both healthy and bad for the skin. If you expose your skin late in the morning throughout the whole afternoon, it will not only dry up your skin but will also deteriorate its health and cause it to age more quickly than normal. The vitamin E found in ecream acts like a lotion with sun proof by protecting it from the sun. This is a more specific function of vitamin E on the skin compared to its general role in protecting the skin from all sorts of damage.
How An Ecream Prevents Eczema:
An ecream primarily prevents eczema by maintaining its tiptop youthful state. As earlier mentioned, skin is a part of the body that quickly grows old and becomes less healthy and less resistant to damaging forces in the long run. Skin that’s not in good shape is logically more prone to developing an irritation when exposed to a skin irritant. But given that an ecream prevents all these by maintaining the skin’s youth and keeping it from aging all too quickly, eczema can also therefore be prevented.
It was also earlier discussed that an ecream protects the skin from damage. Safe to say, an ecream strengthens the skin’s build against anything that might get in the way of its integrity and health. Therefore, by fortifying the skin’s health and making it more resistant to the damage that can be inflicted by the sun’s heat or anything that the skin may come in contact with, one is less prone to developing an eczema rash.
Charles Perkins is a skin care expert. For more information related to ecream, visit http://www.GoodbyeEczema.com/Ecream/