Nanny State Strikes Again - Vitamin D
Discussion
I have been taking a vitamin D supplement since the start of this pandemic. There is some evidence it can help the body fight infections. I looked on it as a one way bet. Taking a sensible dose wouldn't do any harm and may well do some good. The one I take costs around 2p per day.
On June 3rd the Scottish govt issued advice that "that everyone, including children, “should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D”. Fine, better late than never. Might have been better advising this in March. But anyway, no sooner as this advice issued than the usual suspects are wanting the govt to supply it "free". Some doctors are also wanting to prescribe it.
So rather than issue advice for people to take Vit D and let them get on with it they want the govt to step in for something that costs pennies a day.Why not fruit and veg on prescription then?
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18521442.coron...
A GP I know who works in a deprived are of Glasgow said years ago that he was convinced vitamin D deficiency was one of the reasons for Glasgow's poor health. His answer when he discussed diet/lifestyle with patients was to tell them to eat a can of sardines every week at £0.40.
I sometimes read the blog of Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a GP with some unconventional ideas. He blogged back in April about the benefits of vitamin D.
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2020/04/28/covid-upd...
He was right in the money on the Covid care home scandal as well, back in mid April. Well ahead of the media
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2020/04/17/care-home...
On June 3rd the Scottish govt issued advice that "that everyone, including children, “should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D”. Fine, better late than never. Might have been better advising this in March. But anyway, no sooner as this advice issued than the usual suspects are wanting the govt to supply it "free". Some doctors are also wanting to prescribe it.
So rather than issue advice for people to take Vit D and let them get on with it they want the govt to step in for something that costs pennies a day.Why not fruit and veg on prescription then?
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18521442.coron...
A GP I know who works in a deprived are of Glasgow said years ago that he was convinced vitamin D deficiency was one of the reasons for Glasgow's poor health. His answer when he discussed diet/lifestyle with patients was to tell them to eat a can of sardines every week at £0.40.
I sometimes read the blog of Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a GP with some unconventional ideas. He blogged back in April about the benefits of vitamin D.
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2020/04/28/covid-upd...
He was right in the money on the Covid care home scandal as well, back in mid April. Well ahead of the media
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2020/04/17/care-home...
I stand corrected.
A bit of googling shows it has been the advice on the Scotish govt website since April. though not well publicised. I probably follow the news more than the average person and hadn't seen anything from the govt on it.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18367974.scottis...
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18377224.scottis...
A bit of googling shows it has been the advice on the Scotish govt website since April. though not well publicised. I probably follow the news more than the average person and hadn't seen anything from the govt on it.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18367974.scottis...
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18377224.scottis...
Saw Dr John Campbell cover this in one of his daily YouTube broadcasts, and also saying it was probably the main reason people with dark skin suffer more from the virus as apparently they produce less vitamin D.
He wondered why the reports into the disparity in death rates of BAME people did not mention Vitamin D but majored on social inequality instead.
He wondered why the reports into the disparity in death rates of BAME people did not mention Vitamin D but majored on social inequality instead.
rxe said:
Go outside in the sun, ideally walk around in shorts. Your body will make it. Might be harder in Scotland, but just exposing your face and arms to the sun is enough.
I’m not sure if that was aimed at me?If it was I’m always in shorts and T-shirt when the sun is out, even sometimes when the sun’s not that out! Walk every day with the dog.
Other conditions can deplete your Vit D. I wasn’t even aware I had zero Vit D until I had blood tests for something unrelated.
rxe said:
Go outside in the sun, ideally walk around in shorts. Your body will make it. Might be harder in Scotland, but just exposing your face and arms to the sun is enough.
Not in the slightest - just at the general discussion. If you have a condition that means you need to take it, crack on! Most people don’t need to take it - just go outside.rxe said:
Not in the slightest - just at the general discussion. If you have a condition that means you need to take it, crack on! Most people don’t need to take it - just go outside.
"In the UK, sunlight doesn't contain enough UVB radiation in winter (October to early March) for our skin to be able to make vitamin D.During these months, we rely on getting our vitamin D from food sources (including fortified foods) and supplements."
rxe said:
Go outside in the sun, ideally walk around in shorts. Your body will make it. Might be harder in Scotland, but just exposing your face and arms to the sun is enough.
A small problem with that.There is no sun in Scotland, plus the midgies and cleggs are probably why nobody up there wears a kilt.
steveatesh said:
Saw Dr John Campbell cover this in one of his daily YouTube broadcasts, and also saying it was probably the main reason people with dark skin suffer more from the virus as apparently they produce less vitamin D.
He wondered why the reports into the disparity in death rates of BAME people did not mention Vitamin D but majored on social inequality instead.
Our media is the answer to that last point and no doubt fears of accusations of racism for pointing out basic biological facts.He wondered why the reports into the disparity in death rates of BAME people did not mention Vitamin D but majored on social inequality instead.
Looking back, with eagle eyed hindsight, a public information campaign in early March to make sure people were getting enough Vitamin D, either through diet or dietary supplements, would have saved many lives.
skyrover said:
rxe said:
Go outside in the sun, ideally walk around in shorts. Your body will make it. Might be harder in Scotland, but just exposing your face and arms to the sun is enough.
A small problem with that.There is no sun in Scotland, plus the midgies and cleggs are probably why nobody up there wears a kilt.
Magog said:
Makes you wonder why the police were so keen on moving on anyone who stopped to sit down, or god forbid dared to sunbathe in March/April when the sun was out. Councils shutting parks in the poorest and most deprived areas etc...
Because many of the lockdown measures had no basis in public health and were just there to be seen to be doing something.Some of them actually increased chances of serious illness or death.
Government has now ordered a review, Scientific Advisory Committe on Nutrition to look at the evidence, while National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is doing it's own review.
To some extent it beggars belief, until quite recently Public Health England and Department for Health and Social Care have been saying there is no evidence. It's suggested that thus is simply because there has been no double blind study on effectiveness of Vitamin D on Covid-19, which would need it's suggested a challenge test which clearly isn't going to be done. Certainly a review of blood samples from infected patients could be done.
Yet only yesterday PHE were pointing fingers that the poorer outcomes for BAME patients is due to racism and social inequality. It may be a factor for some, just like poor lifestyle and diet for fat blokes.
All around the world there are experienced medics who have never seen anything like this before, there's so much medically we still don't know. It may be that Vit D is not as important as we think, but UK lagging on this issue, criticism is due.
To some extent it beggars belief, until quite recently Public Health England and Department for Health and Social Care have been saying there is no evidence. It's suggested that thus is simply because there has been no double blind study on effectiveness of Vitamin D on Covid-19, which would need it's suggested a challenge test which clearly isn't going to be done. Certainly a review of blood samples from infected patients could be done.
Yet only yesterday PHE were pointing fingers that the poorer outcomes for BAME patients is due to racism and social inequality. It may be a factor for some, just like poor lifestyle and diet for fat blokes.
All around the world there are experienced medics who have never seen anything like this before, there's so much medically we still don't know. It may be that Vit D is not as important as we think, but UK lagging on this issue, criticism is due.
FiF said:
Government has now ordered a review, Scientific Advisory Committe on Nutrition to look at the evidence, while National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is doing it's own review.
To some extent it beggars belief, until quite recently Public Health England and Department for Health and Social Care have been saying there is no evidence. It's suggested that thus is simply because there has been no double blind study on effectiveness of Vitamin D on Covid-19, which would need it's suggested a challenge test which clearly isn't going to be done. Certainly a review of blood samples from infected patients could be done.
Yet only yesterday PHE were pointing fingers that the poorer outcomes for BAME patients is due to racism and social inequality. It may be a factor for some, just like poor lifestyle and diet for fat blokes.
All around the world there are experienced medics who have never seen anything like this before, there's so much medically we still don't know. It may be that Vit D is not as important as we think, but UK lagging on this issue, criticism is due.
If PHE are ignoring basic medical evidence in order to conform to political and media sentiment then it will be yet another failure by that body since this pandemic began. Also, as with their other failures, it has the potential to cost lives. To some extent it beggars belief, until quite recently Public Health England and Department for Health and Social Care have been saying there is no evidence. It's suggested that thus is simply because there has been no double blind study on effectiveness of Vitamin D on Covid-19, which would need it's suggested a challenge test which clearly isn't going to be done. Certainly a review of blood samples from infected patients could be done.
Yet only yesterday PHE were pointing fingers that the poorer outcomes for BAME patients is due to racism and social inequality. It may be a factor for some, just like poor lifestyle and diet for fat blokes.
All around the world there are experienced medics who have never seen anything like this before, there's so much medically we still don't know. It may be that Vit D is not as important as we think, but UK lagging on this issue, criticism is due.
sambucket said:
skyrover said:
A small problem with that.
There is no sun in Scotland, plus the midgies and cleggs are probably why nobody up there wears a kilt.
Average annual sunshine hours There is no sun in Scotland, plus the midgies and cleggs are probably why nobody up there wears a kilt.
London 1481
Edinburgh 1390
England is just as crap.
As mentioned vit d supplement has been guidance for years.
The further north you are, the less effective each hour of sunshine is due to the angle of the UV to the ground and distance it has to travel through the atmosphere.
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