With Winter Here, Many Kids Could Use Vitamin D Supplements

KATHERINE HOBSON

My 3-year-old drinks milk, but not very much of it, and that could be a problem for her.

We live in the Northeast, where the sun's rays are weaker. And now that the days are shorter, my kid arrives at day care a few hours after sunrise and leaves when it's dark. That all made me wonder whether she's getting enough vitamin D, and if not, what we should be doing about it.

Why should I, or anyone else, care about vitamin D? It's essential to building strong bones during childhood and adolescence. Children who are extremely low in the nutrient can develop rickets, which is characterized by soft, weak bones. Some research has tied low levels of vitamin D in active teen girls with higher rates of stress fractures. There have been a host of studies associating low vitamin D levels with other chronic diseases and ailments, but the Institute of Medicine, or IOM, says there's no direct evidence that low levels cause those problems.

It turns out that given my daughter's demographics, there's a good chance she's low on D. She hasn't been tested. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force last year recommended against routinely screening everyone for vitamin D deficiency, saying there isn't enough evidence to assess the benefits and harms. But there are some data to suggest that a significant percentage of children aren't meeting the floor of 20 nanograms of 25-hydroxyvitamin D per milliliter of blood serum that the IOM says is sufficient for most people to maintain bone health. Some medical groups argue for a higher bar of 30 ng/mL.

A study published in 2008 looked at infants and toddlers visiting a primary care clinic in Boston. Of the 380 kids studied, 12 percent had levels below 20 ng/mL, and 40 percent below 30 ng/mL. Research has shown that an even greater percentage of teens are deficient in vitamin D. That's likely because they drink less milk and spend less time playing outside than younger kids, says Deborah Mitchell, a pediatric endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

To maintain sufficient vitamin D levels in the blood, the IOM recommends taking in 400 international units, or IU, of vitamin D per day in the first 12 months of life and 600 IU for older kids. (The American Academy of Pediatrics supports those recommendations.)

But it can be hard to get that much D through diet alone. The vitamin occurs naturally in salmon, mackerel, sardines and shiitake mushrooms, none of which is high on my child's list of favorites. Fortified foods like milk, some yogurts, cheese, some cereals and orange juice are available, but still may not be enough. Each cup of fortified milk or orange juice, for example, contains 100 IU of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin. Indeed, on a clear day between the months of May and October, about five minutes of daily exposure is enough to spur lighter-skinned kids into making enough of the nutrient. Kids with darker skin tones need more sun exposure.

But most parents are told to slather their children in sunscreen every time they leave the house in order to prevent future skin cancers. And even if you do let your kid get a bit more sunshine, during the winter in the northern latitudes, it's not enough. "You could be naked all day in Minnesota or Seattle and you'd make no vitamin D. The sun is just too low in the sky," says Frank Greer, professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and former chair of the AAP committee on nutrition.

Given all that, "it's probably not a bad idea for anyone, realistically," to take vitamin D supplements, says Mitchell. That doesn't mean that more is always better. The IOM's recommended upper limit of D consumption for children ranges from 1,000 IU for infants to 4,000 IU for teenagers and adults.

Children's multivitamins contain vitamin D, so if your kid or teen doesn't have any special health problems that prevent nutrient absorption and is already chomping a daily Flintstones, he's set. If you'd prefer to get a standalone vitamin D kid's supplement, it may be harder to find on drugstore shelves, but I found liquid, chewable and gummy options online.

Does vitamin D deficiency cause hair loss?

Mary Frances

Seeing your hair strands falling off on your shoulders or sticking to your soapy hands while bathing could be a loathsome sight for you. While losing close to 100 of those everyday is reckoned to be normal, you might have to perform a closer inspection of your diet, or your nutrient deficiencies for that matter.

A recent study just made news by exposing a potential connection between hair loss and vitamin D deficiency. Let’s dig deeper into the connection.

“This is the first time vitamin D’s possible role in hair loss has been highlighted,” stated a dermatologist from Cairo University, Rania Mounir Abdel Hay.

Why is there a widespread vitamin D deficiency in America?

Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, plays its part in warding off serious conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease and deserves its reputation of being vital for human health. But how is it produced? Well, as the name suggests, when the sun shines on you, it converts a chemical located in your skin into a form which is further transformed into active vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin. A big reason for vitamin D deficiency being so prevalent throughout the U.S. is not getting enough sunlight as “under-the-office-roof” jobs have taken over the modern society.

Important information about hair loss

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the root causes of hair loss. However, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, androgenetic alopecia, aka male/female-pattern baldness or simply hereditary hair loss, accounts for the recurrent cause affecting almost 80 million Americans today. While low-protein diets, poor nutrition, stress, and genetics could be blamed for seeing hair strands stuck in your hairbrush, underlying problems or diseases like lupus, thyroid abnormality, and diabetes are major culprits.

Read between the lines: Vitamin D deficiency linked to hair loss

A 2013 study published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology concluded a possible connection between types of hair loss and low levels of vitamin D coupled with low levels of ferritin. The study, which examined 80 female participants, had particularly unveiled telogen effluvium (TE), which is caused due to excessive hair shedding and female-pattern hair loss type and their relationship with serum levels of vitamin D and ferritin.

Hay explained the significance of vitamin D for hair growth. “It might regulate the expression of genes that promote normal hair follicle growth.” In addition, the effect of low iron levels inhibiting an important enzyme also explains how both nutrients could affect the health of your hair.

Vitamin D supplements could be alternative treatments

While clinical researches have been loud in announcing the potential link between hair loss and vitamin D deficiency, this does not present a cemented proof for direct cause and effect relationship. We need to understand that science is still making its way through the mystery of hair loss.

Vitamin D supplementation could be used as a treatment for reducing vitamin D deficiency symptoms for those who do not get themselves enough regular sunlight and lack a sufficient dietary vitamin D portion through fortified foods. Having said that, one should be cautioned about the excessive intake of these supplements as it may bring dreadful effects on the body such as abnormal heart rhythms, nausea, constipation, and mental confusion.

9 Sneaky Hair Loss Culprits

9 Sneaky Hair Loss Culprits
By Rachel Bender

If you’re noticing more hair circling your shower drain than you’re comfortable with, you may be shedding more than the typical 50 to 100 strands per day. Certain surprising factors, from not wearing a sunhat to losing more than 15 pounds, can trigger hair to fall out faster.

You’re on a crash DIET

Your body needs HEALTHY FOODS to thrive. When you don’t get your necessary nutrients — particularly, iron, zinc, and biotin, which play important roles in hair growth, as well as protein — alarm bells go off.

“Nutrients that allow the hair to grow are sensed by stem cells [in the hair follicle],” Anthony Oro, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Health. “These stem cells are surrounded by little fat cells that monitor the energy and metabolism of your body. If the nutrients are not there, they shut down [hair] production.”

Eating a healthy, BALANCED diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, can get things back up and running again. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re getting enough of the nutrients your hair needs, such as iron, as well as ruling out iron-deficiency anemia. Your dermatologist or primary care physician can check your iron levels. If they’re low, your DOCTOR can recommend iron-rich foods, such as lentils, pumpkin seeds, and spinach, and in some cases, an iron supplement.

You don’t WEAR sunhats

The sun’s UV rays don’t just accelerate skin aging and put you at higher risk for SKIN CANCER. They also damage the structure of hair follicles, making hair more fragile and likely to break off and fall out. Protect your locks by wearing a solid, wide-brimmed hat every time you step outside (even on cloudy days) or spritz on a hair sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays.

It’s in your genes

The most common cause of hair loss is hereditary thinning or baldness, affecting about 80 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). For women, the first sign is often a part that’s getting noticeably wider, which is caused by the hair thinning. Your DERMATOLOGIST can do a thorough exam and, if female pattern baldness is diagnosed, recommend medication such as topical minoxidil to stop hair loss from progressing.

You’re under a LOT of stress or recently experienced a traumatic event

Emotional and physical trauma such as going through a divorce, losing a loved one, or being in a car accident can speed up the hair’s growth cycle and increase the shedding phase, causing HAIR TO fall out faster. But this doesn’t happen right away. “If you have a stressful event now,” says Oro, “the hair follicle environment will sense it, note it, and you’ll see the effects one to three months later.” Once stress levels are back under control, your hair should return to its normal growth cycle.

Your hormone levels are out of whack

Both insufficient and excessive hormone levels, as well as the drop in estrogen that occurs around menopause, can lead to hair loss. Your physician can run a battery of tests to see what’s going on hormonally. By treating the health problem, such as in the case of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, hair loss can usually be halted or reversed, according to the AAD.

Your ponytail is too tight

Braids, cornrows, and ponytails that are too tight yank on your locks, leading to a type of HAIR LOSS that’s called traction alopecia. Try to avoid hairstyles that pull hair too tightly, or at least limit how often you wear them, and look for other styles that are gentler on the hair shaft.

There’s an autoimmune disease at play

In some cases, the immune system mistakenly identifies hair follicles as foreign entities and start attacking them, causing hair loss. The disease, called alopecia areata, tends to happen to people in their 50s and 60s, according to Oro. Those with a family history of autoimmune diseases, such as TYPE 1 DIABETES and rheumatoid arthritis, are also more likely to have it. “If someone is losing their hair and it’s associated with itching or burning, that can be a sign of autoimmune hair loss,” Oro says. “Often just by looking and doing a scalp exam the dermatologist can tell or we can take a little piece of skin, look at it under a microscope, and you can make a diagnosis.”

While there’s no cure for alopecia areata, there are medications that can help, such as anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and topical minoxidil to help promote hair growth.

You’ve lost a lot of weight

If you’ve dropped more than 15 pounds, the dramatic change in weight can be a shock to THE SYSTEM, triggering hair loss. You may notice some hair loss within three to six months after losing the weight, according to the AAD. As long as your body, including your hair, is getting the nutrients it needs, your body will adjust and your hair will eventually regrow.

You’re getting too much vitamin A

If a little is good for you, then more must be better, right? Not when it comes to vitamin A. Overdoing it, such as by taking supplements that exceed recommended amounts, can lead to hair loss, according to the AAD, as well as DIZZINESS, nausea, headaches and orange-tinted skin. For most adults ages 19 to 50, 700 micrograms for women and 900 micrograms for men is the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, and the upper limits of the vitamin for adults 19 and older is 10,000 IUs daily. The good news? Stopping vitamin A supplements reverses the problem.

Can Vitamin Deficiency Cause Hair Loss?

I am a woman over 50 and have been a vegetarian for over 20 years.  I am experiencing hair thinning and other than not eating meat, have a very healthy diet and take multi-vitamins and calcium with vitamin D daily. What could be causing my hair loss?

Anytime you avoid meat, you must make up that source of iron in your diet.  Iron is essential for red blood cell production and iron deficiency is a factor in thinning hair.

A simple iron blood test can be done without a doctors prescription and will give you a good benchmark to see if that is a factor in your hair loss.

Hair thinning can also be from genetics, thyroid disorders, stress, major illness, prescriptions or other infections.  A trip to your doctor for a check up will help you get to the root of the problem.