Marilyn Farms Blog » Vitamin D

Cod Liver Oil and Winter Health

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:05:37 +0000

As the winter months approach, many of us get out our bottles of cod liver oil and start taking preventive doses to ward off flu viruses and keep the winter blues from setting in. The vitamin D content of cod liver oil tends to get most of the credit for the above benefits (and rightly so), but there are actually a couple of other factors at work to make cod liver oil a fantastic cool-weather supplement:

Cod liver oil supplies a natural form of activated vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for immunity (white blood cells actually require vitamin A in order to mature properly) and a deficiency in vitamin A can be related to fatigue. Most of the negative press surrounding vitamin A has been related to synthetic forms, such as those found in acne medications. However, excessive intake of natural forms that require conversion and activation by the body, such as beta carotene which requires zinc for activation, can cause problems. People with altered vitamin A metabolism (such as alcoholics) should still be careful to watch total vitamin A intake.
Cod liver oil is a balanced source of highly absorbable omega-3 fatty acids. Some of the signs of inadequate omega-3 intake include depression, lowered immunity, weakness, fatigue, lethargy, dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes, frequent infection, and irritability. Foods that are richest in omega 3 fats include cold-water fish, egg yolks from pastured hens, flax seed and flax oil, and walnuts.

For more detailed information on cod liver oil, see the article Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood which is available on the Weston Price Foundation website, www.westonaprice.org.

Aging, Antioxidants, and Sun Exposure

Elizabeth Wagner, RD CCN — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:03:24 +0000

Recently, I was sitting on a plane and overheard my neighbors talking about sunburn, sunscreen, and of course the good old days. The younger one was saying his children get sunburned within 15 minutes of being in the sun and the older one stated that many years ago her children could be outside all day and not get burned. The whole conversation was summed up with, “What a shame that we destroyed the ozone layer”…but what if the destruction of the ozone layer was only half the story?

Anti-oxidants, especially vitamin C and vitamin E may be a missing part of the equation. One study found that those who took 2000mg of vitamin C and 1000 IU of Vitamin E orally had the ability to increase their daily exposure to UV radiation (harmful sunlight) before becoming sunburned. Thinking about the seemingly recent increase in sunburn, we may very well be a society that is not getting enough antioxidants to protect against the lack of ozone layer. All of this becomes more personal when realizing that sunburn causes increases in the risk of skin cancer and excessive skin wrinkling.

However, without UV radiation (sunlight), cholesterol cannot be turned into vitamin D, which is an important nutrition for protecting against dementia, heart problems and age related depression. So sunlight is an important part of an anti-aging protocol, but skin still has to be protected!

As with everything, the sooner we start to work on prevention the greater the benefits. Acting now to protect your skin can help guarantee beautiful skin that is free of excessive wrinkles. Unfortunately, many of us have been sun worshipers and need a “wrinkle redo”. A serum containing 5 percent vitamin C has been shown to decrease the depth of sun-induced wrinkles and cause skin to appear more youthful. As vitamin C breaks down quickly it is best to make your own single use serum and use it immediately. Below is a recipe:

1. Dissolve 1000 mg vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in 1 teaspoon distilled water in a small glass container. Make sure it is fully dissolved before proceeding to next step.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of glycerine (can be purchased in the beauty section of most health food stores) and mix.

3. Apply directly to skin. Store any leftovers in a dark glass container (i.e. a clean tincture jar) in a cool place such as the refrigerator.

Study reference: “Protective effect against sunburn of combined systemic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and d-α-tocopherol (vitamin E).” Bernadette Eberlein-König MD, Marianne Placzek MD and Bernhard Przybilla MD. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Volume 38, Issue 1, January 1998, Pages 45-48

Ask the Nutritionist Webinar Coming Soon!

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:52:14 +0000

On Saturday, August 27, I will be participating in an “Ask the Nutritionist” webinar hosted by Marilyn Farms. In this free one-hour session, participants can send in questions and I will answer as many as I can in the time we have. It will be a nutrition question feeding frenzy! Below are a few examples of questions that I received during our last “Ask the Nutritionist” webinar. To take advantage of this offer, please register here or through our website, www.marilynfarms.com. I look forward to talking with you!

Q: What are the top veggies/fruits that we should buy organically?

A: Each year, the Environmental Working Group sends out a list of the “Dirty Dozen”, which are the top 12 produce items that should be purchased organically. This year, that list includes apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines (imported), grapes (imported), sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries (domestic), lettuce, and kale/collard greens.

Q: Are there nutritional supplements that a child can take after a course of antibiotics to prevent diarrhea and other side effects?

A: The most important thing for recovery is of course going to be a healthy diet that minimizes sugar and maximizes nourishing foods such as green vegetables, meat, poultry, bone broths, and fermented foods such as yogurt or kefir. As far as supplements go, the #1 most important thing to take after (and if possible, during) a course of antibiotics is probiotics (healthy bacteria). There are many different probiotic formulations for children available, just make sure that they contain a blend of bifidus and acidophilus bacteria to re-colonize all areas of the digestive tract. In addition to this, taking cod liver oil (recommended dose for most children is 1 tsp per day) can help to restore levels of nutrients that may have been depleted by antibiotics.

Q: Can diabetics use cod liver oil?

A: Cod liver oil is a wonderful supplement for diabetics because it contains omega-3 fats, natural vitamin D, and natural vitamin A—all three of which help with blood sugar control and nerve health. The one caution with any fish oil is that it can thin the blood, so a person on blood thinners such as aspirin or Coumadin should be sure to check with their doctor to make sure medications are in balance.

Natural Sun Protection for Children

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:10:45 +0000

As the mother of a fair-skinned child who loves to go to the beach, I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on the topic of sun protection for children. I personally am not comfortable slathering my son with most sunscreens, since the skin absorbs what is put on it and most sunscreens (even those designed for children) contain questionable ingredients. Here are a few tips that I have found to be helpful:

The single most important factor regarding sun exposure for long-term skin health is to prevent the incidence of sunburn, so make this a priority.
Regular, moderate sun exposure (around 15 minutes for most children) is important for producing Vitamin D, which is protective to the skin and important for overall health. For this reason, you will occasionally see a naked toddler streaking through my backyard in the morning while I’m working on the computer on the patio.
When playing outdoors, try to have your child play in an area where there is shade available from trees, playground structures, or a beach umbrella rather than in direct sunlight.
If possible, try to plan beach and pool trips or other sunny outings outside of peak hours of sun (12 to 2 p.m. tend to be the sunniest times in most areas).
When your child has to be in direct sunlight, cover sunburn-prone areas with loose-fitting cotton clothing. When they’re swimming, use a rash guard or sun shirt to cover their trunk. Hats are also great (especially for younger children who don’t have much hair yet) and I feel lucky that my son thinks hats are an exciting accessory to wear—the bigger the brim the better!
Occasionally you will need to use sunscreen when the above measures aren’t enough, so look for a natural sunscreen containing zinc oxide as its active ingredient. Conveniently, zinc oxide is also the active ingredient in most diaper rash creams! In my beach bag I actually keep a tube of diaper rash cream which I slather on my son’s face and shoulders when we’re on a longer beach trip. Other parents might think you’ve confused tubes of cream, but when you explain to them that zinc oxide is the same skin protecting ingredient in both sunscreen and diaper cream they are usually appreciative to know they can pack fewer items in the diaper bag!
Last but certainly not least, it’s important for parents to know that they can protect their child from the inside out by feeding them a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. Phytonutrients (plant nutrients) have been found to protect skin from sun damage and also keep eye tissues safe from UV damage. Green vegetables, orange vegetables such as yams or carrots, and berries tend to be the richest in these types of phytonutrients. If your child has an aversion to these foods or is going through a phase when they are more picky (don’t worry, they usually grow out of it if you keep offering them a variety of foods and don’t make a big deal of it), try adding a whole foods supplement such as PureNutrition to their food or drink. It works well mixed into foods such as oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. If they are put off by the green color, try using PureNutrition Red

The Importance of Vitamin D

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:42:26 +0000

Most of us know that vitamin D is produced when sunlight hits our skin. However, many of us don’t know just how important vitamin D is to our health. Here are some interesting facts:

Flu season happens during the months when sunlight exposure is minimal and vitamin D levels are low. Given vitamin D’s immune modulating effects, it’s hard to imagine this is just coincidence!
Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels protects against lymphoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and – surprisingly – skin cancer.
Chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and arthritis have been linked to low vitamin D levels.
Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium through your intestines. This is why so many calcium supplements also contain vitamin D.
Sunscreen (even weak sunscreens) impair the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D, which is why it is recommended to spend at least a few minutes each day in the sun without sunscreen.
Chronic low vitamin D levels may cause an imbalance of melatonin in the body, leading to sleep disturbance.
It is estimated that 40% of the US population is vitamin D deficient.
Your levels of vitamin D can be checked with a simple blood test ordered by your family doctor (be sure to ask for “serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 level” which checks the level of activated vitamin D in your body).

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the importance of vitamin D. For more information on the subject as well as links to research studies, please visit the Vitamin D Council’s website.

Vitamin D

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:39:33 +0000

This month we are running a special on Vitamin D in the form of Arctic-D Cod Liver oil or Essential D3. Vitamin D is now commonly recognized to be vital to healthy mood and proper formation of bone tissue, but there is so much more to this amazing vitamin! Below is a link to an excellent article on the subject, complete with a list of food sources of vitamin D. Enjoy!

http://www.westonaprice.org/The-Miracle-of-Vitamin-D.html

Vitamin D and Depression

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:39:57 +0000

Yesterday during our second spring snowstorm, I started thinking about how depressing it is to have TWO spring snowstorms in a row, and then started to think about how many people have told me that lately they just feel a little depressed. I know there are many factors involved with depression, but living in Iowa where the winter lasts half the year I have found that obtaining adequate intake of Vitamin D helps many people to feel happier. Vitamin D can be obtained from sunlight (which we don’t get much of in the winter here), from food, and from supplements. If you’re going to take a supplement, look for D3 (the usable form) instead of D2 (the synthetic form).

Here is a link to an article with more info on Vitamin D and depression by one of my favorite Vitamin D researchers, Dr. John Cannell, MD:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/depression.shtml

Cod liver oil during the cooler months

Jessica Forbes MS, CCN — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:03 +0000

You can feel Fall coming just around the corner here in Iowa. It’s warmer today but there’s something in the air that makes me want to stay inside and cook beef stew and apple pie. In fact, I made a gluten free apple pie last night (Why gluten free? Because I was out of regular flour and wanted to bake a pie!), but that recipe will have to come in a later blog.

The purpose of this blog is to point you toward two articles I found about cod liver oil and its benefits. I think cod liver oil should be a staple during the cooler months, especially for those people who are prone to seasonal affective disorder. Both of these articles do a great job of outlining the importance of cod liver oil, and also the benefits of larger amounts of Vitamin D, such as are found in the Arctic D cod liver oil that Marilyn Farms offers. I promise the taste isn’t bad either! If you really can’t stand even the slightest hint of fish flavor then try finding an encapsulated cod liver oil supplement, and take it with or before meals instead of on an empty stomach to prevent any fishy aftertaste.

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/codliveroil.html