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The INDEPENDENT, October 15, 2009
Number to call with flu questions
To Your Health!
By Judy Hargis, P.A., and Audeen Wagner
VITAMIN D
The Rest of the Story
Lately, we have been hearing a lot about vitamin D and many
of us are not aware of the significant impact vitamin D has on our
health. Believe it or not, low levels of vitamin D are highly preva-
lent in the United States. This is especially true in areas without
much sunshine. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is naturally
present in very few foods, is added to others and is available as
a dietary supplement. Our major source of vitamin D comes from
the sun when ultraviolet light strikes the skin and triggers vitamin
D synthesis. That is how vitamin D is made. Without adequate sun
exposure we develop vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, which can lead to serious health prob-
lems. We have been aware for some time that vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption in the
gut and that insufficient calcium leads to thinning bones and osteoporosis. Now there is mounting
evidence that vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of other diseases.
There is evidence that Vitamin D supplementation may protect against several types of cancer,
including breast and colorectal cancer, and that evidence continues to mount. Vitamin D deficiency
has also been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The studies are ongoing
and have shown that a high percentage of the people involved in the studies, who had cardiovascu-
lar disease and several types of cancers studied, had vitamin D deficiency when serum levels were
tested.
Risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency include season, geographic latitude, cloud
cover, smog, skin melanin content and sunscreen/sun block use as they can interfere with the abil-
ity of the skin to make vitamin D. Groups at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency include breast-
fed infants because vitamin D requirements cannot be met by human milk alone. Another risk group
is older adults because, after 50 years, the skin is not able to synthesize vitamin D efficiently and the
kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active hormone form. People who have limited sun
exposure, have dark skin, have a fat malabsorption disorder, are obese or have undergone gastric
bypass surgery are also at risk.
In our culture, there are many challenges to getting adequate amounts of vitamin D. We tend to
be more sedentary and spend more time indoors when at home and at work. When we are outdoors,
it is recommended that we protect ourselves from the risks of sun damage and skin cancer by us-
ing hats, cover ups and sunscreen/sunblock. We live fast paced lives with less than optimal diets.
There are new guidelines and recommendations for adequate intake of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 (
cholecalciferol) is considered to be the best source in supplements. The National Osteoporosis
Foundation recommends that adults under 50 years should have an intake of 400 to 800 internation-
al units (iu) daily, and people over 50 take 800 to 1000 ius daily. The American Academy of pedi-
atrics recommends 200 ius daily from birth to 18 years and that infants who are exclusively or par-
tially breast fed receive a supplement of 400 ius per day.
There is no doubt that vitamin D is important and most of us do not get enough of it. If you have
risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency you can get levels checked. There is a test,
25(OH)D, that determines serum vitamin D levels. Talk to your health care provider about your risk
and recommendations. Remember that it is important to get enough vitamin D and there are definite
health risks to not getting enough. It is also important to know that too much vitamin D can be tox-
ic, so never take more then the recommended dose.
The most important things to focus on are a healthy diet, regular exercise, to know your risk fac-
tors and use vitamin D supplementation when appropriate.
For more information about building a healthful diet refer to “dietary guidelines. For Americans”
go to: http://www.health. gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/docu-
ment/default.htm
For more information on vitamin D, go to the National Osteo-
porosis Foundation at: www.nof.org or go to the American Acad-
emy of Pediatrics website at: www. aap.org
As always you can contact us at health@the-independent.net.
Mariolino’s
HAVE A
GREAT LUNCH!
Daily Soup & Sandwich
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721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018
Columbia County Health
District urges residents with
questions about the H1N1
Virus, vaccination sites and
clinics to contact the State of
Oregon Public Inquiry Line at
1-800-978-3040 for answers to
any and all questions regarding
the Virus.
“Many County residents are
calling local clinics in Columbia
County with general questions
on the H1N1 Virus, the status
of the vaccine supply, and/or flu
symptoms. The influx of phone
calls to local clinics is creating
a lot of extra work for health
care providers who are very
busy,” said Columbia County
Health Preparedness Coordi-
nator Anne Parrott. She recom-
mends that residents call 1-
800-978-3040 for information.
Columbia County Health dis-
trict suggests that residents
should contact their health care
provider if they are experienc-
ing flu symptoms such as a
fever or if they have other ex-
tenuating health care issues.
Learn about diabetes at free Chat
Diabetes and Self-Care is
the topic of a free 90-minute
Evening Chat presentation to
be held on Thursday, October
22, starting at 6:00 p.m. at Tu-
ality Health Education Center,
334 SE 8th Ave., Hillsboro.
Managing your diabetes is
not only about exercise, eating
right, and checking blood sug-
ar. Your skin, feet, teeth and
eyes demand attention, too!
Learn all aspects of diabetes
self-care at this presentation.
Call 503-681-1700 if you
plan to attend.
New guidelines for drug disposal
Do you know what to do with
your unwanted or out-of-date
pharmaceuticals and medica-
tions? The Washington County
Cooperative Recycling Pro-
gram provides the following in-
formation.
Flushing medication down
the toilet or drain is not the an-
swer because this can cause
water quality issues. Waste-
water treatment plants and
septic systems usually do not
treat, or only partially treat,
pharmaceuticals, so chemical
compounds pass through treat-
ment plants or septic systems
to our rivers or groundwater.
First – Hold on to the expired
medication until a pharmaceuti-
cal take-back program is devel-
oped and implemented in your
County.
Second – Place the medica-
tion in your trash which will be
sent to the landfill. Landfills in
our area have many protective
measures in place to prevent
chemical seepage into the soil,
such as a composite liner and a
leachate collection and re-
moval system.
Third – Follow the Oregon
Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) suggested
guidelines for disposal outlined
below.
DEQ suggests unused med-
icines be disposed of in the
garbage.
• Keep waste pharmaceuti-
cals in their original containers
with their labels (remove/con-
ceal any patient information if
you have privacy concerns.)
• Tape the lid on the contain-
er if it is not childproof and
there are children in the home.
• Place waste pharmaceuti-
cals in a plastic, sealable bag,
especially if liquid.
• Place waste pharmaceuti-
cals in durable packaging that
masks the content, such as a
brown cardboard box.
• Place waste pharmaceuti-
cals in the trash as close to
garbage pick-up time as possi-
ble.
Contact the DEQ hazardous
waste duty officer at 503-229-
5263 for more information.
Learn more at DEQ’s House-
hold Pharmaceutical Waste
Disposal fact sheet: http://www.
deq.state.or.us/lq/pubs/fact
sheets/sw/HouseholdPharma
ceuticalWasteDisposal.pdf
Ha v e a s af e a nd
Ha p py H a l l ow ee n