Vitamin D Deficiency Causes Teen Health Challenges

March 16, 2009

A new study done at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals even more data on the association between Vitamin D deficiency and health. In this case, researchers studied approximately 3,600 boys and girls ages 12 to 19 who took part in a government health survey from 2001 to 2004.

The teenage boys and girls with the lowest levels of Vitamin D in their blood were twice as likely to develop high blood pressure and high blood sugar.  Even more alarming, the teens with the lowest levels of Vitamin D in their blood were four times as likely to develop metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a triad of conditions, namely high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels and high cholesterol, that are associated with diabetes and heart disease.  Metabolic syndrome patients also tend to store fat around their midsection.  This condition is closely related to stress and Sickness Syndrome.   Most of the patients that I treat for Sickness Syndrome Depression and stress-related illness inevitably have low levels of vitamin D in their blood.  This makes sense given that a key source for vitamin D is exposure to the sun, and lack of exposure to the sun will, in many people, lead to depression and inflammation.

In our office, we test the blood for Vitamin D3, which is the active form of the vitamin.  And oftentimes if a patient has inflammation, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or Sickness Syndrome, then Vitamin D3 testing and treatment becomes part of their path to optimal health.

If this is a topic of interest to you, please read previous posts on vitamin D3.

In health,

Dr. Gina


Your Body Has the Ability to Heal Itself

January 26, 2009

painLast week I was interviewed for an upcoming PBS Series on Naturopathic Medicine. The topic was chronic pain. Throughout the interview I found myself repeating the notion that “the body has the ability to heal itself,” provided you give it what it needs and you remove the barriers to cure.  What the body needs can range from a particular combination of nutrients, herbs, and natural hormones, to more positive emotions.  Some of the most prevalent “barriers to cure” that I see in my  practice are stress, food allergies, and toxin overload.

Most people suffering with chronic pain are handed a prescription for pain killers and muscle relaxants and/or advised to get psychological help.  The Naturopathic approach to chronic pain involves identifying the cause of the pain; be it emotional, physical, stress-related, toxin-related or hormone-related. Then treatment is individualized to suit the patients’ unique situation. No two treatment protocols are the same.  My experience has been that by addressing the cause of the chronic pain at the emotional, mental and physical levels brings about the most successful long term results and allows for freedom of movement and a pain-free life.

The most important message here is that if you are experiencing chronic pain, you do not need to suffer.  There is a way to find relief. One of the best ways to find that relief is by addressing the underlying cause(s) of the pain rather then chronically masking the symptoms with medication…and allowing your own body, in its innate wisdom, to heal itself.

In health,

Dr. Gina