6 Things You Need To Know About Your Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D has emerged as “the vitamin of the decade”, with a long and growing list of maladies supposedly caused through its absence or prevented through its bountiful supply.

If your blood test results suggest you’re low on vitamin D, you’re not alone – nearly one-third of the Australian population isn’t getting enough of the sunshine vitamin.

Is this all just hype, or could vitamin D really help in the fight against COVID-19?

Knowledge has been handed down through the ages regarding the contributions that essential oils can make in our lives. Some of the stories originated in our grandmothers' tales, some were told by wise sages, while others were revealed by those deeply in touch with the plants. Essential oils are established and revered as a reliable and resourceful healing modality.

Our ancestors were extremely awe-inspiring in the ways they incorporated essential oils into not just healing and saving lives, but in every aspect of their daily routines and healing methods. Herbs, plants, and the oils derived from them, were the main components of healing in every culture on earth for hundreds of thousands of years.

There’s been some confusion recently on whether we should or shouldn’t take ibuprofen to treat symptoms of COVID-19 – especially after the World Health Organization (WHO) changed its stance.

We have trillions of bacteria living on or in us – and over 80% of these live in our gut. Over thousands of years of co-evolution, we have developed a way of working together with our bacteria, which play a hugely important role in our bodies.

A tweet saying ibuprofen reduces menstrual flow by 50% went viral last month.The original tweet and ensuing responses fuelled a debate about society’s supposed unwillingness to talk about periods.

More than two-thirds of Americans take dietary supplements. The vast majority of consumers – 84% – are confident the products are safe and effective.

Imagine a synthetic product that can give your body all the essential nutrients it needs to survive, is easy to prepare, affordable, and has a low environmental impact. 

It is estimated that there is a staggering £300m worth of medicine unused in the UK every year. But is it safe to take these medicines if they are past their expiry date?

While edibles may provide a delivery system that provides the intoxicating effects of cannabis while avoiding the risks of smoking, the delayed and variable absorption of cannabis edibles can result in over-consumption and unpredictable results.

Winter is upon us and so is the risk of vitamin D deficiency and infections.

There has been a lot of talk in the U.S. about legalizing recreational cannabis, and about cannabis’ potential to help with health issues.

Assertions about the benefits of CBD often go far beyond what science has shown, according to one expert.

It’s common for people to focus on their health at the start of the year. But few consider the well being of the microbes that live inside the human gut – the microbiome – which are vital to an individual’s good health.

Coming from a family of high-strung, addictive, compulsive, and emotionally wounded members, I have thought, studied, and researched mood-enhancing and emotional healing methods all of my life. Learning how to cope with and eradicate cer­tain negative influences and to promote positivity has been at the forefront of my brain since I was a young girl.

In Canada, the government of British Columbia is cracking down on vaping products. The plan is to reduce nicotine content, limit access to flavoured pods, mandate plain packaging with health warnings and raise the tax on vaping products to 20 per cent.

Antioxidants are a commonly promoted feature of health foods and supplements. They’re portrayed as the good forces that fight free radicals

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric condition linked to surviving or witnessing a traumatic life event, will affect around one in 10 Canadians at some point in their lives.

About 7.4 million people in the U.S. require manufactured insulin to stay alive. I’m one of them. I’ve lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 15 years and inject two kinds of insulin every day.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Sept. 15, 2019 that he plans to pursue emergency regulations to quickly ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, making New York the second state to consider such a ban

Some people are incapable of swallowing tablets because of physical reasons, such as surgery or gastric reflux, while others struggle for psychological reasons.

Can nicotine keep Alzheimer's at bay? Dave Asprey explains how natural drugs can create super humans.

Common herbs, including lavender, fennel, and chamomile, have a long history as folk medicines used to lower blood pressure. New research explains the molecular mechanisms at work.

This past summer the French food and drug office, the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament, greenlighted limited medical cannabis trials inside France, something that’s been illegal since 1953.

Widespread antibiotic use is largely to blame for the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is currently one of the biggest threats to global health. 

A quarter of all prescription drugs in the U.S. come from substances that are found only in plants. In this episode of SciShow, we take a look at four of these talented plants who make our lives better.

Adaptogens can greatly increase the effectiveness of some modern drugs, including antibiotics, anxiolytics (anxiety relief), antidepressants, and hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) agents. They also can reduce, and in some cases eliminate, the side effects of some drugs. They have a proven record of being safe, efficacious, and quite versatile in their treatment of many conditions.

Life-saving antibiotics may cause long-lasting damage to the developing microbial communities in intestinal tracts of premature babies, research finds.

More than half of Americans take a dietary supplement, but the truth is, most people don't need them.

The rise in cases of otherwise healthy young adults who have been hospitalized or even died from vaping-associated lung injury is alarming.

High-dose vitamin D supplements improve weight gain and help with the development of language and motor skills in severely malnourished children, our latest study has found.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of previous cohort studies on the effects of chocolate consumption has found that chocolate may be linked to a reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. The paper was published overnight in the British Medical Journal.

Prescription omega-3 fatty acid medications are a safe and effective option for reducing high triglycerides, which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.

Vitamin D deficiency in middle childhood could result in aggressive behavior as well as anxious and depressive moods during adolescence, according to a new study of school children in Bogotá, Colombia.

There’s been a rise in recent years of biomedical engineering techniques that can restore lost tissue and bone.

Taking nonprescribed psychostimulants may slightly improve a person’s short-term focus but impede sleep and mental functions that rely on it—such as working memory.

Food additives do a lot of good: they prolong shelf life, improve taste and texture, and add colour to otherwise unappealing products.

Pregnant women exposed to higher levels of air pollutants had children with lower IQs, compared to the children of women exposed to lower levels, a new study reports.

New research uncovers the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases.

In Australia’s most recent nutrition survey, 29% of people reported having taken at least one dietary supplement. This proportion was even higher in the United States at 52%.

Michael Pollan explains what goes on during the mental fireworks of a psychedelic experience.

Microdosing psychedelics is a growing trend that involves ingesting very small sub-hallucinogenic amounts of substances like LSD or dried psilocybin-containing mushrooms.

People take vitamin supplements for all kinds of reasons, from maintaining general health to preventing cancer. But there’s no convincing evidence that vitamin supplementation benefits people who don’t actually have a vitamin deficiency.

Want to boost your immune system, reduce your physical signs of ageing, or cleanse your blood to get rid of toxins?

Hyperbole can be rampant in health news, particularly with respect to cannabis. One recent headline declared: “CBD is effective in treating heroin addiction.” Another proclaimed: “New study finds CBD could curb heroin addiction.” These stories were referring to a recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry that found a short-term course of cannabidiol (CBD) reduced cue-induced cravings and anxiety..

Researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK recently published a study in the journal Scientific Reports suggesting caffeine increases brown fat. This caught people’s attention because brown fat activity burns energy, which may help with weight loss. Headlines claimed drinking coffee can help you lose weight, and that coffee is possibly even the “secret to fighting obesity”.

Why did government officials stop psychedelics from reaching mainstream culture?

The legalization of marijuana has been a topic of contention and confusion for both sides of the debate.

For most infections, the long-standing advice is to take a full course of antibiotics.

Americans and others around the world have turned increasingly to dietary supplements in order to maintain or preserve their brain health.

According to the World Health Organisation, iron deficiency – a condition where your body doesn’t have enough of the mineral iron – is a global public health problem of “epidemic proportions”.

A new study links long-term use of proton pump inhibitors to fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer.

A synthetic, non-intoxicating analogue of cannabidiol can effectively treat seizures, according to new research with rats.

If you’ve ever stopped to admire a birch tree, you may unknowingly have something in common with a 5,300-year-old mummy called Ötzi.

Many people seek complementary treatments for various ailments. Perhaps herbal remedies to cure a cold, or acupuncture to ease lower back pain.

Three plants from a guide to traditional plant remedies of the South that the Confederate Surgeon General commissioned during the height of the Civil War have antiseptic properties, according to new research.

The leaves of a variety of medicinal plants can stop the growth of breast, cervical, colon, leukemia, liver, ovarian, and uterine cancer, a new study shows.

The drugs apixaban and clopidogrel—without aspirin—comprise the safest treatment regimen for certain patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib), according to new research.

It’s been 50 years in the making, but the anaesthetic and illicit party drug ketamine is now having a clinical comeback.

These oils and recipes are sure to assist us with opening lines of communication between our loved ones and us. Communi­cation is the key to a successful relationship between you and humanity. Communica­tion, feelings, desires, and repressed anger come from the throat chakra.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound of the Cannabis plant, has exploded in popularity in recent times, touted as a medical “cure-all”.

A recent study shows that a gamechanger drug called Fevipiprant promises to lower patients’ risks of suffering an asthma attack and being admitted to a hospital.

Viagra is one brand name of a drug that is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence): the inability to get, and maintain, an erection.

For decades, millions of patients have been taking a daily Aspirin in an attempt to prevent hearts attacks and strokes.

Medical marijuana is legal in 33 states as of November 2018. Yet the federal government still insists marijuana has no legal use and is easy to abuse. In the meantime, medical marijuana dispensaries have an increasing...

For the past decade we’ve consistently heard antibiotics don’t work as well as they used to

Soybean oil may be better than fish oil for reducing cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors, according to a new study.

Some cannabinoid compounds may inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells, according to new research.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, has become a household name. On many social media sites, people suggest “but have you tried CBD oil?” on posts pertaining to any health-related issue.

Vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”. It is produced in your skin in response to sunlight and is a vital organic compound supporting the absorption of calcium and protecting bone strength, supporting immune function, and regulating mood. Deficiencies in Vitamin D can lead to...

Vaping marijuana instead of smoking an equal dose increases short-term anxiety, paranoia, memory loss, and distraction, a small study of infrequent users suggests.

Boys who grow up in healthier, wealthier environments tend to have more testosterone as adults, our latest research shows.

Do you drink freshly brewed coffee to start off your day? Or is a cup of English breakfast tea a better option for you?

There are suggestions that fish oil is good for a range of health conditions including arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, mental health and heart disease. It’s even been suggested that fish oil might make people smarter, so should we all be taking supplements?

The midterm elections have further loosened marijuana restrictions in the United States. Voters in three of four states with ballot proposals on marijuana approved those initiatives.

Antibiotics kill harmful bacteria that cause disease. But they also cause collateral damage to the microbiome, the complex community of bacteria that live in our gut. This results in a profound, though usually temporary, depletion of the beneficial bacteria.

In the wake of cannabis legalization in Canada, a team of scientists has delivered encouraging news for chronic pain sufferers by pinpointing the effective dose of marijuana plant extract cannabidiol for safe pain relief without the typical “high” or euphoria that THC produces.

The number of adults currently using e-cigarettes in the UK is close to 2.9m, many of whom will have turned to the devices to quit smoking. While certainly they may help people kick the habit, there is a big problem with e-cigarettes: we don’t actually know for certain whether they are safe or not.

New research finds an association between some popular heartburn treatments and iron deficiency. Heartburn is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux, which hydrochloric acid rising into the throat causes. This condition affects more than two million Australians. Many people take medications that suppress acid secretion to treat it.

Chewing gum may be an effective delivery system for some vitamins, according the new research. Nearly 15 percent of all chewing gum varieties sold promise to provide health-enhancing supplements to users, so researchers studied whether two vitamin-supplemented products were effective at delivering vitamins to the body.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, medicines shouldn’t be your first option. Exercise regularly, cut back on coffee (and other caffeinated drinks) after midday, eat less in the evening, ease up on “screen time” before, and in, bed, practise meditation and try to have a quiet, dark bedroom dedicated mostly to sleep.

Researchers have developed a way to reliably predict which chronic pain patients will respond to a sugar placebo pill based on brain anatomy and psychological characteristics. Doctors may one day prescribe placebos that work as effectively as any painkiller for certain patients, the researchers’ new study suggests

Taking low-dose aspirin daily doesn’t preserve good health or delay the onset of disability or dementia in healthy older people. This was one finding from our seven-year study that included more than 19,000 older people from Australia and the US.

Last week I had a shocking cold. Blocked nose, sore throat, and feeling poorly. This made me think about the countless vitamins and supplements on the market that promise to ease symptoms of a cold, help you recover faster, and reduce your chance of getting another cold. When it comes to the common cold (also called upper respiratory tract infections) there is no magic cure (I wish) but some supplements may deliver very minor improvements. Here is what the latest research evidence says.

We are still in love with vitamins a century after they were discovered, with half the US and UK population taking a supplement. Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin – is the favourite and is believed to have the most proven benefits. Governments, including the UK government, have said that the evidence for vitamin D’s health benefits is so overwhelming that every adult should take it as a supplement for at least six months of the year.

Many parts of the country have seen episodic crises due to synthetic marijuana, the largest occurring in Mississippi, where 721 adverse events were logged between April 2-3, 2015. Even with outbreaks aside, synthetic cannabinoids are 30 times more likely to harm you than regular marijuana.

The vine Banisteriopsis caapi is one ingredient in ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew that Amazonian indigenous populations have long used for spiritual purposes.

There’s only one thing better than a hot cup of coffee in the morning: a new research paper telling you your daily habit is good for your health. Headlines presented the good news from the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

New research may be among the first to examine how low levels of vitamin D affect physical performance over the long term.

There is broad, scientific consensus that antibiotic use in animal agriculture is increasing the risk of the development of resistant bacteria. It’s less clear what, if any, role this plays in human health.

An ingredient in toothpaste and other personal care products may be harming the microbes in our gut and leaving us vulnerable to disease. The antimicrobial chemical triclosan is in thousands of products that we use daily: hand soaps, toothpastes, body wash, kitchenware and even some toys.

Roseanne Barr has claimed that she was under the influence of the drug Ambien when she posted her already infamous racist tweet (since removed). But what do we know about Ambien and its side effects?

High-dose vitamin D supplements improve weight gain and help with the development of language and motor skills in severely malnourished children, our latest study has found.

Demand for drugs and devices that can enhance brain functions such as memory, creativity, attention and intelligence, is on the rise.

Chamomile – that yellow flower so often made into a tea, enjoyed before bed – is a very interesting plant. It was recently discovered that the humble flower may control or even prevent diabetes...

And although drug use has declined over the past decade, new and potentially life-threatening trends continue to appear. Most recently, doctors have warned of an “emerging crisis” relating to Xanax use among young people.

Protein supplements for athletes are literally sold by the bucketful. Protein supplements are expensive, and might not be doing much for you. The marketing that accompanies them persistently promotes the attainment of buff biceps and six-pack abs.

From our western perspective, crickets do not look appetizing, but neither did lobsters at one point in time, and in fact they used to be known as the cockroaches of the sea. Now lobster is considered a scrumptious delicacy.