Health experts seem to think we need extra vitamin D, the same way they have been loading us up on folic acid.  Scientific evidence indicates that this might need to be re-evaluated, as might the fortification of our foods with folic acid.  Butting in on nature before we understand how it is impacting our bodies might not always be prudent.  As it turns out, extra folic acid might interfere with the way our bodies use vitamin B12, which we need to support our memories and our brain function. 

Research shows that older folk with low vitamin B12 levels and high folic acid status suffer from an increased incidence of dementia.  In other words adding folic acid to our food supply appears to be leading to a public health disaster. 

The same might be true with vitamin D.  Low vitamin D status, which seems to be a universal problem, might not be due to a deficiency of this hormone after all.  Microbes might be preventing our bodies from using this vital substance and there is a theory currently gaining popularity, which suggests that these bacteria have the capacity to displace vitamin D from its receptor, where it executes its functions. 

This gives a false notion that vitamin D is lacking.  What needs to be treated are the bacteria and not the apparent deficiency.  In fact taking extra vitamin D will weaken the immune system, making it harder to defeat the microbes, which in the long-term might precipitate another health catastrophe.  Once again if you think the public health authorities might be exploring the ramifications of this new hypothesis you are going to disappointed

Question & Answer Segment ------ your queries answered

Question: I take Inderal, a beta-blocker, 200 mgs per day for prophylatic control of migraine as unfortunately vitamin B, magnesium and feverfew has not worked. I'm interested in what effects inderal would have on my general energy levels, well being and also weight and what other prophylatic medications you could recommend as I need better control for work and general life
quality purposes. I'd ideally like to go off medications and switch to fever few/vitamin B or take a very minimal dose once better control has been gained plus trial folate.

Answer: Beta-blockers reduce coenzyme Q10 levels and as this is a substance, which is intimately connected with the production of energy, it is not surprising you experience fatigue.  Coenzyme Q10 can be taken to prevent migraines at a dose of 300mg daily.

Question: I am hypothyroid and it never seems to stay stable.  It goes either to high or to low.  I have soy and linseed fibre in my breakfast cereal and am told that I should not use soy, or even the soymilk I use.  It seems you should not have broccoli or sprouts, which I use most days in my meals.  I really find this hard to believe.  How on earth are you supposed to keep healthy without greens?

Answer: A study conducted in 2006 at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that extracts of broccoli sprouts did not compromise thyroid hormone function.  Lightly steaming green vegetables might also reduce adverse effects these might have on thyroid hormones. 

Here is the abstract copied verbatim from a study that has researched this:

"Brassica vegetables are the major source of glucosinolates in the human diet. Certain glucosinolates are readily converted into goitrogenic species, notably 5-vinyloxazolidine-2-thione and thiocyanate ion.The effect of dietary Brussels sprouts, a particularly rich source of such glucosinolates, on thyroid function has been examined. Inclusion of cooked Brussels sprouts (150 g daily for 4 weeks) into a normal diet of 10 volunteer subjects had no effect on thyroid function as determined by measurement of thyrotrophic hormone, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine even though the sprouts contained high concentrations (220 mg/100 g) of glucosinolates. In view of the reported antithyroid activity of 5-vinyloxazolidine-2-thione it is suggested that this lack of activity of cooked Brussels sprouts is due to inactivation during cooking of myrosinase, the specific glucosinolate-degrading enzyme."

Soy is going to compromise your thyroid function.