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  • Covid 19
    • Vitamin D could be a piece of COVID-19's 'complex puzzle,' Israeli scientists say, after a new study finds a link between deficiency and severe illness
    • Vitamin D deficiency tied to increased COVID-19 risk, unique UF data study finds
    • Dr. Zorba Paster: Vitamin D deficiency connected to COVID-19 cases
    • Study suggests high vitamin D levels may protect against COVID-19, especially for Black people
    • 1 in 4 COVID patients hospitalized while vitamin D deficient die – Israeli study
    • Vitamin D and COVID-19 Research
    • Minister urged to recommend vitamin D supplements in Covid-19 strategy
    • Other countries are treating COVID patients with probiotics and vitamin D — why aren’t we?
    • MP David Davis calls for Vitamin D therapy to be rolled out 'immediately' after study finds it can 'reduce Covid deaths by up to 60%'
    • Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Have Low Levels of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
    • Vitamin D, other everyday vitamins could counter coronavirus effects:.
    • Experts send Vitamin D and Covid-19 open letter to world's governments
    • A Functional Medicine Approach To Protect Against the Flu
    • Over 80% of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Have Vitamin D Deficiency, Study Finds
    • Vitamin D helps the body fight coronavirus, major Israeli study claims
    • Vitamin D deficiency increased risk of COVID in healthcare workers, new study shows
    • People With Low Vitamin D More Likely to Have COVID, Study Finds
    • Vitamin D for COVID-19: a case to answer?
    • Vitamin D helps the body fight coronavirus, major Israeli study claims
    • Researchers investigating possible link between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19
    • UK public health bodies reviewing vitamin D's effects on coronavirus
    • Parents can help children deal with coronavirus-related anxiety
    • Does Vitamin D Protect Against More Severe Complications of Coronavirus?
    • Should people take vitamin D to ward off the new coronavirus?
    • Can taking Vitamin D save your life?
    • People with low vitamin D levels more likely to die from coronavirus, study finds
    • COVID-19: Vitamin D Linked to COVID-19 Deaths
    • Vitamin D Defense – Protection against COVID-19
    • GET YOUR VITAMINS Scientists investigate link between coronavirus survival rates and Vitamin D
    • FOODVitamin D and Coronavirus
    • Low Vitamin D Levels Linked To Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
    • 'Take Vitamin-D' says government as evidence emerges it could help fight coronavirus symptoms
    • Low Vitamin D linked to poor lung function
    • Study finds Vitamin D can build coronavirus resistance
    • Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of the coronavirus, study says
    • Can Vitamin D Lower Your Risk of COVID-19?
    • A lesson from the 1918 influenza pandemic!
    • Vitamin D: Deficiency May Increase Coronavirus Infection Risk
    • Research finds vitamin D is important for respiratory health
  • Breast Cancer
    • Breast cancer: Vitamin D could lower risk by 21% in Black and Hispanic women
    • Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Survival: What You Should Know
    • High intake of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus may reduce breast cancer risk
    • Obesity and Vitamin D Deficiency May Indicate Greater Risk for Breast Cancer
    • Women with high levels of vitamin D ‘are almost a third more likely to survive breast cancer’
    • Fact Check: Breast Cancer and Nutritional Supplements
    • Vitamin D Deficiency May Promote Spread of Some Breast Cancers
    • Vitamin D may double chances of surviving breast cancer
    • OMEGA-3s Inhibit Breast Cancer Tumour Growth, U of G Study Finds
    • Probiotics and Cancer
  • News & Information
    • Headline news, the latest stories >
      • 9 things that could happen if you're not getting enough vitamin D
      • Vitamin D: Recent research uncovers new benefits
      • Start the Week Off Right: Get more Vitamin D in your diet
      • Vitamin D deficiency – who is at risk?
      • Men who have good levels of vitamin D in their bachelor years will have healthy and strong kids, study finds
      • Father's pre-conception vitamin D intake linked to child height and weight at 5 years old
      • Nearly 1 billion people lacking vitamin D
      • Vitamin D supplements could improve fertility
      • Vitamin D and probiotics, perfect friends
      • Inflammatory bowel disease: Vitamin D could ease symptoms of Crohn’s, colitis and IBS
      • All Scots advised to take vitamin D says new health guidance
      • Probiotic may boost vitamin D levels
      • Vitamin D can help you be strong and healthy
    • Cancer >
      • Study finds association between vitamin D, BMI and advanced cancer
      • Study Finds Vitamin D Supplements Reduce Risk of Developing Advanced Cancer
      • Effect of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level on lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers: a nested case-control study
      • Vitamin D cuts colitis risk in cancer patients on immunotherapy by 65%
      • High Dose Vitamin D Beneficial For Colon Cancer
      • Prompting leukemia cells to die
      • Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention
      • Obesity and Vitamin D Deficiency May Indicate Greater Risk for Breast Cancer
      • Higher Vitamin D Levels Associated With Lower Risks Of Liver Cancer And Death From Chronic Liver Disease
      • More the Vitamin D, lesser the breast cancer risk
      • Scientists detect new ovarian cancer target
      • Higher vitamin D levels cut colorectal cancer risk
      • Vitamin D linked to lower risk of cancer- study
      • More vitamin D may be associated with lower cancer risk
      • New study suggests link between low vitamin D status and increased risk of ovarian cancer
      • Vitamin D relieves joint, muscle pain for breast cancer patients
      • Low Vitamin D Linked to Bladder Cancer
      • Low vitamin D levels increase risk for bladder cancer
      • Can Vitamin D prevent colon cancer?
      • Vitamin D fights pancreatic cancer
      • Vitamin D levels can affect aggressiveness of melanomas
      • Pancreatic Cancer Survical
      • TNBC
      • Vitamin D Melanoma
    • Childrens Health >
      • High-Dose Vitamin D Well Tolerated in Pediatric Patients
      • Why it’s so hard to identify seasonal depression in kids, and how to help
      • Vitamin D During Pregnancy May Benefit Children’s Bones
      • Vitamin D Deficiency linked to Anxiety and depression in Teens
      • Vitamin D During Pregnancy May Improve Dental Health of Babies
      • Newborns with Vitamin D Deficiency Have Higher Risk of Later Schizophrenia
      • Vitamin D-rich Diet May Decrease Cholesterol in Kids
      • Vitamin D Supplements To Curb Rise In Rickets
      • High vitamin D levels linked to lower cholesterol in children
      • Study Links Low Vitamin D Levels with Fracture Susceptibility and Severity
      • Vitamin D deficiency associated with pediatric obesity
      • Can Vitamin D Deficiency in Children Affect the Severity of Illnesses?
      • Can Vitamin D Reduce Risk of Pre-eclampsia in Pregnancy?
      • Warning to pregnant women on vitamin D: Shortages leads to children with poor motor skills
      • Development fears for children of expectant mothers with low vitamin D levels
      • Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy tied to autism risk
      • Another reason for obese children to go outside: Overweight youngsters with a vitamin D deficiency at risk of heart disease as they grow older
      • Taking Vitamin D During Pregnancy Shows Promise in Preventing Autism
      • Vitamin D deficiency found in children with digestive disorder, UMass study finds
      • Vitamin D deficiency in children exponentially increased in recent years, study finds
      • Maternal Preferences for Vitamin D Supplementation in Breastfed Infants
      • Prenatal Vitamin D Could Lower Baby's ADHD Risk, While Some Diabetes Drugs May do the Opposite
      • Neonatal Vitamin D Levels Appear to Affect MS Risk Later in Life
      • Vitamin D May Improve Symptoms in Children with Autism
      • October is Children’s Health Month
      • Vitamin D Intake During Pregnancy May Protect Against ADHD in Children
      • Regular vitamins likely unnecessary for children with healthy diets, doctor says
      • VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY LEADS TO STRESS FRACTURES IN 15-YEAR-OLD
      • Breastfeeding Moms Aren't Getting Enough of This Essential Vitamin
      • Why children’s allergies are on the rise and how dirt may hold key to reducing cases
      • Babies born to mothers with lack of Vitamin D 'more likely to have learning difficulties'
      • Vitamin D reduces Wheezing
      • Vitamin deficiencies may be linked to migraines in children
      • Vitamin D and MS
      • Less body fat for toddlers taking vitamin D
    • Sports & Endurance >
      • How Optimizing Your Vitamin D Status Promotes Muscle Health & Function
      • Reevaluating Vitamin D as a Sports Supplement
      • The Risks of Being Vitamin D Deficient as an Athlete
      • Vitamin D levels in blood tied to cardiorespiratory fitness
      • What We Know About Vitamin D and Performance
      • Girls with high level of vitamin D have stronger muscles
      • Increased vitamin D intake improves muscle strength and athletic performance
      • Low vitamin D levels associated with higher risk of muscle strain among elite-level football players
      • Are athletes realizing the importance of vitamin D before the general public?
      • Why Vitamin D Is Extra Important for Athletes
      • Optimizing athletic performance through research
      • Nearly 60% Of College Football Athletes Don’t Get Enough D
      • A spotlight on vitamin D
      • High levels of vitamin D may improve muscle strength
      • Low levels of vitamin D may increase risk of fractures in active people
      • Why Vitamin D Is Extra Important for Athletes
      • Low Vitamin D weaker athlete
      • Vitamin D profile in National Football League players.
      • Endurance and D
      • Peak Athletic Performance and Vitamin D
    • General Health >
      • Vitamin D Supplements Linked to Slower Epigenetic Aging
      • Many of us have a vitamin D deficiency and don't know it
      • Vitamin D Helps Modulate Blood Sugar & Promotes Metabolic Health
      • Vitamin D and marine omega 3 fatty acid supplementation and incident autoimmune disease: VITAL randomized controlled trial
      • HEALTH AND WELLNESS The 4 vitamins and supplements this immunologist takes every day to strengthen her immune system: ‘Your body will thank you’
      • If You've Hit A Wall Combating Dry Skin, You May Be Lacking This Vitamin
      • Vitamin D supplements lower risk of autoimmune disease, researchers say
      • Vitamin D3, but not D2, linked to improved immunity
      • Vitamin D and fish oil supplements reduce risk of autoimmune conditions
      • Vitamin D deficiency visible for the first time in teeth after cremation
      • Body pain and tiredness? Could be lack of vitamin D
      • This Little-Known Factor Doubles (Or More) Your Vitamin D Needs
      • 5 Vitamin D Benefits You Should Know About
      • Vitamin D Benefits
      • 7 Reasons to make sure you get enough Vitamin D Accoring to the Doctors
      • Very high dosages of vitamin D may delay frailty in old age
      • Vitamin D deficiency: Could a lack of the sunshine vitamin be causing your cold?
      • Hidden hunger: the crucial health role of Omega 3 and Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D: the superstar of prevention
      • Is Dry Skin A Sign Of Vitamin D Deficiency? Know How It Can Affect Your Skin
      • Coping with seasonal affective disorder
      • Skin Warning Signs That May Indicate You Have Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D increases protection against infection, new model suggests
      • Vitamin D deficiency linked with increased risk of death, particularly from diabetes: study
      • People with diabetes, hypertension are Vitamin D deficit: Study
      • Intake of vitamin D supplementation may slow diabetes progression
      • New study sheds light on the role of vitamin D in muscle cells
      • Why you can't absorb vitamin D through a sunny window
      • Vitamin D Benefits That’ll Make You Take the Nutrient More Seriously
      • 5 tips to improve your cognitive functions
      • 5 Ways Women Can Keep Their Bones Healthy
      • Flu Prevention Tips
      • Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Disease Severity, Mortality Risk in IPF Patients
      • 6 Health Problems That Are Caused Due To Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D deficiency - does your hair look like this? Warning signs of deficiency revealed
      • Winter Increases Risk Of High Blood Pressure
      • 4 smart tricks to overcome chronic fatigue syndrome without popping pills
      • What can a psychiatrist tell us about vitamin D?
      • Vitamin D for Asthma
      • Researchers discover a new gear in life's clock: Vitamin D
      • Can vitamin D prevent the flu?
      • Vitamin D: It’s that time of the year
      • What's the link between cold weather and the common cold?
      • 11 Sneaky Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Are you smarter in summer? Brain health changes with the seasons
      • What's the link between vitamin D, gum health, and diabetes?
      • Infection Risk Lower in Dialysis Patients with High, Normal Vitamin D
      • Researchers Find Link Between Vitamin D and Asbestosis
      • We Can Thank Poor Evolutionary Design for Vitamin D Deficiencies
      • Vitamin D deficiency ups diabetes risk in women: Study
      • REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE TAKING VITAMIN D SERIOUSLY
      • Is vitamin D deficiency to blame for lung disease?
      • Many people lack Vitamin D — even in the Sunshine State
      • Vitamin D deficiency may up diabetes risk
      • Low Vitamin D Linked to Metabolic Syndrome in Postmenopausal Women
      • Vitamin D deficiency: How to reverse a shortfall and stop painful symptoms
      • Vitamin D could provide psoriasis relief
      • Is vitamin D really a cure-all – and how should we get our fix?
      • Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu
      • The Benefits of Vitamin D – Why It’s the Sexiest Vitamin Around
      • Research finds vitamin D is important for respiratory health
      • Is Vitamin D Really Effective For Cold and Flu
      • Vitamin D deficiency: 6 symptoms
      • Vitamin D could help millions of people with irritable bowel syndrome
      • Frailty not ‘inevitable result of ageing’, can be reversed
      • Should ALL pregnant women take vitamin D?
      • Vitamin D supplementation may be more effective than sun exposure at raising vitamin D levels
      • Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu
      • 7 Benefits of Vitamin D You Might Want to Know About
      • Could Fish Oil, Vitamin D Help Ease Lupus?
      • Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu
      • Are YOU vitamin D deficient? 6 signs even your doctor might miss
      • Top Myths of Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D May Lower Asthma Attack Risks
      • Vitamin D supplements may reduce asthma severity
      • The Shocking Truth About Vitamin D Deficiency And Its Repercussions
      • Vitamin D Might Be The Key Ingredient In Vitiligo Treatment
      • Vitamin D insufficiency linked to lower virologic response in HBV
      • BACK TO SCHOOL COLD PREVENTION
      • Too little vitamin D may hinder recovery of injured corneas
      • Gut reaction to a healthy life
      • Low Vitamin D Levels Increases the Risk for Chronic Headaches
      • Vitamin D Levels Predict Multiple Sclerosis Progression
      • Study Links Certain Jobs to Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Can Vitamin D Improve Sunburn?
      • Vitamin D guidelines need to be updated – here’s why
      • Daily fruit smoothie helps couples trying to start a family
      • Vitamin D deficiency could cause deadly diseases, warn UAE doctors
      • Vitamin D Deficiency May Cause Early Menopause
      • Lactose intolerance linked to lower vitamin D levels
      • Vitamin D Helps Friendly Bacteria Repopulate The Gut, Making It The Perfect Campanion To Probiotic Supplements
      • Sunscreen ‘is making us vitamin D deficient’, controversial study claims
      • Widespread Vitamin D Deficiency Likely Due to Sunscreen Use, Increase of Chronic Diseases
      • Doctor’s Tip: The low-down on vitamin D
      • Pet vet: Understanding the importance of vitamin D for pets
      • Vitamin D could provide psoriasis relief
      • Can A Vitamin Deficiency Cause Depression?
      • Increased Fracture Risk: Seniors Not Taking Vitamin D Supplements
      • 11 surprising things you might not know about vitamin D
      • What is rickets, what causes the condition, is there a cure and how can I prevent Vitamin D deficiency?
      • Sunshine vitamin linked to fewer heart events: Meta­-analysis
      • Study finds link between vitamin D levels and severity of malabsorption issues
      • ‘Proof’ that Vitamin D can fight flu
      • Sunshine Is The Natural Treatment For Preventing Pre-diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and More In Children and Adults
      • Vitamin D is not just beneficial, it’s a necessity
      • Vitamin D pills 'could stop colds or flu'
      • Vitamin D Supplementation: Protection from Respiratory Infections?
      • Relapse Risk Up With Low Vitamin D Levels in Ulcerative Colitis
      • Supplementation with vitamin D associated with improved testosterone, erectile function among middle-aged men
      • We all need the Vitamin D
      • 7 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency People Often Ignore
      • 8 Surprising Things You Didn't Know Vitamin D Could Do For You
      • Low vitamin D level predicts CV morbidity, mortality in type 2 diabetes
      • 10 Things That Will Happen If You Lack Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D study outlines impact of supplements in seniors
      • Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of tuberculosis: a meta-analysis
      • Vitamin D improves gut flora and metabolic syndrome
      • Low Levels of Vitamin D May Be Tied to Balance Problems in Fibromyalgia Patients
      • High Levels of Vitamin D Supplements May Help Improve Lung Function in CF Patients, Study Shows
      • Vitamin D Modestly Tied to Sex Hormones in Older Population
      • Sun exposure as kids may prevent nearsightedness in later life
      • Vitamin D reduces respiratory infections, but there's a catch
      • Insufficient Sun Exposure Called Emerging Public Health Problem By World-renowned Researchers
      • Weight loss combined with vitamin D supplements can reduce inflammation linked to cancer and chronic diseases
      • Higher Doses of Vitamin D Can Lower Incidence of Respiratory Infection
      • Poor fertility linked to low vitamin D levels
      • Men and the Power of Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D and Immune Function
      • High quality evidence suggests vitamin D can reduce asthma attacks
      • The association between vitamin D and COPD risk, severity, and exacerbation: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
      • How to boost your energy levels
      • Low Vitamin D Increases Mortality Risk
      • Air pollution and vitamin D deficiency linked to dementia.
      • The Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic … 40% World’s Population Low on D
      • Low Vitamin D Linked with All-Cause Death
      • Your Family Doesn't Have To Get Sick This Fall
      • Vitamin D is essential for the elderly living without sunshine in their lives
      • Taking THIS vitamin could protect you against cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s
      • Vitamin D tablets may help reduce asthma attacks, review finds
      • Vitamin D Proven More Effective Than Both Anti-Viral Drugs and Vaccines at Preventing the Flu
      • Bring me sunshine: How I beat eczema
      • Insulin Resistance and Vitamin D
      • Diverticulitis risk lower with higher vitamin D
      • Vitamin D deficincy linked to problems in pregnancy.
      • High Doses of Vitamin D Unlikely to Help MS Patients, But Daily Low Dose Good for All,
      • Natural Vitamin D Supplement Effective for Nondialysis CKD-MBD
      • 8 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D deficiency could increase risk of diabetes related coronary heart disease
      • Low D may increase nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
      • Vitamin D for prostate health
      • Pregnant women with good intake of vitamin D lower risk
      • Fight infection like an Olympic athlete
      • Lack of vitamin D lowering fertility in Gulf, doctors say
      • Rayaldee Approved for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Vitamin d Deficiency
      • Increase vitamin D levels to cut kidney problems
      • Sunbathers live longer
      • Crohn’s disease causes vitamin D deficiency
      • Taking vitamin D avoid new-onset diabetes risk
      • Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Diabetic Retinopathy
      • UK sun not enough
      • morbidity and D
      • Macular and D
      • Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D
    • Heart Health >
      • STUDY NAILS DOWN A LINK BETWEEN VITAMIN D AND HEART HEALTH
      • Vitamin D-3 could 'reverse' ​damage to heart
      • Vitamin D and the Heart
      • Vitamin D Can Mend a Broken Heart
      • D deficiency linked to high blood pressure
      • Stress of open-heart surgery significantly reduces vitamin D levels, but supplementation helps
      • Vitamin D reduces early mortality: study
      • Vitamin D-3 could 'reverse' damage to heart
      • High Vitamin D Dose May Rapidly Cut Arterial Stiffness
      • Heart failure 12 times more likely in people with vitamin D deficiency
      • Exercise and vitamin D better together for heart health
      • Sunshine vitamin linked to fewer heart events: Meta­-analysis
      • Vitamin D levels could predict risk of poor cardiovascular health
    • Neurological health >
      • New Research Shows Vitamin D Deficiency Leads to Dementia
      • Vitamin D supplementation may reduce ADHD symptoms, finds study
      • low d linked to fall, sleep problems and depression
      • Potential link between vitamin d deficiency and loss of brain plasticity
      • SUNBATHE AND QUIT SMOKING TO REDUCE MS RISK IN SPAIN’S MALAGA SAY LEADING DOCTORS
      • At risk of getting, or have, multiple sclerosis? Load up on vitamin D: MS Society
      • 4 things you can do to prevent stroke
      • Vitamin D: The Only Dietary Supplement Showing Significant Benefit for MS
      • Vitamin D Supplementation May Help Ease Depression
      • Easing your winter blues this season
      • Reducing Vitamin D Levels in Women May Up the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis
      • UNBC study shows vitamin D boosts brain function
      • Vitamin D Eases Depression, Fatigue in Spinal Cord Patients
      • Sharon Ní Chonchúir on having a baby despite her MS
      • Dutch study confirms link between certain psychiatric disorders and vitamin D deficiency
      • Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression
      • Vitamin D During Pregnancy Reduces ADHD Risk
      • Low Levels of Vitamin D in Patients With Bipolar Disorder
      • Vitamin D Supplements Improve Cognition in Patients With MS
      • Can vitamin D prevent Alzheimers?
      • The signs you might have seasonal affective disorder
      • A deficiency of THIS essential vitamin could lead to MEMORY loss
      • Vitamin D levels predict risk of brain decline in Chinese elderly
      • Vitamin D and MS
      • Alzheimer's Q&A
    • Pain >
      • Vitamin D Reduces Need for Opioid Pain Relief in Cancer Patients
      • The association of calcium and vitamin D use with implant survival of total knee arthroplasty: A nationwide population-based cohort study
      • Vitamin D for Back Pain and Disc Degeneration in Postmenopausal Women
      • Vitamin D may expedite wound healing in burn patients
      • Vitamin deficiency can cause pain
      • What is the link between psoriatic arthritis and depression?
      • Neuropathic Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D supplements could help pain management
      • Recent clinical trial discovers vitamin D supplementation reduces chronic low back pain
      • Chronic Headache Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
      • With Vitamin D Deficiency More Prevalent Than Previously Thought, Pain & Stress Center Presents Solution
      • How vitamin D inhibits inflammation
      • Easy ways to relieve crippling knee pain
      • Vitamin D Supplementation and the Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
      • Migraines Linked to Low Levels of Vitamin D
    • ​Weight Managment >
      • Research links lower vitamin D levels to excess body fat
      • Vitamin D is important for decreasing belly fat
      • Study finds association between vitamin D, BMI and advanced cancer
      • Weight loss combined with vitamin D supplements can reduce inflammation linked to cancer and chronic diseases
      • Vitamin D deficiency can cause weight gain
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  • Vitamin D may get you discharged home sooner! A deficiency in the sunshine supplement trebles the length of time patients stay in hospital
  • 5 Probiotic Benefits That Have Nothing To Do With Digestion
  • Newborns with Vitamin D Deficiency Have Higher Risk of Later Schizophrenia
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  • Exercising and Taking Vitamin D and Omega-3 Supplements May Reduce Your Cancer Risk By 61%, Study Says

How to boost your energy levels

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If you feel exhausted when you come off shift or even facing the prospect of hauling yourself out of bed, you are not alone. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, one in five people at any given time feels unusually tired and one in 10 suffers prolonged fatigue.
Staying energised and alert throughout the day is not always easy, particularly when the average Briton gets six and a half hours sleep a night, well below the 8.1 hours per night which is the average requirement for adults.
Your body’s own 24-hour clock, known as the Circadian rhythm, also affects how sleepy you feel because it dips and rises at different times of the day, going into a noticeable slump between 1pm and 3pm, or siesta time.
‘How sleepy you feel after lunch depends on whether you are getting enough sleep at night or are sleep-deprived,’ says Professor Kevin Morgan Professor of Psychology and Director of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University. Sleep requirements vary according to individuals and age – adolescents need more sleep than adults and people tend to need less sleep as they get older.
Your metabolic rate is also key to your energy levels. The higher your basal metabolic rate, which is the rate at which your body burns fuel when at rest, the more energy you have to carry out daily tasks and use your brain, the organ which expends the most energy in the human body, 20 per cent of the total.
Here are top tips that will keep you feeling pepped up and ready to go from dawn to long after dusk.
Start your day with a cup of coffee
Caffeine in coffee has been shown to promote mental alertness and improve stamina in high performance athletes.
‘When you have you espresso ‘pick me up’, you are feeling the stimulating effect of caffeine, which activates noradrenalin neurons, triggering the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response,’ explains Steve Bazire, professor of pharmacy practice at the University of East Anglia and a member of the College of Mental Health pharmacists. ‘This elevates blood pressure and heart rate.’ Caffeine also stimulates the release of ‘feel Good’ dopamine, although the effects are temporary only.

​Pop a Vitamin D pill

Around 60 per cent of people in the UK are thought to be deficient in Vitamin D, which is synthesised in the skin in the presence of sunlight and is found in some foods. Children under five, people with dark skin and older people are most at risk.
Although it is well known to contribute to the formation of healthy bones and teeth, Vitamin D also seems to play an important role in making our muscles work efficiently and boosting energy levels.
A study at Newcastle University led by Dr Akash Sinha found that patients who suffered from a deficiency in this vitamin showed increased vitality during exercise after treatment with supplements. Vitamin D is thought to enhance the activity of the mitochondria, the batteries of the cell.
Dr Sinha, who also works within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, says: ‘Examining this small group of patients with vitamin D deficiency who experienced symptoms of muscle fatigue, we found that those with very low vitamin D levels improved their muscle efficiency significantly when their vitamin D levels were improved.’
 Carry on camping
Many people ignore their internal body clock, turning in long after they have started feeling sleepy and dragging themselves out of bed before they feel really rested.
US research has shown that when adults are taken camping, and not exposed to electrical light, their natural sleep patterns start to reassert themselves, so they go to bed earlier and rise earlier too. ‘By increasing our exposure to sunlight and reducing our exposure to electrical lighting at night, we can turn our internal clock and sleep times back and likely make it easier to awaken and be alert in the morning,’ says Professor Kenneth Wright of the department of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
If you don’t want to live life under canvas, you can still help to reset your body clock to earlier wake up times. ‘Our findings suggest that people can have earlier bed and wake times, more conducive to their school and work schedules, if they were to increase their exposure to sunlight during the day and decrease their exposure to electrical lighting at night,’ Wright says.

Wholemeal toast and eggs for breakfast

When it comes to stoking up with energy-boosting food, not all foods are created equal. ‘A sugary cereal will cause a rapid energy spike followed by a slump mid morning which encourages people to eat more than they need. Better to have a breakfast which releases energy slowly and at a steady rate so you don’t feel hungry again until lunchtime,’ says registered dietitian, Anna Daniels, a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.
Porridge made from rolled oats is a low Glycaemic Index (GI) food which releases its energy slowly. This happens because soluble fiber, such as that found in whole grains like oatmeal or bran foods, slows the breakdown of the carbohydrate sugars into the single sugar molecule glucose. ‘It is the perfect accompaniment to low GI blueberries, which are also jam packed with cancer busting antioxidants,’ says Daniels.
‘Wholemeal toasts is a good source of fibre and is medium GI, but eat it with eggs and you get a protein boost as well as slowing down the speed at which the carbohydrate is absorbed from the gut.’ Protein and carbs in combination become slow-release energy sources.

 Build lean muscle mass

Adopt a resistance training programme which will help to build muscles and boost your metabolism. Muscle burns calories while you are at rest and is therefore a contributing factor to your BMR. Although there is some confusion as to the exact amount of calories that muscle burns, the strongest evidence seems to indicate that each pound of muscle on your body adds roughly 5 calories per day to your BMR.

 Take off your shades

Even on very bright summer days, it is important to expose your eyes directly to the light regularly for short periods if you want to avoid feeling sluggish. ‘This is because special non-image forming receptors on the retina at the back of the eye read light intensity and transmit this data straight to the part of the brain that controls the production of the hormone melatonin,’ explains Professor Morgan. ‘Melatonin is a chronobiotic hormone, meaning it helps to synchronise our internal body clock to the rhythm of light and darkness and is released by the pineal gland when the brain perceives the world to be dark, and therefore sets the scene for sleepiness.’ If you are constantly shading your eyes, the receptors send a weak signal to the brain which in turn starts the pineal gland to produce melatonin – making you start yawning.

Lunch on rice with bacon and beans.
Not all rice is low GI, but Basmati is medium GI and releases its energy steadily.
Add protein and fat – some lean meat and a handful of nuts containing unsaturated fats– and you slow down the energy release further. ‘This combination slows down the absorption of glucose (sugar) into the blood stream,’ explains Anna Daniels.

Power nap

It’s no wonder that so many cultures build in a Siesta, or afternoon nap, into their day. The body’s natural 24-hour body clock actively encourages us to have a post-prandial nap between 1-3pm, according to studies. However, Professor Morgan thinks that the power nap – a brief shut eye which supercharges your energy levels for the rest of the day is an ‘urban myth’. ‘If you fall asleep easily in the afternoon it suggests that you are sleep deprived and should be getting more sleep at night.’ The late Conservative PM, Margaret Thatcher, a power nap enthusiast, admitted that she rarely got more than five hours sleep a night and probably had some catching up to do.
However, a team of neuropsychologists at Saarland University, who have shown that even a brief sleep can significantly improve memory.
Sara Studte, a graduate biologist at Saarland, working with her PhD supervisor Axel Mecklinger, looked at how power naps influenced memory performance. ‘Even a short sleep lasting 45 to 60 minutes produces a five-fold improvement in information retrieval from memory,’ says Mecklinger.

 Work in 90 minute bursts

Back in the 1950s, William Dement and Nathaniel Kleitman discovered that human beings sleep in cycles of around 90-100 minutes, alternating between deep sleep, REM sleep and almost waking. This cycle, named this pattern the Basic-Rest Activity Cycle or BRAC, also seems to exist in waking lives too, although it is far more subtle.
Researchers in the US at Florida State University published their findings that elite performers, including musicians, athletes, actors and chess players typically practice in uninterrupted sessions that last no more than 90 minutes. They begin in the morning, take a break between sessions, and rarely work for more than four and a half hours in any given day.
Professor Kevin Morgan says: ‘Certainly, we are more likely to perform tasks better if we take rests at regular intervals but the evidence for a fixed BRAC during waking hours is not strong.’
Drink plenty of water
Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue. Registered dietitian Anna Daniels recommends that adults drink around two litres of water each day although actual amounts required vary depending on body weight, (35ml per kilo of body weight) activity levels and even outside temperature. She does not recommend energy drinks, which will create a sugar spike, followed a slump.
Even mild dehydration can alter a person’s mood, energy level, and ability to think clearly, according to two studies conducted at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory. In the tests involving 25 young women, mild dehydration caused headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. The results were published in The Journal of Nutrition in 2012. In the tests involving 26 young men, mild dehydration caused some difficulty with mental tasks, particularly in the areas of vigilance and working memory,
Mild dehydration is defined as an approximately 1.5 percent loss in normal water volume in the body.
Avoid coffee and other caffeinated drinks from 6pm onwards.
Professor Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol says that caffeine suppresses melatonin for up to 10 hours. It also inhibits natural sleep patterns if taken in the hours before bedtime. It does this by binding to adenosine receptors, making it impossible for adenisone to do its job, which is to slow down nerve cells in the brain, making us drowsy. ‘This is the opposite of what we need to get a good night’s sleep or even prove helpful if feeling drowsy but should be restricted to the earlier hours of the day.‘
Dinner
Try chilli con carne for an energy-boosting evening meal. Beans are full of resistant starch. A 2004 study found that this kind of starch is associated with increased fat metabolism and decreased fat storage. An active ingredient in chilli, known as capsaicin, has been shown to increase thermogenesis, the rate at which the body burns fuel.
Avoid reading e-books in bed.
If you always take your Kindle to bed and struggle to fall asleep, then it may be time to switch to the paper version instead. According to a US study, the ‘blue’ short wave-length enriched light emitted by the digital screen disrupts Circadian rhythms, preventing natural drowsiness.
According to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US who compared the biological effects of reading an E-book and a printed version, the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the light from electronic devices. Their findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on December 22, 2014.
Anne-Marie Chang, associate neuroscientist in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, says: ‘Participants reading an LE-eBook took longer to fall asleep and had reduced evening sleepiness, reduced melatonin secretion, later timing of their circadian clock and reduced next-morning alertness than when reading a printed book.’
Previous research has shown that blue light suppresses melatonin, which is the hormone released by the pineal gland at times of darkness to start the process of drowsiness.
Shift over
If you do shift work, try and start shift after midnight as you are less likely to feel energy drain. Shifts that start before midnight – the worst starts at 11pm – make you feel exhausted. ‘Shift workers who start after midnight have been able to have more sleep time in the key period where melatonin levels have increased to start the process of preparing for sleep in the evening,’ explains Professor Morgan. Shifts starting earlier mean less of this golden sleep time.

http://www.hippocraticpost.com/lifestyle/boost-energy-levels/




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