Health News__
Study Shows Additional Benefits Of Vitamin D

.....People with a vitamin D deficiency are as much as twice as likely to die compared to people whose blood contains higher amounts of the so-called sunshine vitamin, reports a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study - the latest to suggest a health benefit from the vitamin -- showed death rates from any cause as well as from heart-related problems varied greatly depending on vitamin D. The body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight, a reason for its nickname as the "sunshine vitamin." It is added to milk and fatty fish like salmon but many people do not get enough of it. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is considered important for bone health. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, and it can lead to rickets in children.
.....A number of recent studies have also indicated vitamin D may offer a variety of other health benefits, including protecting against cancer, peripheral artery disease and tuberculosis. U.S. researchers have noted vitamin D may extend the lives of people with colon and rectal cancer.
.....The study followed more than 3,200 people with an average age of 62 who were scheduled for a heart exam between 1997 and 2000. During an eight-year follow-up the researchers found that the quarter of volunteers with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood were at greater risk of dying.
.....Even when accounting for factors such as heart disease, exercise and other conditions, the researchers found that the risk was double for people with between 5 to 10 nanograms per millilitre of vitamin D in their blood.
Many doctors believe people should have between 20 to 30 nanograms per millilitre of the vitamin in their blood. What causes this effect is not clear, but a host of studies suggests links to high blood pressure, cancer and fractures as places to begin looking.
.....The potential health risk of low levels of vitamin D should also prod physicians to be more aware of the potential problem, especially for the immobile, elderly and others who spend a great amount of time indoors.
.....Many doctors agree that people with low levels of vitamin D cannot make up for it safely by sitting in the sun, but should take supplements.

Helpful tips on preventing and treating colds and the flu

• Wash your hands often. This is especially important before and after preparing food and before eating.Hand washing is especially important for children who attend child care. Children younger than 3 years in child care are at greater risk of respiratory diseases, which can easily spread to family members and others in the community.
• Get vaccinated. Flu immunization can reduce the risk of contracting the common flu virus. Health care workers, the elderly and people with suppressed immune systems are prime candidates for immunization.
• Use antibiotics sensibly. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but do not treat viruses and 90% of colds and flus, and the accompanying coughs, sore throats, aches and pains are caused by viruses. And antibiotics won't help. If you visit a doctor and aren't prescribed an antibiotic, there are good reasons. Your illness has been diagnosed as a virus, and you'll most likely get better without an antibiotic. An ordinary cold or flu virus will run its course in a week or so. If you visit a doctor and aren't prescribed an antibiotic, there are good reasons. Your illness has been diagnosed as a virus, and you'll most likely get better without an antibiotic. An ordinary cold or flu virus will run its course in a week or so.
• Stay at home if you have signs and symptoms of an infection. Don't go to work if you are vomiting, have diarrhea or are running a fever.
  Don't send your child to school if he or she has these signs and symptoms.
• Talk to your Peoples Pharmacist. Your local Peoples Pharmacist is an excellent source for trusted advice on over the counter cold and flu remedies. They can recommend the best remedies for your specific symptoms.