Jun
17
As health editor, I’m always coming across new programs and innovations in Canada related to women’s health. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Women’s College Hospital to learn about their osteoporosis program. I met with Dr. Sophie Jamal, one of the doctors who works with a team to provide care to women who are diagnosed with osteoporosis, which affects 1.4 million Canadians, or one in four women.
When a patient enrolls in the osteoporosis program (after being referred by her family doctor), she meets with her “team” — a doctor, dietitian, nurse specialist, physiotherapist and occupational therapist. Each specialist provides a different type of care to help the patient manage her condition. When I visited the program, I met “Susan,” a new patient who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis after recovering from breast cancer. Susan first met the nurse specialist, who gave her a crash course in bone health and osteoporosis, showing her diagrams of bones and explaining how their structure is degraded by osteoporosis. The next stop was the dietitian, who took a history of the supplements Susan has taken, other medications and her overall diet. After some quick math, the dietitian evaluated whether Susan was getting enough nutrients, particularly calcium and vitamin D, and made some recommendations. 
Then Susan met with Dr. Sophie Jamal (in the photo at right), who had looked her most recent bone scans. Dr. Jamal talked Susan through the scans, pointing out how much bone density she’d lost since the last scans and estimating her risk of fractures. After her time with Dr. Jamal, Susan met with the physiotherapist and occupational therapist, who assessed her physical activity and gave her safe, effective exercises and tips to prevent falls and minimize her chances of breaking bones.
Susan also received an information package about osteoporosis, which included phone numbers for her specialists, in case she had questions later. As a patient, Susan is now equipped to manage her condition and minimize the impact it has on her life.
Programs like this one truly make a difference in the health and lives of women. Right now, I’m working on a story that will run in our October issue about programs and innovations across Canada that are saving women’s lives — be sure to check it out when the issue comes out!
Sep
29
Brrr, I’m not used to walking outside at 7:30 a.m. to 12C weather. Vive l’automne, I guess! And what’s the one nutrient you should be thinking about as the seasons change? The answer is vitamin D. Last week, I spoke with Bev Callaghan, a dietitian, cookbook author and nutrition expert, about “the sunshine vitamin” and why it should be top of mind for Canadians at this time of year.
Why’s vitamin D important for our health?
Vitamin D has long been recognized for its role in bone health in children and adults. But there’s a growing body of evidence that vitamin D may have a beneficial effect on some types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer and other immune-related diseases. [One U.S. study suggested that the vitamin could cut the risk of cancer by 60 percent; previous research has also linked low levels of vitamin D with various cancers, such as breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.]
What’s the connection between vitamin D and calcium?
Vitamin D is necessary for absorbing calcium. When children are growing, they’re laying down bone. They need calcium, but they also need vitamin D. Long ago, it was difficult to get vitamin D, which is why we had cod liver oil. Now fluid milk and soy beverages are fortified with vitamin D, and some juices are fortified with calcium and vitamin D — a big improvement on cod liver oil!
How much vitamin D do we need per day?
Health Canada’s recommendation for vitamin D is 200 to 600 UI per day, depending on age; 200 UI is the equivalent of two servings of fluid milk. But I believe that recommendation is too low. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends 1,000 UI per day, based on the recent evidence about vitamin D and cancer.
Why should we pay particular attention to vitamin D in the fall and winter?
One source of vitamin D is sunlight: Skin exposure to UVB radiation from the sun promotes vitamin D production. Fifteen to 20 minutes per day is enough to meet the Canadian Cancer Society recommendations for vitamin D. But for most of the winter months in Canada, there’s insufficient UVB radiation from the sun to produce vitamin D.
Where else can we get enough vitamin D to meet the recommendations?
There aren’t that many natural dietary sources of vitamin D, unfortunately. There’s fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna. There’s fortified milk and some juices. But with dietary sources alone, it would be difficult to obtain the Canadian Cancer Society’s recommended amount of vitamin D. So that’s when we have to take vitamin D supplements.
You’ve created a quiz, called “Vitamin IQ.” Why?
I’ve found that there’s a lot of confusion about what to eat, where to get vitamins and nutrients, when to supplement… There’s so much information that Canadians are food-fatigued. The quiz clears up the myths and provides great information. And at the end, there’s a handy chart, about what vitamins do and where to find them, that you can print off and stick on your fridge.
Thanks, Bev, for your time and expert advice.
Test your vitamin IQ by taking the quiz. You’ll find answers to questions such as: What vitamins and minerals help to maintain a healthy immune system? How many servings of fruits and vegetables there are in one cup of 100 percent orange juice? And, why phytonutrients are beneficial for your health? And if you have any other questions about vitamin D (or other vitamins), let me know by posting a comment below. Have a lovely Monday.
