/oss/taxonomy/term/396/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/protect-yourself-against-sunscreen-myths <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-shining-light-on-online-myths-about-sun-safety">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9977 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-you-asked/vitamin-d-puzzle <p>Walk into any pharmacy or health food store and you will see shelves filled with vitamin D supplements. Then stroll over to a bookstore and you will find all sort of books touting the wonders of the vitamin. Next, search PubMed for articles about vitamin D. There will be thousands, with different conclusions about what constitutes adequate blood levels and how these are to be achieved. Where will that leave you? Confused, I suspect. </p> Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:27:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9815 at /oss /oss/article/environment-general-science/splendid-rays-and-skin-vancer <p>Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology, rode a chariot across the sky, east to west, sunrise to sundown, year round, as dusk bestows silvery moonlight accompanied by stars that extend to infinity followed by dawn that welcomes renewing sunlight.</p> <p>The sun is not always reflected as gentle and rosy. The sun can get stupendously stormy and frightfully tempestuous. The phenomenon, none less, is called “solar storm”.</p> Tue, 29 Mar 2022 18:47:23 +0000 Nancy Liu-Sullivan, PhD 9069 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/does-vitamin-d-protect-against-covid-seems-not <hr /> <p>This article was originally published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-does-vitamin-d-protect-against-covid-seems-not">the Montreal Gazette</a></p> <hr /> <p>One of the major arguments used by people who want to downplay the seriousness of this pandemic or the importance of vaccines is to raise the issue of Vitamin D.</p> Fri, 25 Jun 2021 23:38:18 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8771 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/truth-about-vitamin-d-and-covid-19 <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-the-truth-about-vitamin-d-and-covid-19">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Fri, 19 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8655 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/smoking-vitamin-d-and-covid-19 <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-smoking-vitamin-d-and-covid-19/wcm/5ddd2cfb-b692-4f31-b520-b7237e116dc0/">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> <hr /> <p>Let me be very clear. Smoking does not protect you from coronavirus. Neither does vitamin D. But recent reports have suggested that current smokers are less likely to die from coronavirus and that low vitamin D levels resulted in more severe infections. Neither assertion is really true.</p> Wed, 20 May 2020 14:54:02 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8252 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19/let-sunshine-covid-19 <p>Mention Vitamin D and thoughts usually turn to bone strength. That is understandable since the relationship between this vitamin and the incorporation of calcium and phosphorus into bone is well established. In the early twentieth century, Sir Edward Mellanby in Great Britain was concerned about the incidence of rickets, a disease characterized by bow legs due to impaired bone formation.</p> Fri, 08 May 2020 16:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8237 at /oss /oss/article/health/it-hasnt-been-good-year-vitamin-d <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>​</em><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-it-hasnt-been-a-good-year-for-vitamin-d?fbclid=IwAR0YZCqOdpLjViz7BIVWLEOQ3pBEXpbDCQupHpKCaRQkp2IF0resvmBUMvM">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Fri, 15 Nov 2019 17:00:31 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7997 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/link-between-vitamin-d-and-alzheimers <p>There is fair evidence that regular physical activity helps stave off dementia, but it is always difficult to be too certain about this association since the people who exercise more tend to be healthier overall. An overall healthy diet of many fruits and vegetables is also felt to be beneficial, although advocating any one food or mineral is more fanciful thinking than hard science. Controlling your cardiovascular risk factors, like high blood pressure, has also been shown to be helpful though the data is not definitive.</p> Wed, 25 Sep 2019 23:39:39 +0000 christopher Labos MD, MSc 7940 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/battle-milks-are-plant-based-milks-appropriate-children <p>A <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/plant-based-milks-for-kids-pediatricians-dietitians-1.4392857">recent CBC article</a> reports on a new joint statement from the Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society that says plant based milks are “inappropriate alternatives to cow milk in the first two years”, citing their lack of protein, lack of fortification (most cow’s milk is fortified with a subset or all of vitamin A, D and C), sugar content and potential to “displace hunger”. So let’s take a look at the nutrition of plant based milks.</p> Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:22:02 +0000 Ada McVean, OSS Intern & Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 6820 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-supplements/vitamin-d-supplements-question <p>Study after study has shown that vitamin supplements do not offer any benefits over a well-balanced diet. In certain cases they may even be detrimental to health. In 1994, the National Cancer Institute, showed, after studying 29,000 Finnish men, all long-term smokers, that those receiving beta carotene supplements had an 18% increased risk of developing lung cancer. Two years later another study in the U.S. involving 18,000 subjects at risk indicated that those taking vitamin A and beta carotene had a 28% increased risk of developing lung cancer.</p> Tue, 28 Jan 2014 15:23:56 +0000 Ariel Fenster PhD 2079 at /oss /oss/article/food-health-you-asked/you-asked-how-come-calcium-not-added-skim-milk-added-1-2-and-homogenized <p style="text-align:justify">As consumers we like choices. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that companies provide us with a variety of different milks to choose from. We have the option to purchase whole milk, 2% milk, 1% milk, skim milk as well as organic versions of these. All milk sold undergoes pasteurization, homogenization and fortification with calcium and vitaminD.</p> Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:50:53 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2085 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health/catching-some-rays-could-help-your-heart <p>Life comes down to a struggle between risk and benefit. Although not always consciously, we evaluate our diet, our cosmetics, our medications, household chemicals and activity levels on the basis of whether they are good or bad for us. Mention sun exposure, and the conflict comes down to the “bad,” namely skin cancer, and the “good,” usually ascribed to the enhanced production of vitamin D. Skin cancer is bad, but why is vitamin D good? For one, it is required for the proper absorption of calcium and a lack can lead to soft bones, in extreme cases to the characteristic bow legs of rickets.</p> Sat, 26 Sep 2015 10:23:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2287 at /oss /oss/article/health/vitamin-d-and-prevention-disease <p>To take or not to take, that is the question many people have been asking themselves about vitamin D supplements. As is so often the case in science, there is no concrete answer. This in spite of close to 2000 studies published in the scientific literature. What that means is that if an effect exists, it is likely to be small, because if it were significant it would have revealed itself.</p> Fri, 08 Jul 2016 11:48:31 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2344 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/diet-and-bone-health <p style="text-align:justify">As if we needed another reason to eat more fruits and vegetables. Well, here is one anyway. Fruits and vegetables can strengthen bones. Whoa...you say. Calcium and vitamin D are what we need to prevent osteoporosis. Yes, we certainly need those nutrients but bone health has more determinants than just calcium and vitamin D intake. It is the overall content of the diet that matters. Hip fractures, for example, are higher in milk consuming countries. That may come as a surprise given that dairy products are an excellent source of calcium.</p> Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:02:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1603 at /oss