Many adults will remember the phrase “go play outside” from their childhood. A phrase that always seemed to be uttered at a time when they most wanted to stay inside and watch TV. But time moves on, and now for many of us, it is time to start reminding our children “to go play outside”.
Recent research conducted at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Japan and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrution looked into the relationship between Vitamin D levels and likelihood of contracting influenza.
In the early 1960s, experiments were conducted to see what impact light had on the development of cancer. A 2-year pilot study was undertaken by S.L. Gabby MD to determine the effects of different lighting regimes on C3H mice.
C3H mice are chosen for these studies as they are prone to tumor development. 98% of males and females will typically develop breast carcinoma.
The following results were seen: (more…)
We recently found reference to an 2007 meeting report from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the United States, where they discussed how best to conduct research on possible connections between lighting and health
In a world where the average piece of food travels between 1,500 to 2,500 miles (4,000 km) every time it is delivered to your plate, what can you do to reduce your food mileage.
A recently completed study by Johns Hopkins University has found a link between low levels of Vitamin D and anaemia in children.
Anaemia occurs when the body has too few oxygen carrying red blood cells. Mild anaemia symptoms include fatigue, lightheadedness and low energy. Severe and prolonged anaemia can damage organs through oxygen deprivation.
The study looked at 9400 children between the ages of 2 and 18. The lower the vitamin D levels, the lower the hemoglobin and the higher the risk for anemia, the researchers found.
In a recent Science Daily article they report on an experiment published in the June 2011 edition of Infection and Immunity.
The experiment covered in the article showed that laboratory-grown gingival cells treated with vitamin D boosted their production of an endogenous antibiotic, and killed more bacteria than untreated cells.
The article suggests this means vitamin D can protect gums from bacterial infections that lead to gingivitis and periodontitis.
Several recently published articles have looked at the relationship of light to the female ovulation cycle. From the anecodotal description of the Burnett Park Zoo in Syracuse installing sunlight-simulating bulbs to reduce vandalism and then discovering the subsequent increase in animal birth rate to more formal studies.
A new study publicised in the New Zealand Herald this week looks at the relationship between severe Vitamin D deficiencies and deaths from pneumonia.
The study completed at Waikato Hospital looked at blood samples of the 112 patients hospitalised with pneumonia. They found that the death rate was 29% for those with very low levels of Vitamin D compared to only 4% amongst those with normal or slight deficiencies. While this was an observational study, it suggests avenues for research on whether Vitamin D is a viable treatment option for respiratory diseases.
Many considerations go into creating an environment conducive to effective learning . The study we review today compared children attending elementary schools with full-spectrum light versus children attending similar schools with normal lighting conditions. (more…)
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