HEALTH Dr Paul Middleton
Vital Amines Millions of people take vital amines everyday – now we call them vitamins. The vitamin industry is worth billions of pounds and generally, if you eat a balanced diet, you do not need these extra pills. However, there are exceptions – and vitamin D is one of them. About 1 in 5 of British people are vitamin D deficient. “But I get lots of sunshine” I hear you say and you’d be right – your skin is an amazing structure and it actually makes vitamin D in sunlight. But, if you are reading this, then you probably live in the UK and, unfortunately, at this latitude, the sun is only strong enough to help our skin do this from about May to October. That’s British weather for you! so, what does vitamin D do? Surprisingly we are still our title today comes discovering what vitamins actually from the wonderfully do. Our title today named Dr Cazimir comes from funk, who was a the wonderfully Polish biochemist, named Dr Funk, who was a Polish and first described biochemist, and vitamins just over a first described century ago. vitamins just over a century ago. We now know how important vitamin D is for bone growth and strength but it also seems to play a part in our immunity. Patients with low vitamin D levels seem to be more susceptible to severe covid infection, so much so that the Government is planning to send vitamin D supplements to vulnerable people. current NHs advice is for all of us to take a supplement, particularly during the winter months. International advice on how much to take varies, but in the UK, it is 10micrograms or 400iu (international units) per day. Shop around: the profit margin on vitamins is high and you should not have to pay large sums for these pills. some people do make the mistake of thinking that if a little of something is good for you then lots of it is even better. taking too much of a vitamin can cause problems. Always follow the dosage advice.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
winter warmers
January and February are renowned for being the coldest months of the British winter, but apart from the hard frosts and beautiful clear skies or even snow, what else do we need to look out for? Many people feel the effects of the winter with poor circulation, numb extremities and even chilblains. there are a few simple home herbal solutions for one to try. To increase the circulation to the fingers and toes; warm it all up with spices such as Ginger, Chilli, Cayenne, fenugreek or Cinnamon. consuming more of these and even the humble black pepper on food can be a help, if used regularly. the likes of curry, chilli con carne, stir fry with ginger and garlic are all beneficial. The hotter and spicier the better, although it is not a competition! Add cinnamon to morning porridge or cereal for extra warmth (cinnamon helps with diabetes too). Old fashioned mustard powder in hand or foot baths are still very useful, just add a good dessert spoon to the water, with some essential oils like Geranium, ginger, black pepper or Peppermint. Soak for 20 mins along with some Epsom salt and it may make a big difference to poor circulation in the extremities. After this, a healing cream, such as calendula can be very soothing and healing, particularly on chilblains, which can become very painful. Apply up to three times daily for full effects Vitamin e as a supplement can help too, this helps blood become less viscous, thus better able to travel down small vessels! When there is snow on the ground or a hard frost, it is tempting to stay inside to avoid the hazards, such as slipping, but you must keep moving! exercise is most important to the circulation. Move your body: run up the stairs, Yoga, on the spot running, Pilates or a skipping rope, every bit will help you. try anything, every bit is a small help and it all adds up! Pop in for more specific advice.
Louise Idoux MSc. MNIMH Member of the national Institute of Medical Herbalists, Oswestry Herbarium, tel 01691 656934
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