February 9, 2023 — Vitamin D is an illusory panacea. Popular fascination with this “sunshine vitamin” has drawn people to latch onto associations that it has with many conditions. But those associations, when tested, often turn out to be confounded. So does a new systematic review and meta-analysis of vitamin D in prediabetes tell a different story? Anastassios Pittas […]
September 8, 2022 — It really is becoming hard to remember just how we were clutching at straws to cope with the pandemic two years ago when all we had to prevent COVID was social distance and masks. No vaccines or Paxlovid. One of the straws we were clutching then was vitamin D. Both our ex-President and Tony Fauci […]
July 30, 2022 — It’s hard to argue with something dubbed “the sunshine vitamin” – more specifically, vitamin D. It’s been generating headlines and controversy for years now. The vitamin D fan club described it like a panacea, good for preventing bone fractures (of course), but also ills ranging from infections to diabetes and cancer. Because of its association […]
December 27, 2021 — Our readers amaze us. First of all, it is amazing that more than 100,000 of you come to ConscienHealth in the span of a year. But more important, you teach us by what you read and share from our site and what you pass up. So here are the top ten stories you read most […]
November 15, 2021 — Last year, when we didn’t have many great options for dealing with COVID-19, interest in vitamin D was keen. A number of studies found a correlation between vitamin D levels and COVID risk. So splashy headlines ensued. Even the former president and Tony Fauci told us they were taking it. But in retrospect, those headlines […]
April 14, 2021 — To prevent health problems across the population, what should we do? Answering that question is the job of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. It’s been seven years since the USPSTF looked at screening for vitamin D levels. Since vitamin D has been a hot topic in the COVID-19 pandemic, a new update in JAMA […]
March 31, 2021 — Public enthusiasm for vitamin D during the COVID pandemic has been impressive. An ardent fan base follows every twist and turn in this saga. Observational studies find lower risk in people who have higher vitamin D level. Then an RCT comes along to muddy the water by finding no benefit. Two new studies provide new […]
March 23, 2021 — Bias comes in many forms. People express bias when they hold to a partial perspective about a person, group, thing, or idea. With bias comes the refusal to consider different points of view. Feelings, not facts, drive our biases and we all have them. On the subject of COVID-19, vaccines, and vitamins, this is especially […]
March 9, 2021 — We are learning in so many ways that it’s hard to shake a cult. It might be a cult of personality or a cult around a theory. Right now, one that seems unshakable is the cult of vitamin D. With a frequency that seems daily, we see new studies proclaiming that vitamin D levels predict […]
February 18, 2021 — The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many things, big and small. One of the unexpected insights is the fervor that exists for vitamin D. It’s a potent vitamin with many effects. Too little of it in a person’s body can cause any number of problems. Too much can be a serious problem as well. It […]
