Skip to content
Health Insiders
The signs of vitamin B12 deficiency are tiredness, breathlessness, a pale or yellow tinge, a sore red tongue and mouth ulcers, pins and needles, unsteadiness, poor memory and low mood; they build over years and the nerve signs can come before the blood count changes. The symptoms, the facial signs people search for, the causes, the UK test route, whether it can be a sign of cancer, and how long recovery takes.
Continue reading
The foods highest in calcium are dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese), tinned fish eaten with the bones, calcium-set tofu, fortified plant milks and bread, and some greens, nuts and seeds. UK portions in milligrams against the 700 mg daily need, the non-dairy routes, why spinach does not count, what vitamin D has to do with it, and when a supplement is and is not a good idea.
Continue reading
Vitamin D3 contributes to normal bones, teeth, muscle and immune function and calcium absorption; vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting and the maintenance of normal bones. They are sold together on the theory that K2 directs calcium into bone and away from arteries, which is plausible, not authorised, and not confirmed by the trials so far. What each does, what the K2 trials show, a safe daily amount, timing, statins, palpitations, and why anyone on warfarin must not take K2 without advice.
Continue reading
Yes, from supplements, not from sun or food: the UK upper level is 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) a day for adults, and sustained doses well above it cause too much calcium in the blood, with nausea, thirst, frequent urination, weakness, confusion and eventually kidney damage. How much is too much, the signs, why doses add up across products, who is at particular risk, and whether 4,000 IU a day is safe.
Continue reading
The signs of vitamin D deficiency are tiredness, aches, bone pain in the back, hips and legs, muscle weakness and cramps, and low mood that lifts in summer; in children, bowed legs and poor growth. None is specific, so the blood test decides: below 25 nmol/L is deficient in the UK. What the symptoms feel like, how long they take to appear and to correct, the weight and sleep questions, and who should ask for a test.
Continue reading
