Sunny exposition."The Antibiotic Vitamin" (SN: 11/11/06, p. 312) reminds me that in preantibiotic days, tuberculosis patients were put on a fresh-air-and-sunshine regimen. Could the vitamin D vitamin D Any of a group of fat-soluble alcohols important in calcium metabolism in animals to form strong bones and teeth and prevent rickets and osteoporosis. It is formed by ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) of sterols (see steroid) present in the skin. so acquired account for the cures this system sometimes produced? NANCY AXFORD, SACRAMENTO, CALIF. Researcher John J. Cannell points to TB sanitariums as anecdotal evidence anecdotal evidence, n information obtained from personal accounts, examples, and observations. Usually not considered scientifically valid but may indicate areas for further investigation and research. that sunlight fights infections. Does the vitamin D in milk help protect against infection? GRAEME MCRAE, PALMDALE, CALIF. Probably not, according to Michael Holick of Boston University, who has measured the vitamin's content in milk. Far better, he says, would be cod-liver oil cod-liver oil, yellowish oil obtained from the liver of the codfish. The oil is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D (calciferol). It was long used as a preventive and cure for rickets in Baltic and Scandinavian countries, where fish is a dietary staple. , with "a whopping 1,360 [international units international units, n.pl a unit of measurement that evaluates the potency of a substance. Because it measures potency instead of quantity, there is a different international unit-to-mg conversion ratio for each particular substance. of vitamin D] per tablespoon." |
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