BREAST FEEDING AND VITAMIN D DEFIENCY

HERB-OF-THE-WEEK / BREAST FEEDING AND VITAMIN D DEFIENCY

Breast feeding may be a cause of vitamin D deficiency in "colored"
children of any race. Even though breast milk is still the best source
of food for babies, they get Vitamin D primarily through exposure to
sunlight or by drinking vitamin D fortified cows' milk.

Dark-skinned people and/or people of African descent get less Vitamin
D because dark skin pigment (melanin) allows less sunlight to
penetrate. As parents limit their infants' exposure to the sun, they
may also be limiting their infants' access to vitamin D.

Because of dangerous ozone levels nowadays, you don't want too much
sun exposure either.
So most health food stores and a lot of grocery stores sell rice milk.
And some of it is fortified with vitamin D. Rice milk doesn't contain
all the hormones, antibiotics and steroids that store bought cow milk
does. Check with your pediatrician about supplementing your baby for
vitamin D.

The fortified rice milk would be for the baby, NOT YOU!! Even if you
drank huge amounts of vitamin D fortified rice milk only a very tiny
amount would make it to your baby. You'd have to
take enough supplements to kill you in order for enough yo trickle
down to your baby.

But there is hope! One can obtain baby vitamin D supplements FOR THE
BABY through your
pediatrician or pharmacist. Just tell him that you are breast feeding
and that you are concerned about the levels of vitamin D the baby
might be receiving. Make sure you are talking to a doctor who stays
*abreast* (pun intended!!) of current studies.

Until next time remember, most illness (upwards of 80% according to
experts) can be attributed to FOUR important factors that can eaken
your immune system and your ability to fight off disease. In this order:

1. INADEQUATE REST - Research continues to prove, that no two ways
about it, good quality sleep has proven to be the singlemost
important factor in determining or influencing your health.

2. INABILITY TO DEAL WITH STRESS - If you run around all day like a
chicken with it's head cut off, it will increase your chances of
getting ill and will aggrevate, tremendously, any illness that you
already have, no matter what it is. Anxiety, depression, anger, guilt
or also STRESS factors. LEARN TO FORGIVE AND LET GO.

3. INADEQUATE OR IMPROPER NUTRITIONAL HABITS. There are a lot of
practicing vegetarians lately and some load up on the white sugar,
white flour, starches, processed and refined foods. Many whole
foods/alternative medicine type practioneers believe we should be
eating at least 5 times as many fruits and vegetables as meats. Most
experts agree that most diets are seriously deficient in the amounts
of fruits and vegetables that we should be eating to remain healthy.

4. INADEQUATE EXCERCISE - A sedentary lifestyle that does not include
enough excercise will catch up with you. FIND SOME KIND OF PHYSICALLY
ENGAGING ACTIVITY EVEN IF IT'S ONLY WALKING!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER - Required by the FDA.

The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and
Drug Administration and these statements are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease.

Until next time,

Q