Vitamin D deficiency

A patch a day? Why the vitamin skin patches spruiked on social media might not be for you

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Social media, Adhesive, Ibuprofen, Vitamin D deficiency, TGA, Excipient, Caffeine, Nicotine, Scurvy, Vitamin, COVID, Sleep, Skin, Ginger, Risk, B3, Safety, Menopause, Nutrient, Water, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Patient, Medicine, Oil, Immunity, Tablet, Malnutrition, Taurine, Dietary supplement

Vitamin patches are trending on social media and advertised in posts and podcasts.

Key Points: 
  • Vitamin patches are trending on social media and advertised in posts and podcasts.
  • With patches marketed for sleep, detox, immunity and hangovers, they are being talked up as near magical fix-all stickers.

What are vitamin patches?

  • Vitamin patches are adhesives designed to deliver vitamins or nutrients to your bloodstream directly through the skin.
  • Patches promising an energy boost offer caffeine, taurine, gluconolactone, green tea extract and vitamins B3, B5 and B6.

Do they work and are they safe?

  • Vitamins are generally approved as listed medicines, meaning the ingredients have been assessed for safety but not for efficacy (whether they do what they promise).
  • However, there are no items listed as vitamin patches on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
  • Ordinarily, to be absorbed through the skin a chemical needs to be lipophilic, meaning it likes fats and oils more than water.
  • So, the form in which the vitamins have been produced and supplied will dictate whether they will get into the skin.
  • The health condition called scurvy is thought to occur when daily vitamin C intake drops lower than 7 milligrams per day.
  • The recommended daily intake of vitamin C is around 45 milligrams per day – more if a woman is breastfeeding.


Read more:
Is TikTok right – will eating three carrots a day really give me a natural tan?

Why not just take a tablet?

  • One selling point used by the marketers is that patches are a “cleaner” form of vitamins.
  • A vitamin in tablet or gummy form will contain inactive ingredients called excipients.
  • But many patches don’t list all their ingredients – just the active vitamins – so this claim can not be tested.

Should you buy them?


As there are no vitamin patches approved by the TGA in Australia, you should not buy them. If at some point in the future they become listed medicines, it will be important to remember that they may not have been assessed for efficacy. If you remain curious about vitamin patches, you should discuss them with your doctor or local pharmacist.

  • He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, a member of the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  • Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design, and testing.

New Research in JNCCN Suggests a Simple and Inexpensive Option for Reducing a Major Chemotherapy Side-Effect

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Patient, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Incidence, Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, Biomarker, Vitamin D deficiency, MD, Doctor of Philosophy, Research, Finger, Hypoesthesia, Quality of life, Paclitaxel, The, Risk, CIPN, Doctor of Pharmacy, Sensation, University, Paresthesia, University of Michigan, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Cancer, Cleveland Clinic, Breast cancer, Neuropathic pain, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Peripheral neuropathy, Vitamin D, Dietary supplement, Pharmacy

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New research in the November 2023 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network suggests that patients who have insufficient levels of vitamin D before starting paclitaxel treatment are more likely to experience peripheral neuropathy. According to an analysis of 1,191 patients with early-stage breast cancer—using data collected in the SWOG S0221 study—20.7% of patients with vitamin D deficiency experienced at least a grade 3 level of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), compared to 14.2% of those with sufficient vitamin D levels. The researchers also found that inducing vitamin D deficiency in an accompanying mice model study caused neurotoxicity-like symptoms.

Key Points: 
  • The researchers also found that inducing vitamin D deficiency in an accompanying mice model study caused neurotoxicity-like symptoms.
  • "There are barely any negative consequences that come from taking steps to increase vitamin D levels.
  • The researchers also noted that it is well-established that vitamin D deficiency is more common in self-reported Black patients.
  • This research holds the promise of shedding future light on the mechanisms underlying CIPN and the potential identification of biomarkers that could predict CIPN incidence."

Introducing Vitamynn: Elevating Wellness with Vitamins

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Health, Research, Immunity, Vitality, Vitamin B6, Biotin, Vitamin D deficiency, Animal nutritionist, Vitamin, Vitamin D, Hair, Skin, Life, Dietary supplement, Folate

Committed to accessible, top-tier nutrition, Vitamynn is transforming perceptions about vitamins and supplements.

Key Points: 
  • Committed to accessible, top-tier nutrition, Vitamynn is transforming perceptions about vitamins and supplements.
  • Vitamynn's Vision: Health is built on vitamins.
  • Why Vitamins Matter: Essential to health, vitamins bolster immunity, fortify bones, and rejuvenate skin.
  • Dive into a health journey where vitamins transition from mere supplements to partners in wellness.

Should I be getting my vitamin D levels checked?

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
Epilepsy, Differentiable function, Anticonvulsant, DNA, Radiation, Obesity, Diet, Vitamin D deficiency, Sun, Skin cancer, Research, Infection, Multiple sclerosis, Pigment, UVB, Calcium, Vitamin D, Sunlight, Metabolism, Laboratory, Time, Risk, Kidney, Osteomalacia, Liver, Mortality, Rickets, Health, Phosphorus, Skin, Conditional sentence, DNA repair, Dietary supplement, Vaccine, Calcifediol

Australia has seen a surge in vitamin D testing of children, with similar trends reported for adults around the world. GPs are now being urged not to test for vitamin D unnecessarily. So when is low vitamin D a potential concern? And when might you need to get your levels tested?How much vitamin D do we need?Vitamin D also has many other roles, including helping our immune defences and contributing to DNA repair and cell differentiation.

Key Points: 


Australia has seen a surge in vitamin D testing of children, with similar trends reported for adults around the world. GPs are now being urged not to test for vitamin D unnecessarily. So when is low vitamin D a potential concern? And when might you need to get your levels tested?

How much vitamin D do we need?

    • Vitamin D also has many other roles, including helping our immune defences and contributing to DNA repair and cell differentiation.
    • We can thank the sun for most of our vitamin D. A chemical in our skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted to vitamin D after contact with UVB radiation from the sun.
    • While we get some vitamin D also through our diet, this makes a relatively small contribution.
    • It’s difficult to get much more than one-third of our daily vitamin D requirement from diet without supplementation.

Why avoid vitamin D deficiency?

    • Prolonged, severe vitamin D deficiency will lead to softening of bone tissue and cause diseases such as rickets (children) and osteomalacia (adults).
    • However, avoiding low concentrations is likely to be good for many aspects of health, with consistent evidence suggesting benefits for infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

Who is at risk of deficiency?

    • The two main reasons for vitamin D deficiency typically relate to: 1. not getting (enough) vitamin D through sun exposure.
    • Deficiency risk can be high for anyone who is housebound, such as older or disabled people in residential care.
    • The risk of deficiency increases if we always cover our skin carefully by modest cultural dress, and also dark skin pigmentation is known to reduce vitamin D synthesis.

Am I getting enough sun exposure?

    • In Australia, it is possible to get enough vitamin D from the sun throughout the year.
    • Read more:
      Why you need more Vitamin D in the winter

      During winter, catching enough sun can be difficult, especially if you spend your days confined indoors.

    • This is because sunlight exposure can only help produce vitamin D if the UVB rays reach us at the correct angle.

Why does excess vitamin D testing matter?

    • Excessive testing is also a waste of health-care resources, with one single test costing about the same as a years’ worth of vitamin D supplementation.
    • Very often, we can make relatively small changes to our lifestyles to reduce the risks of vitamin D deficiency.

Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? A nutritionist explains the science behind 'functional' foods

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Functional, Conditional sentence, Mineral, Food, Obesity, Drink, Diabetes, Fats, Vitamin D deficiency, Digestion, Cardiovascular disease, Functional food, Health, Weight loss, Eating, Refrigeration, Nutrient, NHS special health authority, Woman, Vitamin A, Medicine, Research, Vegetable, Fruit, Carotenoid, Weight gain, Tuna, Government, Vitamin, Salmon, Protein, Polyphenol, Blood, Superfood, Risk, Cancer, Logic, Overweight, Apple, Growth, Lutein, Scurvy, Rickets, Anthocyanin, Color, Antioxidant, Food preservation, Dietary supplement, Seaweed, Convenience food, Tobacco, Nursing

We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that?

Key Points: 
  • We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that?
  • Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots.
  • However, apples contain various bioactive substances – natural chemicals that occur in small amounts in foods and that have biological effects in the body.

Functional foods defined

    • Functional foods are not the same as superfoods.
    • The problem is that most of those claims are not based on scientific research, like the criteria for functional foods are.
    • In addition to the nutrients that our bodies need for growth and development, functional foods contain a variety of bioactive substances, each with a unique function in the body.
    • Research suggests that the carotenoids from foods and the other categories of bioactive substances may help prevent certain cancers and improve heart health.

History of the functional food movement

    • From the early 1900s to the 1970s, nutrition research focused on vitamin deficiencies.
    • In 1980, the U.S. government published the first dietary guidelines that encouraged people to avoid fat, sugar and salt.
    • Public health messaging encouraged people to replace fatty foods with starchy foods such as breads and pasta.

Japan’s focus on foods for health

    • To correct this problem, Japan became the first country to introduce the concept of functional foods in the 1980s.
    • Today, Japan uses the phrase “Food for Specialized Health Uses” for products that can be scientifically shown to promote health.
    • Japan has more than 1,000 foods and beverages approved as food for specialized health uses, such as hypoallergenic rice.

The bioactive components in apples

    • An apple’s natural dietary fibers are one of the bioactive components that lead to its being classified as a functional food.
    • Pectin functions to reduce the amount of sugar and fat that is absorbed into the body.
    • In addition, apples contain high amounts of natural chemicals known as polyphenols that have vital roles in promoting health and reducing chronic disease.
    • Because they are mainly in the peel, whole apples are better sources of polyphenols than juice or applesauce.

Revisiting the original question

    • One U.S. team analyzed the apple-eating patterns and number of doctor visits among more than 8,000 adults.
    • Once adjusted for demographic and health-related factors, the researchers found that the daily apple eaters used marginally fewer prescription medications than the non-apple eaters.
    • A group of European researchers found that eating two apples a day improved heart health in 40 adults.
    • And Brazilian investigators found that eating three apples daily improved weight loss and blood glucose levels in 40 overweight women.

ThirdLove Announces Ashley Harmon of Mela Vitamins as the 2023 TL Effect Winner

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Prevalence, Marketing, Digestion, Vitamin D deficiency, Black, Vitamin, Cinnamomum verum, The Non-GMO Project, Entrepreneurship, Probiotic, ThirdLove, Dietary supplement, Woman

DENVER, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ThirdLove, the female-founded women's lifestyle brand, is proud to announce Ashley Harmon, Founder and CEO of Mela Vitamins, as the fifth recipient of its mentorship program, "The TL Effect," a multi-pronged program designed to help women of color entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses.

Key Points: 
  • ThirdLove, the female-founded women's lifestyle brand, is proud to announce Ashley Harmon, Founder and CEO of Mela Vitamins, as the fifth recipient of its mentorship program, "The TL Effect," a multi-pronged program designed to help women of color entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses.
  • DENVER, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ThirdLove , the female-founded women's lifestyle brand, is proud to announce Ashley Harmon, Founder and CEO of Mela Vitamins , as the fifth recipient of its mentorship program, "The TL Effect," a multi-pronged program designed to help women of color entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses.
  • "With an inclusive mission that mirrors ThirdLove's values, Mela Vitamins has a promising future ahead and ThirdLove is excited to help Ashley continue to scale and grow her business," said Heidi Zak, CEO and Co-Founder of ThirdLove.
  • Harmon was selected from this year's highly competitive candidate pool to receive strategic business development support from ThirdLove, in addition to a $20,000 grant.

Organic & Natural Health Association Urges Congress to Add Vitamin D to Farm Bill to Build Stronger Families in a SNAP

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Asthma, Food, Type 2 diabetes, Depression, Diet, Melatonin, Urinary tract infection, Committee on Agriculture, Vitamin D deficiency, COVID-19, Cancer, SNAP, Attention, Vegetable, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Vitamin D, Organic, Congress, Sunlight, Incidence, Type 2, United States House Committee on Agriculture, Protein, Dietary supplement, Council, D3, Cholecalciferol, Conditional sentence, Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, Research, Health, Rural Economy and Agriculture Committee, Food security, Hunger, Empowerment, House Committee, Alternative medicine, Agriculture

WASHINGTON, June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a dynamic effort to enhance the nutritional support provided through the farm bill's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ), Organic & Natural Health Association (O&N Health) has launched the “ All for Vitamin D: Building Stronger Families in a SNAP ” campaign.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a dynamic effort to enhance the nutritional support provided through the farm bill's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ), Organic & Natural Health Association (O&N Health) has launched the “ All for Vitamin D: Building Stronger Families in a SNAP ” campaign.
  • Relying on outdated notions of obtaining vitamin D solely through diet or sun exposure is not only impractical, but also perilous, advice.
  • Support the “All for Vitamin D: Building Stronger Families in a SNAP” campaign and urge members of Congress to add vitamin D3 to the farm bill’s SNAP at: www.All4VitaminD.com .
  • Join Organic & Natural Health Association to be an advocate for the health of people and the planet at: https://organicandnatural.org .

Koios Launches Innovative New Gummy Bear Line “Swol Bears” Infused with Vitamin D

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Taste, CSE, Drink, FIT, Vitamin D deficiency, Vitamin D, Coeus, Health, Bottled water, Soft drink, Management, Online shopping

Made with clean, natural ingredients and infused with essential vitamins, this new gummy line offers a delicious and healthier snacking option that aligns with the Company’s mission to promote health and wellness.

Key Points: 
  • Made with clean, natural ingredients and infused with essential vitamins, this new gummy line offers a delicious and healthier snacking option that aligns with the Company’s mission to promote health and wellness.
  • Image 1 – Swol Bears are infused with Vitamin D and only contain 1g of sugar, making them a delicious and healthier snacking option.
  • Swol Bears are formulated with a proprietary blend of Vitamin D to deliver a daily dose of this essential nutrient in each bag.
  • Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread concern, with studies indicating that around 42% of the U.S. population is affected1.

Santhera Announces Preliminary Unaudited 2022 Annual Results Ahead of Full Report Publication by End of May and Provides Corporate Update

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Vamorolone, Prescription Drug User Fee Act, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Civil service commission, Education, Vitamin D deficiency, Health care, Glucocorticoid, European Medicines Agency, NDA, LR, European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, Biomarker, BMD, Committee, EMA, Vomiting, Depression, Prednisone, Publication, DMD, Vertebral compression fracture, PAMS, Patient, Annual report, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, European Commission, CEST, Syndrome, PDUFA, Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, MAA, FDA, LHON, CHF, EC, Safety, News, Bone fracture, MHRA, CHMP, BST, Cryptocurrency, Pharmaceutical industry, Medical device, Dietary supplement, Dentistry, EU, Idebenone

As permitted by SIX Exchange Regulation, the Company will publish the full 2022 Annual Report by the end of May.

Key Points: 
  • As permitted by SIX Exchange Regulation, the Company will publish the full 2022 Annual Report by the end of May.
  • The most commonly reported adverse events versus placebo from the VISION-DMD study were cushingoid features, vomiting and vitamin D deficiency.
  • SIX Exchange Regulation has permitted Santhera to publish its 2022 Annual Report by May 31, 2023, at the latest.
  • The Company plans to publish its audited 2022 Annual Report during May 2023.

Life Science Partner recruits CEO, Chris Kiple to launch novel UVB light-therapy company

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Vitamin D deficiency, General Motors, Vitamin D, Union of Sales and Marketing Professionals, JPMorgan Chase, Rudyard Kipling, Marketing, George Washington University, Patient, JD, George Washington University Law School, UVB, Partnership, Bausch Health, COVID, Multimedia, COVID-19, GM, MD, Management, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, Ventec Life Systems

ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of SOLIUS' new Chief Executive Officer, Chris Kiple, JD. As the new CEO, Kiple will recruit and lead a team to commercialize SOLIUS' proprietary UVB light therapy technology for treatment of patients with low levels of Vitamin D including a newly developed at-home therapy device.

Key Points: 
  • ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of SOLIUS' new Chief Executive Officer, Chris Kiple, JD .
  • "Kiple is a brilliant leader and problem-solver as proven by his success in spearheading the rapid production of ventilators during the COVID crisis of 2020," states Tom Callaway, MD , Founder of Life Science Partner.
  • "A demonstrated leader who can bring breakthrough technology to improve patient's lives, Kiple will lead SOLIUS to the forefront of UVB light therapy."
  • Life Science Partner is also pleased to announce the recruitment of Scott Hirsch , former Chief Executive Officer of Solta Medical, to the SOLIUS Board of Directors.