Your Health is on Your Plate: Recent Comments

Comment on Is Gluten-Free Eating Healthier?

Pankaj Vij MD — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:31:34 GMT

I love how you explain complex scientific facts in an eloquent, simple way. My patients love you too!

Comment on Taking it on the Road: Trail Mix

Shirley — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:34:24 GMT

Homemade trail mix is also great to pack in your carry-on bag when flying, since many airlines no longer offer meals even on their longer flights.

Comment on Fructose, Fiber, and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Matt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:36:49 GMT

I'd recommend adding a disclaimer to your sentence "They are all absorbed rapidly, and they are called by names such as maltodextrin, dextrose..." where you list white flour - to mention that it's usually listed as "wheat flour" on lists of ingredients. Most people don't know that it has to say "whole wheat flour" for it to actually be whole wheat.

Comment on True Confessions: My Diet and My Lab Test Results

Jenny Gallagher — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:07:57 GMT

Great post! Thank you for sharing and for keeping us motivated.

Comment on Let's Start at the Very Beginning

Dr. Sukol — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:15:05 GMT

Here is what I found:

Since 2000, there has been a lot of dispute about the optimum dosing of Vitamin D. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has studied the issue at length, and reports strong evidence to support using vitamin D with calcium for bone health only, and not for other conditions. This is not to say their findings are broadly accepted; they are not. The IOM has come under a lot of criticism for their conservative recommendations. Here they are, in any case: 600 international units (IU) daily for 1-70 years of age, 800 IU daily for those 71 years and older, 600 IU daily for pregnant and nursing women. For infants, the maximum recommended dose is 1,000 IU daily for 0-6 months old and 1,500 IU daily for babies ages 6-12 months. They recommend a goal of 31, which is obviously well above the level recommended in the NYT article. But it's lower than the goal levels of 40-50 that others are working toward. This is the first research that's pointed toward such a comparatively low level, and I suppose we'll have to wait to see what additional studies show.

Comment on True Confessions: My Diet and My Lab Test Results

Dr. Sukol — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:01:49 GMT

I know it's the right thing. The conjunctivitis cleared up and a little bit of acne disappeared as well. Inside, overall, I feel the same, but it's hard to argue with these objective findings. I'm sure it was the right thing for me. For calcium, I eat sardines, meat broths prepared with a bit of vinegar to leach the calcium from the bones, and lots of broccoli and greens. Bone density testing is pending...stay tuned!

Repletion for documented deficiencies notwithstanding, as for supplements, in general I believe that an answer to your question is out of the scope of this forum, but you can check out clevelandclinicwellness.com and find some answers there.

Thanks for reading--

Comment on True Confessions: My Diet and My Lab Test Results

jo — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:37:20 GMT

I really enjoy your blog, Do you feel better that you don't eat dairy, or you just feel its the right thing because it cleared up your conjunctivitis? how do you get enough calcium without dairy? and lastly do you use or believe in any vitamin supplementation, Thanks, Jo

Comment on Let's Start at the Very Beginning

Dr. Sukol — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:26:11 GMT

You know, I am not sure. I'll get the whole article and read it tomorrow. This seems to be the first article reporting these kinds of findings. There has certainly been a lot of controversy about whether optimum levels should be closer to 30 or to 40, and there are folks out there who are taking patients up into the 50's or higher, but I have not seen any recommending levels as low as 21.

Comment on True Confessions: My Diet and My Lab Test Results

Dr. Sukol — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:15:47 GMT

I discovered, through trial and error, that dairy was the cause of some unexplained conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) that I could not otherwise get under control. After I stopped eating dairy, it began to heal.

Comment on Let's Start at the Very Beginning

Elizabeth Stern — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:11:28 GMT

Dear Dr. Sukol:

What do you think of the information in this NYT article about the risks of Vitamin D levels OVER 21??:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/health/research/risks-when-too-much-vitamin-d-is-too-much.html