Can Chronic Pain Be Linked to Low Vitamin E Levels?
February 1, 2009 – 9:50 am
It seems that about 1 in 10 people are affected by chronic pain. The causes are not well understood and much of the focus to date has been on emotional factors.
By: Anita Mahaffey
Some scientists believe that Low levels of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D, may contribute to chronic pain in women. The link does not apply to men, suggesting that hormones may be involved, according to a study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
It seems that about 1 in 10 people are affected by chronic pain. The causes are not well understood and much of the focus to date has been on emotional factors, however, some researchers believe that, vitamin D levels could play a role in some cases of chronic pain.
Vitamin D sometimes known as the sunshine vitamin is essential for healthy bones. It is produced in the body when exposed to sunlight and is also found in oily fish, egg yolks and margarine.
Of the 7,000 men and women aged 45 studied, those who were smokers, non-drinkers, the overweight and the underweight all reported higher rates of chronic pain.
Among the women, vitamin D levels also appeared to be important.
Women with vitamin D levels between 75 and 99 mmol/litre – a level deemed necessary for bone health – had the lowest rates of this type of pain, at just over 8%.
Women with levels of less than 25 mmol/litre had the highest rates, at 14.4%.
The findings suggest that more research is needed to fully evaluate whether vitamin D supplements could help prevent chronic pain.
In the meantime, if you have chronic pain it wouldn’t hurt to get out in the sun a bit more to boost your natural vitamin D levels. Most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from their diet and by adding 30 minutes of sunshine to their daily schedule.
About the Author:
Anita Mahaffey is a mother of three, wife, writer public speaker and a business owner who lives in California. In early 2006 she developed a line of women’s sleepwear to help combat night sweats and hot flashes. Her products can be found at www. Cool-jams.com. Her factory is the exclusive manufacturer of an awesome fabric called moisture wicking smart fabric. Anita’s goal is to fill her blog with new and interesting information for women. If you have anything to share with her, she welcomes your posts. http://www.coolnewsforwomen.blogspot.com/
Photo: Philipp Hilpert – Philography
3 Responses to “Can Chronic Pain Be Linked to Low Vitamin E Levels?”
It would be good to hear more about this area of research. So many people suffer from chronic pain and are held hostage to pain medication that can harm other organs in their body. Any non-caustic help could provide more hope. Thanks again
By rosie on Feb 11, 2009
Title of the article is referring to vitamin E?
But regarding vitamin D, I also agree low levels can affect the body in numerous ways. Think about it; on a gray day how do you feel? When the sun is shining how do you feel? The sun makes everything around us flourish, so why not us. Don’t over do it. Spend about 15 minutes a day in the sun without sun block to soak up some vitamin D. I also take Caltrate + D3, where I live in the northeast, sun is hard to come by these days.
Live Strong!
Cathy Warren
http://www.Over60exchange.com
By Cathy Warren on Feb 12, 2009
I am a nutritionist that has treated people with chronic pain. I too have heard that Vit D is helpful for people with chronic pain. So are relaxation techniques. I also found a product called joint support to be very helpful especially for people with arthritis. My friend came to visit recently and she could hardly walk. I let her try my joint aupport and it helped immediately. You can get it by going to E Burnham website. They have a whole line of skin care products, but I love the joint support.
By Suzq on Mar 20, 2009