Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

Q:I use sunscreen daily because I have red hair and fair skin, but I love the outdoors. A lab test shows that I am vitamin D deficient. How can I balance my need for sunscreen and the need for sun exposure to make vitamin D?

A:Vitamin D has been getting far more attention in recent years, as scientists realized that it is critical for many other functions in addition to building strong bones. Recent studies show that adequate vitamin D in early childhood reduces the risk of developing type 1 (juvenile) diabetes (Archives of Disease in Childhood, June 2008; Diabetologia online, June 5, 2008).

Vitamin D is also important for controlling blood pressure and preventing several types of cancer. In older adults, low levels of vitamin D have been linked to falls as well as muscle and joint pain (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, May 2008).

With your fair skin, you need to be careful to avoid sunburn. But it just takes a few minutes of sun exposure daily without sunscreen for your skin to manufacture the building block of vitamin D.

Q:I'm 18 now, a male, 5 feet 9 inches tall. I began drinking caffeinated sodas in great excess (1 liter or more a day) when I was 10 or 11. By the time I was 13, I had completely stopped growing.

My height isn't that unusually small until you compare me with the rest of my family. My father is 6 feet 10 inches, and all my male cousins are at least 6 feet 4 inches. My own mother is 5 feet 11 inches. I do believe caffeine played a significant role in stunting my growth.

A:A liter of soda a day is a lot of caffeine for a 10-year-old. Studies such as the Penn State Young Women's Health Study (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, October 1998) don't show a connection between caffeine intake and height, but experts often warn that substituting soda instead of milk could lead to suboptimal calcium intake. That, presumably, would have a negative effect on bone development. Perhaps that is why you ended up so much shorter than the rest of your family.

Q:You wrote recently about the dangers of carrying germs around on your shoes or bare feet. Because of studies on the germs found on women's purses, I avoid putting my grandchildren's backpacks on the kitchen table.

Who knows where those book bags have been? They've at least probably been on the floor of the school bus, along with germs from school restrooms and goodness knows where else.

A:Your decision is prudent. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, did the research showing how shoes carry many nasty germs. He told us he now refrains from propping his feet on his desk. It's smart to keep shoes, purses or backpacks away from any surfaces where you might want to put your hands - or your lunch.

Q:I heard on the news that red yeast rice can help lower cholesterol, but I'd like to know more about the pros and cons. Are there dangerous side effects? Someone told me red yeast rice can cause liver problems. Is that true?

A:Red yeast rice is a Chinese product that has been used for centuries in food as a preservative, flavoring and coloring agent. It makes Peking duck red, for example, and is used in red rice vinegar. It also has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for indigestion and to promote blood circulation.

Red yeast rice can lower cholesterol. It contains some compounds related to statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs such as lovastatin (Mevacor). A recent study in China shows that red yeast rice can nearly halve the risk of a second heart attack (American Journal of Cardiology, June 15, 2008).

Readers like this one have had success with red yeast rice: “I balked for years at taking a statin, but my cholesterol continued to rise in spite of my attempts to control it with diet. I tried Pravachol but did not like the way I felt. My cardiologist suggested I try red yeast rice. Within six weeks, my LDL level had dropped from 187 to 123.”

Despite such success, some people experience side effects, including muscle pain, weakness and liver damage.

Comments »

Comment on this story

Comments will be approved within 48 hours