[LEAParticipant]

Hi Melissa
Thank you for your information. It will help tremendously especially the part about when he should take it. He already has trouble sleeping at night so thanks for the heads up.
Vitamin D seems to be in the news a lot lately. I recently read an article that reported taking vitamin D supplements with a meal that contains fat enhances the absorption of the supplement. They conducted a study with 50 healthy men and women randomly assigned to one of three meal groups: one was fat free group, one was a meal with 30 % calories from fat with a 1 to 4 ratio of MUFA:PUFA group, and the last was with 30 % fat with the ratio of MUFA:PUFA was 4 TO 1 group. Those who had fat in their meal absorbed 32% greater Vitamin D compared to the fat free groups. Also they found that the difference ratios in MUFA and PUFA did not differ significantly. Good to know.
Dawson-Dughes, B, Harris S, Lichtenstein A, Doinikowski G, et al. Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. JAND Nov. 2014; 115 (2):225-230

[LEAParticipant]

Should you be taking a probiotic?
In a healthy body, there are trillions of microorganisms. Many of them are beneficial to your health. A great majority of them reside in your gut. Probiotics are live organism that when ingested and survive the digestive system can benefit you in various ways.(1) The immune system, skin conditions, and digestion support are just a few ways you could benefit from a probiotic. For example a study was currently done concerning constipation and it was found that regular ingestion of probiotic microorganism helped elevate the symptoms.(2) Currently studies have shown they may even affect the biomarkers of cardiovascular disease.(3)
There are two groups of probiotic bacteria: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Each group has different species and each species has different strains. Each strain has different benefits.1 It is important to identify what your desired benefit is to know which strain to look for.
There are many manufacturers of probiotics and it’s important to do your research and know the strain that is needed for your desired benefit, the length of time to receive that benefit, and availability of the product. There are a plethora of products available at your neighborhood grocery store. You should also consider the cost of continual consumption of the product you choose because to benefit from them they must be consistently ingested or the benefits will stop shortly after you stop taking them.(1) These are just a few considerations in deciding if a probiotic might benefit you.
To decide whether you could benefit from probiotic and what specific species you need to get that desired benefit go to http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/diet-medications/probiotics.

1. Probiotics: What they are and what they can do for you. American Gastroenterological Association web site. http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/diet-medications/probiotics. Published Aug. 2008. Revised 2013. Accessed March 6, 2015.

2. Favretto D, Pontin B, Moreira T. Effect of the consumption of a cheese enriched with probiotic organisms in improving symptoms of constipation. Arg Gastroenterol. 2013 JulSep;50(3):196-201.

3. Dirienzo D. Effect of probiotics on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease: implications for heart-healthy diets. Nutrition Review;2014; 72(1):18-29.

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