Dear Healthy Friend,

Inhale a little sunshine? You might be asking yourself: What has she been inhaling? Well, truth be told, sunshine is the best source of vitamin D you can get... And new research shows that vitamin D could help treat your breathing problems! So if you're asthmatic, one of the best things you could do for your lungs is soak up some good, old-fashioned rays, see why...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. Today Dr Wright explains the possible link between low-carb diets and your mood... Keep reading to find out what he has to say...

P.P.S Not already a subscriber to Dr Wright's Nutrition & Healing? Click here now...

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Breathing made easy with D...
Christine O'Brien
Editor, Nutrition & Healing

Well, it's time to add one more item to the "You're still not taking Vitamin D supplements?!" list.

A mouse study out of Australia has provided the first concrete evidence of a link between a vitamin D deficiency and decreased lung function. In fact, this study shows that a vitamin D deficiency actually alters the very structure of the lungs, resulting in lower lung volume.

Yes, this was a mouse study - but it follows right along with previous human studies showing a link between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder).

This time, however, researchers were able to show a direct causal link between vitamin D deficiency and lung function. The results raised concerns about the increased prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. For me, it raises major concerns about the misguided, way too low, vitamin D recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (see the February 2011 issue of Nutrition & Healing for Dr Wright's take on their ridiculous conclusions).

Now, I've written quite a lot about vitamin D over the past year or so and for very good reason. And I'm not the only one obsessed with vitamin D news. A new assay hitting Europe is able to determine early vitamin D deficiency by measuring blood levels of 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D. What's so special about that? Vitamin D testing is known for being pretty inaccurate. Testing 25-OH vitamin D is the most accurate type of vitamin D test.

Tech company Abbott, which developed the assay, says this means more opportunities for preventative and therapeutic action. Unfortunately, his test hasn't yet hit South Africa. But you can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for it and will let you know about any developments.

In the meantime, Dr Wright has previously stated that sunlight is the very best source of vitamin D (the rays start a chain of reaction within the human body that results in the production of vitamin D). Of course, he realises nobody gets enough sun these days, so supplementation is key.

He recommends 4,000 International Units (IU) daily for adults and teens, 1,000IU for infants and small children and 2,000IU for everyone in between. Of course, it's always best to consult with a doctor skilled in natural medicine in determining proper supplement dosage.

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Is a low-carb diet a bad mood diet?

Q: After reading your report on diabetes, I got tested for insulin resistance. My results were positive and I tried following a low-carb diet, as you suggested. However, I found that my mood was terrible the whole time I was on it. It got so bad I stopped eating that way. I'd really like to go back to it, though, since it helped my blood sugar so much (not to mention that it helped me lose 7kgs). Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to prevent it?

JVW: Every once in a while, I come across a patient who clearly has the criteria for success with a low-carbohydrate diet, but who has developed depression - anything from mild to serious - while following it. Like you, some of these people are ready to quit the high-protein diet just to escape the depression, even though they feel much better physically. But I usually ask them to try another approach first - replacing something their body may not be getting enough of.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "fat and happy". Well, it's not just folklore. The same carbs that make you fat (and contribute to diabetes and other problems) also make you happy. It's simple science: Carbs allow more of the amino acid L-tryptophan to penetrate your brain. The L-tryptophan triggers your brain to make more serotonin and the serotonin makes you feel happier. But if you're following a low-carb diet, it's possible that not enough L-tryptophan will penetrate your brain and you could wind up depressed.

The solution could be as simple as taking supplemental tryptophan so there's more of it to penetrate the brain. I typically recommend either 1,500mg twice daily or, if that causes drowsiness (which is rare but possible), all 3,000mg can be taken at bedtime. Just make sure not to take it when you're eating protein. It's best to take tryptophan with whatever small amount of carbohydrates you do eat.