Vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol) sufficiency is essential for maximising bone health. Vitamin D enhances intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus. The major source of vitamin D for both children and adults is exposure of the skin to sunlight. Season, latitude, skin pigmentation, sunscreen use, clothing and aging can dramatically influence the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D or are fortified with vitamin D. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D; calcifediol] is the best measure of vitamin D status. Vitamin D deficiency [as defined by a serum 25(OH)D level of <50 nmol/L (<20 ng/mL)] is pandemic.

Below is a fascinating abstract suggesting that a third of patients with FMS have a demyelinating polyneuropathy (nerve injury) that responds well to IV Gamma Globulin given daily for 5 days. We see many patients who have severe paresthesias (numbness and tingling in the hands and/or feet-which often responds well to Neurontin) and this would raise my index of suspicion for this occurring.

Not all oils are created equal, and different types are handled differently by the body. A recent study of fish oil supplementation found that folks who supplement with fish oil and also walked briskly 3 times a week for 45 minutes lost 1.5 kg (about 3 pounds) over 12 weeks without any other changes to their diet. One control group took sunflower oil and walked, and another control group took fish oil and didn't walk. The only group with highly significant fat loss was the group that BOTH walked and supplemented, though the walking group with no fish oil saw a very slight improvement.

A recent article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows that the two tier testing system endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a high specificity (99%) and yields few false positives. This means if they are both positive, you almost certainly have it.