Vitamin D, Health Check on Sunday
This week health Check from the BBC and presented by Claudia Hammond looks at Vitamin D, earworms and declining malaria available LIVE on Phuket Island Radio on Sunday morning at 8 am.
Vitamin D refers to a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc.
In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol)
Health Check talks to Professor Pete Gething from Oxford University whose team have produced the first pan-African quantifying survey of declining malaria rates in the last 15 years.
The rollout of insecticidal bed nets is the most important factor in success so far.
Vitamin D deficiency
A new study from the USA has found that older people with low vitamin D levels in their bodies declined intellectually more than twice as fast as those with the recommended levels.
Vitamin D deficiency is particularly common in older people and according to this ethnically diverse study, especially prevalent in older people of African heritage.
Claudia talks to Professor Joshua Miller from Rutgers University.
Earworms – those irritating tunes which get stuck in your head and won’t go away.
Research at the University of Reading suggests chewing gum and other distracting activities may help to banish them and more seriously, other intrusive negative thoughts.
Wikipedia says ‘an earworm, sometimes known as a brainworm, is a catchy piece of music that continually repeats through a person’s mind after it is no longer playing.’
Phrases used to describe an earworm include musical imagery repetition, involuntary musical imagery, and stuck song syndrome.
The word earworm is acalque from the German Ohrwurm.
Plus, Claudia discusses the week’s other health and medical news with James Gallagher, Health editor for the BBC News website.
Presented by Claudia Hammond Health Check is available on a terrestrial broadcast throughout Phuket on 102.5FM and online via the Phuket Island radio mobile apps.
Image credit keycompounding.com