The Daily News – October 24, 2024

Today in our program, we’ll discuss a new surprising health benefit from breastfeeding. Next, does vitamin D provide relief for those with early signs of multiple sclerosis? And finally, we’ll look at what keeps Canadians from seeking out preventative healthcare. Welcome to Health Channel News. Breastfeeding could be the key to reducing your child’s risk of asthma. A new study reviewed in Science Daily found that breastfeeding for over three months helps shape the infant’s gut and lung microbiome in a way that supports lung health. The research shows that breast milk helps certain beneficial bacteria grow in a baby’s digestive system and respiratory tract. This helps the immune system develop properly and lowers the chance of developing asthma later in life. Babies who were weaned earlier than three months had a higher risk of asthma. One of the study’s lead researchers said breastfeeding and human milk set the pace and sequence for microbial colonization in the infant’s gut and nasal cavity. She compares it to a pacemaker that ensures the process happens in an orderly way. The researchers also discovered that a particular bacterium appeared sooner in babies who stopped breastfeeding earlier. This bacterium has been linked to immune system disruptions and a higher risk of asthma. The data was part of the child cohort study, which has followed thousands of Canadian children from birth into adolescence by looking at breastfeeding environmental factors and babies’ microbiomes. The researchers found that breastfeeding duration was a major factor in predicting asthma risk. Now, experts hope these findings will guide future national guidelines on breastfeeding. According to a doctor interviewed in the article, the goal is to provide data-driven recommendations to help parents make informed choices. A new study suggests that high dose vitamin D could play a key role in reducing early signs of multiple sclerosis according to online resource Medscape, the study focused on patients with clinically isolated syndrome or CIS, which is often an early indicator of MS. Researchers from Copenhagen randomly assigned over 300 newly diagnosed patients to receive either high dose vitamin D or a placebo every two weeks. So the results, while patients who received vitamin D had significantly lower disease activity than those on the placebo, the study author pointed out that the vitamin D group saw a 34% reduction in their risk of disease activity compared to the placebo group. He noted that this is a similar reduction to what’s seen with some of the existing treatments for CIS patients. He further noted these data support high dose vitamin D supplementation in early MS and make vitamin D the best candidate for add-on therapy evaluation in the therapeutic strategy for ms. Importantly, the vitamin D treatment was also found to be safe. The study found no major concerns with high calcium levels, which can be a risk with high doses of vitamin D. The study which was funded by the French Ministry of Health, adds to growing research that suggests Vitamin D’s potential benefits in reducing early signs of multiple sclerosis. nd Stephanie Rubino made this comment. Another important point is that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for ms. Everyone should be aware of this to ensure they get enough vitamin D because it’s an important preventative step. A blood test can help determine their levels if they are not aware of whether they’re deficient or not. In our final story, almost half of Canadians are skipping out on something that could save their lives. Preventative healthcare. A new study from Blue Cross Canada shows that nearly 50% of us are not taking advantage of key healthcare services like regular checkups and screenings. Preventative care can help catch potential health problems early before they become serious. It also lowers the risk of developing health issues. But according to the study, only 56% of Canadians are getting regular checkups. Even fewer, just 41% are going for screenings like cancer tests. The managing director of Blue Cross Canada says it is concerning that many Canadians are not seeking essential health services when they need it. Many Canadians feel anxious about what a doctor might find. This anxiety is particularly felt by younger people, and those facing financial stress, lack of time, and transportation, are also making it harder for people to seek care. The article from health.ca noted specific financial concerns that contribute to people avoiding preventative healthcare. These include the cost of care and taking time off work. Even those who consider themselves financially secure are often skipping out. Women are more likely than men to avoid preventative healthcare. According to the study, 69% of women skip out on these services compared to 57% of men. The article also notes that new methods such as virtual care can help people in Canada. Many provinces offer virtual care options through their healthcare systems. For example, Ontario has a service called Ontario Telemedicine Network, where patients can make virtual appointments with healthcare providers for routine checkups and health consultations. Similarly, British Columbia offers Health Link bc, which provides virtual health services, including video consultations with doctors, consulting with your healthcare provider. Whether virtual or in person is an important step that can help you stay healthier for longer. Those are our top stories for today. Thank you so much for joining us on Health Channel News.