The Doc Replies

Our expert answers your medical questions

I’m elderly and housebound. My health visitor has suggested I have a Vitamin D supplement Do I need it?

Vitamin D is something we all need to think about. It is found in some foods such as oily fish and egg yolk.

However, most of your vitamin D comes from the effect of sun on the skin. The problem is that in the UK there isn’t a great deal of sun. That particularly affects an elderly person because, with age, our bodies are less efficient at making vitamin D.

There is also an increased need for vitamin D in pregnancy and when breast feeding, in certain medical conditions such as coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease.

For a fair skinned person in the summer, 20 to 30 minutes of midday sun on the face and forearms about two or three times a week is enough.

Supplements work, though. The guideline for people who are at risk is about 10 micrograms a day but those who are deficient might need much higher doses for a while.

check with your GP or pharmacist before taking a supplement.

I have just had gallbladder surgery. Do I need to change my diet?

In most cases you don’t need to change your diet.

However, it may be worthwhile to have smaller meals initially.

Some people get a bit of flatulence and diarrhoea, so it is best to avoid things that make that worse. It could be fatty or spicy foods, and sometimes caffeine can make it worse.

Fibre should be gradually reintroduced to the diet.

Can eating too much of my favourite sweet treat, black liquorice, really be bad for you? A friend said it was bad for people with high blood pressure.

Yes. It contains glycyrrhizin, which is found in liquorice root and it can affect the body potassium and sodium.

So they say if you take more than about two ounces or 60 grams a day it can cause problems, particularly in somebody who is elderly and has high blood pressure already.

Glycyrrhizin can cause fluid retention, muscle weakness and heart abnormalities.

Eat less of it, and if you are having symptoms see your doctor.

The Doc Replies

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