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Vitamin D deficiency is emerging as a very serious public health problem. Numerous epidemiological studies link vitamin D deficiency to the pathophysiological process of several acute and chronic diseases. Sun exposure, vitamin D supplementation, and fortification of foods with vitamin D are the present strategies adopted to tackle this epidemic. While this can be effective, recent evidence suggests the need to consider the multifaceted causation of vitamin D deficiency such as impaired liver function, kidney function, hyperparathyroidism, and endocrine dysfunction. Therapeutic fasting, a popular nutritional approach has shown to have a positive association with vitamin D levels. This perspective attempts to provide an overview of literature discussing fasting and vitamin D, the possible mechanisms behind this association, and discusses the future possibilities of using fasting as a public/clinical tool in mitigating vitamin D deficiency.

Fasting is a therapeutic tool practiced since millennia by different cultures and medical systems heterogeneously. PubMed and Google Scholar search engines were searched using the keywords “fasting,” “intermittent fasting,” “calorie restriction,” “women's health,” “women's disorders,” “fasting and aging,” and “fasting and health.” All the animal and human studies which address women's health and disorders were included in the review. Fasting has shown to improve the reproductive and mental health. It also prevents as well as ameliorates cancers and musculoskeletal disorders which are common in middle-aged and elderly women. The present studies available have limitations such as majority of the studies are preclinical studies and human studies are with lesser sample size. Future studies should address this gap by designing medically supervised fasting techniques to extract better evidence. Nevertheless, fasting can be prescribed as a safe medical intervention as well as a lifestyle regimen which can improve women's health in many folds.

The present study employs the Delphi method to devise a consensus-based protocol for utilizing integrated acupuncture in treating medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). Twenty acupuncture experts contributed opinions across six key themes, including diagnosis, acupuncture points, additional Traditional Oriental Medicine modalities, treatment rationale, treatment duration/frequency, and integration of yoga/naturopathic therapies. Consensus, defined as a 70% agreement or higher, was reached on all themes, reflecting a collective acknowledgment of the necessity for a holistic approach to MTSS management. The final protocol includes six diagnostic criteria, six acupuncture points, one additional modality, two Traditional Oriental Medicine therapies, four treatment rationales, and six yoga/naturopathic therapies. The present comprehensive protocol offers valuable guidance for healthcare professionals seeking an integrated approach to MTSS management.

Objective: There is a need to address the mental health insufficiencies among the home-quarantined COVID-19 patients. Telemedicine is reckoned as a productive means to stay connected with patients during pandemic. This study explores the role of Yoga and Naturopathy Interventions (YNI) as the telemedicine in improving depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life (QoL), and symptom scores among home-quarantined COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was a nonrandomized controlled study that included 112 COVID-19 patients who received either YNI (n?=?56), which includes yoga therapy, naturopathic diet, steam inhalation, self-acupressure delivered across the day or simple sectional breathing (n?=?56) through a telemedicine mode for 14 days, along with standard care. The allocation of the study participants to either YNI or Breathing was done by two of the investigators. At baseline and on the 14th day, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), World Health Organization (WHO) QoL, and Symptom scores were measured. Results: A generalized linear model was used to evaluate the effects of intervention on stress, anxiety, depression, and WHO-QOL scores. The YNI group had shown significant improvement in DASS-21 scores and the QoL domains as compared with the controls. The severity of cough was significantly reduced in the study group compared with the controls. However, the changes in the severity of other symptoms such as breathlessness, persistent pain, pressure in the chest, fever, headache, and loss of smell remained insignificant between the groups. Conclusion: YNI-based telemedicine was found effective in reducing depression, anxiety, and stress and improving the QoL in COVID-19 patients. However, limitations such as a small sample size and a lack of randomization warrant large-scale studies to strengthen these findings. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial Registry Number: CTRI/2021/05/033816.

We are in midst of a global pandemic due to corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) that has extensively impacted health and well-being. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have been extensively used by the general public in various forms to improve their immunity and stay resilient against the infection. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a popular form of CAM therapy reported to accelerate weight loss, alleviate inflammation, upregulate metabolism and reverse immune system dysfunction. This case report describes the impact of a 9-month long IF protocol (18?h water only phase followed by 6?h of feeding phase) in a 36-year-old male patient who was at high risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection owing to his elevated body mass index, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, impaired lipid profile, and high level of anxiety. At baseline his antibody status against COVID-19 was 0.01 (OD ratio). Nine months of IF has shown to improve all his clinical parameters. The authors have observed the presence of antibody against COVID-19: 6.35 (OD ratio) during the 9th month follow-up and also 6.94 (OD ratio) during the refeeding phase at 12th month. However the patient exhibited no symptoms or complications during the entire 1 year of the study. The patient also reported considerable reduction in anxiety on the visual analog scale whose score was reduced to 1 compared with the baseline score of 9. The results suggest prolonged IF to be a safe and useful prophylactic measure against COVID-19 and its risk factors. However, large scale studies are warranted to substantiate the present findings.

Evidence suggests vitamin D3 resistance with gene polymorphisms related to its metabolism to have a potential role in the patho-prognosis of psoriasis. We report 6 cases of psoriasis treated with daily oral Vitamin D3 (25 hydroxy cholecalciferol) in doses ranging from 30,000 IU to 60,000 IU over a period of 2 to 6 months and then followed by lower daily maintenance dose. The dose of vitamin D3 was adjusted based on the drop in the level of parathyroid hormone as the ionized calcium levels were also periodically monitored to prevent hypercalcemia. Complete control of psoriasis was observed within a span of 2–6 months, which was measured by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and a symptom Visual analog scale. Our observations suggest that supervised, daily oral higher than usual Vitamin D3 can be given safely as an effective therapeutic modality for treating psoriasis.

Problem considered: Road accidents are a growing concern in developing countries that needs immediate attention. The present study evaluated the role of Maha Mrityunjaya mantra (MMM), a vedic practice in reducing reaction time, burnout and improving sleep among commercial drivers. Methods: Fifty commercial drivers (Age 39.92 ± 8.64) were enrolled for a 2 months MMM chanting session (21 rounds, 15 min daily, 5 sessions/week). The effects were measured at the baseline and at the end of 2 months using ruler drop test (RDT), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Oldenburg burnout inventory (OLBI). Results: The average work experience and duration of working hours per day were 15.1 ± 7.75 years and for 8.7 ± 1.7 h respectively. We observed significant changes in PSQI scores (Pre- 7.44 ± 3.9, Post- 4.82 ± 2.32; p