News
Low blood selenium levels may be not linked to higher risk of lung cancer
21 November 2011
Low blood selenium concentrations may not be an independent risk factor for lung cancer in men, according to a new Danish study.
10 October 2012
Vitamin D deficiency among Australians is more prevalent and lasts longer than expected, says a new study.
To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Australia, the epidemiological study measured vitamin D concentrations in 24,819 blood samples between July 2008 and July 2010 (1). The study results showed that the participants were most deficient (less than 50 nanomoles vitamin D per liter serum) during fall and spring, especially in September (58% of total participants). Vitamin D levels were highest during the summer, peaking for women in January and men in February with a total of 36% people who were vitamin D deficient. The highest prevalence of deficiency occurred in female inpatients (42% in summer and 62% in spring). Additional factors associated with lower vitamin D included being an inpatient, female, aged 20–39 or over 79 years, being socioeconomically disadvantaged or from a major city.
The researchers concluded that the use of vitamin D supplements do not currently address the factor of seasonal variation. A modified approach would include commencement, or increase, of supplement use at the end of summer and be maintained until the end of spring, at which time the supplement use would either be stopped or reduced depending on an individual's exposure to sunlight. Thus, supplementation guidelines would need to be modified and strengthened.
21 November 2011
Low blood selenium concentrations may not be an independent risk factor for lung cancer in men, according to a new Danish study.
1 July 2014
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential component of the human diet that contributes to the protection of cell constituents from oxidative damage, normal collagen formation and the normal function of bones, skin, blood vessels, the nervous and the immune system.
30 December 2013
A new US study reports that low blood concentrations of beta-carotene and vitamin C seem to be associated with increased early indicators for insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases and cancer in an ethnic group-dependent manner.