News
Adequate vitamin D levels may reduce frailty risk
17 December 2010
Maintaining defined vitamin D blood levels can reduce the incidence of frailty in older women, suggests a new US study.
15 January 2014
A new US review reports that the healthiest diets, rich in fruits, vegetables and fish, cost about USD 1.50 more per day than the least healthy diets.
The review, which included price data for individual foods and for the healthier vs. less healthy diets of
27 studies from 10 high-income countries, evaluated the differences in price per serving and per calorie (1). The results showed that healthier diet patterns – for example, diets rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts – cost significantly more than unhealthy diets (for example, those rich in processed foods, meats, and refined grains). On average, a day's worth of the most healthy diet patterns costs about USD 1.50 more per day than of the least healthy ones.
The researchers commented that people often say healthier foods are more expensive, and that such costs strongly limit better diet habits. While the new findings show that healthier diets did cost more, the difference was smaller than many people might have expected. Over the course of a year, USD 1.50/day more for eating a healthy diet would increase food costs for one person by about USD 550 per year. According to the scientists, this would represent a real burden for some families, and so policies are needed to help offset these costs. On the other hand, this price difference is very small in comparison to the economic costs of diet-related chronic diseases, which would be dramatically reduced by healthy diets.
Recently, a US study reported that well-designed nutrition education programs can lead to healthier food choices among low-income families (2). One of the most important findings from this study was that families want to eat healthy foods, even if they have limited resources. Education efforts that help individuals and families make healthy food choices are clearly an important part of our overall wellbeing, and can make a big difference for families with young children all the way to our senior citizens. The most successful inter- vention used a variety of methods to educate students while engaging parents and caregivers with take- home materials that helped to address concerns about providing healthy foods on a tight budget. In addition, the researchers found that participants aged 60 to 80 who completed take-home activities adopted healthier behaviors and were more engaged in discussions about overcoming the challenges and barriers of purcha- sing, preparing and consuming fruits and vegetables.
17 December 2010
Maintaining defined vitamin D blood levels can reduce the incidence of frailty in older women, suggests a new US study.
3 November 2011
Increased intakes of B vitamins may slow cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment, suggests a new UK study.
20 January 2009
According to a U.S. survey, individuals with low vitamin D blood levels have a higher risk of nose and throat infections. In a secondary analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a survey of the U.S. population, found that individuals with low blood levels of a vitamin D marker (25-hydroxyvitamin D) were also more likely to have an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Specifically, the analysis found that compared to those with levels greater than 30 nanograms/milliliter (ng/ml), individuals with less than 10 ng/mL had a 36% higher risk of having a recent URTI; those with 10–<30 ng/mL had a 24% higher risk (1). In recent years, vitamin D deficiency has reemerged, resulting in the resurfacing of diseases such as rickets in children. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, “Older adults, people with dark skin, and people exposed to insufficient ultraviolet band radiation (i.e., sunlight) should consume extra vitamin D from vitamin D-fortified foods and/or supplements.” The researchers commented that the evidence supporting the benefits of vitamin D continues to build. Given that vitamin D levels are relatively low in most foods and there are serious risks associated with excessive sun exposure, dietary supplements can be an effective alternative for achieving a sufficient intake. However, this study on its own does not mean that higher vitamin D intake will ensure prevention of upper respiratory tract infection. 1.Ginde A. et al. Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009; 169 (4):384–390.