News
Link between cancer risk reduction and fruit and vegetable intake only weak?
7 April 2010
The potential of fruit and vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer is only very weak, according to a new study.
01 August 2014
A new US study reports that the regular intake of fish oil supplements may produce beneficial structural changes in the brain, countering age-related brain shrinkage.
The observational study compared cognitive functioning and brain size reduction (atrophy) among a total of 819 participants – including cognitively normal individuals, patients with mild cognitive impairment and patients with Alzheimer’s disease – of which some reported routinely using fish oil supplements while others did not supplement (1). The study results indicated that, compared to non-users, use of fish oil supplements was associated with better cognitive functioning in participants who had a normal cognitive function at the beginning of the study and in those who were not carrying a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (APOE4). In addition, supplement users who were APOE4 negative showed less brain volume shrinkage, especially in two critical areas utilized in memory and thinking (cerebral cortex and hippocampus).
The researchers commented that these findings suggest a potential role for fish oil supplements by reducing neurodegeneration over time. The neuroprotective activities of omega-3 fatty acids may be largely mediated through vascular effects; however, other mechanisms have been proposed, including the activities of a potent lipid mediator (neuroprotectin D1) synthesized from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during periods of oxidative stress. The results highlight the need for future research on the effects of long-term fish oil supple-ment use on cognitive aging and dementia prevention in middle-aged and older adults.
7 April 2010
The potential of fruit and vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer is only very weak, according to a new study.
1 May 2012
A new study from Finland reports that low concentrations of beta-carotene in the blood may increase the risk for mortality due to cardiovascular diseases among men nearly twofold.
31 January 2014
A new study from China suggests that pregnant women living in Beijing are facing a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency as the air has become increasingly polluted in recent years.