Expert opinion
The importance of vitamin D for athletes
1 September 2013
Insufficient vitamin D status is widespread around the globe due to a lack of sunlight exposure and adequate dietary intake.
01 January 2014
A new study from Germany reports that increased blood levels of B vitamins, carotenoids, vitamin E and zinc after supplementation are associated with an improved self-perception of general health status in elderly with mild cognitive impairment.
In the observational study, serum concentrations of vitamins, carotenoids and trace elements as well as potential markers of vascular disease risk (e.g., homocysteine) were measured in 42 patients aged 61 to 87 years with mild cognitive deficits before and after a two-month multi-micronutrient supplementation (1). The study showed that the blood levels of B vitamins, folic acid, lutein, beta-carotene and vitamin E (alpha-toco- pherol) were significantly increased after supplementation, while a decrease in homocysteine levels was measured. No increase in intracellular antioxidant levels was observed. In addition, supplementation was associated with an improved self-perception of general health status.
The researchers concluded that for patients with insufficient micronutrient status, a supplementation may be helpful for improving cognitive function, as already shown in other studies (2). Micronutrient supplements need to be adjusted for specific population groups to optimize their supply. Several epidemiological studies have shown that in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, lower levels of micronutrients within the normal range are observed than among controls, suggesting that there is an additional need for specific micronutrients (3, 4). Whether supplementation with micronutrients is capable of reducing the risk of demen- tia remains controversial.
1 September 2013
Insufficient vitamin D status is widespread around the globe due to a lack of sunlight exposure and adequate dietary intake.
8 May 2014
Women with ovarian cancer who are vitamin D deficient may be at greater risk of mortality compared to those with sufficient blood vitamin D concentrations, suggests a new study.
10 June 2016
A new, large, retrospective observational cohort study (1) conducted in Italy clearly demonstrated that an intervention of 1 g per day of marine omega-3 fatty acids in patients who had recently suffered a myocardial infarction (MI) produced a substantial reduction in consequent repeat MIs and sudden cardiac death. This study suggests that a reappraisal of the efficacy of marine omega-3 fatty acids as a part of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is warranted.