News
New breath test to detect vitamin B12 deficiency
28 June 2011
US research team has developed a simple, non-invasive, low-cost breath test which can more accurately measure vitamin B12 status.
30 June 2014
A new US study reports that low blood vitamin D levels may increase the chance of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression during early pregnancy.
The observational study measured the blood vitamin D concentrations of 498 women who had been pregnant for an average of 15.4 weeks and documented self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and other mental health disorders (1). The study results showed that about 12% of the participants had moderate anxiety and depression symptoms. The women with the lowest vitamin D levels reported more often about more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to women in the group with the highest levels. Every 1 ng/ml decrease in vitamin D levels was related to an increase in severity. The results also showed that lower vitamin D levels were related to more severe depression symptoms among women who reported no physical activity. This relationship did not exist in women who did report physical activity. The symptoms of depression were independent of factors such as BMI, skin color, season, age or smoking.
The researchers called for future studies to look at the relationship between vitamin D and depressive symp- toms throughout the course of pregnancy and to further explore the role of physical activity in this relation- ship. Depression and anxiety are relatively common during pregnancy, with an estimated 15% to 30% pre- valence among women in the United States. Previous research has suggested that mood disorders during early pregnancy may increase the risk for smoking during pregnancy, complications such as preeclampsia during pregnancy, and poor mental health after birth (2). Vitamin D has been shown to play a role in certain mood disorders (3, 4).
28 June 2011
US research team has developed a simple, non-invasive, low-cost breath test which can more accurately measure vitamin B12 status.
1 October 2010
The human body needs micronutrients for several vital functions. Insufficient amounts in the body can increase the risk of multiple diseases. Micronutrient requirements vary from person to person and are dependant on age, sex, activity and performance levels, as well as physical and mental health condition. For a long time, insufficiency has been thought to be only a matter of inappropriate intake. Recent research has shown, however, that variable levels of micronutrients across populations seem also to strongly depend on the individual’s genetic profile: differences in DNA sequences, so-called ‘genetic polymorphisms’, among individuals can result in varying metabolic capabilities to utilize (absorb, transport, transform) vitamins etc. after intake. Thus, levels of micronutrients in blood and tissues might be limited by specific genetic variants, potentially increasing the risk of insufficiency and related diseases.
1 October 2010
Variants in vitamin B9-related genes may increase the risk of having a fetus with congenital heart defect when maternal lifestyle factors that alter folate metabolism are present, says a new US study.