News
Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to pain in osteoarthritis
5 April 2018
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).
5 April 2018
15 April 2013
The biggest changes in the nature of skin occurred during the course of human evolution in equatorial Africa, under regimes of high daytime temperatures and high ultraviolet radiation (UVR).
8 April 2010
Taking supplements with vitamin C and vitamin E starting in early pregnancy may not reduce the risk of hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia during pregnancy, says a new study.