News
Insufficient vitamin D status may increase risk of kidney disease
24 July 2013
Low blood vitamin D levels seem to increase the likelihood of developing protein in the urine, an early sign of kidney disease, reports a new Australian study.
05 June 2012
According to a new Swedish study, long-term supplementation with a combination of coenzyme Q10 and selenium may reduce mortality due to cardiovascular disease by about 6%.
In the randomized controlled trial, 228 healthy participants aged between 70 and 88 were assigned to receive either 200 milligrams per day of coenzyme Q10 and 200 micrograms per day of organic selenium yeast tablets or placebo for 4 years (1). By the end of the study, 12.6% of participants in the placebo group had died of cardiovascular disease, compared with only 5.9% in the coenzyme Q10 plus selenium group. In addition, data from echocardiography showed significantly better cardiac function scores among the supple-mentation group than among the placebo group.
The researchers commented that the results may provide a basis for extended analyses of the effects of coenzyme Q10 plus selenium on various conditions, and that further supplementation studies with larger populations, involving diverse age groups, should be initiated.
Selenium is a trace element that is included in between 50 and 100 different proteins in the body, which have multifarious roles, including building heart muscles and producing healthy sperm. It is considered to have high antioxidant potential. High blood concentrations of selenium have been associated with a reduced risk of developing several cancers, including bladder and prostate cancer. Coenzyme Q10 plays a vital role in the production of energy by mitochondria.
24 July 2013
Low blood vitamin D levels seem to increase the likelihood of developing protein in the urine, an early sign of kidney disease, reports a new Australian study.
9 November 2015
Low serum vitamin D levels are common in sufferers of the painful condition rheumatoid arthritis. This condition is caused by inflammation. Vitamin D has beneficial immunomodulatory effects, so even low dose supplementation could enable the dose of conventional rheumatoid arthritis therapies to be reduced, with the consequent benefit of a reduction in side effects. A very recent trial supports this hypothesis.
25 January 2013
A combination of daily vitamin D3 plus calcium intakes and an energy-restricted diet may boost fat mass loss, says a new Chinese study.