News
Lutein in combination with vitamin A may slow vision loss
15 April 2010
A daily supplement of lutein plus vitamin A may slow vision loss associated with retinitis pigmentosa,according toa new study.
01 July 2010
Genetics might influence the magnitude of an individual immune response to vitamin E supplementation in respiratory tract infections, says a new US study.
In the study, data from a previous randomized controlled trial were used: 617 elderly nursing home residents (mean: 84.6 years) were allocated to receive either vitamin E (200 IU alpha-tocopherol) or a placebo daily for one year (1). Based on blood samples, physical examinations and interviews, the incidence and duration of respiratory infections were assessed. While vitamin E supplementation had no significant effect on incidence or number of days with total (upper and lower) infections, the researchers observed a protective effect on upper respiratory tract infections, particularly the common cold, in some subgroups of the elderly population. To examine whether the effect of vitamin E on respiratory infections was dependent on genetic backgrounds, the researchers analyzed the DNA of 500 participants in the new study (2). The results showed that the effect of vitamin E was influenced by the sex of the participant and genetic factors: genetic variations (so called polymorphisms) at immunoregulatory genes seem to contribute to individual risk of respiratory infections.
References:The scientists commented that the recommendations for vitamin E supplementation as a preventive measure against respiratory infections should consider genetics and sex. They hypothesized that differences in individual genetics could help explain some of the large-scale intervention trials which have not demonstrated a health benefit to vitamin E supplementation. However, further studies would be needed to verify the results and understand the mechanisms driving them, they concluded.
15 April 2010
A daily supplement of lutein plus vitamin A may slow vision loss associated with retinitis pigmentosa,according toa new study.
25 November 2013
New data again shows that the highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis can be found in countries with the least amount of days with sun exposure, which is related to the body’s own vitamin D synthesis.
1 March 2013
A new review shows that regular vitamin C supplementation seems to have a consistent effect in reducing the duration and severity of common cold symptoms. A significant reduction in incidences of the common cold has been shown for people with heavy, short-term physical stress.