News
Magnesium may lower colon cancer risk
18 October 2012
Higher magnesium intake seems to be associated with a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, in particular colon cancer, suggests a new study from China.
19 September 2014
A new US study reports that many patients with epilepsy using antiepileptic drugs are vitamin D deficient and have a higher risk of poor bone health and fractures.
The observational study measured the blood vitamin D concentrations of 596 epilepsy patients with a mean age of 41 years treated with antiepileptic drugs (1). The findings showed that 45% of the patients were vitamin D deficient (less than 20 ng/ml) – a higher rate of deficiency than in the general US population (32%). The vitamin deficiency levels differed according to the type of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) the patients were treated with: more than half (54%) of those on enzyme-inducing AEDs were vitamin D deficient, compared to 37% on non-enzyme inducing AEDs. The osteoporosis risk was often exacerbated with long duration AED treatment. Epilepsy patients were also two to six times more likely to suffer fractures due to a number of factors, including seizures, impaired balance, inactivity, low bone mineral density and inadequate calcium intake.
The researchers commented that vitamin D levels in patients with epilepsy should be continuously monitored as part of routine management, and calcium supplementation should also be considered – given the higher risk of osteoporosis and fractures in this population. Beyond impairing bone health, animal and human studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency may worsen seizures (2). However, more research is needed to confirm these observations.
18 October 2012
Higher magnesium intake seems to be associated with a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, in particular colon cancer, suggests a new study from China.
15 August 2016
21 February 2014
A new US study suggests that school-age children with vitamin A deficiency appear to be more likely to get gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses.