News
Vitamin B6 may decrease heart disease risk
2 February 2010
Low levels of vitamin B6 may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, says a new study.
02 July 2012
According to a new German study, low blood beta-carotene - and vitamin C concentrations may be associated with a higher risk of losing brain functions.
In this observational study, blood concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lycopene and coenzyme Q10 were measured in 74 participants with mild cognitive impairment and 158 healthy age- and gender-matched controls (1). The study results show that blood vitamin C and beta-carotene concentrations were significantly lower in the dementia sufferers than in the control group, even after adjusting for school education, intake of dietary supplements, smoking habits, body mass index and alcohol consumption. No associations were found for vitamin E, lycopene and coenzyme Q10.
The researchers commented that these findings indicate a significant association between vitamin C and
beta-carotene plasma levels and dementia risk. The hypothesis that antioxidants may have beneficial effects on the underlying changes associated with the development of dementia was said to be very important and supports the promotion of higher dietary intake of antioxidant-rich foods. Long-term data would be needed to give further insight into this association.
Oxidative stress is believed to play a central role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia among older people. Antioxidants may prevent the onset of AD, as high dietary intake of vitamin C and E has been reported in large epidemiologic studies to be linked with lower risk of the disease (2, 3). Some publications found a significant association between vitamin E intake and cognitive decline and dementia (4, 5). Other studies did not support an association between combined use of vitamin E and C supplements and lower risk of AD (6).
2 February 2010
Low levels of vitamin B6 may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, says a new study.
27 October 2015
A new study has shown that people with metabolic syndrome are less able to process vitamin E than the normal population. As this population suffers from a high visceral lipid burden, any reduction in the levels of this potent fat-soluble antioxidant is of concern and suggests that dietary recommendations of vitamin E intake for this group should be revised upward. Metabolic syndrome is extremely common in the Western world and is closely associated with the development of atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes.
6 April 2012
Regular intake of supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids may support the function of blood vessels in cardiovascular patients, suggests a new Chinese meta-analysis.