News
Can vitamin D lower blood pressure?
30 August 2013
A new study from Scotland suggests that vitamin D supplementation does not lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Experts criticize the study’s validity.
20 December 2013
A new study from China reports that higher intakes of calcium may reduce the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older people with a low habitual calcium intake.
The observational study investigated a potential link between the dietary calcium intake and death from all-cause and cardiovascular disease of 3,139 Chinese men and women (aged 65 years and over, with no history of heart disease or stroke) over an average of 9.1 years (1). The study results showed that partici- pants with the highest calcium intakes (above 762 mg/day for men and above 688 mg/day for women) had a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a non-significant decreased risk of cardiovascular morta- lity when compared to participants with the lowest intakes (below 458 mg/day for men and below 417 mg/ day for women). A supplemental use of calcium appeared to be associated with a reduced risk of mortality, especially in all-cause mortality.
The researchers commented that while most epidemiological studies of calcium intake and mortality risk have been conducted in populations with a moderate to high calcium intake, this new study had focused on people with a low habitual calcium intake (i.e. a mean dietary calcium intake of less than 700 mg/day). A low-calcium intake may possibly affect mortality risk or cardiovascular disease-related risk through its effect on dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and blood pressure (2). On the other hand, it has been suggested that a very high calcium intake may long-term exert a harmful effect on cardiovascular health through several plausible mechanisms, such as vascular calcification and effects on arterial stiffness (3).
30 August 2013
A new study from Scotland suggests that vitamin D supplementation does not lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Experts criticize the study’s validity.
1 September 2014
Insufficient and excessive consumption of nutrients can both increase the risk of damage to health. As intake is increased, the risk of developing a harmful nutrient deficiency falls until the intake reaches an amount that is regarded as adequate (recommended daily amount). Above this amount (tolerable upper intake level or UL) toxic effects may be seen that once more increase the risk of damage to health. How the body reacts to the consumption of specific micronutrients depends on the dosage and on the consumer’s baseline nutrient status. If nutrient levels are already high, increasing consumption is likely to increase the risk of toxicity. With vitamins as with all nutrients: more is not always better. This also applies to water-soluble vitamins, although these do not accumulate in the body to the same degree as the fat-soluble vitamins (see also The safety of micronutrients – Part 1: fat-soluble vitamins).
1 January 2013
That adequate intakes of various vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients are needed for optimal function of the organism is a truism.