08 October 2014
A new US review concludes that an increase of calcium intake may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
The meta-analysis included the results of 15 prospective observational studies with a total of 12,305 participants, which investigated the potential relationship between cases of colorectal cancer and calcium intakes, ranging from 250-1,900 mg/day, for 3.3 to 16 years (1). The data analysis indicated that both dietary and supplemental calcium were associated with reductions in the risk of colorectal cancer: every 300 mg/day increase in total calcium intake was associated with a reduction in colon cancer risk of 8 to 9%.
The researchers commented that these findings may have several important clinical and public health implications. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey in the US, median total calcium intake of adults aged over 50 years was approximately 650 mg/day for no calcium-supplement users and 1,000 mg/day for calcium-supplement users. As the benefit of calcium intake on colorectal cancer is expected to continue beyond 1,000 mg/day, not only non-supplement users but also supplement users may further reduce their cancer risk through additional calcium intake via supplements and non-dairy products fortified with calcium, they said. Randomized controlled trials with calcium supplements and at least ten years of duration are warranted to confirm a benefit of calcium supplements on colorectal cancer risk.
14 November 2012
A new data analysis says that over one-third of American children are not meeting dietary recommendations for vitamin D and calcium, even with the use of supplements.
27 January 2010
Higher blood levels of vitamin B9 (folate) may reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in men, says a new study.
1 November 2012
For almost a century, the biological role of vitamin E has been a scientific puzzle. Since its discovery, vitamin E has been extensively researched by many scientists in an attempt to fully understand its role in a variety of diseases. The vast majority of published work has focused on vitamin E’s antioxidant properties, which is why it is well known as antioxidant that protects membranes from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Recent research has shown that vitamin E’s capacity to incorporate into plasma membrane and its ability to act there as antioxidant appears to be essential for the vitamin’s role in pro-moting membrane repair - the first evidence of one of vitamin E’s normal body functions.
