News
Vitamin A may reduce skin cancer risk
9 March 2012
According to a new US study, regular use of vitamin A supplements may reduce the risk of developing melanoma, especially in women.
10 September 2014
New UK research suggests that men who eat over 10 portions a week of lycopene-rich tomatoes have an 18% lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
To assess if following dietary and lifestyle recommendations reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer, the observational study analyzed the diets and lifestyle of 1,806 men aged between 50 and 69 with prostate cancer and compared with 12,005 cancer-free men (1). The study results showed that men who had increased intakes of foods rich in lycopene, calcium and selenium had a lower risk of prostate cancer. Tomatoes and its products – such as tomato juice and baked beans – were shown to be most beneficial, with an 18% reduction in risk found in men eating over 10 portions a week. Overall, high intakes of fruits, vegetables and dietary fiber were found to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
The researchers commented that the cancer preventive effect of consuming tomatoes is thought to be due to lycopene, an antioxidant which fights off toxins that can cause DNA and cell damage. Men should still eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight and stay active, the scientists recommended. Further studies need to be conducted to confirm the findings, especially through clinical trials.
With 35,000 new cases every year in the UK, and around 10,000 deaths, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. Rates are higher in developed countries, which some experts believe is linked to a Westernized diet and lifestyle.
9 March 2012
According to a new US study, regular use of vitamin A supplements may reduce the risk of developing melanoma, especially in women.
29 June 2013
According to a new US study low blood vitamin K1 concentrations may increase the progression of arterial calcification in people with high blood pressure who take anti-hypertensive medications.
1 July 2014
It has long been known that vitamin K, which is involved as a coenzyme in the production of coagulation factors, is essential to the regulation of blood coagulation. But vitamin K also fulfils an important role in the activation of certain enzymes which, together with vitamin D, regulate metabolism and can combat the hardening of soft tissues such as blood vessels and help slow bone demineralization. In recent years interest in this vitamin has grown considerably following the discovery of other potentially health-promoting properties. Attention centers on research into the function of vitamin-K-dependent enzymes (Gla proteins), which are found in bones and teeth as well as in blood vessel linings, the brain and other soft tissues, where they appear to regulate cell division and cell differentiation, among other things. Studies indicate that a sufficient intake of vitamin K could help prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, insulin resistance and inflammation of the joints, and above all could protect against the age-related loss of cognitive abilities.