News
Vitamin D plus calcium may reduce vertebral fractures
26 October 2012
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation is associated with a decreased risk of vertebral fractures, says a new US study.
01 January 2013
Maternal consumption of foods rich in antioxidants vitamin C and copper may reduce the risk of allergic events in infants predisposed to allergic disease, suggests a new Australian study.
In this observational study, intakes of antioxidant micronutrients, such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, copper and zinc, were assessed in 420 pregnant women by a food frequency questionnaire (1). Subsequently, any cases of allergic diseases among the women’s infants at one year of age were docu-mented. The study’s results showed that a higher maternal dietary intake of vitamin C was associated
with a reduced risk of all diagnosed infant allergic disease, including food allergies and wheeze. Specifi-
cally, a higher maternal dietary copper intake was associated with a reduced risk of wheeze and of the development of early allergic disease in infants who were at high risk due to family allergy history.
The researchers commented that the potential protective effects of vitamin C- and antioxidant-rich foods
on allergic disease have been noted in a number of previous studies, which included links between higher intakes of antioxidant-rich foods, better pulmonary function, and a reduced risk of wheeze (2). There are also some previous observations that support copper’s role in immunomodulation. Previous findings that insufficient maternal vitamin E intakes were associated with an increased risk of developing childhood wheeze (3) could not be confirmed. However, almost 50% of pregnant mothers did not meet the recom-mended dietary intake (RDI) for vitamin E when dietary intakes alone were taken into account. In a
national intake survey, 20% of the mothers did not meet the RDI when total vitamin E intakes (including supplements) were analyzed (4).
26 October 2012
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation is associated with a decreased risk of vertebral fractures, says a new US study.
28 October 2013
A new US study suggests that low blood vitamin D concentrations may be linked to exacerbated emphysema, one of the main conditions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
26 July 2011
According to two new studies from Asia and one from the US, higher blood levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources as well as those derived from plants are associated with lower risk of diabetes.