News
Multivitamins may lower heart disease death risk
19 July 2009
Long-term regular consumption of a multivitamin may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease according to a study from the US.
17 January 2013
Saudi Arabian women with low blood vitamin D concentrations may have a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer, a new study reports.
In the observational study, blood vitamin D concentrations of 120 women with breast cancer (stages I–IV), aged 18 to 75 years, and 120 women with no history of breast cancer were measured (1). The study results showed that the mean vitamin D levels were significantly lower in women with breast cancer (9 ng/ml) compared to the control participants (15 ng/ml). 60% of the participants with cancer and 38% of the healthy women had vitamin D levels below 10 ng/ml. Women with vitamin D levels below 10 ng/ml had six times the odds of getting breast cancer compared with four times the odds of women with levels from 10 to 20 ng/ml.
The researchers concluded that women residing in Saudi Arabia are at a high risk of having an insufficient vitamin D supply and of developing associated health disorders. Saudi women are thought to have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency because of their darker skin pigmentation and reduced UV exposure due to cultural clothing practices. The study findings confirm past research in other Saudi Arabian population groups, the scientists noted.
According to data from the Saudi Arabian National Cancer Registry, breast cancer was the most common cancer diagnosed in 2007, accounting for 26% of all newly diagnosed cancers in women. Breast cancer is more commonly diagnosed in women under 40 in Saudi Arabia than in the US.
19 July 2009
Long-term regular consumption of a multivitamin may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease according to a study from the US.
22 August 2019
School feeding programs have broader and longer-lasting effects than just giving children a meal. Carefully designed programs can address widespread nutrient deficiencies, support educational outcomes, and encourage school attendance for both boys and girls.
1 March 2012
The use of medication worldwide is growing continually, not least because of the rising age of the population. Today there are many people who take more than three different kinds of medication daily (1,2). In highly developed countries, it is particularly common for patients to be prescribed medication long-term, most frequently for the treatment of widespread chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. It is also a common practice in those regions to take over-the-counter medicines, including painkillers and medication for stomach ulcers (3,4). When several kinds of medication are taken concomitantly, the risks and side effects increase. In contrast to other adverse drug reactions, the inter-action between medications and micronutrients is only gradually gaining the attention of experts and the wider public. A number of medicines influence the metabolism of vitamins, minerals and trace elements in such a way that they could lead to insufficiencies or even deficiency symptoms in patients (5,6).