News
An insufficient vitamin D supply may increase dementia risk
11 August 2014
A new US study reports that older people with vitamin D deficiency seem to have a substantially increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
07 February 2014
According to a new study from Turkey women with low levels of vitamin D seem to have thinner femoral cartilage, increasing their risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee.
The observational study measured blood vitamin D concentrations and thickness of cartilage in the knees of 80 women between the ages of 20 and 45 who did not have pain or problems with their knee joints (1). The study results showed that women with very low vitamin D values (below 10 ng/mL) had significantly thinner femoral cartilage.
The researchers concluded that being severely deficient in vitamin D seems to increase the risk of develo- ping osteoarthritis. These findings are supported by earlier research indicating that vitamin D supplementa- tion may be able to help with osteoarthritis associated pain (2).
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis worldwide. In people with osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the joints wears down over time, causing pain. It is commonly referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis, to differentiate it from the autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis. Risk factors for osteoarthritis include age, obesity, previous injury, and being female. An adequate vitamin D intake is necessary for normal bone and cartilage turnover, and previous epidemiologic research has shown a connection between low vitamin D levels and having osteoarthritis of the knee. Lower concentrations of antioxidant vitamins (C and E in parti- cular) in joint fluid has also been linked to an increased osteoarthritis risk (3).
11 August 2014
A new US study reports that older people with vitamin D deficiency seem to have a substantially increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
7 September 2010
Giving iron supplements to children with low birth weights may reduce the risk of developing iron deficiency and anemia, a new Swedish study suggests.
10 July 2015
Recent work by Ramsden et al (1) at the NIH in Bethesda, MD, USA has demonstrated that a dietary intervention rich in marine omega-3 fatty acids but low in omega-6 fatty acids can provide an effective, complementary approach for managing chronic pain and related conditions. The beneficial effects were found to be due to specific endocannabinoids derived from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).