News
New breath test to detect vitamin B12 deficiency
28 June 2011
US research team has developed a simple, non-invasive, low-cost breath test which can more accurately measure vitamin B12 status.
23 September 2013
A new review from Germany reports that of almost 200 population-based studies worldwide more than 37% report that inadequate blood vitamin D levels are wide-spread.
The systematic review analyzed data on vitamin D supply from more than 168,000 people across 195 studies conducted in 44 countries (1). The analysis showed that 37.3% of the studies reviewed reported mean serum vitamin levels, measured by 25-hydroxyvitamin D values, to be below 50 nmol/L, a value considered inade-quate by health authorities worldwide. The vitamin D values were higher in North America than in Europe or the Middle-East. Age-related differences were observed for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, but not elsewhere. Sex-related differences were not observed in any region.
The researchers commented that although vitamin D deficiency is associated with osteoporosis and is thought to increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, data on vitamin D status at the population level and within key subgroups are limited. The substantial heterogeneity between the reviewed studies within each region precludes drawing conclusions on overall vitamin D status at the population level.
28 June 2011
US research team has developed a simple, non-invasive, low-cost breath test which can more accurately measure vitamin B12 status.
6 November 2013
A new US review suggests that there is a normal range of human sodium intake defined by physiology and biological needs and not by the food supply.
15 October 2013
Vitamins and minerals are essential for growth and metabolism. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 2 billion people are deficient in key vitamins and minerals.