News
Vitamin B3 may improve erectile function
25 August 2011
A daily dose of niacin may help men with high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction, a new Chinese study suggests.
18 July 2012
Fortifying foods with iron is effective and could be a viable public health option to help combat iron deficiency, says a new review from India.
To evaluate the effect of iron fortification in the context of iron deficiency and anemia, the meta-analysis included data from 60 randomized controlled trials (1). The analysis showed that fortifying foods with iron resulted in a significant increase in hemoglobin concentrations, and a reduced risk of anemia and iron deficiency. No instances of zinc depletion were observed – a theoretical risk of iron fortification, particularly in vegetarian populations with very low zinc intake.
The researchers noted that iron deficiency anemia is a widespread problem with health and economic consequences, such as poor cognitive development in children, lower worker productivity, and increased maternal mortality (2). Anemia affects nearly one third of the world’s population, primarily infants and young children in developing countries (3). Dietary strategies to counter anemia include iron supplementation or fortification, or dietary modification. It is often proposed that food fortification is the most realistic way to increase iron intake on a widespread and sustainable basis, and it is currently implemented above all in the United States, Britain, and most of Latin America. Biofortification of crops is also currently being intensively researched, with experts hoping it will provide a more sustainable and complementary alternative to food fortification.
25 August 2011
A daily dose of niacin may help men with high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction, a new Chinese study suggests.
9 November 2009
High combined intakes of vitamin C and vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin from food may decrease the frequency of chromosome damage in ionizing radiation-exposed persons, a new study reports.
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.