17 October 2012
Low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased mortality in older African American and Caucasian adults, says a new US study.
In this observational study, the blood vitamin D concentrations, medical conditions and proportion of deaths of 2,638 Caucasians and African Americans aged 70 to 79 were measured (1). In addition to many health factors, the time of year was also taken into account due to the seasonal effects on vitamin D. The study results showed that vitamin D levels of less than 30 ng/ml were associated with significantly increased all-cause mortality. Observed in one-third of study participants, vitamin D insufficiency (defined as blood levels below 20 ng/ml) was associated with a nearly 50% increase in the mortality rate. The findings also indicated that the potential positive impact of remediating low vitamin D levels is greater in African Americans than Caucasians because vitamin D insufficiency is more common among African Americans.
The researchers commented that low levels of vitamin D may be a substantial public health concern for our nation’s older adults. For the past several years, there has been considerable interest in the role vitamin D plays in improving health and preventing disease. Low levels of vitamin D have been directly associated with various forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
3 December 2009
Vitamin B9 (folic acid) supplements during pregnancy may not only reduce the risk of birth defects but also protect the children from congenital heart defects, a new study reports.
29 January 2019
Keeping pace with the growing population of the planet can be challenging, especially when it comes to feeding the world. To feed everyone a healthy diet, our food production systems need to become more sustainable. A recent report titled “Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems,” published by the EAT-Lancet commission outlines several strategies that we can use to feed the world sustainably.
1 October 2012
Vegetarian diets have been practiced since ancient times. The popularity of vegetarian diets in recent years has been fuelled by ethical considerations, health concerns, environmental issues, and reli-gious factors. The reason a person chooses to be vegetarian influences the pattern of foods they consume, from only eating plant foods to permitting dairy and/or egg products in the diet. When a vegetarian diet is appropriately planned, it can be nutritionally adequate for individuals through all stages of the life cycle and can promote health and lower the risk of major chronic diseases. Avoiding nutrient-dense meat or animal-based diets means paying close attention to the diet in order to ensure balanced nutrition and an adequate micronutrient intake.
