News
Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce eczema risk in children
10 February 2012
Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy may decrease the risk of atopic eczema in children by 36%, suggests a new Australian study.
03 March 2016
A retrospective study of a cohort of 124 patients with stress fractures of the foot showed that 83% of them had circulating serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL. These results suggest that active patients at higher risk of stress factures may require a higher vitamin D intake than the average individual.
The key physiological function of vitamin D is to ensure adequate bone mineralization and turnover through maintenance of serum calcium and phosphorous levels. Insufficiency can lead to osteoporosis, reduced bone mineral density and increased risk of bone fracture. The current retrospective study looked at circulating serum25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients measured within three months of the diagnosis of a stress fracture of the foot (1). The Vitamin D Council defines sufficiency as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of 40 ng/mL. The study found that 83% of the patients with stress fractures had levels below this.
Previously, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial carried out with female military recruits had shown that the incidence of stress fractures could be reduced by 20% with a daily intervention of 2000 mg calcium and 800 IUvitamin D (2). In a similar case-controlled study of 600 female navy recruits, it was shown that those with serum vitamin D levels of less than 20 ng/mL were twice as likely to suffer a fracture of the leg than those with levels of 40 ng/mL or more (3).
The Endocrine Society has suggested that adults with vitamin D deficiency should supplement with 6000 IU per day for eight weeks in order to achieve serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of greater than 30 ng/mL (4). Hence, it appears that greater serum concentrations of vitamin D than previously thought may be required to prevent stress fractures in active individuals.
10 February 2012
Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy may decrease the risk of atopic eczema in children by 36%, suggests a new Australian study.
12 April 2013
According to a new Canadian review, insufficient blood vitamin D levels in pregnant women seem to be linked to gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and low birth weight of newborns.
13 December 2013
A new study from Taiwan reports that a supplementation with coenzyme Q10 significantly enhances antioxidant enzyme activities and lowers inflammation in patients who have coronary artery disease (CAD) and are being treated with statins.