30 July 2012
According to a new Australian review, combined omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplementation may significantly increase the likelihood of symptom improvement in children and adolescents suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The review analyzed data from 13 randomized controlled trials including 1,011 children and adolescents with ADHD (1). Most of the studies had compared the efficacy of supplements with omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids or combinations of both to placebo in ADHD patients for a maximum of 16 weeks. The analysis showed that there was a significantly higher likelihood of improvement (119%) in the group receiving omega-3 and or omega-6 fatty acids compared to placebo. However, there were no significant improvements overall for the fatty acid supplements and ADHD, nor were there any overall benefits for inattention scores, hyperacti-vity, or behavior.
The researchers commented that despite the promising results, at this stage there would be insufficient evidence to conclude that omega-3 and/or omega-6 fatty acid supplementation is of benefit in children and adolescents with ADHD. More studies using doses shown to significantly increase blood omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid concentrations and running for considerably longer periods would be needed in order to identify more conclusively the effectiveness of supplementation in ADHD.
8 September 2015
A new study from Singapore suggests that increased maternal folate concentrations during late pregnancy seem to be associated with longer gestational age and a lower risk of preterm birth.
1 January 2015
Until now, recommendations for adequate nutrition could only be generalized, or at best specialized for target groups like children, sportsmen and -women or the elderly. In contrast, personalized nutrition aims to define dietary recommendations and possibly appropriate products for each individual based on their genetic and physiological characteristics. These recommendations would be designed to maintain health and avert the disease risks to which that individual might be predisposed. Micronutrients are involved in specific biochemical processes at all points in the metabolic process and play an important role in regulating health and in the onset of diseases. New analytical techniques make it possible to examine and describe the influence of micronutrients in health-preserving processes. This is usually done by analyzing a combination of biomarkers so as to provide the individual with a tailored micronutrient intake recommendation.
6 April 2012
The risk of dying from cardiovascular disease may be decreased if people with metabolic syndrome have vitamin D blood concentrations of at least 75 nmol/L, says a new study from Europe.
