News
Prenatal vitamins may lower risk of autism
3 June 2011
Taking vitamins before and/or during the first month of pregnancy may reduce the chances of bearing a child with autism by 50 percent, says a new US study.
03 March 2010
Increased intakes of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenonic acid may improve cognitive functions in middle age people, according to a new study.
In the study, the omega-3 fatty acid serum levels and cognitive functions of 280 volunteers between 35 and 54 years of age were measured (1). The results showed that higher levels of docosahexaenonic acid (DHA), but not alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were related to better performance on tests of nonverbal reasoning and mental flexibility, working memory, and vocabulary.
The researchers commented that these findings suggest that DHA is related to brain health throughout the lifespan and may have implications for clinical trials of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the findings from this observational study cannot establish that any association between the omega-3 fatty acids on cognitive performance is causal. Additionally, randomized controlled trials in both healthy and clinical samples are warranted.
Existing evidence links greater dietary intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids to better early brain development and lowered risk of cognitive disorders in late life. The potential brain boosting benefits of omega-3 have been reported by numerous studies but the mechanisms for these associations remain unclear.
3 June 2011
Taking vitamins before and/or during the first month of pregnancy may reduce the chances of bearing a child with autism by 50 percent, says a new US study.
1 December 2015
Professor Mary Ward of Ulster University was part of a recent trial in which it was shown that elderly Irish adults (60 years or more) who were deficient in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (<25 nmol/L) were most likely to have the highest levels of inflammatory cytokines when compared to those who were replete (>75 nmol/L). Raised levels of these inflammatory cytokines are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a range of other chronic diseases.
18 February 2013
A new study from New Zealand suggests that eating seven to eight servings of fruit and vegetables a day may make young people calmer, happier and more energetic in their daily life.