News
Study confirms positive effects of fruits and vegetables on heart health
1 February 2011
According to a new UK study, consuming at least eight portions of fruits and vegetables a day may lower the risk of fatal heart disease by up to 22%.
05 November 2012
Healthy young adults can improve their working memory by increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids, suggests a new US study.
In the study, 11 healthy males or females between 18 and 25 years old, of all ethnic and racial origins, parti-cipated in a working memory task. The test and an analysis of the participants’ red blood cell membrane fatty acid composition was carried out before and after six months of supplementation with 750 mg/day docosahexaenonic acid (DHA) and 930 mg/day eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (1). The study results showed that concentrations of DHA and EPA in red blood cell membranes increased significantly following supplemen-tation. In addition, the participants’ verbal working memory had improved after the supplementation period.
The researches commented that the correlation between working memory performance and DHA levels was consistent with reports in which higher DHA levels have been linked to improved cognitive performance. While previous studies were carried out on the elderly or people with medical conditions, the new findings show that increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids seems to help the brain achieve its full potential in young adult life. Animal studies indicate that brain mechanisms affected by omega-3 fatty acids may not be influ-enced in the same way in adolescents and young adults as they are in older adults.
1 February 2011
According to a new UK study, consuming at least eight portions of fruits and vegetables a day may lower the risk of fatal heart disease by up to 22%.
1 December 2013
Micronutrients have many functions in the human organism. For example, they are needed to make macromolecules or as cofactors for essential enzymatic reactions. Micronutrient functions are based on their biochemical properties and are utilized in food technology. Many industrially processed foods contain additives that are in fact natural or nature-identical micronutrients. Their purpose is to improve the consistency of the food and to give it certain characteristics. Additives are selected based on their primary function in the finished food product. Micronutrients are usually used as antioxidants – to prevent oxidative processes that impair food quality – and as coloring agents to compensate for color lost during processing. Additives are generally labeled with E numbers. The use of additives in food is only permitted if it is technologically necessary, if they have been investigated and found to be harmless, and have passed inspection by the food safety authorities.
12 December 2012
A new US study says that older adults who are mildly vitamin B12 deficient may be at higher risk of cognitive decline.