News
Carotenoids may protect against age-related vision loss
8 February 2012
A new literature analysis suggests that an increased intake of lutein and zeaxanthin may protect against late age-related macular degeneration.
19 March 2014
According to a new study increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids may improve attention, processing speed, executive function and hand-to-eye coordination in malnourished children.
The randomized controlled trial measured neuropsychological parameters of 50 malnourished children bet- ween the age of 8 and 12 who received a daily omega-3 supplement (180 mg docosahexaenoic acid and
270 mg eicosapentaenoic acid) or placebo for 3 months (1). The study results showed that over 50% of the children in the supplement group showed greater improvement in 11 of the 18 neuropsychological variables than the participants in the placebo group. Coordination, processing speed, attention, perceptual integration and executive function were improved in over 70% of the children who received omega-3 fatty acids. No benefits were observed for memory.
The researchers commented that these results do not support their initial hypothesis that expected an impro- vement in memory due to previous findings on the role of omega-3 fatty acids in the number of neurons in the hippocampus. Although this improvement occurred in the intervention group, it was also evident in the placebo group, indicating that memory may be more sensitive to external stimulation to the effect of ome- ga-3 fatty acids. Experts noted that the recommended time between memory testing of children is one year, not three months as in the new study. Thus, the investigation of effects of omega-3 fatty acids on memory warrants repeating with a modified experimental design.
8 February 2012
A new literature analysis suggests that an increased intake of lutein and zeaxanthin may protect against late age-related macular degeneration.
1 October 2015
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of liver disease. The increasing prevalence of NAFLD in recent years is thought to be closely associated with similar rises in metabolic syndrome and obesity. There is no cure at present for NAFLD, but changes in eating habits can be beneficial, such as lowering your calorie intake, adhering to a Mediterranean diet, and consuming pre- and probiotics. Specifically, the antioxidant function of vitamin E when consumed in high doses appears to play a useful role in preventing further liver damage. Further, vitamin D has antifibrotic effects, which may prove an effective intervention in future NAFLD studies.
15 October 2009
Results from intervention trials suggest that there is no evidence to support the use of homocysteine-lowering B vitamins to prevent cardiovascular events, according to a new review.