News
Low folate levels in pregnant women may be linked to hyperactive children
30 April 2010
Attention-deficit and hyperactivity problems in children may be associated with low vitamin B9 (folate) levels during pregnancy, suggests a new UK study.
05 November 2011
Patients treated with antidepressants may show greater improvement in symptoms of depression when they take daily omega-3 fatty acids supplements, says a new study from the Netherlands.
In the randomized controlled trial, 4,116 patients (aged 60-80 years) who had experienced a myocardial infarction were assigned to consume margarine spreads that either provided a daily dose of 2 grams of
plant-derived alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) , 400 milligrams fish-derived eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), ALA plus EPA/DHA, or a placebo every day for 40 months (1). To evaluate a potential link between omega-3 fatty acid intakes and mood, symptoms of depression were measured by a questionnaire. The study results showed that the low-dose supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids did not significantly improve depressive symptoms when compared to the placebo group. However, a small group of patients who were prescribed antidepressant medications at baseline showed a greater improvement in depressive symptoms when taking EPA plus DHA.
Experts commented that it would be no surprise that low doses of omega-3 fatty acid supplements showed no effect in patients, most of whom had no psychiatric diagnosis and no depressed mood. Only people who actually suffer from depression would benefit from the supplements. In many studies, higher doses of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., 1.2 grams per day) would have been shown to ameliorate depressive symptoms in depressed individuals (2).
30 April 2010
Attention-deficit and hyperactivity problems in children may be associated with low vitamin B9 (folate) levels during pregnancy, suggests a new UK study.
8 February 2018
This Valentine’s Day, say it with fish, not flowers! On the one day of the year that we think most of our hearts, be sure to talk to a loved one about the importance of omega-3s for heart health.
1 April 2015
Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is an endocrine disorder characterized by insulin insufficiency (type 1 diabetes) or insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes) and chronically raised blood sugar levels. Vascular diseases (diabetic angiopathies) play a deciding role in the course of the disease. Diabetics are more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke (macroangiopathy), and almost all sufferers are affected by damage to the small blood vessels (microangiopathy), the eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy) or nerves (neuropathy). The metabolic status of diabetes sufferers is characterized by permanent oxidative stress due to impaired carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Early and sustained sufficient intake of antioxidant micronutrients that regulate carbohydrate metabolism is therefore particularly important in the prevention of diabetes.