News
Lutein and zeaxanthin may decrease cataract risk
19 March 2012
A new Finnish study indicates that increased blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin may reduce the risk of cataracts by about 40%.
11 October 2011
According to a new German study, pregnant women and newborns need substantially more vitamin D than they are getting. Nutritional scientists are calling for higher vitamin D intake recommendations.
The study examined the concentration of vitamin D in blood samples from 84 pregnant women at the time of delivery and in the umbilical cord blood of their infants (1). The results of the study showed that 90 percent of the women and 88 percent of the babies were deficient in vitamin D. Only two of the women and three of the newborns examined had vitamin D concentrations that, with more than 50 nanomol per liter, were above the latest recommendations of the American Institute of Medicine from 2011.
The researchers commented that the study was the first in Germany to check the actual vitamin D status of this section of the population on the basis of blood tests. They concluded from the results that pregnant women, as well as many other population groups, urgently need a substantially higher intake of vitamin D to avoid health consequences such as bone formation disorders. Intake of vitamin D could be increased through dietary supplements, fortified foods or pharmaceuticals. First, however, the authorities are being called upon to raise intake recommendations.
Currently, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (German Nutrition Society, DGE) recommends an intake of 5 micrograms (µg) of vitamin D (200 IU) per day for adults, including pregnant and lactating women. In Canada, for example, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D is ten times as high. Data from the 2008 Nationale Verzehrsstudie II (National Survey of Food Consumption II) show that the German population consumes too little vitamin D: 82 percent of all men and 91 percent of women do not consume the recommended daily intake of 5 µg vitamin D. However, these data are based on intake data, not on determination of status by measuring the concentration of vitamin D in the bloodstream.
19 March 2012
A new Finnish study indicates that increased blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin may reduce the risk of cataracts by about 40%.
1 October 2011
According to a new Australian review, zinc plays a critical role in the regulation of DNA repair mechanisms, cell proliferation, differentiation and cell death.
1 September 2015
Platelet activation and aggregation play an integral role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Overactivation can lead to the formation of large thrombi and the blockage of essential blood vessels. Certain micronutrients are able to actively intervene in the biochemical clotting cascade, including the marine omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and water-soluble tomato concentrate, and may therefore be beneficial to cardiovascular health.