News
Beta-Carotene, vitamins and minerals may reduce eczema risk in children
1 February 2010
Increased intakes of beta-carotene, vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin E and iron may reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis, suggests a new study.
08 March 2013
A new study from China indicates that increased intakes of vegetables rich in carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, seem to contribute to the prevention of lung cancer.
To investigate the potential association of intakes of fruit, vegetables, carotenoids, dietary vitamins A and C, and folate with lung cancer risk, the observational study involved 61,491 adult Chinese men whose dietary intake was assessed through a food frequency questionnaire, while lung cancer cases among the participants were documented over a median of 5.5 years (1). After the first year, 359 lung cancer cases were observed, and 68.8% of them were current smokers. The study results showed that consumption of green leafy vege-tables, beta-carotene-rich vegetables, vitamin A, and total carotenoids were associated with a reduced lung cancer risk. In comparison between the highest and lowest intakes, disease risk reduction rates were up to 28% for green-leafy vegetables, 31% for beta-carotene-rich vegetables, 37% for vitamin A and 36% for total carotenoids. The participants’ intake of all fruits and vegetables combined was marginally associated with lung cancer risk.
Based on the results of several earlier studies, it has been hypothesized that vegetable and fruit consumption may positively influence lung cancer risk. In 2007, an expert report concluded that fruit probably protects against lung cancer and that there is only limited evidence suggesting that non-starchy vegetables are pre-ventive (2). Results of large prospective studies found a reduced risk for lung cancer with a high consump-tion of fruit (3) and a reduced lung cancer risk with a high vegetable consumption in current smokers (4). There are indications that the association of vegetables and fruits may vary among the histological subtypes of lung cancer, but study results are inconsistent. The major risk factor for lung cancer is smoking tobacco.
1 February 2010
Increased intakes of beta-carotene, vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin E and iron may reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis, suggests a new study.
9 November 2015
Low serum vitamin D levels are common in sufferers of the painful condition rheumatoid arthritis. This condition is caused by inflammation. Vitamin D has beneficial immunomodulatory effects, so even low dose supplementation could enable the dose of conventional rheumatoid arthritis therapies to be reduced, with the consequent benefit of a reduction in side effects. A very recent trial supports this hypothesis.
30 November 2012
Diabetic patients who have adequate blood vitamin D concentrations are less likely to develop clogged arteries compared to vitamin D deficient diabetics, suggests a new US study.