News
Low vitamin D levels may be linked to Parkinson's disease
12 July 2010
Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, says a Finnish study.
27 August 2014
A new study from Germany reports that regular increased intakes of the polyphenol resveratrol seem to support memory performance and glucose metabolism in older adults.
In the randomized controlled trial, 46 participants aged between 50 and 75 years performed memory tests before and after they received either 200 mg resveratrol per day of or a placebo for 26 weeks (1). The study results showed that participants who were supplemented with resveratrol had significant improvements in the retention of words over 30 minutes compared with placebo. In addition, neuroimaging data showed that resveratrol led to a significantly increased functional connectivity of the hippocampus. Moreover, resveratrol supplementation was associated with decreased levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) – a marker of long-term presence of excess glucose in the blood.
The researchers commented that increased resveratrol intakes may be a new strategy to maintain brain health during aging. While earlier research has linked resveratrol intakes to improved blood flow in the brain (2), the new results indicate that the polyphenol may be able to modulate brain function. Resveratrol, found in grapes and red wine has been intensively investigated for potential cardiovascular benefits.
12 July 2010
Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, says a Finnish study.
1 January 2014
Cell aging is a complex process in which numerous factors can be involved. Telomeres located at the ends of chromosomes play an important role here – they consist of repetitive DNA sequences and associated proteins (histones) that stabilize the DNA by forming a kind of protective cap. When DNA is copied during cell division, some of the DNA building blocks (nucleotides) at the ends of the chromosomes are not copied, with the result that the telomeres on the newly formed DNA strands get shorter with each cell division. With increasing telomere shortening the cell changes its pattern of gene activation, slows its rate of division, then halts division completely (senescence), and eventually dies (apoptosis). Telomerase, an enz- yme that forms telomeres, counteracts this cell aging process by adding nucleotides that would otherwise be lost to the ends of the new DNA strand. Cell aging and death are thus delayed. Both telomere length and the amount and activity of telomerase, along with other factors, determine how many times cells can divide. Studies have shown that these factors can be positively influenced by micronutrients.
5 June 2013
New US in vitro experiments suggest that high concentrations of certain naturally occurring molecules derived from beta-carotene may be associated with health hazards under specific conditions. An adequate intake of beta-carotene remains recommended.