25 August 2011
A daily dose of niacin may help men with high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction, a new Chinese study suggests.
In the randomized controlled trial, 160 men with high cholesterol and moderate to severe erectile dysfunction (ED) were randomly assigned to receive up to 1,500 mg oral niacin daily or placebo for 12 weeks (1). The study results showed that the men who took niacin reported an improvement in their ability to maintain an erection. In addition, their lipid levels improved. The placebo group did not have a change in symptoms.
The researchers commented that the study only included men who had high lipid levels as well as ED, so it would be not clear whether niacin has an effect in patients who have only ED. In patients with atheroscle-rosis, which is the accumulation of fats along blood vessel walls, niacin is known to improve both cholesterol and lipid levels. So it would be no surprise that niacin also helps ED, because atherosclerosis and ED have similar causes: both can be caused by inflammation of blood vessels, the scientists said.
22 October 2014
A new study from Australia reports that low blood concentrations of vitamin B1, B2, B12 and folate seem to play a role in the development of fat cells and childhood obesity.
8 September 2015
A new study from New Zealand reports that low blood vitamin D concentrations seem to increase the risk of developing a depression in healthy young adults.
1 August 2014
Excessive intake of high-energy macronutrients and their potential consequences for people’s health are a problem in many industrial nations. In the case of micronutrients, however, epidemiological data suggests that over-supply is the exception rather than the rule across the globe. Many people are therefore concerned that their dietary habits are failing to provide them with a sufficient supply of essential nutrients such as vitamins and carotenoids. Given that intakes of some nutrients are below officially recommended levels, it might at first sight appear unnecessary to set upper intake levels for micronutrients. However excessive intake of food supplements and fortified foods in addition to normal diets could conceivably lead to intake levels which could potentially be considered harmful. It may be sensible to define an upper daily intake level at which the risk of adverse effects on health is unlikely, particularly in the case of fat-soluble vitamins which are stored in small quantities in the body.
