Expert opinion
The important role of omega-3 fatty acids for older adults
1 January 2014
The proportion of older people in developed countries across the world is rising.
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.
1 January 2014
The proportion of older people in developed countries across the world is rising.
5 January 2012
A new French study claims that the use of dietary supplements may not improve general well-being. Experts criticize the study’s poor validity.
16 June 2014
Recent studies report that diets which exclude animal foods result in significantly lower intakes of vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc and selenium.