News
B Vitamins may help celiac disease management
23 March 2009
Daily supplements of B vitamins may improve the overall health of people with celiac disease by reducing levels of an amino acid linked to heart disease, according to a Dutch study.
29 October 2010
Vitamin C and E may ameliorate maximal exercise-induced oxidative stress and its erythrocyte damaging effects, according to a Turkish study.
In the randomized controlled trial, 14 basketball players were randomly assigned to two groups trained with maximal exercise for 35 days receiving a combination of vitamin E (150 mg/day) and vitamin C (500 mg/day) or placebo (1). Blood samples were taken at the beginning and the end of the study to measure vitamin plasma levels and lipid peroxidation levels in plasma and erythrocytes indicating activity of “ Reactive Oxygen Species” (ROS). The results showed that the levels of ROS in plasma and red blood cells (erythrocytes) were significantly lower in the group receiving vitamins C and E compared to the placebo group. In addition, plasma levels of vitamin C and E were higher in the supplemented group.
The researchers concluded that sportspeople undergoing maximal exercise are subject to increased lipid peroxidation in blood inducing erythrocyte damage. The intake of antioxidant vitamins has shown to reduce maximal exercise-induced oxidative damage and could be useful in the prevention of oxidative stress during exercise.
Oxidative stress is characterized by a high level of free radicals causing oxidative degradation of lipids in cell membranes ( lipid peroxidation), among other things, which can result in cell (e.g., erythrocyte) damage. Exercise-induced oxidative stress has received considerable attention in recent years. Exercise mode, intensity and duration, as well as the subject population tested, all can impact the extent of oxidation. The generation of ROS in response to acute exercise can occur via several pathways, such as increased mitochondrial respiration in muscles. An inactivation of ROS can be carried out by antioxidant vitamins. Vitamins E and C are thought to be very important agents in providing protection against oxidative stress. Vitamin C, in addition to being a free radical scavenger, also regenerates vitamin E as antioxidant. The reduction properties of vitamin C are important also in the absorption of dietary iron, which is need for the formation of hemoglobin in erythrocytes.
23 March 2009
Daily supplements of B vitamins may improve the overall health of people with celiac disease by reducing levels of an amino acid linked to heart disease, according to a Dutch study.
8 September 2015
According to a new US study greater adherence to the micronutrient-rich Mediterranean diet is associated with longer telomeres potentially promoting health and longevity.
1 March 2012
The use of medication worldwide is growing continually, not least because of the rising age of the population. Today there are many people who take more than three different kinds of medication daily (1,2). In highly developed countries, it is particularly common for patients to be prescribed medication long-term, most frequently for the treatment of widespread chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. It is also a common practice in those regions to take over-the-counter medicines, including painkillers and medication for stomach ulcers (3,4). When several kinds of medication are taken concomitantly, the risks and side effects increase. In contrast to other adverse drug reactions, the inter-action between medications and micronutrients is only gradually gaining the attention of experts and the wider public. A number of medicines influence the metabolism of vitamins, minerals and trace elements in such a way that they could lead to insufficiencies or even deficiency symptoms in patients (5,6).