News
Vitamin D may decrease risk of colorectal cancer
23 January 2012
A new study from Japan suggests that high blood levels of vitamin D may lower the colorectal cancer risk by 36%.
25 June 2012
New US research says that daily vitamin C supplementation may decrease heart rate during moderate exercise for obese people and reduce their perception of fatigue and exertion.
In the study, 20 obese adults (mean BMI of 34.3 kg/m2 and average age of 35 years) consumed a calorie-controlled diet for four weeks with or without a daily supplementation of 500 mg vitamin C (1). At the begin-ning and the end of the study, the participants performed 60 minutes of moderate exercise (walking) at an intensity of 50% predicted maximal oxygen consumption. The study results showed that both groups lost about four kilograms and there were no differences in breathing between the groups. However, the vitamin C group had significantly lower heart rates (an average of 11 fewer heart beats per minute) during exercise, compared with the control group. In addition, the ratings of perceived exertion and perceived fatigue were also significantly reduced in the vitamin C group.
The researchers concluded that this data indicates that vitamin C supplementation can decrease perception of fatigue and exertion during moderate exercise for obese people. Thus, increased vitamin C intake may be a strategy to improve adherence to exercise protocols for obese. According to the researchers, perceived exertion is typically correlated to heart rate and blood lactate concentrations and considered a gauge for muscular effort, fatigue, and muscle aches. Since heart rate is a contributing factor to perceived effort, the significant decrease in the exercising heart rate noted for the vitamin C group may have influenced the reported reduced perceived exertion.
23 January 2012
A new study from Japan suggests that high blood levels of vitamin D may lower the colorectal cancer risk by 36%.
1 October 2014
Fruit and vegetables make an important contribution to health, partly due to the phytonutrient composition, such as carotenoids and polyphenols.
1 December 2014
Optimizing vision throughout the lifespan is a public health priority worldwide, not only because of its central importance to quality of life, but also because of the health care costs associated with the loss of vision in an aging population. Oxidative stress is thought to be a key pathogenic mechanism of compromised vision, and the antioxidant properties of some nutrients show the capacity to modulate disease conditions linked to oxidative stress. Considerable evidence has accumulated showing that vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and zinc help support vision and may be protective against the development or progression of some common – especially age-related – eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. In addition, increased intakes of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin and the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – all concentrated in the eye – have been associated consistently with lower likelihood of sight-threatening conditions. There has also been some promising research with B vitamins in age-related eye diseases and with vitamin A and DHA in the rare disease retinitis pigmentosa (see also Key nutrients for healthy vision).