10 February 2014
According to a new US study women with low vitamin D levels in the first 26 weeks of their pregnancy may be at risk of developing severe preeclampsia, posing a high health risk to the mother and child.
The observational study analyzed blood vitamin D concentrations of 700 pregnant women who later deve- loped preeclampsia and of 3,000 mothers who did not develop a complication during pregnancy (1). The study results showed that a sufficient vitamin D level was associated with a 40% reduction in risk of severe (but not mild) preeclampsia.
The researchers commented that vitamin D has diverse functions in the body beyond maintaining bone and muscle health, including actions that may be important for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Further explo- ring the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of preeclampsia is warranted. Severe and mild preeclampsia are thought to have different root causes. Preeclampsia is a condition characterized by high blood pressure and significant amounts of protein in the urine of a pregnant woman.
15 December 2012
Recently published systematic reviews and meta-analyses reported that eating at least two servings of fatty fish a week was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events while fish oil supplements did not show the same effect.
16 August 2009
Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are not associated with a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to new findings.
12 June 2017
A glimpse into the vitamin E deficiency experienced globally and ways to help combat this deficiency through healthy dietary habits.
