News
Iodine supply in the womb may be linked to the child’s literacy
20 May 2013
A new study from Australia has shown that children who did not receive enough iodine in the womb performed worse on literacy tests as nine-year-olds than their peers.
26 September 2014
According to a new study from China, vitamin D deficiency may double the risk of diabetic retinopathy.
The observational study measured the blood vitamin D concentrations of 1,520 patients with type 2 diabetes who had no retinopathy, non-sight threatening retinopathy or sight-threatening retinopathy (1). The study results showed that vitamin D deficiency was an independent risk factor for diabetic retinopathy and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy: patients with a vitamin D level less than 15.57 ng/ml doubled the risk for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy. Lower vitamin D levels were significantly related to increased severity of diabetic retinopathy.
The researchers noted that vitamin D receptors on beta-cells in the pancreas, the cells responsible for producing insulin, suggest that vitamin D plays a role in type 2 diabetes and healthy insulin secretion in general. Research on vitamin D’s effect on specific diabetic complications remains relatively scarce. Eye problems are common among those with type 2 diabetes and can lead to vision loss or complete blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common form of diabetic eye disease and is a main cause behind blindness in American adults. In diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in the eyes swell or become blocked all together. Eye disease is just one complication that can arise from type 2 diabetes. Damage to the nerves in the feet and heart disease are other serious issues associated with type 2 diabetes.
20 May 2013
A new study from Australia has shown that children who did not receive enough iodine in the womb performed worse on literacy tests as nine-year-olds than their peers.
12 December 2012
A new US study says that older adults who are mildly vitamin B12 deficient may be at higher risk of cognitive decline.
6 October 2015
A new study concerning the nutritional supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in formula milk for premature babies has demonstrated that a treatment group consuming a 2:1 ratio of ARA (arachidonic acid) to DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) displayed much better psychomotor development and higher blood levels of PUFAs than a 1:1 group. The work provides further evidence of the importance of ARA for the neurological development of premature babies.