05 March 2012
Daily supplementation of vitamin D3 may decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases by improving the lipid profile of the blood and reducing the body fat mass in overweight and obese women, suggests a new Iranian study.
In the randomized controlled trial, 77 overweight and obese women with an average age of 38 were randomly assigned to receive either a daily vitamin D3 dose of 1,000 International Units (25 micrograms) or placebo for 12 weeks (1). An analysis of blood samples showed that HDL - cholesterol levels increased in the vitamin D group, but decreased in the placebo group. Total LDL - cholesterol concentrations were high in both groups, but in the vitamin group, LDL-cholesterol particles have less atherosclerosis promoting properties. In addition, vitamin D supple-mentation was associated with a significant reduction in body fat mass, compared with placebo.
Past studies have found high rates of vitamin D deficiency in obese populations and have linked low vitamin D levels to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (2). However, the mechanisms by which obesity and its related illnesses are connected to vitamin D deficiency are not fully known.
23 December 2013
A new US study reports that men with prostate cancer who ate a low-fat diet and took fish oil supplements had lower blood levels of pro-inflammatory substances and a lower cancer cell cycle progression score (a measure used to predict cancer recurrence) than men who ate a typical Western diet.
24 October 2018
In the coming decades, Medical Nutrition will help support the aging population, and people with acute and chronic conditions that require a specific diet or nutrition-related therapy. This latest Topic of the Month explores what Medical Nutrition is and who should use it.
29 June 2010
Supplementation with vitamin C and E fails to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia in women with type-1 diabetes, according to a new Irish study.
