News
Adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy may support dental health of children
2 May 2014
A new US study reports that a sufficient maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy may positively influence childhood tooth development and health.
08 September 2014
Patients treated with vitamin D may experience a slower progression to more severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease, reports a new study from Argentina.
The observational study with 202 patients suffering from a mild stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) who were treated with memantine (drug for AD), acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and/or vitamin D3, measured the time of progression to moderate and severe disease status during a mean time of 4.5 years (1). The study results showed that the treatment with vitamin D affected the time of AD progression independently of the other factors analyzed, e.g., medications, cardiovascular risk factors and osteoporosis. Patients treated with vitamin D had slower AD progression and took one year longer to develop to a more severe stage compared to those not treated with vitamin D.
The researchers noted that vitamin D deficiency has been reported to increase the risk of developing AD, while maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels may reduce the number of plaques that develop with AD (2). Receptors for vitamin D in the brain have led researchers to become interested in how vitamin D affects the development and the management of AD. The disease, which develops slowly and gets worse over time, affects one in nine people older than 65 years old and is characterized by a loss of memory and changes in behavior. Many patients receive memantine, a drug specifically designed to treat AD, and acetylcholin-esterase (AChE) inhibitors, used to treat the symptoms of dementia in general.
2 May 2014
A new US study reports that a sufficient maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy may positively influence childhood tooth development and health.
1 May 2011
According to a new US study, higher blood concentrations of vitamin E may be associated with a better recovery after hip fracture for the elderly.
1 February 2012
The spread of depression has reached the point where it is becoming a public health concern. Besides psychological symptoms like listlessness and feeling low, many people with depression suffer from physical complaints like cardiovascular symptoms and a lack of appetite. In consequence, many patients with depression find it difficult to meet their nutrient requirements. Hence, they are in danger of becoming malnourished, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Although this connection between nutrition and depression is unquestioned, there is a debate as to the degree to which specific dietary behaviors can positively influence the onset, course, and severity of this mental illness. Numerous studies indicate that in the long-term an inadequate supply of micronutrients can increase the risk for depression.