News
Increased magnesium intakes may reduce mortality risk
5 December 2013
A new study from Spain says that people at a high risk of cardiovascular disease may reduce their risk of dying by increasing magnesium intakes.
04 March 2011
Increased vitamin D levels seem to be associated with significant improvements in physical condition among older adults, says a new study.
In the intervention trial, plasma vitamin D levels were analyzed for 424 participants aged 70–89 years along with their physical performance on condition tests (e.g., 400-meter walk test) over 12 months (1). The results showed that participants who had vitamin D deficiencies (25[OH]D below 20 ng/mL) at beginning of the study – about 50% of the group – but no longer suffered a lack of vitamin D after 12 months experienced significant improvements in physical performance compared with those whose 25(OH)D status remained the same. The researchers concluded that increased blood concentrations of vitamin D, measuring greater than or equal to 20 ng/mL, can improve older adults’ physical performance. Attaining adequate 25(OH)D levels may slow the decline in physical condition in older men and women and, ultimately, may delay the onset of disability.
According to the scientists, vitamin D deficiency and poor physical condition are common among the elderly. Both factors seem to be a strong risk factor for future disability. 25(OH)D has been shown to play an important role in muscle function through its regulation of calcium transport, uptake of inorganic phosphate for the production of energy-rich phosphate compounds, and protein synthesis in muscles. Randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation have shown mixed results on physical condition among older adults. Inclusion of participants with sufficient vitamin D levels at baseline and inadequate vitamin D doses are possible reasons for inconsistencies.
5 December 2013
A new study from Spain says that people at a high risk of cardiovascular disease may reduce their risk of dying by increasing magnesium intakes.
1 March 2012
Physicians from the US Johns Hopkins Children’s Center say that vitamin D deficiency, which often develops insidiously in childhood, should be on every parent’s and pediatrician’s radar.
23 July 2015
Pre-eclampsia is a fairly common condition in pregnant women (affecting around three million women globally per year) resulting in highly elevated blood pressure, which threatens the lives of both the mother and the unborn child. High-dose vitamin D supplementation has been shown to be effective in preventing the onset of the condition as well as ameliorating the symptoms in patients who have already presented with the condition. A new paper provides a plausible metabolic mechanism for the beneficial effect of vitamin D.