News
Vitamin D may provide relief for patients with chronic hives
3 March 2014
According to a new US study increased intakes of vitamin D3 as an add-on therapy may significantly decrease the severity of symptoms in patients with chronic hives.
26 April 2010
Seniors with higher blood levels of vitamin D are also likely to have better physical function, suggests a new study.
In the study, blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D – the storage form of the vitamin in the body – were measured in 2’788 people with an average age of 75 at the start of the study, two years later, and then again after four years (1). These levels were then related to the physical function of the participants, measured by a variety of tests including how quickly they could walksix metres, how quickly they could rise from a chair five times, and how well they maintained their balance when asked to adopt a challenging position.
The data showed thatparticipants with the highest levels of vitamin D levels had better physical function. On the other hand, of the participants with the lowest physical function 90 per cent of them had insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D.
The study does not prove causality, however. Since we make vitamin D on exposure to sunlight, it is possible that people with better physical function have higher levels simply because they were able to get outside more often. If future trials support the hypothesis that higher vitamin D may increase physical function in the elderly then increases in recommended intakes may be needed, the researchers commented. Current dietary recommendations are based primarily on vitamin D's effects on bone health. It is possible that higher amounts of vitamin D are needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other health conditions, the scientists concluded.
Vitamin D is well known to support muscle function, and the science supporting the link is sufficiently robust,confirms the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA).
3 March 2014
According to a new US study increased intakes of vitamin D3 as an add-on therapy may significantly decrease the severity of symptoms in patients with chronic hives.
1 May 2010
Prof. Dr. med. vet. K. Pietrzik, Institute for Nutrition and Food Sciences Dept. of Nutritional Pathophysiology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn, Germany
5 September 2011
A diet high in sodium, when combined with little exercise, may be detrimental to cognitive performance, suggests a new Canadian study.