05 November 2012
Vitamin D supplements could reduce blood pressure in patients diagnosed with hypertension, states a new study from Denmark.
In this randomized controlled trial, the blood pressure of 112 patients with hypertension who received either vitamin D (75 mcg/day) or a placebo for 20 weeks in winter was measured (1). The study results showed that the patients who took the vitamin D supplement showed a significant reduction of 6.8 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and a cut in diastolic blood pressure of 1.7mmHg. Of the 112 patients, 92 were found to have insufficient blood vitamin D concentrations at the start of the study.
The researchers concluded that hypertensive patients can benefit from vitamin D supplementation if they have a vitamin D insufficiency. The majority of Europeans most likely have a vitamin D deficiency; many probably also have high blood pressure. Vitamin D is not a cure for hypertension, but its blood pressure-lowering effect may be able to help patients, especially in the winter months. It is important to stress that larger studies are necessary to confirm these findings, the scientists noted.
11 November 2010
A new review has come to the conclusion that a sufficient intake of lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids is indispensible for the maintenance of eye health.
8 July 2013
Prenatal supplement recommendations are too low to ensure vitamin D sufficiency in newborns, particularly for those with darker skin types, says a new study from Italy.
1 September 2013
Skin possesses the lifelong ability to renew itself, but as we age this process takes longer. Between the ages of 20 and 50 the rate of skin cell renewal gradually slows, and after the age of 50 it slows ever faster. The surface layer of the skin, the epidermis, becomes thinner and can store less water. In the dermis, or true skin, production of the collagen that supports and firms the skin declines. Menopause in women, during which the body reduces estrogen production, causes a further loss of firmness and elasticity. Environmental factors like UV radiation have a major impact, accelerating the decomposition of collagen and encouraging the formation of aggressive oxygen compounds that can damage skin cells from the membrane to the DNA. The subcutaneous layer of fat and loose connective tissue becomes thinner. At the same time, the supply of nutrients and energy to the skin deteriorates. It is therefore important to support the health of aging skin with a sufficient supply of micronutrients.
