News
Antioxidants tied to lower risk of preterm birth
25 October 2009
Pregnant women who eat plenty of red- and orange-hued fruits and vegetables may have lower odds of giving birth prematurely, a new study suggests.
15 March 2010
Vitamin D supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren, says a new study.
In the randomized controlled trial, the incidence of influenza A was compared in 430 schoolchildren (aged 6–15 years) taking vitamin D3 supplements (1,200 IU /day) with a group taking placebo during four months (1). The results showed a significant preventive effect against influenza A in children supplementing vitamin D, although no significant difference was observed for influenza B.
The preventive effect of vitamin D was consistent and more prominent in some subgroups of children, including those who had not been taking vitamin D supplements other than the study and children who did not have asthma. Children with asthma may be more susceptible to influenza. However, asthma attacks were also prevented by vitamin D3 supplementation.
The researchers suggested that vitamin D supplementation possibly reduced the risk of influenza A by enhancing innate immunity. They commented that further studies need to include a larger sample size of schoolchildren without comorbidities to determine the optimal dose and duration of vitamin D supplementation by measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
25 October 2009
Pregnant women who eat plenty of red- and orange-hued fruits and vegetables may have lower odds of giving birth prematurely, a new study suggests.
30 October 2017
A new report from Frost & Sullivan suggests that daily supplementation with 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin could save up to €6.2 billion in total medical costs resulting from age-related macular degeneration in Europe. Research suggests that lutein and zeaxanthin are important nutrients that support eye health as we age.
27 October 2015
A new study has shown that people with metabolic syndrome are less able to process vitamin E than the normal population. As this population suffers from a high visceral lipid burden, any reduction in the levels of this potent fat-soluble antioxidant is of concern and suggests that dietary recommendations of vitamin E intake for this group should be revised upward. Metabolic syndrome is extremely common in the Western world and is closely associated with the development of atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes.