15 January 2010
Daily supplements combining vitamin D and calcium may protect everyone from fracture, regardless of age or gender, says a new study.
According to the results of a pooled analysis including almost 70,000 people in the US and Europe, a combination of vitamin D (10 micrograms) and calcium significantly reduced fractures by 8 percent, and hip fractures by 16 percent (1). The combination of supplements benefited both women and men of all ages. Trials which used only vitamin D at a dose of 10 or 20 micrograms showed no significant reductions in fracture risk.
The study supports a growing consensus that combined calcium and vitamin D is more effective than vitamin D alone in reducing a variety of fractures, the researchers commented. Now, they want to investigate the best dosage, duration and optimal way for people to take it.
27 January 2014
According to a new study from the United Kingdom, adequate blood vitamin D concentrations of mothers during pregnancy may increase muscle strength in their children.
24 April 2017
The discovery of vitamins a little over one century ago was incredibly important for the field of nutrition. At last, we had found the key to preventing vitamin deficiencies!
1 December 2014
Optimizing vision throughout the lifespan is a public health priority worldwide, not only because of its central importance to quality of life, but also because of the health care costs associated with the loss of vision in an aging population. Oxidative stress is thought to be a key pathogenic mechanism of compromised vision, and the antioxidant properties of some nutrients show the capacity to modulate disease conditions linked to oxidative stress. Considerable evidence has accumulated showing that vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and zinc help support vision and may be protective against the development or progression of some common – especially age-related – eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. In addition, increased intakes of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin and the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – all concentrated in the eye – have been associated consistently with lower likelihood of sight-threatening conditions. There has also been some promising research with B vitamins in age-related eye diseases and with vitamin A and DHA in the rare disease retinitis pigmentosa (see also Key nutrients for healthy vision).
