News
Omega-3 fatty acids benefit heart health for non-fish eaters
31 March 2010
Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of heart disease and heart attack in people with low fish intakes, according to a new study.
08 December 2013
Teenagers with adequate blood concentrations of beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, D and E perform better in physical fitness tests than those with low concentrations, a Spanish study suggests.
In the epidemiological study, blood samples of 1089 participants across Europe aged 12 to 17 were tested for a variety of micronutrients, including vitamin A (retinol), beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E (alpha-tocophe-rol), vitamin B6, folate, vitamin D and iron (1). The volunteers' physical fitness was assessed through two tests: a standing long jump test, which assesses lower body muscular strength, and a 65-foot (19.8-metre) shuttle run test, which assesses cardiovascular fitness through maximal oxygen consumption. The study results showed that the blood micronutrient levels were closely connected with the participants' performance on the physical fitness tests. For cardiorespiratory fitness, increased concentrations of iron (hemoglobin), and vitamins A and C in males and beta-carotene and vitamin D in females were associated with maximal oxygen consumption. For muscular fitness, higher concentrations of beta-carotene, and vitamins A and vitamin E in males and beta-carotene and vitamin D in females were associated with performing better on the standing long jump test.
The researchers commented that the associations between physical fitness and iron or vitamin status observed in the adolescents should be followed up by a study specifically designed to evaluate causal relationships. They added that adolescence is a critical period of growth and development and for the acquisition of healthy behaviors. Therefore, appropriate nutrition during this period is a basic prerequisite for exploiting one’s full genetic potential that, together with physical activity, will influence health outcomes in later adult life. Scientific evidence shows that adolescents' performance in physical fitness tests has declined in the last three decades. For some micronutrients, an at least marginally deficient nutritional status has also been identified. It has been stated that physical fitness and nutritional status of the individuals are closely related (2). Nonetheless, this relationship can still differ according to sex, age, latitude, ethnicity, climate, seasonality, genetic background, adiposity, and lifestyle factors.
31 March 2010
Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of heart disease and heart attack in people with low fish intakes, according to a new study.
16 November 2009
Mothers who ate vegetables only three to fives times per week increased the risk of type 1 diabetes in their children by 70 percent, compared to women who consumed vegetables daily during pregnancy, according to new study results.
24 April 2015
In 2013, a paper from Brasky et al suggested a link between intake of marine omega 3 fatty acids and the risk of developing prostate cancer. A new, comprehensive meta-analysis from Alexander et al which included studies using both self-reported dietary intake and biomarker studies did not support an association between marine omega 3 fatty acid intake and prostate cancer.